Amira's Pre School Hoe Down!

Locally we have been going through tragedy with the Oso Mudslide.  The news and my Facebook feed is full of sad pictures, but now there is hope within the community.  So blogging about makeup or recipes seems petty and unimportant. I did want to document Amira's school country themed hoe down.  She and all her classmates had such a fun time, so did the parents.  Being able to witness my daughter so excited to see her teachers and friends brings such joy to my heart. 

Little Light Pre School hosts their annual Hoe Down for the kids.  There was all kinds of cowgirl and cowboy themed games.  Face painting and pony rides from the cutest mini horses!  The night before Amira said she was to nervous to ride one, but the day of she put her game face on and rode them two times!  They ate a chuck wagon lunch and smelled of hay, like proper barn children at the end of the day.

These are few of my favorite pictures from that day!  This is Mrs. Camp, Amira has been so blessed to have her as her first teacher.   She has made the school experience such a positive one for our family. I mean look at Amira's smile, it doesn't get better than this!  Isn't her teacher a little cutie!?  I cant wait to have Gia attend when she is four. 

Such a natural on this horsey!

 This is Amira's first best friend, she loves and looks up to Kylie so much.

This is quite honestly my favorite from the day.  Her little hands in prayer.  Melting my mama heart.

Thank you so much for reading, I appreciate it so much.

Weekend Stuffs!

Merry Monday friends!  So happy to have the warm sunshine out today.  The past weekend was pretty fun for this gal.  I had a get together with family to pick out bridesmaid dresses.  This was very special for me since I've never been in a wedding, besides my own!  The beautiful bride gave us full reign on our dress choice, however we all decided on the same one!  Later on we all got lunch and drinks, and I was so pleased to see some lightened up choices on the drink menu!  I kinda fell off the health wagon but I'm back on. We also visited Home Goods, which I've now decided is my favorite store!  I picked up a few things, including this super cute pillow to go with our new couch.  I tend to decorate with creams, whites and shades of turquoise.  I mean its practically everywhere in my house.  I need help!

My husband spent a majority of the weekend hours putting together the cutest play cottage for the girls!  Ever since we picked it up last weekend they've been begging him to put it together.  I can honestly vouch for him on how difficult it is to assemble 200 pieces of wood and screws with a sassy toddler running around like Gia!  Its finished now and is absolutely adorable.  Thank goodness my hubs is so handy! I know the girls will be obsessed with playing in this all Summer long!  It even has a kitchen inside, right up Amira's alley.

Sunday afternoon I spent a few hours at Amira's pre school setting up for Monday's country Hoe Down.  These kiddos are going to have so much fun playing games, winning prizes, and ridding real ponies!  I'm so glad I got to spend time with her teacher, who is the sweetest lady and I can totally see why Amira loves her so much.  I'm also glad I didn't fall off the ladder I had to use, I'm normally petrified to climb those things.

Cookies for the Hoe Down & ootd ;)

 

I know that a few of my readers are local and some are out of state.  During the weekend here we had a natural disaster in a very close by neighboring town.  A huge mudslide destroyed many homes and took out a highway.  Leaving far to many dead and many more lives unaccounted for.  I can only imagine how horrific it has been for these people and their families.  Mario and I have family in Arlington and I thank God they are safe and live on higher ground away from the river valley.  I pray for all the people affected and I hope that you will too. 

Thank you so much for reading.

Signs of Spring!

We are so happy to have Spring time officially here!  That means a little bit more sunshine, thrown in with some April showers and even hail.  This is the Pacific Northwest.  We get it all, on any given day.  My girls have plenty of boots and not enough sandals! 

I am not very good at keeping flowers alive, so I don't have any pictures of bulbs being planted. This is our front yard blossoming tree, I cant kill that! In the warmer season I am known for picking the biggest and most beautifully colored hanging baskets and then a month or so later they are wilting away.  I need help with my green thumb badly.  I've wanted to plant my own little vegetable and herb garden for years but have never gotten around to it.  Mario and I keep talking about it lately so maybe this year will be the year!  I'd really love to have fresh basil and cilantro in my backyard.  How amazing would it be for my girls to plant zucchini and beans!

The inside of the house is getting a little Spring decor.  Here are some pictures of the girls' Easter and Spring type books.  My mom gave the girls two sweet Peter Cottontail books a few years ago with flip up pages.  They absolutely love turning up the flaps, its like the first time, every time.  I probably need to invest in a few more to liven it up.  Then, there is my fireplace mantel that I love to decorate for every occasion.  I love this simple burlap banner I found at Joanns Fabrics.  I have a Easter egg one too but I thought it might be a tad to early for that one.  So obviously these daffodils are not from my garden, lol.  Yellow is perfect color for flowers, they bring cheer to any drab day!

