cakies

FAMILY MEALS: WEEK TWO

2012-01-27T09:09:00.000-08:00

Week two almost done. Whew! I about threw in the towel with this meal planning thing because Ben and I had some miscommunication issues on what we needed for the meals. Totally still learning how to work with getting groceries ahead of time for the meals planned and so our planned meals started later this week. Though, I did cook an oven baked chicken on Monday, but didn't use a recipe and just went off what I learned from my mom once. Tuesday was for finishing Monday's leftovers.

Alas, Wednesday was Pork Chops with Apples and Garlic Mashed Potatoes...

Cooking pork chops can be tricky because it can dry out quickly. I really like how simple the whole process for this meal was. All was done within 40 minutes and that sage rub on the pork chop really gave it a nice flavor. I was going to substitute the mashed potatoes for mashed cauliflower, but I didn't communicate to Ben to get cauliflower, so we made do with potatoes. The recipe came out yummy indeed, though Ben did pick out the onions because there was a whole lot!

Thursday was for eating Cheddar BLT Burgers with Tarragon Russian Dressing and Sweet Potato Fries....

Oh yummy! That sauce was really good! That mix of tarragon, parsley, and onions along with the other ingredients made this burger so delicious. The patty was plain and was just salted and peppered with sharp cheddar cheese on top, but it is the sauce that made this burger. Also, we didn't use the meat the recipe called for, but but use lean ground turkey instead and turkey bacon. Will definitely make that sauce again to accompany other burgers. For veggies, we had our trusty sweet potato fries. We coat them in extra virgin olive oil, season them with taco seasoning, stick them in the oven, and they always come out good.

Next week will be slightly tricky since it is the week leading up to the wedding and I have a feeling I may not be home as often, but I will still have my plan in placed just in case. Our freezer is fully stocked with chicken breast we bought on sale, so chicken will be the main attraction for the week.

Week of 1/30-2/3:
Monday: Chicken Piccata
Tuesday: Apple-Honey Drumsticks (and we will use chicken breast also)
Wednesday: Monday's leftovers
Thursday: Leftovers if we have any or Spaghetti (or something else really easy)
Friday: Rehearsal dinner (my sister gets married the next day! eeks!)

Anyone try out any of the recipes that I did this week? I try to get my family meal posts up on Thursday (a little later this week though), so if you want to join along, you have the weekend to make sure your kitchen is stocked with the right goods! Happy planning!!!

DIY: RIBBON WAND

2012-01-26T16:37:00.000-08:00

This was the perfect afternoon activity. Quick and easy! Totally up my alley. Best of all, the girls were engaged as we were making it and loved playing with it after.

After we were done, I had them retell the whole process back to me. It was good to determine their retelling skills and their understanding of sequential order. Adding a bit of a twist to a little craft and applying it to comprehension.

When I was little, I remember frequently making my own ribbon wands using toilet paper. From what I remember, it didn't work so well. I just adored watching gymnastics and the girls who did the floor routine with the ribbon wands. I would pretend I was them. I thought they were so fancy and wanted to be fancy too! I think my girls feel pretty fancy with their own ribbon wands.

p.s. we had to move around our meal planning this week, so the menu for next week and recap of this week will be up tomorrow morning!

REINNA'S LAST HURRAH!!!

2012-01-25T08:24:00.000-08:00

The middle sister is getting married, so we threw her one last hurrah!!!

I made her a little poncho (and head band) so everyone we came in contact with would know. She is the bride after all and she must be distinct.

I left Glow with my parents as I pretended to be free as a bird with the rest of the ladies that afternoon. I wasn't free that long because I came back to feed. None of my babies ever did well with the bottle.

As we were going to the first destination, we asked Reinna, "If you could eat anything, what would it be?" In this order, she said, "Alligator, giraffe, and rattlesnake." Well, two out of three ain't bad right?!! Middle sister is the queen of eating the unusual (at least to us).

What followed after lunch was a fun little scavenger hunt. Two teams, two cars, same list, ten dollars, and 45 minutes until we had to switch out the bride and another teammate. We wanted her to have fun with everyone, so we did a switch-a-roo in the middle. Then we had another 45 minutes until we had to meet at our final destination.

The list was filled of lots of embarrassing things for the bride to do (at least when she was on my team, I made her do them). She kissed strangers cheeks, rubbed their bellies, kiss their bald heads, got hugs, got phone numbers, kissed their muscles, kissed tattoos, and even serenaded a group of boys and so much more! Of course, the list also included items to get or to take pictures of. It was fun and we were all scurrying throughout the city.

At 4:05 we met again at a nearby park for the next phase of the adventure. The bride has always wanted to do a paint fight of sorts, but we did a little twist on her request. I remember a color fight Jordan did awhile ago and thought that would be the perfect thing to do. We first tallied to see which team got the most items, then we got ready for our fight. With all the holi colors scattered about like an easter egg hunt, we gave the winning team a 5 second head start and then we all went at it...

We all had so much fun and came home such a mess. Actually, all the girls went back home only to get dolled up to go back out for a fancy dinner and some dancing, but this mama washed up, fed her baby, and then made her way back home to her other little ladies and Ben.

It is so surreal for me as the older sister to comprehend that my little sister is actually getting married. I was glad we got to have this last special adventure for our sister before she gets hitched. I think we hit the spot with everything she wanted and we all had a grand time!

This next week is full of finalizing details and getting everything sorted out and organized. It will be a whirlwind of a week with family coming into town and all the preparations, but I can't wait for the culmination of everything at the wedding. Ahh! My little sister is getting married... crazy!!!

FAVORITE PONCHO

2012-01-24T21:24:00.000-08:00

{sweater: kohls; poncho: vintage; leggings: target; boots: c/o o'neill}

I thrifted this poncho way back, even before Ben and I got married, and actually I think it was before I left to study abroad in London. I have always loved it and it is so comfy. It is one of my favorite comfy things to wear and I am sure I will never get rid of it.

Looking at these pictures, I should have folded out the top part of the boot because it has a really cool pattern inside and I should shown that part off. Oh well... there is always next time!

SISTERS ARE SWEET

2012-01-22T21:45:00.000-08:00

These two are the best of friends, but they sure do fight! True was only 15 months when Brave was born, so she doesn't know what life is like without her.

I am the oldest of four. My brother is next in line, but I have two little sisters. We are grown now and are the best of friends, even if I am 7 and 10 years older than them. We have lots of fun together and we especially wreak havoc shopping together, though my parents aren't so happy about that cause it usually is at their expense. Yes, even now. But can a father really say no to his daughters?!! Good luck, Ben!

I spent all day today hanging out with my sisters and some friends all in celebration for the middle's sister's last hurrah as a single lady. It was such a good day filled with adventure and now the next adventure on the list will be the wedding in less than two weeks. So much to do, but so little time!

I may be biased because I have two sisters and all my girls know is having sisters, but I think sisters are especially sweet. Don't you?

p.s. brother, we love you just as much!!!

2012-01-21T08:50:00.001-08:00

If interested, just email me for sponsor rates and info.

HUZZAH!

2012-01-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

We can't get over how this one is already rolling over and cooing and giggling like crazy! It seems just like yesterday I had her.

This weekend is busy. My sister's bachelorette party is this Sunday and we are going to have a bit of fun. The wedding is also in two weeks so things are going to be crazy wild for a bit. I have a list of to-dos that I need to get to.

This week's learned and links...

- True can now read beginning and ending blends, though she is having some trouble with fluency. Though, BFF is assuring me that it will eventually come. Next up, is consonant digraphs.

- This first week of meal planning went pretty good. Especially love the oven fried chicken recipe!

- My house is a big crazy mess that Ben is starting to itch about it. If he is itching, then you know it is really messy!

- I still want winter weather, but I am kinda excited for spring dressing.

- Totally coveting this shoe. Gold definitely!

- If your a mama and have bad days like me, read this. It is a good way to view this season we're currently in.

Happy weekending!!!

OUR HANDMADE CHRISTMAS GIFTS

2012-01-20T06:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am really going all the way back to Christmas. It seems like so long ago now, doesn't it?! Next thing you know, it will be Christmas again!

This past Christmas, Ben and I decided it would be fun to make each other's gift. We wanted to make this a bit more interesting, so we wanted to compile a list of up to 10 things that we could use to make the gift. We were going to come up with the list ourselves, but thought we might be too biased with the materials we are familiar with, so we sought help from the the most creative duo out there... Shauna & Stephen from Something's Hiding In Here. Anything those two come up with is pure genius, so we know by asking them, we were sure in for a challenge.

These are the ten items they came up: old book, kids' painting, well-worn shirt, paint, reclaimed wood, glass jar, recycled leather, something from nature, photograph, and wire.

We also added one little bonus called "a secret ingredient" that meant we could use an additional item of our choice. All ten items didn't have to be used in the gift either. We were both excited about the challenge, but were both so nervous cause we really wanted to make something special for the other.

Here is my gift to Ben...

I wanted to give Ben something that had a little message on it and this is what I came up with. The reclaimed lumber was purchased on etsy because I don't have the time to go looking for reclaimed wood with 4 girls in tow. The old book page was from a vintage book we already had. The photo was printed onto the book page and was taken at our engagement shoot by David Jay. The kids painted some other old book pages and those are layered under the painting to give it some texture. They also painted the left side of the piece. In total, I used 6 out of the 10 ingredients. Plus, my "secret ingredient" of mod podge to get the book page onto the wood.

I really do love Ben very much and wanted him to know so!

Now, Ben's gift to me made my jaw drop. His gift was so darn creative that I was just in awe the moment I saw it (he gave me his gift first that I wanted to hide the gift I made him because his was just so cool!)...

Seriously?!! A ship in a bottle?!! Using 9 out of the 10 things on our list?!! Dude has got some talent!

He found the glass jar at an antique shop and it had to be the perfect size for his ship. The kids' painting and paint was the blue for the ocean. The ship base was a piece of reclaimed wood from some vintage moulding. The wire he used was cut from hangers. Wow! I wouldn't have thought of that! His something from nature item were the little sticks from a tree in our front yard that make up the mast of the ship. He used a scrap from an old t-shirt of his for the one of the sails, a little piece of an old book page (that was leftover from this v-day present) for the front sail, and a photograph, along with a homage to the list givers (their mustache on a sticks were used in the picture), for the middle sail and his secret ingredient was black thread to hold up all the sails!

I was floored by the amazingness of his creation. I kept staring and staring and it (and still like to stare at it!). It can even fold flat to come out of the bottle and be put back in. I am in complete wow and love it so much!!!

Both our gifts are near each other displayed in our home. I even put little lights behind the bottle so it gives it a little twinkle at night. I really loved coming up with something for Ben and I love seeing how he used his creativity for me. Giving handmade gifts are the best and we may just make this a new tradition every Christmas! Maybe we'll ask a different couple each year to come up with a list. I would love to have a nice collection of handmade Christmas gifts for each other!

Thanks Shauna & Stephen, your list was pure genius and it was super fun for us to make something for each other using it!!! You guys seriously rock!!!

OUT TO SCHOOL: WEEK EIGHTEEN

2012-01-19T20:09:00.000-08:00

{where from again? shirt & shorts: misha lulu; artisan poncho c/o lucky brand; tights: target; boots: h&m.}

I love that I have all girls and they just all share clothes (see Brave a few days ago). Not sure they will like that when they are teenagers and fighting over who gets to wear what, but they like it right now, so I will enjoy it while it lasts!

The way kids run is so cute. I think they run and walk with joy in their steps. I ought to have more joy in my steps too!

FAMILY MEALS: WEEK ONE

2012-01-19T06:57:00.000-08:00

This first week of meal planning has gone fairly well thus far. Though Ben and I did have a little teensy fight on Tuesday because there was a misunderstanding on who was in charge of the vegetable dish. I guess we have a bit of a learning curve to figure this out.

Monday we ate Dawn Scampi...

Most scampi recipes are pretty high in fat, so we never eat it. This was a nice alternative and pretty delicious. Just make sure you wet the noodles in the sauce before serving, just follow what the directions say. We served the noodles first, then poured shrimp and sauce on top, so I don't think the sauce coated the spaghetti very well. Another change we did, was that we didn't have croutons, so I just sprinkled garlic herb spice on some whole wheat bread with smart balance light spread atop it, and toasted it in the oven until it was really dark and crunchy. I think that made a decent crouton substitute. The olives give the scampi a good flavor, but I think next time I would put a little bit more.

Tuesday was Oven Fried Chicken and Roasted Butternut Squash...

We were all totally loving this recipe. Soul devoured it in the first minute. We cooked drumsticks for the girls and chicken breast for Ben and me. If you have really big breast pieces, you will need to slice it in half so you won't get such a chunky piece. I didn't use the parmesan cheese in the breading because True is allergic to dairy, and for the breading that went on the breast, I added a bit more cayenne pepper than the recipe called for because we like our food really spicy!

