Monday, January 31, 2011

Aunt Dots



If you are on Facebook, check out Aunt Dots. You can do a search and find her. She makes cute hair things (see photo above) for little ones. She has an etsy page but does most of stuff of facebook. The name Aunt Dot was from her aunt who inspired her to craft and make something out of nothing!

Livie and Luca


How cute are these? Check them out and more styles at Livie and Luca. The boys shoes are even cool!

Brussels Brown Suede

Saturday, January 29, 2011

31 bits

Remember Toms shoes. Well this company kind of remind me of them. To read more about 31 bits and purchase some cool accessories, go to http://www.31bits.com/. I am loving these 3 pieces most...

Friday, January 28, 2011

One Hungry Mama...

http://onehungrymama.com/

Just stumbled upon this, great ideas for recipes esp for those of you who have kids plus the name makes me laugh!!

Brussel Sprouts

I know, you are thinking gross...but brussel sprouts are so delish. Here is a new recipe that I would like to try...usually I roast them but this looks interesting....
Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Walnuts

Serves 8
  • 2 pounds brussels sprouts, stem ends trimmed and scored with an X
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; insert steamer rack. Add brussels sprouts; steam until bright green and just tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in brussels sprouts; cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice and walnuts.


Read more at Marthastewart.com: Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Walnuts - Martha Stewart Recipes

One more recipe that looks yum:
Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Frittata
Serves four
8 large eggs
¼ c. grated pecorino, plus more for garnish (you can substitute Parmesan)
2 slices of bacon (or 1 thick-cut piece of pancetta, cubed)
2 c. shredded Brussels sprouts (about 8 oz. or ½ pint whole Brussels sprouts)
1 tsp. olive oil (optional)
Salt and pepper
Parsley, chopped (optional for garnish)
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Whisk together eggs and pecorino, set aside. Cook bacon or cubed pancetta in a medium-size, oven-safe pan over medium heat. If using bacon, when done, take off heat, drain all but one tablespoon of fat, crumble bacon, and return bacon bits to the pan. If using pancetta, continue to step two.
2. Return pan to medium heat and add shredded Brussels sprouts. Saute until sprouts soften and turn bright green, about three minutes. If the bacon fat isn’t enough to keep the sprouts from burning or sticking to the pan, add the optional teaspoon of olive oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
3. Add whisked eggs and cheese to the pan. Continue cooking over medium heat for three or four minutes, until eggs set. Transfer pan to the oven and bake until cooked through and golden brown on top, about fifteen minutes.
4. Allow to cool before slipping frittata out of pan. Garnish with chopped parsley and more pecorino, if you like. Serve in wedges.

one more twirler

so fun and girly. {photo was taken by lesliealtermanphotography}

Loves to Twirl

Matilda Jane



How cute is this dress and pants. I am not a fan of them together but love the dress with some cute pink or yellow leggings and those pants with a white tank and flip flops. Everyone knows we LOVE Matilda Jane clothes for girls. They are so fun and comfy and this picture makes me smile :)

Hope you can stop by my party next week to see more of the new House of Clouds line!!!

Tiny Prints DEAL today on Zulily

Valentine's Day Gift Tag Stickers Sweet Tweet - Front : Princess
If you are not registered with Zulily, you should today. They are offering $40 worth of stationary from Tiny Prints for $20. Tiny Prints has really cute gift stickers, invites and lots more. Valentines Day is right around the corner and they have some really cute stuff....

Zulily-here is the link for the coupon

Tiny Prints also has a deal of the day every Thursday where they pick one thing to be half off. This week it was business cards but check each week for different items. Makes great teacher gifts too so order ahead of time so you don't stress out come May.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Weelicious-fast, easy recipes for entire family


A friend suggested this site today {Weelicious} and I think it is GREAT. Check it out if you get a chance.
Here is a recipe I found on the site for Homeade Ranch dip minus all the artificial ingredients of the store bought ones...everything tastes better with Ranch and maybe your kids will eat their veggies too!!

Ranch Dip (Makes 1/3 Cup)
1/4 Cup Yogurt (I use Greek Yogurt)
2 Tbsp Vegansaise or Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Fresh Chives, chopped
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
Salt to taste
1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Serve.

