HALLOWEEN FUN

 

Another year another Halloween!  This is one of my favorite holidays.  I love the trips to the pumpkin patch, the treats, and the fun costumes.  The boys were super heroes and I bought a 2 dollar cat mask.  Nothing crazy, until Party City sold out of Spiderman.  The one super hero Liam was dying to be for Halloween.  I mean everyday he reminded me about the Spiderman costume.  So what is a mom to do?  Drive out 25 miles to another store.  Thank goodness they had one.  You are welcome Liam.  Jace was the baby from the Incredibles.   He was going to be a shark, but with the hot weather here in LA, he would have passed out wearing a thick costume like that.  So baby Incredible he was.  I think we did good this year.

   Like I mentioned before, I always try to find easy treats to make during the holidays.  These apple caramel slices with toppings were great.  Liam and his buddy enjoyed a few and of course us moms did too.

We always try to squeeze in a fun day in October.  At The Americana in Glendale they had a small concert for kids out on the lawn.  Kids came in costumes and paraded around all day.  Liam and Jace enjoyed some time running around and watching the dancing fountains.  I was even nice enough to get them both a Sprinkles cupcake.  Have you had one of their cupcakes?  So freaking delicious!  They melt in your mouth.  Damn you butter! Yes, I ate half of Liam’s and Jace had a mini one without the frosting.

PUMPKIN PATCH 2015

Our 2nd year to the Underwood Family Farm pumpkin Patch!  I love this place.  There is so much to do here.  I realized after, though, that we couldn’t do any of the games or watch any of the shows.  Just running around the patch and one cow train ride was enough to get Liam and Jace exhausted.  And the weather wasn’t very fall like. lt was a really hot day.  Liam somewhat enjoyed a snow cone.  He had a few bites, then spilled it all over himself after I offered him a piece of my burger and he screamed out “NO!” Haha!!  Gotta love toddlers! Tim and I had these delicious burgers.  Yeah, we scarfed those down in 10 seconds.  The idea of sitting down under the shade at a picnic table sounds amazing, but that doesn’t happen when you have 2 balls of energy.  The pumpkin picking was fun.  We got a couple of pumpkins in the wagon and, as usual, Tim pulled the boys all throughout.  However, Jace couldn’t sit still for very long so we hurried to the checkout.  Didn’t even get to use our tickets.  Good news is, we managed to leave there with our two boys unscathed.

PRESCHOOL IN OCTOBER

It’s October and it’s still blazing hot outside.  It would have been perfect if we had some fall weather during Liam’s first preschool field trip to the pumpkin patch.  I think we all left with sun tans.  Nonetheless, Liam had a blast.  He played on tricycles, ran on planks, and jumped up and down on hay stacks.  We even went on a hayride across the street. It’s a new addition to the patch.  During the ride you try and spot the scarecrow, spiderman hanging from a tree, and other cool things along the way.  Kids loved it and they all went back to school with a mini pumpkin to keep!

Liam’s birthday celebration at school comes with a crown and a cupcake.  Lucky for us, we got to see him blow out his candle.  “Don’t touch the flame Liam!”

RECENTLY…

Before Liam’s birthday bash we had quite a few moments that I will never forget, especially the time when Jace spilled my boiling hot tea on his arm.  Worst parent of the year?  That’s exactly how I felt after the incident.  Just when you think you got it, you don’t.  It was around 6am and I placed my mug on the arm of the couch.  2 seconds later Jace knocked it right over.  Good thing he’s a strong little guy and babies heal fast.  I mean really fast.  It took about a week to heal. He had a 2nd degree burn.  Ouch!  My poor baby.  It didn’t keep him from smiling though!

Then there was Liam’s 2nd hair cut.  How did this turn out?  Look at this speed racer!  Fresh cut in his favorite race car ever!! It was a little rough in the beginning, but thankfully his hair stylist was patient and really sweet.  He even got a lollipop!

 He say’s “cheese” with his eyes closed.  We were invited to a Hello Kitty birthday party in Northridge.  My friend’s daughter turned 1 years old.  Super cute party, but soooooo hot out.  So hot, you couldn’t slide down the inflatable moon jump.  We had to use towels.  Liam was unstoppable regardless.  Look at that face!

Here’s a funny moment… One thing that Jace does almost every day at home is hang out in the hamper.   We call it his “jacuzzi.”

Time for a check up!  Jace’s arm looks great. Liam kept his cool at the doc’s office.  So cool, he even told the pediatrician, “mommy burned baby brother’s arm with hot tea!”  Thanks Liam.

