Do you know?

Do you know about this website? They sell brands like Gucci, Elizabeth and James, L.A.M.B and more. They do 24 hour sales of some of their items and you get like 75% off. I was tipped off to it by my friend Leslie (thank you). I am so excited, I just got L.A.M.B kid shoes for so cheap!! Make sure you check it daily though because the sales are for a limited time and sizes can go fast.

watch!

Here is a video of Piper's 1st Birthday. Enjoy!
p.s. If you like this just wait until you see what I have coming soon!


Piper Elhaj's 1st Bday Party from FBF on Vimeo.

it's time for a recipe

I first made this dip for a family get-together and it was so good. I'm making it again tomorrow and I can't wait to devour it! Yummy!

Artichoke & Spinach Dip- Restaurant Style

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Servings: 12

"Alfredo sauce brings a rich, creamy twist to an old favorite. Serve this hot dip with bread sticks, chips or crackers."

INGREDIENTS:

4 cloves garlic

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins.

3. In an 8x8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.

4. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.

i just have to say it

Okay so everyone is making a big deal about the leaked, pre-Photoshop photos of Kim Kardashian in Complex Magazine where it shows she has cellulite. I think it has to me a man making a big deal about this because I think she looks hot and hello, we all have some. I think it's crazy it's even a big deal and I'm not even a fan of hers. You rock it Kim.

a letter and a birthday

My sweet baby girl is 1 years old today. My heart is full and my love is abundant. She brings so much joy to my life every day. Happy birthday baby girl.

I have a ritual. I write the kids' letters on their birthday. I tell them about their year, about them and how much I love them. When I'm finished I put it in an envelope, seal it and put it away. I can't wait to give them to them when they are much older. I know that pictures can capture emotions, but nothing can capture my true love for them like my words. I just finished her letter and I'm about to seal it and put it away. 

XO

i want!

I saw these Baby Bloch shoes on Design Mom's blog. I am literally obsessed with them. I want a pair!! I found some online for around $60 which is a bit pricey even for me. Hopefully I can find them cheaper somewhere else.

what a difference

Another borrowed fav like the post below. My friend Jackie (also owner of fav in post below) let me borrow her pastry set to decorate cupcakes for Piper's party. It made piping so easy. There is no messy pastry bag and this is easy to clean. It has lots of different tips and we had fun experimenting. I think this is a must have for mom's who love to bake and have always wanted their baking to look a little nicer.

do you?

Do you have a cheese knife? I don't but I borrowed our neighbor's knife while preparing for Piper's party and let me tell you, it works so well!! It cuts cheese into cubes so easily, I couldn't believe what a difference it made. This is a kitchen gadget I have to have and will pick up next time I'm out. A must have fav for anyone who loves to entertain.

working on my fitness

This book is perfect for people who love pilates but needs some help remembering the exercises. Why do I love it? It doesn't just have mat work like all the other books, it has reformer exercises too, as well as other apparatuses. It's by Rael Isacowitz and I got it here. I have a pretend pilates machine like the one below. In this economy I can't afford to keep going to classes so I have to do it on my own. And this book helps so much! I can't tell you how happy I am with it!

the life of a preschool mom

Not only am I a preschool mom, but I am the room mom. So I have been doing lots of arts and crafts lately in celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week and Brody was Star of the Week. Here are some of the projects I worked on!

I saw an idea for this jar at Valentine's Day on a blog (I can't remember where I saw it so if you read this tell me so I can give you credit). I decided to change it up and use stars and decorate it. Each kid in the class wrote on two stars telling what their favorite things about the teacher is and then I decorated the jar. I put a tag on the jar telling the teacher to keep it on her desk and whenever she needs a smile she can read a few!

I made this card for the teachers and inside is a collage of pictures like the one below. Some are holding signs that say "We appreciate you," "Thank you," and "You are the best." I also labeled all the kids names on them.

