Gettin' my nails did!

So today I want to blog about something that I think most women do, but I've never grown accustomed to. That is, getting my nails done. I've had maybe two handful of times where I've gotten a pedicure, but I've only gotten a manicure maybe about 4 times in my life. But the other day I had to get an oil change and with an hour and half to kill I decided to walk to the nearest shopping center. As I walk there I noticed a bunch of food places. I'm thinking, SCORE! I get to have an excuse to eat something different and even though I'm by myself I technically have an excuse to. I go to every food place and it's CLOSED. So finally, I'm walking down the rows of stores and the only place that was open was a nail salon. The name was Red Persimmon Nail & Spa. I go in and looked at the price board. I was on a tight budget so I picked the cheapest thing that I could really want and that's why I picked a manicure. I usually don't because my nail polish chips by the 3rd day due to my excessive hand washing, dishes, bath times and etc. So, it's really not something that's worth it for me. Then again, my hands are the on nails I can't paint on my own. So for $15 dollars I thought why not, let's get a manicure. I picked this cute mint color, although I was torn because it was a color I had at home.

I went up to this nice Vietnamese lady. The store was big and clean. She was very nice. Well, long story short she tried to talk me into getting gel after I had explained to her that my polish never lasts, but it was $30. I didn't go for it, it was too expensive for me. THEN, she tells me they have this polish that already has gel in it and it's only $20. So I changed my color and VIOLA! Their service was great, there was another young lady there that chatted me up and made me feel very comfortable. I love how CLEAN the place was.

For the first time, I LOVE my nails. They did a great job and I can't stop looking at them! It's been a week and the polish has not chipped which is a record for me. I think I might start doing my nails more often :)

This was the day of!!

One week later...

Btw, square nails are the business ;)

Swiffer Bissell Steamboost Steam Mop!

So, for my birthday..I gave in a bought myself the Swiffer Bissell Steam Mop!!

After much consideration and research, I said what the hell, let's live a little. It was $49.99 at Target and it comes with just two mops cloths. You buy the additional cloths for $9.99. It's the same price as all the other cloths. I heard that the steam power on this thing wasn't so great so I had my reservations. One thing that I was not aware of until I bought it, was that it has to be plugged in to be used! I thought it was like the Swiffer Vac, where you charge it and use it so it's cordless. I've been eyeing the Steam Shark for a long time, but I didn't like the fact that the cloths were not disposable. I don't know, it just doesn't seem as convenient and kind of dirty.

I must say, that this steam mop is not very "steamy." It's also not steaming all the time, you have to press the trigger when you want the steam. The mop clothes itself are already wet. So the upside to this is the cloth actually stays damp the whole time, unlike the regular wet ones that you just use on a stick pretty much. I guess you do feel like it's a bit cleaner. I kind of imagined it to be more like the steam shark where it sanitized the floor but it doesn't really seem like it does it. The floor is a little warm after you go over it but that's it. 

Do I regret it? Mmmm, not really. It's still a step up from using just the regular wet Swiffer mops. Do I wish that I spent the extra $20 and got the steam shark. Probably! 

The Steam Shark actually says that it disinfects the floor and because of the heat, it leaves it dry immediately. The Swiffer really leaves your floor kind of wet for a while. So if you're just kind of looking for something that's better than the regular Swiffer mop, then this is a good upgrade from it. If you were looking for some deep clean action like I was, spend the extra $20 and get the Steam Shark because you're not going to get your steam niche with this one.

Quiche, Quiche..why are you so watery?!?

Last night, I made my first attempt ever at making quiche. I've actually only had quiche one time before and it was from Specialty's. It was the most amazing piece of egg mixture I had ever put in my mouth. I've been trying to think of a working-mom-friendly breakfast's for Trent to bring to school. Something that I could whip up a lot of on a Sunday and have portions throughout the week. Then I remembered this amazing quiche I had and how it was just the right portion for him! I Google'd some recipes to get the general ingredients and steps and decided to kind of base mine on this one from Allrecipe.com. I thought to myself, I have sun-dried tomatoes, cheese, milk and eggs. Booyah!

This recipe called for one egg and 1 cup of milk. I decided to do 3 eggs and 2 cups of whole milk. I also substituted sun-dried tomatoes for a regular tomato diced. I included turkey sausage as well.

