It's not often that we enjoy a date night, one that is out of the house that is. I don't have babysitters lined up, or family within driving distance. In fact, aside from when we've been in Australia, the little ones have never stayed with anyone other than their big brother, their dad, or us. They are also with us 95% of the time, so it makes date nights near impossible, which means that we often have date nights (or date days) at home. These normally happen when the kids are upstairs in the loft playing video games, watching a... Continue reading

What girl doesn't love a little bling? Whether you are buying a gift for your lady, or for your little girl - because surprisingly there are a lot of people who buy gifts for their children on Valentine's Day, then take a look at these lovely pieces. 1. 14K Diamond Ring $2399.99 | 2. 14K Heart Pendant $399.99 | 3. Love Necklace $399.99 | 4. 14K Gold Hoop and Stud Set (studs shown) $259.99 | 5. 14K Tennis Bracelet $1499.99 Any of these are sure to make her smile, and if you are looking for even more choices, take a... Continue reading

“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Universal Pictures, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #BoxtrollsFamilyNite http://mydisclosur.es/OBsstV ” We love family movie time. It's a great excuse for us to snuggle on the couch, eat lots of popcorn and do something together. I had been wanting to see The Boxtrolls, but unfortunately missed it in the movie theater, so I was so excited to see that it had come out on DVD and Blu Ray. Movie time in this house doesn't happen without some kind of fun activity, snack... Continue reading

If you are like me and don't really decorate for Valentine's Day, but like to make something fun and that's full of love (but can be left up year-round), then I've got a fun little DIY project over at Jo-Lynne Shane's blog today that you will love. You'll find the full tutorial to make this DIY String Art Heart over at Jo-Lynne Shane's blog. This is a great project for kids too. Continue reading

Only a few more weeks until Valentine's Day. If you have little LEGO lovers like I do, then they are going to love these mini marble mazes for Valentine's Day. I have the instructions to make these mini LEGO marble mazes, along with a free printable gift tag over at The Centsible Life. Continue reading

PADDINGTON, the movie, is being released into theaters tomorrow, January 16. Will you be taking the kids to see it this weekend? Before you go, start their PADDINGTON adventure by downloading these free printable activity sheets. Click the links below to download and print the activity pages. Connect The Dots Find Darkest Peru Paddington Memory Game A Paddington Story Learn to Draw Paddington's Hat Write Your Own Story You Are Sweeter Than Marmalade Card Looking for more? Head on over to the PADDINGTON website where you'll find great coloring pages, a lunch bag (and more) to download and print. Disclosure:... Continue reading

Looking for a quick and easy game day craft that the kids can make? I'm over at The Centsible Life with a free printable to make this Game Day Paper Chain. Continue reading

In 2011 there was (what is now referred to as) the Great Blackout in San Diego. It began after school was let out, and the power was restored early the next morning, but in the meantime we had an emergency of our own. I had no time to plan for or control the subsequent sequence of events. I sent the kids outside to play while there was still daylight, knowing that by the time it got dark I would be entertaining them by candles and flashlights. I stood by the kitchen window washing dishes where I could keep my eyes... Continue reading

It's almost Super Bowl time and if you are wanting to cheer on your favorite team without hearing 'I'm bored' from the kids, get them in on the fun with these easy-to-make mini piñatas filled with fun football themed activities. The full tutorial and ideas for what to put in these piñatas is over at Jo-Lynne Shane's blog. Continue reading

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and this light and refreshing Raspberry Moscato Cocktail is the perfect way to start your celebrations. Serving size: 2 glasses Ingredients: 3/4 cup dry ginger ale 1/2 cup fresh raspberries 1/2 pkt Sweet'N Low 1 cup pink Moscato - I love the Gallo Family Pink Moscato heart-shaped ice cubes Before you do anything else, make sure you have heart-shaped ice cubes in the freezer (if you have a heart-shaped ice tray, and if not, any ice cubes will do). In a blender combine the ginger ale, raspberries and Sweet'N Low. This will make... Continue reading

A couple of years ago we attended a birthday party for a little friend at Build-a-Bear, I know I shared just a little about that day because I was honored with the task of making the birthday girl a bear cake, which we shared in the food court. During that party each of the kids chose their own new special friend to stuff, give a heart, and bring home with them. Flynn of course chose a dog, which he named Sparky after our own real life dog. He even got a little dog kennel and water bowl to go with... Continue reading

Over the summer last year I shared part of a trip we took to Carmel. I promised to come back and share the second half of our vacation, and well, decided I'd hold off a little bit because with everyone making bucket lists and planning vacations for this year I wanted this one to be fresh in your minds and hopefully you'll add it to places to visit. After we left Holman Ranch (which I feel the need to tell you again is an absolutely beautiful location), we headed to Carmel-by-the-Sea to stay at the Hofsas House and explore the... Continue reading

