June is here and the beach is on my mind. I’m at a point in my life where I feel more confident in a one-piece than a bikini. Not just because I had Giada a mere 4 months ago, but chasing Rocco around the beach (this dude never stops moving) in a bikini is pretty…
Have you ever had a raw baby bok choy salad? Until last week, I didn’t even know you could (or should) eat it raw. Last Saturday, I went to the Farmer’s market planning to try the broad assortment of lettuce varieties. To be frank, I was a bit overwhelmed with all of the choices. “What is…
It’s officially beach season, yay! I recently bought a practical beach tote (on sale!) for lugging Rocco’s sand toys to the beach. Although practical, I also wanted to get a cute adult-friendly version to go with my new one-piece (seriously, how cute is this for such a steal?!), so I started browsing for black accented…
My last living grandparent, my Grandpa Richard Vivian, passed away at age 86, less than a week before Giada was born. Yesterday was his funeral. Since I was not able to be there, I wanted to take a minute to say goodbye to my grandpa, to share what he meant to me, and what he taught me….
Have you gotten your dad’s or husband’s father’s day gifts yet? You still have a couple of weeks to find the perfect gift. I’ve mentioned before how many cool and unique gifts you can get on Etsy (for moms). I love that these items have a handmade quality and many of them can be personalized…
I wanted to make a special treat for the kids in honor of the holiday weekend. Our good friends from Phoenix, Sean and Amy, were in Newport Beach for Memorial Day weekend. They have two kids, Patrick and Ellen, who are almost 3 and 5. I figured homemade bomb pops, made with fresh fruit, were…
Fashionable women in the 1950’s and 60’s, like Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn, popularized the cat eye trend. The cat eye style seems to reemerge every few years. This time around, there are so many unique and interesting cat eye frames in all sorts of exaggerated shapes, patterns, and colors–many well under $100!. Tortoise cat…
I made these brown butter cherry bars recipe with fresh cherries a few years back for a dinner party. I liked them so much, I wanted to share them with you. It’s cherry season at our farmer’s market and I couldn’t be happier. Cherries are probably one of my favorite fruits because they are sweet,…
Plastic flip flops aren’t cute. They serve a purpose at the beach, by the pool or in the gym shower, but that’s it. They look (and are) cheap and they don’t provide any foot support. With so many cute flat sandals for women under $100, let’s do ourselves a favor and bury those plastic flops…
A chambray button-down shirt is classic and timeless. I like to layer mine over cotton dresses, like I would a cardigan. Chambray has a casual, cool feeling and the lightweight material is perfect for summer. The chambray fashion trend is having a major moment right now. So much so that you can find chambray fabric…
Today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, so I got to thinking about my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookies. My favorite happens to be from La Grande Orange in Phoenix, Arizona. They make the tastiest, giant, chocolate chip cookies with sea salt. I emailed them to ask if they would share their recipe with me….
Summer came early to southern California. My car thermostat read 100 yesterday. Taking care of my skin in the summer means I retire my winter standbys (like heavy creams) and dig out my summer skin care essentials, which always includes light-weight, oil free lotions and products with SPF. This year, I’ve also added a serum and…
I don’t have much time to browse the mall like I did before I had my daughter. Now, I mostly use online retail sites to stay current with what’s new. The other day, I went to Nordstrom’s site and saw this stylish look. I love this crochet top and skort look because the coral is…
This Sunday is my last, first Mother’s day and I’m already nostalgic. This is my first Mother’s day having a daughter, and my last, first mother’s day, since we don’t plan to have any more children. As I reflect on what Mother’s day means to me this year, it dawned on me that there are now…
Why are you calling it vegan leather? If it is leather, it can’t be vegan. Why don’t you call it what it is? It’s faux leather, imitation leather, leatherette, fake leather. The ‘You’ I refer to above are those companies that are jumping on the “I’m doing good things for the world” bandwagon by using…
