From the Desk of A.J. - Restaurants.com

Food…um…where do I begin?

Let’s just say….for the sake of time…I am a Foodie with a pinch of Wino…or maybe it’s the other way around. Either way…I love food and wine. I’ve spoken about my love for wine…but my love for food…yep…us two…we go way back.

I distinctly remember tasting Sushi for the first time (thanks Pops!). I distinctly remember cracking open a clam that I had just dug out from the sand…plopping (yes… slimy raw clams plop) it into a Styrofoam(it was the 70’s…back off) cup squeezing a TON of lemon juice on it and a little salt…man was I a happy girl. And I do mean girl. I was maybe all of 7…8?

I have had the palate of a 30 something year old my entire life. I scarfed down any and every seafood, meat, any food of every different ethnic origin available to me from a very early age. I would try any and everything. There is a story…that is now one of The Hubster’s favorite stories of my childhood. My parents and my sister and I were taking this beautiful drive through the country somewhere…my sister always wanted to bring home any living animal we ever saw. One year it was sheep(which she would’ve named Dimitri)…any dog…of course any cat…and on this particular drive…a cow. My sister states “oh…look at those cute cows, I want to take one home”. My statement (as told over and over to this day by my mom) “Mmmmm…tip.” Yes…as in Tri-Tip. See…I am a Foodie. Sorry Veg-heads.

Over the years I have wondered why I love food so much. I’m sure there is some deep dark secret down in my inner being…but for lack of a therapist and/or Oprah I’m just going to say I love food because it tastes good:) I not only love to eat it…I love to scope out the best ingredients…play around with a recipe…and prep it while pretending to be on Iron Chef SoCal. As I watch Top Chef…I constantly think “I have no culinary schooling under my belt whatsoever…but I think I could be on that show”. And I’m serious when I think those things…I even have a cooking show in my head…with the theme song. OK…now you think I’m crazy…but crazy knows crazy so there.

Back to my reality. Bottom line. I am a Foodie/Wino who married a Foodie/Wino and is related to Foodie/Winos and has friends who are Foodie/Winos. Now that we are all married with children and bills…our culinary date nights are becoming less and less. But I have found something that will make me and everyone I know…sooooo happy.

Restaurant.com. This amazing and genius site is a site that restaurants sign up to participate in “pre-purchased” gift certificates so to speak. Super simple. You type in your zip code (actually they cater to a ton of cities…so if your traveling on vacay and want to check out some great local restaurants…what a great way to do that) and the site will give you a list of restaurants that you can purchase your GC’s from. From the tiniest little holes in the walls to some lovely 4 and 5 star joints. Basically…there are different levels you can buy…but most of them start like this: Buy $25 bucks worth of food for $10. They are pre-selling your meal…for a heck of a lot cheaper!

What a FANTASTIC way to get new peeps in their restaurants right? And what a great way for a Foodie who is trying to save a little here and there because she has traded her and her Husband’s nights going out for bringing up a well adjusted, compassionate, little person who will one day grow into a well adjusted, compassionate big person who will give back to his society so this world is a better place. What a great thing for said Foodie…right?

So…go out for those date nights with the hubbies and wives or treat yourself to a G.N.O. with your favorite cronies…just…don’t forget the “Mmmmm…tip”.(Sorry…I couldn’t resist).

*picture above of one of the restaurants we found on Restaurants.com, the Bahia in Tustin which has the yummiest seafood and the most relaxing outside eating area around!

Trunk Shows!

We're so excited to announce our two trunk shows happening this weekend!

Saturday, May 2nd we'll be at the Santa Monica location of This Little Piggy Wears Cotton, along with photographer Eric Goldstein. Eric will be doing mini Mommy & Me photo sessions for those who RSVP, and giving away a free 8x10 to every mom who participates in the shoot (and everyone who participates in the shoot is also entered for a chance for an hour long session)!