It is cooked in the oven and the the breading gives a nice crunch that makes you kinda think you are eating something fried. Just looking at the pictures, it does look fried, but it isn't at all! I am definitely going to try and memorize this and make it more often.

Ben bought some already cut up butternut squash from the store, coated it in extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled some salt and pepper and stuck it in the oven for about 20 minutes. You can't really go wrong roasting vegetables that way.

We have enough leftovers from both nights that we had more chicken on Wednesday with a side of mashed sweet potatoes (using this recipe, we didn't like the gravy) and today we will finish off the scampi. I hope we can stick to this cause it saves us some time and hassle in the evening already knowing what is on the menu for dinner.

This past week's dinners were common dishes that typically aren't a high nutrition type of dish due to the fat content, but these recipes were nice alternatives. The wonderful part is that even though they were healthy versions, they still were jammed pack with flavor. I am for sure noting these dishes to be cooked again, especially that oven fried chicken!

Week of 1/23-1/27:

Monday: Pork Chops with Garlic Mashed Cauliflower (The recipe calls for potatoes, but we will use cauliflower.)

Tuesday: Cheddar BLT Burgers with Tarragon Russian Dressing (I am going to use lean ground turkey for the patty and use turkey bacon instead of regular bacon.) with a side of sweet potato wedges.

Wednesday: Tuesday's leftovers

Thursday: Oven Baked Taquitos (do something you already know how to make)

Friday: Pizza (or something easy like that)

If you do try out any of these recipes or have some of your own recipes to share, I would love to hear about it! Anyone else doing meal planning or following along with this? I will try to get my family meal posts up on Thursdays, that way you have the weekend to get groceries should you decide to follow along.

DIY: CHALKBOARD MATRYOSHKA NESTING DOLLS

2012-01-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

I love projects involving chalkboard paint because they always come out fun. I didn't prime it, so I did three coats of chalkboard paint, but if you did prime it, you might only need two coats of chalkboard paint. Chalkboard paint can be found at your local hardware store and I ordered my nesting dolls so long ago that I don't remember where it came from, but you can also purchase some from here.

My girls are all about these nesting dolls now cause they have such a blast drawing, erasing, and then drawing again. An easy and quick project that is sure to be fun is what we are all about over here! Keeps all of us sane. Enjoy!!!

TOLD YOU I WAS MESSY

2012-01-18T08:46:00.000-08:00

My house never looks like this, at least not for very long, and these are our messy kid room pictures taken a couple weeks ago. This is what their rooms look like most of the time. I cleaned it up, but now it looks like that again, but even worse! I will probably try to clean them out again today, but the key word is try. I said that yesterday too and obviously never got to it.

I appreciate all the kind your words all have given in the previous posts. This post also resonated well with me and it helped me understand this crazy time and how I can rejoice in God through it. Though I probably will complain more than rejoice, but that is a work in progress too.

I think I have spent time regretting that I am not enjoying every single second cause a lot of these seconds with little ones are hard, busy, trying to keep your head above water moments. That's the truth about parenting. It's hard. No one said it was going to be easy. You have these hard moments all day long, but then you also have moments that make you just be in awe at your kids. I love these in awe moments a lot! I am here to serve my family and will continually ask God to help me with that.

And I am thankful that I can share what God has been churning in my heart with you all, I think that is the wonderfulness of sharing in this space. Also, I learn from the wisdom you all share too!

Okay, promise a more lighthearted post soon. Now, I am off to put on my chef hat for my daughters!

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On an unrelated note, my friend and photographer Ica from Ica Images will be in SoCal soon and from January 24-31 she will be having a "Southern California Special" family shoot, maternity session, any kind of shoot you can think of for $75! She can even teach you the basics of your DSLR as she taught me how to use mine! If interested just shoot her an email at ica.images@gmail.com.

And don't forget my giveaways!

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THE LITTLEST ONE

2012-01-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

This littlest one is so good. Actually, they were all pretty good as babies. Not overly fussy, easy to console, and all they loved to do was eat, sleep, and get loved on. God was quite gracious to me in that regard, seeing how close in age all of them are.

Glow has been sleeping most nights for two weeks now, but somehow I still wake up quite exhausted in the mornings. I have done the cry it out method with all the girls to get them to learn to sleep through the night, but this one probably doesn't need it. In the mornings, I get her and put her in my bed to feed her, she does this happy giggle. It is the sweetest thing. This gal is such a giggler!

I know I am quite blessed to be able to mother these four girls, but I can't say I am always happy pappy about it. Trust me, there are tons of hard moments. We were having dinner last night and I was telling Ben that I just feel angry. Not necessarily at anyone or anything in particular, but just angry and at times it manifests in being cranky towards the girls (or at each other). We continued to discuss that he feels that way too and sometimes the things that makes us happy are just zoning out online reading about the Spurs (for him) or online window shopping (for me). That's quite terrible that those things give us peace and calm us down!

I think for me, so much stems from lack of believing God is better than all. I believe having this new dress will make me happier, or having a clean house will make me feel better, or if the girls just were obedient all the time it would be easier. I have been finding my joy in the wrong things. Christ is the only thing that can truly satisfy me and I want to want Him above all things. That is my prayer.

I am not a perfect mom. I don't have everything together. My girls aren't always perfectly dressed. Heck! Some days they don't even brush their teeth. Some days they tell me I am terrible. I am a horrible listener and Ben gets frustrated with that. I yell. I cry. Sometimes, I don't even know what to do. I get frustrated that I easily get frustrated. I try to control too much. I can never get caught up with laundry and I am always behind on emails. I love my children and husband, but I am also quite selfish. I was texting my struggles with someone from our church family and she reminded me this, Christ died so I don't have to be perfect. That truth is something I don't live out all the time, but I am so thankful for it!

This post didn't mean to turn into a novel, but these are just some ruminations of my heart. If you think I have got it all together, you got it wrong. I am messier than you think (or that is shown in this space)! All I am or am able to do is because of God, so I need to live each day knowing and depending on that.

THE FIRST DAY WINTER CAME BACK

2012-01-16T08:34:00.000-08:00

Brave loves posing for pictures, True too, but only if it is me behind the camera, and anyone notice that Soul can now levitate (see second picture from top)? Yeah, not sure where she learned that skill.

We all had light layers on (I had a sweater, but took it off), but it was the first day that winter came back, and hopefully we will be piling on more layers here on out (and I will be motivated to finish crocheting my scarf). I am kinda wanting a poncho like Brave's cause I wouldn't mind a cute colorful one to throw on and the last time I wore this shirt, I was very pregnant with Glow (see here). The skirt is a nice classic denim that will definitely last year me many years and seasons to come. A good denim skirt is a must in every wardrobe. I think I have four different kinds with the other three being vintage.

When we have to go somewhere, it is pretty chaotic in our home getting everyone dressed and ready. Each girl has her own idea of what she wants to wear. I know it will only get harder cause they will all have closet wars seeing how close in age they are. But I must say, having 4 girls, close in age, really saves us a bit of money because all the clothes just keep getting passed down. It's real convenient!

on me: shirt, h&m. skirt c/o modcloth (mine sold out, but I like this one too, a good classic). necklace, a merry mishap. boots, swedish hasbeens (gifted from my parents).

on true: shirt & dress, misha lulu. sweater, old navy. boots, thrifted.

on brave: dress, c/o tea collection. artisan poncho, c/o lucky brand. leggings, old navy. shoes, toms.

on soul: dress, vintage. jeggings, target. sweater, vintage. shoes, made by me.

Monday is back again and tonight we are having Scampi for dinner! Can't wait to finally get one week of meal planning under our belt.

p.s. don't worry, we weren't in the middle of a busy road here. we live on a 4 home cul-de-sac, so we were very safe. don't forget this and this giveaway!

p.p.s. this wedge, from this post, is now a steal of a deal! wow!

:: SPONSOR WELCOME ::

2012-01-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome Paper Coterie. Lots of pretty photo books, calendars, photo canvases, journals, cards and more! All of which could be personalized with a photo of your choice. This past Christmas I was able to order some items from them and gift them to the grandparents (and a few other people). After all, what do grandparents want most of? Pictures of their grandchildren of course! I really loved the way the albums and calendars came out. Judging by the smiles of the grandparents, they loved them too!

For one Cakies reader, Paper Coterie is giving away a $50 gift certificate to their shop along with free shipping. To win, here are some things you can do:

1. Leave a comment telling me what you would purchase from Paper Coterie.
2. Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway and leave each separate links here.

The giveaway will end at 8am PST on Thursday, January 19th. Good luck! Many thanks to Paper Coterie!!!

paper coterie shop...

paper coterie blog...

:: SPONSOR WELCOME ::

2012-01-15T07:24:00.000-08:00

Meet Casey Leigh... blogger, mom, fashion lover, cook, and artist. She documents the joys, frustrations and triumphs of her life on a regular basis. She is one busy mama living in Dallas and raising her two children, creating her own art while running an art gallery. I love how honest she is on her blog. That's my kind of girl! Check out her blog and you will sure to be inspired!

For one Cakies reader, Casey is giving away a $50 credit to put towards ad space, an art print, a necklace or a blog design. You choose! To win, here are some things you can do:

1. Leave a comment telling me about one of your favorite blogs.
2. Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway and leave each separate links here.

The giveaway will end at 8am PST on Thursday, January 19th. Good luck! Many thanks to Casey Leigh!!!

casey leigh art...

casey leigh blog...

MY STYLE RESOLUTION

2012-01-14T05:18:00.000-08:00

Modcloth asked me if I had a style resolution and my answer is... yes! Wear more wedges!

I think I have always paired wedges with a dress thinking I had to be a bit fancier to wear them, but I want to learn to pair them with jeans and wear them more often. I usually wear stacked heels and clogs of late, but I think more wedges are right up my alley for this year. Especially pairing them with jeans and not just dresses and they aren't so bad for chasing after kids, just don't run too fast. They are much better than heels that's for sure.

This budapest wedge from modcloth was a very good start. It is kinda loafer-ish, but with a nice wedge. I love the height it gives me and for me, wearing something with a lift somehow gives me better posture. Better posture is always good.

I kept the outfit pretty neutral but added a pop of color with my kelly green bag I got from Anthropologie. After turquoise, kelly green is my second favorite color! It was a steal of a deal when it was the fifty percent off sale and I couldn't pass it up (I had a gift card after all) and I have always wanted a pretty kelly green leather bag. Of course, I am also in love with my cool, geometric ring from Osnat Har-noy. I am a sucker for chunky rings. Love them!

Do you have any style resolutions?

What I'm wearing... shirt, vintage. jeans, f21. bag, anthro. budapest wedges c/o modcloth. bracelets, handmade by anne potter. ring, osnat har-noy.

HUZZAH!

2012-01-13T20:39:00.000-08:00

I am not sure what's going on this weekend, but I just want to hang out with my family. I think everyone is finally well, so it will be nice to just kinda chill. Of course, we also get to see our church family on Sunday.

This week's learned and links...

- Meal planning. Finally starting. Wanna join me? Here is the menu for this week.

- Glow is so giggly and happy and has had more nights of sleeping through the night than not. That is good for this mama.

- After cleaning my closet, I have come to the conclusion, I need more tops. I have tons of dresses and bottoms, but not enough tops. *as ben rolls his eyes*

- Brave has really got some good dance moves. That girl puts on a show for us every night.

- Soul now says, "Mama, I hungry." "Glow cry." Talking is coming to her slowly, but it is coming.

- I want the colder weather to come back. Not this summer stuff we are going through.

- Danni's post and comments were really interesting to read.

- In love with all jewelry from this artist. I got this necklace and love it!

I had one crying and praying out to God moment this week as I was super frustrated and tired, but God still is good! Even in the craziness of the everyday, enjoy it folks. I know one day I will miss all these little kid messes and playing referee. It comes with the package, doesn't it?! So glad today is Friday though... huzzah!!!

FAMILY MEALS

2012-01-13T11:54:00.000-08:00

I am not the cook, Ben is, so usually he comes home from work and I ask, "What's for dinner?" It takes us awhile to figure it out and it really makes us waste a bit of time and we eat too many frozen meals from Trader Joe's. One of the things we always wanted to get better at is meal planning. This is my attempt. Every thursday, in this space, I will post the following week's menu and I will also recap the flavors of the meals cooked from that week. This will give us (and you) the weekend to get the needed groceries and be more prepared for family dinners for the coming week. The links I put will be healthy, I am married to a dietitian after all, and will sometimes be new recipes to me, so I can't guarantee on flavor.

Family meals are important because we all get to sit together and talk about our day, so I want to be more efficient with this time we are given.

