gotta get busy

I really need to get things together for Halloween, we have not even decorated the house or decided on costumes. I am so behind this year and if things are like this in October what is going to happen in approx. 5 weeks?

I dream of spending the holidays and New Years in Hawaii! not in 2014 but some day soon...

Happy Anniversary

For our anniversary we went to a lovely dinner, had a great meal, and we still make each other laugh!

cheers!!

Advil Crowdtap Sampling

As a member of Crowdtap sampling I received fast acting Advil samples and coupons to try and share. Advil is a known and trusted brand and these really worked fast and I only had to take 2 and it lasted all day. I passed out the samples and coupons and they will definitely be used to purchase.

Try it for yourself next time you are looking for a pain reliever.

p.s. I am not a doctor I just play one on TV :-)

SheerCover makeup

Modern Mom Insiders program gave me the opportunity to try and test SheerCover makeup. The steps are easy to follow using the concealer to blend and the brightener to highlight and then the powder and if needed the bronzer. Since it is summer and I live in So. Cal, I don't need the bronzer but I will test it in Fall and Winter. The brushes that are included in the kit are very nice and high quality and the technique used is to go in a circular motion working it to out towards the hairline. The mascara and lash extender really made a difference in the length and volume of my lashes, I applied mascara then the extender and then 2 more coats of mascara.

I am really impressed with the SheerCover makeup and the information and instructions included were very helpful.

Just Like Mom's cooking class

I wanted to have my 12 year old daughter take a cooking class but after looking around (and finding some very nice options in my city) I decided to take this on...but at home.

The classes were not what I was looking for and the schedule (Sunday afternoon) wasn't the best for our family, also I wanted to drop off and it was a parent stay and pay.

So Wednesday night we agreed would be our cooking class and our delicious dinner would follow.

Tonight we made Boboli pizza with Italian salami (served with salad) and baked chocolate chip cookies.
My daughter wanted to measure, pour, mix, she read the directions and was totally helpful and she said, "this is fun"!

We are going to make it a regular activity together and will get recipes from my fairly decent recipe book collection, the internet, or my just like mom's recipes. We already have some good ideas like spaghetti and garlic bread, chicken and rice (arroz con pollo), and even some very simple and easy (and quick! please I need them quick!) like macaroni and cheese and tater tots. My husband is a big salad eater so we typically have a salad with dinner and with summer we enjoy all of the bountiful fruits.

What are some of your easy dinner ideas for your family? please comment and share, help give me some more ideas!

thanks, xo

Here is a picture (after dinner);

Freebie Friday (well really it's saturday)

I had a really good freebie friday day, well technically it is Saturday but I would have got it on Friday but as you know there was no mail due to Happy 4th of July! I hope you and your friends and family had a fun and safe holiday. Happy 238th Birthday America!

we were very low key due to a back injury I recently suffered but we did bbq and have a nice view of the fireworks, we made dessert in red, white, and blue with jello, whip cream, and blueberries and everyone dressed in whatever costume they had in red, white, and blue. It was a relaxing day for me without all the cooking and cleaning.

Crowdtap Sweet n Low sampling

Recently I received a 50 count box of Sweet n Low from Crowdtap to host a sampling opportunity for friends and family. We added sweet n low to our iced tea and really liked the taste and that there are zero calories.

Apricot Preserves

A friend gave me bags full of apricots from their tree and my sister and I made apricot preserves this afternoon. So easy to make and jar, cannot wait to enjoy!

Fathers Day June 15, 2014

good morning readers,

one week and we will celebrate Father's Day. I want to make it really fun and special this year because typically we do the same thing;

BBQ and some cool gifts for Dad.

He is easy to shop for;
-anything to do with music
-incense and candles
-shirt and tie
-cologne (he likes Euphoria by Calvin Klein)
-coffee and dark chocolates
-a shopping spree in the local surf shop

although I have not done any shopping and need to get it together this week...

What plans or ideas do you have for Father's day? please comment and share.

xo

A good week for freebies

Here is what I got free in the mail this past week;

the bottom right is a mommy bliss lavendar body wash and spray that smells great and leaves skin feeling very smooth from moms meet.

there was a fun pack from florida oj photo submission that included a tote bag, beach towel, water bottle, lip balm and a pen.

love getting razors and hair products too!

xo!