We'll be there with all of our new pieces, and our tried and true. Its an awesome chance for you to come by and see and touch and try on our stuff (you know you've wanted to!). I know that for all my love of online shopping, seeing something "live" and in color just can't compare, and thats especially true with something like jewelry. Its also a great chance to talk with us one on one about what we can create for you or someone special to you. We love the back and forth that inevitably happens when you order a piece from us, and are excited to be able to do it face to face, instead of email to email. :) And need I mention a certain holiday coming up? A very important holiday? One that usually involves flowers and jewelry and mimosas?? One that is 13 DAYS AND COUNTING? (quick forward this to your significant other!).

And if you don't live in the L.A. area, never fear! On Sunday May 3rd we'll be in the Newport Beach location of This Little Piggy Wears Cotton from 12-3 pm. Again, we'll be there with a photographer, this time the photographer is Shannon Lott a great local photographer (who just so happened to take stunning pictures of my sweetie pie niece before and after she was born). Shannon is also doing mini Mommy & Me shoots (with a free 8x10), with a drawing for an hour shoot with her.

So come by and say hi, its supposed to be a beautiful weekend and both stores are in beautiful locations, come have lunch, get your picture taken and order some jewelry!

If you'd like to be a part of Mommy & Me shoots make sure to call This Little Piggy and get your time slot! Contact info for them can be found here.

We can't wait to see everyone!

Environmental Nature Center

The weekend's finally here! We had a happily busy week gearing up for our upcoming trunk shows (more info coming soon promise!!) and are looking forward to a nice mellow weekend. But it will probably be busy too. C'est la vie!

I couldn't in good conscious have an "earth" themed week of posts and not mention one of my favorite places in Orange County, the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach . A friend took us to the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach for a play date, and we've gone back several times since then. The ENC boasts one of the few Platinum LEED ratings for their buildings and is a great example of how amazing a "green" building can be. Its one of my favorite pieces of architecture in Orange County. Inside they have a Discovery Room where the kids can touch and investigate native species of California, they also have a few live snakes and tarantula's (in aquariums! don't worry!). Outside is even more spectacular, with fifteen representative Ecological Habitats of California, and several trails that takes you through them. Its a crazy piece of wilderness in the midst of all this development. The kids love finding and chasing the lizards and squirrels that scamper about. But my favorite place has to be the Butterfly House. Its been closed during the colder months, but starting May 2nd, it will be open again. Its an awesome chance to get up close and personal to the little guys. Oh, and did I mention, its all totally free! They also host several different classes and camps for kids and adults.

Have a great weekend, and check out the ENC website here!

*picture above was taken by my four year old, ten points if you can spot the lizard!

Shop til You Drop

I loathe plastic grocery bags. Never mind their environmental impact. I hate the impact they have on my home. Because I can't just throw them away. So they go under the sink. And I swear they multiply like bunnies under there. And every time I go to grab something from under the sink all 759 plastic bags fly out of the cupboard and scatter to the winds and I'm stuck wrangling plastic bags from three years ago, trying fruitlessly to get them into one containable entity. Sure they're great for when we take the dog for a walk or if one of us needs an impromptu lunch bag. And I still use them in my smaller trash cans. But I always have 698 too many bags in my home. I blame it all on The Husband who can't for the life of him remember one of the eleven reusable shopping bags we own. Personally I love my big shopping bags. I make the cashiers stuff them to the top, and when they say, are you sure, its going to be heavy, I say look, I've got two kids. I want to make one trip from the car to my house. I don't care if that bag weighs eighty pounds, it will still be easier than trying to contain two toddlers as I go back and forth with the twenty plastic bags you would put all this in. And hey, I'm a girl and basically its one more accessory I get to decide on! ;)

I have all kinds of bags, canvas, that weird "fabric" material the cheap bags at the grocery store are made of, and plastic ones. The canvas one is my fav for when I'm getting produce, the plastic for when I'm getting a little bit of everything, and the cheap ones are great for when I'm doing a lot of shopping. Here's a little bit of each:

1. Envirosaks - Pictured above and below, these lil' cuties come in all sorts of patterns and colors and fold up to be tiny. These are perfect to keep one in your purse for unexpected goodies. And how cute are the little ones below for kids? Find them here.