Week of 1/16 through 1/20:

Monday - Dawn's Scampi (I love scampi, but don't eat it cause of all the oil, this sounds like a good alternative)

Tuesday - Oven fried chicken (sounds good and not fried, but make sure note preparations as you need to let it marinade a bit)

Wednesday - Monday's leftovers

Thursday - Tuesday's leftovers

Friday: Pizza night (or something like that)

Obviously, I haven't really covered the vegetable dish for these days (or weekend meals for that matter), but this is a good start for now. This will be a work in progress. Also, I will be sure to be making more so that we could eat left overs during the week too. A new meal every night is a bit adventurous, so I will be starting slow with just two official cooked meals next week. What do you think? Anyone else want to try this out with me?

DISNEY DAY

2012-01-13T11:11:00.000-08:00

It is a nice little perk to have a sister who works at Disneyland cause sometimes thanks to her (and her friends), we get to have a Disney day! We really don't ride many rides, cause frankly lines are way too long and the thing that my girls really love is the parade! Their faces light up, their voices get loud, and it comes alive for them. They loved it so much that we watched both parades of the day. The best part of the parade is seeing Jiminy Cricket. He is really good friends with my baby sister.

Besides having fun at the park, eating churros, my fave part was hanging out with my siblings (and Ashley). We are all becoming better friends now that we are getting older. It is nice. When my brother and I were younger (he is next in line after me), we didn't get along. We literally would hit and kick each other and were always at each other's throats. Thankfully, ever since our last big fight shortly after True was born (it was a really bad fight!), we became friends. Us sisters are pretty protective of our brother and it will definitely be a bit tough for the girl who wants our brother's heart to win the heart of us three sisters. Us sisters mean business. For real. Don't mess with his heart girls!

It was definitely a good day, but the only thing that would have made it better was having Ben there with us. It is just never the same without him!

OUT TO SCHOOL: WEEK SEVENTEEN

2012-01-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

True put together her outfit this week. Actually, she put it together on Sunday in preparation for school on Tuesday. Her pickings were all from Misha Lulu, who is having a sale over at Mini Social right now (see here). The only items that weren't from Misha were her boots, socks and headband, which were from H&M. I think this week she was channeling her inner Minnie Mouse, probably cause she was inspired from our surprise visit to Disneyland last Friday. My girls all love that mouse so much!!!

Things this week have been crazy cause Soul was sick, then Ben was out for a few days, then I had my bout with not feeling well. I am hoping that everyone is on the mend here on out and that we are able to enjoy some time just chilling together. We could use some free time over here! It seems there is always someone sick, something to do, or some event to plan. Anyone else feel that way too? Or maybe it is just that thing called life. Yeah. Probably. It's just life!

STAY COOL

2012-01-09T23:21:00.000-08:00

Things are crazy busy this week and won't lighten up until the weekend. Posting will probably be light, but when I come back, I am sure I will have lots to recap on. The biggest news of late is that Glow can roll over! Yippee for my littlest baby!!!

Until then, stay cool friends cause my Bravey sure is!

OUT TO SCHOOL: WEEK SIXTEEN

2012-01-05T21:29:00.000-08:00

{where from again? bow: crocheted by me; shirt: brought home by auntie reinna from when she went to cambodia; jacket: vintage gifted from rachel; raya skirt: c/o lucky brand; boots: h&m.}

Did you know Lucky Brand had kid clothes? I didn't. I was surprised and and they also have some really cute things, like this pretty skirt or this cool shirt! My girls love skirts! Come to think of it, I don't think I had my first pair of jeans until I was in middle school. My mom made me a skirt/dress girl growing up and I think for the most part that is how my girls operate too. Though they do love leggings.

True knows the routine for her go-to school day real well. We get all the younger three girls in the car and buckled in, then True and I go in the front yard to take a couple pictures, then we rush back in the car and take off. I think she kinda likes getting her picture taken, but only if it is me behind the camera.

Funny story... we went to pick up True from school and I see her teeny self sitting on the curb snacking on carrots when I notice she is wearing one of her Happy New Year crowns. The teacher walks her to the car and greets me and tells me how cute True looked today and quietly whispers that she wore the crown all day long. Hmm... she didn't leave the house with the crown on, as you can see by the picture taken before school, so this little girl snuck the crown in her backpack and put it on at school. Hilarious! For a shy little girl, she was kinda bold in her fashion choice that day. At least it was a crown and not a mini skirt, right?!! Oh boy! For this little girl of mine, fashion really has no bounds. You should see the funny things they put on for dress-up!

OUR CHRISTMAS CARD

2012-01-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas is way over, but I loved our Christmas card too much not to share. Actually, I am horrible at planning Christmas cards and never get around to it until it is much too late, so when True came to me and showed me her drawing, I said, "That's it! That's our card!"

I gave it to Ben, he scanned it, digitalized it, added a greeting, and we got ourselves a card! It was perfect! Too bad, I never really sent any out, but just handed it out to those friends and family that we did see, so consider this my late Christmas card to everyone who reads this blog!

And just so you could see the original, here it is...

Kid art is just the absolute best! I have one more Christmas-related post coming, which is the handmade gifts Ben and I made each other. I am in love with what Ben made me and I can't wait to share it!

Are you good at planning Christmas cards?

WATCHING MOVIES

2012-01-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

It hasn't been that difficult living tv-less since our television bit the dust last May. Actually, it is kinda nice since I don't think televisions are that pretty and the space it used to occupy is no longer an eye sore. Now, we have plants and pretty things there!

We are still able to get some television on our computers thanks to Hulu, but the only shows in mine and Ben's repertoire are Supernatural (yes, we like scary things), New Girl, and Fringe (my show, not Ben's). The only thing difficult about living without television is that I don't know what news is going out in the world and usually only find out when people start tweeting about some occurrence. I probably should check some online news site more often. Other than that, living without a television has worked well for us and movie watching is done on our computers. The best part is just add on a projector and our ipod speaker system and we got ourselves our own little home theatre. Better than any large television in my honest opinion.

We lay blankets out, bring out the trays, have some yummy food and we all love the coziness of our own home theatre. We spent the day after New Year's just chillin' out and watching a movie together. It was such a nice, cozy, comfy, lazy day. Those can sometimes be the best kind, don't you think?

NEW YEAR'S EVE DANCE PARTY

2012-01-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve was a wild and crazy night that involved some homemade 2012 crowns, yummy shrimp and black eyed peas for dinner, then loads and loads of dancing. Also, we all put on the silliest outfit we could think of and I think Ben wins again as his was pretty darn silly. Our strobe light came out of the closet and we had a blast dancing the night away!

It was a great way to ring in the New Year, though we didn't quite stay up until midnight. We went as long as we could though and must have partied so hard because the next morning Soulie was sick. How did you ring in 2012?

p.s. doesn't brave make the best camera faces?

JANUARY

2012-01-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

December came and went. It was such a busy month with Soul's birthday, then Ben's, then Christmas and all the other festivities that were shoved in between. It was a good month, but our decorations are pretty much all put away, except the tree. True wanted it up one more week, so I happily obliged. And guess what? Even though you could see our advent calendar here, we never ever did a single one. Oh how busy everyday is for our family of six!

I can't believe the holidays are all over and as much as I want to do it all over again, I am glad that all that low nutrition food will for the most part be over and done with. I am a sucker for sweets so if it is around, I just can't say no. So how do I deal with sweets the rest of the year? I just don't really let it come in my house. Unless, we have a baking day.

I have a lot of little goals and resolutions floating around my head, but I have not had a chance to write it out all out yet. There are some things I definitely want to be focusing on more this year. Though the goal of the moment, is to kinda clean things up around here. Every weekend leaves this house in shambles, especially since we had an impromptu New Year's Day party here since Soul was sick and we didn't want to go anywhere, my family brought the party here.

January things that will make this month fly...

- My dad's 53rd birthday was yesterday! Happy Birthday Grumpy!!!

- A few little projects to turn in this month. I wish there were more days in January.

- Last month before my sister gets married.

- Keeping up with the daily busyness of my four littles.

I know I have a long list of to-dos that feel like they will never get done, but the best thing of this month so far is that Glow has slept through the night two nights in a row! Yay!!! I am pretty happy about this because I hope to get full night's rest again, so that I can start waking up early with Ben again. Good job Glow, let's keep the sleeping through the night thing going...

Happy New Year everyone! I have lots to share from our festivities soon.

OUR MOST FAVORITE THING OF 2011

2011-12-31T19:41:00.000-08:00

Our most favorite thing of 2011 is having this little girl added to our family. We all absolutely, positively love her!

Enjoy ringing in the New Year wherever you are!!! 2012, here we come!!!

BRATCHER DANCE PARTY

2011-12-29T09:25:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve of 2008 started the first Bratcher dance party, also known as Club Bratcher. We all get dressed up as silly as possible, have a nice little dinner involving some black eyed peas, then we put on some Black Eyed Peas, along with some other bumpin' music, and dance our hearts out. We even have a strobe light for the occasion.

This tradition has been a favorite of ours since we started and we only had two kids, though I will admit it didn't happen last year because Ben and I had a fight. Yup. Those things happen to us too, but this year it is on again for sure and now we have four kids... yay! We still have to figure out what is on the menu for the night, but you can be sure we will all be ready to party come New Years Eve! We are so excited! How do you plan to ring in the New Year?

CHRISTMAS DAY

2011-12-28T08:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning the girls were anxious to go downstairs to see if Santa had come. True had left him an apple and some cookies the night before, so she wanted to see if he ate them. Indeed, he had and had also left some nicely wrapped packages beside his empty plate (the open presents on the left are from Christmas Eve).

Here are my four girls, smiling together, well as best as I could get them all to at the same time. They are happily clutching some of the toys they got from their Grammy and Grumpy. The Minnie in True's arms were for Soul, but she doesn't liked stuffed animals and freaked out, so True claimed her for her own. The Monchichi Soul's holding is Brave's ultimate favorite toy she got a couple birthdays ago and Brave is holding True's Jesse doll she got from my parents the night before. My kids are a little mixed up on whose toy is whose, but maybe they are just really good at sharing!

For stocking stuffers, True got a headband, Brave a 2-d puzzle, and Soul and Glow got little dolls. We also added some of their favorite snacks in the stocking, even Ben got some special snacks too!

Santa brought them a record player and some read along vintage record sets that Santa got here. They were super duper excited about getting to play their read along records, especially their Sound of Music one their Auntie RJ gifted the night before. My girls are big fans of Rodgers & Hammerstein. The morning was spent listening to some records then hurriedly dressing and leaving the house to gather with our church family.

After spending time being reminded about Christ's kingship and how that relates to the traditional Christmas songs we sing about his rule, we came home to relax, play, and finish opening presents under the tree. Ben and I gifted the big girls each with a Moomin book to add to their collection and Soul got a vintage quilt for when she moves out of her crib. I am so glad we go simple with the amount of gifts we give them cause too many presents means more stuff and more stuff means more messes. We really don't need more messes around this place! The rest of the afternoon was spent with the big girls watching movies big screen style on the wall, while the babies slept, and Ben and I cuddled.

These dolls are one of my very favorite toys the girls have. We have a nice little collection. We have had the one on the very left for years, and the two little ones were in Soul and Glow's stocking this year (the white one is vintage), and my parents gave Soul the big one on Christmas Eve. They are not very many toys Soul likes and these dolls are one of the few that she does actually like. Though, when she first took out that big one, she was a bit frightened because she isn't quite used to seeing them so large. I love these dollies so much because their adorable little faces are too sweet! Just like my girls. BTW- I purchased one extra little one, so if you are interested in purchasing it from me, email me for details.

Christmas evening, we went to my aunt's and spent the rest of the day eating more yummy food and playing fun games with my family. I love that my girls know it is Jesus' birthday that we celebrate and I especially love being with my family on this very special holiday. The day was obviously very merry and very bright!

CHRISTMAS EVE

2011-12-27T19:22:00.000-08:00

This is the first time we hosted any type of holiday celebration at our house and we were all sorts of nervously excited for it. My family always gets together for Christmas Eve and we wanted to start some of our own traditions too, so we tapped into Ben's Mexican heritage (he's half Mexican and half Caucasian for those of you who wonder) and decided to make homemade tamales.

We made two kinds: Oaxaca Chicken Breast and Black Mole Tamales and a Red Chile and Pork Tamale (recipes from this book). Of course, we made the masa part without lard (recipe from this book), so it was especially fun to make healthy tamales. All I have to say is that tamale making is hard work! We spent most of Friday all the way up to midnight prepping the meats and the sauce (mole takes forever to make!) and Saturday morning was spent wrapping tamales. The girls got into the action and we had fun wrapping together as a family. There was also Ensalada de Noche Buena, Ceviche (my request), and Mexican Chocolate cake and all was made fresh and yummy by my mama.

It was a wonderful dinner and after Ben read an interactive story called What God Wants for Christmas and had different people read parts of the Bible aloud. After which, we made fresh Hot Mexican Chocolate and indulged in cake eating while my brother played some Christmas music and we all sang together. We even sang Happy Birthday to Jesus! It was really nice to be together and reflect on what the real meaning of Christmas is. Then, we made our way to the tree and had fun opening presents.

