Monday, October 28, 2013

Trevi Italian Restaurant-Halloween Pizzia

With Halloween at the end of the month, TREVI Italian Restaurant, located at the heart of The Forum Shops at Caesars in Las Vegas, is sharing an easy to make delicious treat.
 
Chef Peter Scaturro has created the perfect pizza for the spooky season and has shared his easy step-by-step instructions on how to make the Trick or TREVI Pumpkin Pizza at home.





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1.      Mix some ricotta cheese with salt and pepper and a little orange food color to get the pumpkin color desired.
2.      Stretch about 7 to 8 ounces of pizza dough to about 10 inches in diameter.
3.      To make the eyes, nose and mouth of the festive jack-o-lantern, cut squares and triangles from pepperoni slices.
4.      Spread the ricotta mixture onto the dough.
5.      Pinch the top of the dough to form the pumpkin shape (I used a zucchini skin as the stem).
6.      Add some shredded cheddar cheese, pepperoni parts and bake.
7.      Stripe the pizza with balsamic glaze to make the lines of the pumpkin for that extra touch!

Want to find out more  about the posh Trevi Italian Restaurant? Check out their website. Don't forget to stop by and try them out next time you are in Vegas!


Friday, October 25, 2013

The Girls Bathroom-Reveal!

We now have the girl's bathroom done up so cute! We are in a place where we can't paint, otherwise we would have painted the bathroom pink and green. But it still is adorable. The only thing left to do is add a thing or two to the wall. I'm thinking of doing a painting or art project. Or maybe even have the girls make a collage of pictures they have done. I saw something like that on Pinterest and I'm dying to try it.

 
We went for an owl theme for the upstairs bathroom that will be shared by both the girls and my stepsons when they stay. My husband had a pretty big hand in picking out the theme but shhh! he probably doesn't want anyone to know he is a great interior designer. So we have an owl soap dispenser. I'm big on washing hands in my house, it cuts down majorly on sickness. We also got them an owl toothbrush holder. Plenty of room for the boy's toothbrushes too.

Then we have a pair of hand towels above the toilet. I think above the towel rack is where I'm going to put some artwork. You can't see but the trashcan beside the toilet is an owl theme too.


Owl towels, owl bathmat and owl shower curtain! The pics make the bathroom look pretty small but it's actually a decent size. The ground is tile which I love, so easy to clean. I seriously looove this bathroom! The girls do too, and I can't wait for the boys to see it as well.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

I Am THAT Girl

There is a really neat organization that is fairly new. It's almost like Girl Scouts for college girls.

This is their mission statement....

OUR MISSION

 I AM THAT GIRL is a global movement inspiring girls to  BE, LOVE, and EXPRESS who they are through education, content, and community.
I have gotten involved with the local San Diego chapter of the organization and it has been ahhmaazing! I've met a bunch of great girls who are all focused on building each other up.
 
So what do they do?

WHAT WE DO

Our local + digital community, premium, curated and user generated content, and targeted education-based programs all address the emotional, mental and physical well-being of girls.
COMMUNITY: We build online and offline community to give girls a safe space to DISCOVER, BE and EXPRESS who she is. 
CONTENT: Media is the most powerful tool to influence how a girl defines herself. We CREATE, CURATE, and ADVOCATE for premium and user-generated content for various distribution channels to inspire healthy conversations and honest perspectives.
EDUCATION: We are providing tangible tools and resources with an interactive curriculum to teach girls emotional intelligence, professional skills and personal development. 
(Taken from www.iamthatgirl.com)
 
I've only been to 2 meetings so far, but I'm super excited to see what the next meetings bring. My sister actually came with me to the last meeting which was really cool <3
 
Badass Girls!
 
Are you a college girl living in San Diego? Come to our next meeting! If you live somewhere else, look for a local chapter to get involved in, or you might even be able to start your own!
 
 


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

The Stepmother's Journey

There is a page on Facebook I absolutely love. If you are a stepmom you should go and like it. It's called The Step Mother's Journey. It's a place to vent, laugh, ask questions or advice and just talk to people who understand what you are going through. Here are some of my top favourite quotes and pictures.



"Does your DH/SO Ex stalk your Facebook religiously? Then you must be writing some very exciting stuff! And if she has an entire 'team' of people watching and screenshotting your Facebook then you must be intensely thrilling!!! Good work Momma!"