2. The Craft Pantry - I like the size of these, they are nice and deep and wide (for maximum stuffage) I love the personalized one! Find them here.

3. For sure the most colorful (and awesome) are the recycled plastic ones. Someone quite lovely gave me the Flotsam and Jetsam bag (upper right corner) for my birthday recently, not even knowing that I had been eyeing these other colorful lovelys from Lapin & Me. Find the Flotsam and Jetsam bag at Paper Source.

Its Easy Being Green...

As long as you live close to a Target at least! I honestly never gave any serious thought to anything I bought or used in my house till I had my first babe. And then you bring home this tiny bundle, and you think about his delicate skin and his tiny immune system and all those chemicals that you never thought twice about haunt you in your dreams. As a family we've made a lot of little changes to "do our part" and I try to keep the number of chemicals in my house to a minimum. We've tried to cut out any plastics that aren't BPA free. We try to buy organic off the dirty dozen list (the twelve fruits and veggies that use the most pesticides, find a list here). The kids use a shampoo and lotion that is phthalate free. Would I do any of this if these things were not readily available at reasonable prices at my beloved Target? Meh. Maybe not. But since it is there, and the difference in price is negligible I go home feeling good about what I buy and use. Here's my list of favorite green things you can find at Target, or any other major grocery store.

1. Method Brand - the picture above shows the products I've used and loved. In fact, with just these products and some vinegar and baking soda, I'm able to keep my house fresh and clean, and smelling like a dream. And most of Method's products are so safe, they are actually edible (though I don't recommend it). I also love it because I can safely let the kids clean up with it (which is win win all around, they are amused, I get my house a little bit cleaner).
2. 
   Burt's Bees Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash and Baby Bee Buttermilk Lotion - This by far is my favorite "green" shampoo for babes, it makes them smell like honey! A few other shampoos we've tried left our son's long locks still greasy, and my daughter's curls dry, but this one works on both their hair. And it seems to last forever.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Clean Well Hand Sanitizer - Here comes my confession time. I hate washing my and my kids hands in a public restroom. The soap makes my hands dry and cracked, there's always water on the counter that gets all over the kid's clothes, while I'm washing one kid's hands, the other is picking stuff off the floor. I just want to get in and out as fast as possible. Hand sanitizer is how I do it. I was so excited to find this all natural one, since my kids love using the sanitizer and it made me nervous to use the ones with alcohol in it. This one is safe for them, smells super clean and is easy to throw in my purse or diaper bag. Everyone I've recommended it to loves it.

In a perfect world everything I bought would be organic and reused and chemical free. But just by making a few small changes to the things I buy everyday, I feel like I'm doing my small part. And its a totally selfish move. I do it because I care about my kids, and figure any little thing I can do that might help them be stronger and healthier is worth it. Helping the earth is just a byproduct. :)

From the Desk of A.J. - NellieFay

While everyone is celebrating Earth Week this week….I can not help but be honest in my “green” endeavors. I am a 37 year old planet earth trasher that is trying desperately to hop on the bandwagon because I do realize that we need to do some major things in order to leave this beautiful planet in good shape for our future generations of earthlings.

That being said…I try really hard to recycle. I try really hard to remember those Trader Joe’s bags that are in my vehicle (that is not a hybrid by the way…shhhh) and not just because I get to enter my name into a drawing for a free GC. I try really hard to give my appliances the afternoon off. I try really hard to turn off the water when brushing my teeth (I think I “unconsciously” leave it on because the Hubster keeps bugging me and it’s really me being stubborn…shhhh.). I try really hard to endure a heat wave in SoCal ( I know…desert people are laughing…but its really hot out here this week) instead of turning on my AC…which I just remembered is an energy saver…so never mind that one. Anyway…you get my drift. I want those chickens in cages to be set free and deliver one egg a day…I want to buy all organic so the prices will come down…see I want all of those things…I’m just a work in progress…as we all are…for our entire lives.