I hope you all have a beautiful Friday and happy weekend ahead.  I'm so excited for Saturday because I'm getting together with some cousins and my sister in law to get fitted for our bridesmaid dresses. Thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog.  Happy Spring!

Recipes for St. Paddy's Day and the Quick Minute!

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook then you know I tried Irishing it up on St. Paddys Day!  I am half Irish with kids so I only thought it fitting to make my littles eat green food :) The girls and I got to chow down on festive pannies (pancakes) with rainbow sprinkles and fruit.  We love pancakes any day of week, why do carbs have to be so good?  I sent my husband a picture of Gia eating them and he was like, "what in the world is she eating?" 

Then, while Amira was away in school I had the opportunity to try my hand at Lucky Charm Treats.  I've seen pictures of these all over Pinterest and they looked so magically delicious!  I had purchased a big bag of generic Lucky Charms at the store specifically for this sweet treat.  I posted a picture of the treats on IG and a few people asked me to put up the recipe so here ya go.  They are super easy and yummy for any holiday/regular day!

Lucky Charms Treats

3/4 of a stick Butter
6 1/2 cups Mini Marshmallows
8 cups Lucky Charms Cereal

Melt your butter on medium in large pot.  Then add in your marshmallows and stir around till they melt mostly all the way.  Then I added 4 cups cereal and stirred. Then add in your next 4 cups till the mixture is well combined.  Turn off heat.  Pour cereal mix into a greased 9x11 (I just used organic olive oil spray) or whatever big dish you have and press it down.  I put mine in the fridge to set up and then cut into squares.

Since the days caloric intake was already shot, I decided to make them their all time favorite dip.  Because its always nice to be the fun mom, lol.  Some of my facebook friends asked for this recipe as well.  I cant take any credit for this dip concoction since my mom has been making this for a 100 years for my brother and I!  I'm not sure if you can even call it a recipe because its so easy. 

In their green shirts, we didn't have much green clothes to choose from!

 

Cream Cheese Chili Dip

1 can Beanless Chili, we always use Nalley
1 package Cream Cheese, I use Greek cream cheese & yogurt mix by Green Mountain Farms
Tortilla Chips

I heat up the cream cheese for 1 minute in the microwave, then I add the chili and heat again for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir till everything combines and it looks like dip, or something not that appealing, haha.  I swear by it though.  It is very good.

The girls played outside, and we went for walk. They also munched on cucumbers and strawberries the rest of the evening. We also shared the Lucky Charm treats with Amira's school mates. Please don't think I pump them full of fatty and bad for you foods all the time!  Thank you for reading!

Lovely Weekend!

Happy Monday and St. Patricks Day friends!  I hope that you had a relaxing and or fun filled weekend.  Ours was pretty busy this time around.  The girls had a fun play date at the trampoline park.  I don't know what was more fun for them, the jumping around like crazy or going to the water fountain every 5 minutes?  We had such a blast catching up with Jill and Autumn!  We filled up on pizza and Mario even brought the quad out for Amira to ride.

I finished up my nail polish favors for my baby mama to be the for 3rd time, Brittany.  Her shower was a great success and I was honored to help her and Sarah out. There was plenty of yummy foods and sweets, I was smitten with her Italian Soda bar! I love these ladies, its so refreshing to be around genuine and sweet women.  (Hard to come by these days)

I just glued black bows on and a mini cupcake liner.

Here's a picture of the table runner and purple background, cake is from Safeway :)

 

I'm extremely happy to report after 2 long days of being missing, Amira's kitty was found!  Bella ran out of the house Friday afternoon and we were so worried we'd lost her for good.  She is an indoor cat with pink sparkly claw covers and I was very concerned how she'd hold up with no food, water, and protection.  She's a little thing.  Sunday morning Amira said she could here her meow so I went outside to find her trapped under our house behind a vent!  Luckily Mario was able to cut it open and get her out.  We are happy to have her back home and Amira can stop wailing at night for her.

Sunday we did our normal grocery shopping and had fun day at Costco.  The girls picked out there Easter dresses and they don't disappoint in the pastel and frilly department!  Why do their clothes have to be so fun to look for?  Today I'm mixing up a batch of Lucky Charm Krispy treats.  This will be my very first time making any rice krispy treat, sad I know.  Hope you're dressed in green, or here's a virtual pinch from me ;)

Thank you so much for reading!

Beauty, Maybe it's Maybelline!

We all know I'm obsessed with drugstore beauty products!  Recently I went to my local Rite Aid and picked up some beautiful Maybelline makeup.  Some of the stuff is new, limited edition and some is from their normal tried and true basics.  I'm usually a Loreal girl but as of now Maybelline has taken the lead in the lip department!  I still need to go to the MAC counter and invest in at least one of their lipsticks!