Another perfect moment to capture my boys’ outside.  If you don’t know by now, I love taking photos in natural lighting.  This is right before walking into Hobby Lobby to do some birthday party shopping.  Again, blazing hot out.  This was September and we were freaking melting.

Tasty bacon jalapeño cheddar pretzels I made on game day.  You can’t eat just one…. seriously.

It’s a popsicle party at Grandma’s house.

BEACH DAY IN CARPENTERIA

August 2014

We finally made it to the beach again this summer.  This time around we were invited by a few close friends of ours.  Being that the weather was perfect and Liam loves the beach, we decided to plan a day in Carpenteria.  We packed up an ice chest full of snacks, beverages,  beach blankets, and chairs.  And, of course, we packed a few beers… because what’s a trip to the beach without a few Coronitas? (insert splash of lime here).

Such an awesome place to be! Our friends camped in their toy hauler the entire week right by the ocean. Something too consider doing with the kiddos in the future.  We didn’t stay the night, but we did in fact stay to watch the sunset.  We ate BBQ burgers and fries.  So good. So bad.  But definitely worth every bite.  It’s Fall season now and California is still blazing hot.  Maybe another trip to the beach?

Happy Fall!!!

QUINOA ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

I’m not kidding when I say, the casserole looks way better than the leftovers you see pictured above.  So just imagine a 9×13 dish filled up with lots of goodness.  The cheese bubbling at the top is just the beginning. OMGeeeee!  I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.    The original one didn’t have meat so I added ground beef.  I also added more cheese. Because that’s how we roll. 😀 You can easily alter the recipe to your liking once you get familiar with the taste.  I added a little garlic salt and green onions.  Next time I am going to try it with shredded chicken and brown rice.  The best part about this dish, it’s healthy! Let me know how it turns out!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of cooked Quinoa

1 lb of cooked ground beef (I seasoned it with a little garlic salt)

1 (10oz) can of mild enchilada sauce *I used Las Palmas. I bought 2 cans and used a little more than 10oz since I added the beef.

1 (4.5oz) can of fire roasted chopped green chiles *I used La Victoria

1/2 cup of frozen corn or canned corn *I used frozen

1/2 cup of canned black beans drained

2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

1/2 teaspoon of chili powder

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese divided

3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese divided

1 tomato diced

1 avocado halved and diced

Diced green onions

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large saucepan cook the quinoa according to package instructions.  If you are going to use ground beef in your casserole, brown while quinoa is cooking.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  While ground beef is browning and quinoa is cooking, lightly oil a 9×13 baking dish.  If you don’t add meat, use an 8×8 dish.

In a large bowl stir cooked quinoa, cooked ground beef or chicken, corn, black beans, season with salt and pepper, cilantro, cumin and chili powder.  Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese.

Pour mixture into baking dish.  Top off with remaining cheese (I added more).  I also added green onions on top. Bake casserole for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Garnish with diced avocado and tomato.

ENJOY!

 

 

LIAM TURNS 2- VINTAGE CAR PARTY

Birthday: October 11th 

Party: October 26, 2014

I finally put all the photos together from Liam’s 2nd birthday party!! A year later, thank you very much.  Since I didn’t have a chance to share his party last year, I figured now is a great time since October is right around the corner.  Liam has been obsessed with cars so I decided to plan and style a vintage car party for him.  This was so much fun yet tiring, especially because I was 37 weeks pregnant with Jace.  Thank goodness I managed to stay on my two feet the entire time.  We had a great turn out from all of our wonderful friends and family.  I can’t thank them enough for being a part of Liam’s special day.  Everyone enjoyed sliders, mini hotdogs, kettle chips, and “Motor Oil” for their beverage.  We did in fact have beer for the adults, root beer on ice, and a few Izze sparkling drinks as well.  To snack on I had “Nuts and Bolts” “Cones” and of course the usual, veggies and dip.  And don’t get me started on the dessert table.  Let’s put it this way, nothing was left-over besides a few spare tires.  Check out the pics below and let me know what you think!

I’m originally from Texas.  When I registered my car in California, I decided to keep my plates.  I thought they would come in handy someday.  Well, this was the perfect time to use them.  Also, I found this really cool vintage gas pump at Home Goods.  But unfortunately,  it was in Liam’s bedroom and I completely forgot to bring it out the day of the party. So bummed! (insert pregnancy brain here).  It would’ve been the perfect addition to our dessert table.  Any ways, I added a pic below so you have an idea of what to look for… if you ever decide to throw a vintage car party too. 😉

“The Concession Stand”  

Condiments Stop Light (ketchup, mustard, and relish)

Our awesome car photo booth! I drew the car free hand on cardboard and attached the wheel and rearview mirrors.  Then I painted it with extra paint we had left over in our garage.  I bought a few dowels and glued signs that I printed out at our local Kinkos.  Route 101– Freeway in Los Angeles and Speed Limit 2 for Liam’s bday year.  And of course a Stop Sign.  I added the PRTAY on the license plate later on.