Memorial Day Weekend 2014

have a fun and safe memorial day weekend to all!

thank you for your service!

Teacher Appreciation Day

okay, I will be honest, I have not been a fan of every single one of my kids teachers but...for the most part I have really liked almost all of them.

so with that said even if I do not "like" them I do want to show my appreciation for the work they do with students and of course my child, so on teacher appreciation day I always get them a gift or card or do whatever the kids have decided on (donation, make a luncheon place mat).

this year we were asked to bake some goodies for the teacher luncheon, enjoy!

Happy Easter

wishing you a Happy Easter!

hope you have some fun and colorful activities planned.

Glamour Glambassador Program

I was very happy to get this email and will definitely share all of the fun with you, my blog readers.

If you have any comments or questions feel free to add them. thanks :-) 

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have been chosen to be a part of Glamour's new class of fabulous Glambassadors! 

As a trusted and devoted reader, follower and participant, we will look to you often to help support our brand in many different ways. From social media promotion, to event support, product sampling, video testimonials and so much more, we can't wait to get our new class of Glambassadors involved with all things Glamour! 

CONGRATS and welcome to the Glamour Glamabassador team!

Xoxo

Glamour

April Fool's Day

Happy April Fool's Day to y'all!

4/1/2014

really not sure where the time is going but it is flying by!

whatever you do today hope it is full/fool of fun and games.

enjoy

:-)

here's a pic of the cats with their laser eyes;

Seventh Generation Healthy Baby Home Party kit

I was selected to host the Seventh Generation Healthy Baby Home party and am very excited to share these natural products with my friends.

The kit includes samples of Seventh Generation dish soap, laundry detergent, baby wipes, a facial serum, and has coupons and information and a fun bingo game that we will play at the party.

I am thinking of a tea party theme for the moms and play date fun for the kids.

more pics to follow

xoxo

Spring Break

It's spring break time in our neck of the woods and you know what that means! Need to find fun things for the kids to do, lots of extra cooking and cleaning, but best of all is no waking up early and still rushing out the door for school.

we make a craft using colored paper cut into different flower shapes, on those we'll write fun things to do; go to the museum, go to a movie, go to the beach, have a picnic, go to the zoo, go for a bike ride, play a game, any ideas you and your kids think of together. Then when you have a day available pick a flower and do the activity.

what fun plans do you have for spring break?

SDMT production of CATS

Yesterday my husband planned a surprise date night for us! I had no idea where we were going or what to wear. warm or cold? inside or outside? was there food or dinner involved? (answer; no).

after dropping off the kids with my sister and brother in law we headed to the North Park Theater and the marquis read - "CATS", which made me blurt out,

"Cats??? you are taking me to Cats???".

now Cats is one of my favorite productions, I love the cats prancing around on stage, the singing, the music, the lyrics, the dancing, the story based on "Old possum's Book of Practical Cats" by T.S. Elliot with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

But... my husband hates Cats (though he does like our 4 cats) which is what prompted my initial reaction that he was not expecting or overly excited by.

A good and talented friend of ours was in the Orchestra pit and they sounded awesome! and the North Park Theater is the right size were every seat feels like you are in the orchestra section of a bigger venue.

The stage setting was excellent and the performance was Broadway worthy and of course brought a tear to my eye when Grizabella sings Memory.

Catch this production if you can March 21 - April 6, 2014.

Bath & Body Works email list

sign up for bb&w email list and you will get news of upcoming events, sales, and you may even get some special coupons only available thru the email blast.

you can always make a yahoo or gmail account for your freebies lists.

http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/emailSignup/index.jsp?clickid=header_email&cm_mmc=PJ-_-18097-_-872131175-_-ADZBBW

(copy & paste in new tab)

time flies...

where did  this last week go???

kids, husband, family, friends, work, tax prep, r.e.,  school, homework, household, cooking, cleaning, dishes, laundry... oh well that's where it went.

