The Simple Life

{DIY} Etched Monogram Mugs

2012-02-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

I was at it again with another DIY Christmas gift, but this year I procrastinated to the very end. In adition to regular gifts, I made a small gift for everyone. I scoured blogs, the internet, and Pinterest for ideas. I wanted to make something easy, inexepnsvie, but nice. So, I stumbled apon etching. I had no idea this could be done at home, but I found this awesome etching creaming called Armour Etch. It was super easy to use and almost fool proof...almost. Here's what I did...

You'll need:
Glass mugs/beer steins
Armour Etch
Sponge brush
Contact paper
Cricut cutter or stencil design
Rubber gloves
Ventilated area

I bought my glass mugs & steins at my local 99¢ Store, but i'm sure you could find something similar at the $ Tree. I also bought the contact paper at the 99¢ Store. The Armour Etch can be found at Michaels craft stores or online.

The first thing I did was rinse my mugs. While they were drying, I used my cricut to cut out monogram initials from my contact paper. I did last name initials only. I didn't want to get too complicated.

After the mugs were dried, I positioned the contact paper intials on the glasses. I tried my darndest to get them as straight as possible.

Once they were all lettered up, I put on my gloves, in a well venitalted area, and I used my sponge to pack some cream on the area I wanted to be etched. Now here's a tip - You want the area that's going to be ethced, to be thoroughly covered, but you don't want to do too much where the etching cream starts to run. Luckily, I caught this in time before there was too much damage. Hehe :)

You'll then leave the cream on as recommened by the jar's directions, however I left mine on for 15 minutes.

After the time is up, I rinsed the glasses (careful NOT to touch the cream), peeled off the contact paper, and I washed them with dish soap. And let dry.

They're done! That's it. This was the quickest gift I'd ever made and it was sooooooo easy, and everyone liked them! I think they look expensive! So, now that I've done these glasses, I have other stuff in mind like a glass baking dish, a lemonade jar, a cake stand, eep! I can't wait to try it on something else!

{Super Sweet} Ice Cream Social

2012-01-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

The month of January is filled with birthdays! Every weekend we have someones birthday to celebrate, and I'm no exception. Last weekend we celebrated my 31st birthday. It was great, except for the fact that I had a cold. Boo. But I still managed to have fun! Friday, the day of my actual birthday, I was well enough (and able to taste my food) to go to dinner with the hubs, nothing super special, but it was just the two of us. I also celebrated on Sunday with the rest of my family. And, I got lots of $$$ to buy some items on my birthday wish list. Yay!

Anywho, onto the ICE CREAM! We recently celebrated my niece's 18th birthday! Eep! I said 18. Wow, I feel old. Anyway, she wanted to celebrate at a local ice cream shop that had just opened, however the lines have been redic lately, so I asked her about an ice cream party. She agreed. And I helped plan!

For Jasmine's social, I found an adorable and FREE ice cream printables set. Yes! I said FREE AND ADORABLE! I got it from Emmy + Gabbie Paperstyles and it's the FREE Ice Cream Social Printable Party Pack in Rainbow Sherbet!!! Using the party pack, I made a banner, cupcake toppers and tent cards for the ice cream toppings. To bring the party together, we made ice cream cones from balloons and construction paper. All other supplies were purchased from the 99¢ store. I'm sure you could find similar at the Dollar Tree. We bought pink and neon green ice cream bowls, matching balloons, utensils, paper plates, table covers, and napkins. I also used some leftover items from Isabella's Sweet Shoppe like the paper lanterns, cake and cupcake stand, and plastic ice cream cones.

For dinner, my sister served up Hawaiian food, and of course ice cream for dessert. We had vanilla, strawberry, java and chocolate ice cream along with chocolate, strawberry, and caramel syrup. Toppings included chopped Oreos, chocolate chips cookies, toffee, walnuts, sprinkles, Reese's Pieces, bananas, strawberries, whipped cream, and cherries. We even had ice cream sandwiches dipped in sprinkles, brownies, and cones. Yum! And we couldn't forget the cake and cupcakes! EVERYTHING was delicious! And I think everything came out cute. If I do say so myself ;0P

Here are some pics...

Isabella's 18 months!

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's true! My baby girl is becoming a toddler more and more :( Nah, I'm not sad. Okay, just a little. She's such a firecracker! Totally and completely different than Jacob. She talks...A LOT! She is a mocking bird. She repeats EVERYTHING! Her vocab is so big I could not list all the words she says. Crazy, I know. Jacob barely spoke at this age, and now he can't be quiet. Speaking of Jacob, Bella loves her brother. Ever heard of that saying, "Monkey see, monkey do!" Well, that's Bella, everything Jacob does/says Isabella repeats! She is such a handful. Forget about the talking, her tantrums are hilarious. Whenever she doesn't get her way, you can find her sprawled on the floor wailing, wiggling and kicking her feet! Despite it all, Isabella is so much fun. She still is a girly girl, and she'll sit still to paint her nails, to put on lipstick, to wear her purse, or to put on her sunglasses. She is all over everything. Touching, feeling, grabbing, pulling, she's on it! But, I know she's learning, so I let her do it as along as she is reasonably safe and won't destroy anything too badly. LOL! And one of my favorite things she is doing at the moment is, she will hug and kiss you and say I love you! Makes my heart melt every time. She gives big tight hugs :)

We've also had Isabella's 18 month doctor's appointment. She got 2 shots, and in less surprising news, she's a BIG girl! Eh, what's new?! Bella is currently 35.25 inches tall and is weighing in at 29.7 pounds (100%tile for both)! She's the size of a 2 year old! Where did my little baby go? She's still right here being her rambunctious self. I'm sooo looking forward to the next 6 months and all they have to bring. We're on our way to Isabella's 2nd birthday!

{ DIY } Play Kitchen

2012-01-22T11:15:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I started this project, and I can now say it's *almost* finally COMPLETE! I finished it the week before Christmas, just in the nick of time. And I am in LOVE. I love the way it came out, and honestly, I'm sad I'm done with it. I had a lot of fun finding the pieces, and deciding what theme I wand for it. My dad helped out, and he even asked if we could do another one and sell it. Hmmm??? Maybe?! Anyway, this was a labor of true love. I'm going to give a break down of price and what I did to make the kids' kitchen. BTW, this is my dream kitchen. I love the classic yellow & white look. An all white kitchen with yellow accents...One day. However, once we saw the kids using it, we realized that they needed a cutting board/prep area, and I might be making a shelf that extends out from the side of the kitchen by the burners. But for now, this is what I used for our kitchen.

Nightstand (Craigslist) - $10
Plywood back 1/2 sheet (*HD = Home Depot) - $6.25 TIP: You can buy scrap pieces really cheap.Roof Shingle - magnetic chalkboard (*HD) - 98¢
Pull for the oven (*HD) - $1.99
Magnetic catch on oven door (*HD) - 98¢
Black oven paint sample (*HD) - $2.94
Chalkboard spray piant (*HD) - $4.67
Shelf Brackets (2) (*HD) - $2.58
Hinges (2) (*HD) - $2.47
Tap light $5.97
Wood soccer balls - burners (4) (Michaels) - 49¢each
Scalloped Molding (Michaels) - $2.99
2 Frames - window & magnetic chalkboard ($ Tree) - $2
Contact Paper - Line bottom storage (99¢ Store) - $1
1/2 Yard fabric (Jo Ann's)- $3.50 SALE

Accessories:
Salt & pepper shakers ($ Tree) - $1
Colander ($ Tree) - $1
Measuring spoons($ Tree) - $1
Yellow bowls set (2) (99¢ Store) - $1
Yellow Kitchen Towels set (2) - (99¢ Store)
Yellow Baskets (2) - (99¢ Store)

Had on Hand/Donated:
Sink cake pan
Shelf
ShelfHooks
Paint
Black spray paint
Acrylic paint
Faucet
Stove/Oven knobs
Tension rod
Popsicle sticks
Bamboo skewers
Printed picture
Piece of molding
Velcro

The very first thing I did, was take apart the nightstand. Kind of. I took out the drawers, and kept one drawer face. Hubby sanded off almost all of the paint. I filled in any holes I didn't want (including the drawer face), and let it dry. We then dusted it off, and measured for the sink. I had my cake pan sink on hand, so that was easy. I also had my dad make the holes for the faucet. Once that was completed, I primed the entire outside. I wanted to be sure the paint was going to stay. I let it dry, and then began to paint starting with the oven, which I painted black, and moving to the outside using regular paint we had on hand. I gave the kitchen about 2 coats. I also painted the plywood backing, and the moulding. I did not paint the bottom storage area because it was going to be hidden behind a curtain, but I did use contact paper to line the bottom. The oven door, which I thought was going to be difficult, was easy. We nailed it in with hinges, and added a magnetic catch. It works great, but we might add a chain. Not sure about that yet.

For the burners, I used 4 wood soccer balls that I found on clearance at Michaels. I just flipped them over, spray painted them, and had a smooth side to work with. My niece gave me some popsicle sticks that I cut to size and painted grey, and glued them on with Liquid Nails. For the curtain and valance, I had some help from my mom. And the rod, for the valance above the sink, is held up by two white bamboo skewers taped together and placed on hooks. The "window" is a frame painted yellow, and I printed out a picture that I would've liked to see when I looked out my window. As for the magnetic chalkboard, it was made using a dollar store frame painted yellow, and a roof shingle painted with chalkboard paint. I had to cut it down a bit to fit it in the frame, but it worked.

Once the kitchen was dry, I started assembling it. I glued the scalloped moulding to the top of the back splash and regular moulding where the nightstand and the backsplash met. I screwed in the faucet, put the sink in, nailed in the shelf and the burners. The knobs were nailed in using washers so they could still turn. The chalkboard was also nailed in, however for the "window" I used Velcro just in case I wanted to change the picture out. Hooks were screwed under the shelf and onto the side of the kitchen to hold dish towels.

After everything was put together, and all items were added up, the total for this kitchen came out to just under $60! I thought that was pretty good since it's so durable, and well, it was personalized!

If you have any questions leave a comment and I'll try to answer as best I can!

Here she is...

I'm linking up...

Thrifty Decor Chick February Before & After Party

New Year, Crappy Beginning

2012-01-19T14:45:00.000-08:00

It's only been a few weeks into the new year, and they've already started off with a bang. A pretty crappy bang. On January 7th, just a little before 1pm, Isabella had her first febrile seizure. And this time, I was alone with 2 kids, kind of. Jess wasn't home but the rest of my family was near by. So, it had already started off as a crappy day. Jacob woke up throwing up. First in my bed, then in the hallway, and all over the bathroom. So, I spent my morning clean up and disinfecting everything. Turns out, I think he had an upset tummy 'cause he only threw up twice. That's it. So, I thought my trouble maker was going to be Jacob, but oh no, it was still early. Turns out, Isabella was going to be my sick baby. She had her seizure and it was almost deja vu to Jacob's first seizure. It happened in her sleep. And it happened exactly likes Jacob's in that I heard her breathing weird in the monitor. I didn't even look at the monitor, I just heard it and ran right into the room where I saw her shaking. Everything after that point, felt like an eternity. But it was only minutes. I picked Bella up and held her as I called my sister to come over. She ran to my house and was there in seconds. I then called 911. They told me what to do, and we followed their directions. The ambulance was there in about a minute. From start to finish, Bella's seizure lasted about 3 minutes. And she was burning up. The medics did their thing and loaded us up where we headed to the nearest hospital. It took us over 20 minutes to get a room, and during that time Bella was crying. We finally got a room, and it was another half hour before we got any meds. She also had an xray of her chest to rule out pneumonia. It was negative. But it took Isabella 1.5 hours to return to normal where she could drink and move more. After 3 hours at the hospital, and an antibiotic shot, we were released. Turns out, Bella had a fever off and on for 3 days before it broke and she broke out into a rash, aka ROSEOLA! She had a minor rash on her chest and her forehead for about a day before it went away. It took about a week for her to get back to complete normalcy, but I'm back on high alert with the seizures. Jacob has not had one in just over 2 years, but now I have to be weary of Isabella. I'm hoping this will be her last one, and I'm very optimistic!

My sick baby. Keeping her cool & hydrated.

Jacob's New Preschool

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

So, it's a new year, and for Jacob, that means a new preschool. A few months back, I had enrolled him in a local program, but it was only 2 days a week for just a few hours. It was great as an introduction for him. He learned quite a few things, but there were a few drawbacks like it was far, and there were 34 kids in his class. Yes, I said 34. So, I started looking for a new school, and what better place than our very own neighborhood. Actually, the preschool Jacob goes to now is the one my niece and nephew went to as well. It's a little different from the time they went, but that was also 15 years ago. However, I love that there are not too many kids. Hello! There are 10 kids in his class! It's super duper close, and it just seems so quaint. But, he's only been there for a little over a week, so we'll see how it goes. If you ask Jacob, he loves it. He now goes 3 days a week for 4.5 hours. And he eats lunch at school now too. The first few days at school wiped him out. I had to bring back his nap! Yay me! I'm sooo happy for him, and sooo proud :0)

Happy New Year!

