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.