What the heck is a MamaRoo?

4Moms MamaRoo Bouncer

I will tell you.  It is an alien looking, egg shaped, kick ass baby bouncer.  Some of its ridiculous features are:

* 5 motions

* 5 speeds

* 5 nature sounds

* MP3 plug in

And that is just to name a few.  Until my best friend received this as a shower gift, I had never heard of it.  Now I am hearing of a ton of mommy's using it.  The down side of this is that my baby girl is way to big to use this now, and no, I am not going to have a baby just so I can go out and buy something really cool.  BUT, I would absolutely love one of these in an adult size (it just needs a wine glass holder).  If you are currently prego, this is definitely something I recommend checking out for your registry!

Thank you to everyone who keeps placing there vote!

Germany? No Problem!

I have a traveling husband.  I don't say that negatively.  I simply state it as a fact.  Those of you who have husbands that travel know what I mean.  Every month I will inevitably get a call (perhaps two), checking in to see how I am doing, followed by "I need to go to <location> for a couple days next week.  Is that okay?".  What am I going to say?  "No, tell your boss your wife does not think that is a good idea".  Obviously, my only response is "No problem!", even though, sometimes in my head, it is.  Now, he used to travel every week, so once or twice a month is definitely better.  Glass is always half full right?!  But I am not going to lie.  It is hard to spend 4 to 5 days taking care of three kids, working two days, running around the others, spending my nights sipping wine and watching the Bachelorette (don't judge) alone. 

That being said, he is the one that had to hop on a red eye Monday to Germany, spending a total of 24 hours in the air and only 36 hours on the ground.  That cannot be fun.  So, I am going to keep my mouth shut, keep my wine fridge stocked and pass the children off to him the second he walks in the door.

On another note, I would so appreciate you taking just a few seconds to cast your vote today!

Wish List: Pre-Fall Date Night

 I am LOVING all the Pre-Fall collections that have hit the internet.  While creating a major wish list in my head, I came up with my ideal "Date Night" outfit for a nice, cool evening out with the hubby.  I wonder if he also thinks I need a $2500 outfit to take me out?  *sigh* Perhaps that is why it is called a "wish list". 

Stella McCartney Silk Fern Print Penelope Dress

Brian Atwood Karina

Rachel Zoe Cheryl Asymmetrical Coat

And just in case you may have forgotten to vote today....

Mini Italian Pub Burgers

The weather has been beautiful here in the OC, which leads to dinner being grilled in the backyard while the kids run around and play.  Burgers are always top of the list for my hubby and I when it comes to grilling, but I wanted to try a new spin on them.  These Mini Italian Pub Burgers were the perfect change up we needed.  They had a ton of flavor, were enjoyed by the entire family, and were the perfect way to enjoy a peaceful Sunday evening.

Sending Off Friends

This past weekend two friends, my hubby and I hosted a going away party for some dear friends that are relocating to Washington D.C.  Since they are headed to our nation's capital, we thought it would be fun to make it an "All American" themed party.  We pulled out all the stops of red, white and blue.  Here are some of my favorite items from the party!

I would love to take credit for this but I can't.
My friend did a phenomenal job on the cake!

Centerpieces created with hurricane and votive candles I already had,
along with some ribbon and rubber stamps from Michaels.
Red and Navy linens were provided by Signature Party Rentals

Ice buckets created out of strawberries and blueberries for the
champagne and white wine, courtesy of the couple's family member

Floral arrangements I whipped together with flowers from The Ladera Flower Shoppe

Poms ordered from Paper White Designs

No "All American" party is complete without a Captain America shirt hidden underneath a buttoned down

M and N, you guys will be greatly missed but we cannot wait to come out and visit!

Also, don't forget!  If you like what you see, you can vote for me for "Top 25 SoCal Mom Blogs!"

How Did She React?

I am crazy getting ready for a fun party we are hosting tonight (photos next week!) but I thought I would share with you the updated, edited version of my sister's proposal.  This video shows her actually watching the video and her reaction.  It is so fun to watch!

Happy Saturday!