2012-01-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

The month of December, as I predicted, was super busy. The last two weeks of the year were absolutely jam packed. We had a cousin visit from out of town, so we showed her around California. But let's start with Christmas. We went to look at Christmas lights 3 times! We visited this local neighborhood here in the OC, and almost the whole neighborhood participates. This was also the first Christmas Jacob understood the concept of Santa, and according to him, Santa delivered. This year Jacob asked for a rocket ship. That was it. And he got one. Bella got a little bit of everything. It was a good Christmas for them, and me too! The week after Christmas was crazy. We decided to go on an impromptu trip to San Francisco. We left Tuesday and came back Wednesday night. We did a lot on that little trip. We had dinner at Boudin Bakery at the Wharf, had chocolate at Ghirardelli Square, and then headed to our hotel for the night. It was super cute. It had a retro motif throughout the place. The next day we woke up and headed out for breakfast, and out to the Golden Gate Bridge vista point to take some touristy pictures. Then we started our trek back home. On our way, we stopped at the elephant seal beach near San Simeon, and had a delicious dinner at the Firestone Grill in San Luis Obispo. After that, it was straight home. Tons of fun, despite it being Isabella's first car trip. They both did exceptionally well. And unfortunately, the hubs couldn't come with us, since it was so last minute. But we all had a ball.

Our New Year's weekend was very low key. We celebrated at my parent's house with a little alcohol and a few games of Loteria. However, we did make it out to the the Rose Parade. It was Jacob's first time, and Bella was still a little small. It was fun seeing all the beautifully decorated floats and the huge marching bands. I think we'll hold off going for another 5 years. I thought we had a pretty great end to a pretty great year.

During 2011, we went on our first family vacation. On a Disney Cruise, no less. We celebrated Isabella's first birthday and Jacob's third. I entered my 30s and haven't looked back. All in all, 2011 was good to us, and I can't wait to see what 2012 brings! Here weee goooo...

Happy Holidays '11!!!

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

It was that time of year again, photo shoot time! It was kind of easier this time, however I still didn't get a super great picture. I'm hoping next year will be THE year I get a good one. Having a 1 year old and 3 year old pose was hard. So I tried to make it fast and painless. Here is our card this year, and some outakes...

November in Review

2011-12-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

I know we're more than a week into Decmeber, but November was a crazy, but fun month for me. I haven't had a month like that in a long time, and it made time go by so fast. I had quite a few things to look forward to like Thanksgiving. However, I also went to the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn Part 1. It's become sort of a tradition. I've been to 3 out of the 4, so far. And you can bet I'll be there at midnight next year. Thankfully, it's my niece (and her friend) who spends hours waiting in line for us. I don't know if I'd be able to do it. Alas, next year will be that last time we'll be waiting 'til midnight :( But the movie was amazing. I read the book to compare and I do have to say, of all the movies, this one was the closest to the book. There were few details left out. It was sooo good that I actually saw it twice in theaters. Something I very rarely do with any movie. I had to see it again. So, if you're holding off on seeing it, don't! It's a good movie!

I also had the chance to see Katy Perry in concert! She had a pretty awesome show. It was the last show of her California Dreams tour, and it ended here in LA. She is no Mariah Carey and no Britney Spears but she can put on a show. It was cute, whimsical, and fun! And, a few days later we celebrated Thanksgiving. That weekend was so much fun. I was out and about the whole week. And my mom's Turkey dinner was delicious! Yum. However, the month of November also brought along some sadness when a very close family member passed away :( She was very sick and in pain but now she is at rest.

So, as you can see it was a crazy packed month, only to be out done by December, possibly. This month is going to fly, and I've already got one of my Christmas gifts! An iPhone 4S. I. Am. In. Love. This thing runs circles around my old Blackberry which was two years old and hanging on by a thread. Seriously. That thing was DONE. Oh, but how I adore my new phone. She's so pretty, and fast! LOVE. Love. love.

{DIY} Play Kitchen Progess 2

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

I'm sooo glad I gave myself a few months to complete this project! And now that it's December I can see the end in sight. Thank goodness! I'm done with the main body of the kitchen and now it's on to the details. Which, to me, is the most fun part! I found a fabric that I love, and I've got most of the other little details sorted out. Now to just put them all together. I canNOT wait til this thing is completed! But, for now, here's a sneak peek...

{DIY} Easy Advent Calendar

2011-11-29T11:45:00.000-08:00

This is super duper easy! I really wanted to do an advent calendar this year since Jacob is now aware of Christmas and Santa. I actually wanted a nice advent calendar made of felt or fabric, and I'd found a few, but I didn't have the time to make one. So, I made the next best thing. I found my lovely little advent calendar idea on Pinterest! Are you surprised? However, the blog I found them on had the directions for the calendar in Italian, so I just used her pictures to get an idea. For my calendar, I found a Santa face that I liked (Googled it) and I manipulated it in PSE 9. I enlarged Santa to the size I wanted, and I removed his existing beard. I then made my own U shaped beard and added in the numbers. Now, everyday, starting with December 1st, I'll cut off each corresponding number. And when Santa has no beard left it'll be Christmas!

Gobble! Gobble!

2011-11-24T08:49:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone has a fab day filled with family, friends, food, and fun! This year, and every year, I'm thankful for my wonderful family and everything that I have. So let us not forget today, and everyday, to be thankful for ALL that we have in our lives.

{Click, Click} Photography Class

2011-11-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to take a photography class to learn my DSLR, but there was no way in heck I was going to pay more than $100! No, thanks. Well, come in Groupon. Yup, I bought a voucher for a beginner's photography class! And guess what?! It was only $50! (Regularly $130) It was through a vendor I highly respect, and love his work, so I was stoked, kind of. Thing is, the class was kind of far for me. A 40 minute drive, so I put off the class for a while. It took me a good 6 months to finally use it. But I'm so glad I finally did cause I really liked it. I would love to take the next level, but we'll see. Anywho, the class was made up of 8 students. The first hour was spent in studio with a lecture followed by a one hour field trip on location. The location we went to was an old theater. It was fun, but there was a lot of information to remember. The best part was the tips and tricks the instructor taught us. I feel that was more of what I needed. Where as the beginner class, was to learn the buttons of the camera. I know the buttons, and I know what they do, but I need to learn how to use them to get more desirable and interesting pictures. Like I said, I would love to go to another class!

Here are some of my pics...

Bella's 1st Manicure & A Weekend Recap

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend my niece wanted to paint Isabella's finger nails, but instead, I did it. Actually, what happened was, my niece held Bella while I painted her nails real quick before she could squirm, but I did such a bad job that my niece did them again. However, Isabella was fine with her nails being painted that my niece was able to do a way better job than me. They are a true pink! I think it's sooo cute, but Isabella is a true girly girl. She loves scarfs, purses, and chapstick (no lipstick just yet). And I think she'll love dress-up. I can't wait!

And I haven't done a weekend recap in ages! But I had a very fun weekend. It was a 3 dayer, Friday we stood home just relaxing since it was a cloudy day, and Saturday was our girls' night. I had so much fun, and I haven't laughed like that in a long time. My therapy. It was a small group and we had appetizers to munch on and dessert. Oh, and couldn't forget the wine. Yum. I love Moscato. A very good time was had by all. I can say that with assurance. Finally, Sunday, I attended a photography class, but more on that next time. And it looks like November is turning out to be a fun but busy month for me. Turkey day is around the corner and I can't wait!

{DIY} Play Kitchen Progress

2011-11-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've started on the kids' play kitchen! I thought I might lag on it, but I've actually started. I do have to say it's slow going. I've only been working on it one day a week. But luckily, my dad and my hubby have been very helpful. So far, I've taken the drawers out and apart, and my hubby sanded it down for me. My dad help me make the hole for the sink, and now I'm waiting on the faucet. I actually had quite a few to choose from (thanks to my dad), but I want just the right one. It's actually coming from my sister's house. She's changing out a sink faucet and I want the old one! I'm kind of struggling on the colors. I thought I had it but I changed my mind, so I'm going to visit Joann's to see what kind of fabric they have and pull from that. I still have a color scheme in mind, but I hope I can find a fabric that will work. My other problem is that I want it to be unisex, so no flowers, hearts, or pink. But I'm so glad it's coming along. I will keep you updated, and at the end I will do one big summary including cost.

Here it is now...

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

This year I decided to coordinate the kids' costumes. At first, I wanted Isabella to be a ladybug, but I had no idea what Jacob was going to be. We started deciding in August, and I would ask him what he wanted to be. He had no clue. But around his birthday, he got really into Peter Pan and fell in love with Captain Hook, and the tic-toc (crocodile). Initially, he wanted to be a crocodile, but it was too close to what he was last year (dragon). So, we went with Captain Hook. And then it was only fitting that Bella be Tinker Bell. For Jacob's costume, we used a hand-me-down from my nephew who is now 15 years old. I bought the hat at the Disney Store and the hook from the Dollar Tree. With Bella, I searched high and low for a Tink costume I liked, but they were all so basic and simple, and each was around $25 and up. No thanks. So, I made hers. Well, my mom helped. I made the pink tutu and the poofs on her slippers. My mom made the green leaf skirt and the slippers. I picked up the wings at the Dollar Tree. I didn't mean for their costumes to be so inexpensive but hey, I can't complain. I think they came out cute!

This year for Halloween, we did the same thing we do every year. We trick or treated around our neighborhood. The kids lasted about an hour and a half. We got a decent haul, but the kids don't eat candy. So it's my haul? Jacob adored it ALL. He would walk up and in his little voice say, "Trick or treat!" And when they gave him candy he would tell them, "I'm Captain Hook!" It was so cute. Bella just enjoyed going along for the ride. It was perfect, but too bad it was on a Monday. Boo. I can't wait to see what they're going to be next year!

Lastly, we carved our pumpkins a week before Halloween. Big mistake. They were yucky for Halloween. Oh well. Next year, we need to do them a little closer to Halloween. And it was only fitting to carve a Captain Hook pumpkin and Tink one. I think they came out okay.

Oreo Mummies

2011-10-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

Jacob had his Halloween party at school last week, and I signed up to take turkey sandwiches. But I also wanted to give them a little treat. So, I don't remember how I found this idea, but it's everywhere! Oreo mummies, or Oreo pops, are popular and easy to do. However, the ones that I found called for the Oreos to be dipped in white chocolate and then drizzled again with more chocolate. Uh, hello! That's a lot of chocolate! Well, not for me, but especially for preschoolers, so I tried to lighten it up. Here's what I did/used:

2 1/2 packages of Halloween themed Oreos (yields 40 mummies)
1 - 24 oz bag of White chocolate chips (make as directed)
80 Button Candies for the eyes (or mini chocolate chips, candy googly eyes, M & Ms, Skittles)
Wax Paper
Cookie Sheet
Sandwich bags

The first thing I did was line a cookie sheet with wax paper. I then placed the Oreos on the sheet leaving about a 1.5 inch distance between each cookie. I then poured myself a small bowl of white chips microwaving them according to the directions on the bag (for me, this meant using Crisco shortening). Once melted, I poured the chocolate into a sandwich bag, and snipped off a tiny corner of the bag. I then pipped chocolate for the eyes, and placed the candy buttons on the cookies. I let them set for a little bit, and got started on making more chocolate, following the directions on the bag. Once the chocolate was heated, I poured it into a new sandwich bag, and started drizzling the chocolate over the cookies. After I was done pipping, I let them set up in the fridge for a bit. After about 15 minutes, I placed them in little cello bags and attached a tag! That was it! Easy, cute, and tasty!

My Current Project

2011-10-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

So, for the last couple of years, DIY play kitchens have become quite huge. And my first glimpse of them was through Pinterest. I saw one that was made out of an old entertainment center, and I wanted to jump on Craigslist and buy up the very first one I saw, until my sister woke me up. She made me realize that I'd have no room for an entertainment center in my little house. Ugh. She was right. My dreams were dashed, for a few minutes until I saw that they use nightstands too! Hello! I could totally do a nightstand. That would definitely fit in our house. So, I began my search for the perfect nightstand. I would search Craigslist once a week. My goal was to find a nightstand that was cheap, in good condition, a decent size, and close by. It took a good month for me to find the right one. My area is overpriced ( Hello, OC!) so I looked in neighboring counties. I found one that met all my criteria except one, it wasn't close by. But my brother lived in the area, and on a visit to his house, I snatched it up. It's currently sitting outside waiting for me to get started on it. I need to gather all my supplies first, and a game plan. I've decided on a color scheme already, but we'll see if it changes when I get to painting it. But, I'm super excited to start tackling it. My goal is to finish it before Christmas since this will be the kids' gift. I think 2 months is fair, since this is my first major project. Wish me luck! Maybe I'll post progress reports, or maybe just before and after shots. Ahhh, we'll see!

Canvas4Life {Review}

2011-10-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to receive and review a photo canvas from Canvas4Life! I was sooo excited to give it a try because I've always wanted to try them out, but was hesitant about the actual quality of the print. I thought it would come out blurry, and the frame would be cheap and weak. However, I can assure you, the canvas prints from Canvas4Life are AWESOME! We ordered a 16 x 20 color print, and the colors were so vibrant on the canvas and the quality was amazing. They're very well-made and sturdy. And, I must say, the ordering process was so easy! I did it in less than 10 minutes. It only took 3 easy steps: upload your photo, customize it in real time, and place your order. They walk you through each and every step. Love that! Shipping was super fast too. I had my order within a week's time. Exceptionally fast for canvas printing. All in all, I was very pleased with the whole process and outcome. Jacob loved it too. He says it's his picture! I've gotten a ton of compliments on it, and my sister wants to try it too! I told her go for it! And if you're thinking about getting your photos onto canvas, I say go for it. You won't regret it! They make great gifts too! I'm already contemplating my next order!