Let me know if your kids like it...

Monday, January 24, 2011

Cutest little girl jewelry!

Annabel Necklace

SALE Little Heart Charm Necklace
http://www.etsy.com/shop/NestPrettyThingsKids?section_id=7001370
Check out this design and more at NestPrettyThingsKids on etsy...love Etsy!

Lemondropstop

GreyGreyDamaskBetter DaysButtonsPlumGraffiti Art








Not sure how I stumbled upon this site but seems really cool. They have backdrops for photographers...Last year, I searched forever to find an old farm house as a backdrop for my Holiday cards...this would have been so much easier and not nearly as cold!!

http://www.lemondropstop.com/

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Leggings

I LOVE leggings-and am so glad they have stayed in style for so long.

My favorite workout leggings are lululemon wunder under crops. I love these new tie-dye ones!!

Wunder Under Crop

For going out, David Lerner leggings are awesome. They have such unique details that dress them up but you feel like you are walking around in your PJ's.




Both come with somewhat hefty pricetag, but when you figure cost per wear and you wear all the time, seems worth it!!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Valentines Day gift ideas

West Avenue Jewelry Large Monogram Necklace


















Several people have asked me for suggestions so here goes.

For Kids:
-Valentine's Day Books-go to Amazon with your coupon from the other day or Borders
{they have a whole section}!
-Crafts from Michaels -SO much fun stuff to choose from
-Cupcakes from Gigi's (they have several new locations)

For Him:
-Phiten titanium necklace w/ fav sports team (sports authority)
-Knot fabric cufflinks from brooks brothers
-Timex watch from Jcrew -buy him several bands so he can swap them out! Lots of cool colors too. Watch is $150 and bands are around $12.
-Lululemon workout clothes
-I Pad
-Digital Photo Frame for his office


For Her
-flowers from Costco (I love the purple ones)!!
-Sima G Personalized Necklace (under $100)
-Heather Moore Personalized Necklace, Jennifer Meyer or Helen Ficalora personalized necklace!! ($$$)
-I pad
-Canvas of her fav picture (Costco even does this now)
-Large Monogram Necklace {and this last one is my favorite-see photo at top, comes in Gold and Silver}

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Gotham Salad


Random how everyone has cravings for certain things. I have some family & friends travelling to NY today and all of a sudden I am craving a salad, but not just any salad! Oh, how I love the Gotham Salad at Bergdorf. It is a definate must have while in NYC. It seems very simple but is just so delish. It comes with thousand island dressing, but I prefer the mustard vin. Oh, and make sure they mix the dressing up for you, its not as good on the side. If you are in NYC, you have to try this at Bergdorf Goodman!

 

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Amazon Giftcard 1/2 off

I usually delete most emails from the "Deal" sites each morning but every now and then, a good one pops up. Like today, get $20 giftcard to Amazon for $10.00 and it doesnt have an expiration date. You can only buy one so send to everyone you know so they can share in this great deal. When 3 or more people buy the deal that you share, its is yours FREE!!
 
 

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Cutest Hat

We were given a really cute hat as a hand me down and the timing was perfect because it was worn everyday last week during the SNOW!! Several people have asked where we got it and I think it from Gap a few years ago. The hat shown above is similiar from Matilda Jane and was sold as part of the Sugarland collection for around $20. As with most MJ items, it is probably sold out but maybe worth looking for on ebay?? 

Fun Gift

Note-to-Teacher Notecards
Aren't these adorable? They are great for sending notes to/from school or just for anything related to your kids!!They make a great gift and are very affordable. She gives a HUGE discount if you buy in quantities of 50 or 100. A set of 12 is $5.00. Perfect for the mom who has everything.
Here is a link:
Paige Pasttimes Etsy Store

Cake Pops, we did it!