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A Poem For Mommies....
Dear Lord, it's such a hectic day
With little time to stop and pray
For life's been anything but calm
Since You called on me to be a mom
Running errands, matching socks
Building dreams with building blocks
Cooking, cleaning, and finding shoes
And other stuff that children lose
Fitting lids on bottled bugs ...
Wiping tears and giving hugs
A stack of last weeks mail to read
So where's the quiet time I need?
Yet when I steal a minute, Lord
Just at the sink or ironing board
To ask the blessings of Your grace
I see then, in my small one's face
That you have blessed me
All the while
And I stop to kiss
That precious smile
*****************************************************************
 
Despite the stereotypes and biased opinions...I will continue to love them. Despite the rejection and hate...I will continue to love them. Despite all the stress and chaos...I will continue to love them. Despite the dysfunction and lies...I will continue to love them. Despite the pain and sacrifices...I will continue to love them. Why? Because at the end of each day...at the end of this journey...love still prevails. They will always know and feel that through it all I never stopped loving them
 
 
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Love drives her insanity alright but it's not love for her children...it's love for her Ex. She refuses to let go and accept that he loves another. She can't accept the fact that someone is better than her and more deserving of his love and devotion. She wants him alone and miserable so she uses the children to make any woman he is with as miserable as she feels to drive her away. Leave and you no...t only give her what she wants but you reinforce that her tactics work. The next woman will endure the same. The father and children pay the price of lost love and bonds. Does she care that the new woman may be the best thing that ever happened to him and the kids? Nope...she wants to be his 'one and only'. She believes this behavior will have him vulnerable and maintained on the back burner for when she is ready to use and abuse him some more. He is HER property from the moment she conceived...this child became her 18 years to life insurance that binds them and entraps him like a fly in a spiders web. She may be with other men but her thoughts and sights are always set on him. She will do ANYTHING to hear his voice. She will call to tell him the stupidest things or ask the most obvious questions to get her fix. The children will be her excuse to do this and everything will be of maximum importance to speak with him at once. The new woman will be rejected to answer such questions or accept the information which she feels is urgent because this denies her from hearing His voice. Does his Ex hate and reject you to the most extremes? It's not because you are a threat to her motherhood...it's because You have what she deems as Her rightful property until death do they part. Why else would she behave with such craziness? He must be a real "keeper" if she will go through such lengths to drive you away. After 5 years of appreciating my treasure I have learned he IS worth every ounce of fighting for. To that I say "Thank You crazy psycho nut job for the gift that is now MY husband. If it hadn't been for your mistakes I wouldn't be this incredibly happy with a one in a million kind of man. This rare precious gem is everything I've waited for my entire life". "You may have had him first but I will love and enjoy him forever". P.S. "Your tactics aren't helping you in any way. In fact, they are making him hate and despise you even more. You also are making him realize that he made a mistake being with you as well as what a 'real' woman is...how she acts...how she talks...how she treats her man...how a mother is with her children...etc." "I make you look awful just by being Me!" I WIN! LOL!
 
 
*******************************************************************
"If you walked in the path of truth, you will have no reason to run, hide or lie to get people to believe you. Webs of deception unravel themselves."
 
 
********************************************************************
 

Friday, October 18, 2013

Fashion Faux Pas-Bad Lipliner

So this Friday's Fashion Faux Pas is bad lip liner. Technically lip liner isn't really necessary if you have a lipstick or gloss that looks great on you. To be honest there really isn't a reason to even wear lip liner. I don't wear it, it looks fake and tacky to me. Don't get me wrong though, some people can pull it off, and a lot of makeup artists will use it and make it look great.

 
 
1. Don't ever use black lip liner! Even if you are African American, don't use it! As you can tell in the big pic to the left it looks like she took a pencil to her mouth. The two pictures to the right are just like whaaaat? Someone take that sharpie away from them please! The middle top pic is better, at least the colors are closer but you can still tell the difference in lip liner and lipstick. One word. Clown. The bottom middle is closer in color as well, but that is just a bad color to begin with. Unless it is Halloween, you want to go for as natural a look as possible. Too much or outrageous makeup just screams insecurity, trying too hard or sometimes just plain ignorance.
 
If you HAVE to use lip liner the key is blend, blend, blend. There should be a seamless transition from lip liner to lipstick.
 
 
This is very pretty and natural.
 
 
This is also very tasteful. A little spicy with a darker shade of red but still not over the top. And no crazy lip liner lines!

Fall Festival

Wow it has been a while since I've blogged! We are busy getting settled into our new house and finding our way around town. My oldest daughter's school is right close by so Haley Bear and I can walk her to school in the morning and walk to pick her up in the afternoon. Its a great way to get out of the house. Although the school is rated a bit low, I like my daughter's teacher and I think she is doing well. It is always a hard decision to decide what schooling is best for your child: Christian, public or home school. I'll be writing a post on that soon and why I've decided to do different things with my daughters.

I also got involved in this neat group called "I am THAT Girl". It's almost like girl scouts for college girls. We reach out to girls in the community and also focus on helping each other and ourselves become the best possible person we can be. I'll be doing a post on that soon as well.

This past weekend we took the girls to a Fall Festival our housing put on. It was nice because everything was free! We had a dinner of those big turkey legs you get at fairs or carnivals, kettle corn, funnel cakes and cotton candy. The girls got to play in the bounce houses. There was a free "pumpkin patch" where each family got a pumpkin but we didn't get around to that, the line was too long. And also just getting one pumpkin is not a good idea, the girls would probably fight over it.