And to make gift giving a little easier, or to get one for yourself, Canvas4Life is offering a special 10% off promo code for my readers. Just enter the code "simplelife" at checkout. They're also having an awesome Halloween sale right now, so head on over to Canvas4Life ASAP! Happy shopping!

Disclaimer: In doing this review, I was provided a canvas free of charge. However, all opinions are my own.

Our 4th Anniversary!

2011-10-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Four years ago today, my hubby and I joined together in holy matrimony. I can't believe it's only been four years, it feels like forever, but a good forever. I should mention that hubby and I have been together a total of 13 years now too. So, maybe it has been a awhile, but there's no one else I'd rather be with. He's a perfect partner, husband, and father. He puts up with a lot of my crazy ideas and shenanigans. He loves me. What can I say I'm a lucky girl! So, here's to many more years of craziness and love to me and the hubs. Wow, 5 years next year!

Picking Pumpkins

2011-10-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

We recently made our way out to a pumpkin patch. We picked 2 pumpkins, one for each kid. I'm not really big on these make shift PPs, but we would pass by one every time I took Jacob to school and they'd have bounce houses, balloons, and animals. And ever time we would pass by it, in his little voice, Jacob would ask if he could go to the party. Of course, we had to go. But we didn't go to this exact one, instead we went to one near my bro's house. We were going to visit him, and why not stop by the patch. Oh my word, it was such a *HOT* day. But we all made it. The rest of my family came along for the ride too. First thing Jacob had his eye on was the bounce house, so of course we let him go on it. And the sign said 15 minutes per ticket. Well, the PP wasn't very busy so Jacob was allowed to jump to his little heart's content. While he was jumping, and dad was watching him, Bella and I went looking for our pumpkins. It took a little bit, but we found 'em. Perfect for putting a nice little face on each. Jacob was still jumping, and the sun was still blazing. So, it was time to get Jacob out. But we weren't done just yet. We took Jacob to the little petting zoo where they had goats and chickens, or something. I didn't really pay attention, but he did NOT want to touch a thing. Oh, well. Maybe next year? He didn't really care about anything but the bouncers, and Isabella was still oblivious. Yeah, maybe next year.

Lastly, I'm going to be starting a big project! For me anyway. I'll give more info in my next post and a sneak peek into it. I'm so excited!

Pinterest {Project}

2011-10-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was at it again! I made another project I found on Pinterest. There was a dry erase board floating around, and I redid it. The original one was made as a to do list, but I turned into art, kind of. Someone kindly donated a nice frame for my project, so it cost me $0. This is sooo easy! It's ridiculous. So, here's what I did/used...

DIY Dry Erase Board

picture frame
paper/fabric
dry erase markers
spray paint (optional)

My frame was gold, but I needed a black frame, so I whipped out my black spray paint. I gave the frame a nice coat, and let it dry. I Used the leftover fabric that I had and cut it to the shape of the glass. And that was it. I wrote a couple of words on the glass. Dunzo.

Before:

After:

Halloween {Sneak Peek}

2011-10-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

The kids' costumes have finally come together. They're now sitting in their closet waiting for Halloween to come around. We even had a small fitting to see how they'd do in their costumes. Jacob LOVES his costume, and he looks so cute in it! Bella is a girly girl, and she's going to love playing dress-up when she's older. She already loves her costume. Quite to my surprise. I thought she would start taking it apart. So, here's a sneak peek at Isabella's costume...Can you guess what she's going to be?

Jacob's Back to School Night & Ouchie!

2011-10-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Jacob had his back to School night at preschool. Luckily, I had a lot of my questions answered, and it gave the hubs an opportunity to check out Jacob's school too. There are 30 kids in Jacob's class along with 3 teachers. They seem very nice and very patient. The head teacher told us what they've been learning, and what they'll be learning as the year goes on. It's funny 'cause she mentioned that they've learned some songs and that we've probably heard them at home, but every time I ask Jacob if he sang at school he says no. Jacob also showed us his favorite toy in the classroom. The pirate ships. Every time he goes to class he goes straight for these ships. oh, and apparently, Jacob's a little aggressive. Not physically, but I guess demanding. We've been working on that. I think that's about it. Oh, during this particular session, they've been working on colors, manners, and sharing. Totally new concepts to 3 year olds. But he's still loving it!

And my poor Jacob had a horrible week last week, hence no blogging. But he got a huge ouchie. He not only had a cold, so he was all congested and stuffy, but he hit the corner of our TV stand. He busted the right corner of his bottom lip. I felt horrible because we didn't have it protected. Well we did, with some rubber corner guards, but Jacob would rip them off so I stopped putting them on. Luckily, he really didn't need stitches, but it then started to get infected so he was placed on antibiotics. But, wow! That thing healed up so fast. In less than a week, his lip was completely back to normal. And now the TV stand has a big elastic scrunchy looking thing all around it. So, it was a crazy week, Isabella and I also got sick. But, we're ALL doing much better now!

Getting to Know Me A to Z

2011-09-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

I'm linking up to Kelly at Becker Family Adventures
"Getting to Know me A-Z."

A. age: 30

B. bed size: King

C. chore you hate: Toilets. Gag.

D. dessert: Ice cream

E. essential start to your day: Brushing my teeth

F. favorite color: Pink

G. gold or silver: Silver

H. height: 5' 5"

I. instruments you play: None

J. job title: Mom

K. kids: 2, Jake & Bella.

L. live: California

M. meal: Japanese

N. nicknames: Babe, mama

O. overnight hospital stays: Twice, 2 c-sections

P. pet peeve: Flakes, if you say you're going to do something, do it.

Q. quotes: "Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don’t. And believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that it would be easy. They just promised it would be worth it."

R. righty or lefty: Righty

S. siblings: 2 brothers, 1 sister

T. time you wake up: 7:30 ish or whenever the kids get up.

U. university attended: Cal State University, Fullerton - Bachelor's, San Jose State - Master's

V. vegetables you dislike: Cauliflower

W. what makes you run late: The kids.

X. x-rays you’ve had: Dental.

Y. yummy food: Italian

Z. zoo animal favorite: Tigers

Peanut Butter & Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

2011-09-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we celebrated my brother's birthday, and I was in charge of the cake. Or at least, I put myself in charge of the cake. We always do the usual yellow cake with chocolate frosting or chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. It gets boring. I wanted to try something different so I thought peanut butter cup. To make my cupcakes, I used a dark chocolate boxed cake mix, and I doctored it up a little bit. I used milk in place of the water and I used 4 eggs instead of the 3 called for on the box. It didn't work out. The cake was dense and not moist at all. I don't know if I'd try that again. But the frosting was sooo good. I used the Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting recipe from Allrecipes.com. It was not too sweet and not too peanut buttery. It was perfect. The cupcakes came out tasty. But, apparently, they were rich. I guess we're just used to the same ol' thing. Would I make them again? Probably not. But only because I'd like to try something new and different. But again, they were yummy, especially if you really love the chocolate peanut butter combo. Mmm, Reese's!

Jacob's in Pre-School!

2011-09-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Sept. 13, Jacob had his very 1st day of school. ever. The beginning of his school career. I was, of course, way more nervous than he was. Let's get real, he's 3. He doesn't get nervous. But I was sad, and happy. Sad 'cause he wasn't going to be with me all day, happy 'cause I knew he would love it. He's in a program that's only 2 days a week (wanted to start off slow) from 8:30a to 11:15a. Jacob woke up at his usual time, 7am, I made him breakfast, got him ready, and we were out the door. When we got to his school there were already a few parents waiting, so we waited. Some parents had video cameras and others were taking pictures. At 8:30a, on the dot, the teachers opened the door. We picked a cubby for Jacob's lunch box, and I signed him in. Jacob went straight to the toy dinosaurs. He didn't skip a beat. I filled out a new parent form, and watched as he played for a bit. But I knew it was time to go. And as I bent down to kiss him good bye, he said with ease, "Bye, mama!" And I knew it was all okay. Now going back to pick him up, that was another story. He was happy to see me. He was sitting at a table with a couple of girls drinking his juice pouch and eating his oatmeal granola bar. As soon as I said we were going home, I could hear the whining begin. But I quickly started talking to him about school, helped him clean up his mess, and walked out the door with his 1st piece of art work. Awww. His first art work. He was over it. On his ride home he was a little grumpy but he sat quietly eating his fruit snacks. All in all, Jacob LOVED it! He's my social butterfly. He loves being out and about with other kids. No major incidents were reported, so I guess it was an excellent 1st day!

Waiting just outside the classroom.

He went for the dinosaurs.

They painted with corn.

My Top 10 Baby Items

2011-09-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

After having two kids, relatively close in age, I've realized that I bought/registered for stuff I didn't use. Too many to list, so I'll give a list of the top 10 most used.Of course, this is all in my humble opinion. These are in no particular order...

1. Baby Crack Machine {HoMedics SoundSpa Lullaby sound machine} - I started using this thing just a few weeks after Jacob was born. I'm still using it for #2, and it's a God send. I've even taken it on trips. It only cost me around $20, and it was well worth it.However, I do have to mention that the projector broke after only 3 months of use. It stopped turning, but instead, I used it as a night light.

2. Video Monitor {Summer Infant Day & Night Video Monitor} - I HIGHLY recommend a video monitor. I had registered for a regular thinking, eh, it'll do. And then we moved into a bigger place and the nursery was a bit far (not the next room over), I got a VM. And what a difference. I had so much more peace of mind being able to see my baby on the screen. I still use it and I plan on using it until the kids are a bit older. I not only use it every time they sleep, but also when they are playing in their room. It was well worth the price tag. I love it!

3. Boppy pillow - So some people hate this, but it worked well for me and hubby. We used it for both #1 and #2 during feedings and putting babies to sleep. And it's held up decently. It's been used and abused.

4. Bouncy Chair {Fisher Price} - Each of my children liked this thing. More than the swing. And it was easy to take from place to place within the house. It soothed my babies and they slept in it for decent periods of time.

5. Playtex Bottles {Drop-In System} - Seriously, I loved these bottles. They were easy to use, and super convenient. I was going to try a new bottle with #2 but why fix something that isn't broke. #2 is still on the bottle, but only 'til we finish up our last box of bottle liners.

6. Jumper/Saucer {Fisher Price/Little Einstein}- I used both of mine to death. We had a Rainforest Jumper and an Einstein Saucer. And the saucer is on it's last limb while the jumper has held up nicely. But I can say that #1 liked it much more than #2. They're so great for those times you need to do something like cook, take child #1 potty, or you need a little break.

7. Changing table/dresser - I loved my changing table, and I loved it so much that when #2 came along I bought another one for the master bedroom. However, I bought the second one used on Craigslist, and sold it again when I was done with it. I basically got free use out of it for a few months.

8. Swaddles {SwaddleMe} - OMG. All I can say is: life savers! Both of my kids loved these. From the get go, I used them for each child. And I used them up until they no longer fit in them or wiggled out of them. Actually, #2 was a more crazy sleeper so she gave these up much quicker, but they worked when we really needed it. #1 used these until he was 10 months and #2 until she was around 7 months.

9. Receiving Blankets {SwaddleDesigns}- Yes, these are different from swaddles. These are huge blankets that you can use to swaddle. They are not like those little tiny ones from Gerber or Target, these are the real deal. I used the ones by Swaddle Designs, and I loved them. I still use them as light blankets whenever we go on trips.

10. Glider/Rocker {Dutailier glider/ottoman} - Whichever one you can get, get one! My glider was a hand me down from my sister. It's actually now going to be 18 years old, but it's in perfect condition after 4 kids. I had the covers done to match my kids' room and I still love it. We used it. A lot! It was awesome for feedings and rocking to sleep. I also had the ottoman.

*Pics are of actual or similar brand/item I used.

A Decade

2011-09-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

The #1 question I've heard all week was, Where were you?

Ten years ago today, I was a young, 20 year old college student unaware of my future and the future of the world. Classes had only been on for a few weeks, and luckily, I had been sick and bed-ridden at home. I had slept through the live destruction taking place on the other side of the US. But the chilling effects had reached through my TV screen and touched me. I remember turning on the TV and seeing the images and watching in disbelief. I cried. I could not believe what was happening. But it was all too real. The phone calls had been coming in and thankfully everyone I loved was coming/had come home safely. Sadly, 3,000 others would not be returning home.

As we remember those who did not return home, and those men and women who are now defending and dying for our freedom, let us squeeze our loved ones a little tighter, and say a quiet prayer for ALL those who have been affected. Let us NEVER forget.

Pitter Patter x 2!

2011-09-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Isabella's walking! It's almost been a week, and I can say she is almost completely walking. The only time she crawls is if she's uncertain, or excited. Crawling is faster in these instances! She started taking steps on Sept. 1, and each day got progressively better, just like Jacob. She was exactly at 13.5 months before she started walking. In all honesty, i was starting to get a little concerned, not a bad concerned, just wondering why it was taking her a little longer to start walking. You know you always hear all these stories about someone who knows someone whose kid started walking at like 9 months. But I know, every kid is different, but we all still compare. But here we are, and Isabella's loving this new freedom. Everyday she walks a little farther and is a little less wobbly. I have a video!!!

And, as per usual, I've been planning Jake & Bella's Halloween costumes since last month! This year they are going to coordinate! I'm so excited! Isabella's costume is going to be homemade while Jacob's is a hand-me-down. A rather nice hand-me-down. We got lucky on his 'cause I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for it....or a hand for it?! Hmmm, teeny tiny little hint there! But I'll be sharing those when they are done!