3 Large Eggs
2 Cups whole Milk
Thyme
Turkey Sausage
Mild Cheddar Cheese
1 Medium Tomato Diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I sprayed a 6-serving muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkled the cheese on the bottom, then added the dice tomato and sausage.

In a bowl, I combined the 3 eggs, 2 cups of milk and thyme with a whisk until fluffy. I poured the mixture into the muffin tin and put it in the oven.

I felt like I baked it for about 50 minutes. I started off with 30 and noticed the top was not brown yet and it was still bubbly. I kept baking it for another 10 minutes, 5 minutes..another 5. Until the top was finally a golden brown. I let it sit for 3 minutes in the tin and when I tried to take them out I noticed there was this water at the bottom of it. Also, it was not firm like the quiche that I had. It still tasted really good, but it was just not quiche-y!

Of course, I'm diagnosing through Google for my watery quiche and I found this site upon reviewing a couple, Funkytown Foodies I think I know where I went wrong.]

1. I should not have used tomatoes. Tomatoes are so juicy and watery! I should pan fried it, if that would have even helped.
2. My egg to milk ratio was too much. 
3. Maybe I used too much ingredients. I think using so much ingredients made my eggs not cook together. 

So...is this a fail? Partial. It's still yummy, still portable and Trent still enjoys it. Will I try it again? Of course! I will master the quiche!

August Glam Bag!

It's that time of the month again! No, I'm not talking about that, I got my Ipsy Glam bag! This month's theme is "Glamour Academy." I usually never cheat and look at the products I'm getting prior to receiving it, but this time I did and..well let's just say I got it out of the mailbox same day instead of leaving it in the mailbox for a week. I saw that we were getting an Urban Decay lipstick.

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in "Anarchy" $22
urbandecay.com

Urban Decay's Pigment Infusion System™ delivers insane color payoff with creamy shine, Maxi-Lip™ plumps and nourishing oils leave lips cushiony soft. Get the color you crave. Addictive to apply (and even more addictive to wear), this creamy formula glides on without dragging or skipping, hugs every curve and gives you a BIG laydown of color. There's a wide range of colors - from gorgeous nudes to bold brights, there’s something for everyone. Our luxe, custom-designed gunmetal tube (lined in dark purple) features organically shaped facets that practically beg to be touched. You’ll want to keep pulling it out of your bag—whether it’s time to reapply or not.

I haven't gotten a chance to try the lipstick on yet but it's TINY. It's like a toy lipstick. I LOVE UD products and I love lipstick so I'm eager to try it!. The texture seems very creamy and pigmented. As you can see from the swatch, that was just me drawing a line LIGHTLY on my hand. The pink is definitely a little intimidating but I think it'll go great with a casual outfit or with a little black dress.

MICA Beauty Mineral Eye Shadow in "Bronze" - $14.95
micabeauty.com

MicaBeauty Mineral Eyeshadows are extremely gentle, free of preservatives, chemicals, dyes, talc, oils, and other fillers. With this unique formula, the eyeshadows will look ultra smooth and stay put for hours without creasing or pulling the delicate eye area. Can be mixed with clear lip-gloss, clear mascara, and clear nail polish to add pigment to lips, eyelashes and nails!

I love this shadow! It reminds me of this MAC loose shadow I got in Tan. I'm obsessed with neutral colors that has a bit of shimmer in it. I'm actually wearing it today as a base shadow. What I really like about the shadow is that it's free of preservatives, chemicals, dyes and other bad fillers.

It's not as shimmery on my eyes because I blended it with another shadow. 

Pixi Beauty Lash Booster Mascara in "Blackest Black" - $17.00

pixibeauty.com

This unique mascara truly boosts your lashes, giving them a "push-up" effect that lasts all day. The dense, rich formula coats lashes with maximum pigment, for long-lasting full color and the cone-shaped brush coats each lash evenly. Long lasting, smudge-free and waterproof.

I have yet to try this, but I don't get super excited about mascara. I really don't wear it that often unless I get light shadow on my lashes. To me, I don't have any eyelashes to begin with so putting on mascara really doesn't add a dramatic difference.

Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Gentle Exfoliating Facial Scrub -$18.00
michaeltoddtrueorganics.com

The Jojoba Charcoal Gentle Exfoliating Facial Scrub is formulated using the powers of Jojoba Wax Beads and Activated Charcoal. This mask effectively removes dead skin, impurities and toxins, but is gentle enough for sensitive and acne prone skin types. Jojoba Wax Beads provide gentle exfoliation without leaving microlacerations on delicate skin. Highly absorbent Activated Charcoal penetrates deeply into pores to draw out impurities and toxins. Also refines texture and encourages skin renewal, leaving skin smooth and refreshed. 

