Month: April 2014

Just One Bite – Works For Me And… Mother’s Day * Birthdays * Holidays

I am a firm believer that a sweet tooth is hereditary and I have no doubt that I got mine from my Granddad. He was a man who often said “you only live once, eat dessert first” and he never met a dessert he didn’t like. At Thanksgiving as dessert plates were being filled the question would be asked “Pumpkin, Pecan or Apple?” to which he responded “Yes please”. Translation: he’ll take one of each and don’t forget the Chocolate that wasn’t even mentioned. My sweet tooth doesn’t quite have the same appetite. Just one bite works for me.

If you are someone like me or know someone like me who has a bit of a sweet tooth and enjoys an after dinner treat then you need to know about Just One Bite. This small business offers a variety of single serving desserts that can be prepared and ready to enjoy within a matter of minutes. They mix fresh dry ingredients and package them ever so sweetly to be opened and prepared by their customers by simply adding a couple “wet” ingredients then microwaving.

Just One Bite has a variety of flavors as well as six different gluten free mixes. My personal favorite is “It’s Practically My Birthday” Cake. My husband is a huge fan of their Chocolate Lava Cake and as far as my teen goes, well, he shares the same middle name as his Granddad and lives by the same motto of eating dessert first so he’ll take one of each! Just One Bite has a S’more Brownie mix that is one of their top sellers as well as a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake, Pumpkin Spice Cake, Streusel Coffee Cake, Crustless Pecan Pie, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and Peanut Butter Chip Cake. All of these mixes are delicious and can be purchased off of their website for $2.50 each along with a five inch whisk for $1.25 and a four inch Ramekin to bake in for $2.75.

Just One Bite doesn’t just work for me, it works as a gift for others! It’s a perfect birthday gift, Mother’s Day gift, surprise treat, and is a great thing to keep in the pantry for those nights that a sweet tooth flare up occurs. If you’d like to send this sweet treat to a friend Just One Bite will gift wrap ($2.25) your selections and your thoughtful tasty gift will be ready share with a very lucky person. These delicious mixes make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift. For orders to be received by Saturday, May 10th be sure to place your orders by Monday, May 5th.

Just One Bite will be happy to receive your orders and fulfill them year round. Be sure to LIKE them on Facebook and bookmark their website so that you have a yummy gift idea ready to order for Father’s Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Holidays, “Works for me Wednesdays”, and every other day.

For other fantastic ideas check out more It “Works for me Wednesday” posts on Kristen Welch’s blog site “We are that Family” or search Twitter for #wfmw.
-T

Breakfast or Dessert: Donut Bar

WHEN IN SAN DIEGO… A MUST make stop is the Donut Bar in downtown at 631 B. Street. If you live in San Diego, then make it a weekly stop! I LOVE THIS PLACE. This is by far the very best donut breakfast and dessert EVER. However, if you plan on it being your dinner dessert you’ll need to pick up your donuts of choice in the morning because they sell out fast. These donuts are the #bestdonutsintheworld.

The Donut Bar opens at 7am on weekdays and 8am on Saturday & Sunday. Their closing time varies as they close once they sell out which could be as early as 10am or as late as 1pm. Don’t chance it – go early!

The menu at Donut Bar changes daily. They post their menu each evening on different social media outlets to inform their customers of which of their favorite donuts will be available the following day. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and check their Website for more information.

To read about my family’s favorite Donut Bar Donuts click here or go to the San Diego link at the top of this page. Happy Monday!
– T

No Sand Box? No Problem. Sand fun!

At our last house we had a wood sandbox complete with an attached blue & white striped umbrella. It was quite the gathering spot for my morning tea with my little man as well as play dates with his friends. Unfortunately the wood didn’t hold up so well and neither did the umbrella in the valley of the sun. Our current home is on a hillside on stilts and rather than a grassy back yard we have two separate large wood decks. We have a beautiful view that my older son’s friend refers to as a “casual forest” and outside of missing the grass and the sandbox we really enjoy our days and evenings on the deck amidst the Eucalyptus trees.

My little guy loves building sand castles, roads, and sand race tracks. He spends the majority of his time during our days at the beach playing in the sand while ignoring the ocean waves and water play that his big brother partakes in. To bring some sand castles and road construction into our daily life I came up with a very simple solution. A tub o’ sand. That’s it. A tub + a bag of sand = FUN.

