reminder

Today I was thinking to myself, "I may not be good at cleaning, but I rock at doing laundry!" As mothers and wives we need to be proud of the things we do really well. Give yourself a break!

blazer

I finally own a black blazer after coveting them last Fall. I wanted a starter blazer, so I got this one from Nordstrom Juniors. My first outfit will be skinny black jeans, sky high heels, a loose shirt and the black blazer. I plan on owning a bunch more, especially after seeing how cute Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids looked wearing them with dresses. But, I think my next one will be purchased for a look like this.

I'm loving the cute tee with the blue blazer. I can't wait to start updating my wardrobe for Fall!

sweetness

 Pictures like this make me so happy!

Pictures like this make me laugh (grumpy girl)!

And, pictures like this remind me 

how crazy life is with 3 little ones and

how impossible it is to get a great picture!

I love my little family.

xo

it's time

I know it seems early, but it's time to start thinking of Christmas presents! So many of us are experiencing tight financial times and if we start early we can still have a very merry Christmas. Either start buying and budgeting gifts now or purchase gifts cards like I did last year so that you will have the money saved up when it's time to do big shopping. Don't stress yourself out this year, you probably have enough on your plate.

my pins

Some things I posted on Pinterest today! Using fabric as decorations (I love love love it!), a beautiful shirt and a great teacher's gift!

I still love Pinterest!

for him

With three kids I am always saying that we will have special date nights so that they can have alone time with mommy or daddy, but in never happens. Life is just busy and we travel as a family. Tonight however I got to have a date with my oldest son. It was so incredibly nice. In fact, he said it was awesome, which made my heart melt. I really need to implement this, and it doesn't include them running errands doing what I need to do. It was me having all the time in the world for him. 

tidy and new

For as long as I can remember we have had a basket on the counter in our master bath to throw all of our needs in. It was very convenient with little ones because they could not reach it and it didn't need to be organized all the time. I could just throw things in the basket and then clean it out every few months. But times are changing, my kids are growing, and I needed a little change that wouldn't cost me anything. Luckily I have more mason jars than anyone would imagine and so today I organized my things and threw out the basket. I have to tell you, it made a world of difference and it didn't cost me a thing! Mason jars are the best, I use them for everything, and change is pretty good too.

I'm in love with my little guy's face in the corner of this picture. I could eat him up every day.

new fav

I won a contest on Design Mom earlier this month and the prize was a $100 online gift card to Tea Collection. The shirt above is one of the items we picked out, along with this cute dress.

Now that we have them in hand, I have to say that I love their clothing! So well made and adorable on. New fav.

yummy

These pictures could rival for the worst pics I have ever taken, but I don't have any other ones to show. I made this sandwich for some girlfriends and they loved it! I toasted a piece of wheat bread, added Costco chicken salad on it, then cut some red grapes and layered them on. Lastly I sliced some aged white cheddar cheese from Costco on and voila! Sooooo yummy! 

jessie

 

I have posted about Jessica Joy Rees before, but today she needs your prayers more than ever. Yesterday at her 6-month MRI they found that her old brain tumor has gotten smaller, but a new tumor has started growing with it.  She is hoping everyone will double their prayers and that people will join her Facebook page so she can have more prayers warriors. You can also go to her website here to get her updates. Jessie and her family started the The NEGU Foundation (the term NEGU means Never Ever Give Up) and Joy Jars, which are jars filled with joy given to pediatric cancer patients. Please help her fight. Please pray for her.

more veggie tales

We just finished watching the newest Veggie Tales, Princess and the Popstar: A Story of Trading Places. The kids loved it! You already know I am a fan of Veggie Tales and I am finding that my six year old is really understanding the concepts in the movie, more than before, which is so neat to watch. Whereas my three year old just loves the characters! This movie has a particular great theme that it's important to be yourself because God has a unique purpose for each of us. So important and so sweet. 

big girl, pink cast

Three kids and my first major accident is my only girl! My big girl fractured her elbow this weekend and got a big pink cast yesterday. She has been so good. My lesson from this event, even if you think everything is okay, get it checked out just in case! So glad we did.

no excuses now

Right now weight-loss is a goal and unfortunately I don't have the luxury to be able to go to Pilates or take any kind of fitness class, so I'm on my own. Usually in those circumstances we take to the outdoors, but with three kids at very different stages I can't exercise with them and I can't ever rely on my husband's schedule to go for daily walks. So here's what I found. I already have Netflix Instant Streaming and I added all of their workout videos to my queue. Sure they may be older and not my thing, but I totally mix it up and try new ones every night or mix and match a slower paced workout followed by a 10-minute cardio boot camp. I just go with it and it's totally working and I can do them on my own time, which is often really late at night. I love that I have something constructive to do that can have variety every day.

thank you

I had so much fun sharing all of your favs last week! I had planned on doing it longer but got sidetracked with some personal business. Thank you to everyone who contributed. There are definitely some new favs that I want to try and I love that many of my all-time favs are yours too.

day 7

(I asked readers and Facebook friends to give me all of their fav things and I will be posting them every day over the next week!)

