Things That Make Me Say Yeay!

I finally got to sit down and read my anthropologie catalog that has been collecting dust. It is filled with amazing dresses, gorgeous jewelry and dreamy home decor. YEAY!

Picking our first homegrown apples of the season!

I love this quote that was attached to my Yogi green tea bag. So simple and SO true. All their tea bags have these great little quotes that make opening up and drinking a fresh cup of tea that much better.

GLEE Gum! It is all natural and it's made with rainforest chicle! Do you know what rainforest chicle is? Neither do I but it sounds cool.

Today is the last day to enter THIS giveaway.

Skin Care Tip of the Week *DIY vitamin c mask*

I live in the land of sun (California) where most women believe the tanner the better. Don't get me wrong I LOVE a good spray tan but laying out in the sun baking like a little lobster is no bueno.

Most of my clients come to me for corrective treatments such as microdermabrasion and chemical peels but these treatments are not cheap. Today I am going to show you how you can make your own super affordable at home corrective mask using Vitamin C powder.

You are probably thinking...COOL but where can I get vitamin C powder? You can get it at your local bulk health food store. I get mine at Sprouts. Or you can buy it in bulk here.

Vitamin C will help keep your skin smooth and youthful looking. It can also help lighten dark spots caused by the sun.

How to make your own vitamin C mask:

• Mix 1 tablespoon of vitamin C with 1/2 tablespoon filtered water. If your skin is dry you can substitute water for 100 % pure aloe vera gel.
• Apply to face and leave on for about 10-15 min. Avoid directly under the eyes.
• Remove with a soft warm wash cloth.

You will LOVE the way your skin will look and feel after this!

If you have any questions you can leave them in the comment section and I will be happy to answer :)

1st Birthday Party

Yesterday we celebrated Max's FIRST birthday party! I still can not believe that my baby turned one. TEAR. Time is flying by way too fast..I have decided I am going to spend most of today just giving him kisses and playing with him on the floor with his new toys. I want to soak up these precious moments as long as I can.

The theme for Max's party was carnival...and even though I am not the party planner type, I can honestly say this was so much fun to plan!

Vanilla cupcakes topped with Barnum's Animal crackers.

Old fashioned root beer...along with actual beer for the adults ;)

Bright balloon bouquets.

The Birthday boy!

Food was simple. Hamburgers and hotdogs.

Blowing out his first birthday candle with Dad!

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby boy!

26 Candles

For Ian's birthday last year we went to the hospital to have Max! Yippeieee...well not so much. Max decided he did not want the same birthday as Ian and came two LONG days later.

This year I wanted to make sure Ian had the best birthday dinner ever! He requested a steak dinner at his favorite steak house..and a homemade strawberry vanilla cake. Ladies..the saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach" is so true! He was one happy camper.

We both tried raw oysters for the first time. Slippery little suckers...but delicious!

Even though I couldn't get the cake out of the pan..woopsie forgot to grease it...he still loved it!...wax drippings and all ;)

26 candles!

At the moment my kitchen looks like a cupcake disaster zone! Max's first birthday party is tomorrow and I am doing every thing last minute..nothing new!

Thrifty Momma Thursday

A gold butterfly necklace.

A vintage fuchsia skirt.

Brown slouchy boots IN MY SIZE.

Thrifting Tip:
If you LOVE something ( I loved the skirt) and it is a great price ($3) but it is TOO big (or too long..) have it altered...and Ta-DA! If you have sewing skills I am jealous! I would be making much bolder purchases if I knew how to do my own alterations.

Sushi Hand Rolls

Most of the things I cook are pretty simple. If you are looking for a five layer cake recipe you will not find that here. I am pro blender. If you can stick a few ingredients in the blender and make a soup I'm sold!

During out last trip to the grocery store..I stopped and chatted with the sushi chef. I asked him how to make a sushi hand roll and he showed me. THIS IS SIMPLE people. The only "hard" part was cooking the rice. I kind of screwed this up...but SHHHH Ian did not notice.

How do you mess up cooking rice? Who knows but I did. It was all crispy and stuck to the pan. Maybe I did not add enough water....Any whoo..

What you will need:

• An assortment of fresh veggies
  
• Nori seaweed paper
  
• Brown rice
• Cooked shrimp
  

I bought way too much shrimp you only need a small handful. You cut them up into tiny pieces to use in your hand rolls.

Place a small amount of moist cooked rice on the sushi paper. Arrange veggies and shrimp on top. Roll it up like a little burrito and Wallla!

Such a simple easy dinner.

Skin Care Tip of the Week *Sunscreen*

Today I am going to tell you one of the most important skin care tips of them all. You should APPLY SUNSCREEN every day rain or shine. If you were to only apply one product before leaving your house this is what I suggest you don't go without. Protecting your skin from the suns harmful rays is so important.

Excessive exposure to sunlight without protecting your skin will:

• Accelerate the normal aging process. I believe this is something ALL women want to prolong as long as possible.
• Cause dark spots.
• Cause lines and wrinkles.
• Break down collagen in your skin which leads to sagging.
• Can cause skin cancer.

I recommend using a sunscreen/moisturizer of at least an SPF 15 or higher.

My top two favorite products are:

• Neutogena Oil-Free Moisture SPF 15. It is super light weight. It wont clog your pores and it is alcohol and fragrance free. Great product!
  

• Devita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30. This leaves my skin feeling sooo soft. It a paraben free and uses all natural ingredients. It is also formulated for skin that is sensitive and prone to breakouts. LOVE this product.

If you have any questions relating to sunscreen you can leave them in the comment section and I will be happy to answer :)