This perfect solution sits out on the deck off of our family room and serves as my tot’s chosen play place several times throughout each day. Because there is a lid there is no worry that cats, squirrels or anything uninvited will find it’s way into the sand. The cost is just at ten dollars to purchase the tub & sand and most importantly, this tub o’ sand serves as learning and sensory time too. Remove the buckets and trucks, then burry magnet letters off of the refrigerator and you have a place for your child to work on fine motor skills while sifting through the sand (shovels optional). As the letters are uncovered discuss the letter, sounds it makes, and objects that begin with that letter. Do the same with wooden puzzle pieces – shapes, farm animals, numbers, etc. Depending on the age of your child they can guess what is in their hand before pulling it out of the sand and revealing the object. Sand play is a great sensory activity for developing fine motor skills and makes for a fun learning time for little ones.

For more Nifty Thrifty ideas, join hundreds of bloggers by clicking here and LIKE Nifty Thrify Things on Facebook.

Here’s to days on the beach with sand between your toes and days on the deck with sand between your fingers!
– T

Note: On rainy days that we stay indoors we fill a tub with colored rice to enjoy sensory play by burying objects in rice – if you put a sheet down first the rice mess is easily collected. Enjoy!

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Five Minute Friday: “Friend”

Blessed. That’s what I am. Blessed for my circle of friends and the family that I am surrounded by who are the best of friends. And I strive to be more like these beautiful women.

My baby sister is one of the bestest friends any girl could wish for. She believes in me no matter what. She offers the most unconditional love. A love that is second only to my Grandma’s love. I’m blessed to have aunts who are my friends, my role models, and the women God intended to guide me when my Grandmother would no longer be around. And they have. They give me more grace than I deserve. The world’s sweetest friend is my little cousin whose calm brings warmth & peace to my heart; she knows and offers an unconditional love that matches my baby sisters. I’m so grateful for the women in my family who are my friends.

And I’m grateful for my friends who have become my family. My best friend. She shares my past, believes in my future, and always reminds me of my faith. She knows the good, the bad and above all else she knows my heart and I know hers. She is my family. I have an amazing friend who has been there to nanny both my boys, been to church camp with me and offers a smile and an ear that is unmatched to any other. My real life cheerleader in Arizona who cheers for me, supports me and is 100% on my side. Always. Without fail. We share similar parenting styles, tea, tears, and so many laughs.

I thank God for all of my mommy friends (near and far) who have shared the stages of pregnancy / birth / infancy / toddler & beyond with me. They accept me for who I am – a momma with sleepless and scattered thoughts who loves them, appreciates them, wants good for them, and enjoys sharing their tots & this stage of life together.

I want to be the friend to each and every one of my friends that they have been to me. A blessing. My five minutes are up – time to post without editing (eeek). There are so many others I’m grateful for!! Thank you all. You women noted above know who you are. I love you!
-T

Note: Five Minute Friday is where hundreds of people come together in a kind of writing flash mob. We write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt that is posted by Lisa-Jo Baker, author of “surprised by motherhood” . We connect on Twitter with the hashtag #FMFParty. There is no extreme editing, major grammar or punctuation correction. Just happily free writing. Unscripted. Unedited. Real. And in support of each other. Read more “Friend” posts here.

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Framesi Color Lover–Works For Me

It “Works for me Wednesday” hosted by Kristen Welch of the blog/website “We are that Family” is a great place to find reviews of ideas/projects & products that WORK for others. Consider #wfmw a hidden manual of sorts that will offer tips and tricks you may not have discovered as well as products you must try.

My recommendation that I believe anyone with color treated hair MUST try is the Color Lover Line by Framesi. This shampoo, conditioner, and primer works for me on Wednesdays and every other day of the week.

For the past few years I would ask my stylist to add lowlights to my hair. I love being a natural blonde however just like those with curly hair who want straight hair and vice versa I wanted my hair to be a little darker than my natural base. Time and time again I would walk away from the salon feeling confident that my color was “just right”. And it was on day one. In fact, week one was always exactly what I wanted – blonde with dark blended in adding the contrast and dimension I loved. Yet by week two and especially week three my brunette strands had faded. I finally decided that it was time to embrace my blonde. Or was it?

Enter Framesi Color Lover. The answer to keeping my color. It works. The last time I had my hair color treated I faithfully and strictly used the Framesi Color Lover line to care for my hair. Framesi Color Lover prolonged my color and in fact I still had those brunette locks on week eight! Overall the lowlights had faded a little however it was still evident that my blonde had dimension. I’ve been using the Volume Boost shampoo & conditioner and I love the weightless product as well as the volume it creates. The Color Lover line also includes a Moisture Rich, Curl Define & Smooth Shine. Along with the shampoo and conditioner I have also been using the Primer which is a light leave in conditioner that not only detangles but it leaves my hair shiny and without static. I use the Primer on wet or dry hair. It is made of a Quinoa Protein and plenty of vitamins and serves as a thermal guard when it comes to drying, curling and straightening my hair. I owe a huge thank you to Annie Fisher of AFH Salon in Seattle for introducing me to the answer for prolonging my color treatment.