My girls are always way too spoiled by their grandparents, but my parents are getting better at understanding what we allow our girls to have. We don't want to saturate them with too much and we know grandparents like to spoil, so finding a happy medium is key. My parents are also good sports because I still give them my own Christmas wish list! Presents are fun, but my favorite part of the evening was being able to serve my family at our house. My mom always works so hard during the holidays to make it special for us that we were glad we were able to let her relax a bit and host the party at our house. Families, especially big ones, definitely come with their own sets of trials on occasion, but they also come with a lot of joy and happiness.

Christmas Day happies coming up next...

OUR HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

2011-12-24T13:25:00.000-08:00

Lots of handmade things and pretty twinkly lights is all this family needs to have a happy space for Christmas. My favorite part is our mantel with our homemade elf stockings. Love the quirkiness! This is where we will be celebrating and cozying up all weekend long.

Merry Christmas Eve!!! My family will be here soon, so it is back into the kitchen I go!

LAST MINUTE DECORATING

2011-12-22T17:38:00.000-08:00

I have a few more things to craft up before all the official festivities begin, which will start for us on Christmas Eve. If you need a few last minute ideas, here are some easy ways to decorate for Christmas...

Easy tutorial to finger knitting here. Wool felt lights, I first made them long ago here. And felted bead balls is all we use to decorate our tree, just like last year. This year we just made more!

And of course, the sixth and final elf stocking has been made and is now hanging on the mantle...

All that is left on the Christmas decoration making agenda is a wreath and something pretty for our Christmas Eve dinner table. Tomorrow I will give a little tour of a happily decorated space, if I remember in this crazy, busy time. Though the big happening at our place tomorrow is the making of lots of homemade tamales for Christmas Eve. I am so excited about the menu! Ben has lots of good things up his sleeve. My dear family, get excited!!!

What things do you have left to do before the official festivities begin?

PRESENTS

2011-12-19T22:41:00.000-08:00

After painting the bows on Ben's presents a week ago, I really liked the idea and let the girls go to town painting bows on some of the Christmas presents under the tree. It was a nice to let them get a bit involved in the whole wrapping present thing.

They started out painting bows, but then eventually went to painting their own pictures. Nevertheless, the result was cute and it was all them. That's the best part. I just took pictures while they worked!

How do you do presents? I have heard of the "wear, read, want and need" present rule, but we haven't tried that out. This year each of our girls get one present under the tree from Ben and me, a collective one from "Santa", and some little stocking stuffers. Last year, Santa gave them a dollhouse and this year Santa is bringing them a record player with some vintage read along records. My friend Karen gave them a Mary Poppins record and they have wanted a player ever since. The present under the tree from us are just books for the big girls and little quilts for the little ones.

I think I am really liking the just one present from mom and dad, one from "Santa", and little things in stockings. It keeps things kinda simple and I am all for simple. In fact, we just wanted to go to the dollar store to get them some puzzles for the present under the tree, but then I already had bought some books a couple years ago that I was saving special for them, so we are giving those instead. Them, or even us, getting presents isn't what Christmas is all about anyways. I will admit I do have my own wish list and love getting presents, but I hate that Christmas can get so focused on that. The real meaning gets lost in the commercialism and the whole idea of wanting more things that we really don't need.

This year Ben and I agreed that we would only give each other a handmade gift. We put a fun little twist to it, so this will be interesting. I haven't made his yet, but I still have a few days for that and I think he is kinda stressed on mine.

From the gifts we did buy, if they weren't books (or the record player) from Amazon, then they were probably handmade or vintage goodies. These are some of the shops that I did some of my shopping from: lofidelitylove, a merry mishap, papa's good ole days, good knits, misha lulu, and paper coterie. And if you still need gifts, my fave line Misha Lulu is having a great deal over at mini social (go here).

I would love to hear how you handle Christmas giving with the little ones in your life. Any special rules you use to help guide the gift buying?

HUZZAH!

2011-12-18T22:25:00.000-08:00

Totally love this new little camera trick that Annie tweeted about. See her step by step here. We decided our favorites were hearts. Warning... you will get addicted and the best part is that it is so easy! My girls love it so so much cause they get to see hearts everywhere! This little ones of mine are as girly as they get.

Learned and links...

- I think we have our Christmas Eve menu about ready. Now just have to prep!

- Photo books are great gifts, but they definitely take some time to make. I ordered mine from here.

- Obsessed with crocheting chunky scarves. Just made this one, I have a cranberry one in the works now.

- Four kids definitely leaves my house with all sorts of messy and it really stresses me out cause I am such a neat freak, but I am very slowly learning to let it go.

- My pastor tweeted this quote... "Failure is being successful at the things that don't matter." Author unknown. Then it made me think of this verse: Matthew 16:26 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"

- My BFF and I officially go to the same church. Her and her hubs are now part of our church family at CrossView. Yay! That means we get to see each other every Sunday!

Monday is basically upon us, but I can't wait for Wednesday evening! That means Ben is off until next Tuesday... huzzah!!!

CLOGS AND GOLD

2011-12-18T09:15:00.000-08:00

on True: dress & shirt, misha lulu. tights, gap. clogs, c/o lotta from stockholm.

on Brave: dress, vintage from ms. tips. boots, siaomimi via gilt.

on Soul: dress, vintage. shoes, vintage.

I think True is a clog lover like me! As soon as she got these, she was wearing them all over. She says she is like mommy and gets to wear high heels! It is cute she thinks clogs are high heels and it is cute that she wants to be like me. I find all my girls are like that though. They like to watch me get dress and imitate things I do and wear. I remember doing that to my mom and wanting to put rollers in my hair and prancing around in her high heels all over the house. Oh, it is quite fun to be such a girly girl!

on me: shine your light dress, c/o modcloth. tights, anthropologie. clog boots, c/o lotta from stockholm.

If you have been following my particular obsessions these past few months, then you know they have been clogs and ankle boots. Then you can imagine my excitement when these came to me! Complete perfection. If you are skeptical of wooden sole shoes, I can attest to them being comfy. Somehow the arch of the sole mesh well with my feet and feel really good, which is an added bonus when it comes to shoes cause I know most of us girls will suffer for fashion. Aren't I right?

This was us a few weeks ago, so my hair is still its natural dark color and Bravey and I were wearing gold dresses, so we declared ourselves twinsies! Actually, this was taken on Thanksgiving and the day before I changed it. We will be sure to all get dressed up again on Christmas and attempt to get another family picture in, since we didn't really get one for Thanksgiving (except this).

This is the first year we are hosting Christmas at our house, so we are all sorts of excited! Ben is working on the menu and we are working on getting the house clean and decorated. We still have a long list of to-dos until we are ready, but we are slowly chopping away and come Saturday we will be ready for family, eating and lots of merry making!

DIY: YARN BALL ORNAMENTS

2011-12-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

I am all about easy, colorful projects with things I have already have around the house, so these fit the bill wonderfully. We have a few more Christmas crafting DIYs to do and share soon! Do you have a favorite Christmas craft or recipe you do at this time of year?

PAPI, PAPI, TURNS 37!

2011-12-15T15:53:00.000-08:00

It was Ben's birthday this past Sunday. He turned 37. The first birthday I ever celebrated with him was when he turned 27! Seriously, time really goes much too fast. I was 20 and he was 27 and I thought that was old back then. It really isn't, in fact, it is quite young! For his birthday this year, we decided to make a little book, inspired by this Eric Carle book, that would tell him of how we were going to celebrate his special day...

Ben loved the book so much and I had fun making it. I used a blank board book for the book base. I painted a ton of paper with lots of different colors and textures (I had a list of the colors I needed for the book), so that I could get the Eric Carle look. Each picture was cut out of different pieces of paper and glued onto the page. The faces took the longest to make, as each color you see is its own cut out piece and all glued together. I was super excited to be able to shower him with lots of love!

So just as the book dicated, he got breakfast in bed and I made him a ginormous omelet. Then, some presents, which was the book and a lunchbox, then off to church we went. After, we came home and had a cooking party where we made this recipe that we always wanted to try and these white chocolate oatmeal cookies. The best part of all, we all just spent time together, eating, relaxing, watching movies and getting cozy by the fireplace. I think that made Ben a very happy birthday boy!

My guy is a simple guy and his favorite things are handmade gifts and being with his girls! He's got five of them after all!!! Benny, all your girls love you so, so much!!! You are the handsomest, sweetest, bestest husband and father ever! Well, not better than God of course (as True would say).

DIY: A HANDMADE TREE TOPPER

2011-12-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

For the past several years, we have never used a tree topper because I could never find one I liked. We go very simple on our tree just stringing garland and this simple tree topper is what I have always been looking for. The handmade feel of it is just too irresistibly sweet!

We may be making smaller versions of it to hang some little stars around the house. Also, the fabric strips I used were from this ribbon spool. I saw it when I went to Anthropologie recently and it was just too fun and colorful to not buy just because, but then it came in handy for this little project!

So tell me, what do you use to top your Christmas tree?

OUT TO SCHOOL: WEEK FIFTEEN

2011-12-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

{where from again? tunic: handmade; coat: baby bear bums; leggings: old navy; rainboots: target; smile: all hers.}

True had her last day of school for this year and still her theatre teacher tells me she doesn't talk much. True tells me she is really shy in theatre because it is the first class of the day, but as the day goes on, she is less shy. This idea will get tested because next semester, her theatre class is at the end of the day, so we will see.

I really love the charter school we go through because this one day a week school deal is such a good thing for her. I can't wait until Brave joins next year! Also because that means when they are both at school, it gives me more of a break having just two kids at home. School officially goes on break next week, but I think we will continue doing a bit of school here and there. Love the homeschooling flexibility!

And you all know we love Misha Lulu and you can get great deals this week on their lovely goods through Mini Social. Check it out here!

p.s. that smile of hers, melts my heart!

**********

Good news!!! I won the HOUZZ holiday contest!!! Thank you all for your support!!! HOUZZ will be randomly drawing one of your names (of those who commented), so one of you will be getting a $250 gift certificate very soon! So keep checking back for the announcement. Thank you again so, so much!!!

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DIY: A SNOWY CHRISTMAS SCENE

2011-12-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

It is such a pretty, serene, little scene and was so easy for us to make! It could even be made bigger with mason jars or you could use some little bottle brush trees if you have them. Or even make tiny houses, put in some tiny deers and the list could go on and on...

Stay tuned for another little Christmas project tomorrow!!!

5 AND ONE MORE GIVES 6

2011-12-12T11:10:00.000-08:00

That's right. This is all six of us. Six! I still can't believe it. Ben and I became a big family, really fast! We were married a little less than seven years ago and now we have four kids. Yes, we think we are crazy and there is a lot of yelling in our house, but there is also a lot of good times. I am sure one day we will look back and laugh at all the yelling and craziness we felt, but I am sure we will miss those times too. Here's to trying to treasure moments amidst the craziness of having 4 children super close in age!

p.s. thanks abe for taking our pictures!

HUZZAH! AND A GIVEAWAY

2011-12-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

Soul's birthday came and went and now this weekend's is Ben's. Oh boy! Thankfully, most of my Christmas shopping is done (gotta order two more things) and most of it is wrapped and under the tree. Yeah! I always think it is funny to wait until right before Christmas to wrap a gift because a tree looks so much prettier with things sitting at the bottom, so I always make sure to get my wrapping done early. Next week in this space, I will share some quick and easy Christmas DIY's for you and your kiddos. We have all sorts of art projects going on here!

Learned and links and a giveaway...

- True whole heartedly believes in Santa. So cute!

- Glow slept until 6:30am! Now, if she can just do that every night.

- My sister is a really good hairstylist! And I am loving my new color!

- My denim shirt (pictured above) is new fave (will probably get worn everyday) and came from this shop.

- This message convicted me and I want to have intentional kindness. I don't think kindness and faithfulness are words that describe me.

- My BFF is a teacher and is raising money for her classroom library through DonorsChoose and whatever is given by Dec. 12th, this Monday, it will get matched by the program. The class has $400 dollars left to go until they reach their goal, so please help a classroom of underprivileged children in the Los Angeles area and donate here.

If you donate ($1, $5, or even more!) then you have a chance to win a polaroid camera! It is the season of giving after all and this would be a wonderful gift to give to a classroom. In return, one of you would get a gift as well! Just go here to donate and then come back to this post and tell me you did so! This is the honor system, but if you win, I will ask you to forward me the receipt of your donation as proof. Giveaway will end next Wednesday, Dec. 14th!!! Note: Use the code SPARK at payment to make sure your donation gets matched!

Thanks friends and have a happy weekend!!!

*****UPDATE: The goal for my BFF's class was reached! Thank you so, so, so much to all who donated!!!!!!*****

POLAROID WINNER IS KERYN EGAN!!! EMAIL ME YOUR ADDRESS AND I WILL GET YOUR CAMERA TO YOU! thank you everyone who helped support this class full of kids!