Video by: Me
Music by: Cradle Rock - I Walk the Line

Pinterest {Project}

2011-09-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that I love Pinterest, and I've pinned a bunch of projects. And to my surprise, I've done quite a few. But one thing I've noticed, is that the projects are easy and fast. For my next project, I was redoing one of my bathrooms. It used to be boring, and I hated it. It's still not 100% done, but I like it much better. I needed some cheap and easy art. Enter: Pinterest. I found a few art projects that I wanted to try, but one in particular was sweet and cute. It's from Andrea Steed's blog and can be found in a post titled Dated Design Wall Art. While I love Steed's design, I wanted it even easier. So, I found some digital damask paper, typed out the dates, arranged them on the paper, printed it out, and I was done (in Photoshop, BTW). I love it! It was so easy, and it has meaning. Our birthdays, and our anniversary date.

Andrea Steed's version:

My version:

Jacob's 1st Pet

2011-09-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Yep, you read that right. Jacob has his very first new pet. Or, should I say, I have a new pet? For Jacob's 3rd birthday, my niece thought it would be fun to get him a gold fish. I thought, sure, how long would this thing really last? Well, turns out that my niece got him a gold fish and a beta fish. Apparently, she got the gold fish for free when she bought the beta. Great, that's fine, what's one more fish? Unfortunately, I'm sad to say, the little gold fish only lasted 2 days, and he was caput. But we still have little beta whom I've named Fred. Yes, since it is my fish, I get to name him. So, beta is now known as Fred the fish. I liked the ring to it. And now it's been about 2.5 weeks since we acquired Fred, and he's doing well. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. Jacob, as per usual, has already forgotten about him. It could be because we keep him in the bathroom. I have no idea where else to put him. But he gets fed by me morning and night, and forget about his bowl. That thing is nasty to clean. Could be the reason why the water is sooo foggy. Hmmm, I guess I should really try to clean it instead of just kinda cleaning it. One day. It really grosses me out to touch the water. And the smell...yuck! But it's relatively easy. Thank goodness! Meet Fred...

Pinterest {Love}

2011-08-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

So, for the past month or so...maybe a little longer, I've been having a love affair. With Pinterest. It's a site devoted to all things crafty, funky, tasty, clever, neat...everything. It's a virtual pinboard where you can "pin" your favorite images across the web. So far, I have 15 pinboards with almost 200 pins. I pin stuff like quotes to recipes to craft projects. I love it. At first, I thought I would pin away and not actually do any of the crafts I pinned, but oh no, I've done a few pins.

The most recent pin I did try was a Nutella Milkshake recipe, and it was delish. I did my own variation of course. You can find the original recipe here, but this is what I did...

In my good old magic bullet, I threw in:

6 oz of 2% milk
1/2 a banana
1 heaping tablespoon of Nutella
A splash of vanilla extract
And enough ice to fit in my bullet.

And Blend.

Minor changes, but it was still sooo tasty. Definitely toddler approved. Jacob and Isabella loved it. And like I said, I've done a few projects. I'll be sharing those soon.

Follow me on Pinterest and I'll follow you too!

Jacob's 3rd Birthday Party - Cars!

2011-08-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, on Jacob's actual birthday, we celebrated with a Cars party. A couple months before the party, when Cars 2 came out, I asked him what kind of party he wanted, and he said Cars. Thing is, the week of his party he had become utterly obsessed with Captain Hook and pirates. So, when I asked him again what kind of party he wanted, he said...Pirates! Ugh. But despite being a Cars party, he still loved it!

For his special day, we got Jacob a Cars jumper. He absolutely loves these things. Anytime he sees one he has to go in it and jump to his heart's desire. But, trying to get him out was always a hassle. So, we got one he could jump in all day long. And he did, as soon as the jumper arrived, Jacob jumped right in. It was also a pool party, so the kids had a great time. Well, I think so, at least. Favors were Cars paper lunch bags filled with candy, a water gun, a Cars Pez dispenser, Cars sticker, and Cars bubbles. The kids' eyes were buggin' when they saw the bag was stuffed.

For dinner, we served up Hawaiian food. Chicken Katsu, BBQ beef, macaroni salad, green salad, and white rice. we ordered it from a local place and it was a big hit. The cake was from Sam's Club and was really moist and delicious...and cheap!

We all had a 'rip racing' good time! And I know Jacob had a fun and memorable birthday. He's still talking about it!

Disneyland - Summer 2011!

2011-08-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

I think I've mentioned a couple times, in a few other posts, that we've gone to Disneyland this summer. We actually made 3 trips. It was Isabella's first time and, of course, she was clueless. But she did awesomely well on each and every trip. This time around Jacob was older, and he enjoyed it much more than his first time last year. He was almost tall enough to ride on some big rides like Star Tours and Big Thunder Mountain. He was less than half an inch from reaching the line...with shoes!

During our first trip, we did CA Adventure, we made it all about Jacob. We did a lot of rides for him, including the Disney Junior show. And he loved it! He was able to recognize a lot of the characters, and he still talks about it. We also did A Bug's Land, and Jacob's request to ride the Ferris wheel. We also had the opportunity to watch World of Color. It was an awesome show, however I recommend only watching it on warm days and not in the winter. We got wet, and could only imagine how cold it would be to watch it in the winter. But it was an amazing show nonetheless.

Our second trip to Disneyland was to the actual park. We spent the day hitting Fantasy Land and Toon Town for Jacob first, and then the other biggies around Frontier Land. Jacob loved the little roller coaster in TT and according to my niece, screamed his head off. They went on the ride 2 times in a row! Jacob also wanted to go on Big Thunder Mountain, but he was just a pinch short.

Our last and final trip was the one where Jacob fell in love with Fantasmic. To this very day, he still talks about it. We've downloaded the music from the show, and thankfully, my sister videotaped the show for Jacob on his very last trip to the park. He watches it often. Jacob knows the whole show by heart. As he hears the music, you can just see it in his face. It's just precious. He'll recount who's next or coming up in the show's line up.

So, I think it's no surprise, but we'd really like to get annual passes again, and hopefully we will. If not, we can continue making our yearly trips.

Jacob's 3 year Stats

2011-08-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

We had Jacob's 3 year well visit Monday afternoon, and Jacob is a healthy little boy. Thank goodness! It was a quick visit, but it wasn't without any tears. Yup, Jacob got 2 shots. Poor babe. The first shot he kind of felt, but the second one he really felt. He was a bit distracted by a movie for the first. Jacob was a bit grumpy for a bit after, and he hadn't had a nap, so it was kind of expected. Despite it all, he did extermely well.

So, now that Jacob's 3 he is weighing in at 38.6 pounds (90%) and is 38.75 (85%) inches tall. And we had Jacob's party. I'll have more on that in my next post!

Jacob is 3!!!

2011-08-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

No way! It's true! Jacob is now THREE years old. Where does the time go?! Time flies when you're having fun! To celebrate Jacob's birthday today, on this fine Saturday, we are throwing him a Cars party. It's just a few close family members and friends. Nothing like Bella's 1st birthday. But I'm sure he'll never notice. Were set to have some swimming, a bouncer, and all out fun!

So, now that Jacob is 3, what is he up to? Well, he has his yearly physical next week, and I'll post his stats then, but Jacob is funny. His vocabulary is growing/has grown like crazy. He says some of the funniest things. And he's definitely a boy's boy. He laughs at anything involving the words poop and fart. And right now he likes to "fart" on people. That means he'll blow a raspberry on you. At least he'll give a small warning by saying, " I fart you!" He's also big on all things Disney. I'm lacking on my blogging, but we went to Disneyland a few times and he fell in love with Fantasmic. He loves that show. We now watch it on Youtube. I think we're going to get passes next year. It was lot of fun. More on that in another post...I hope! And currently, he loves Captain Hook and the crocodile, or tick-tock, as he calls it. I think it's because he watched Return to Neverland for the first time a few weeks ago, and his cousin was in a theatrical adaptation of Peter Pan. Jacob went to see it and loved it. He sat through the whole thing. I asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween and he said, Captain Hook! We'll see!

And, finally, the biggie...Jacob is going to start pre-school this fall. He's so ready to be with other kids his age, and to learn. He's excited about it. I am too. I can't wait to see what he learns, and I don't mean the bad stuff he's probably going to pick up from other kids, but learning in general.

Happy Birthday, Jacob!!! I love you!

Birth Day

1 Year Old

2 years Old

3 Years Old

Isabella's Sweet Shoppe Soirée

2011-07-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, two days after her actual birthday, we celebrated Isabella's birthday with a sweet shoppe. I'd been planning this party since February. Well, I decided on the theme in February, but I didn't really start on it 'til about 2 months before the party. The theme was hard to choose. There are sooo many cute girl themes out there. But I liked the idea of a candy buffet, and so it became her theme. Isabella's Sweet Shoppe in pinks and yellows with turquoise and purple accents.

The day was nice and *HOT* but not too hot, and we not only served up tons of candy but we also had a taco guy. We had 15 different candies displayed, a custom cake, homemade cupcakes (okay, boxed cake, but I iced), and ice cream cones (they were a big hit!). I assembled most of the decor with a lot of help from my niece. I'm super proud and happy with the way everything came out. The day was true perfection.

Without further ado....

Isabella's Sweet Shoppe

The invites I designed.

Isabella's pink lemonade banner.

The sweet shoppe...

I couldn't forget the toothbrushes!

I loved her cake!

And the matching smash cake!

Pin the Cherry on the cupcake.

Isabella's Birthday Weekend

2011-07-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

We had a looong weekend. It started on Thursday and didn't end until Sunday. Thursday night we had a small cake for Isabella. And we sang Happy Birthday. She got a little freaked with the singing at her, and Jacob did the honors of blowing the candle out. Isabella was a little cranky from her shots earlier in the day. She had a teeny bit of cake and went to bed.

Friday we spent the day preparing, my niece and I iced 118 cupcakes. We also set-up and decorated for Isabella's party. Well, as much as we could. And Saturday was the BIG day. I have a huge post for that coming up and tons of pictures. I can't wait to share it. It was a fun yet super tiring day.

Sunday we relaxed, and we opened Isabella's presents. This girl is set with clothes to last her the next 2 months! I love it!

Party post is next!

Isabella's 1 Year Old!

2011-07-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

A year ago today, my beautiful baby girl Isabella Mia came into this world. I can't believe it's finally here, but it is. I miss having a baby, but I know the fun is just around the corner. Actually, were already there. She's so much fun now. She's such a laid back baby. She has her distinct personality, but she fits right in to our little family. I love her to pieces and I can't wait to see what the next year brings.

We've had Isabella's 1 year doctor's appointment and I've got a big girl. And that's definitely NOT big news. She's been in the 100th %ile for as long as I can remember. Isabella is now weighing in at 26 pounds and is 31 inches tall. She's on whole milk now and is eating lots more regular food. Bella now has a bigger vocabulary. Her favorite word, I think, is Jewel, my nieces dog. But, whenever she sees any kind of animal, whether or not it's a dog or a horse, she calls it Jewel. It's so funny. She also wails like a siren when she hears sirens. So funny, and I love when she "talks on the phone." She says Hello and holds the phone up to her ear. And I know I've not blogged in a long time, but I've been uber busy getting ready for Bella's 1st birthday. I've put so much time and effort into, I hope it's unlike any other 1st birthday celebration. I'll have pictures sand details in my next post.

4th of July Weekend Recap!

2011-07-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a fun, yet relaxing, 4th of July weekend! Our was quite eventful, but fun. Friday we went to Disneyland! It was Isabella's first trip and it was Jacob's, I think, third trip. I hope to make it a yearly tradition. But, more on that later. Our Saturday was spent recuperating, and Sunday we had an early morning. We took Isabella's one year pictures. I know it's a little early, but I wanted some photos for her birthday. Sunday evening we went to my brother's house for a night filled with food and fireworks. The food was delicious! We had grilled corn, chicken, carne asada, macaroni salad, mmmm guacamole. It was sooo good. After dinner, we chit chatted until the sun went down enough to start the fireworks. I haven't done fireworks, at home, in 15 years! It was fun, but it also made me nervous. I'm a worry wart.

And Monday, the 4th, we had a BBQ and swimming. It was Isabella's first weekend of swimming. She loved the pool. She would sit in her floaty and kick, kick, kick! Jacob of course never wants to get out of the pool. After swimming for a little bit, we then headed to the local firework show. I had my annual funnel cake. The fireworks were amazing, and I learned that Jacob LOVES fireworks, Bella does not. She slept through them. But it was also passed her bedtime. So, despite it being a looong weekend, we had a blast!

Michaels Decorating Basics - Final Class

2011-06-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

I had my last and final decorating class, and I can honestly say, I'm kind of sad. Kind of. But then I think about all the work that went into it, and how much I really got out of it, and I forget about being sad. LOL! Despite the good deal, to continue on in the classes, I don't like the prep required for each class and all the stuff you have to buy. And they don't tell you about that stuff until the week before each class. Okay, so you really don't have to buy it but it does make the lessons and the work much easier. Oh, well!

Our last class was kind of cumulative. We did learn a couple of things. We learned how to make rosettes and how to write. And that was about it. We each decorated our cakes anyway we wanted to, and at the end of class were each given a certificate of completion. I'm just glad I stuck it through and I didn't give up. I know I would honestly continue with the classes, but I do not care for our Michaels facility. The room is small and cramped. With amount of stuff we have to use on each project, we didn't have enough space, and the teacher was something else. She only helped when you looked at her with lost eyes. But the next teacher is supposed to be different. So, maybe one day, I will go onto level 2. Maybe...