I’d love to hear what works for you; comment below or contact me on Twitter. And follow We are that Family on Twitter for more #wfmw.
– T

Note: The Framesi Company does not test on animals. The Color Lover line is FREE of Gluten, Sulfate, DEA, Paraben, Sodium Chloride, and 100% Vegan. Framesi packages their products in recyclable plastic. Click here to find a salon near you that offers these fabulous products.

Tip: Framesi’s BY (Be Yourself) line has a “light” gel and “light” hairspray that WORKS perfect with long hair styles that don’t require a super strong hold. They are necessities for my hair.

Click on the image below to “LIKE” Framesi USA on Facebook.

Green Smoothies

Tip for a Monday afternoon boost: Make a Green Smoothie!

Green Smoothies are a simple and quick way to get your daily nutritional dose of fruits, vegetables, and proteins. This blended frozen treat serves as a snack or a meal and is the perfect boost anytime you need a healthy pick-me-up.

At our house our “go to” simple green smoothie recipe includes a total of five ingredients:

2 Cups Almond Milk
1-2 Hand Full Spinach
2 Bananas
1Cup Frozen Pineapple
1 TBS Chia Seeds (soaked in 2 TBS hot water)

It is toddler & teen approved and serves three.

If you are not a fan of Bananas then replace the banana with Avocado. The Avocado adds a creamy texture to the smoothie which is my second favorite way to enjoy a green smoothie.

We add Chia Seeds to our smoothies to up the protein value but we’ve made this same recipe without the Chia Seeds and it’s just as good. If you are not a fan of Chia Seeds or if you do not have any on hand, no worries. You can skip the seeds or add your favorite vanilla protein powder in place of the Chia Seeds.

Below is an easy to follow list for creating your own favorite Green Smoothie. When making a smoothie for one person start with 1 cup liquid, 1 handful of greens, then add 1 1/2 cup combined fruit, ice if you are not using one frozen fruit along with your protein, oats, or seeds. After blending you may want to add liquid, ice or more greens to adjust the consistency. Get creative! And share your favorite combinations – comment below or contact me on Twitter.
Happy Monday
– T

Happy Easter To You

Our Easter began with our traditional Easter morning quiche, hunting eggs, then over dosing on sugar. To burn off some of the sweets and the extra energy we spent family time walking around the lake and giving thanks for our beautiful surroundings. (Our tot spent his time at the lake on his trike.) Thanks be to God. And thank you Jesus for your sacrifice. He is risen!

It’s nap time now. And as I sit here enjoying my Easter dinner appetizer of wine & jelly beans with the scent of spiral sliced ham in the oven I wanted to take a moment to wish you and yours a very Blessed Easter.

Miracles, Miscarriages & Eternal Life

Last week I received an upsetting phone call from a friend of mine. He called to share the dreadful news that his wife had suffered a miscarriage. This lovely couple has a precious three year old daughter and with their first pregnancy being mostly uneventful there was no indication that Baby #2 would be anything but a miraculous repeat. Now they grieve the loss of the life they had yet to meet.

We’ve had two miscarriages. Both bringing different physical pains and long term side effects yet the same emotions of loss and self blame. Even when you know you did nothing “wrong”, it is very hard not to feel responsibility for a loss such as miscarriage. The doctors may assure you, your mind may know the facts, yet the heart is not always as receptive to facts as it is to emotion. Not to mention trying to make sense that something you wished for and prayed for and nurtured in your body is now gone. Where is the hope and promise of new life in a loss like that?

My heart aches for my friend and his wife. Just as it does for my mommy-friend who’s had five losses one of which required she deliver her baby at 16 weeks. And another mommy-friend who carried full-term; then only shared eight days with her baby boy before CHD took him to be with his Grandma. I cry for my friend who was pregnant with twins, birthed them at 24 weeks, and now snuggles only one of those sweet miracles. I know others who’ve experienced infant loss as well as those who’ve experienced miscarriages including a dear friend who miscarried after having her tubes tied. It most definitely felt like that baby was meant to be, though it wasn’t. How does one begin to make sense of these things? The overwhelming excitement of receiving news of a blessing to the extreme opposite – the miracle gone, the loss, the grief, and the void.

Life is a blessing. Being able to grow another human inside the female body, birth a baby, then nurture them with milk created by the body – that is a miracle. Yet amidst the planning and preparing for the miracle after receiving word of the blessing there are times of heartbreak and loss. A time when some hear those dreadful words and experience the extreme pain of loss.

