chunky

I am totally obsessed with this salsa. It's the Market Pantry (Target brand) Mild Chunky Salsa. It's all natural and cheap too. It has big chunks of tomatoes, with pieces of jalapenos and onions. I think they have a spicy version for spicy lovers out there. It probably would taste like regular salsa to you, but I think it's really good for being in a jar! In fact I finished a whole jar in 3 days (and the serving size is like 2 tbsp, oops).

**note- I cannot eat dairy so I basically live off of chips and salsa for a snack, so maybe regular people may not be so excited over good salsa in a jar but I am!

p.s. I'm kind of laughing that there are prescription bottles in the background... remember I just had a procedure for kidney stones, I'm not a pill popper I promise!

little paintings

Today we did a little art project and I was completely intrigued by the difference of the aftermath of their paints on their palettes. It made me realize how much my oldest (soon to be 5 year old) is growing up and how articulate Piper is with her art compared to when Brody was her age! I thought their palettes looked like little paintings as well, pretty right?

crafts

I was looking on marthastewart.com for some inspiration and came across this section on felt crafts. They all seem easy to do, even for me. I think I will try one to start and maybe move on to others if I'm successful. I especially love the baby booties.

a little miracle

The cover of People Magazine gave me a smile today. It proves that even in the most heartbreaking situations there can be small miracles. Sandra Bullock started the adoption process four years ago and brought home baby Louis in January right, before the sex scandal with Jesse James broke out. They were adopting him together but now she will be adopting him as a single parent (she is filing for a divorce). In her grief at the loss of her marriage she can also rejoice in the arrival of her son. I don't usually blog about celebrity gossip, but Sandra Bullock is pretty amazing, that baby is adorable and God's timing in this one is pretty amazing as well.

best

I know summer is upon us, but I have to tell you that I love love love my North Face Fleece Jacket (I got mine at REI). It gets better with every wash and it's so sturdy and comfy. Plus it's just a classic look. They aren't cheap at $99, but I know it's going to last a long time.

win, win, win

It's Mother's Day Giveaway Week on Design Mom! She has daily giveaways and they are always good!

go-to

Until I had baby #3, Red Robin was the last restaurant I would ever pick to go to. It has never had any appeal to me, like I said, until I had baby #3. We have been there twice in the last few months (once at The Spectrum and once at Fashion Island) and I think it is the most kid friendly restaurant on Earth. Mostly I say this because it is so darn loud inside, no one heard my kids screaming at all today. And, we had multiple crying breakouts by multiple children. I was still able to sip my coke and eat my chicken hamburger. I'm pretty pleased with their chicken hamburgers too!

new find

We have been enjoying these Del Monte Fruit Chillers (tube ones) lately. I found them in the fruit-cup aisle at Target. You take them home and put them in the freezer and they are quite delicious. They are a healthier version of the Otter Pop. Now, I know there are definitely some more natural fruit popsicles out there, but these are fun, different and yummy and they are made with real fruit and contain no artificial flavors. They also contain 25% of your daily Vitamin C!

things i'm thinking about this week

1. making bunting for a friend's nursery

2. revealing two new sponsors on my blog this week

3. working on cute baby shower invites with a red wagon theme

4. getting my hands on one of those vegan red velvet cupcakes from Sprinkles

every day can be earth day

Here is a quick Earth Day recap...we did in fact make the Plant Pals, the kids loved that part. We also purchased the Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter. You may have seen it on tv. It's a way to garden upside down, especially if you don't have room to plant your own garden. We chose tomatoes to start, but they also have herbs, strawberries and hot peppers. I'm pretty excited to see if it works, so stay tuned for updates. I want to have my own garden bed of vegetables so bad, but we don't have any where to put it. As soon as we do, I am going to have the best garden! Until then I'm trying out the Topsy Turvy!

happy earth day

Happy Earth Day to you! Spend your day outdoors with your kids doing something fun!

ah ha

You know those things that you always thought were cheesy and then one day you realize they really are useful and functional? I had that "ah ha" moment this weekend. I was getting so annoyed by the millions of Piper's mismatched pairs of itsy bitsy girl shoes. I couldn't find two of the same pair. So I realized that the only thing that could be done is to buy one of those plastic shoe hanger things that goes on the back of your door. I know that once a upon a time I swore I would never use one. But, you know what, it is so perfect for keeping her shoes together and picking them out easily. And I got mine at Target for only $7.99. I'm thinking of adding socks and hair bows in some of the empty pockets.

Have you had any of your own "ah ha" moments like this?

Sorry I have been missing...dealing with kidney stones and Piper dislocated her elbow (well her brother actually did it). But we are all fine and happy now. So I'm back!

be an eco hero

For Earth Day this year (April 22nd) you can help turn America Green by making a pledge with the Sierra Club. You can pledge to do 1 of 5 things:

* Bring reusable bags to the supermarket

* Make a local/organic meal

* Plant a tree

* Bike or walk a trip instead of driving

* Write a letter or email on a green issue you care about

How easy is that? Go here to make the pledge or download the Sierra Club Eco Hero App on your iPhone like I did. Just search Sierra Club in iTunes.

Added bonus, you could win a trip for two to Hawaii!

Go, go, go!

i love tea

This weekend I was reminded how much I love to go to tea! It's such a fun, girlie thing to do. Usually I go to The Tea House on Los Rios in San Juan Capistrano. I LOVE it. This weekend I celebrated a friend's baby shower at the Gilded Rose Manor in Northridge. It was so cute and cozy! If you haven't been to tea with your mom, sisters or friends...you should go (and feel free to invite me too).

a little hope

I try not to bring my religious beliefs to my blog very often. Usually if I do, I like it to be a universal message that could be for most religions or even non-believers. I do go to Saddleback Church and have been going there since I was about 11 years old (so almost 19 years) and yes, I have heard all the names you want to call it since it is a very large church (this weekend a friend called it "God, Inc.") and our pastor is pretty famous now.