GIVEAWAY WINNERS

2011-12-09T19:11:00.000-08:00

The random robot chose... carrie murphy, whitney reeder, and peppermint mocha mama. Congrats lovely ladies and please do email me to claim your prize! Thank you everyone for your support and there will be plenty more giveaways very soon!!! xoxo, Rubyellen

OUT TO SCHOOL: WEEK FOURTEEN

2011-12-08T23:37:00.000-08:00

It's been kinda cold lately. California cold. So when it came time to get dressed for school, we just threw on whatever was cozy to keep her warm and something comfy enough for the playground. True says the playground is what school days are all about! And it wasn't raining, but rainboots were what was near as we were rushing out the door, so worked for me!

What is your idea of cozy comfy clothing?

p.s. thank you, thank you for all your votes so far! the contest ends friday at midnight, so keep 'em coming and you might just win a $250 gift certificate to any online retailer you want! vote/comment here.

HELLO GLOW

2011-12-07T22:09:00.000-08:00

Sure, she still keeps me up at night and I haven't had a full night's rest in 3 months, but this littlest gal is the easiest of my little gals at the current moment. The bigger ones spend their days fighting and not listening, even Soulie gets into trouble with her feist, but this little one is pretty obedient, so far. I do know that will eventually change. Until then, I am treasuring these somewhat much easier moments with Glow.

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WE ARE SO CLOSE FOLKS! I am currently in first place and there is a little over one day until the contest is over and one of you could win a $250 gift certificate to any online retailer of your choice if my ideabook wins with the most votes (anthropologie is an online retailer, is it not?!)! Don't forget to leave a comment on my HOUZZ ideabook. Each comment gets one vote. A LITTLE OVER A DAY LEFT, SO PLEASE GET YOUR VOTE IN! Winners for the other giveaways will be announced on Friday.

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SOUL'S GINGERBREAD HOUSE BIRTHDAY

2011-12-05T21:54:00.000-08:00

This gal is two, but she doesn't really talk all that much. She is just barely starting to put sentences together, so when it came to her birthday, we were kind of at a loss at what to do. Then it dawned on me, this girl loves sweets, so with Christmas around the corner, we thought it would be appropriate to have a gingerbread house birthday, where she could indulge her little tummy to her heart's content. And indulge she did...

We had the little celebration on Sunday afternoon and I used this recipe to make the gingerbread house pieces and icing instead of buying a kit, which I would have gladly done, but the ones I saw contained hydrogenation. My only change is that I added some pumpkin pie spice to the mix and lessened the ground ginger, other than that, it was absolutely delicious. Also, I doubled the recipe so we could make 4 houses, but we only ended up making three and the girls ate the remaining pieces. There were sweets galore strewn all over the table, so you can imagine my Soulie's sheer delight to be next to it all!

Ben and I helped put the frame of the house together, but the girls did everything else. Eventually though, Soul stopped building and just started eating.

Instead of a cake, we used the house that Soul was working on and put two candles coming out of the chimney. We thought it was kind of clever and when she blew them out after we sang Happy Birthday, it looked like smoke was coming out of the chimney!

Their little houses came out so cute! Sure, the roofs are put on exactly and you probably wouldn't want to live in them if you lived in a rainy area, but they are my girls' little works of art. And I think for Soulie, this was the absolute perfect way to celebrate the second year God gave her. She is God's little work of art to us. She is a little ball of feisty, who grunts and shreiks to communicate, but when she is sweet, she is oh so sweet! Just like these gingerbread houses. And I don't think anyone can resist her "big cheese". Our continuous prayer for her is that God would open her eyes to see His truth and that she would long to be a soul winner for Him.

Love you Soulie!!!

SOUL'S BREAKFAST IN BED

2011-12-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

Our little big baby turned 2 on Saturday. Last year she had her breakfast birthday bash, but this year was more low key. She got our traditional breakfast in bed, but the rest of her day got upstaged by my sister's wedding shower, though we did give Soul her own celebration on Sunday.

Her breakfast in bed was simple... some cornflakes cereal (this is new to her, so she was all about it), a little gingerbread man (to elude to her little celebration coming the next day), and the traditional vegetable animal always made by her Papi, which was a mole from a sweet potato. The birthday girl was obviously quite happy with her little breakfast! And we love that smile of hers too too much! We call her smile the "big cheese".

p.s. don't forget my three giveaways below and enter this one by leaving a comment here to win a $250 gift certificate to any online retailer of your choice if my ideabook wins!

:: SPONSOR WELCOME ::

2011-12-03T11:59:00.001-08:00

Say hello to Me & Mr. Cassidy. This dazzling duo is not a blog about their life as a married couple, rather Me & Mr. Cassidy is a band comprised of Hope Leigh and Scott Cassidy. I love music with a good tune and clever lyrics and Me & Mr. Cassidy does not disappoint at all.

If you have followed this blog for awhile, then you are familiar with them as I have used their songs for these two videos. They write and compose their own music and it doesn't get much better than that. Their first CD tells a complete love story from beginning to end. The characters are Anabelle and Theodore and it is really quite sweet! I am the type of person, when I find music I like, I play it over and over and over and over again and Me & Mr. Cassidy has definitely spent a lot of time filling my house and car with loveliness!

If you want to hear a snippet of them, just play the video below or can check out the entire CD here.

For one Cakies reader, Me & Mr. Cassidy is giving away a free CD. To win, here are some things you can do:

1. Leave a comment telling me your current favorite song.
2. Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway and leave each separate links here.

The giveaway will end at 8am PST on Wednesday, December 7th. Good luck! Many thanks to Me & Mr. Cassidy!!!

me & mr. cassidy bandcamp...

me & mr. cassidy website...

:: SPONSOR WELCOME ::

2011-12-03T11:59:00.000-08:00

Meet Goodknits. As soon as I saw the doily blankets, I was in love and had to have one, so as I type, I currently have this one draping my shoulders keeping me warm and cozy. The giant doily is so pretty and so soft! I think it makes a perfect Christmas gift for other doily lovers too! Not only do they have doily blankets, but there are also adorable beanies, shawlettes, and patterns with one to make the doily blanket yourself. This shop has a ton of must haves this cozy season, so go check them out!

For one Cakies reader, Goodknits is giving away a doily blanket in the color of your choice. To win, here are some things you can do:

1. Leave a comment on your favorite item from Goodknits.
2. Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway and leave each separate links here.

Also, Cakies readers can get 20% off your entire order from Goodknits using the coupon code CAKIES20. The giveaway will end at 8am PST on Wednesday, December 7th. Good luck! Many thanks to Goodknits!!!

goodknits shop...

goodknits blog...

:: SPONSOR WELCOME ::

2011-12-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

Say hello to Modcloth, which if you have been around the internets, then you probably already know them. If not, well, I am glad to introduce you and I am sure it may start a new love affair for you because honestly, most gals love to shop! There is an abundance of shoes, dresses, jackets, and accessories to choose from and their site is constantly being updated with more goods everyday. The above items are my current favorites and I really want these two wedges and most especially this denim dress. Really though, I want that whole list!

For one Cakies reader, Modcloth is giving away a $50 gift certificate. To win, here are some things you can do:

1. Leave a comment on what you would gift to a vintage loving mom from the ModCloth, Maybe for you, a fellow mom, or your own mom!
2. Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway and leave each separate links here.

The giveaway will end at 8am PST on Wednesday, December 7th. Good luck! Many thanks to Modcloth!!!

modcloth shop...

modcloth blog...

A MOMMY AND TRUE DAY OUT

2011-12-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

on True: bene julie dress, c/o minikin. pin, minikin. leggings, gifted. shoes, h&m. hair clip, made by me.

on me: shirt, vintage. sweater, anthropologie. jeans, f21. socks, anthropologie. shoes, c/o lotta from stockholm. necklace, gift from lo fidelity love.

I had a bad case of mess stress yesterday and was a bit cranky towards True, so today I thought I would spend a little time with just her. I rarely get to go out with just one of them, so this was a nice little change. Don't worry, we didn't leave the other kids unattended, Ben was home for the day. We did a couple errands, then had lunch together, and while we were waiting for our food, we did reading. I was actually looking for a starbucks so we could work on some of her schooling, but didn't find one nearby, so I figured we could get some work done while we waited for lunch. I think she really liked this special time and I like it just as much too. Next on the agenda, Brave gets a little date.

I didn't even realize, until True pointed it out to me, we were semi-matching in our navy stripes. I probably should have put her in her own clogs, so we could be real twinsies! I am loving my clogs. They are truly quite comfy, just as comfy and pretty as my red ones! I have said this before, but I am definitely clog addicted.

Tomorrow I have three really good giveaways coming to you, so don't forget to check back. Enjoy your weekend!!!

SOMETHING YUMMY

2011-12-02T07:37:00.000-08:00

Visit MADE and I will teach you how to make Chocolate Crispies. So simple. So easy. And so good!

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Leave a comment on my HOUZZ ideabook and you get a chance to win $250 gift certificate toany online retailer of your choice if my ideabook wins with the most votes (anthropologie is an online retailer, is it not?!)! Each comment gets one vote. Out of 30 ideabooks, our chances aren't so bad. Contest ends Dec. 2nd. See here for more details.

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FRESH AIR

2011-12-01T21:03:00.000-08:00

I am a homebody. I really am. After I had Soul, I really didn't leave the house all that much on my own with the kids. Ben started doing the grocery shopping on his lunch breaks and we have a Target close enough for me to run to at night when the kids are in bed. Now, I am learning with four, I need to leave the house sometimes. It's good for my sanity. So when my friend Jane and I planned our playdate, we made sure to make it a park date. Fresh air is definitely good for all of us!

I am thinking I need to regularly take them out of the house more often. I needed to go to the store last week and decided to just go with all of them. The big girls were still in their pajamas, but I figured what the heck and off we went. It was definitely funny, but honestly, I didn't care. I already look crazy already toting around 4 little kids (we get looks all the time), so keeping them in the pajamas is not that big of a deal.

This is the scene a couple weeks ago at the doctor's office... Glow in the sling, True in the back seat of the double stroller, Soul in the front seat, and Brave walking next to me.

True: Mom, why does everyone look at us? Is it cause we are cute?

Me: No. It's because they think mommy's crazy.

Just then a lady who was walking in front of us turned around and smiled. Probably, cause she heard what I said and that was exactly what she was thinking.

Any of you have tips on how to tote around a little clan of kids?

DECEMBER

2011-12-01T12:08:00.000-08:00

Really? December? Already? Surely, I am not the only one that feels that way. November was good, but we never got to do our fall-ebration dinner. That's life though. We have some traditions, but if we don't get to it, that's alright. At least that is what I try to tell myself after getting frustrated for missing it. It is so busy here and we really can't do it all.

If you think I keep a well maintained house, manage to dress myself and my girls daily, and cook gourmet dinners every night, then you got it all wrong. We only get dressed when we know someone is coming over (even then, usually only 2 of the 4 girls are dressed), my house is really such a mess right now, and I rarely cook dinner. And most times I feel we are popping in some frozen food from Trader Joe's. We so need to get on some meal planning schedule for our home. Guess that can be a new year goal.

Some things that will make this month all sorts of busy...

- Soul turns two on December 3rd.

- Ben turns 37 on December 11th.

- Also, Ben's sister has her birthday on Dec. 4th, his mom Dec. 18th, and my brother Dec. 19th.

- Jesus' birthday is the biggest party of them all.

- Excited to gather with my church family with new little Glow in tow. I have missed fellowshipping with everyone.

- Holiday parties and family gatherings.

- Getting ready to host our first Christmas family dinner.

- Prepping for our New Year's Eve Bratcher dance party.

Me oh my! I am kinda nervous thinking about it all. And yes, I dyed my hair. I wanted to do something different and fun, though we still have one more step until my hair is where I want it. It is kinda nice having a sister who is a hairstylist.

Happy December 1st everyone! What are you most looking forward to this month?

SWEET DOLLIES

2011-11-30T20:46:00.000-08:00

There isn't much time these days to sew, but I did manage to get some in while True was at school, Soul and Glow were napping, and Brave was occupied with Charlotte's Web. Two of these dollies are making a little trip north to this house just in time for Christmas and one is going to be gifted to Soulie for her birthday. My baby turns two this Saturday!

These two dollies are a new little twist on my Lela doll, which I made many moons ago. Then the ballerina doll below is fashioned after the ballerina one I made for True awhile ago too. I did change things up slightly with my favorite part being her ballet shoe laces.

I must admit having four girls is a whole lot of fun when it comes to crafting and sewing. That is what got me sewing in the first place. After I had True, all I wanted to do was sew her dresses and skirts and ever since then my sewing machine has been busy!