Here are the girls as we are waiting in line to get in. Haley is Ariel. Her face is ridiculous lol! Serenity wanted to be a devil girl. I think her outfit is adorable. And check out the devilish look on her face!

And here is the hubby stuffing his face. Those turkey legs were good! And Haley is stuffing her face in the background. Good thing I had the camera...no pics of me stuffing my face...and I sure did!

 
And the cotton candy chow down! They were sticky but happy kids afterwards haha!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

White counter tops

So today I want to talk about my white countertops. I love, love, love our new house! The only problem I have with it, is all my countertops are white. I have a slight OCD problem with dirt and crumbs. I vacuum like once a day, only allow food in my kitchen and I have to wipe down crumbs whenever I see them. The toaster is my sworn enemy! If you have white counter tops you see EVERRRRY crumb! Ahh! So yeah, I'm cleaning counters like every five minutes haha!

Hey nothing wrong with cleaning though! They say "Cleanliness is next to Godliness." Well not quite but it is a really good thing.

*Studies have shown that children thrive more in a clean, uncluttered environment. It also reduces stress in adults. Cool right?

*Regular dusting, sweeping and vacuuming can reduce allergies. The less dust, the less dust mites have to feed on.

*It gives you an anger outlet. Ok maybe that one is just me, but I tend to go on a crazy cleaning spree when I'm upset or mad.

* It burns calories! As much as you might hate cleaning just thing of those calories you are burning!

*Did you also know that animal urine can cause asthma? Gross! Don't forget to clean up after your pet. And if there is too much animal urine in the carpet it NEEDS to GO! Even if you have to replace your carpet. It will end up costing a lot less than asthma treatments!

*And one of the best advantages to cleaning that I found was that it increases concentration. While our ability to multitask is now better than ever, a cluttered, messy house can sidetrack even the most focused among us. Without endless stacks of papers, piled up laundry, and an overflowing junk drawer, studies show you will be better able to concentrate on the task at hand. Having a clean work space also allows you to better prioritize, because you are able to see what’s important without being bogged down by all the clutter surrounding you.

And that's my little post for the day. So get to cleaning!

Friday, October 4, 2013

Another Fashion Faux-Pas Friday!

Hehe this is fun! I love doing Fashion Faux Pas. You can find some good ones on Peopleofwalmart.com (Disclaimer: All photos were taken from the internet, non-watermarked and are public domain which means they can be edited however the user sees fit.)

Here is the first one I like to call "Mom" jeans. It's those jeans or super long shorts or crazy looking capris that make you look like you have thunder thighs and were born in the 50s. But hey they are so comfy its ok right? Um No! It is not ok and "mom" jeans are never ok! I don't care how old you are or how many kids you have.

Take the first left pic, the jeans are too loose and baggy, probably very comfortable but they add about 25 lbs. Bottom left are just ugh. The waist is too high giving the impression of a huuuuge muffin top. And a camel toe. Straight legs just don't look good on short people. And by short I mean under 6 feet. It makes you look shorter and fatter. The bottom right...what are those things...shorts? They are almost long enough to be capri's but I see some knee there. (O and another tip, if your knees look white and you are not a panda bear, put some lotion on those suckers. When you make WHITE people look ashy its bad, real bad.) Back to those short things. They are super loose around the thigh making already huge thighs look gigantic. No thunder thighs here, more like hurricane thighs lol!


Ok here are some more no, nos! Left-I mean what are those things? Capris? Whatever they are they make that person look fat. Next top image-First find some pants that fit, I'll all about big butts but don't let it hang out and definitely don't let everyone know you have Child Support Tattooed across your ass. It just screams "lazy, jobless, pathetic mom who probably spends her kids support money on tats, alcohol and weed. Under that-Now I have nothing against skinny people. I'm skinny and people tell me to eat a burger all the time. Some people are born skinny and no matter what they do they can't gain weight. And that's ok. But there is a thing called a belt hellooo! Next top right-If your pants are too tight they are going to push up all that fat and create a "muffin top". And wear a decent shirt, nobody likes rolls with their muffins. And last but not least-I admire a nice bubble butt as much as the next person but when its literally hanging out the bottom...well you have to draw the line somewhere.



Now this is how to wear some jeans! You have a whole row in the first pic. They are not all the same type of jean, different jeans fit different bodies better. The backs are tight enough around the but to show she is a woman but loose enough in other areas to show she is a class woman. No thunder thighs, no ass cracks, no tramp stamps. Lovely. The second pic is hard to see but when I was putting this together I came across this and thought is was pretty. And last but not least, my jeans. I think I did a decent job, nice bubble but without a muffin top and loose enough keep'em guessing right?