Stampin' Up!

I've gotten some inquires on where I get my paper products. If your looking for great quality products check out Stampin' Up! I particularly LOVE their quality card stock and paper punches. The also offer coordinating rubber stamps and printed designer paper. Great ideas for thank you teacher gifts and mother's day craftin'!!!!

Nailed by........Spiderman!!

If you don't know already, Im a little obsessed with getting "fun" manicures. I love to get all the crazy colors, mix colors and all the different designs.....and no Im NOT talking flowers. lol! Super excited about the OPI Spiderman color collection debuting before The Amazing Spiderman movie hits theaters. Now I don't have any daughters to take to the nail salon, so this is the closest I get to sharing my "manicure" excitement with my son (although he does comment on some of the cool designs I get.) Im sure he'd love to pick out which Spiderman color I should get......just because its Spiderman.

Got the Blues!

Just a little Phillip Lim acid wash BLUE inspiration!!

Love this 3.1 Phillip Lim Denim Vest and this Acid Wash 31 Hour Bag. Also for your little cutie the Girl's Convertible Denim Vest. Thank you Phillip Lim for making the 80's just that much cooler. ;-)

Playin' Around

I love this picture and wish they could play like this all day, every day and forever. *sigh*

Chicken Salad.....less the mayo

I love a good chicken salad sandwich, just don't really like to have all that mayo. Here is a pretty tasty recipe for chicken (or canned tuna works also) salad less the mayo.

6 hard-boiled eggs

1 1/2 cups bread and butter pickles

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1/2 lb chicken breast tenders (or canned tuna, drained)

1 tbls. sweet pickle juice
1 tbls. mustard
2 tbls. sweet relish
1 tsp. hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken, drain, shred and set aside. Place hard-boiled eggs (4 just whites and 2 with yolk if preferred for lighter recipe) and pickles in food processor until chopped well. Place egg mixture in bowl and add shredded chicken (or tuna), pickle juice, mustard, sweet relish, hot sauce and celery. Mix well and season to taste. Serve on bread, lettuce or rice cake. Enjoy!

Mother's Day Headlin'!!

Is it me or are moms just the best? To be a mom....to have a mom....etc. I just love everything about moms and grandmas. I love Mother's Day and feel there should be at least 5 of those a year!!!! Came across this idea from Martha to do with the kids. Print directly from their site or make your own. Gonna make a special issue for Grandma this year. xoxo to all you moms!

Fit for a Bikini

It's almost bikini time and as much as I hate buying jeans, shopping for a bikini is ten times worse. It's like you got to mentally prepare yourself to notice flaws you knew you had, but never "really" saw. lol! I've always been a fan of the fit and style of L*Space line of bikinis. L*Space is known for starting the fringe bikini last season which is still all the rage this season. This year they also came out with the One Love Sun Seeker Swimsuit, (pictured on the left) a bandeau blouson one piece bathing suit. No unwanted tan lines, flattering fit and is great for all those moms and/or ladies that want to hide any mid-section flaws ;-). Check out L*Space or purchase online here. See you on the sand!!!

Gone Nuts!!

I heart Trader Joe's and Im all for sharing their great snacks, etc. Today's featured product is Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Almonds with Sea Salt and Turbinado Sugar. OMG!!! A fabulous co-worker of mine introduced me to this most amazing and addicting snack. The perfect mix of sweet and salty for all those pmsing or pregnant ladies ;-). A definite must try if you have not done so already. Enjoy!

Racin'

We recently took Dominic and a friend to experience MB2 Raceway (Thousand Oaks location) and he loved it. Other than the Electric Karts, the place was clean, not too crowded, had a small eatery and tons of games and space for the boys to roam. Dominic loved it so much that he is now pressuring me to celebrate his 10th birthday with MB2. They do offer party plans and a VIP room (pictured above with pool table and Xbox gaming system included) available to rent. Must be 48"tall to ride Jr. Karts. Adult Karts and racing also available. Good luck and see you at the finish line!

Snack Time

I've been really in to rice cakes lately. Plain ole' rice cakes. I prefer the Quaker Salt Free brand. I actually don't mind eating them plain, but currently have two favorite rice cake pairings.

1.) Skim Ricotta Cheese, Honey, Lemon and Basil over Rice Cake

2.) Peanut Butter and Banana over Rice Cake

Both are super delish and a great snack!

Find and Make Do Shop

Jaxon has a bit of an obsession with airplanes. Im always looking for new toys to help build imagination and/or inspire creativity for my kids. Found this site, which provides a set of connectors that enables the creation of objects and spaces from found materials. You find the cardboard, plastic or fabric (recycling......yay!!) and they provide the connectors and instructions. Since this project is a little more fit for Dominic, I thought I would have him do it with me for Jaxon to play. Love that! Check out their amazing gallery and shop to start your find and make.