Lastly, the poster below was for Brody being Star of the Week. I love how it turned out. I was up all night doing it, which is so funny because I know this is just the beginning, he's only in preschool. We have lots of years left of this kind of stuff.

it's my party

Okay it's actually Piper's party but I can't wait to show pictures of everything I have been working on for it! Stay tuned...

i'm happy

This is another local post. I am happy. Today I went into Toy Town in Ladera Ranch and they were getting new inventory! Last time I was in there it looked like they were closing the doors any day. Things have turned around because Toy Town has an entire community rallying around them. To read more about what's been going on go here. I went in to purchase something to support them and it's more than obvious that I am not the only one. The owner Joshua looked so happy. I know that the next year or so will be rough and the way I'm looking at it now is that spending an extra dollar or two for a toy by going to Toy Town instead of say Target is worth it. It's protecting everything good in this world. The owners of Toy Town have done so much and given so much to our community and I want to give back to. 

local food

Until today, I never realized what we were really missing here in Ladera Ranch. A breakfast joint! Mark and I headed over to try it out this morning, not sure at all exactly what Corky's Country Kitchen & Bakery was. What is it? It's a sit down restaurant that has lots of great breakfast items, lunch items and is open 24 hours! I had a traditional eggs, bacon, toast and hashbrowns breakfast and it was great. They have fresh baked pies and cookies and my favorite part is all the random coffee mugs on the tables. The decor screams country kitchen. It's cute and I'm excited to have it. A new fav!

a hint

kind to the waistline

Just got this cookbook! We made the fajitas tonight...yummy. Can't wait to try other recipes. They seem simple and satisfying, while good on the nutrition. 

spring dresses

Baby Gap has some really cute clothes right now for babies and toddlers, especially all of their spring dresses. 

easter basket

My mom called me yesterday to tell me about these adorable tulip Easter baskets at Target. They are so cute and perfect for a sweet little girl. They only cost $7.99. I think they would be great to play dress up or to use in their room as well. I love them!

i can't tell you yet

I have a secret. I am working on a new venture. It's going to be amazing. I can't wait to share it with you but you are just going to have to wait....maybe a few weeks. Stay tuned.

dancing queen

I am so excited about the new season of Dancing with the Stars and I almost love everyone on it. I don't want anyone to go home. Between this show, America's Next Top Model, and Biggest Loser, I am in reality tv heaven. A definite fav. Anyone else wish they could be on it?

amazing

My talented friend Steve is a videographer who does mostly weddings. He's amazing, to say the least, and I only wish I had know him when we got married. I told him though that one of these days I want him to do a video of our family and when you watch the video below you'll understand why. It's beautiful. I could watch it a hundred times. It was part of the "Trash the Dress" concept where the bride trashes her dress after. In this case she took her dress and her husband to the hills of a ghost town and laid down on some tires and such. Please watch and if you get a chance you can also check out Steve's work on his blog here. His company is Weddings by SML.

p.s. Below was my 200th post, I kept it simple and Jimmy Fallon is definitely worthy! I'll save a big to-do for my 500th post!

thanks for reading.

xo

i heart jimmy fallon

I love Jimmy Fallon and was really excited that he would have his own late night show. I have been recording it on the dvr and I laugh every night. He brings a fun youthfulness to late night tv and he's so real. It's a definite new fav! I posted the first episode below. It's hilarious because he's so nervous but awesome too. His second show with Tina Fey is adorable.

My new blog to show off my design skills:

http://creativenestdesigns.blogspot.com

Guess what? My next post will be my 200th post! I'll make sure it's good!

xo

me and my iPhone

I love my free Sudoku iPhone application. I play it when I have down time or I'm laying in bed with Brody while he falls asleep. Other great free apps that I have are the Say Where (helps get you places easily), Flashlight (lights up for you) and BubbleWrap (for useless entertainment). I can't wait to discover more!

a place to scribble

I love buying these composition books from Staples. I use them to balance our checking account, make notes, write down to-do's and more. I keep them right next to my computer. My favorite one is hot pink and black and it holds all my scribbles and notes. They only cost $2.79 so I never feel guilty when I have scribbled on every page and need to buy a new one.

happy finds

Today I went to Target and they had a lot of new clothes for girls! Not only that but they had some great stuff on sale too. I didn't feel guilty at all for buying a lot because the prices were so low and I bought some of the sale stuff a size up. Piper is ready for spring and summer! 

happy monday

I hope to have lots of good blog updates for you this week! 

In the meantime I need help with the world of Twitter, I just joined and I don't fully comprehend it. Anyone else on there?

Also, I would love to have some new guest bloggers blog about one or two of their favorite things!! Anyone interested?

xo,

Amanda