Michaels Decorating Basics - Day 3

2011-06-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

During this class, we learned how to make pompom flowers, leaves, and shaggy mums. We used cupcakes this time, and we learned how to frost them. My icing wasn't at the most perfect consistency for doing the above things, but I made out okay. Definitely not as good as the week before. Next week is our last week, and we're doing our final cake. We'll be putting our learned techniques together as well as learning how to write and do ribbon roses. I can't wait...for it to be over or to make a cake, I'm not sure. Let's see what I create next week! For now, here are my cupcakes...

Isabella's 11 Months!

2011-06-22T11:15:00.000-07:00

It is true. My baby girl is 1 month away from turning the BIG O-N-E! And I know that I should be happy that I have a healthy beautiful baby girl, but I'm so sad at how fast this year has gone by. I feel like I am in total denial that my baby will no longer be a baby.

So, now that Bella is 11 months, what has she been doing? Well, she loves to mimic. She says Jacob, Hola, Hi, and Jewel (my niece's dog). She still loves to clap and play peak-a-boo. She has a total of 6 teeth, the 4 front top and 2 bottom front. She's not yet walking but is still cruising. She knows who she can manipulate and sucker in to picking her up. She blows kisses, and is still waving Hi/Bye. She gets excited when she sees the little blue car (once Jacob's), her stroller, and her car seat. She knows she's going somewhere.

As for stats, I have no idea what she's weighing, but I assume it's around 25 pounds, although her eating habits are still the same, and she's very tall. Bella's diet includes more table foods, but a majority of it is baby food and formula. I'll be moving her to milk in just 3 short weeks. Eek. Her sleep schedule is kind of up in the air. She'd been taking a morning nap and a late afternoon nap, but they keep getting shorter and shorter. So, I may be moving her to one nap a day. Bed time is 8 pm, and she wakes at around 7am. And here we are, 11 months. Where did the time go...

Michaels Decorating Basics - Day 2

2011-06-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

So, I have to say, day 2 was way better than day one. The teacher was not as frazzled, and she helped out a lot more. This week we did our first cake. And I have to say, my cake almost looks professional. LOL! I was able to relax, and get myself together and focus on what I was doing. A couple of cool tips I learned, you can take a single 8" layer of cake and make a two layer cake just by cutting it in half and filling it with pudding or preserves. I also learned that doing designs isn't as intimidating as I thought it was going to be. Seriously, before going to class, I was so wanting to quit. But my hubby said I had to go, and I wanted to be there for my niece, and I went. And I'm glad I did. I was able to relax and enjoy the class this time around. Although, the prep work was a PITA. I had made my cake the night before along with the icing. I think the icing nearly killed my mixer. It was starting to smell like something was burning. My arms were killing me from stirring, and I was just exhausted. But I made it, and I didn't give up. Next week we're doing cupcakes! Luckily, I already have them baked up and I bought a huge tub of ready made icing!

I made a chocolate cake filled with chocolate pudding.

Yum! It was as good as it looked!

Michaels Decorating Basics- Day 1

2011-06-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

I had my first day of cake decorating at Michaels. I should say "we" since it's me, my sis and my niece. But it was...interesting. We got off to a late start since the instructor could not find booklets for us, and then we didn't have all the supplies we needed. It was really confusing. The instructor was horrible. She would come around and help some people and not others. You never knew when she was moving on to the next thing because she would only tell those she was near. So weird. I think this class would be so much more fun if we had a fun and engaging instructor, but we do not. We'll see how the next 3 classes go.

But anyway, I did learn a lot of cool tips. My favorite is that if you want to smooth out frosting on an iced cake, just use a spatula over parchment paper, and you'll get a smooth finish. Love it! We also practiced on basic stars, shells, and small flowers. But, since we were so unprepared, I felt unmotivated to even try (look at my awful cookies & they were smashed in transit). Oh well. We have our next class. Next week we'll be doing a cake. I can't wait! Funny things is, we'll be bringing home 3 cakes!

Ketchup

2011-06-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's time to catch up! I've been away. I'm sure all 3 of my readers didn't even notice. Hehe. But I was on a break. A few things have happened in the last week and a half. Bella is now walking the perimeter of the playpen and the couch, and she has a top tooth coming in for a total of 3 teeth. I'm sure to be 4 even sooner. She also pretends to talk on the phone, holding it up to her ear, and plays peak-a-boo, covering her face. It's so crazy!

And I had a nasty little dental problem that I had to take care of, and it sucked. As a matter of fact, I'm still working on it. Yuck. I hate the dentist, but I'm trying to teach my kids differently. I'm trying to change.

Anywho, I have some fun things coming up that I can't wait to share like cake decorating classes at Michael's and a photography workshop. I'm looking forward to doing something for me. And I've been working on Bella's party like no other. I'm finding it fun and challenging since I'm doing everything myself as far as design. I can't wait to see it all come together.

Good Bye, Oprah.

2011-05-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

We'll miss you. I'll miss you. Oprah's show is now over, just in case you lived under a rock. It's a sad, sad day. Oprah has been in my life as far back as I can remember. I've watched her since I was in junior high, but more so in college. In junior high I also had a thing for Ricky Lake, in high school it was Jerry Springer. But no other show has taught me so much. She brought light to situations many of us did not know about or wanted to confront. Oprah always asked the questions us viewers wanted to ask. Despite it all, she was always looking for the good in every situation and person. And let's face it, Oprah gave away some amazing things in the last few years. And, what I wouldn't give to go to a favorite things show. I seriously had hoped I would in my lifetime. Oh well. But alas, Oprah is a force to be reckoned with, and if you didn't know it (live under a rock) she has her OWN network. So, when I need my Oprah fix, and something to contemplate or ponder over, I can watch her network.

Isabella's 10 Months Old!

2011-05-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, my baby girl turned 10 months old! Eek, 2 months 'til her first birthday! No! Actually, that is why I'm posting so late. I've been shopping for Bella's party. But anyway, Isabella has quite the little personality. She knows what she wants, and will get it. She suckers everyone in, except for her mom and dad. She is still saying Mama, is it a coincidence since she babbles so much, probably. But I can pretend that she says it, right? She also screams...a lot. And she learned how to snap her fingers a few weeks ago. She'll start waving Hi or Bye and it'll end in her fingers snapping. Too funny. And it's time to move the crib all the way to the bottom notch! She's started pulling her self up last week, but she's not ready to walk yet. She's still using her walker. She loves that thing. Jacob HATES it. She runs him over. That thing hurts when she runs over your feet. She uses the walker to run and crash. Oh, and it's so funny 'cause she'll chase Jacob around the house, and all you'll hear is laughter and squeals. The best sounds ever!

As for height and weight, I have no idea. But it's nothing too drastic. She no longer fits into 12 month clothing and is in size 18 months. She eats more table food now, and is a bit more pickier than Jacob when he was a baby. She likes sweet things but sour stuff, not so much. My baby girl is growing along like a pretty little flower, and I can't wait to see what she does next!

Let's Talk TV

2011-05-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

Oy! My DVR has been burning up for the last 6 months. My TV schedule changes all year round, but I'm currently into a few new shows, and some oldies...

Mob Wives - So, i was trying NOT to get into this show, but when everyone around me was asking if I'd seen it, and I said NO, their eyes were buggin'. I set my DVR and caught up last weekend on all I'd missed. And it's such mindless entertainment...It's great! These women are seriously crazy, and pathetic. They all knew they'd end up with men who were/are incarcerated. Uh, what goals and aspirations these women have, not really. But man, they live in these big a** houses, and have some major bling. Hmmm, I guess it's a little give and take.

Khloe & Lamar - I, too, tried to avoid this show, but I couldn't. But it's sooo boring. I try to watch and I get easily distracted. So, while my DVR is still recording, I still try to watch. Hubby says they're gonna fall victim to reality TV divorce.

Glee - Everyone was talking about this show so I started watching at season 2, and I love it. It's so cute, and it's one of the only non-reality shows I watch.

RH of OC - It's and old one, but it's my favorite. My favorite this season is...no one. They are all backstabbers. And two-faced. Gretchen has turned into a real b*tch, Tamra is going through some tough stuff, and Vicky is headed toward divorce. So sad. Oh, and forget about Alexis' clothing line. I've seen the dresses and I like a few, but the majority are so cheeezy looking. She swears she has style, but I think not. Peggy, the new one, she's a little pot stirrer.

RH of NJ - This just started and there's already so much drama, it's unfortunate. Not really, 'cause it sucks me in! But, no really, it's sad that Teresa and her brother have so much family drama. On a side note, how many Joes live in NJ? I think Teresa's family alone had like 4? Anywho, I can't wait to see what else comes up this season.

Disney Cruisin': Final Review!

2011-05-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm done talking about it. It's been a month since we went on vacation. It's hard to believe. It feels like we went months ago. Anywho, I had a lot of fun on our trip, but I also did not have a vacation. Choosing Disney was an awesome choice, and it lived up to all the wonderful things I had heard about it. My family had a ball, and Jacob loved it. The other day he said he wanted to go on the boat with Mickey. However, like I said, I did not get a vacation. My hubby didn't have a vacation. It was a lot of work with a toddler and a baby. Isabella was just too small. Packing for her was such a pain, and every time we would head out we had to pack a bag for her, wash bottles, restock any snacks, make sure she had everything. But she did so well on the trip. Jacob, on the other hand, was easy in that he didn't have any extra baggage. However, he was still too young to really take advantage of the ships offerings and really understand what was happening.

Don't get me wrong. It was amazing, and I would do it again, but I'm waiting 'til the kids are older at least 4 and 6 years old. And let me just say, that I had some amazing perks. We went with my family, and they helped a lot, but it was their vacation too. I loved that I didn't have to pay for air fare. Hello! That saved us sooo much $$$! And it was the perfect destination. Not too far, and we'd never been to Mexico. Although, TJ and Ensenada count as Mexico, right?! Seriously, it was a fantastic family trip, but next time we're going somewhere mom and dad want to go.

Our door! It was easy to find in a sea of doors.

Our first dinner, and I felt as tired as I looked.

Waiting for a show to start.

Enjoying a view of the ocean.

We saw dolphins swimming along with the ship!

One of 7 towel animals, the bunny.

Jacob's 1st Dentist Visit

2011-05-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Jacob had his very first ever visit to the dentist this week! And he did exceptionally well. He didn't freak out at all, but he was getting annoyed by the paper bib. He let the DA clean his teeth with the actual machine and not a tooth brush. He also let the dentist check his teeth and paint a polish on his teeth. He has no cavities, but unfortunately, he has a bruised tooth. His top right front tooth is bruised. A few weeks ago, after our trip I noticed that his tooth was gray, and I did some Internet research. Turns out they get that way from trauma. Looking closely at his tooth, it was not only discolored but chipped. A few weeks before the color change, Jacob had a hard fall but nothing out of the ordinary. Turns out, he hit his tooth and it's bruised. The dentist said we just need to keep an eye out for infection, and if we are very lucky the bruise will go away. But not very likely. Thank goodness his adult teeth will be just fine. And we'll be back in 6 months to see the dentist again :0)

I Love Freebies!

2011-05-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

I really do *heart* free stuff! Who doesn't?! Well, this past week, I got quite a few freebies in the mail. They include:

140 FREE custom return address labels!

I only paid for shipping and that included priority S/H for a grand total of $3.60!

I chose this design. Cute, huh?!

I also got the infamous free Pyrex potholder.

And lastly, I got a coupon for a free full-size bottle of a Suave Professionals product!

Royal Wedding Hangover

2011-05-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

I know the wedding was a week ago, but I still can't get over it! When I first heard about the Royal Wedding, I thought it was going to be a cold, stuffy, and boring event...much like the marriage between Prince Charles and Diana. However, a week before the wedding, I just happened to catch the Will & Kate movie on Lifetime, and I was intrigued. They seemed to have a genuine love for each other. He seemed so protective of her and still is, and I love that Prince William has done everything on his own timeline, and he married a commoner!

The wedding was perfect. Not too stuffy, and you could see their emotions. It took me back to my own wedding. Kate looked beautiful in her McQueen dress. Just radiant! I loved her dress, and her reception dress was perfect! And Will was so handsome in his uniform. Yum! And the things they were whispering to each other was sooo touching! And I know I'm not the only one who wants a Harry/Pippa hook-up. Hello! How awesome would it be that two sisters, commoners, marry two prince brothers?! It would be very cool. Lastly, I can relive my childhood fantasies with a Kate Middleton Royal Wedding Portrait Doll. It's true. You can find it here.

Photos: Google

Disney Cruisin': Day 6, 7 & 8

2011-05-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Day 6 was our second day in Cabo, and we did not get off the ship. It was a short stay in Cabo, we were there from 7am to noon. This was my lazy day. The beginning of the week we were go, go, go and this day I just lounged. In the early afternoon, my sister and niece took the kids swimming while I napped for a bit. Then the kids came back and they napped for a bit. Jess and I then took Jacob to watch Toy Story 3 (in 3d! Loved it!) in the middle of the afternoon. After the movie, I went souvenir shopping. I picked up only a few things, and thankfully, despite being the second to last night of the cruise, the shops were empty. I heard the last night was crazy, and everything had been picked out.