So we made them. They are far from perfect but it was fun to do. Got better at it-there is definately a technique and you have to be very precise. We also made choch covered oreos with hearts from candy molds-that was fun too!! Next time I will have to crumble the cake batter as mine was a bit lumpy. Also, the cakeballs needed to be more round and uniform.... Above is a pic of the finished product and the cookbook that taught us how to make them. It is very detailed and has some fun, creative ideas!!!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Cake Pops {Valentines}

cake-balls
My kids really want me to make these. We got the Bakerella cookbook as a gift and think we will try. Images to follow if they turn out-above is borrowed from the bakerella website. We have tried the graduation hats and while they were really fun to make, they werent exactly perfect looking!! Wish us luck. We are going to do red velvet cake, pink, red or white dipping choc and valentines sprinkles from the Target Dollar Aisle. They were in the dollar aisle but $2.50, kinda misleading because I told the kids they could have anything in the dollar aisle and they turned out to be more at the register. Any tips for our cake pops-please share??

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Matilda Jane

 
Everyone knows how much I love Matilda Jane's Clothes and I found these pics online of their Spring line -how cute are they?? With all the snow still on the ground, I am counting the days til summer {and warm weather}!!!

Friday, January 14, 2011

JCREW

I love Jcrew. It's pretty much my go to place for everything I wear. I've ditched my designer jeans for Jcrew toothpick jeans and cords. They are half the price and fit GREAT! Now that they are on sale, you can afford to buy them in every color!!!

Right now, all sale stuff is addl 40% off plus free shipping if you spend over $100.
Use Code MUSTHAVE

Stock up on T's, jeans, accessories at great prices!!!

Some steals you can't miss for men and women:
{they also have kids stuff too but I didnt have time to check that out}
Ankle stretch toothpick jean in smoke washVintage cotton ribbon henley

baby stuff and sales

Bestever Blue Bear Baby Mat


Seems like everyone around me is having babies...kinda makes me want another but just for a minute :) I have been shopping for baby gifts and "pillow pals" and "stuffed animal mats" seem to be the hottest gift now. You can't go wrong with one of those-even the big kids like them.

I also found 2 GREAT sales while looking for gifts this week.

ShopBabyTrends has the coolest clothes and gifts for kids and babies and right now the whole site is 40% off. Just enter code WINTER40 at checkout. {Even their boys stuff is cool}

Tuttibella is also a great site for trendy clothes and gifts for babies and kids. A preschool mom told me about this site and they are going out of business so everything is SUPER CHEAP!! Check them both out...

Aside from buying a few baby gifts, I am going to pass on all the sales as I am saving for my
Matilda Jane Trunk show coming up the first week in February. I am over winter (especially after all this snow) and ready to buy some Spring stuff!!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

more Snow Day Ideas

Heart Candy Necklace Kit


These were for Valentines Day but we decided to open them a little early. They kept us busy for at least an hour. Loved these as a kid so when I saw the make you own kind at Michaels, I had to pick up a box. They come 8 per package and are $3.99. You could buy them online directly from the Wilton Candy Site.
Candy Heart Necklace-DIY They would also make a cute birthday party favor for a little girls princess party or other girl themed party.

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

We also made these. Our are not as pretty as pic above but they are pretty delish. We also made homeade ice cream to go on them but these would be better with store bought {blue bell or haagen daaz in your fav flavor} Although the homeade ice cream was incredible, it doesnt freeze well and the consistancy was weird on the sandwich. NOTE: this did not stop any of us from eating them!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room
     temperature, for greasing foil
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 quart chocolate chip ice cream or any flavor, softened

Directions:

Be sure an adult is nearby to help.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil (some foil hanging over the edges is fine). Lightly grease the foil with the 1 tablespoon butter.

Put the 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter in a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir with the whisk just until the butter is melted. Using a pot holder, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cocoa powder. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. Add the sugar and continue whisking until well blended. Let the mixture cool for 2 minutes.

Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well blended. Add the flour and salt. Using a rubber spatula, stir until the batter is blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownie comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Using the ends of the foil, lift the brownie from the pan and set it on a cutting board. Cut the brownie in half lengthwise. Carefully loosen both halves from the foil. Using a rubber spatula, spread the softened ice cream evenly over one half of the brownie into a layer about 1 inch thick. Top with the other half of the brownie and press down gently. Wrap in the foil. Freeze until hard, about 6 hours.

