Why would as busy woman like myself take on the task of making a homemade lion costume for my son? Making DIY Halloween costumes is a for our family. In mid-September, my hubby and I started brainstorming ideas of what the kids should be for Halloween this year. Since Gigi is old enough to walk…
After researching homemade candy recipes, I couldn’t help but try making some myself. I haven’t met that many candies I didn’t like, but one of my favorites is junior mints — especially at movies.Junior Mints and Peppermint Patties are one of my favorite sweet treats – something about the dark chocolate and mint are satisfying, without…
I can’t believe it’s October already. But I’m happy it’s October because, in Phoenix, that means fall is here — the nights are the perfect temperature and days are a lot more bearable. Fall is also my favorite time of the year because it means Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner! Halloween…
I never thought this day would come, that my parents would sell my childhood home. Yes, my dad had been talking about it for several years, but something always stopped them from moving forward with the sale. This summer, they finally decided it was time to move into a new place, with less maintenance and…
Since he first started solids, Rocco has remained a picky eater. We’ve tried our best to get him to try new things, and every now and then, he surprises us (raw broccoli anyone?). Most of the time, he sticks to what he knows. Snack time has become pretty mundane. I still prefer to give him healthier…
It’s July in Phoenix so I’m constantly trying to find ways to stay cool. Homemade ice cream or other icy treats are probably my favorite way to cool down. Last summer, we made some homemade bomb pops, which were a fun summer treat. I wanted to find something new to try making at home, so…
Like most moms, I’m often too busy to find time to pamper myself. My weekends are too jam packed to fit in a professional manicure, and weeknights are full of caring for the kids and dinner prep. If you’re a busy mom like me, you know that an at-home manicure is usually the only option….
To make it through my work day, I rely heavily on iced coffee. It’s become something of a morning ritual to walk over to my local Starbucks and grab a venti iced coffee. At over 3 bucks a pop, my monthly coffee total is really starting to put a dent in my disposable budget. Given…
To be honest, most of my home decor has been acquired out of necessity, not with as much thought as I would like. A lot of it is disposable — stuff I bought in my early-mid twenties to fill space. The majority of the pieces I love the most were gifts. One of my students…
My new office gives us unlimited hot drinks. Most days, I stick with my favorite earl gray, but the past couple afternoons, I’ve indulged by sipping a couple pre-packaged hot chocolates. Those little packets bring back memories of building snow forts and giant snowmen in my front yard. I loved playing in the snow as…
For my daughter’s first birthday, I decided to make a homemade funfetti birthday cake for a couple reason. First, it’s cute and looks pretty. Second, I made a low-sugar healthy smash cake for my son’s first birthday, and he didn’t dig into it like I had hoped. I figured the lure of the sweet buttery…
Awhile back, my husband showed me the instructions for no ice cream maker homemade vanilla ice cream using ice cube trays and a food processor. It all seemed simple (and ingenious!), so I bought the ingredients to try it for myself. But before I could try the original recipe, we heard about Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream….
After five years away, we are making our new home in Phoenix (again). I recently realized it is also the only city, (besides my hometown of Green Bay, WI), that feels like home. I’ve lived in 5 states and 9 different cities, most since graduating college 12 years ago. With all that moving, it surprises…
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…
I have a thing for lemons. As if it wasn’t already obvious from the numerous recipes I’ve made featuring lemons (lemon-lime margarita pops, lemon Bundt cakes, and lemon blueberry muffins). Plus, my local farmer’s market always has the most gorgeous lemons–the farmer (see image above) even cut one open for me to see just how…