We shipped the bed.

I'm sure you all have seen the 'I shipped my bed' commercial by now either on TV or online.  If you haven't, you are missing out.  It's freaking hilarious.  As the Huff Post says - it really is for the 12 yr old in all of us.  Or the 17 yr old.  Or the 30 yr old.  

Before you watch my rendition of this commercial, you must watch the Kmart one (again, if you haven't already).  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/12/ship-my-pants-kmart-ad_n_3069515.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#sb=3559911,b=facebook

Totally unplanned, my husband and I were laughing to ourselves about the commercial the other night at dinnertime, so we asked our 2 and 5 year olds to say the phrase 'I shipped my bed.'  Oh.....let me just tell you.  Super funny.

Enjoy.

DIY Headbands & Hairties

How many times have I been shopping somewhere and said 'I could make this!' {for a fraction of the price}?  Too many times to count!

Such is the case with these super cute elastic hair ties and headbands.  I see them everywhere, and after paying way too much for some for my niece a couple of months ago it was decided. 

I found the elastic a few different places online, but I ended up buying mine from elasticbytheyard.com.     They have great color choices, and I liked that you can choose how much you want of each color.  To start, I bought 5 yards of each.  I figured I can make some for myself and my daughter, and then either sell a few to those who are interested and give them as gifts.

They're super easy to make, so if you're interested, read on.

Step 1.  Order your elastic from http://www.elasticbytheyard.com/

Step 2.  Gather your tools.  You'll need a ruler or tape measure, scissors and a lighter. 

Step 3.  For headbands, measure 22" and cut on the diagonal.*

For hair ties, measure 9-10" and cut on the diagonal.*

*these are sizes for an adult headband or hair tie.  adjust accordingly if you're making some for little girls or babies.  

Step 4.  Fold in half, and tie the ends together.  Looping them around your finger works well for this type of knot.  

Step 5.  Run the edges of the elastic lightly across a flame to seal and prevent fraying.

Step 6.  Show off your handiwork!

The best part about these is that if they're too big or too small, you can always re-tie the knot to adjust.  

Hope you've been inspired to DIY!

And if you don't want to DIY - let me know.  I can make some for ya (for a lot cheaper than you'll pay elsewhere.  ;-))

Need a CUTE baby gift?

I have got one for you.  A former co-worker of mine recently started her own Etsy shop (Hallie Birdie) making the sweetest baby blankets, and you have to see them.

She stopped by my Matilda Jane party a few weeks ago and gave me one of them, and I am obsessed!  Miss Gemma loves it too - it's super soft and snuggly, a perfect size for her crib.  They are sold as 'stroller blankets,' but they of course can work any way you'd like to use them.  

Here's an Instagram shot of the one she gave me:

The sweet birdie print is a cotton flannel fabric, and the underside is a hot pink anti pill fleece fabric.  It's hand crocheted on the sides in turquoise.   I should have taken a picture of it when it arrived - all wrapped up with a tulle bow and this cute birdie attached.

I have several pregnant friends; I can't wait to see what options Hallie Birdie has when these babies come out.  Here are a few of my current favorites in her shop right now:

Kitschy Camping Print, $45

Rainbow Animal Print, $45

Bird and Branch Sketch, $45

Bicycle Print, $45

So sweet!  Hope you can add Hallie Birdie to your Etsy circles and favorite a few of these gems!  

Newly obsessed: Matilda Jane for girls

This week I had a Matilda Jane trunk show at my house.  MJ is a girls and womens clothing line that I have liked from afar for quite some time, but I'd never seen it in person.  So, I decided to take the plunge and host a trunk show.  And boy am I glad I did!  The clothes are super cute on their website (and on my friend's kids on Facebook, haha), but they are even cuter in person.  Seriously.  

The attention to detail on each piece (buttons, ruffles, fabric choices) is just right - each piece has a little surprise factor to it.  I thought I'd share a few of my favorite pieces, i.e. ones I bought for my little gal!

My first favorite (and Gemma's too) is the Pier Dress.  It has a little volume on the skirt - Gemma loved twirling in it. 

Pier Dress, $54

Next up, I love the Symon's General Store Dress.  It's super comfy with a sweet print and double ruffle on the bottom.  And so colorful!

Symon's General Store Dress, $48

This outfit is super sweet - you can see the other two items I added on in my Instagram photo below, that makes every piece super versatile.  

Pleasantville Tank, $32, Sea Salt Skirt, $54

My additions:  Cookie Tank, $32, Abbott Leggings, $34

There are a few more items I grabbed, but the last one I have to gab about today is this Bubblegum Dress.  It has a gorgeous, almost old-fashioned print, and is finished with a scalloped hem.  LOVE!  

Bubblegum Dress,  $52

If you are not familiar with this line - you should be, it's what every Mom wants their daughter to wear, before she dives down the black hole of sequins, sparkles, and of course the color black.  ;-)

Have a great weekend everyone!

To LA & back in 48 hours

This past weekend, I took a quick trip to LA.  My husband was out there during the week, so I decided to meet him out there for a little fun!  We've both been there a few different times in the past few years, but a lot of it was for work and we haven't had time to explore.  