Peel away the foil and cut into 8 to 10 sandwiches. Serve immediately. You can also wrap the sandwiches in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Makes 8 to 10 sandwiches.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook, by Abigail Johnson Dodge
 

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

baby gifts

Chamois Stroller Blanket
People always ask, "What is a good baby present?" So I will share a few things that I personally got and actually use!! My top choice always is the PBK chamois stroller blanket {see above photo}. It is so soft, lasts for years and years and comes in tons of colors! The white is beautiful but would probably get pretty dirty!!!

I also loved hooded towels, they are great for babies but can be used for years! Here is an adorable one that I found Ladybug Hooded Towel.

Another great gift is the sterling baby spoon. I have one to match my silver pattern but there are a ton of cute ones out there. I used mine all the time!! Sterling Silver Baby Spoon. Nambe also makes a rattle that is around $50 that is sold online at Bloomingdales. Babies love silver because it feels good on their teeth. Tiffany used to make one with a moon on it but I am not sure if they still do because I didn't see it on their website. If you want to really blow it out, go for the sterling silver baby cup. I like the double handle one because it is easier for baby to use. {see below}.
Reed & Barton Double Handle Baby Cup

One more idea is the monogram pillow. This comes in all variations...white linen with birth stats, minky material with applique name, check out etsy for so many options. I like the one pictured below because it is simple and you can customize colors to match baby's room.
CUSTOM cut monogrammed initial pillow for baby, bamboo felt

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

stationery

i LOVE stationrey! my favorite website for it is http://www.erincondren.com/. I really like their life planners (above right)- must carry mine with me everywhere or I am lost. It is bright, colorful, fun and keeps me organized {well mostly}.  Last year I used the Mom Agenda but I like the Erin Condren one better for many reasons mostly the folder and zip pocket, but also because there is more room to write.. They have great gift stickers, notecards, and invites too. Sometimes you can even get lucky and find discount codes or gift certificates for half off stickers or notecards from One Kings Lane. Not sure how long it will last but all notecards are 25% off on the website now. I just ordered some gift stickers (in the below pink design) and they turned out super cute! Also, noticed today...i am revising this that the whole site is 20% off!!!

I also like http://www.tinyprints.com/. They have such a large selection of notecards and giftstickers and the prices are amazing. they often run coupon codes for free shipping and other discounts. Here is a coupon you can use AFFDEC for $15 off $99 or $20 off $149 or more. There is also a special for today only-take 11% off your entire order with code EXTRA11. There gift stickers are smaller than most but for the price, they are WAY worth it. I think you get 24 for $7.

Or, you could always make your own...which is so much fun!

6pm

Check out this website 6pm. {thank you AK for the find} Yesterday in the snow, I found an awesome deal. They had RED bailey button Ugg kids boots-see photo above for 40% off. Not sure if they have an left, but it's worth looking. The best deals are the daily deals which come by email but they sell out quickly.  Last year, I got the same pair on here in BROWN for me and they are my favorite boots. Apparently it is the same company as Zappos. I have only ordered a few things but they have all been great So, if you have some time this week while stuck inside in the snow, check out this website for some deals. And shipping is 6.95 no matter how much you buy.

Some other things to check out:
Vincent shoes for kids (saw an adorable pair of mary janes in gold and silver), Juicy Couture swimsuits 70% off, North Face jackets, Nike workout clothes, Asics shoes, Cole Haan, Stuart Weitzman, Converse and so much more.

Happy Shopping!!

Monday, January 10, 2011

SNOW

Fun day playing in the snow. No school again tommorow :) Guess we will dance some more on the Wii!!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

just dance 2

we are preparing for SNOW. have made several trips to the grocery, Target, etc. On one of these trips, we purchased Just Dance 2- it is probably the most fun game ever. I am not into video games and was hesistant about trying it but once I finally uncrossed my arms and got into it....the fun began. It is GREAT for all ages and if you want a really good laugh, then come watch my family play this game. Not only is it competitive, but it's an awesome workout too. I think we are in pretty good shape and we were all winded from just a few songs of dancing.

