Loving a new Etsy find!

My friend Angela over at www.housefullofboys shard with me a cute Etsy store called Tink and Key. They have some adorable faith based tees and I sure love some adorable shirts for my son, especially ones that share Jesus. I cannot wait to post pictures of my son with his new shirt.

Jesus Loves Me this I know

Looking for some Jesus shirts or even a tee that has "Miracle Baby" then this is your one stop shop.

Picture Perfect Baby Shower

Two weeks ago I attended a stunning baby shower. Everything was perfect! I think it needs to go into a magazine because it was beautiful. My friend lives in a gorgeous home and she recently did some work to the inside and the backyard. I believe a picture speaks for itself....

Paper source chevron print served as the runner on each table. Beautiful!

Perfect day for a baby shower

Yes those are gold painted little animals

The patio furniture was one of my favorites. Can I pull up a truck and borrow these?

A hammock in the back to relax in after a long day

Sunny yellow loungers

All of the greenery!!

Gold, Silver and Bronze for one of the baby games. So smart and beyond cute!

Food Tour, yes you read that correctly!

I have been looking for a fun outing for my hubby and I to do. A few weeks ago I purchased a groupon for Flavors of Newport Beach. What better way to spend my Saturday than with my honey and be down at the beach. Our tour guide was super sweet and I highly recommend people to try this out. We started at Ruby's on the Balboa pier at 10am. I am new to food tours and I was not sure about seafood. I do not eat shellfish, well I mainly only eat salmon. This tour company was so friendly and accommodating and they went above and beyond to make sure I had a great time. We met some friendly people and I think we will sign up again!!! Our tour ended at 2pm on Balboa Island which gave us time to check out the cute shops. While on the tour we sampled some olive oil and vinegar at a beautiful shop on Balboa Island. I could not snap photos there so I will just mention that the tastings there were out of this world. Thank you Flavors of Newport Beach for a wonderful Saturday!!!

First stop:Ruby's, we had their delicious oatmeal

Second stop: Harborside Restaurant, Matt ate the ahi nachos

At Harborside I had this yummy chicken lettuce wrap

We headed across to Balboa island. Third stop: The Village Inn

We tried some wine and IPA. (not pictured the delicious clam chowder shooter and grilled veggies)

Fourth stop: Amelia's (cute Italian place on Balboa Island)

I had the bruschetta, it was beyond tasty!

Calamri and pasta family style

Fifth stop: Dad's Original Balboa Bar (on Balboa Island)

This was the best treat ever!!!!

Fall vacation is booked and I am ready to go!

I love to travel or shall I say I REALLY enjoy traveling! I have been looking for a deal to Cancun, Mexico and last week I found it! Los Angeles International to Cancun airfare for a steal of $360 each including all taxes. Score!!! I highly recommend Costco travel and I am NEVER disappointed with my travel packages. An all inclusive hotel on the strip was a total of $1,200 for two people! We return to the Omni every time because we love it there and we can never get enough of the charm. I close my eyes and I picture myself tanning, toes in the pristine white sand, and jumping into the crystal blue water. Did I mention that we are going without our kiddo?! Beyond excited!!!!

Summer activities for families

I cannot believe how fast the month of May went. I love having my calendar full and this June is not any different. Graduations, birthdays, weddings, baby shower, and the list continues. This leaves us with little down time and even less time for a fun family outing. I enjoy being with extended family but there are times that you just want to be with your little family or just be with your hubby. Here are some great ideas for this summer:


*Plan day trips. I am blessed to live about one hour from the beach, one hour from the desert, one hour from an international airport, and the list continues. There are tons of day trips families can take. One of my favorites is Crystal Cove beach! Don't forget to eat at the Beachcomber. Go to a city that you have never been to. Children love new experiences! They do not have to cost a ton so begin thinking of how you can go inexpensive.

*Go to free events. Temecula has some fun concerts in the park on Thursday evenings. Check out your city activities book for Car Shows, concerts, fairs, music at the wineries, etc....

*Get outside! Find new hiking trails, lace up your shoes and start walking. There are many trails throughout Inland Empire and across the U.S.

*Go camping. I have not been camping since I was a teenager and well that was a long time ago. I found some great camping sites near the beach that I hope to check out in the next few weeks. I totally think that my three year old will love the great outdoors and I will love waking up to the sound of the crashing waves.

*Amusement parks. This is a tough one because many parks have raised their prices right before schools have ended. Look for discounts: your employer/company, colleges, or even some fast food restaurants give out discounts for local theme parks.

Have fun! What are are some of your summer activities?? 

Blueberries for Kaden

A few days ago I read the book to my son Blueberries for Sal. Kaden was eager to go blueberry picking and I am always up for trying something new with a toddler. The weather has been beautiful in southern California so off we went to Temecula Berry Company in the city of Temecula. I also had the opportunity to try out my new DSLR camera (thanks sweetie for this awesome camera). Deep in Temecula you can find this family owned business. We arrived at 9am and it was starting to warm up. We were in good spirits until my son got wood chips in his sandals (thank goodness for shoes and socks in the car), had a meltdown because there were a few flies, and he was tired of picking blueberries. So, for the remaining half hour I went up and down the rows of berries looking for some big juicy blueberries. One pint costs $5, not totally cheap but it is the experience and they are super sweet! I was able to win my son over by letting him take a picture with the red tractor.

Front entrance

Pick your bucket. "You pick you buy"

Welcome! Pick only the blueberries that are blue

Picking

Found a good one

"I found even better ones down below"

"Look momma I can pick more"

Farmer K

Love the look of this building 

He picked about 30 blueberries on his own without any help

Cue the tantrum: "there are flies!!"

Yes he will still upset about the flies

Beautiful 

So many blueberries 

No trip is complete without a picture with a tractor tire

Red Tractor 

Stay on track with this treat!

When I tell you that this treat is gluten free & paleo many will turn and run away. Fear no more! These are dairy free, flour less, no added sugar, no GMO, egg free.... No JUNK!

Some of the ingredients

My brand new purchase: chocolate chips that are dairy, nut & soy free

Ready to bake 

Pop these into the oven

The final product! They are delicious

Not your average cookie

Ingredients: 

3 organic ripe bananas (my bananas were extremely ripe)

1/3 cup apple sauce (I used no added sugar & organic)

2 cups oats

1/4 cup almond milk

1/2 cups raisins (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Mix all ingredients together. I added the "Enjoy Life" chocolate chips.

Scoop out small balls of mixture onto cookie sheet (nonstick preferred)

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes 

Makes 24

Let cool and enjoy! I store them in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.