I wear so many hats (as we all do) and try to do the best I can, taking it one day at a time.

I bet your week was crazy busy too so here's hoping we all have a fun filled and relaxing weekend!

happy friday to all

yay it is friday! who has fun things planned for the weekend?

Peanut Butter cookies

baked peanut butter cookies for the kids.

easy recipe-

mix;

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg

add 1 1/4 cup flour

spoon drop on to cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Oscar night

Did you watch the Oscar's last night? Did your favorite actor or actress win?

we have a tradition for our Oscar's cupcakes; they all get named and the losers get eaten! When we are done the winners stand on the cupcake stand, before they too get eaten. They were delicious!

The 86th Academy Awards winners are:

Best Picture	12 Years a Slave
Best Actor in a Leading Role	Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)
Best Actress in a Leading Role	Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role	Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role	Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave

#Disney Side @Home Celebrations party

Our #Disney Side party was a success. We had great food, lots of fun, and good people to make for a nice time. Everyone loved the american tourister luggage and we made cute shirts. Showing our #Disney Side is something we love to share with our friends and family, it makes it so special.

#Disney Side @Home Celebrations

I was one of the lucky 1000 that were selected to host a #Disney Side @Home Celebrations after applying through an email I received from MomSelect.

I enjoy being a member of MomSelect for networking and sharing ideas and tips with moms and Maria Bailey the leader and Amy Sobel are super helpful.

My family loves to share our #Disney Side, we go to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA as a family tradition to celebrate birthdays.
We go to the park on a weekday, usually Wednesday and the week before the thanksgiving holidays start and we get to (almost) walk on all the rides.
The crowds are not at capacity so it is truly a memorable time, so enjoyable! We like to look for hidden Mickeys too!

My party pack to share #Disney Side came nicely packed in a suitcase from American Tourister and it was packed full.
There were plates, cups, napkins, tablecloth, decorations, cookie cutters, measuring cups, hp photo paper, craisins and fun items to share with others like a sweet picture of Mickey & Minnie and bingo games.
Enjoy the photos of the party pack and...

Party pictures will be posted soon!

hp envy wireless printer for tablet and smartphone

I received my hp envy wireless printer for tablets and smartphones, it is a great fit for me because I use a hp laptop. It is easy to set up and use and I can conveniently print photos wireless. Very Nice. I received this from momselect and opinions are solely my own.

Valentines Day 2014

Happy Valentines Day to all!

have fun and stay safe. we will be enjoying dinner and a movie in the comfort of our home.

Mom to Mom

My goal for blogging is to share a lot of great info with fellow moms. No pressures, no judgments, no guilt, just a place to share.

any comments? please add them...

So far, so good!

Today has been a pretty good day, kids got to school on time and I worked a part time shift.

I also got selected to the HP Smart Mom Panel! More details to come.

gotta go get in the kitchen, my people are requesting chocolate chip cookies and will make extra to share with the neighbors who gave us tons of avocados!

How was your day?

#Disney Side @ Home Celebrations

Happy Tuesday!

Yesterday late afternoon my #Disney Side box arrived full of amazing products, we'll post pictures later this afternoon when I get the kids back home from school. Look for pics soon...

Free National Park Mailing Labels

Request your address labels as our gift to you. They'll remind you of the beautiful national park legacy given to us by past generations — and inspire you to support our work to ensure we can pass that legacy on, healthy and strong, to the generations to come.

LIMITED TIME OFFER: Request your mailing labels by Friday, January 31!

http://www.nationalparks.org/connect/request-your-national-park-foundation-mailing-labels

copy and paste...  

I was chosen to be a host for Disney Side @ home celebrations and will share pics of the party box as soon as it arrives!

Congratulations! You've been selected to be a host of a Disney Side @Home Celebration! You were selected from thousands of applicants and we’re so excited for you to participate. It’s almost time to let your Disney Side shine!Congratulations! You've been selected to be a host of a Disney Side @Home Celebration! You were selected from thousands of applicants and we’re so excited for you to participate. It’s almost time to let your Disney Side shine!

My new blog for friends and family

Hi,

I am starting this new blog to help friends and family with great info on any and all subjects.