And for dinner, the hubs and I had a date night at Palo. This was a premium restaurant that charged a fee for dining. And it was sooo worth it. They served up northern Italian cuisine that was delish! And their chocolate soufflé was divine! Mmm, mmm.

Day 7, our last day, we spent the day cleaning up our room and packing up. The only plans we had for the day were the last round of bingo, a final show, and dinner. We won one round of bingo, I believe we played 4, and the show for the evening was called 'Till We Meet Again. It was super sweet! And then of course dinner. We headed in a bit earlier than usual since we had to be up bright and early for our arrival home :0(

Day 8, we're home! We were up bright and early. We had to be out of our room by 8:30am, and breakfast was shortly after. I could see in Isabella's face she was getting sick, and her eyes were watering a lot. Despite having a TON of fun, we were all ready to go home. And we all got a lovely parting a gift..we all got sick. I should say about half our group, 8 out of 14, got sick. Really sick. But fun nonetheless!

Coming soon: final recap!

Disney Cruisin': Day 5

2011-05-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

We made it to Cabo San Lucas. And we had nothing planned. Cabo seemed a bit nicer than Puerto Vallarta, and the weather was not as hot. We decided to go shopping and walk around the port for a bit. We shopped at a small indoor shopping mart, and stopped for drinks at Senor Frog's. In all honesty, we didn't buy too much 'cause we live in So Cal, and well, everything they had in that shopping mart, I could find here for the same price. And well, my parents head to Baja Cali at least once a year.

After we were all content with our findings, we headed back on the boat, and it was empty! Loved that! Jess took the kids for a nap and my sis, niece and I headed to the adult pool area. We enjoyed a nice swim and a delicious Pina Colada. Seriously, those things were soo good. I have no idea how many i had on the trip. Yum!

We were able to relax a bit before dinner. It was Pirates in the Caribbean night! We were encouraged to dress in pirate attire. I declined but before we left on the trip, I had bought some pirate stuff for Jacob at the $ store. I also bought glow sticks and swords for him. Our dinner was also pirate themed and was followed by a small show and...fireworks at sea! It was awesome. One of the best things about the trip. The ship went out to sea to shoot fireworks! This was surprising to me because we were going to be in Cabo the next day, so why leave? But we did and it was great!

Days 6, 7 & 8 coming soon!

Seals were jumping on to boats for fish...

Balloon hats for everyone...

Ready for pirate night!

Happy belated Easter!

2011-05-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

I know! I'm late. Last Sunday we celebrated Easter! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Ours was a bit gloomy and we thought we were going to have a rain out! Luckily, we did not. It only rained in the morning and the afternoon cleared up. The kids decorated eggs and cookies. And we had an Easter egg hunt with candy and money filled eggs. Jacob liked looking for eggs, and since he's the littlest he had a head start. The majority of Jacob's eggs were filled with candy. Isabella seemed to enjoy her first Easter, and her first basket made by her nina. It was super cute! And we found out Bella really likes jello and cake. And despite being a bit gloomy, it was nice spending time with close family and friends.

Disney Cruisin': Day 4

2011-04-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

First, let me make a small note about day 3 and dinner. I forgot to tell you about it. In my last post, I mentioned we watched Tangled after breakfast well, before dinner, we watched Gnomeo and Juliet. It was cute! And each movie was in 3D! It was very cool, but Jacob hated wearing the glasses. Dinner was at Animator's Palate and seriously one of the best dinners of the week. Also, the restaurant changes color. It starts off with everything in black and white and, slowly as dinner progresses, it changes color. Then at the end, Mickey comes in and the whole room is in color. Very cool and very neat!

Okay, let's move on. We finally made it to port on day 4. We made it to Puerto Vallarta. We had an excursion planned for the day. It was a dolphin and sea lion observer trip. My niece and a couple of other people in our group were going to swim with dolphins, and the rest of us were going to watch. So, after breakfast, we headed to our designated meeting area for our specific excursion. After all was said, done, and organized were headed off. The thing is, we had no idea what was going to happen. Were we taking a bus, a van, a boat to our location? Turns out we were taking a boat. The kids' first small boat ride.

It only took about 30 minutes to get to our destination, and it was a scenic ride. Speaking of scenery, the first thing that greeted us when we got off the ship was Wal-mart and Sam's Club! But I digress, we arrived at the dolphin place, and we immediately had a presentation on dolphins and other see creatures. We were then taken to observe a sea lion - aka get kissed by a sea lion and that was about all the sea lion observing. They then moved us to an observation area for the dolphin encounter. Way up high and as far back as possible. They had their own photographers which were a pretty penny. We were able to see my niece do her thing with the dolphins, but in the end it really was not worth the hassle of making the trip. It was absolutely hot and humid, and with two young kids, not the best idea for us. But some fun nonetheless. Oh, and they provided lunch. A small Mexican buffet.

The excursion only lasted from 11am to 4pm. We were back on the ship by 4pm, and I was glad. It gave us enough time to shower up, and rest a little. Our show for the night was Toy Story the Musical followed by dinner. Unfortunately, Jess and I did not get to watch the show because Bella had an accident. But I know Jacob loved it! And Bella got some entertainment from Chip who made a her laugh!

Day 3: Waiting for Gnomeo and Juliet to start...

Day 4: Waiting around for our excursion, and ready to go...

Jacob was crabby...

Bella was relaxed...she eventually fell asleep during the ride.

The sea lion we met and kissed.

Jacob getting kissed by the sea lion.

My niece swam w/ the dolphins.

Bella wasn't too happy with the wind.

Puerto Vallarta coast line.

Our ship docked in PV.

Disney Cruisin': Days 2 & 3

2011-04-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Our second and third days of our trip were spent getting to know the ship. Day two, Monday, we walked the ship, and just hung out the entire day. We had no plans except for the evening show and dinner. The show for the evening was The Golden Mickeys. The show was cute, but just before the show, they offered up a teaser with the comedy duo of Alfred & Seymour. These guys were funny, so we decided we would see them after dinner. Dinner by the way, was Animator's Palate. It was okay. But after dinner, we dropped the kids off with the babysitter (aka Jasmine/my niece) and we headed off to the show. Okay, so, like I said before, these guys were funny, but it was a different kind of funny. I'm used to the comedians they have in Vegas with raunchy dialogue and nasty jokes. These guys were totally Disney safe. No cussing, no raunch. But then again, the room was so packed they sent us to a neighboring bar where we viewed a live feed from a big screen. That kind of put a damper on the show. But we still had a good time.

The next day, day 3, we woke up bright and early. We had our assigned character breakfast, and let me tell you, the kids loved it! You could just see the excitement on all of their faces as each character traveled from table to table as they got closer to us. Every time a character came to our table Jacob would start babbling conversations with them! It was hilarious! I believe we met Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Dale. It was so much fun. Definitely didn't get to enjoy breakfast, but it was so worth it!

And after breakfast we watched Tangled. Hello! One of the best things about Disney cruises...Disney movies! It was such a cute movie!

Days 4 & 5 coming soon!

Our servers made the kids hats out of napkins...Minnie's bow, Peter Pan's hat...

Goofy's hat for Jacob.

Disney Cruisin': Day 1

2011-04-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, April 10th our adventure began! A cruise to the Mexican Riviera more specifically Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. We scheduled our arrival for around noon, and we arrived just in time. We went directly to new cruiser check-in where we received our Key to the World card (aka key to my credit card for anything we needed). We received our boarding number (#19) and after only waiting maybe 5 minutes, it was called. We were on our way to the ship, but before that we had to get a group shot. We were traveling in a group of 14! Heck yes, it was a lot of people. I believe one of the biggest groups on the ship. So, with our matching shirts, we took our first picture on the cruise.

Next up, the buffet. As soon as you get in, they announce your family name and guide you to two designated eating areas. We headed to Beach Blanket Buffet. Our first of many many many meals. The food was eh, but there were better meals to come.

After our late lunch we headed to our rooms to check out our accommodations. I thought the rooms were a decent size for a ship. I loved that there were two separate areas of the bathroom, one for showering and one for the toilet. I also liked the large porthole window. We were able to fit a playpen in quite nicely, while Jacob slept on the convertible sofa bed with the requested bed rail. Worked out perfectly.

Next on the agenda was the safety drill. All we had to do was just follow the path posted behind our door, and meet at the designated area. They called our room number and we're done. And then it was time for the Adventures Away party on the pool deck. We were handed gold and red streamers, and with loud music blaring, we danced our booties off.

After the party we got ready for the first show of the week, All Aboard: Let the Magic Begin. Honestly, I don't remember the show at all. But dinner was next and it was at Tritons. Our dinner rotation was TAAPTAP which stands for T=Tritons, A=Animator's Palate, and P=Parrot Cay. My first dinner was not so great. I ordered a lobster/pasta dish and it was not good. I was trying to be different, and it just didn't work, but I made up for it the rest of the cruise. LOL! Oh, and we had second seating dinner which I liked. I thought it was going to be late but it was just right. The kids adjusted, and well, heck, they were already all off schedule.

So, off to bed we went since we had no naps all day. Days 2-3 coming soon.

Our humble abode for the next 7 days.

Isabella & Jacob's sleeping arrangements.

Bella checking out the daily navigator.

Checking out the room.

At the Adventures Away party.

Isabella's 9 months!

2011-04-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

...And I'm a day late. But we had Isabella's doctor's appointment this afternoon. And despite being sick, she is still growing along healthily. She now weighs 23 pounds (90%) and is 29 inches tall (90%). She's wearing size 18 month clothing, comfortably, and growing out of size 12 months.

Bella recently learned to clap. Totally out of the blue this past week. She loves the sound it makes, and it gets everyone around to clap too. She says "mama" and she waves HI and BYE. Oh, she shakes her head NO. I swear she knows what it means. For example, if I go to comb her hair she will shake her head NO. She does not like people touching her hair. Bella has also just begun to pull up. And we just broke out her walker. She got the hang of it quite quickly. She is loving this new freedom.

So, 3 months from now, we'll be celebrating Isabella's 1st birthday :0( and you can bet that I started planning that thing 3 months ago. LOL! No joke. I've chosen the theme, and I've started buying up stuff already. But, with planning so early, I've contemplated changing the theme...a few times. But now that we're back from our vacation, I'm going to delve into party planning head first! Yay! I can't wait.

Disney Cruisin': We're Back!!!!

2011-04-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

We finally went on our Disney cruise! It was 7 days of fun on the high seas. And the kids came back with a lovely souvenir...a really nasty cough and cold. But, at least, it was at the end of the trip. They both did remarkably well, and now, I need a vacation! Recap coming soon!

Our ship in Puerto Vallarta...

The view from the front...

One of 2 smokestacks...

Disney Cruisin': Matchy Matchy

2011-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before, we're going on a Disney Cruise! Well, we had to represent our first family vacation, and what ~~a cheesy way~~ better way, than matching shirts! Honestly, I loved them. I bought the iron-on transfers from Etsy and I provided the shirts. Jesse and I had matching ones that read Mama and Dada. I think they came out quite cute!

Mama's Little Helper

2011-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

On a couple of rare occasions, Jacob has asked to feed Isabella. He'll get her bottle and say, "I feed the baby." And he'll shake the bottle, sit in our feeding spot, and wait for her. It's adorable. Well, at least I think so but, then again, I am their mother. Anyway, the last time Jacob fed her, I video taped it, and since this taping, he has asked to feed her again, but due to time constraints we didn't let him. If only he could change her diaper, but he does get credit for helping put the diaper in the trash can :0P

Wordless Wednesday: Mini Photoshoot

2011-04-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

You Spin Me Right ‘round, Baby, Right ‘round

2011-04-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

…like a record, baby
Right ‘round, ‘round, ‘round

Now that Isabella is crawling, she is not too fond of her excersaucer, at least not until she started doing this...
*Lower the volume on your speakers!*

Yes, that's a video of Bella spinning and spinning in her saucer! It's so funny. You could totally tell she was getting dizzy, but she kept going. And she tries to do it in her jumper too, but it's harder for her to get a good grip with her feet and it doesn't spin as easily. LOL!

Can I Get A Sip?

2011-03-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Isabella tried a sippy cup. We first tried the cute little sippy cup with her name, but that was a no go. She did not like it. But I had one with a straw that Jacob hated. I put some water in it, and after a few minutes of playing with it, Bella figured it out. We've also tried Cheerios. She can pick them up in her little pinch grasp, but she doesn't put them in her mouth. Well, I helped her and put one in her mouth, and she hated it. She made the funniest face. I didn't get a picture :0( but I'm sure I'll get another chance at it. And lastly, the kiddos have been sick. They have a cold. It started with Bella, and the very next day Jacob started. The first night was rough. I haven't had a rough like that in 7 months! But, luckily, it was only one night. We got into a groove after that, lathering them up with baby Vicks, having Bella sleep at an angle, and a Vicks vaporizer. It all worked wonders. Thank goodness. We are much better today. Super congested but much better.

Brazilian Blowout @ 3 Months (and counting!): It's over.

2011-03-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

Actually, I knew it was over a few weeks before the 3 month mark. I could feel my hair was not as soft, it was starting to frizz up more easily, and drying time was starting to get longer. Now that my old hair is relatively back, it took about 1.5 weeks to feel back to normal, I MISS my BB. I do. I liked my hair, for once. But towards the end, I was getting tired of it. The washing every other day, the having to blow dry after I showered. It was getting old. Now I'm back to washing everyday, but my hair is usually wash and go anyway. I can comb it out, put a little mousse in it, and I'm done. I air dry to avoid damage, split ends, and frizz. So, now I'm looking forward to the fall, when I might get it done again. Either fall or next winter. I can't wait for smooth, luscious locks again. But I needed a break. But, ohhh, do I miss it.