I'm ready for Spring and Summer with this gorgeous lipstick from their Vivids Collection, the color is Fuchsia Flash 865.  Amira has been begging me to buy this lipstick for months and I've always been to scared to rock a bright color like this.  I'm so glad I finally caved in because I actually love it and its my new favorite lipstick!

Next I picked up a couple glosses from the new Elixer Lipgloss  line.  The shades I chose are Blush Essence 095 and Nude Illusion 060.  Oh how I love me some nudes and pinky tones.  These glosses are a nice creamy texture and not sticky.  They're perfect for putting over a lipstick or to wear alone for a pretty natural look.  They also have a very light almost fruity smell that I really like!  Stinky makeup is not for me!

Lastly, I was excited to find this limited edition Eyestudio quad in Nude Romance 120.  I love a nude eye and black liner so I had to pick this one up.  I've never bought any of these Maybelline shadows so I was happy to find one I liked.  Normally these quads are filled with shimmery shades and I'm not a huge fan of those on my lids.

So far I love all of the new makeup I got and I'd recommend all of these to you guys.  Do you have any Spring makeup recommendations for me?  I'd love to hear!

 

My Sentimental Heart.

As of this past week I have been walking down memory lane with my oldest daughter Amira.    Seriously guys its no joke when they say time flies.  It truly does when you start having children of your own.   I went to Amira's soon to be elementary school and walked into the corridor of the aging brick building. I couldn't help but think about when I was in kindergarten.  Such a nostalgic feeling, I picked up her registration papers and walked away a bit a lot sad.

 My little girl is growing up.  I don't want her grow anymore, after this up coming 5th birthday I'd be ok with time standing still.  Amira is quite honestly my best little friend.  She is my biggest cheer leader and I am hers!  She is such a sweet big sister to Gia.  When no one is around I can hear the things she whispers to Gia and it melts my heart.  Can I just say I love having two daughters.  My heart is so full of emotion at this moment.  Nothing can compare the bond between a mama and her baby, nothing.

When you enter your kids into school all you can think is; are the other kids being nice to her?  Is she being kind to the them, and the teachers?  Does she need me?  Most likely your children forget about you once you leave their sight and they start having the best learning times in their lives.  As a mom its my job to worry. Its also my job to make my girls feel so special and encourage them to learn and excel in school.  Even if its only kindergarten.  Amira will most likely be taking some speech therapy classes as she has a harder time pronouncing her r,s, and t's.  Even if I think its cute, I want the other children to be able to understand her. God forbid she ever gets made fun of for it.  I would die, and no one wants to see this mama mad.

My husband and I keep measurements of the girls ever so growing heights.  It just amazes us that these babes are growing several inches in a matter of months!  Just another bittersweet moment of a parent.  I never want to forget the special memories I make with my girls, and this blog is doing wonderfully at keeping my thoughts together. 

Factoids About Me, Liebster Award.

Hey guys!  I was recently nominated to do the Liebster Award and facts.  I wasn't quite sure if I should do it only because I've done it one other time last year.  Well low and behold here I am compiling this little Linzi list for y'all.  Thank you to Michelle at Sugar, Spice, & Newlywed Life and Christina at This Woman Cooks!  I consider both of these lovely, creative women my friends and I'd be honored if you checked out their blogs if you haven't already.  Here are the questions that were given to me by Christina.

1. Did you always want to be a Mom?

Ever since I was in school I remember thinking of little girl names, never boy names though. Guess that's worked out so far.  When I was in my early 20's I didn't give parenting much thought, but as I got older and became the woman I knew I was meant to be, kids were definitely in my future!

2. What did you do before you were a Mom?

Before I was a mom I was a party girl, hate to say it but its true.  I worked as a dental assistant and I loved my job.  Having patients that were very nervous and scared coming in and then leaving happy and more comfortable was very rewarding for me!

 

3. What's the biggest struggle you've had so far, in parenting?

At this point my biggest struggle is keeping myself sane when my girls are arguing.  They don't fight with each other all the time, but when they do I find it very stressful and hard to defuse the situation.  I wish that I had a guide to perfect parenting!

 

4. Favorite TV show?

My favorite show would have to be cooking shows.  I love Giada at Home and Pioneer Woman.  I don't really watch any sitcoms or dramas anymore, and when I do turn one on around 8 pm all they talk about is sexual innuendos and I have to change it immediately because my littles are still up.  I miss Friends. lol

 

5. If you could have one day to yourself, what would you do?

If I could have one day to myself I'd love to hit up the T-Spa for an all day pamper fest!  I love that spa.

6. Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Yes, I love Dove Chocolates and iced white chocolate Americanos with half n half! Oh and shopping!

7. What's your dream vacation?

My dream vacation would be Greece.  Need I say more?

8. Favorite go-to meal?

Pastas.  I love carbs and cream sauces, throw in some prawns and I'm in heaven.