1. California Baby Products- soaps, lotions and more. They are safe, natural, fun and smell good.
2. Biagio's Italian Restaurant- Located in Lake Forest, it's a favorite among so many.
3. Anthropologie- a little slice of heaven with clothing, home goods and more.
4. Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap- all organic and fair trade. Wash with a clean conscience.
5. Sirius XM Satellite Radio- channels and channels of whatever you want to listen to. Satellite radio is awesome.
6. Trish McEvoy Luxe Moisture Balm SPF 15- stick balm that fits in your pocket. Twist up and apply to anywhere needing hydrating and protecting.


 

day 6

(I asked readers and Facebook friends to give me all of their fav things and I will be posting them every day over the next week!)

1. Trader Joe's Savory Thin Mini Edamame Crackers- delicious and healthy, better than eating chips!
2. Wool Dryer Balls from Clean Sypria on Etsy- A green way to do laundry and a money and time saving alternate to dryer sheets. Free of chemicals and pesticides.
3. Chanel Teint Innocence- Naturally luminous SPF 10 compact makeup, oil free. Lasts about 6 months!
4. H&M Kids & Baby- Adorable kids clothes at an affordable price
5. Pinterest- it's a virtual pinboard where you can organize all the things you find that you love on the web. You can also browse pinboards created by other people.
6. Duct Tape- we all know and love duct tape and it can be used for a million different things. Did you know they also have printed duct tape with cool patterns?



 

day 5

(I asked readers and Facebook friends to give me all of their fav things and I will be posting them every day over the next week!) 

1. Sushi On Fire- Located in Huntington Beach and Long Beach, casually elegant atmosphere with modern decor and vivacious fusion of sushi dishes and grilled sushi. Delicious.
2. aden + anais- The swaddling blankets are their most popular item made out of 100% cotton muslin, but everything they carry is amazing for baby. I had a bunch of people tell me this was their fav (and it's mine too)
3. Capri Blue Jar Candle in Volcano- formulated to burn for hours. They have natural essences and they are contained in recycled glass.
4. Elmo- he has been around since the early 1970's on Sesame Street and he currently hosts the last 15 minutes on each Sesame Street. Loved by children around the world, he even testified before Congress.
5. 77Kids by American Eagle Outfitters- Cute clothes for boys and girls from newborn-5 years.
6. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 15- lightweight moisturizer absorbs easily and protects from the sun.

day 4

(I asked readers and Facebook friends to give me all of their fav things and I will be posting them every day over the next week!)

1. Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss- delicious shine and they taste as good as they look!
2. Keurig- brew a single cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate or iced beverage and choose from over 200 varieties
3. Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating- A gentle touch scrutinizing human eating behaviors by world-renowned Jane Goodall
4. Summer Infant Deluxe Baby Bather- makes bath time easy and safe
5. CorePower Yoga- each class combines heat, music, breath and movement for an intense and energizing experience
6. Rainbow Sandals- since 1974 classic sandals that have a reputation of comfort and durability

day 3

(I asked readers and Facebook friends to give me all of their fav things and I will be posting them every day over the next week!)

1. Redeeming Love- retelling of the biblical story of Hosea by bestselling author Francine Rivers

2. ColorScience Sunforgettable Starter Kit- perfect way to achieve a flawless face with everything you need to protect your skin from the sun

3. Fiji Water- has a unique mineral profile, free from contaminants

4. Retail Me Not- Search coupons for 100,000 stores, online and printable

5. The Beachcomber Cafe- as stated by my friend, the most undercover and affordable gourmet meal around!  

6. Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder- works for oily hair, styling fine hair and root touch ups!

day 2

(I asked readers and Facebook friends to give me all of their fav things and I will be posting them every day over the next week!)

1. PackIt Cooler- No need for icepacks, this bag is your icepack! Stays cold up to 10 hours.

2. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick- It's bronzer, blush and eye shadow in one!

3. Starbucks Toffee Nut Latte- yummy

4. Roscoe's House of Chicken' N Waffles- Famous for their fried chicken and waffles!

5. Crewcuts- children's clothing at J Crew. Beyond adorable! Sizes 2-14

6. Netflix on the Wii- Watch what you want, went you want by streaming instantly to your TV