No one ever wants to hear “it wasn’t meant to be” or “it happened for a reason”. Even if, like me, you believe in a greater plan. Even if you believe that things do happen for a reason. I truly believe that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven”. Those words DO comfort me. Knowing that there is still the promise of new life. Knowing that there is light to destroy darkness. Knowing that there is a God who ”gave his only son” so that I may have eternal life. He gave his son so that my sons will have eternal life. He gave his son for my family and my friends and for their children. Be it a child they never held, held for an hour, or held breathlessly. All of God’s children will have eternal life. That is the promise.

Jesus was crucified and hung on a cross to die. Such loss. Such grief. Such a void. Yet, on the third day he was resurrected. “He has risen.” And that is what gives me hope on this Good Friday and every day.

May God bless the broken hearts of my friends mentioned above and all others who have lost.
– T

Note: April 19th is the International Day of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness.

Buffalo Chicken Sliders… OR Wraps OR Focaccia OR Salad OR Quesadillas

Wednesday nights at our house is SURVIVOR night. We have not missed a season of the CBS Reality Show since it began airing in the year 2000. Survivor night always means an easy to prepare and easy to clean up dinner night. Even with having a DVR my OCD takes over and I prefer knowing that my Wednesday night meal is an easy one to accomplish.

Last night we had one of our family favorites, Buffalo Chicken Sliders, steamed carrots & a salad. (We also like our buffalo chicken on tortilla wraps, focaccia bread, as a salad topper and in a cheese quesadilla). Since we were having sliders I added Bridgford rolls to a pan to rise at the same time I put the chicken in the crock pot. It was less than 10 minutes prep time in the morning and then just before dinner time I added a couple more minutes to the prep time when I put the rolls in the oven to bake and added carrots to the stove top to steam.

Buffalo Chicken Sliders/Wraps/Focaccia/Quesadillas/Salads

4-5 Chicken Breasts
½ Jar of Franks Red Hot Wing Sauce
1 Packet of Dry Ranch Mix
1 TBS Butter or Margarine
Either Slider Rolls/Tortillas/Focaccia/Salad
Optional toppings: Provolone Cheese slices, Ranch Dressing, more Buffalo Sauce

Spray crock pot with cooking spray (or use crock pot liner), layer chicken breasts in the bottom of your crock pot, top with ½ jar of buffalo sauce, then sprinkle ½ packet of ranch mix on the buffalo sauce and cover with lid. Cook on low for 6 hours if chicken is frozen, 4 hours if thawed. Thirty minutes to an hour before serving use two forks to shred chicken; add a tablespoon of butter or margarine then cover. Serve on rolls/tortillas/focaccia/salad and top with Provolone Cheese and Ranch Dressing. Suggested sides: Steamed Carrots, Salad

Over the past couple years I’ve had several people request this recipe. It takes very little effort for a tasty meal that works perfect on game night, for big family gatherings or anytime you are looking for an easy meal. I hope you try it and love it.
– T

Note for Carb Counters & Calorie Counters: Franks Red Hot Wing Sauce has no sugar and a zero Carb & Calorie count. Buffalo Chicken over salad is great for those on a lifestyle that does not include bread or for fewer carbs try it on a low-carb tortilla/wrap. Enjoy!

Pine Cone Easter Bunny

After the boys’ Papa & Grandma left this morning to continue on their road trip up to Washington State I decided it was time to do something about those pine cones we collected. In the words of my tot… “we made bunnies!”

What you will need:

– Pine Cone
– Mini Pom Pom (or cotton ball)
– Pipe Cleaner for Ears
– Ribbon (or Pipe Cleaner) for Bow Tie
– Wiggly Eyes
– Paint
– Paint Brush
– Glue

Painting a pine cone can be a bit challenging. My teen didn’t have class this morning and so he joined in on the craft action. He and I painted ours with more of a splotching technique and dabbed the paint on. My little guy painted more of his construction paper that his pine cone was sitting on than the actual pine cone but was very proud of his bunny brush strokes & was having fun which is all that matters.

After your pine cone dries, attach your cotton tail and wiggly eyes with glue. While the glue is setting cut a couple inches off the end of your pipe cleaner and use the larger piece to manipulate into two bunny ears. The pipe cleaner will attach to the top of the pine cone with ease. My oldest decided he’d use a pipe cleaner to create his bow tie too. Rather smart move. He was able to cut the pipe cleaner to the size he needed, shaped it into a bow and then left a “tail” on the end of the bow to push through the pine cone. I chose to wrap ribbons around Momma & Daddy Bunny and then tied bows.