9. Favorite restaurant?

My all time favorite restaurant is El Gaucho in Seattle.  They have hands down the best food I have ever eaten in my life!

10. What are your hobbies?

Blogging ;)  I also love baking and riding bikes.

11. If you could have any career, what would it be?

I thought that said car at first and I was like oh a White Chevy Tahoe with tan leather interior!  Opps. I love what I'm doing now, being able to stay home with my girls and being a homemaker.  When they get older and are in school full time maybe my dream job would be having a clothing boutique or bake shop.

 

So there you have it, a little rando info about me! I would love to nominate any of my fellow bloggers and readers to share in this fun.  Thank you so much for reading.

Recipe, Pico De Gallo

This past weekend my family and I had a little Mexican Fiesta.  It was a great time, good drinks, good food, equals happy family.  I threw a batch of Pico together to cut the richness of bubbling smothered burritos.  When ever my husband and I go out for Mexican food, which is very few and far between we always ask for a side of pico de gallo.  Its so delicioso and fresh.  The stuff you buy at the store never tastes the same as what you get at the restaurants! 

I came up with this simple recipe but you can always tweak it to your own liking.  Some people love fresh onions, some people don't.  You either love cilantro or you hate it.  I looove it!  I like to have these kind of ingredients on hand all the time.  You can create so many fresh recipes.  From Italian to Mexican and even Asian dishes.

Pico De Gallo Recipe

1 large Jalapeno, minced
4 Roma Tomatoes, diced
1 small to med. Onion, diced
1 large handful of fresh Cilantro, chopped
Juice of 2 Limes
Liberal Salt and some Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder

You want to prep and cut all your ingredients and put into a big bowl.  When everything is chopped and diced, squeeze the juice of the limes over the pico.  You can add your salt, pepper, and onion powder now.  I didn't measure my salt but I used a generous amount.  Take a couple tastes to see how the flavor is.  Everyone is different.  It is also a good idea to make this a few hours ahead of time so the flavors can meld together and the pico can get a little juicy!

Thank you very much for reading and I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Our Family Weekend!

This weekend was all about family and spending quality time together.  That kind of weekend is my ultimate favorite.  Since my husband worked graveyard shift last week we didn't get to spend much time together.  So we were extremely happy to hear he would be up for a family fun day on Friday.  I was able to score some sweet tickets to the Imagine Children's Museum in Everett.  I rounded up the chicas, tried to let Mario sleep till noon and then we grabbed a semi healthy lunch and headed there.  This was Gia's and Mario's first time, although Amira was so young she doesn't remember going.  All four of us had such a blast!  The museum has so many different rooms with fun themes that kids can play in for hours.

 Amiras favorite part was the café.  She loves anything that has to do with pretend food and restaurant play.  She really takes her time preparing our dinners and ice cream sundaes.  Gia loved it all, it was a bit much to take in for a 2 year old.  I know for a fact that the water play area was both of their favorites too.  I took my eye away for one minute and Gia was drinking the water!  Oh geez, NO Gia!  They have an amazing rooftop play area too.  I was very impressed with the structure.  We all ran around, went down spiral slides and dug in the "dirt."  On our way home we stopped at Dairy Queen for blizzards, super yummy!  Friday couldn't have been any better. 

Saturday my small entire family came over for Mexican Fiesta.  We were suppose to be celebrating a few Winter birthdays but then my dad came down with that horrible flu/cold so my mom had to come solo.  My Uncle wasn't able to make it as he was doing his Army Reserve.  My aunt and brother were here so that was pretty awesome.  I don't see my brother often enough, he is so busy with life in Seattle.  I cant get mad at him since I love him so much.  I'm so thankful he took the night off work to be with us.  My girls are in heaven when they get to spend time with family.  I cant say enough how ecstatic I am for when my parents move back up to my neck of the woods!

I made margaritas (for the first time) in my blender.  I must say they were pretty darn good!  Everyone was feeling good and getting a little pink in the face. Haha.  My mom made her famous pork burritos and frijoles, yum!  I made shredded beef burritos and Spanish rice.  I also concocted some fresh pico de gallo, recipe to come.  Mario and I love some chunky spicy fresh salsa!

My mom left on Sunday morning to get back to my sick daddio.  Sure hope this horrible flu season gets the heck out of dodge soon!  Amira had her friend Rylees birthday party.   So many of my girlfriends kids are turning five!  Amira is next, her birthday is the end of April.  I cannot believe she will be five years old and going into kindergarten!  My mama bear heart is full of 1,000 emotions on that subject.

Annoying Gia with selfies.

Sunday night we made Rootbeer floats!

There you have it, my perfect weekend.  The rain has decided come home as well.  I knew that sweet sunshine was just a teaser.   Thank you all so much for reading my little blog.  I seriously love you guys!