I have yet to try this item, but so far the reviews for it is great! I'm so obsessed with my Body Shop Tea Tree Face Scrub that I'm pretty hesitant to try anything else.

Pacifica Alight Multi-Mineral BB Cream- $16.00

pacificaperfume.com

Think sheer moisturizing tint with benefits.  A true multitasking miracle that hydrates, primes, illuminates, and perfects leaving a sheer bare skin finish.  Specialized mineral pigments that instantly adjust to your skin shade allows one color to work for many.  The sheer application can be built up for just the right amount of coverage.  In addition, this amazing BB Cream formula contains high performance anti-aging botanical ingredients that revive and re-mineralize skin for a natural glow. Your skin will look natural, dewy, youthful and radiant without looking like you are wearing heavy make-up. 
What you should also know: Don't expect this to be a heavy foundation.  This is more close to a tinted moisturizer leaving you with a natural finish. 

This is the FIRST BB Cream I've received from my Glam Bag. I'm really excited and wished they pushed more of these products. I've yet to try a BB Cream that I can say I love. I'm really excited to try this because they say that this is more like a tinted moisturizer. I wonder what the coverage is like and the texture. My experience with the MISSHA BB Cream was that it had great coverage but it felt heavy. I don't normally wear any foundation or powder so to suddenly put something on my face that looks and feels like "foundation" even though it's just a cream just did not sit well with me. Nonetheless, I stopped wearing it because I just felt like it was too much. The only thing is that I don't think this contains any SPF, which is usually what causes BB Cream to feel so thick.

Overall, another satisfied Glam Bag. I'm really glad that they've been pushing better products!

Live Long & stay beautiful!

For the Latte Lovers (Quick & Easy)

I love all coffee equally and I really enjoy a good cup of coffee. I definitely felt like I've upgraded since I got my Keurig but another thing that I've started doing every weekend is making myself a latte! Yes, MAKE MYSELF A LATTE. I'm going to share how to make a quick and easy Latte. All you need is a milk frother and I got one at IKEA for $2.49 (best $2.50 I've ever spent easily), microwave, milk and coffee!

So before I Google'd how, I was just microwaving the amount of milk I wanted until it's hot. Usually about a minute. Then I froth the milk for about 20 seconds until it's nice and foamy and I put it under my Keurig and pour coffee right over it. I add the sugar at the end and stir it.

According to this at lifehacker.com you're suppose to do the sugar with the milk before you microwave. I guess that makes sense. Lattes are usually made with espresso and since I don't have one I just use dark roast Starbucks K-Cups. It really has enhanced my regular home coffee experienced. It's no Starbucks but it's definitely cheaper, faster and it really doesn't seem much different to me!

My favorite drink is still a caramel macchiatto, but until I can find a way how.....this will do!

DIY-Party Favor Cups!

First of all, I just wanted to say that I've finally gotten past 5000 page views! I realized, after research that it's actually a pretty pathetic thing to celebrate. The median is about 5000 views a month haha. Well, I don't really put my blog out there, even though I'd like to I don't think I'm committed enough that people would like to follow. So this is just kind of a hobby for me. I really enjoy writing and it soothes my soul!

Today, I want to do a DIY entry for the superhero cups I made for the boys party! You can virtually do ANYTHING. Seriously. I got the idea from these Etsy cups, except I did not want to pay $26 for 12 cups. Mine might not be permanent vinyl, but the kids aren't going to care.

First, I bought the wrong labels. I got these ones that said they were "clear" but they weren't. They were foggy white. I thought they would be transparent. So I had to go back and get different labels.

It comes out to about the cost of $1.10 per cup for 50 cups and you'd have some extra straws and labels left over. I would've paid double that getting them from Etsy and making these were so easy!

THINGS YOU NEED:

• 16 oz Clear plastic cups with lids-I found some here from Amazon. 50 for $22.25 and free two day shipping for PRIME members.
• Transparent Label Stickers-You can get them at STAPLES. 80 for $14.99. 
• Straws - So I used crazy straws, but if the vintage paper/chevron straws is your thing, go for it. I found some on Amazon . 36 pack for $8.90 and free two day shipping for PRIME members. You can also get silly straws at the Dollar Tree. 
• A PRINTER

So obviously, if you're going to get bigger cups, you'd probably want bigger labels so it's proportional. This is going to be a super simple step. I'll provide you the link to the Avery site that'll direct you to the exact location but in case if it doesn't work I'll walk you through it. Avery Design & Print Online.