Sittin' Pretty

As much as Jaxon thinks he can sit on a regular table, he just isn't quite there yet and doesn't really care much for high chairs or boosters. Saw this idea to turn this $15 Ikea Step Stool into a chair and table for the little guy. You can even get creative and paint it a fun color or with some fun designs. Perfect size for him and he just LOVES it. Thank goodness....happy baby=happy mom!!

Head over Heels

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with these Isabel Marant Bekket (wedged) sneakers. Its hard for me to dress up some sneakers, thus the hate. But, how fab could these be for moms..............??????? A super comfortable hidden heel/wedge you can run around in with your kiddos. Love?!? Currently sold out everywhere. Beware of fakes! Word around town....Barneys and Net-a-Porter are getting more in this month.

New Style Scrapbookin'

Kudos to all the moms who have documented their 2nd or 3rd and /or 4th child's growth with pictures or anything. If I can only get my act together and give Jaxon as much attention as Dominic in the documenting department. As you all can imagine, I have tons of scrapbooks and pictures for Dominic. Thank goodness for my iPhone or Jaxon would not have any pictures. Found this cute growth chart by PA Design. One side you slip in pictures (perfect size for my professional iPhone camera and instagram prints. lol!) and the other side you document the date/moment. Just as cute as any scrapbook and will also save momma's money and time. Thank you PA Design for helping me document child #2.

Lemon Quinoa Spinach Cilantro Chickpea Salad

I love the taste of anything lemon!! Here is another quinoa recipe favorite. Enjoy!

1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable broth

1 lb. chicken breast

1 can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)

2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes

2 avocados (diced)

1 bunch cilantro

2 cups baby spinach

1/4 cup diced onions

juice of 3 lemons

lemon zest

2 tsp. mustard

2 tsp. evoo

1 tsp. agave nectar

1/2 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Cook quinoa in vegetable broth then set aside to cool. Boil chicken, drain, shred or chop chicken and set aside. Process spinach and cilantro in food processor until diced finely. In a large bowl, mix chickpeas, chicken, greens, tomatoes, onions and avocado to cooled quinoa. In a separate bowl, whisk lemon juice, mustard, evoo, agave nectar and cumin thoroughly (add salt and pepper to taste if desired). Pour lemon dressing over quinoa and mix until well combined. Set in fridge for 20 minutes until cooled and flavors set. Serve cold and enjoy. So refreshing!

Make a Wish.....Boat

Came across these cute little wish boats. Give your boat a name or write a message before you set it off to sail. Great for all kinds of parties (weddings, birthdays, baby showers) and/or just fun to do with the kids. Get 'em here pre-cut on pretty paper or to use your own paper here are step by step instructions. Have fun and get crafty!

Hair Help

I recently went to a beauty salon store to replace my curling iron that broke on me. After I chose my curling iron, the wonderful sales lady at this particular store was very adamant in having me try this line in the hydrating shampoo and treatment conditioner. After respectfully declining her advice, she rang me up and threw some samples in my bag. I normally don't bother with trying samples, but for some reason (maybe it was her conviction on the product) I did this time. Turns out it works well for me and I would definitely recommend it. Try Bioken Enfanti Hydrating Shampoo and Treatment Conditioner.

Denim Days

I've always been a fan of the Current Elliot line. Love their styles and fit. Especially liking their Spring/Summer 2012 Lookbook. Lots of printed (floral, plaid, leopard and polka dots) denim, slimmer cuts, neutral tones and just super cool. Get yours at Billy's. Get stylin'!

Zara for the Kiddos

I can always find a good staple piece or two at Zara to add to my closet. I also find some pieces for the boys. Lovin' their Kids Spring/Summer 2012 style. Check it out here!

Treat yourself......just a little!

I went to dinner a couple months ago with some girlfriends and ordered a pineapple upside down cake with coconut ice cream for dessert. I forgot how wonderful that cake tasted (my mom used to make it all the time). For days and weeks, I couldn't get the cake out of my mind. lol! Its not exactly eating clean, but sometimes its good to treat yourself. I combined the flavor of the coconut and pineapple into the cake. Maybe I feel less guilty of eating just the cake as opposed to cake AND ice cream. haha! Indulge....just a little! ;-)

Pineapple Coconut Upside Cake

4 eggs

1/4 cup Challenge butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 (20 oz) cans Crushed Pineapple, drained

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

3 tbls sour cream

2 tbls. butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter (1/4 cup). Coat baking pan with melted butter and spread brown sugar. Layer crushed pineapple and coconut. Set aside. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add eggs, sour cream, butter and vanilla to flour mixture. Gradually add sugar to mixture. Spread batter evenly over pineapple. Bake for 45-50 mins. Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife. Cool cake for 10 minutes before inverting onto serving plate. Enjoy!

Doodlin'

I've become a little obsessed with doodle books. There are all kinds.....some for the kids and quite a few fashion and crafty ones for the moms. Doodle books jump starts the creativity and provides incomplete pages that you draw, color, create and complete. Super fun! Doodle books can be found at select stores or here.