OUT TO SCHOOL: WEEK THIRTEEN

2011-11-30T05:49:00.000-08:00

{where from again? vintage dress: 3ringcircus; leggings: gap kids; boots: thrifted.}

This little lady was quite helpful and got herself ready for school all by herself. Kinda nice since it frees me up so I can get changed and the other girls ready. I think she was going for her own sort of bohemian look. Kid version. Ooh! Gives me an idea... I should make her a long flowy skirt. I think she would love that. Will definitely add that to my project list!

Ah! It's the last day of November. I can hardly believe it!

SLOW MONDAY

2011-11-29T07:03:00.000-08:00

I seriously slept in up until the minute Ben declared he was leaving for work. He is such a trooper in the mornings, getting all the three big girls fed, making his own lunch, and ironing is his own clothes. Once this baby starts sleeping through the night, I definitely want to get back to waking up a tad earlier.

This was definitely a slow Monday after the long holiday weekend. I did need a jumpstart of pumpkin bread sprinkled with chocolate chips, warmed up a bit, and served with a side of pumpkin ice cream to help with the laziness. That was a perfect cure to the lazies. Then, it was off to (home)school we go.

It is amazing to watch the progress of True and Brave. Seriously. I know I was a teacher before, but I was very skeptical of my ability to teach them how to read. I taught fourth grade, not kinder, so I was quite scared of the whole beginning process. I love upper grade curriculum, so teaching little ones scared the daylights out of me. I think now we are at the point where they are able to put sounds together and make words and can read short sentences, so I am breathing much more easily.

More fun comes in when I am able to take history and science lessons and make a bit more fun out of it. I remember when I was teaching, I loved making pictorial charts to teach concepts and am so glad that my girls are visual learners too. As I talk about a story in history or science, I draw it out and it really sticks to their minds so much more and it helps when they have to retell it back to me. For those curious, I use Story of the World for my history and My Body for science. Some days I miss the challenge of being in the classroom, but I am glad that now I get the best of both worlds by making my home a classroom and having my girls for students.

AN AUTUMN DATE

2011-11-28T06:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Ben's mom and sister, we were able to escape a bit and go on a date. I got dolled up for my husband and we ventured out to go watch Breaking Dawn. It was really quite nice to hold hands and not strollers.

on me: tele-visionary top, c/o modcloth. black velvet blazer, vintage (was my mom's). jeans, gap (love these so much!). shoes, seychelles. bracelets, some vintage and some from handmade by anne potter.

on ben: shirt, vintage. jeans, diesel. shoes, nike.

And I really was so excited to find a little spot with pretty Autumn leaves. You don't see tree color changes much here in Southern California, so you can imagine my giddiness to find this little patch of Autumn perfection.

I love dates with my husband. I am already itching to go on another one. Have you gone on any fun dates lately?

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Leave a comment on my HOUZZ ideabook and you get a chance to win $250 gift certificate to any online retailer of your choice if my ideabook wins with the most votes (anthropologie is an online retailer, is it not?!)! Each comment gets one vote. Out of 30 ideabooks, our chances aren't so bad. Contest ends Dec. 2nd. See here for more details.

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LOTS TO BE THANKFUL FOR

2011-11-27T23:18:00.000-08:00

We never got a proper Thanksgiving picture as a family of six, but this one will have to do. We were always running late to the family get togethers we went to and when we got there, it was immediately filled with lots of busy and eating. Still we made sure to get one in this weekend, even if it wasn't on Thanksgiving day. This still marks the occasion and the special milestone as a family of six. And cause we are a family of six, it is hard to get everyone perfectly still and smiling, but I think this one describes our season of life exactly.

Hope your Thanksgiving weekend was just as swell!

HUZZAH!

2011-11-26T11:04:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving was extra special because we got to spend it with both our families. Our hearts are filled with lots of thanksgiving everyday for everything God has done. God is really so good!

Things we are thankful for...

- Our little Glow. She makes our days brighter.

- God's constant forgiveness and patience with us. We fail so often, yet his love remains steadfast and unchanging.

- Our temporal good health.

- Family and friends who we love and sometimes fight with. God uses all our relationships to love and depend on him even more.

- Christ's redeeming work he did on the cross for my behalf. I am so undeserving.

I can't say that my heart is constantly filled with joy and thanksgiving because I get frustrated and complain too often, but I am asking God to grow that part of me.

Hope your every days are filled with thanksgiving and joy!!!

THANKSGIVING HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN

2011-11-24T09:54:00.000-08:00

We spent last night at my mom's house filling our tummies with turkey and stuffing and we are soon headed off to Ben's cousin's house to do more of the same. For all you stateside folk, Happy Thanksgiving and to all others, I am thankful for you too!

Then, tomorrow the insane shopping crazies begin. I am not really brave enough to join in on the fun, but I don't mind joining in online. I already started off by getting this dress (will probably use a belt I already have) and these shoes for my Christmas outfit, and just need some pretty necklace to spice it up. It was such a great deal and couldn't resist a simple, pretty black dress. Anyone headed out to do some shopping tomorrow?

BLOGGERS IN REAL LIFE GUEST POSTS

2011-11-23T08:04:00.000-08:00

Creating, sharing, and inspiring connects us all together. Every day we are drawn to blogs that make us feel something, and we take a little piece of it with us. Behind every one of our favorite blogs, there's a person. A person with real emotions, fears, goals, and weird quirks that we never really get to experience first hand. We've brought together your favorite bloggers to give you a more intimate take on their lives, so you can catch the little details that make them who they are. Every Wednesday, we'll be capturing the lives of the people behind your daily reads in a way that you wont experience anywhere else.

So get ready. We have lots to share! xoxo

Each week on Casey's blog, you will hear a more personal story about one of your favorite bloggers.... why they are the way they are, stories on loss or happiness, struggles or triumphs...we want to have them share the happiest moment of their life, or a time that they grew stronger because of an enormous trial placed in their path.

On Ashley's blog, they will be sharing any advice they have for you readers. It can be about fashion, being a mom or wife, how to grow your blog, how to start your own business, etc. Whatever their niche is, you will hear their expert advice!

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I am honored that they have asked me to take part in this. I talk about my mommy meltdowns here and I answer the common question, "How do I grow my blog?" here. Hope you find these little bits helpful! Thank you Ashley and Casey for allowing me to share with your readers today!

CHRISTMAS IS COMING UP

2011-11-22T16:10:00.000-08:00

We had this sign converted into a little sign for Thanksgiving, but it didn't quite make it there because we already re-did the room for Christmas! Auntia Suzi & Grandmama (Ben's mom and sister) just came into town and we wanted it all Christmas-ed out for them, so it is already Christmas in our home, even though we have yet to celebrate Thanksgiving.

We are excited about the festivities that will ensue with family these next few days. I love turkey and stuffing and kinda missed out last year cause we went on vacation to San Diego instead of a traditional Thanksgiving, so you bet I will be making up for it this year. My tummy will be undoubtedly full after Thursday!

I left to do a few errands (so thankful for Grandmama and Auntia for watching the girls) and I come back to see my girls have already started writing to Santa! I guess we switched modes in our house real fast!!!

Anyone start with their Christmas shopping yet? I am almost done. Kinda. I have the list of what to buy, I just need to officially buy it. Well, if you need some help one of my fave etsy shops Ms. Tips is having a great 30% off sale until midnight Sunday night and she always has fabulous things!!!

MONDAY MORNING

2011-11-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

Officially, True has the week off school, but since we didn't get to do much school on Friday we did some this morning. Oh the beauty of homeschooling! It's such a cozy Monday morning, since we had a day full of rain yesterday, so today will be spent watching movies and relaxing (with one errand to run with all four girls thrown in for fun!). We have a fun busy holiday week ahead of us, so we will get all the cuddly cozies in now. What does your monday morning consist of?

Anyone remember the wool felt string light garland I made a few years ago? Well, I unearthed a couple extras yesterday while doing Christmas decorating and put ~~one in the shop here~~. SOLD.

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SPONSORS FOR DECEMBER

2011-11-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

Sponsorship is a great way to get your blog or shop out there and December couldn't be a more perfect time with all the holiday shopping going on! If interested, just send me an email. Also, don't forget to check out some of the wonderful sponsors I already have!

HUZZAH!

2011-11-18T15:17:00.000-08:00

This here is True's first official school picture. Seriously. No joke. This is a classic and will for sure make it into her wedding slideshow. I tell her that every time we look at the picture, but she swears she is never getting married because she is never growing up. Somehow I doubt that, especially since she is eagerly awaiting her 6th birthday in a few months. She already put her birthday request in and she says she wants to stay in a hotel and for us to sing happy birthday with a vegetable cake.

We went to take the picture and she didn't even want to stand in front of the camera. When she got there, she didn't want to look up. Well, if I hadn't paid online before we got to the school, I would have just turned around and gone home, but I paid and got myself and the other girls dressed to leave the house, so we weren't leaving without a picture. The photographer said we can come back for make-up day, but honestly, she would be the same way that day too. After 30 minutes, with 15 of those her crying, and a few moms helping, we got her back in front of the camera and I just told them to take the picture. Eyes closed tight, mouth wide open, and drool coming down, that is how they took it. Obviously. I figure she has tons of "pretty" pictures, I think this one will be hilarious. So what if her first yearbook ever will have this face among the faces of her classmates who are smiling pretty for the camera. This is hilarious and despite what she says, will for sure be going in her wedding slideshow. I can't wait!

Learned and links...

- Now that True has the pictures in her hands, I think she will smile next time.

- Brave is my romantic child, but that is for a whole other post.

- Go to this and this pop-up shop this weekend. Get that Christmas shopping done early. I am almost done!

- We need some lighting over our dining table. I want a vintage spanish chandelier. Here some other faves of mine.

- I renewed items in my vintage shop and put this polkadot dress up for sale. I saw the dress at an antique store with my BFF and Ben surprised me by buying it for me last Christmas. But then I got pregnant and couldn't wear it and it will be awhile until I can wear it since there are no buttons down the middle (and I don't fit it at all anymore), so I am selling it. I hope someone gives it a good home! Use coupon code HELLOFALL and get 10% off any order.

- Don't forget to leave a comment here! If I get the most comments, then one of you will win a $250 gift certificate to any online retailer of your choice. Last I checked, anthropologie was an online retailer, right?!!

I have a massive headache and I think I will just put on a movie and watch with my little girlies. Enjoy your weekend friends!

VINTAGE HERE, VINTAGE THERE: COOL DAYS AHEAD

2011-11-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

Having four girls is fun because I love dressing them up! Also, they love playing dress up and getting dressed up, but sometimes it isn't so fun to clean up the mess they make after they take down all their clothes to play with. 'Tis a house full of girls and I am sure the closet wars will only get worse from here. One day it won't be me battling them about their clothes everywhere, but they will be battling each other about who gets to wear what and when. Those days will be crazy I am sure.

For now though, I enjoy having a say in what they wear and that they love the clothes I pick out for them (most days). This day though, True and I had a battle (look at her face in these pictures, it is obvious I won). She wanted to wear a dress, but I wanted her to wear this romper. If this romper were in my size, I would wear it!

We had to go to my BFF's mom's house for her birthday dinner and I welcomed the chance to get dress and leave the house! That is a rarity these days, since we are waiting for Glow's 3 month to officially take her out, so if she stays home, so do I because I am her source of food.

I am not wearing much vintage here, except one of my bracelets. I love vintage a lot and a lot of my closet is comprised of it, but I (and I am sure Rachel too) do not wear it everyday. We don't get dressed up everyday either! I do try to look a little put together daily, but that is only if the stars are aligned in the morning and all the kids are cooperating and I can sneak off to shower. But I also have those days where I don't even get to brush my teeth until right before Ben comes home. This is real life folks!

on me: oriole fashioned flattery dress: c/o modcloth. boots: dolce vita. thick gold bracelet: vintage. thin leather & gold bracelets: handmade by anne potter.

on true: plaid romper: c/o minikin. knee highs: target. boots: h&m.

on brave: shirt & jumper: vintage. leggings: misha lulu (we love these a lot!). boots: last year siaomimi via gilt.

on soul: bow: made by me. dress: vintage. sweater: vintage. leggings: target. shoes: pediped.

I am totally loving all boots and all those deep yellows, oranges, and reds in clothing. Fall is my favorite season and though we don't get that gorgeous change of color here in SoCal, I still love this time of year so much. If maneuvering about with 4 kids were easy, we definitely would be taking advantage of the nice fall weather and leave the house more often, but I am not that brave of a mama!

Some vintage lovelies for fall: fringe mocs, yellow shirtdress, wicker handbag, red & navy stripe vest, and gingham dress.

Some new lovelies for fall: wild ochre cardigan, basket beauty flat, moreno abstract dress, bene bow dress, and banoffee floral dress.

I love seeing Rachel's posts and living my dream fall through them. It seems that Springfield is so gorgeous this time of year and everyone can get all cute and bundled up! Make sure you head over to Rachel's and see what pretties they are wearing because her and her gang, especially that little Miss Ruby is always a whole load of style inspiration!

p.s. socal friends... you should go to this pop-up shop this weekend! lots of pretty kid goodies!!!