If you don’t have a pine cone you could always make a River Rock Bunny. Get creative. Add glitter. Create a bunny hat out of construction paper or a carrot out of foam paper. Most importantly, have fun and have a Happy Easter!
– T

Note: Within a few minutes of posting this craft I heard from a friend in Louisiana; she didn’t have available Pine Cones but she did have Toilet Paper Rolls and so TP Bunnies it is for her and her little girl on this rainy Louisiana afternoon. Creative. Fun. Enjoy.

Calling all iPhone picture takers… it’s time to Collect!

The Collect App is a fabulous invention for iPhone users who would like a daily digital photographic journal of their memories. A huge thank you goes to a friend of mine in Georgia for recommending this app to me. It quickly became one of my favorite apps of all time. I LOVE PICTURES.

As with a lot of apps there is a free version in the iTunes app store as well as an upgraded paid version that you can purchase via the free Collect App after you have downloaded it to your phone. The paid pro version is only $1.99 and in my opinion it is worth the two bucks. Both versions allow the user to add comments as photo titles as well as tags to easily search for later. They both also include the option of a daily push reminder if you haven’t added a photo to your timeline by evening. However, while the free Collect App keeps a beautiful calendar with a few options the upgrade will get you the awesome option of printing your photos to be framed or added to a scrapbook.

To print your Collect Photos from the Pro edition simply select the individual photos and/or month of photos you’d like to print then select “export” and follow the prompts. You will be prompted to choose one of the three size options, card format (which is like choosing your “filter” on Instagram), print bleed, card back, and finally decide whether or not to include your verbiage recorded in the notes and then export to either your camera roll or to Dropbox. (If you do not already have a Dropbox account, I recommend giving them a try. It is a free service that will host your photos and files via the internet giving you the ability to login from anywhere to access your files.) Once you have exported your Collect photos you can print them from either your computer or upload them to the photo lab of your choice for printing. As you become more familiar with the app try creating a collage or a video; two additional fun options that the Collect App offers. Trust me, it is easier than it sounds.
A final tip: you can at ANY time go back to previous calendar dates to add photos. There is no pressure on assigning photos every day. Just click on the date you want to add a photo to and select the photo from your iPhone camera roll taken that day.

It’s fun. It’s easy. And it’s free. Try it out and let me know what you think www.twitter.com/tagsthoughts.
– T

to view more of my favorites, check out my FAVORITES PAGE

Finally… My First Post

Since 2008 I’ve imagined myself writing a blog. I envisioned myself sitting down with a glass of iced tea or a cup of hot tea and taking a moment to share with my readers something I love. Something like a product, a place, a thing, a simple recipe, small business, play date location, or app that they may not have otherwise been introduced to. Sharing my favorite finds and reviewing products I can’t live without. There would of course be times I shared reviews on something I didn’t love so much or a comparison of something I loved less and then there would be times I’d share part of my journey as a wife & mother. Finally, after six years, I’m doing it. I’m finally writing my first blog. I realize I’m late to the blogging community; in November 2013 Brandon Gaille wrote an article for WPVirtuoso.com noting “a new blog is created somewhere in the world every half a second”.

Fast forward to April 2014, after six years of sitting on my bucket list, I decided (with the encouragement of my sweet little cousin) that it was time for my half a second. In 2008 I had an 8th grader, a full-time job, was a newlywed and we had just purchased a home in Scottsdale, Arizona. I am now the mother of a toddler and a teenager, work from home in San Diego, California and juggle a wonderful life filled with blissful chaos. My boys keep me on my toes and keep a smile on my face. Some days I smile because of the comedy I incur from saying things like “I’m sorry Mickey Mouse Clubhouse isn’t on TV right now, no drinking and driving and don’t do anything stupid” in the same breath. Other days I smile because of the challenge of choosing to laugh rather than cry as my oldest is struggling with his Statistics homework frustrated with me that I didn’t share a math gene, while my youngest is crying because he can’t get his “wegos to fit” then while forcing the Lego blocks together and fighting back tears he suddenly remembers he wanted the red vitamin for breakfast, not the orange one. Here come the tears. And why wouldn’t he cry, who wouldn’t? Red always trumps orange. Not to mention he woke with the plan to go to Disneyland yet the adults in the home did not plan the same agenda on a Tuesday that his parents are both working and his Bubba has college classes to attend. Insert smile.

Thank you for being my first blog readers. I hope you come back and I look forward to hearing from you, my readers, about all the products, people, places, and things you love (and don’t love). Contact me on Twitter.

Now… back to client work & my tea before naptime is over.
– T

to read more about me, check out my ABOUT PAGE

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