Vitamin C Yourself!

I love all things that have to do with the face.  Makeup, facials, products.  You name it, I love it.  So when I came across the Delighted Momma's Do It Yourself Vitamin C Mask, I thought I absolutely had to try it.  It took me a while to find some Vitamin C powder but I finally came across it at a local health store.  You can also order it here.

The mask was incredibly simple to mix together (considering it was only the powder and water, it should have been).

Do you like my green bowl.  Yep, kids bowl.  What are you going to do?  

Anyway, I put the mask on for 10 minutes and though it stung a bit (my skin is dry and I should have used the aloe gel instead, as was recommended), when I washed it off in 10 minutes, I was impressed.  Delighted Momma was right.  My skin was extremely smooth and just looked better.  Such a quick, easy way to give your face a little lift!

If you are into skincare as much as I am, Delighted Momma does a weekly post of "Skin Care Tip of the Week" and I recommend checking them all out.  There are a ton of great suggestions on there!

Can You Spare Me A Vote?

Notice anything different about my page?  There is a pretty little pink badge on the right that is saying very sweetly...

VOTE FOR ME!!!!

I have been nominated for the Circle of Mom's "Top 25 SoCal Mom Blogs" and since I am pretty competitive (blame my Type A personality), I would LOVE to make the list!  All you need to do is click on the button above and vote.  You can vote once a day until August 11, 2011.  I know you are all fabulous and will but don't worry, I will make sure to send out reminders.

Thank you everyone! 

Congratulations Little Sis!

Last night my little sister got engaged!  We are over the top excited for them!  Here is the happy couple on the fourth of July.

And, if you are interested in how he proposed, here is a portion of the proposal, a little video he put together on YouTube (and if you look closely, you will see me, the three little ones, and the hubby)...

Congrats you guys!  XOXO

Eggplant Parmesan Pasta

I would love to say that every night I have hours to prep and cook a delicious meal.  In reality, that is SO not the case.  Whenever I get in a bind and need an extremely quick, no fail, ridiculous dinner, one of my favorites is the Eggplant Parmesan Pasta from the Cooking With All Things Trader Joes cookbook.  It is not only an amazing dish, but it takes 3 ingredients with 3 steps.  That is right.  Only 3.  Here is the recipe...

Eggplant Parmesan Pasta
Cooking With All Things Trader Joes, page 167


1 package refrigerated Roasted Eggplant Parmesan
3 c. Farfalle or pasta of your choice
1 Tbsp. fresh basil or parsley
All ingredients are found at Trader Joes

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat eggplant parmesan according to package instructions.  Cut eggplant into bite size pieces.  Do not discard sauce or cheese - they will coat the pasta with great flavor.
3. Stir together pasta and eggplant.  Garnish with basil.

Ta Da!  Can a recipe get any more simple?  Add a glass of wine and you have got yourself a delicious meal in minutes (actually 15 based on the recipe) 

An extra note: the asparagus shown in the above picture is Trader Joe's microwaveable asparagus.  Two minutes and they were ready!  Perfect addition for some greens and a total cook time of 17 minutes!

Because I am a Deal Shopper

I thought I would share with you some pretty fantastic items I have recently picked up for amazing prices online.  Just call me "Savvy Saver".

Rachel Pally Dress on My Habit (using $25 off coupon) - $59

Marc by Marc Jacobs Sunglasses on RueLaLa - $49.90
Not a member, click here

Chain Stitch Tee at Anthropology - $19.99

Hive and Honey Painterly Striped Boatneck Sweater at Piperlime - $19.99

Hive and Honey Nautical Striped Sweater at Piperlime - $19.99

Yep, total deals.  I know.

And you may be asking, am I crazy for buying sweaters in the middle of summer?  Probably.  But I am always cold so these are going to be perfect for those mildly chilly summer nights.  