Isabella's 8 Months & Teeth!

2011-03-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

Last month was a big month! Isabella learned, and did, a lot of things. She started holding her bottle, crawling, and she got her first teeth! She had been so lazy about holding her bottle, but she's finally got it down. She knows she needs to tilt it a certain way to get more, and how to get rid of it if she doesn't want it. Silly girl. The crawling thing happened a few weeks ago, and she has not slowed down one bit. She has now realized that she can get to the kitchen. Luckily, she has not found her room or our room. But it's so funny when she's crawling to the kitchen, she'll crawl as fast as she can and squeal the whole way. Like she's found something special. And finally, Bella has both of her bottom teeth. She got her first tooth last Monday and the second one quickly followed a few days later. Before making their way in, I had seen the whites a week before just waiting to come in. Thankfully, Isabella has been a good teether, so far. She did not complain once or had any change in behavior except for a little more drool. She's such a good baby. I've been lucky! I have amazing kids. Maybe their saving it up for later?! Anyway, I can't wait to see what Isabella learns next!

Wordless Wednesday...

2011-03-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

Crawling!

2011-03-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

It has finally happened! Isabella started crawling last week! Last Wednesday to be exact. I have video! She's doing the military crawl. Using her elbows and arms to drag herself along the floor. I knew it was coming since she'd been rocking on all fours trying to move. However, she's dragging her belly and I thought she would be crawling on all fours. It's okay. She knows how to get around even faster now that she doesn't have to roll around. I think she's going to start pulling up next. She's tried a few times. Eek! Will she walk before Jacob? Well, now that she can get around on her own, Bella hates being in her pack-n-play and her saucer. She'd rather be on the floor roaming around. Which I don't mind. When she's happy, I'm happy. I also have some more BIG news to share about Bella, but I'll post more on that later. I really want to get a picture!

On her way to get Rex.

She got him!

Her new quest! Getting into the saucer.

She did!

Jake just had to join her.

This was the 1st day Isabella was crawling. Please excuse her morning hair, and Jacob's obsession with all things police/fire department related.

Pigtails

2011-03-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

Isabella's hair is sooo long now. When it's wet it goes past her shoulders and past her eyes! I've been patiently waiting, and the time has finally come, I can put Bella's hair into two half pigtails! I use her Bumbo chair to help keep her sitting still, well as still as a 7 month old can be. Surprisingly, after a bit of combing, Isabella does stay still long enough for me to do her hair. Like super still. I think she likes it. Who wouldn't?! I love when someone plays with, or combs, my hair. It straight up puts me to sleep. Oh, but I can see the days when we are fighting over combing Bella's hair and she's screaming 'cause there are knots in her hair. Eek, I am not looking forward to that, but I love doing hair. When I was a little girl, I used to have a barbie head doll that I loved. It was just Barbie's big head with long hair. I used to do ALL of my dolls hair. Now, I can do Isabella's hair...if she'll let me!

The doll I used to practice on as a little girl.

Photo credit - Ebay.

One Bike Two Bikes

2011-03-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, for Christmas, Jacob got an awesome Tony Hawk bike from his uncle. It was perfect timing for spring, or so I thought. The weather had been really nice the last few weeks and I decided it was time to break out his new bike, with matching helmet and all. Well, Jess put it together, and Jacob seemed all gung ho...until he had to get on it. Forget it! He refused and still refuses to get on it. He likes to admire it...from afar. But if you ask him to get on it, he'll say no. So, after weeks of trying and him still refusing, we decided to get him something smaller and less intimidating. A tricycle! Well, after a couple of attempts, he will NOT pedal. We showed him, pushed him, encouraged him. And nothing. I know when he's ready he'll figure it out, but it's kind of frustrating 'cause I know he'll love it once he starts. All this drama from a kid who loves motorcycles! So, here's to hoping Jacob changes his mind, or something, and rides either one of his 2 bikes!

Aquarium of the Pacific

2011-02-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we went to the Aquarium of the Pacific after hours (5pm-9pm). It was Jacob's 1st time and he liked it. I think his favorite part was being able to recognize some of the Nemo characters. Especially Dory and Nemo. He did not want to touch a thing. They have a shark lagoon where you can touch stingrays and sharks, but he refused. He even refused to touch the sea stars (Remember back in the day they used to call them star fish?). But Jacob enjoyed himself nonetheless. Isabella was on her best behavior. She did not cry, whine, or fuss the whole time. Despite needing a nap. She was a trooper. We can't wait to go back during the day to see the sea lions, otters, and birds! They had a special low rate for after hour visitors. Half price admission. It worked perfectly for us since Jacob's attention span was like 2 seconds. Maybe next time both Jake and Bella will be able to enjoy it!

Isabella is 7 Months!

2011-02-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

At 7 months, Isabella can now sit on her own with control, she's been doing it for about 3 weeks. She's doing great on her baby food, and had been keeping a steady diet for the last month, but I can tell she needs a little more food. Since she had been on a steady diet, she also leaned out a bit. She's not been gaining weight as steadily as she once was, but she's tall. No, no teeth, yet. I sense they'll come in soon. She's been teething and slobbering up a storm...literally. And she's been constantly gnawing on whatever she can get her hands on.

And I can see the handful that she is becoming. She's very different from Jacob. Jacob seemed to be more passive, while Bella is go out there and get what she wants. I've mentioned before that she rolls around everywhere. And she knows now, to get where she wants, she has to roll to the hard wood floors from the carpet. From the hard wood floors, she knows she can slide wherever she needs to go. Is this crawling? I hope not. Jacob was not mobile 'til he was like 8 or 9 months! Eek!

Bella has been babbling and screaming a lot. The other day I thought she had gotten hurt. Turns out she was just screaming to scream. She also loves touching and scratching everything. And man, she has a mean little grip. She'll grab a hold of your arm, and pinch and squeeze 'til you scream. It hurts. But I still love her to pieces :0)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a nice day with their significant other! And for those who're single, I hope you had a happy SAD (Single Awareness Day) day! Our V Day was quiet, as usual. Hubby and I didn't attempt a dinner out because we did not want to wait in a long ol' line. But Jess did come home bearing gifts. Flowers and chocolates! Yum! And, am I the only woman in the world who actually likes carnations? No, really. I don't know anyone who likes them. I think they look really pretty and sophisticated in a tight little bunch. Anywho, my gift to the hubs was homemade peanut butter cups. I tried to pick up a bag of Reese's cups, but when I saw the $6.99 price tag, my jaw was on the floor! So, I went home and found a recipe at a spot I frequent. Apparently, this recipe was all over the blog world. It's super easy, and I had everything on hand. Love when that's unplanned! And they are sooo good! They taste better than a Reese's PB cup. I also did a little variation by using half milk chocolate and half semi-sweet choco chips to make up the 1/2 cup called for in the recipe. Did that make sense? Anyway, you should deff try these! Oh, and I also got hubs the sweetest card ever. It was a perfect Valentine's day :0)

Here's the recipe from Stylish Cuisine:

Peanut Butter Cup Bars
Recipe from Michelle at One Ordinary Day

1/2 cup butter
1 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

(Line a 8×8, 9×9, or 7×11 pan with foil for easy removal of bars later.)

Melt 1/2 c. butter of low heat. Remove from heat and stir in confectioner’s sugar. Add peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs, stirring until creamy. Spread mixture into pan, patting down evenly.

In same pot, on low heat, melt butter. Add chocolate chips and stir until chips are nearly melted and very soft. Remove from heat and continue stirring until chocolate is smooth and shiny. Spread over peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut into bars.

Store peanut butter cup bars in refrigerator.

Yield: 16 or more bars (depending upon how big you cut them)

Brazilian Blowout @ 2 Months!

2011-02-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

It's been two months, and while I still LOVE my hair, and get many compliments on it...I'm starting to get a little tired of it. Just a little. It's still easy to style, but I messed up. For the last month, I thought, wow, my BB only really lasted me a month. My hair started feeling less smooth, more frizzy, and just different. Not like it felt just the month before. Well, it was me. I accidentally bought VOLUMIZING shampoo/conditioner instead of the smoothing set. And let me tell you, the volumizing stuff really worked. I immediately bought smoothing shampoo/conditioner when I made this realization. BTW, for those of you wondering, I use Loreal's EverPure Smooth line for color treated hair. And what a difference it makes! After one wash, my hair felt soft and smooth as it did just a month before. So, after 2 months, my BB is still going strong. Will we make it to 3 months??

Jacob is 2½!

2011-02-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

He's half way to three! At 2.5, Jacob is talking up a storm. He knows exactly how to state his opinion, and talks in complete sentences. Jacob also says the darndest things. For example, back during Xmas, I had wrapped some presents and asked Jacob to put them under the tree, and when he did, he yelled, "Happy birthday, tree!" He always says something funny! More recently, he was playing with an airplane and the back of it had a little door. Well, one morning, Jacob was playing with the airplane and he said, "Momma, look! Airplane butt!" I laughed. He pointed at the back of the airplane. It was too cute. I look forward to hearing what he has to say, and what new things he has learned.

Jacob's favorite movie of the moment is Cars. And he's really into Hot Wheels again. Jacob's favorite food is french fries, but he really loves his Nana's home cooked food, especially rice. He loves fruit snacks and raisins, and can eat them all day. He's starting to get picky about his food saying, "I no like it, Momma." But once he starts eating, he'll eat.

As for getting along with his sister, I couldn't ask for anything better from toddler. He's just started telling her he loves her, and giving her hugs. If her binky falls, he'll pick it up and try to wash it. He'll go and grab toys for her, and he loves when she's on the floor. Jacob will roll right along with her. And if she rolls too far, he'll scream, "Oh no, baby!" He no longer tries to go in her crib, but then again the mobile is gone. Bella pretty much ripped it down. But he is such a good brother. I can only hope things stay this tranquil. Yeah, I doubt it!

Baby Curls

2011-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's no big secret that Isabella has curly hair, but you never really see how curly her hair is. Most of the pictures I've posted here, show Bella's hair semi curly with some partially straight sections. But when her hair hits water, it gets curlyyy! I don't mean a big bouncy loose curl. I'm talking tight little curls all over her little head. It looks so funny 'cause the curls are so so so tight. She looks like she has a little fro! But once she takes a nap, and sleeps on it, the curls loosen. However, now her hair is getting longer, and is starting to get into her eyes. And a funny palm tree has now appeared on the top of her head. Or as nana calls it, the umbrella. It's crazy 'cause when I was making bows for her (before she was born), I was hoping she would have a lot of hair. Unlike Jacob, who had a few strands of hair pasted to the side of his head for months. He looked like a little old man. Not Bella, she's got momma's hair. And she's got a full head of hair! Lucky girl ;0)

Jumpers & Paint brushes!

2011-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we introduced Isabella to Jacob's old jumper, and well, she did not love it as much as Jacob did! At least, in the beginning. After I attached some noisy keys to it, she liked it a bit more. She likes jumping and hearing the keys make noise. It can get a bit annoying after lots of jumping, but it's so funny seeing her get into the jumping. She also likes to rock back and forth in it. So, she's enjoying that, and rolling around everywhere! Sometimes she tries to get her knees up, but she'll either gut stuck on the carpet or will slide on the floor. But I'm okay with that. I don't want her to be crawling just yet.

Jacob has picked up one of many new hobbies. As he says, "Momma, I like paint!" He also likes to draw. We have these cool paint brushes by crayola where the paint is in the brush, and they're shaped for easy holding with little hands. And of coarse, washable. Almost everyday, Jacob paints. He also wears it too!

Hi.

2011-02-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

I know. I know. I've been a bad blogger. Honestly, I've been preoccupied, and it just hasn't interested me. Here's the thing, I love blogging, but loading pictures and typing out a post, is really time consuming, and I have very little time. When I do have time, I like to take some for myself since it's very rare that I get a genuine BREAK. The only time I can blog is during the kids' nap time, after they go to bed at night, or if one of them is asleep and the other is preoccupied. And again, this is the time I should use to do laundry, pick-up around the house, do dishes...you get the picture. I should be doing something more productive. Take now, for example, Isabella's playing with her toys in her playpen while I do laundry, and blog. Jake's taking a nap.

So, what have I been busy with??? Well, I got Photoshop for my b-day and I've been trying to learn all about it, I've been contacted to do a wedding, and I'm considering whether or not I'm ready to start my career. Oh, and I've been planning our vacation, doing another party, and just busy with life. I'm exhausted just reading it all again. Phew. But I really do hope to be back to regular blogging. But maybe I need a little break. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Hope to see you soon!

My new toy...

Isabella's on Solids!

2011-01-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's been just a day over two weeks, since Isabella started solids. We started with green beans, and that first spoonful did not go over well. She made a scrunchy face, but she kept on eating. Every time she tries a new food she makes the same face with each first bite. Except for peaches. It took her two meals to finally accept peaches, or get used to them. She was not a happy camper with the first bowl, but she ate her second bowl just fine. She does not make the same scrunchy face with veggies. Bella's first week of solids was veggies, and now we've moved onto fruit. She eats approximately 2 tablespoons of solids twice a day. She wakes with a bottle, then she'll have food for lunch with a small bottle, a regular bottle mid-afternoon, food for dinner with a small bottle, and one last regular bottle before bed. Although, bottle feeding has become a pain! As soon as she gets full enough, she'll start playing with her bottle. It's sooo annoying. But I LOVE feeding her food. And I guess, it turns out, Isabella didn't like the first watery cereal we were feeding her. It hit me all of a sudden, after quite a few attempts, that maybe she didn't like the cereal, and she didn't. LOL! Poor baby. I was making her slurp up that watery gunk when she really wanted some real food. Well, we've got it down now!