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Leave a comment on my HOUZZ ideabook and you get a chance to win $250 gift certificate to any online retailer if my ideabook wins with the most votes! Each comment gets one vote. Out of 30 ideabooks, our chances aren't so bad. Contest ends Dec. 2nd. See here for more details.

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THESE DAYS

2011-11-17T05:28:00.000-08:00

Days are blurred over here and filled with lots of busyness. I had a reader recently ask how I do it all and the answer is... I don't do it all. I have a dishwasher full of clean dishes that haven't been put away for two days and a whole sink full of dirty dishes that have been there for two days because I haven't put away the clean ones. I gave up vacuuming about 6 months ago and only get to that once a month. Thus, we have colored pencil shavings all over the place. Really. I have a huge pile of clean laundry sitting at the foot of my bed and just this morning Ben asked, "Do I have any clean white shirts or boxers?" My reply, "Um... sorry never had a chance to do the laundry. Plus, we are out of detergent." My craft area looks like this again and our school table (as you can see above) is full of piles. The to-dos and mess list could go on and on over here.

Most of the day is spent doing school, changing diapers, feeding the baby baby, a whole lot of managing and a whole lot of referee-ing the big girls. We get cuddles in when we can, but there is also a whole lot of yelling (probably more on my end), and most times I get frustrated that I easily get frustrated. So really, I don't do it all.

So when do I blog or have time to plan a dinner party? Well, all three big girls go to bed at around 7pm. 7:30 at the latest. That is my time to try and get things done. Now, sometimes things don't always get done because baby baby might want to throw a hissy fit and well, there goes that, but on good nights, I get plenty done and still manage to go to bed around 11pm.

To anyone who thinks I am super mom, I most certainly am not. You don't see the messes and the fits of anger that go on over here. When someone asks me how I am doing, my reply is, "I am crazy most of the time." It is really only God who allows me to get through the daily messes cause if it weren't for Him, I would be crying all the time! No joke.

Now, wish me luck because hopefully today I could at least get those dishes put away!

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OUT TO SCHOOL: WEEK TWELVE

2011-11-16T06:41:00.000-08:00

{where from again? sweater: vintage, thrifted; shirt: misha lulu; tights: target; shoes: h&m.}

Looks like the cool weather is here to stay. So happy about that! The weekends have also been filled with rain, so we are lovin' it. True is still so excited about school and right when Sundays hit, she knows Tuesdays aren't too far, and that news always make her giddy. Frankly, I like Tuesdays too because that mean 3 girls at home are much easier to manage than 4! It is a sort of "break" for me.

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Leave a comment on my HOUZZ ideabook and get a chance to win $250 gift certificate if my ideabook wins with the most votes! Each comment gets one vote. Out of 30 ideabooks, our chances aren't so bad. Contest ends Dec. 2nd. See here for more details.

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A DINNER PARTY (AND A CONTEST)

2011-11-14T23:52:00.000-08:00

Friday evening, baby sister and I threw middle sister a bridal shower. The big day is still three months away, but with holidays fast approaching and the out of town bridesmaid in town, we knew we had to do it in November. Despite winds and sprinkling right as guests were arriving, by the time everyone went outside to officially start the festivities, the weather was perfect.

I wanted to do a fancy little sit down dinner and have it outside under twinkling lights. Baby sister and I wanted simple flowers, candlelight, and glittery ribbons (the holidays are coming after all) and basically something really pretty to celebrate middle sister's coming wedding. Based on the chatter, laughs, and the showering of lots of "fun" presents, we are sure middle sister loved it all so much. Best of all, was having her surrounded with all her closest friends!

Want to see more details and tons more pictures, along with the whats, whys, and hows of the party decorating? Check out my HOUZZ Ideabook. This is where the contest part comes along...

I, along with 29 other bloggers, are participating in a little contest of how we change up a space for some holiday entertaining and all you have to do is leave me a comment in my ideabook here. The great part is that if I win, one of my readers will win too!

First place is a gift card to my favorite online retailer for $750 and a reader will win a $250 gift card to any online retailer of your choice. Second place is a $400/$100 and third place is $200/$50. Now, out of 29 other bloggers, chances aren't so bad, right?! The blogger's ideabook with the most votes wins.

You can leave a comment about anything (as long as you leave it here), from what you liked to what you would have done to maybe something you are coveting for your home! Each comment equals one vote, so please do leave me a comment on my ideabook. It was fun putting together the shower for my sister and I hope it inspires you for some parties in your future.

So don't forget to leave me a comment/vote here and if you want to blog, facebook, or tweet about this contest to help get more votes in, that would be much appreciated too! Remember if I win, one of you win too. Thanks friends!!!

*nighttime pictures taken by ica images.

OUT TO SCHOOL: WEEK ELEVEN

2011-11-14T22:27:00.000-08:00

{where from again? scarf: made by me; tunic: vintage gifted from auntie owen; jeggings: target; boots: h&m.}

I didn't blog it last week, but I still took pictures to make sure to document it. My little girl is really shy, but she loves school so much because she loves to play with her friends! It is always the best part of the day, at least that is what she tells me each time I pick her up and ask her about her favorite part of the day.

A HAPPY THIRTIETH

2011-11-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

As our tradition, I woke up to all my girls coming into my room singing happy birthday and my Benny holding a tray full of yummies. My request this year was pumpkin pancakes and boy was it good!

Then started the theme of the day, which were little surprises all throughout the day based on words that rhymed with thirtieth!

This green drawing for verde-eth was adorable!

A slew of paint swatches for quirkieth because one of the things on my birthday wish list was to paint one door of my house a shade of turquoisy-jade. Can't wait to get that done!

Absurdieth was for the funny gifts my daughters gave me, which were just some of their toys wrapped up in blankets. I remember gifting my toys to my parents and siblings when I was a kid!

Sturdieth was quite special and sweet because after he gave me the note, Ben prayed for me. Out of all the gifts I received, this was/is the most lasting. This one has eternal weight. My 30 years are only because of God's grace and I continually need him daily.

Dirtieth... seriously hilarious! It is quite a funny vintage game that my husband found! So clever that guy is and you bet we played it (with our own tweaking)! *wink* If anyone is interested, there are two left in etsy.

Lastly, Ben is one romantic dude and he read me a poem in spanish for my wordieth. All I can say is that man is HOT! Totally in love with him!!!

I know I totally hype up my birthday and love celebrating it, and as usual, Ben does something that totally exceeds my expectations. That man is so creative (though he will say he is not), and I love being on the receiving end of his creativity! The day was spent relaxing with Ben and my girls, enjoying my surprises and watching Jack Bauer. It was the most perfect way to celebrate my 30th birthday!!! God is really so good to shower me with all these blessings.

GIVEAWAY WINNERS

2011-11-13T13:04:00.000-08:00

Lucky winners, congrats and please email me so I can get you in touch with my sponsor! Everyone else... we got some more coming up soon enough, but thank you always for participating!!!

:: SPONSOR WELCOME ::

2011-11-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

I have a few sponsors to share about and please do take some time to check them out!

Say hello to Unicorn Boutique...

Unicorn Boutique is an ultra cool, modern and sleek shop based out of Montreal filled with a lot of pretties to fill your closet. My favorites are the prime suspect boot wedges and these. I love shoes! What girl doesn't?!! Also loving the simplicity of all these bags. There is also a lot of other pretty things to look at here. Clothes... totally my weakness.

unicorn boutique shop...

unicorn boutique blog...

Next, say hello to Jessica's Coupons...

Everyone loves a good deal! Stay abreast to what sales and promo codes are out there by following Jessica's Coupons. That big coupon craze hasn't hit me yet and I am not cutting out coupons like crazy, but I am always in search of coupon codes I can find for my online purchases. So if you are a coupon lover of any kind, you might want to take a peek at Jessica's Coupons. *site may temporarily be down.

Lastly, a warm hello to Roots & Wings...

Roots & Wings is one mama's adventures, love for vintage, project makings, and dressing her little boys. There are tons of mama blogs out there dedicated to the little girls and all the fun clothes for them, but here is one just for the little boys. She finds the cutest vintage things for him and they do great little projects together. Seriously, so cute how she dresses up her little dudes in vintage! She even shares little tips on how to dress up little dudes in vintage. This mama is also pretty skilled with a crochet hook!

roots & wings shop...

roots & wings blog...

Do you have any new shops or blogs you want to share about?

HUZZAH!

2011-11-11T07:08:00.000-08:00

Oh boy! It seems as I have disappeared a bit. I needed to unplug from this space and listen to the ruminations of my heart. My carpet tunnel was acting up, I was starting to feel a bit dry in my walk with God, and was not feeling the joy as I served my family, so I have been taking the time to refocus on those things that really mattered. It definitely has been infinitely better for my soul to take this much needed break off.

Learned and links...

- True takes advantage of Soul not talking and sometimes blames her for things she didn't do.

- Glow coos and smiles a little!

- This book is really good. I am already convicted just at the intro!

- Encouraged by this post from Annie.

- Loving my clog boots from here. Can't wait to share them!

- Check out my Thanksgiving inspirations on the Cooking Channel blog.

- I think I got my Christmas shopping list figured out.

- This and this pop-up shop will no doubt be amazing for Christmas shopping.

I will be back in this space next week and am trying to get caught up in emails, so if I owe you one, it will be coming soon. Thank you so much for your support and understanding friends!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEEKENDING

2011-11-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

The weekend was pretty darn good. Lots of birthday celebrating, chillaxing with Jack Bauer, working in the garden (goodbye tomato plants), and lots of love. My kind of weekend!

:: SPONSOR WELCOME ::

2011-11-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Please welcome Poor Pitiful Pearl...

Recycled, reclaimed, and handmade is what Poor Pitiful Pearl is all about. The shop is full of one of a kind items that you won't find elsewhere. Shauna, the brain behind the shop, is a mama with mad sewing skills and is able to turn vintage sheets, shirts, and scraps into something beautiful and wearable again. She has even featured on etsy on how the "How to Quit Your Day Job" series. The Oxy is her most popular item and and I am thinking that my girls would like it very much. Look how cute this and this is! Then this and this is just too funky! And she also has a nice selection of vintage. Shauna says, "I have big dreams that my designs could make some sort of small difference in the lives of others, and to know that God is using my gifts in that way would be a dream come true." I totally get this mama's heart.

Poor Pitiful Pearl is giving away a $50 gift certificate to one of you. To win, here are some things you can do:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite item from Poor Pitiful Pearl.
2. Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway and leave each separate links here.

Now, if you do all of the things mentioned above, you might even be able to up your chances by getting your name in 4 times! Fantastic, right? Even if you are overseas, please feel welcomed to join in on the fun!

The giveaway will end at 8am PST on Thursday, November 10th. Good luck! Many thanks to Poor Pitiful Pearl!!!

poor pitiful pearl shop...

poor pitiful pearl blog...

:: SPONSOR WELCOME ::

2011-11-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

Say hello to Lilikoi Lane...

Lilikoi Lane a shop full of t-shirts for little ones! You can get customized letter or number shirts for that perfect celebration or another fun kid applique of your choice. The best thing is that you get to choose the fabric. My personal favorite is the mustache tee!

Lilikoi Lane is giving away a is giving away a $50 gift certificate to one of you. To win, here are some things you can do:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite item from Lilikoi Lane.
2. Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway and leave each separate links here.

Now, if you do all of the things mentioned above, you might even be able to up your chances by getting your name in 4 times! Fantastic, right? Even if you are overseas, please feel welcomed to join in on the fun!

The giveaway will end at 8am PST on Wednesday, November 9th. Good luck! Many thanks to Lilikoi Lane!!!

lilikoi lane shop...

HUZZAH!

2011-11-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all the birthday wishes! Birthday spoiling started Wednesday when Danni came over with some treats (thanks Danni, I so love it!) and yesterday was definitely filled with more happy and more spoiling by Ben and the girls. Actually, God is the one who really spoils me by giving me Ben and the girls. Will share about our little celebration soon, but I have been enjoying the gloomy weather and Ben being home, and we have been fulfilling my 30th birthday request of watching the last season of 24. If you have ever watched that show, then you know it is hard to stop once you start!

I must say, being 30 is already pretty grand!

Learned and links...

- Had to move Glow to size 1 diaper. So sad! She is not as teeny. This is all happening too fast.

- Soulie can now say "No!" instead of just shaking her head. It is the cutest little no you ever did hear!

- Cool to see Brave and True writing their own words from them just sounding it out. They are learning after all!

- Having a journal nearby all the time, helps me capture all the random ideas floating in my head.

- Glow has been extra fussy at night. Oh sleep, how I miss you...

- My baby sister makes the cutest spiderman and here is the cutest Alice ever!

- Love seeing old school pictures of me and the BFF. We look so young and I was blonde!

- Wish it gets cold enough to warrant buying this coat.