Date Night With My Boys

Last week my three favorite boys and I headed down to San Diego for the Padres vs. Giants game.  We had a phenomenal time and even though we were exhausted the next day, it was all worth it.  I feel sort of bad that Baby Girl did not go with us but not that bad because I was actually able to enjoy myself and not run after a toddler the entire time!  Here are some pics (but please realize I did not have my super fab camera with me so these are from my "point and shoot" and Iphone - clearly not as fabulous as they could have been).

Thanks Hubby for the awesome seats!

My Boys

Our view

Over-Indulgence

Our favorite of the desserts

Complete concentration

A young boy, confused

My oldest caught a foul ball!

Best part?  The Giants won!  Did you realize I was not in any of those?  That is because I do a fantastic job capturing moments while my husband is not so great at making sure I make it into a picture.  We are working on this.  

Designer Obsession: Diane Von Furstenburg

Did any of you see Kate Middleton in that amazing green DVF dress?  If not, here it is...

Via Pop Sugar

I was incredibly happy to see Kate represent.  Reason being?  Diane Von Furstenberg is one of my absolute favorite American designers.  Not only are her clothes gorgeous, but she is a woman that emulates class and sophistication.  I just ADORE.  Her clothes are not necessarily easy on the wallet but they are classic pieces that will last a lifetime.  Here are a few of some of my favorites from her Pre-Fall 2011 Collection...

Muriel Dress

Loretta Crop Coat

Berit Dress

Panel Marta

 AND, you will be happy to know that right now at DVF.com, you can save up to 40% during their summer sale!

The Pain of Motherhood

I adore my baby girl.  ADORE.  My back, however, does not.  She is a BIG girl for 13 months.  Don't believe me?  See for yourself.

At one year, she was 26 lbs. and in the 25th percentile of A 2 YEAR OLD for height.  Yep, big girl.  And though I think she is a huge love bug who can brighten anyone's day, my back is starting to really rebel against carrying her around everywhere.  (Oh yes, she can walk, she just chooses not to).  I have already been in physical therapy due to this and got my hips back in alignment, so I thought....

About two weeks ago, my legs started to really ache.  It got worse and worse over the course of a week and I finally ended up in the Dr. office wondering what the hell is wrong with me.  I immediately go to the worst case scenario of blood clots and fibromyalgia because that is what I do.  After handing over a ton of blood, I walked out hoping I would have answer.

Yesterday I get the results.  Everything looks great.  Of course it does.  I throw a call to my physical therapist and after answering some quick questions, he quickly believes my spine is out of alignment and pushing on some big nerves.  I am told to hold her as little as possible, give up heels for a while (he also reminded me that I am 6ft. and don't really need them) and make an appointment.  Am I shocked?  No.  Am I happy it is not something worse?  Absolutely.  Is this God telling me that my body can no longer handle having children and I should stop?  I think so.

The hard part is going to be, how do you not pick up this little face!

I decided to get a little sophisticated

Hubby is out of town which means I have too much time to play around with Blogger.  After an hour I ended up here.  What do you think?  I still cannot figure out how to center my damn title but this has been enough HTML for me for one night.

Movin On Up!

Yep!  That's right!  My amazing employer who has allowed me to continue working two days a week is making the deal even sweeter.  As of August 1, I will be moving from my regional role to a national role.  That is super exciting, but it gets better.  This time around I will be able to WORK FROM HOME!!!  If you couldn't tell, I am extremely happy about this.

In order to make my working from home that much more enjoyable, I have already started putting together my new work space within our bedroom.  Welcome to my little office...

Would you like a closer look?

My favorite coffee table books, stolen from downstairs to artfully decorate my desk

A light in the Attic - A gift from my second grade teacher
French Country Style at Home - My design Mecca
Manolo Blahnik drawings - He can do no wrong
New York Parties - Inspiration for party planning
Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty - A take away from my visit to the Met

Who doesn't love some good smells?

Joe Malone - Looks like I need a new one!
Mrs. Meyers Baby Lotion - Yes, I use this for myself

Of course I need a family photo

Family at the Rose Parade 2011

Things I still need?

These photos will be framed and hanging above the desk

And I am still in need of a fabulous desk lamp and comfy chair.  I will keep you posted on what I find!