Mother Daughter Piggy Paint Spa Party

April 7, 2013 by

This article is sponsored by Piggy Paint

Over the past few weeks I’ve felt as if I haven’t had a chance to really spend one-on-one time with my daughter. We both keep very busy between playdates, preschool, and family activities so when I was offered the chance to create a special moment with her I took it!

Even though she’s only two she has proven to be quite the girly girl. She is obsessed with all things hair and makeup, including nail polish. So when I went in search for a safe nail polish to use for her I chose Piggy Paint. And as I’ve mentioned before, we love it!

In addition to the three colors we already have, and the nail polish remover we recently purchased at our favorite hair cutting salon, we received some new colors to try out. We decided to share the fun with friends and invited a few moms and daughters over for a Motehr Daughter Piggy Paint Spa Party.

Piggy Paint Mother Daughter Spa Party

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Filed Under: Party Ideas, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

April 6, 2013 by

One of my favorite all time lunch (or dinner) option is a grilled cheese sandwich with a bowl of creamy tomato soup. My favorite menu item on Nordstrom Cafe’s menu is, of course, the grilled cheese & tomato soup and it’s my kids favorite too (the sandwich, not the soup).

So when I heard that national Grilled Cheese day was coming up this week I knew I had to share my favorite way to prepare grilled cheese at home. Yup… I’m sharing the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich recipe with you!

Now the components of a grilled cheese are simple, a spread on teh outer layers of bread to brown, some yummy cheese and a pair of bread slices to hold the cheese in.

You can change up the type of cheese and type of bread to reflect what you love the most but I always go with at least one cheese that’ll melt well. And I usually use two different types of cheese.

Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Lunch, Recipes, Uncategorized, Vegetarian Tagged With: , ,

What To Do With Hard Boiled Eggs After Easter

April 4, 2013 by

what to do with hard boiled eggs

It’s a few days after Easter and you’re still staring at the colored hard boiled eggs you made this weekend every time you open the fridge. Now what are you going to do with them??

This year we used some delicious, free-range eggs from the Happy Egg Co to dye up the day before Easter. Using a few of my Easter egg tips we ended up with some beautiful eggs that were quite a hit at our Easter brunch. However we still have a few lying around.

While it may seem like there just isn’t enough things to do with these delicious eggs, there are! Here are a few great ideas of what to do with hard boiled eggs after Easter.

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Filed Under: Holidays, Recipes, Uncategorized

How to Take Photos of Your Kids

April 3, 2013 by

This article is sponsored by Gymboree

How-to-Take-Photos-of-Your-Kids

Spring is here and the weather is just getting more and more beautiful here in sunny So Cal. One of the best ways I know how to celebrate the return of spring is to grab my camera, grab the kids, and head outside!

Now like most families, we get our annual family photos with a professional photographer before holiday card time and use these photos to capture the year. I am a huge advocate for professional photography and truly believe that it’s a great investment for families.

However I can’t afford to take professional photos all year long! So I’ve done a bit of research and have taught myself how to take great photos of the kids all year round. I thought I’d share this info with you since our kids are growing so fast and these moments should be captured before their gone.

With help from Carrie of For the Love of Photography I’ve compiled the following tips for you to follow to help guide you and show you how to take photos of your kids.

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Filed Under: Photography, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Light Deviled Eggs {Nutrisystem Recipe}

April 3, 2013 by

With an overabundance of hard-boiled eggs in our home left over from Easter I’ve tried to come up with some creative ways of incorporating these little eggies into my new lifestyle.

While I could technically eat a whole egg while on the Nutrisystem program, I’d much rather get the most bang out of my buck. And these light deviled eggs hit the spot perfectly and only count as a limited extra on Nutrisystem.

Or you could choose to eat more (not all) as a power fuel! How filling is that? No guilt, great taste, and easy to prepare. Now that’s my kind of snack!

Light Deviled Eggs

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Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Eco-Healthy Tips: Recycling and Reusing

April 1, 2013 by

Celebrate Earth Day

With Earth Day coming up on April 22nd I thought I’d try and share a few great ways for us to start thinking more about our effect on our planet. Americans generate trash at an astonishing rate of four pounds per day per person, which translates to 600,000 tons per day or 210 million tons per year!

While the most important way to save valuable resources is to use as few as possible in the first place, recycling and using recycled products is the next step. By teaching my children to recycle while they’re young, I hope to instill in them the importance of taking care of the planet we live on.

We have been lucky enough to find an eco-healthy preschool that continues to educate them on the importance of not only recycling but reducing our use of plastics, etc and showing them how to reuse the products we do take into our home.

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Filed Under: eco-friendly, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole with Sausage from Hillshire Farm

March 29, 2013 by

Hashbrown Casserole with Sausage 1

With Easter on Sunday I knew I needed to figure out an easy brunch solution that was not only something I could make ahead but something that was quick and easy. I’ve already used all of the other brunch ideas I’ve posted in the past for other events so I went in search of a new recipe!

Luckily I had just received an email from Hillshire Farm with a delicious cheesy potato casserole recipe featuring their Hillshire Farm Angus Italian Style Beef Smoked Sausage. Yum! My kids and husband would love that. Plus, my husband isn’t too fond of egg dishes so this would be the perfect selection for him Easter Sunday.

This casserole is simple, easy and downright delicious! While I’m on Nutrisystem and couldn’t have a full serving, I did try one bite to make sure it met my standards for Easter. Well… it did! And my kids gave it an A+!

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Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

10 Easter Brunch Recipes

March 27, 2013 by

10 Easter Brunch Recipes

Planning an Easter egg hunt followed by a delicious brunch? Or simply looking for a recipe to serve after church on Easter Sunday? Well look no further! These Easter brunch recipes are the perfect way to celebrate this holy holiday!

From simple ideas to creative dishes, each of these recipes have one thing in common: they’re all deliciously perfect! Read ahead to find some great ideas on what to serve for brunch this Easter.

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Filed Under: Holidays, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Baby Shower Gift Ideas for Second Baby

March 22, 2013 by


Baby Shower Gift Ideas for Second Baby

The past few months have been filled with friends having babies. And not first babies, second babies. They already had all of the necessities from their first child stored away and ready to be dusted off. So what were we, their friends, going to get them?

Sure… if they’re expecting a child of the opposite sex we could give clothes, but I was already planning on passing on my hand-me-downs from one of my two children.

I started to think of things that second-time (or third-time) parents really would need from their friends and family members and thought back on what I really needed after having a second child. And it all came down to the basics.

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Filed Under: Baby, gift ideas, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Deliciously Homemade Hamburger Buns

March 19, 2013 by

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Homemade bread is one of the best tasting things I’ve ever made. So when my husband suggested we try our hands at homemade buns I perked up immediately.

After researching a few different recipes and experimenting a bit with what we liked and didn’t like, we’ve come up with a recipe that we absolutely love!

These homemade hamburger buns are flavorful, amazingly light and fluffy, and make any burger or pulled pork sandwich taste better. They might be a bit more work than picking up a bag from the grocery store but they are so worth it!

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Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,


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