1. Go to www.Avery.com/print
2. Enter the template code 22822. (It should also be located on your label sheet)
3. Click on Rectangular Label
4. Select the blank "Select & Customize" label
5. Upload your photo and print!

You can pretty much upload any picture your little heart desires and size them so it fits on there. I definitely recommend printing the first one on regular paper. They also prompt you to make sure you DO NOT select "SIZE TO FIT PAGE" when you print, even with that I forgot to click it once. I got these courtesy of Dafont.com. What I did was use the Avery Template Designer and made Chase a custom Birthday Boy one. Pretty cool right?

Weaning the bottle and the 1 year clean up.

I know Chase is not that much older than Trent, but I already forgot how and what I did with Chase when he turned 1!! I think I didn't quite kick the bottle until at least a month after he turned 1.

Well with Trent, I decided to start early. So far he has gone 2 whole bottle free days. It's a little bit rougher because he doesn't nap as well. He was drinking a 6 oz bottle every 3 hours with baby food and snacks in between. So, I think with the lack of bottles he's just really hungry! He's also on full milk. I started last week with the 4:2 formula to milk ratio and by the time it was the weekend I just went to straight milk.

Can I get a HALLELUJAH?!?

No more having to spend all this money on formula. No more spending money on baby food. I get to clear off a whole shelf dedicated to bottles in my kitchen cabinet. I've been cleaning out all the baby stuff. All the breast pumps, receiving blankets, burp cloths and just tons and tons of clothes. Trent's already in 18 month clothes! In celebration of the 1 year mark I think I might even burn my nursing bras! Getting pass that 1 year is such a big milestone. Every year is different but it's such a drastic change. It's like this freedom. The only downside is that I don't think he's at an age where he should be eating the school lunch that they provide. It's just not really baby friendly. He's not going to like eating hamburgers and bean burritos. So, I'm back to packing snacks and meals. I did that with Chase when he was Trent's age except now I feel like it's so much more work. I've been packing healthy snacks for Chase as well. String cheese, yogurt, apple slices. I feel like with Chase I was more health conscious because I had the time.

Trent is still not attempting to walk yet. I remember Chase taking steps already at this age. It's bad to compare, but it's hard not to. Trent is so much fun right now and I think Chase is starting to notice more interaction between us and Trent. I'm starting to see a little bit more attention seeking and wanting to act like Trent. Hopefully, we just keep Chase on the right track and keep on him with discipline and explaining things to him and he'll stay the sweet little boy that he is.

Got my ring fixed. FINALLY!

For two long months, I didn't have my ring and I finally got it back!

So, my ring size is like 2.5 or something crazy (maybe even smaller). Because of that reason, the little diamonds just kind of falls out. I think it's because the prongs are so bent that it's hard to hold the small ones in place. So far I've had my ring for a year and a half and I've lost 5 little diamonds already. Luckily my brother-in-law works part-time at Fast-Fix Jewelry and fixed them for me. (Aren't I lucky :)) But for 2 whole months (because that's long it has been since I've seen him), I've been ringless and I was wearing this thin band I had for the time being just to fill the void. Now that I got it back and extremely clean I forgot how much I miss the thing!

I'm a happy girl!!

Chase & Trent's Super Hero Training Party!

I must say now that the party is over and done with I feel this weight lifted off my shoulders. The party was full and my wallet is empty. It took lots of planning, time and money, but it was a success. Things I've learned from this party.

#1 Just buy a cake. Seriously.
#2 Don't try to throw a "stay at home mom" type of party and expect the same results. 

I had wayyy too much expectations for myself that I did not fulfill. I felt like I had all the time in the world and I really didn't. I think if I had the two weekends prior to the party free, then I could have gotten a lot more done. I ended up playing in a two day tournament those weekends which really dipped into any of my free time. Also, I've learned that I'm not a baker. As much as I've challenged myself to be. It's just not something I'm good at. It makes me want to try harder but I really don't have the opportunities for it.