So…one of my first steps has been to tackle the said things above and spread the word of how we can all, as a shopping blogging society, give some TLC back to this glorious planet earth. I am a shopper…and I think realistically, this is how I am going to contribute the most (I know…I’m such a giver:)

NellieFay.com. SUPER cute newer website that is carrying all things green. Its family owned and you can see it in their product choices. You can tell that they are choosing organic goods for their family to wear, get clean in, play with, and even their dog Stewart has his best pics on there. Great organic brands for little ones like Sckoon, Piccalilly, Bath by Bettijo, MiYim, Lana, & SimplyFido (Stewarts choices for his fellow canine buddies:).

I figure if we all baby step towards the “green” path…all of our little baby steps will lead us to lots of big leaps…and with that a big beautiful long lasting planet:)

So let's all take an oath "I (state your name), vow to do my best in going green...not just this week because its the "in" thing to do...but because I am a shopper who believes in buying great organic goods...for the better of the planet...of course".

From The Desk of A.J. - Goorin Bro Hats

So being that it was my son’s first ever Easter…I was completely fixated on having him wear just the perfect outfit. I’m talking about the cool, tough, rockin’ kick ass boy outfit…with a hat. I found an “it’ll do” outfit…because as The Hubster says…”the boy makes the outfit…the outfit doesn’t make the boy” (his code for…we are not hitting every children’s store in SoCal just to find what will end up being jeans and a shirt for triple the price) and we went on our merry way to his first ever Easter egg hunt. It was a fantastic day and yes…he sported his tie and hat and looked like a Little Rascal…and mama was happy:)

I have a thing for hats (fondess memory of my Grandpa was him wearing his Fedora everyday rolling is own cigarettes in his garden…later in my life he smoked a pipe…but always had his fedora on…always:))…actually all things nostalgic that I fear are being lost…or replaced by something new and tech-ie. Stationary…with that the art of a letter. Typewriters…not necessarily the actual thing…but the sound…I loved that sound (I remember sitting in my grandmothers guestroom and playing on the typewriter for what it seemed like hours). Albums…again, with that the music store I talked about earlier. Anyway…the list can go on and on. I am a flea market, antique store junkie…I can spend hours upon hours in or at them and am happy as a clam. So the hat thing…started buying them at the vintage shops flea markets etc…along with purses and some jewelry many moons ago…and I can’t help but think that one day these things that we have lost or replaced somehow will return. Me wanting my boy to wear a hat and tie on Easter Sunday is an example of how I want to bring these said things back (Although I am known for wanting to bring back a lot of things…like the saying “drats”…how great is that word?). And I passionately screamed out loud after a really great movie “Let’s bring back the clap!” which left my sister and Bro in law sunk in their seats (dirty birds). Luckily, for me, some other people want to bring some things back as well….

Goorin Brothers Hat Makers. You may or may not have heard of them. They have been around since oh I don’t know… 1895! They are bringing back the HAT!!!! As I was searching through this World Wide Web for the perfect Easter hat I stumbled upon the fact that now…they make children’s hats. Maybe they always have…but I’ve only had a child for 8 ½ months so this is all new to me. Anyway…I love their hats…for me and my babe. It’s a family company that is now…however many generations later… committed to preserving the art of hat making and style. They combine classic styles with an edgy twist…for both adults and children. Not to mention the names they give…The “Potsie” the “Darla” and don’t forget the “Bonaduce Jr.” if you can’t appreciate these names…you just made me feel old. They have fantastic stylish hats for all ages.

