{Bits - me edition}

1.I like to take pictures of my kids...a lot. Even when they are over being in a seahorse costume (that they chose to be in) and want to get out, they must wait while I document it on camera. That way I get gems like this picture.

2.I am afraid to go on a cruise. I was thiiis close to consenting to our best friends requests/begging to go on a Disney cruise with them. Then I remembered the whole being on a ship in the middle of the ocean and started hyperventilating with thoughts of my kids falling overboard and me jumping after them and being sucked down under the boat.

I expressed my concerns and they came back with semi-comforting answers.

I said I would think about it.

The next day the cruise ship that wrecked in Europe was all over the news.

There's my answer.

3.I have a tiny freckle in my eye that is slowly getting darker as I age. My mother has a freckle in her eye as well.

4.I love watching movies. All sorts of movies. Curling up on the couch and watching movie after movie for a day is on my list of things to do at least once or twice a year.

5.I really do believe that 30's are the new 20's. The only difference is in your 30's you have a better idea of who you are and don't worry so much about what others think.

6.I like cookie dough better than most cookies once they are baked.

7.I have library cards to four different libraries. I have tried to bridle my desire to get a Nook for fear that I would easily drop $80 a month on books to read. My love of reading runs deep.

8.I bite my nails. Not down to nothing and not all the time but I do bite them and then curse myself for biting them off instead of cutting them.

9.I'm not above doing "rock, paper, scissors" to see who has to change a poopy diaper.

10.I have five piercings in my ears, two of which I did myself. I only wear one earring per ear now and have for years but all 5 piercings are still there.

11.I am a damn good cook, even if I don't describe baby lettuce as "micro-greens" or occasionally use a can of cream of chicken soup in a recipe.

12.After about 11:30 at night I start to get a bit hyper and crazy. Ask anyone who's spent time with me at that time of night and they'll tell you I am CRAZY! I think I'd be a crazy, happy drunk, which, if I did drink I'd rather be than a moody, mean one.

13.Coloring is like therapy for me. If you flip through my kids coloring books you will find many a page colored by yours truly.

{Valentines + a treat}

A quick picture this morning before heading out the door. Valentine's Day 2012.The girls made their Valentine's last night while we listened to mine and Bret's wedding CD filled with Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennet. Their voices make me swoon still.

This year the girls wanted to do something that involved them wearing my red lipstick. So this is what we came up with.A picture with a "kissy face" and red lipstick and some chocolate lips.

Easy peasy.Now on to one of my favorite non chocolate desserts.

I had to make do a cooking demonstration with my girls making these a few weeks ago and thought I just had to share this deliciousness.

Keep in mind I was making these for 65 people so I made mini versions.

Strawberry Napolean

Ingredients:
½ package of puff pastry sheets (1 sheet)
1 package (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup milk
2 cups heavy cream whipped or 2 cups thawed frozen whipped topping
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
2 cups fresh sliced strawberries
chocolate sauce (optional)

THAW pastry sheet at room temperature (about 40 minutes) or until easy to handle. Heat oven to 400. Lightly grease baking sheet or line with parchment paper or Silpat.

UNFOLD pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Cut into 3 strips along the fold marks, cut four strips the other way, making rectangles. You can also keep the pastry strips in 3 long strips and bake. Place pastry on baking sheets. Bake for 15 min or until golden on top. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack.PREPARE pudding mix. In bowl mix package of pudding mix and 1 cup cold milk. Mix well.Fold in whipped cream.Cover and refrigerate.SPLIT each pastry in two. Spoon pudding mixture onto one strip, top with sliced strawberries then place other strip on top.Dust with confectioner’s sugar and drizzle with chocolate on top.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.

Makes: 12 servings

{No. 167}

A little red and pink hues in this weeks MPM in honor of Valentine's Day.

1.This Ikat print top is so soft and the print is beautiful. It is a great addition to my wardrobe and would be to yours too!

2.I've been meaning to write about this amazing product. I'm a bit obsessed about it. Dior's Lip Glow goes on silky smooth and lasts a long time, but the best part about it is the way it responds to your own chemistry on your lips and makes the perfect shade of pink for your skin color.

I was skeptical at first since the color goes on glossy clear but after five minutes or so my lips had a great natural pink color that lasted hours.

Try it out...and thank me later.

3.Every time I look at these shoes I swoon. The colors, the small heel and the woven detail on the front are all so beautiful. If only the price was just as beautiful they'd be mine...

4.Still a favorite poster of mine. Bret bought this print for me about four years ago for Valentine's day. I love it.

5.These gold cupid's arrow earrings are fun. I'm wearing more and more gold these days. Who knew I'd start to like (even border love) gold so much?

6.The best cupcake mix out there in my opinion. If you can't do homemade then this is the mix to get, and to be honest a lot of homemade cupcakes I've tasted aren't as good as this mix.