The two things that I wanted to include in my party and glad I didn't was capes and masks. I ended up making 3 masks and they were never used. I also spent A LOT of time (and money) attempting to bake Chase's cake and that didn't turn out so well. Let's just say it's in the trash and I ended up having to spend an extra $50 buying an ice cream cake last minute for the party. So I did waste some money buying things that I ended up not really using. Next time. Plan a little bit better. I guess you learn through your mistakes.

Overall, it was a great party and the kids had fun. All of our friends and family made it, which really sealed the deal. I can't wait for the day when we can throw a party at our house. Have a backyard for the kids to play in. I dream of the day when I can decorate our house for the party instead of rushing to the park an hour in advance and rushing everything. These pictures are in no particular order..it drives me crazy.

For those that are interested in where I got Batman from. He's from Creative Parties. He ran late but that was okay because we were running late too. He was very interactive and in character the whole time. Stayed for the 2 hours even though he was late and entertained the kids very well!

The 3 color jello was so time consuming. I got these awesome 3 oz dessert cups with lids. Made transporting them so much easier.

Last minute, I got these paper cups from 99 cent store and filled them with microwaved popcorn.

I ordered these plastic containers from Amazon. They came with lids which was great. I used the Welch's fruit snack as one of the candy. 

Got those little metal pails from the dollar bins at Target. They even have a little chalkboard star you can write on!

It was kind of windy so these did not stay put for very long. I just used yellow plates from the dollar store. Polka dot and batman napkins from Oriental Trading.

Got the party favor bags from Amazon as well as the crazy straws.

I'm extremely satisfied with the park. This will probably be my go-to park for parties. There were plenty of seating and shade. It was great!

Batman playing hide and seek with the kids.

Most of the kids Chase's age just played on the playground which was right next to the party since they were scared of Batman.

Trent's first taste of cake.

Family photo op with Batman.

Trent's outfit was home made thanks to the help of An for owning a laser cutter and vinyl! I bought the onesie and fabric for the cape. Didn't have to spend $30+ to get one from Etsy!

Superhero Training exercises.

Really happy that our friends Kat and Chris was able to attend the party via SKYPE!

Check out the "photobooth signs" I made.

Guess which cake I made haha.

You can see my attempt at the photobooth  backdrop. It came out good except I wish we had a flat wall to hang it on. .

We also made Chase a custom shirt. 

We forgot to bring a knife to cut the cake with. Just had the plastic ones.

Thanks to Pinterest, I was able to gather all of my ideas for the parties in one place. I was also able to find a lot of ideas for my party just from Googling. Some of the things that I made were from looking on Etsy and just getting the idea and re-creating them myself.

I pretty much took the idea of the invite and re-created my own. Then I printed them out on cardstock.

I used Microsoft Word and created these candy signs. Super easy and taped them to construction paper so they would stand.

I got the idea to print comic book pages I Googled to use them as bunting. Thanks Mandyford.blogspot.com! I cut them into triangles and punched two holes in them. Then I strung them with a red and white polka dot ribbon.

I also bought these clear 16 oz cups with lids and printed out superhero logos on clear labels. Ta-da! I added a silly straw with it and they doubled as drinking cups and party favors. I originally got the idea from Etsy, but they were way too expensive and they used the paper straws. This turned out to be way cheaper and I could make 50 cups for the cost of a dozen they were selling.

Some things I didn't get a good picture of was the party favors I made for the babies. Since there were 5 babies attending the party, I decided to make separate party favors for them. I used paper bags and made these labels to keep them closed. In the bags I included one, organic fruit baby food, one bag of dried yogurt melts, two packages of mum mum crackers and I think one other thing. I made these cute labels that had the KAPOW! and it said super baby on them. 

For the kids party favors, this was what I ended up getting these Got Milk Magic Straws. The kids drinks their milk through them and it changes the flavor! I also included a magnetic picture frame and you can pop out the magnet in them. I thought it would be perfect so they could use pictures from the photobooth. I also included a batman activity book, Crayola crayons, Avengers stickers, and a superhero glider. 

Another thing I didn't get a GREAT picture of was the backdrop for the photobooth. It really didn't get utilized as I'd hope. But, still it was great for deocoration. I used a baby blue table cloth as the background and I got two black foam boards from STAPLES. I cut out the shape of buildings and used silver duct tape for the windows. 

What a great party it was and I think everyone really enjoyed it! So I have to say it was worth every minute and penny. :) 

Oh, ONE MORE THING! I found this amazing site in the process. Called DAFONT.com They allow you to download all sorts of font and you can install them on your computer!