guest post-yellow daffodils by Noel

As a mom of two young children some days are just a battle. I had been having a difficult few days, to say the least, and as I was walking into Trader Joes a table full of yellow daffodils caught my eye. I grabbed two bunches without a second thought. As a wife and mom I always put myself second but for some reason I didn’t on this shopping trip. (Most likely because the flowers are only $1.69 a bunch) That day I noticed my attitude and mindset changed as those daffodils sat on my table. And each time I pass them they add something bright to my day. This is a great way to cheer yourself up. Why not buy yourself flowers every now and then!

and the winner is........ (everyone)

The winner of my 500th post giveaway is......

Leslie H- "It's the mini-eggs for me! We anticipate their arrival every year. I do look forward to giving the mascara a try too!

Congrats Leslie!

But wait...there's more....for all of you who entered but did not win....you are still a winner because I am giving each of you a Michael's brown polka-dot reusable tote. Yay! Just email me at elhajs@aol.com your address and I will ship one off to you!

Thank you everyone for entering and for reading my blog. There are days I'm not sure that there is anyone out there who actually cares about my posts, but then I get an email or run into someone who tells me they love my blog and it makes my day! I sure am lucky!

small step for me

It's just a small step....but I made this baby blanket! I've just started to learn how to sew, thanks to a new friend, and I'm getting better over time. I still have lots to practice, but I love that I made something that keeps my baby cozy.

I think that learning to sew has taught me that trying new things is fun! I know we often get stuck in our busy lives and hobbies we've had forever. I think a new challenge is good for the soul. What have you been secretly wanting to learn? How can you make it happen?

don't be shy

Don't be shy! Don't forget to enter my giveaway a few posts below, last day is today by 6pm PST. I will announce the winner tomorrow!

fun, fun, fun

Have you O.C. residents been here yet? It's The Derby Deli & Dueling Piano Bar in Mission Viejo at the Kaleidoscope. We went there Friday night for my sis's big birthday bash and had sooo much fun. I'm going to plan a couples night out for the near future! Fun, fun, fun!

baby baby baby

The Abby or Lucy baby dolls at Pottery Barn Kids are my favorite gifts for one-year old girls. They are soft, sweet and the perfect introduction into the land of baby dolls. It's always hard to pick out a gift for a one-year old and this is something they grow into through out the year. I have one wrapped up for a party this weekend!

party cupcakes

While purchasing the Lemongrass Ginger Hand Soap from Williams Sonoma for my giveaway below (don't forget to enter), I came across these pretty cupcake decorating kits. They have the decorative cups and cute toppers for kids parties. The themes I saw were pirates, dolls, animals and birthday party. So cute for those of you who don't have time to make your own! Totally worth it to add some extra pizzaz to your party.

you can win my favs!

In honor of my 500th post I put together a giveaway where one lucky reader will win all of my past favs above. That's a nice gift basket right? Here's exactly what you will win:

1. MAC Studio Fix Lash Mascara in Black
2. Michael's brown polka dot reusable tote
3. Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
4. Strawberry licorice from Trader Joe's
5. 3 cute decorative file folders from Staples
6. Chef'n Large Collapsible Colander
7. Lemongrass Ginger Hand Soap from Williams Sonoma
8. Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners
9. Cadbury Mini Eggs

This giveaway is $75 worth of products and they all want a new home!

Here's how to enter:
1. Leave a comment telling me which product you are the most excited about
2. Make sure you leave your name and email address if you don't have a blog sign-in. Or if you don't want to leave your email address...just leave a comment with your name and then email me at elhajs@aol.com.
3. Last day to enter is next Tuesday night (3/16) at 6pm PST.

I will announce the winner on Wednesday 3/17, which will be my actual 500th post! So excited!

Happy giveaway!

mixer must-have

Mark gifted this Beater Blade to me for Christmas and I just used it for the first time tonight. It's made to be used with your Kitchenaid mixer (tilt-head mixers only) and is designed to beat, scrape, fold and mix as it cuts mixing time in half. My favorite part is that you use it to scrape the bowl after and it gets everything! It's amazing. And, since it's made of some sort of plastic, there is no build-up on the blade. It costs $24.95 at Crate and Barrel.

shake, shake, shakeit

I really like this iPhone app called ShakeItPhoto. It turns your pictures into polaroids and works just like a real instant camera. You watch the photo develop and shake your iPhone to make it develop faster. It's awesome. Here are a few photos I took today!