My favorite are pictured: red velvet and vanilla.

7.Just added this crinkle maxi skirt to my wardrobe. It's comfortable like a maxi should be and of course you don't have to worry about it looking wrinkled.

8.These shirts are such a great basic. Jazz them up with accessories and you're good to go.

9.These are a blast from the past! I want one so bad! Scented brushes leave a subtle fruity scent behind. My girls would go bonkers for these.

*All items can be found on my Pinterest boards*

{Sunday Photograph - 48}

We finally got around to taking out the cardboard house we got the kids for Christmas.

Seeing as how our last one we got lasted almost 2 years we had been keeping an eye for another one and found one for $10 at Michaels. Score!

Already they've spent hours coloring the house and thinking of ways to use the cardboard creation in many imaginative ways.

Jonas stayed home from church today...hence the reason he is in his pj's still in the picture.

He and Bret had a grand time coloring, playing the Wii and making bread.

Bret's been making bread like crazy lately. The house smells amazing but for this non carb/sugar eater it's been a challenge to say the least. I'm counting down the days until my birthday so I can again indulge in a few tabu foods I've been craving.

I will say, though it's hard sometimes, doing no sugar/carbs makes me feel so much better. More energy, less time being bloated...it's awesome.

Have I convinced you to give it a go?

We are watching the second Harry Potter movie. Ella is finishing up the book and requested we watch it. It's so much fun to get to talk about one of my favorite series with her.

Tonight for dinner I am making homemade Mac 'n Cheese. It's a favorite in this house. When I told Bret what I was making he said "I can't wait to eat the stuff my dreams are made of". Apparently he digs my Mac 'n Cheese.

It's even better the day after.

Off to grate the cheese...

p.s. Yes, that's a sweater on our dog. If you know me at all you can imagine how NOT happy I am that I paid money for a DOG sweater. I finally gave in when I saw her shivering in the house. Poor dog was cold...and I'm not that cruel. Still...every time I see the dog in the sweater I mumble not so nice things under my breath...

{Bits}

01.Everyone is always tired after lunch. Some day Bret takes a short nap while the kids poke his face and body. This usually results in Bret sitting up, turning on a show for distraction and attempts to fall asleep sitting up.

It's pretty entertaining for me to watch his head nod up and down as he "sleeps". I tell him to go upstairs but he insists he is sleeping and wants to hold the kids.

I personally would never count that as a nap...

02.Once a month or so I take out the Project Runway design kits we have and it's like Christmas again. Hours are spent dreaming up 2012 Spring lines for ladies and dogs. Fancy names are assigned to new shoe creations.

One of the most used "toys" at our house. Wonderful investment.

03.I had a very vivid dream where I was playing soccer. So vivid that I kicked Bret pretty hard while yelling "YEEEEES!" as I made the penalty kick.

It still makes me happy now when I think about it. I'm not sure Bret feels the same way.

04.I read the book "The Gas We Pass" to the kids after baths last night. Jonas thought it was hilarious and kept saying "Ewwwww poop!" every time we turned the page and then proceeded to laugh like it was the funniest thing in the world.

This morning he found the book and is flipping through the pages and giggling while I type.

He is his fathers son.

05.I somehow managed to get Bret to agree to go and watch The Vow with me on Valentine's day. I'm pretty sure he just agreed to it because he thinks I'll be in a "loving" mood after watching it...but whatever the reason I still won't believe that he is going to watch that movie with me until we are in the theater.

I already made him promise not to make any sarcastic remarks during the movie...unless it's super cheesy, then we will both be making them.

06.Ella has the lead role in her second grade program coming up. We all have her lines memorized, along with all the songs.

There's nothing like a good rendition of "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" over and over again throughout the day.

07.President's day is coming up. The kids have the Friday before and then Monday off. Anyone want to come visit?

I can promise you good weather, good food and if you're really nice I'll even sing you some show tunes?

08.Saturday we have a church primary activity (primary is for kids ages 3-11). Bret is going to be David (David and Goliath). I asked him what he was going to wear.

A brown towel for his skirt, my wide braided belt, brown sandals, a tan shirt and a head band and sling shot for his accessories.

If the rock doesn't kill Goliath perhaps his fashion sense will.

09.I've got some iTunes gift cards to burn. Give me your top song you've been listening to on repeat currently please!

{FOOD!}

Food trucks remind me of Tahiti. Down on the ocean front where the cruise liners dock there are always truck filled with amazing food. It's one of my favorite places to eat every time we visit.

Saturday we headed to Palm Springs with some friends for the Food Truck Festival. Bret had been looking forward to this day for weeks and planned on eating until he could eat no more...which is exactly what he did.