So in a quick 48 hours, here's what we did:

Stayed at the W in Hollywood.  Interesting location, and I got to see the Hollywood walk of fame for the first time.  Pretty cool to think of all the history there.

Outdoor lounge at the W Hollywood

Dinner on Friday night at Sotto.  Nestled into a garden apartment-type location, we went to Sotto with an old friend from Shopbop and her husband.  Given that she now owns and operates the very successful Bollare PR agency, we knew Alle would be steering us somewhere great for food.  

Sotto did NOT disappoint; I'll be back there next time we're in LA for sure.  They serve southern-Italian dishes, and cook their pizzas Neapolitan style in a wood burning oven made specifically for just that.  They also have a terrific sommelier on staff who steered us in the exact right directions for wine to pair with our dinner choices.  Seriously, this place was the BOMB.  (yes, I just said that, thank you 1999).  

On Saturday morning, Joe let me lead the way.  I had decided that we'd spend the day in Santa Monica as that's one of the places in/around LA that we'd never been to.  Armed with my Goop LA City Guide, we set out around 9am.  

I must elaborate on this Goop City Guide.  Goop is the website/blog started by Gwyneth back in 2008 dedicated to 'all of life's positives.'  The blog is published weekly, with each post under one of the following categories: Make, Go, Get, Do, Be, and See.  I love getting the newsletter each week, it's always chock full of ideas, articles, recipes, shopping, the list goes on.  Each article speaks to me for one reason or another -  I think Gwyneth really has her finger on the pulse on this one.....

Anyway, expanding on her 'Go' category, Gwyneth created the Goop City Guide app for your phone.  It is seriously AWESOME.  I used it all over Santa Monica and each spot we went to (recommended by the app) did not disappoint.  

Here's what she has to say about the app:   'Taking goop’s popular journal category ‘GO’ to the next level, our City Guides app is filled with all of the much-loved and under-the-radar places, along with classic favorites, goop has discovered over the years.'

First up on the list: breakfast.  Which because the place we went to was so amazing, it turned out to be more like brunch.  We arrived at Huckleberry in Santa Monica about 9:30am.  

You guys, this place was so super good, I might have been jealous of myself while I was eating. I mean......I had an egg white burrito with cheese, a little cilantro, roasted potatoes, avocado, and a little green salsa.  It was ridiculous.  I would try to recreate it at home but I know I can't.  So I'll just go back.

Here's Joe eating his roasted peppers, prosciutto and burrata sandwich.  He inhaled it in less than 3 minutes - for anyone who knows my husband this is the absolute truth.  Raved about it afterwards, then took down a chocolate croissant.  Oh, to have his metabolism.......

We then took a little stroll down to the Pacific Palisades Park.  But first we stopped at one of Joe's favorite LA spots - the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.  They have the BEST iced green tea latte ever made!  Try one next time you're there!

Some gorgeous views; hard to believe that if you lived there you'd EVER take it all for granted.  Even at 55 degrees, the sun was shining and we were happy!

View from Palisades Park

If anyone is wondering, those boots are one of my best investments - Loeffler Randall Slouchy Suede Knee Highs.

After walking around for a bit, we headed back into town to check out the shops on the 3rd St Promenade.  Such a cute street full of shops and people to look at.  We went into Kitson and found 2 things:  

1.  This hilarious book which pretty makes fun of twitter and the things people say on it.  #love 

2. One of my oldest and best friends - Juicy Janelle (don't ask)!   I knew she and her husband were in town as well, but we hadn't planned on meeting up until that evening for dinner.  So while browsing the kids section at Kitson it was CRAZY to run into her!  

We decided to hit up another place on the Goop LA list - the Vanilla Bake Shop.  It did NOT disappoint.  We got an assortment of mini cupcakes - my choices were Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Vanilla Bean, and Mom's Birthday Cake.  The frosting MADE them.  

Later that afternoon, my husband and I got massages at the Bliss spa inside our hotel (such a long time overdue, hadn't had one since last June I think!).......I have decided that my favorite Bliss product is their Blood Orange + White Pepper Body Butter.  Such an amazing smell - and not too sweet.  

And finally, that night we headed out to dinner (with Janelle and her husband) at Koi.  One of our favorite sushi places in LA, we had a great time.  It's always a great spot to spy celebs - that night Julia Stiles walked in right behind us, and Richard Simmons hilariously took photos with people from the booth right next to us.  

Short but sweet, it was nice to get away.  And fun to see Jon Stewart at LAX on the way home.  ;-)  

Healthy Pancakes (of course blended in my NEW Vitamix)

Tonight I took the easy route and made pancakes for dinner.  Not just any ol' Bisquick pancakes though.....I found these on Pinterest (of course).  

They were SO yummy and SO healthy, and my kids loved them (shocking!), so I had to share.  

Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:

6 egg whites

1 cup rolled oats, dry

1 cup cottage cheese (I used the lowfat kind)

2 tsp sugan

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

In a (Vitamix) blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. I used my new Vitamix and it was perfect for the occasion.  The lovefest continues.  Heat a griddle or large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. For each pancake pour 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle. Flip when they start to bubble. Cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batches, spraying the griddle as needed. Makes about 10 pancakes.