So…order online (they have great sales) or check out which stores carry their goods…and if your in LA or San Fran…you can check out their shops live in person

“Wear a Goorin hat and you can tell your story without ever having to say a word.” –Goorin Brothers.

Sounds like it was written on a typewriter doesn’t it?

Find Goorin hats here.

99 Red Balloons

This shirt makes me happy just lookin' at it. It makes me wish I had really tan legs so I could wear short shorts, this shirt, and some Keds. Love.

Find at Built by Wendy.

For Peep's Sake

Although I should be downstairs cleaning up the aftermath of Easter instead I find myself upstairs perusing the Internet for ways to dispose of three hundred pounds of marshmallow-ey goodness.  Now I know there are two camps when it comes to Peeps.  No, make that three.  You either hate them, love them, or come from the school of "a good Peep is a stale Peep."  I personally subscribe to the last.  And whether you like them or not there's a good chance you've got a couple on hand now that the Easter bunny has visited.  I thought I'd look around to see if there was something I could make with them, and came upon this masterpiece.  My favorite camping treat mixed with my favorite Easter treat??  Hello snack of my dreams.  While looking at the recipe I notice she credits the recipe as being from a book called Peeps: Recipes and Crafts to Make with Your Favorite Marshmallow Treat by Charity Ferreira.  So I clicked on the to the Amazon listing for that book.  And lo and behold, my friends, you can plan a whole Peep day!  

Once your done eating your Peep treat, you can read your favorite Peep book while listening to your favorite Peep's Sing Along cd.  

Then you can take a walk to the park and paint in your Peep coloring book.  

And don't forget your Peep lip balm!

Ok I'm done.  Just be thankful I didn't include one of the hundreds of dioramas people have made with Peeps...

Find S'meeps recipe here (where, by the way, it is "Peep Week")

Sublet Clothing

I like the basic idea behind wearing sustainable, eco-friendly clothing, but frankly most of the time eco-friendly clothing consists of some fugly burlap skirts and organic tees. Not that I'm against an organic tee, but I need a little more in my wardrobe than that. Thankfully, its getting easier and easier to find more attractive eco options (not to mention more and more main stream chain stores carrying eco lines).

I'm drooling over these loverlies over at Sublet Clothing. They make simple clothes, but with interesting shapes and small detailing which make this eco friendly line the kind of pieces you grab when you don't want to think about it, but want to look good. And since its all made from sustainable material in the good 'ol US of A you can wear it over and over totally guilt free.

Isn't that yellow dress perfect for Easter!? Find the collection here.

From the Desk of A.J. - SPA WEEK!!

Calgon take me away......

Remember that old cheesy commercial? I remember thinking as a child..."what's the big whoop about a bath?"

Flash forward to now...wife...mom...business owner...I can't stop thinking about taking a bath...in a big jacuzzi tub...with fantastic oils and stuff..and rose petals...and do not even think about forgetting the candles. Calgon take me away is right:)

Spa week is here!!!! What you say? SPA WEEK IS HERE!!!!!!! Tons of cities around this glorious U.S. of A. are celebrating the pleasure of a spa day. Celebrating?...more like trying to get newbies addicted to their treatments...but so what...we benefit either way you look at it. So...spas sign up for spa week and offer some of their best treatments for $50...did you hear that...$50!!!!! For most of the treatments...that's, like, half the price. You have your choice of several different spas...little ones in the tiniest of tiny strip malls to Spas at resorts like the Hyatt in Huntington Beach. Yep...$50 bucks...you can't beat it!

April 13th-19th is the chosen week this month...call now...because they book up fast. Treat yourself...you and your loved ones will be happier for it...and besides this beats the heck out of a box of Calgon or Mr. Bubbles any day of the week.

Call your local spa or for more info you can go here.

Happy Weekend!