If you have a Wii, go out and buy this game. If you don't, but a Wii just for this game. Hours and hours of fun...and a great workout too {way more fun than the treadmill or elliptical}!!!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Notecards



my handmade creation
 


some supplies used
 

So we had another Birthday party at Chuck E Cheese...and I am a big fan. No set up, no cleanup, no stress. Simple. Easy. Love it there!! They have updated their rides and it seems much cleaner inside. Some even said the pizza was better but I was not brave enough to try it. Besides, there were homeade choc chip cookies and that is WAY more appealing. So after the party, I searched all over my house for thank you notes and realized we finally ran out of the "fancy" stationary {the kind with sailboats and my sons name on them}. HMMM, what to do. Can't wait 2-4 weeks to order more. So an hour later, I take a field trip to Michaels and buy some adorable scalloped baby blue cards and red card stock and assemble my own. While in the check out lane, I made an impulse buy in the dollar section. They had these one letter monogram rubber stamps and I knew I had to have.  Upon returning home after my millions of daily errands and carpool driving, I attemped to assemble some notecards. It was very simple, just used a gluestick and glued the scalloped card to the square card for a layered look Then I stamped the big initial in the upper righthand corner. You could use any stamp-I thought about using the stamp in the second photo from Cupcaketree but wanted to try out my new one and I think they came out pretty cool...what do you think-see photo #1?? Did I mention how much money I probably saved. The custom ones are at least $100 for a set of 50 plus shipping costs, proofs, etc, etc.. These would be about half the cost. The stamp was $1.00 and I already had ink pads lying around from the kids crafts!!  You do not have to be creative, it is really simple to make your own stationary and fun too...



Wednesday, January 5, 2011

A fab find for coffee drinkers

coffee: [phonetics] n. an aromatic, mildly stimulating beverage prepared from coffee beans.

Ok, so I REALLY like coffee. I used to drink decaf but have slowly moved toward half caff in my daily routine and sometimes will even drink the regular stuff. My brand of choice is Starbucks I love the smell of a fresh pot and will not drink it if it sits on the burner for more than 10-minutes. I have learned from a coffee expert wiser than me that it gets scalded and has a burnt taste and I totally agree. I am not hard-core enough to drink it black yet but think that people who do are extremely cool. I prefer a little skim milk or cream. My grandma used to put ice cream in her coffee-delish!! She is also the one who introduced me to coffee when i was VERY young at McDonalds. She used to dump out half the creamer and fill half of it with her coffee. I think that is how I originally acquired my taste for the stuff ! 
So enough about that...I have found an awesome travel coffee cup from 
Bed Bath and Beyond. {see photo below} and it even comes with a water cup. The coffee cup can be microwaved which is a huge plus if you like it piping HOT. You can also buy them separately too. And if you use your 20% coupon (which come in the mail almost daily), it is less than $8.00. Can you say bargain and you are also being GREEN at the same time. The cool thing is that you will feel like you are drinking Starbucks because the cup looks like its from a coffee shop and then you can get hydrated by drinking water all day from the water cup.  I think the water tastes better out of this cup-weird i know, but you will too once you try it. These sets come in turquoise, brown and pink. The also make great gifts...teachers, hostess, birthday, etc. So, next time you are in BBB, pick one up and let me know what you think!!!
Dont worry if you give to someone who doesnt like coffee, they can use it for tea or hot choc :)

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

the beginning of something...

Ok so i am new to this blog thing. My cousin Leslie {who is an AMAZING photographer} totally inspired me on New Years Eve with the two books she brought me as a gift.  Here is a link to her website-you must check out her work!!!
 http://www.lesliealtermanphotography.com/

I will blog on all of my favorite things...photography, shopping {deals and steals}, place to eat, vacation spots, and working out (which i hope to do more of in the New Year-instead of just wearing the clothes around). 

Hope you will follow me on my journey...

And by the way, the photo above is of the snowman we built over Christmas break. Not sure why but it makes me laugh. It doesn't snow much in GA so we dont have much experience but think the kids did a pretty good job :)