Number of Servings: 3

Nutritional Info Per Serving:
181 Calories, 2.7g Fat, 10mg Cholesterol, 361mg Sodium, 20g Carbs, 2.8g Fiberhttps://www.vitamix.com/Home

The little kick of cinnamon is what really makes these so tasty.  We also added a few chocolate chips (per my son's request), which made them even tastier - no syrup needed!   Enjoy!

the little things.....

Happy New Year everyone!  I plan on making 2013 the best year yet.  What does that mean for me?  So many things that we all think of.....having a prosperous business, getting in great shape, being the best Mommy ever, making dinner every night for our family (ok that's not really on my list but might be on yours!), and having an occasional getaway with my husband to remember why we got married in the first place.  Right?  That all sounds perfect.  

And I'll really try to do those things.  But, in the wake of the Newtown school tragedy, I continue to think of the parents of those innocent little children every single day.  It struck me in the days following that the happiness given to us by our children is sometimes taken for granted.  The daily big hugs we get, the "I love you Mommy's", even the quiet laughs I get while listening to my two play & fight in the toy room.  Doing their tiny laundry, wiping off their messy faces, answering every 'but why?' question and dealing with the day to day in the life of a child is something that those Mommys and Daddys are missing greatly right now.  

So I'm sending them my prayers and my strength, and at the same time I'm working on relishing every moment with my two small people.  My Mom said something to me a few months ago when she was visiting: "Look at those cute little coats in the mudroom.  They won't be little for long. You should take a picture of it to remember their small-ness."  

She was right.  I need to be taking pictures and writing notes about my children to remember their tender little ages.  They'll never be 2 and 4 again.  In fact, as my 4.5 year old points out often, he's almost 5.  Here's something I don't want to forget: He is VERY worried about turning 5 because another kid at school told him that when you turn 5, your teeth start to fall out.  He does NOT want his teeth falling out.  Therefore he told me - "Mom, I don't want to turn 5.  We don't need to have a birthday party, because I don't want my teeth to fall out."  How awesome is that?  

Other wonderful things?  He compliments me when I get dressed up.  'Mama, I like your fancy hair.  Mama, that is a pretty dress you have on.  I like your makeup.' How astute for a 4 year old boy!  I keep telling him to keep up the chivalry.  It's pretty awesome.  

As for my daughter, who is clearly 2 going on a sassy 13 year old......She is becoming adept at running the other way when we ask her to come here - and then laughing at us.  She very much enjoys yelling 'NO!' when we ask her to eat her dinner - she then laughs at this too.  She calls out my eye shadow color (when I wear it), my nail polish, and enjoys a good sparkly shirt.  My favorite thing though?  When we're getting her either dressed or un-dressed, and she's clad in only a diaper, she yells "I'm Macon!!!!"  and does a little dance.  That actually means....."I'm naked!"  Hilarious.

ALL of that said, I thought I'd take a few pictures of my happiness around the house.  Just things that as my Mom said, won't be little for long. 

 I'm soaking it in.  Hope you do too.

Tiny shoes

All of our Christmas cards, with TONS of wonderful pictures of everyone else's littles.

My children's joy of the Christmas season - checking their advent calendars daily for a treat!  They continued to look in the days after Christmas to see if anything else would appear.  :-)

The best gift we received this year - a very specially made artwork hanger.  Behind that wood board with my son's name on it, there are clothes pin hangers.  We can use this hanger for any and all artwork that comes home.  This particular piece is clearly what our family looks like in my son's eyes.  He explained to me: "Mommy, look!  You and I have the same color hair (brown) and Daddy and Gemma have the same color hair (blonde!).  As we all DEFINITELY have dark brown hair - I now need to get his eyes tested.  Hahahaha.....  

The little coats

The girly tent in our basement where there are many secret conventions

My evolving photo wall

The hallway in between the kids rooms - complete with a chair for reading that you can't see, and a responsibility chart.  We're not so great at it yet - working on it!!!  (another New Years resolution)

Griffin's lego display in his room - he has spent a lot of time arranging this 'just so.'

A bigger picture of the Lego 'situation' as I'm calling it.  And this is just the first year he asked for Legos - Yikes!

The doll beds in Gemma's room.  These were in my room as a girl, and were handed down to me from my Mom, who also had them in her room as a girl (in the 50's).  How cool is that?

My first baby, Bella.  She's 10 already!

My second baby, Nani.  Nani also serves as a Roomba vacuum.  I almost never need to sweep the floor for crumbs, because Nani takes care of that for us.  She also occasionally jumps onto the kitchen table when we're not looking.  And eats small plastic toys (army guys and the like).  Trust me - I have found some interesting stuff in the backyard.

My littles on Christmas.  So sweet!

And here we all are.  Feeling lucky and blessed to have made such a wonderful little family with my wonderful husband.

My last New Year's resolution?  To garner more energy at night after the kids go to bed to blog more.  Wish me luck as a 9:30 bedtime is par for the course lately!