- In love with this ring.

- Ben is just really too clever and sweet, but I knew that already!

Happy weekending friends! I declare it my birthday weekend or better yet, birthday month!!!

A GOOD DAY

2011-11-03T05:47:00.000-07:00

on me: beautiful possibilities dress, c/o modcloth. shoes, markis boots by report. bracelets, vintage.

on true: dress, vintage via salvage house. shoes, salt-waters c/o tea collection.

on brave: dress, vintage via salvage house. shoes, salt-waters.

on soul: dress, misha lulu. shoes, pedipeds.

I love this dress as it reminds me of a modern day I love Lucy dress. I loved that show so much and always loved her navy and white polk-a-dotted dress. Now I am glad I have my own. The weather here is finally going to turn and hopefully now we can be layering up a bit more. Maybe we can finally put our salt-waters sandals away for the season. I can't believe some people are already getting snow! That sounds so foreign to this southern Californian!

The biggest news of today is that I am 30. I know Ben has something up his sleeve, so I can't wait to find out what it is! Happy November 3rd everyone!!!

A LITTLE BIRD

2011-11-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

True came home from school (she goes one day a week, but is homeschooled the other four days) with this sweet little bird. I love kid art! They always come up with the best things. I need to start plotting more art projects for the kids to do at home.

Homeschooling is going well and we manage to do some bit of school everyday even though our schedule revolves around Glow. True and Brave have gotten so much better at reading, well, actually now they can read. We have been working on phonics and word families and it is pretty amazing. The hardest part is being patient with them. I must remember they aren't pros yet, but thinking back to when we first started, they have come a long way. Who knows?! Maybe once they get the hang of this writing thing, they will be writing their own blog posts just like this little cutie! We have got a lot more practice to do before that ever happens!

Speaking of writing, the love story will continue when Ben has time to write his part and I am almost done writing my birth story. I might be a little slower getting these stories written down, but they will come sometime soon. Promise.

OUT TO SCHOOL: WEEK TEN

2011-11-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

{where from again? peter pan collar button down: french toast; bow tie: made by me using this pattern; pants: misha lulu; shoes: superga via gilt.}

The good thing about some parts of her halloween costume is that it could be used again on just any ole day! And True chose to do that the very next day. I think she looks mighty sweet in a bow tie and if I were her teacher I would be smiling at her all day long. Who wouldn't love a little girl in something extra sweet like that?!! I think I am inspired to don my own bow tie very soon.

GLAD® ONE BAG TAILGATE

2011-11-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of being invited to the GLAD® One Bag Tailgate held at USC and co-hosted by actress Ali Larter. I had never been to tailgate before and since this is my first one, I think I am pretty spoiled by it and will be hoping my next tailgate (should I ever go to another) is just as swankified.

Food was catered by Heirloom L.A. whose motto is "bring farm to plate" and the entire spread was utterly delicious. Everything was fresh and homegrown, at the same time beautifully presented. Yes, this was at a tailgate. Then you had the compostable plates made from fallen palm leaves and forks made of birch and everything was just so good for the environment.

Then I also had the privilege to get a bit chatty with the lovely Ali Larter. Despite appearing in movies and television, her most important role to her will always be mom to her almost one year old, whom she affectionately calls Teddy. In fact motherhood is what opened her eyes and made her more aware of the need to take care and give back to the environment. We both agreed that when you have a child, your heart just opens up like you have never felt before.

Some simple tips she said that can help us all waste less are using water filter system in your home or Brita pitchers. Her excitement to partner with GLAD® and USC in wasting less came easy because she grew up an avid sports fan thanks to her father. Therefore, an event where everyone usually comes with a lot of goods and leaves with a lot of trash, is the perfect event to get everyone to try to be more eco-conscious and realize what items could be recycled and composted. Also, to get people to make smart eco-friendly purchases based on that criteria of recycling and composting. She also spent some time Saturday afternoon speaking with some local youth about the importance of being eco-friendly and teaching them how to waste less.

And just like most moms out there, Ali even has her own favorite blog reads, which includes everyone's favorite recipe go-to place, Smitten Kitchen. It is fun to know that even celebrities are blog readers!

The event was wonderfully put together and a great start at educating others how to waste less. There were containers where items could be put in and separated based on trash, recyclable, and compostable. Honestly, we do pretty well recycling in our own home, but we have never really thought about composting though Ben has wanted to make a compost bin for our garden. I think we will add that to our to do list because I can think of countless items we throw away that are compostable.

The entire event was thoughtfully put together and all geared towards nothing going to waste. To encourage less waste, GLAD® is also giving away ten $2,000 grants to high schools, so if you know a high school that might be interested, you can get more info here. You can peruse the GLAD® to Waste Less site and get all sorts of tips and information on how you can help the environment one bag at a time!

So tell me, do you have any good tips you do in your own home to help the environment?

NOVEMBER

2011-11-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was a little girl I would always get excited for November and that's because it is my birthday month! Ben and my family know that once the summer is over I pretty much start counting down. Now, it is finally here and in just a couple days I turn 30. Eeks! I wanted to travel somewhere to celebrate, but with Glow and all, we may have to postpone that a year.

This year I told Ben to keep it low key as I would be happy staying home, watching the last season of my favorite show 24, which we still haven's seen because I will be sad when it ends, and grabbing burgers or going on a date for dinner. I know Ben is plotting a little something, so I can't wait until Thursday! One thing I know for sure is that I will be getting a yummy breakfast in bed. That's tradition over here for every birthday.

I have some new sponsors that I am pretty excited about and do still get giddy about the re-occuring ones too. Make sure you check them all out!

November things that make me wanna dance...

- My birthday! What can I say?!! I have always loved presents, I ain't gonna lie.

- BFF's birthday. She is a week after me and I can't wait to give her her present.

- Fall weather coming to SoCal for real.

- Doing our Fall-ebration because we didn't get to do it in October.

- Thanksgiving and stuffing myself silly with all the yummy food. Oh, turkey and stuffing, how I love you!

- Prepping for Christmas. I love all the Christmas cheer and coziness that ensues right after Thanksgiving!

My first month in my 30's is already sure to be a good one. What things this month make you wanna dance?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2011-10-31T04:47:00.000-07:00

costume details: pants, vest, hat sash, and bow tie: sewn by me; bow tie pattern: blue cricket design tutorial; true and brave's shirts: marcus uniforms; soul's shirt: c/o vintage aga; glow's shirt: an old lap tee; skimmer hats: zurchers party store; mustache on a stick: something's hiding in here.

This year I changed it up a bit and instead of our usual story, we decided to do a song and dance number and a barbershop quartet fit our newly grown family perfectly. Though if you watch the video, not everyone was involved or in the mood, but that's life with little ones and you just have to roll with the punches. But I must say, rolling with the punches isn't always easy. Nonetheless, I find their little show adorably heart melting. I mean, Brave's not singing, but she makes the best faces and True is shy, but she isn't when mommy's behind the camera, and well Soulie, she is kinda being her little feisty self and not wanting to do anything. Then there's Glow... and she just fell asleep. We Bratchers always love having a bit of fun dressing up! It always makes for good memories...

We can't wait to go trick or treating tonight! Wanna see our past Halloween stories? Read The Three Little Piggies, Hannah and Gretel, The Untold Story of Oz, and Little Red Riding Hood.

It is a teensy bit long, but if you want a good laugh, here is a slightly different kind of sandman, the Metallica version, an improv done afterwards by True and Ben...

2011-10-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

Say hello to Zoodies...

Zoodies are fun little hoodies for your sweet little ones. My Soulie loves her kitty zoodie and we think she looks absolutely purrr-fect. You can turn your little cutie into a cute little creature and keep them warm at the same time. Made from soft american apparel hoodies these are really soft and fun little sweater that you can be sure the little ones will love it!

Zoodies is giving away a dino/kitty zoodie for one of you. To win, here are some things you can do:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite little animal zoodie.
2. Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway and leave each separate links here.

Now, if you do all of the things mentioned above, you might even be able to up your chances by getting your name in 4 times! Fantastic, right? Even if you are overseas, please feel welcomed to join in on the fun!

The giveaway will end at 8am PST on Wednesday, November 2nd. Good luck! Many thanks to Zoodies!!!

zoodies shop...

zoodies blog...

:: SPONSOR WELCOME ::

2011-10-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

Say hello to Farm Dog Vintage...

Farm Dog Vintage a vintage shop with lots of sweet old things. This typewriter is just perfectly lovely and who can resist these vintage records. All old things have a wonderful story and the items in the shop I am sure have one they want to tell. Maybe there will be an item calling out to you so that you can continue its story in your own home!

farm dog vintage shop...

GIVEAWAY WINNERS

2011-10-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the winners and please email me so I can get your info and you can get your prize! Thank you everyone for your participation!!!

HUZZAH!

2011-10-28T17:19:00.001-07:00

Gosh. The weekend is upon us yet again and this one will be slightly busier for me. I will be at the USC tailgating event on Saturday (anyone coming?) and then it is my grandma's 85th birthday party in the evening and sometime between all the busyness we will be doing some readying for Halloween. I just know this weekend is going to fly by, but at the end of it, begins my birthday week... yay!!!

Learned and links...

- Soul's says, "I love you", but it is more like "I you you".

- True is way too shy and it shows on her official kindergarten picture. I can't wait to share it!

- I left the house with all 4 girls by myself twice this week for doctor appointments and the key is to leave early to give myself lots of time to buckle and unbuckle all of them in. If I am not rushing, then I am not stressed.

- Had my 6 week check up and I can start working out again. P90x and Turbo Fire, I have really missed you.

- This song really makes me wanna dance and sing it super loud to Ben. Thanks baby sister for blogging it! I have feeling it will be this weekend's theme song or maybe the coming week for that matter.

What's your theme song going to be this weekend?

p.s. last week's giveaway winners will be announced this sunday along with some new giveaways!

FREEZE

2011-10-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

How I would so love to freeze these moments that are passing by much too quickly for my taste. I had my 6 week post-partum visit yesterday and I can hardly believe that it has been 6 weeks since our lives had more of a glow. Days are brighter, albeit stressful and I feel crazy half the time, but still definitely brighter.

Often in the middle of the night, while feeding Glow, I just stare at her and wonder where time has gone. I think about the middle of the nights awake I spent with True, Brave, and even Soul and am just baffled at how easily that time has escaped me. It makes me hug Glow just a little closer and wish it would all just freeze. Also, it makes me feel really bad for all those time I have failed as a mother. Trust me, I fail daily.

I stare at Glow and I see her little legs slightly chubbier than it was 6 weeks ago and her teeny hands a little more robust than it was 6 weeks ago. I adore her and just revel at her tiny-ness trying to memorize it all in my mind because I know soon enough she will be running everywhere with her sisters and her little teeny self won't be so teeny anymore. Or maybe she will still be teeny cause all my children are, but then she will have that sass. The sass that will get her into trouble and get me into a big hissy fit. That sass.

For now though, I am memorizing her face, her little hands and feet, and most especially her scent. Oh that baby scent is absolute bliss! My heart is just in love with her, with all my girls actually, even if the big girls drive me nuts most of the time, my heart is definitely in love with them too.

IT'S HALLOWEEN HERE

2011-10-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

We are ready for some spooky celebrating! We have little ghosts on the mantle, our little boo sign, and I made little masks to disguise our little lambs. Festive enough, yet still sweet enough. Oh! And we have a little spider hanging out in the corner.

I think we are officially ready for Halloween, especially since all the costumes are done! Yay! I was kinda stressing about those, but no need to anymore as they are done, folded, and waiting for Monday. Now, I move on to the rest of the things that need to get done this week, like cleaning the mess I made while sewing.

Anyone in L.A. free this Saturday? I will be attending a tailgating event hosted by GLAD® and eco-friendly celebrity mom, Ali Larter at USC between 2-5 pm. It will be a vintage inspired tailgate and there will be lots of fun family activities and food. Also, I will be interviewing Ali Larter to get her recycling tips on how to be an eco-friendly mom. Anyone else curious about anything or have any questions you might want me to ask Ali Larter? She was on the show Heroes, which Ben and I liked a lot in its first couple seasons. I must admit I am a bit nervous as I have never interviewed anyone before, so let's just hope I don't fall flat on my face. Well, if you got any questions for her or any tips for me, do share! And if you plan to go, let me know!

p.s. misha lulu is having an awesome sale of her pretty items over at mini social. see here.

OUT TO SCHOOL: WEEK NINE

2011-10-26T06:46:00.000-07:00

{where from again? sweater: vintage; skirt: vintage; socks: target; shoes: livie & luca.}

I made Mr. Gnome on this little skirt so long ago, but it continues to be a favorite of hers and I was happy to hear her exclaim that as she was getting ready for school. And let me tell you, True may be shy, like super shy, but this little girl of mine tends to be a know-it-all. She really is. Good thing she is cute when she is being her know-it-all self.