I know, Christmas has been and gone and we are all gearing up for the new year, but I went offline for most of the week to spend quality time with the kids and just enjoy the holiday season. The weekend before Christmas I set up a fun holiday craft project for all the kids to do together ... of course the boys ended up not being interested at all, for them this meant they could play video games without interruption, but the girls had a great time. Salt dough ornaments are so easy to make, the perfect holiday craft... Continue reading

Yesterday was the last day of school for the little ones. As we left school after lunch they reminded me they would now be home for 2 weeks and 2 days. We've officially started the countdown calendar for when school starts back. Marisol's class had a holiday party where the kids wore pajamas to school, they enjoyed brunch style party food, cuddled up with blankets and pillows and watched a holiday movie. To make it just a little educational, the teacher taught the students how to make homemade butter to put on their toast and bagels. Marisol was so excited... Continue reading

The thing I love most about the holidays is the traditions I have with the kids. Some are reminiscent of when I was little, others I started over the years. Each year I try to introduce something new, I think it makes every holiday that much more special if it's not exactly the same year after year. One of our favorite traditions (and by ours, I mean mine and Marisol's) is crafting together. We always make something new to add to our Christmas decor, I teach her something new and we get to spend time together. This year we are... Continue reading

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GameOnTheGo #CollectiveBias As you know, Minecraft is big around here. The kids play it all the time. And remember their birthday lunch, and the earrings I made Miss M? So when the new Gameband Minecraft™ came out, guess what we got? And they think it's pretty awesome. I'm going to share a little about the Gameband, and then show you how to make this Minecraft Christmas Stocking, which is the perfect way to gift it this holiday season. With Gameband Minecraft™, the kids... Continue reading

The kids finish school here at the end of this week and then winter vacation starts. And they will be home. And I will be looking for things to keep them occupied and off the video games as much as possible. With that being said, if you are looking for something for your kids to do, I've posted a tutorial over at The Centsible Life to make these adorable reindeer lollipops. These are perfect for kids to make and gift this holiday season. So head on over to Kelly's blog for the full tutorial. Continue reading

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GoldfishMix #CollectiveBias We love a good family-friendly movie night. Spending time together, watching a movie we all love and enjoying some yummy snacks is the perfect way to spend some time together. These movie night snacks inspired by Goldfish crackers are perfect for kids and adults (yes I did have one of those delicious drinks below). Kids are sure to love these quick and easy (and delicious) treats. Goldfish Crackers Ice Cream Float Isn't this Goldfish crackers themed ice cream float fun? What... Continue reading

Light a fire, invite friends around for an impromptu holiday movie night and serve up these delicious and simple treats. Movie night should be stress free and simple. Here are a few tips for a fun holiday movie night: light a fire (if you have one), if not candlelight will make the room feel warm and cozy. provide lots of blankets and cushions for getting cozy invite everyone to come over in the jammies serve simple and delicious treats and a warm drink choose a family-friendly holiday movie to watch Now onto those yummy treats. S'mores are the perfect winter... Continue reading

'Tis the season for celebrations. Whether you are hosting holiday parties, or New Year parties, here's the perfect cocktail to add a little sparkle to your celebration. This eggnog cocktail is delicious, and quick and easy to make. Ingredients: 3 1/2 oz Vanilla spice eggnog 1 oz Spiced rum 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1/2 pkt Sweet'N Low 2 tbs milk 2 tbs edible gold sprinkles Begin by combining the cream and Sweet'N Low in a bowl. Blend until peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use. (this will make enough for about 6 cocktails) Place the gold sprinkles and milk... Continue reading

I grew up with the stories of Paddington Bear, and have story books by Michael Bond here that I've shared with the kids over the years, so when I was asked to come up with something fun to celebrate the upcoming release of the movie PADDINGTON on January 16, I literally jumped at the chance. Watch the trailer here. Of course Marisol wanted something made for her, and seeing as she loves dressing up her dolls and soft toys so much I decided to make an outfit for one of her Build-A-Bear's. I am pretty sure that this cute bear... Continue reading

If you are looking for a quick and easy project that kids can make and gift to their friends this Christmas, then take a look at the one I've got over at Jo-Lynne Shane's blog. Kids will love these The Grinch holiday ornaments. Continue reading

There are definitely moments that I'm all about quick and easy in the kitchen. Sure a lot of the time I like to bake from scratch, but I've been known to resort to boxed cake, cookie and brownie mixes when I'm lacking ingredients or time. So when I was contacted about Duff Goldman's holiday baking line Duff Goldman by Gartner Studios, I said sure, send me a box of something and I'll whip it up and give it a try. And then a delivery arrived of cookie and cake mixes and I couldn't stop at just trying one, I had... Continue reading