Maple Bacon Cupcakes

After a loooooong week of sick people in the house, I decided I deserved pure indulgence when it came to my dessert over the weekend.  What better way to indulge than with a yummy, fatty, Maple Bacon cupcakes.  I had tried these before at different cupcake bakeries but thought I would create them myself.  I used this vanilla cupcake recipe and this maple frosting recipe.  For the bacon, I simply pan fried and then stuck in a food processor.  The result was a cupcake that tasted just like breakfast.  Sweet and savory at its best.

Late Afternoon Success

For a split second I thought about going to Target Sunday morning to have first dibs on the Jason Wu for Target collection.  A split second.  Then that second passed and I realized that I just did not have the motivation to spend my Sunday morning that way and instead opted for coffee outside with my hubby.  A MUCH better decision.  

This decision did not mean that I would not make it over to Target at some point yesterday.  In fact, I was definitely going to be visiting my local store.  I knew that there was a slim chance that there would be anything left, but I was going to try.  So, when everyone was getting ready to sit down and begin watching the Super Bowl, I made a quick dash over there.  There was NOTHING left on the racks, but as luck would have it, the two pieces I wanted to pick up were still there in my size.  SHOCKING.  So, I picked them up, headed directly back to watch the Super Bowl, and poured myself a glass of wine to celebrate my retail win (MUCH more important than Giants vs. Patriots).  Wine instead of beer, you ask?  No, I will not drink beer, even for the Super Bowl.  I thought you knew me better than that.

Here is what I picked up!

What about you?

Did you partake in the Jason Wu for Target shopping day?

If so, what did you get?

Super Sunday

One couple...two reasons to love tomorrow.  

My hubby?

Me?

Happy watching, eating and shopping!

Sneaky Sneaky Blackberry and Kale Smoothies

Since I am dealing with a sick house this week (yep, I was not able to keep my Oldest away from my Middle Man and Hubby...crossing fingers Baby Girl and I are safe), I thought, why not share one of my tricky mom ways to try to avoid what we have encountered this week.  As posted here, I have extremely picky eaters so getting anything green into them is near impossible.  To sneak some vegetables into their diet, I started making Blackberry and Kale smoothies.  The blackberries are so dark that they cover up the green color of the kale.  The kids love them and I feel better that they have eaten some raw greens.  WIN-WIN all around (though I must say, I am not WINNING this week.  I am in fact losing in a BIG way).

Here are the ingredients:
Banana
Blackberries
Kale
Coconut Milk
Ice

There are no exact measurements with this.  Just throw in what you want.  Also, I use a Vitamix blender so it blends the crap out of the kale.  Make sure you use a high powered blender to ensure you do not have leaves in your smoothie.  That is a dead giveaway.  Also, I have replaced the kale with spinach, chard and any other green veggie that they may not naturally lean towards.  Just like with clothing, black hides everything.

Denim Shoes

Now that I have obviously been running with a denim theme this week, I thought, why not take it to the next level with denim shoes.  I know, I know, sounds terrible right? Well, I actually think I would wear these Sergio Rossi Platform Sandals.

Who knew denim shoes could be so pretty?

White Out

As Spring gets closer (we will see what the Groundhog says today), I have completely moved past Winter clothes and am beginning to prepare my wardrobe for Spring.  Number 1 item on my list was a new pair of white jeans.  You already know my obsession with Rag and Bone/JEAN (reference here and here) so it was pretty easy for me to pick out this little pair.

Rag and Bone/JEAN The Bell Jean

A huge plus was that I picked them up during Barney's incredible holiday sale for less than half the price.

This was also a huge plus for my hubby.

Here are some other white jeans that I have my eye on, just in case I need a backup pair....

J Brand Lovestory Flare Jean
I own these in another color and I am obsessed AND they are currently 30% off!

DL1961 Angel Ankle Jeans

7 For All Mankind Straight Leg Jeans

Yes, I will wait for Memorial Day...or will I???  I mean, it is Orange County where the sun is always shining.

Do you follow the "No white after Labor Day" rule?

I don't.  I like white too much.

You can call me a rebel.

A Little Preoccupied

I would love to say that I spent numerous hours last night creating an incredible post for you this Wednesday morning but the truth is, we have a sicky in the house.  Instead of scouring the internet for beautiful clothes and accessories, I cleaned hundreds of sheets (perhaps not that many, but it felt like it), scrubbed carpets and tried my hardest to keep the other two kids AWAY from the Oldest in hopes that they do not catch the stomach bug he has.  We have yet to see if that has worked. 

Having a sick child is EXHAUSTING and you just feel HORRIBLE that there is nothing you can do about it.  I knew it was coming too because it has been spreading like wildfire around his school.  Lesson for parents who do not have school-age children yet;  do not EVER think that you have avoided something going around your school.  As soon as you exude any confidence that your child has somehow missed it, it comes knocking on your door.  Am I speaking from experience?  Yes, yes I am.

I hope you all have a fantastic (and healthy) Wednesday and I promise that tomorrow I will be back with something prettier than a bucket.