As far as I can recall, we have nothing planned this weekend. But I may be lying to myself. But if its true, and the weather stays like it is today I plan on doing nothing but vegging out and maybe crafting a little. I ran across this egg dying kit on a really cute little online store I like, Mahar Dry Goods. They use old silk ties to wrap around the egg, and the pattern of the tie gets transfered onto the egg. It makes for some pretty sweet looking eggs, but I was certain someone out there had posted a How To so I could create my own kit. And the internet did not fail me. Oh I love thee, Internet. The picture above is from the "how to" I found on a blog called Our Best Bites. And delightfully not only do they outline exactly how to make the eggs, it happens to be a pretty awesome little site filled with yummy looking recipes I'm dying to try out (like this dressing, and these cookies). Its down to earth food from down to earth gals, and while I aspire to greater things, is right up my alley since I am a lazy and unimaginative cook.

If you try to make these eggs, let me know how it turns out! And I'll be sure to post after we try it. This weekend might just be spent tie hunting...

Tie-Dyed Eggs (or Silk-Dyed Eggs) How To is here.

Red Ruby Rose Clutches

I was totally going to write about something different today, but I ran across these this morning looking for a birthday gift, and haven't been able to think about anything else! I'm obsessed with about ten of them. She has over ninety different purses! Someone tell the Husband that my birthday is in eight days and that bird purse might just get him lucky...

Wouldn't these be so pretty for a wedding? As the bride or a guest! I love the lining in all of her clutches.

And I love these for jeans and top days (well everyday if you're like me). Both could be dressed up or down. And the lining! I'd be happy every time I opened my purse with lining like that...

Find these loverylies and more at Red Ruby Rose.

From the Desk of A.J. - Date Night!

Date Night. . . remember those? When I was younger I would literally start the "what am I going to wear" plan on Monday, or whenever I hung up the phone with whomever. . .so make that Thursday. . . night. . . late night. Aaahhhh boys.

Now, with a kidlet, my husband and I have a date night maybe once a month. We have to try and plan around Auntie's, Uncle's, Grandma and Grandpa's social schedule (can we give a shout out to all of those relatives that baby-sit for free!!!) but we make them happen. Its good for your marriage, makes you a better, more sane parent and allows you to feel. . . adult. A normal human being on this planet Earth.

A little din din, a great glass of wine, a movie, comedy (here's $25 bucks, make me laugh!) a play, a concert, maybe even a sporting event (for the hubster) or even just perusing through a Barnes and Nobel or music store (remember those?! I miss my Tower Records and Music Plus, Licorice Pizza, anyone? anyone? I will dive into this much deeper in the future, its something I'm just not willing to let go of). All of this and not wondering if you need to change a diaper. . . did he drop his favorite toy, does he need his cereal puffs, is ho going to let me finish this meal, or is he being too loud for the table next to me. Our boy is sweet and well behaved, but you know what I mean.

Don't get me wrong, its not like you actually forget about them. Oh no. You and your partner in crime will actually spend the whole evening talking about them. Your children are your life, end of story. And no other person will indulge you and actually want to contribute to the conversation just as much if not more the that person you share them with . But going out and talking about you children when they are not around to interrupt you is. . . priceless. . . and much needed.

Enter Goldstar. I signed up to this website over a year ago and I have not been disappointed yet. The site has special offers from comedy to concerts, plays sporting events, you name it, its on there. They have special offers that can sometimes be half of the normal price! Sometimes it may be a little late notice, but its because either the concert opened up more seats after the stage was arranged or they do not have a full house on a Thursday. Either way, it's great for date night. Besides, since they offer such a great discount on tickets and events, you'll have more money to shop with. And buy all that pretty PinkySwear jewelry you want (shameless plug).

So, if you need to get out the house and have some adult conversation about your child/ren and what they have done during the week, what better way to do it than during intermission at a playhouse? Especially a playhouse that doesn't entail you pick up afterwards??

Sign up (for free!) on Goldstar here.

*Picture above is from an offer Goldstar has right now $19 for a ticket to Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty (normally $38) Just what your husband wanted to do this weekend!!