Back to School Routine Tips

Back to School Routine Tips

In just three short weeks my son starts Kindergarten and our family will be emerged into a new phase in our lives. Since we really haven’t ever had a back to school routine I wasn’t quite sure where to start on preparing our family for the inevitable need for a good routine once school starts.

So I did what I always do and headed to a few of my favorite blogs to find out what their tips and tricks were to a smooth back to school transition. These parents have the experience I lack and have made me feel more confident in creating a routine on our own.

While I still may be practicing to make sure we can get up on time and out the door to get to school at a decent hour, I’ll feel more comfortable doing so! If you need some back to school routine tips definitely check out these great posts!  [Read more…]

Dog Safety for Kids: 3 Great Tips for Training Your Dog

 This post is brought to you by I and Love and You.

Dog Safety for Kids 3 Great Tips for Training Your Dog

A dog can provide pet owners and their families with many years of joy, companionship, comfort, and love. However, not all dog breeds are the same. Each dog breed is known for its distinctive characteristics, whether it be for fighting, hunting, intensity, intelligence, wandering, and so forth. No matter what breed of dog you may introduce into your family, the safety of your kids around the dog should be your utmost concern.

After our daughter was bitten by our family dog (warning – graphic photos in post linked), we took dog training and dog safety for kids to heart and have continued to work with both our kids and our dog, Scout, to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.

Training your dog in an effective manner will provide you with a sense of security in having a dog as a family pet. Whether the dog is part of the family unit before the child arrives or afterwards, both will need to be taught rules, boundaries, as well as consequences. [Read more…]

Back to School Savings with Walmart Savings Catcher

I shopped savvy and scored on huge back to school savings using Walmart Saving Catcher, as part of a sponsored post for Socialstars #SavingsCatcher

Back to School Savings with Walmart Savings Catcher #SavingsCatcher

My oldest is starting Kindergarten this year and I’m actually doing quite well with it. He’s ready. I’m ready. And we’re getting excited about the next year.

One thing that’ll be new to us is shopping for back to school supplies from a list the Kindergarten teacher provided for us.

Even before my kids went to school I always loved stocking up on back to school supplies during this time of year because of the huge discounts you can find. I’m also kinda obsessed with school supplies and love a well stocked craft area.  [Read more…]

Date Night Out at Cafe 21 San Diego

Cafe 21 San Diego - Gaslamp

My husband and I are very serious about date night. We make sure to get out, just the two of us, at least once a month and have even invested in theater tickets for the next season at Broadway San Diego to ensure that we have a standing date night for most months of the year.

So when we were invited to try out Cafe 21 San Diego just blocks away from the San Diego Civic Theater I knew we needed to try it out! We’re always on the hunt for fabulous restaurants around the downtown area and have heard amazing things about Cafe 21.

As soon as we walked in we felt a warm and inviting presence. The decor was clean and creative and definitely fit the food and the staff. We also noticed some purse trees next to the tables to help keep the ladies purses off the ground and the back of their seats.  [Read more…]

Easy To Make Roasted Red Pepper Chicken and Linguine with White Wine Sauce

The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This #InspireMyDinner shop featuring Roasted Red Pepper Chicken and Linguine with White Wine Sauce has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser.

Easy To Make Roasted Red Pepper Chicken and Linguine with White Wine Sauce

Date nights are an important part of my relationship with my husband. They allow us to reconnect, chat about life, and spend time together without the kids. Whether we’re heading out for a night on the town or settling in at home for an easy to make meal together, the time we spend during date night helps us rekindle that spark.

Since we’ve finally decided we need to expand and are starting to look for potential houses to move into we’ve been on a tighter budget than normal. That means more meals at home… including date night meals. But that doesn’t mean I have to make some elaborate dish that takes hours to make.   [Read more…]

5 Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake featured on Someday I’ll Learn

Gluten-Free-5 Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberries

 Need an amazingly delicious dessert for date night in? Definitely try this 5 ingredient flourless chcolate cake with raspberries. Not only does it come together quickly, with the help of a stand mixer it’s almost no work at all!