We love watching the show The Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network channel. The food always looks amazing, so when we found out about 7 of the trucks from that show were going to be there we knew we had to be there too.The trucks at the festival didn't disappoint and many of the trucks that were there had been ones that we were cheering for while watching the show.

I know this will be an overload of food pictures, but I just had to document the delicious food we ate!

First up was Crepes Bonaparte. One of the three that were on my list of must try's.What we ordered: Strawberry Nutella dessert crepe with Chantilly creme. The crepe was the perfect thinness, the strawberries just borderline tart and what isn't to like about Nutella?Next, Grill 'Em All...the Winner of The Great Food Truck Race. This was the one Bret had at the top of his list. What we ordered: The Bleu Cheer Burger. A HUGE all beef patty, cranberry gastrique, massive amounts of tangy blue cheese and potato chips (muncho's).There was also the Behemoth. Two grilled cheese sandwiches used as bun, beer soaked onion rings, bacon, cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce.We then headed on over to another truck that we cheered for on the show, Nom Nom.What we ordered: A Banh Mi sandwich. A fresh baguette with perfect crispy crust, freshly chopped cilantro, sweet tangy daikon radishes and carrots, grilled pork with honey glaze, thinly sliced fresh cucumbers and spicy jalapenos for an extra kick.

It was everything we imagined it would be and MORE!The kids wanted something sweet so we headed over to a dessert truck.What we ordered: Homemade whoopie pies and CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON.

The Whoopie pies were okay...I actually thought mine taste better. The chocolate covered bacon was a hit though!By this time we were feeling pretty full. Our friends told me I just HAD to taste the fries from Fry Smith's food truck. They had noshed on them while waiting to meet up with us.

Fries...yes please!What we ordered: Rajas Fries - Fire-roasted poblano chiles, caramelized onions and shawarma-marinated steak with Jack cheese and lime.

This was my personal favorite for the day. My mouth waters when I think about it! Good thing it's local and I can feed my cravings pretty easily.We all were feeling like we had reached our capacity and started to head towards the exit. The kids wanted to make one more stop for some cupcakes and sushi.

The cupcakes were from a truck that had won on Cupcake Wars. The girls wanted their cookies 'n creme cupcake. Though I wanted to give it a taste I just couldn't bring myself to eating one more thing.Bret ate a cupcake AND some sushi to end the day.We all left happy with our bellies full of delicious food.I can't wait to see when another festival will be happening.

Anyone care to join us next time?

p.s.The people watching was at an all time high at the festival. Large ladies covered in gold sequined ponchos, men with rat tails, Asians with knee high pantyhose and daisy dukes, hipsters and a lot of plastic surgery could be spotted.

I did in fact take pictures of many, but this one was my favorite. Check out the 'staches!*For those wondering, I did allow myself to take a day hiatus from the no sugar/no carbs I'm doing until my birthday. It was beyond worth it!!

{No. 166}

A few more things have been added on to my birthday wishlist:

1.I love this neckline and the flattering lines. I'm also really loving coral and navy lately.

2.I want to wear red lipstick more. I had to pull out my red lipstick for a little photo sesh with the girls and realized how much I love it. What's your favorite brand and color?

3.I pinned these shoes last week and just can't stop thinking about them. I love them!

4.I have found myself wearing more gold these days. I never thought I would see the day when I had more gold than silver in my jewelry collection. This little bracelet would match a lot of outfits and accessories I already have.

5.Loving the bright/neon colors I'm seeing everywhere. This dress does print and bright colors tastefully well.

6.I need a new wallet. My best friend bought me one for my birthday last year in New York and sadly it's been gnawed on and picked at by Jonas while I wait in the check out line. It's definitely seen better days. This wallet would be a wonderful replacement.

7.You can't go wrong with a polka dot button up shirt. It's a classic design with a hint of trend.

*All items listed today can be found on my Pinterest account* I also linked them in the post today since Pinterest seems to be down this morning.


Happy Monday!

{Sunday Photographs - 47}

Today we watched a very important sports game. One that we've been looking forward to for a while.

You know the one I'm talking about...The Manchester United vs. Chelsea game. What? Is there another sports game going on today?

Okay, Okay, we are watching the Super Bowl as well, but it was second in the rankings of games we wanted to watch.

Sitting here watching the game with Bret while the girls work on their fashion designs and Jonas sleeps I am content.

We used to throw some pretty large Super Bowl parties but the past few years we've decided to just watch as our little family and I've really enjoyed it. We can actually watch/hear the game and commercials and still eat amazingly delicious food.

It's the way to go...I promise!

I straightened my hair today, first time since September. I knew it had been a long time when the girls kept requesting to pet my hair and touching it. Even Jonas had to grab on to it and looked at me as if trying to process who I was. When it takes about an hour to straighten your hair you' go almost half a year without straightening it too!

Now if you will excuse me, I have to get off the computer so the girls can play with my hair.