Officially Potty Trained!

2011-01-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

It's been a month since we'd started, and I guess I can officially say Jacob is potty trained. He has had 1 major accident in the last month, and a few teeny tiny accidents. But we all know those won't go away for awhile. When he gets consumed with something, he easily forgets he has to go to the potty, but he'll squirt a little, realize he's wet, and tells me he has to go potty. He's doing really well. At night he wears a pull-up, but, more often that not, he'll wake with it dry and will let me know he has to go potty. He also goes #2. That took a few weeks, but he's getting more and more comfortable with it. The chart and M & Ms are looong gone, but we still praise him when he goes. We either say Good Job! or give a high five. He also does the same to us when we use the potty! It's so funny. He'll be like, "Good job, Momma! Pee pee potty!" I'm super proud of him for doing so well. A month ago, I seriously thought it would take like 3 months. Thankfully, it did not.

And on another note, I've been slacking on my blog(s). I'm busy with, and obsessed with, a couple of other things at the moment. And I should be blogging about it. I've got to get back on track!

Isabella's 6 Months!!!

2011-01-21T23:05:00.000-08:00

In Jacob's words: Oh my goodness! <---I love when he says that. Anyway, it has finally arrived, Isabella's 6 month birthday. And we had her doctor's appointment! Isabella is 21 pounds (99%!) and is 27.5 inches tall (95%!). I could not believe that she's above the 90th percentile for height and weight. I knew it though. Looking at my baby girl, she's sooo long and solid. Obviously, a good eater. Speaking of which, Isabella's been on solids for a little over a week. Veggies are definitely not her favorite. More on that in another post! She had her usual shots, and she won't have anymore 'til her 1st birthday. Yay! A break. I hate when she gets her shots. It breaks my heart. She never cries unless she is really hurt. The doctor said she looks perfect, and very strong. But! She's still not sitting on her own. She's sooo stubborn! He said she has enough core strength, but she just doesn't want to. She's almost there, but she just throws herself back, or she just tips to the side. Nothing to worry about. Baby girl did well at her appointment, a little crying, then a nap.

And a few weeks ago, Bella found her feet. Anytime she can, she tries to play with her feet. It's so funny 'cause sometimes she grunts. Hehe. And she's rolling everywhere! I put her on the floor and she'll end up everywhere but the starting point. And she loves to sleep on her side and tummy. Talk about stress for momma. I can't catch a good night's sleep. I have to get up a few times a night to check on her. But according to her doctor, there's a super slim chance for SIDS. Ugh, I hate even saying/typing the word. Doc also said the risk drops even more dramatically at 9 months. Ok, ok, enough of that. Developmentally, and physically, baby girl is where she needs to be, and I'm very very happy :0)

The BIG 3-0!

2011-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it, but today I am officially in my 30s. I remember looking forward to my 16th, 18th, and 21st birthdays, but I knew after that there really wasn't a number to look forward to. But I disagree. While I don't feel like I'm 30, I accept it with open arms. And while I'm not doing anything super special, I'm grateful to be sharing it with my loving hubby, 2 beautiful children, and my family. Woah, I just realized in 10 years I'll be 40!

Anyway, happy 30th birthday to me! LoL!

Brazilian Blowout @ 1 Month

2011-01-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

Exactly one month ago today, I got my BB! And one month later...I still LOVE LoVe love it! At first, I thought I was going to have problems with it, but it's perfect. My hair dries so fast. As soon as I get out of the shower, I wrap my hair in a towel and it soaks up the extra moisture while I get ready. When it's time to do my hair, it takes me only 5-7 minutes of blow drying to completely dry my hair. And I don't even use a brush on it, just my fingers, and I'll throw it in a bun for a bit to curl the ends. If I'm going out, I run a flat iron through it, curl the ends, and in 10 minutes I am done. It's crazy. I also only wash my hair every other day. So, I've gotten the question, would I do it again? Yes, I would! But not anytime soon, maybe next fall or winter. My curly hair is easier to maintain during the summer months and swimming. But anyone considering it, should give it a try at least once.

Before...

After the 1st washing. Partial dry using fingers.

One month, day after washing. Complete blow dry using fingers.

We're going on a boat trip!

2011-01-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

We're going on our first BIG family vacation! And now that it's getting closer, I'm starting to get excited! We're going on a Disney cruise to the Mexican Riviera! Wahoo! It's perfect for us: we don't have to fly, it's Disney, and we've never been to Mexico. I know Jacob's going to have a ball. They have a Toy Story stage show, and tons of other stuff for him to do. I can't wait to relax on a beach. At least, I hope I get to relax on a beach. I have no idea what to expect of this trip. All I know is that it's Disney, and it should be nice. But I'm not looking forward to packing. Yuck. And I've never been on a cruise. Ever! Now I'm going with a toddler, and a baby. But that's okay, since most of my family is going too. LOL! Jess and I will have tons of help...I hope. Oh, and it's one of the reasons we potty trained Jacob. Anywho, I'm so excited for the kids. I hope they have a ton of FUN!

Potty Training

2011-01-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

Yup, its true! We're potty training Jacob. The first day was hard. And thankfully, I had a lot of help from my sister and niece. The first day, as soon as he woke up, I took off his diaper and put on his undies. He was a little unsure about it, but we kept asking him if he had to pee. He kept saying no but we kept putting him on the toilet. He'd drank milk and had eaten, and had a couple of small accidents. I know he had to really pee and nap time was coming around the corner. Well, nap time came and went, and he still had not went pee on the potty. He didn't even pee during his nap. Finally, after lunch, he peed on the potty and he got a sticker to place on his chart, and he got an M & M. After that first pee, the accidents were few. We made it through the first day. At night, for now, he's been wearing a pull up. The second day was still hard. It's like he had forgotten all that he had learned the day before. The second day was similar to the first, but it was the third day that you could tell he made progress. He went pee early on in the morning and had begun to tell me he had to pee without me having to ask him. And by the end of the third day, he had filled his chart. His reward, picking out an Xmas gift to open. The fourth day was even better. He woke up w/ a dry pull up, and he was vocalizing to me he had to pee before he had a major accident. He could also hold his pee for long periods of time. However, and it's a big one, he had still not gone #2. Well he had, a little, but when he wore a diaper it was at least once a day. In 4 days he'd only gone once and very little. For #2, he gets a sticker and 3 M & Ms. So, we we're then dealing with constipation. Yipee. And had lead to a diet filled w/ fiber, lots of oranges, corn, oatmeal, apple juice, and very little dairy. Oh the joys. No, but honestly, I think Jacob is getting along well. Its amazing to see how far he's come in just 3 days.

And now, after 2 weeks of potty training, Jacob is doing extremely well! He's not had an accident since the first few days, and still verbalizes if he has to pee. We've gone on a few outings, and he still did not have an accident. During these outings, he had worn a pull up, but verbalized when he had to pee, or kept his pull up dry until he came home. I'm super proud of him. Every morning we wake up and he picks out his undies he wants to wear. And he can wear pants, too. We've stopped the sticker chart, and we give out M & Ms here and there, but he's doing it on his own. At first, I really didn't think he was ready, but again, it was me who was not ready. It meant my baby was no longer a baby. I have a big boy.

He loves his undies.

He has a ton to choose from,

they include Yo Gabba Gabba, Mickey Mouse, and a Disney combo.

He'd fill a chart every 3 days.

He was done with charts after a week and a half.

This thing was constantly filled with M & Ms.

His favorites were the yellow ones.

He loved this book.

He asked for it every time he sat down.

One of his favorite pairs of undies.

{DIY} Christmas Gifts - Treats!

2011-01-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

My last and final gift was a bucket of goodies! I scoured the Internet for easy, tasty treats. Well, except for the fudge, I found that recipe while watching my new favorite channel - the Cooking channel.

The first thing I made was fudge. I love fudge. And this recipe, by Nigella Lawson, is seriously the best, and it's sooo easy. It's ridiculous! I'm giving a link to the actual recipe, but I have to warn you that it's WRONG, and well, the one I made was way better!

Here's my variation on FUDGE!

Ingredients:
12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk
2 tbsp butter
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of walnuts, or any nut you like.

Melt the chocolate chips, condensed milk, butter, salt, and vanilla extract in a pan over low heat.

Put the nuts into a freezer bag and crush until broken into small pieces. Or you can do what I did, and just chop them up with a knife.

Add nuts to the chocolate mixture and stir well to mix.

Line a 9-inch square dish/pan with foil, and spray with a light coating of vegetable spray.

Pour chocolate mixture into dish and smooth the top.

Let the fudge cool, and then place in fridge util set.

Cut 8 by 8 lines to get around 64 perfect tiny bite sized pieces.

This should be kept refrigerated for quality and taste purposes.

This next recipe is so yummy too! It's for a peanut butter cookie by Betty Crocker and it's called the New-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies. I knew I wanted to do a peanut butter cookie, but I wanted a chewy peanut butter cookie. All the ones I've tried,or made, were always hard and crispy. This one is not! It's chewy and moist, and it uses box cake mix. I followed the recipe almost exactly except I used chunky peanut butter. What can I say, I like nuts! Give these a try! They're so easy!

Finally, I made some Mini Chip Snowball Cookies from Nestle. These were okay. Not very sweet, but a close relative to the Mexican wedding cookie, which I love. And I should've just made them. But anywho, these were a pick because the recipe made a lot of little cookies. I used the recipe almost exactly except I didn't have mini chips, so I chopped my regular size chips with a knife. And I also added some chopped red and green M & Ms.

{DIY} Christmas Gifts - Mod Podge Clothespins

2011-01-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

This little project kind of fell into my lap. I saw it in my reads, and I've been wanting to mod podge clothespins. Now I had a reason to do it. I had all the supplies on hand so it was not only cute, but cheap. I got the idea from this blog, and I changed it up a bit.

Supplies:
Clothespins, cardstock, Mod Podge, foam brush, exacto knife.

For this project, I printed out some words on cardstock in a font I liked. I looked through a bunch of free fonts online and found one that I liked.

I left enough room between each word so that I could cut them out, and left enough room to podge a clothespin on top of the word.

I let them dry for a few hours, and then cut them out using my exacto knife. I swiped on a coat of podge over the top and sides of the paper, and let dry.

I printed out some cardstock to clip the clothespins to, and that was it. Simple, cheap, and fast.

{DIY} Christmas Gifts - Monogram Candle

2011-01-04T10:50:00.000-08:00

As is becoming tradition, I made Xmas gifts for everyone this year. And I already have my gifts planned for next year. I made 3 different things this year and I will be sharing each in a 3 part series. Today I'm showing you...

Monogram Candles!

I got the idea for monogram candles from Centsational Girl last year. I loved how her candles came out, but I made a few changes.

Supplies
Candle jars, candles, frosted glass paint, spray paint, mod podge, foam brush, glitter, monogram stickers/designs, exacto knife, glue stick, masking tape.

1. Instead of using monogram stickers, I used my Cricut and cut out the letters/designs I needed for each candle.

2. I made sure that my glass jars were clean, and I then used a glue stick to stick the letters/designs onto the jars accordingly. Next, I taped off the top of each candle so paint would not go inside the candles.

3. Once the letters were attached and dry, I then sprayed the jars with an even coat of frosted glass, and let it dry to the can's specifications.

4. Once the frost was dry, I then spray painted the glasses white. I did about 2 coats for each glass. I then let them dry to the can's specifications.

5. I then brought out my mod podge, my foam brush, and my glitter. And I painted each glass with mod podge, sprinkled it with glitter, and let it dry over night.

6. After the podge was dry, I peeled off the monogram letters/designs. Excess gunk was scraped off with the exacto knife.

7. Finally, I dropped a scented candle in and wrapped each candle in cellophane. I tied them off with a piece of ribbon and a bell.

They were a hit!

Stay tuned for gift #2 - Mod Podge clothespins.

The candle below was made similarly to the tutorial above, however instead of mod podging the whole thing, I used white glue to fill in the letter only with glitter. I LOVED the result! I'd wished I'd did them all like this.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a lovely New Year's weekend! I did, kind of. It was low-key and quiet, but I was tired from a very long week. We celebrated at my sister's with an Asian feast, a scrabble game, and planning for our vacation. The rest of the weekend was spent just hanging out. We couldn't really go anywhere special because of Jacob's potty training. We also spent the weekend putting our holiday stuff away. I was so sad to see it go. I love my tree. Anywho, hope your weekend was just as lovely as ours was!

And speaking of the new year, I usually don't do new years resolutions. I feel they set people up for failure. But anyway, I've decided to do one this year, it's nothing special and not a real resolution, but I'd really like to cook more. I bake, but I rarely cook. My goal is to cook at least one meal a week. I doubt that's going to happen, but I'm going to try. LOL! My first meal of the new year will be my favorite, chicken cordon bleu with prosciutto. Yum! And I have quite a few posts coming up including projects, updates, and other fine musings, so stay tuned for a new year of blogging!

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