Don’t fear the beard.  Tim grew it out just for Halloween.  It made his Viking costume even more legit.

 The only time drinking and driving is legal behind the wheel.  Ha! Even the adults enjoyed the photo booth.

LIAM’S FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL

August 21, 2015

The day has finally come! My 1st born is growing up right before my eyes.  Like everyone says, “Enjoy these moments because they go by too fast.”  See that’s the problem, it goes by so fast, I find it difficult to step back and enjoy it.  Sometimes I have to remind myself not to go 100mph through life.  So just like that, the morning rush of getting Liam ready for his big day arrived; pack lunch, make breakfast, brush hair, brush teeth, change clothes, pack backpack, and repeat over and over, “Are you excited, Liam?!”  After all this, I thought, I’m definitely going to cry when I leave him at school.

On our drive there, I kept thinking to myself, how the hell am I going to get his first day of preschool photo?  Liam is one of those.  Yes, one of those toddlers that likes to say NO to a lot of things we say.  Especially when we want to take a picture of him. What is it with this word? Seriously!  Drives me nuts.  We finally arrived and thankfully Liam was in a great mood.  So I asked nicely, “Can I take a picture of you?”  And guess what this little dude said, “Ok!” I was ecstatic! Hence, the 50 photos taken of him in the same spot.  There were so many good takes, it was really hard to share only one.  Or maybe I’m just really proud of my little boy.  As I left his classroom, no tears.  Just a big smile…

JACE IS GROWING! MONTHS 1-5

Hello everybody!  It’s been a few months since I’ve updated the blog.  Instagram seems to be the easiest and quickest online journal for me.  Since I only post 1 or 2 photos from our events or daily activities on instagram,  I want to start back on our blog so that I can create a full album of our adventures.  It just makes sense, since we don’t print out photos anymore.  I’ve got hundreds thousands of them in my iPhoto in need of attention.  And not only that, but it’s really been helpful documenting our experiences.  Lately Tim and I have been comparing Jace’s growth to Liam’s.  Sadly,  I haven’t posted his month to month photos on here.  Soooo with that being said,  here is Jace’s monthly postings starting from month 1 through 5.  I’ll post the other half when he turns 10 months (currently 9 months).

MONTH 1- DECEMBER 

Favorite Food: Breast milk

Words: No words yet.  I did get a huge smile from him on the 9th day (happy dreams).

Nicknames: Little love

Enjoys: snuggling with mommy and sleeping

MONTH 2- JANUARY 

Weighing in at: 11lbs 1oz

Height: 23 in

MONTH 3- FEBRUARY

Weighing in at: 13lbs 12oz

Height: 25 in

Favorite Food: He sleeps like an angel and has a huge appetite.

Baby Got Skills: At 3 Months Jace can roll onto his belly and hold his head up high.  Lots of smiles and giggles.

MONTH 4- MARCH

Weighing in at: 15lbs 8oz

Height: 25 3/4 in

Favorite Foods: He drinks a lot and eats a bit of oatmeal and sweet potato.

Baby Got Skills: At 4 months Jace can scoot, pull hair, and gives the best morning smiles ever!

MONTH 5- APRIL

Weighing in at: 16lbs

Height: 26 1/4 in

Baby Got Skills: At 5 months Jace is army crawling, flipping over, and shares loud giggles with everyone.  He is teething like crazy, but still no tooth in sight.  And this baby loves to eat!  He’s always hungry.

PAINTING PUMPKINS

Some of our pumpkins somewhat lasted until the beginning of December.  The smaller ones always do, at least.  It had been since Halloween that those pumpkins were just sitting out front on our steps.  We decided to keep the holiday spirit going with Thanksgiving, but now that we were already decorating the house with elves and antlers, it was time to throw them out.  I was about to toss the pumpkins until I came up with a great idea.  When I say great, I mean GREAT!  What a fun way to entertain toddlers- paint and pumpkins.  So I grabbed a piece of fabric from my party kit and laid it out in the backyard.  I brought out all the washable paints and cheap paintbrushes. While Jace was enjoying the sunshine, Liam was showing his true artistry.  I will continue to do this every year, but probably a little earlier to showcase his colorful pumpkins.  So fun!