53 Weeks

Since the countdown is on until my boys turn 4 and 5, I’m slowly getting into party planning mode and putting my planning hat on. I’m trying to kick back more this year and not really hyper-plan every detail. So, for now I’m reflecting on what we’ve done for past celebrations, and what they may want this time around, since it inevitably changes as they get older and become more outspoken.  Well, last year on Raef’s actual birthday we did a small cake at home and the one thing he had been asking for was...

  On a Sunday afternoon whim, I decided to venture out with my boys the short distance from where we live to Tilden Park. Isaiah had been asking me for the past several weeks to go on a train ride, and while he would’ve settled for a BART outing, I wanted something a little more fit for my little man! I had heard about the steam train rides through the park, we had visited the adjacent Little Farm last year, and on this day, we finally made the trek out to Tilden. And, before you go, always be sure to check the steam train...

My boy’s’ birthday’s are in T-2 months and it’s time to get the ball rolling on the party planning…or at least having a “plan.” I am definitely a “planner,” especially when it comes to things I can control, like the birthday festivities and knowing what we want to do makes it much easier on me, because as we all know…time flies and these yearly milestones happen so fast! When it comes to a venue, you’ll probably need to reserve your space with much notice…most of...

If your kids are anything like mine, when it comes to a bowl of Lucky Charms cereal…they go for the “charms” first and honestly, most of the time, that’s all they want to eat! Well, I found a recipe online to create a Lucky Rainbow Chex Mex snack, and it came out pretty good…and it was super easy to make! It’s a colorful, crunchy snack and will certainly satisfy any sweet tooth. We made it as a St. Patrick’s Day treat, playing off it’s rainbow properties, but this would be a great addition...

The kids and I trekked to Knott’s Barry Farm recently. We were in Orange County to visit some friends and while I wanted to take them to an amusement park, I didn’t want to take them to that park this time around. One reason, is it would be just me with the two boys and I preferred a lower key option. Second, I have fond memories of Knott’s Berry Farm from my own childhood. We would frequent this park during our family trips to LA since I had cousins who worked there! We went on a Sunday, and while there was a good...

A brand new official trailer for Disney Pixars “Cars 3″ is out. The newest installment with Lightning McQueen and his crew will be in theaters June 16! Press play now to get revved up and excited for Cars 3!   ...

This Spring our family has ventured into the wonderful world of T-Ball! Yup, this is just the beginning. We’re giving up our weekend and devoting it to practices and games, and so far, so good. One of the advantages of having two kids who are a mere 53 weeks apart, is that when it comes to youth sports, they can be on the same team. I don’t know if it will always be that way, or work out (to my advantage) that way, but for now they are on the same T-Ball team, so I’m not being pulled between two locations, times, games,...

This post is long overdue! Last summer while crafting my boy’s’ joint 3rd and 4th “Dinosaur Dig” birthday party, I had so much fun planning decor and activities…and I also managed to find inspiration and create a themed dessert that looked like dinosaurs in the dirt! You can browse around this site for more ideas. It was super easy to do and tasted pretty good as well, although I do think some of the preschool crowd was a bit skeptical until they discovered what was inside! At any rate, it was super easy...

When I think about my early visits to Disneyland when I was a child, the Main Street Electrical Parade is one of the first things that comes to mind, after Mickey and Minnie. In fact, if I’m being honest, I never even realized it went away….there definitely was a time lapse between my childhood, to now being a parent where I hadn’t visited Disneyland in YEARS! Last year when I took my boys to Anaheim and Disneyland for the first time, I didn’t realize the night parade was not the same one I was accustomed to seeing...

I’m not sure if the idea of “garlic fries” will resonate with people outside of Northern California, but if you’re familiar with the area and/or are a garlic lover, I’m sure you’ve heard of Gilroy. At any rate, yesterday I had the opportunity to be part of a special blogger event in San Francisco to celebrate Gilroy Garlic Fries at McDonald’s. I have been very interested to get a taste of these fries and it was a bonus that I could bring my family with me…I didn’t have to twist the...