Similar to my 2 ingredient chocolate hazelnut cake, this flourless chocolate cake only has 5 main ingredients – including some delicious allergen free Pascha organic dark chocolate – so it’s simple and more than likely you already have all of the ingredients on hand!

Check out the recipe for this dessert on Someday I’ll Learn today!

Gluten Free Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberries ingredients

Pinterest Inspiration

Enjoying a Seaside Wellness Weekend Getaway in Del Mar

This seaside wellness weekend getaway in Del Mar was sponsored by the Del Mar Tourism Business Improvement District.

Enjoying a Seaside Wellness Weekend Getaway in Del Mar

As a couple my husband and I try to reconnect with one another quite often through date nights. But sometimes a couple really needs to get out. So when we were asked to enjoy a couples weekend getaway in Del Mar, I knew it would be a great way for my husband and I to enjoy each other’s company without the kids in tow.

A staycation so close to home is not only convenient, but is close enough that if we needed to we could have come home to the kids at any moment. However this staycation we were able to enjoy all of it alone. And it was awesome.

We were invited to stay at the quaint, unique Secret Garden Inn owned by Sulana Sae-onge and John Halper. John has hand-built the rooms and Sulana designed the interiors to match their names beautifully. The Secret Garden Inn’s secluded Tuscany, Oriental and Balinese decorated rooms cater to any romantic setting. The Penthouse suite is a honeymooner’s paradise with an expansive patio and outdoor fireplace.

[Read more…]

The Ultimate Girls Night Out: Celebrating My 30th in Style

This post on the Ultimate Girls Night Out is sponsored by SheSpeaks and P&G.

The Ultimate Girls Night Out - Celebrating my 30th

Last month I celebrated my 30th birthday with the ultimate girls night out. I’ve been talking about how I was going to celebrate my 30th for the past year and finally I decided on an awesome night out with my friends at a great restaurant.

I made sure that everyone had rides to and from the restaurant and that the whole meal was taken care of so all my friends had to do was show up. My husband chauffeured most of us (his idea!) and surprised me by gifting each of my friends a cute favor that was left at the restaurant before we got there.

A girls night out is comprised of a lot of things but it always starts with getting ready… [Read more…]

Anatomy for Kids: Teaching Our Children About Their Bodies

This post is sponsored by Anatomy for Kids.

Anatomy For Kids Teaching Our Children About Their Bodies

From when my children were a very young age I decided that we’d try and be as open and honest about our bodies as we could. So when I started to think about the words we would use to describe our bodies and body parts, as well as what we would share with our children when they asked, we decided to stick with the anatomically correct terminology.

As the kids are getting older it isn’t all about penises and vaginas anymore. These little inquisitive minds are coming up with some more difficult questions. And yes, they’ve already asked extensively where babies come from. My mother-in-law was always one to make sure the kids knew that a baby grew in a mom’s uterus and not in her belly.

But because they don’t always take what we say as the absolute truth, I’m glad I now have a new series of books to share with them. Anatomy for Kids, written by Dr. Shelley Metten (or Dr. M for short), is a book that focuses on what kids want to know in an age-appropriate language. [Read more…]

5 Tips for Creating a Family Table at Meal Time

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Barilla, but opinions are my own.

5 Tips for Creating a Family Table at Meal Time

When my son was a toddler I thought he was the pickiest eater. Then I started to realize that he wasn’t picky, he was just a kid. So I started to focus more on creating a family table at meal time and truly allowing him (and now my daughter) to experience food differently.

With the changes we’ve put in place I not only have kids who eat dinner, even if it’s just one part of dinner, we also now have a place to sit and talk about our day as a family. Mealtime now sometimes leads to playtime afterwards when the conversation doesn’t stop and the kids request either a game or movie night after we eat.

By eating at home, around a table, we’ve come to realize the importance of meal time and creating a family table. [Read more…]



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