Rick is currently speaking on a series about hope and miracles. I just finished listening online to the message that I missed on April 11th. It is very powerful and directly relates to the struggles we are all going through with the recession right now. I took two pages of notes on my own! If you need a little hope, I really encourage you to listen to or watch it online here. If you do have the time for at least one, do the April 11th one. You will understand so much more of your journey in life right now and the struggles you may be facing.

xo,

shop shop

We spent our day at the Camarillo Outlets today. I am not a huge outlet shopper, I never think the prices are that great. But, we had fun and the new outlets are awesome because they have stores that we usually shop at. Stores like Vans, Etnies, DC, Hurley, Seven for All Mankind, Forever 21, and more. We were disappointed in some stores and pleasantly surprised in others. Our best stops for the day were the Converse store, 7 for All Mankind and J Crew. Our least favorite stop was the Vans store (and we are Vans fans usually). They have a ton of stores so it's definitely worth the drive. Check it out!

And we just saw that the Cabazon Outlets have a Volcom store...we are definitely stopping there on our yearly trip to Palm Springs this summer!

just for me

My sis Jen has just informed me that Sprinkles Cupcakes now has a Vegan Red Velvet Cupcake! Great news since I am off dairy for awhile (baby can't tolerate it and I am nursing) and Piper is intolerant. Normally I am not a huge Sprinkles fan (that position in fact goes to my sis Jen), but I am stoked that I can finally eat a fun dessert. Pretty much every great dessert has butter or milk in it when you go out. Thank you Sprinkles. I read the reviews and they say it tastes great. I hope to find out soon.

cooks perfectly

My sweet friend Lynnae got me started on this Organic Brown Rice from Trader Joe's (in the frozen section). The best part about it, other than being brown and organic, is that it microwaves perfectly in 3 minutes. How great is that? Nights when I don't haver dinner planned, I cook this up and add some veggies for the kids. If you don't want brown rice I saw White Jasmine rice too. Now my Trader Joe's shopping list always includes soy cheese & soy yogurt for Piper and brown rice for all of us!

earth day fun

Earth Day is next week (April 22nd) and I have been thinking about projects to do with the kids and considering having a mini Earth Day party for some friends. I came upon this easy craft to add to our day. Can't wait to find some more ideas!

Plant Pals from Disney Family Fun

Materials
* One 9- or 12-ounce plastic cup
* 1 to 1 1/4 cups of potting soil
* 1 tablespoon of grass seeds (we bought rye grass at a garden center)
* Decorations, such as office dot stickers, markers, and ribbon (for safety, it should measure less than 6 inches long)

Instructions
1. Fill the cup halfway with soil. Divide the remaining soil in two, then have your child measure the seeds and stir them into one of these halves. Tip: To speed germination, you can first soak the seeds in water overnight.

2. Spoon the seed-filled soil into the cup, then top it with the remaining soil (this final layer should be about 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep). Water the soil well.

3.Let your child decorate the cup with stickers and markers. Finally, leave the plant in a warm, sunny spot to sprout. Water as necessary to keep the soil about as wet as a damp sponge.

this party stole my heart (that's hard to do)

This party via Kara's Party Ideas really tickled my fancy. Go here to see all of the images. It's so classy and to-die-for since everything is handmade. I love their rental tables and chairs and just how sweet everything is. Love, love, love.

i'm intrigued

Netflix just sent me an email letting me know that I will be able to get some of my Netflix movies streamed to my TV via our Wii. Say what? That's rad. I ordered my free set-up disc and I can't wait to hook it up. It says your Wii needs to be hooked up to the internet but they are capable of connecting to a wireless network. We will see if I can get it all worked out and if so I will be HAPPY! I love Netflix. I love technology. For more info go here.

tank tops and tutus

I was in the Baby section of Target and found the Hanes Boy's Toddler Tank Tops. They are perfect for summer for little girls with cute skirts and tutus. At only $5.99 for a pkg of 5, I can't think of a better deal!

one day without shoes

TOMS shoes is asking everyone to go barefoot today, wether for a few minutes or all day to spread awareness of the impact one pair of shoes can have on a child's life. I just kicked off my shoes right now!

I'm anxiously awaiting this pair of TOMS from my hubby for my birthday this year. I have been wanting a pair real bad and best part is that for every pair you buy, TOMS gives a pair to a child in need. Amazing right. They also just came out with shoes in Brody's size so we may be purchasing a pair for him too.

easy meal

If you want the easiest slow cooker meal possible, here it is:

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
3-4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (frozen)
1/2 ( or 3/4) jar of spaghetti sauce (eye ball it)
1 can tomato paste
1/2 green bell pepper chopped
1/2 diced yellow onion
fresh sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons fresh garlic
light-medium sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes
heavy sprinkling of oregano
light-medium spinkle of black pepper (can always add more later)

Cook on low for 7-8 hours

I got this off of my Dinner Spinner and instead of following the recipe, I followed one of the user comment's recipe. For mine I only used a green bell pepper (no yellow), I used garlic in a jar from my refrigerator (1 tsp) and instead of the red peppers and oregano, I used some Italian Seasoning I had in the cupboard. I also shred the chicken a bit and serve with either pasta or rice. It's really good considering you just have to throw stuff in a pot and most of them are staples that I always have at home!

mine

I keep trying to remind myself that I need to take pictures of baby#3 as if he was baby#1. So I'm trying (key word) to do that in small moments. I want him to see that I gave him lots of love, even while dragging him to his brother and sister's events!