Kai's party

Kai's party was a blast! Everyone had a great time and Kai received lots of fun toys! His party started at Build-A-Bear where all the children got to choose, stuff, clothes, and name their bears. Baby got to choose her bear and she picked out a pink leopard! After the bear building, we headed outdoors for the cupcakes and some sunshine. The party ended with everyone getting train rides!
I'm so glad we did the party out of the house, no mess = no stress and everyone had a wonderful time. We got reports that the little party guests crashed hard when they got home, which is a good thing for parents of toddlers!

Even though I expressed my annoyance of Kai's current favorite character, we used it as his party theme and we even bought him a collection of Thomas trains, bed sheets and more books! It's what he likes and we love him!




Kai is stepping on a peddle to fill his bear with fluff.

The group photo.

Cupcake time!





Kai blowing out his birthday train candle.

All aboard! Choo, choo!

Bella with mommy and new plush "Cupcake".

t-shirt Bags!

I am a fanatic of bags, paper, pens and chocolate! So earlier this week when I got my daily craft email from Martha Stewart about turning shirts into shopping bags I just had to make some. I made one and it turned out great, so I made another and another. I let Kai decorate one and he did a good job of tracing his hands (I drew the cupcake at his request).

I am hooked! I am going to have to dig up all my favorite old t-shirts that I have been holding on to and turn them into bags! By the time I'm done, this family will no longer have to answer the question of, "paper or plastic?" we have cotton!

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Chocolate Pudding

I can't believe I never tried to make chocolate pudding before. It is incredibly easy! Sure I've made the kind you pour out of a box and add milk, but not the measure your own ingredients from your pantry pudding! Kai had fun stirring the pot waiting for the mixture to thicken. We haven't been to the store lately due to the rain so I'm out of butter and can't bake without it, so we made pudding! Delicious yummy chocolate pudding made with Amedei 70% and nut brown chocolate....(those are the new Italian chocolates we just got.) I can't stop eating the chocolate! The pudding came out dark and rich. It was suppose to be the filling for our cupcakes, but it was just too good.

Jimmy is finally off tomorrow. Hopefully it's not snowing too bad that he and Kai can't get their hair cut. Both my guys are starting to get shaggy, especially Kai! Twelve more days until Kai's birthday and everyday he asks Jimmy where his train cake is! What a clever little guy, we can't even say T.T (short for Thomas the train) because he knows! Last night he said he wanted five train cakes and started to name all the different trains....good thing his daddy is a pastry chef!

I can't wait for the train phase to pass, I can only read Thomas books twice a day. They are just soo boring to me! I tried to get him interested in dinosaurs by buying him a few dinosaur figures and coloring book, but he just scribbled through the book and occasionally plays with the figures. Not like his daily fix of Thomas the Train shows, games, toys, and stories! I wonder what little Cassia will like.

We are set for his party at Build-A-Bear next Sunday. He and a couple of his little friends are going to build their own bears! We are celebrating it a few days earlier because we have a trip coming up at the end of the month and everyone will be too busy. Plus their is a major food show in town, too bad I won't get to go! That's two years in a row that I'll miss it. Oh, well there's always next year, and maybe the kids will be in daycare so I can go. (they don't allow children at trade shows).

Tomorrow is my nephew's birthday; so Happy birthday to you Lawrence!! He is turning five! My how the time flies.

Rain

Rain, rain go away, come again some other day. Little Bella and Kai want to play. Rain, rain go away.

All my excitement for spring is dampened by all this rain and possible snow!!! Snow in April?? For the following four days our forecast is rain! Everyday Kai wants to go to the playground, he hasn't grasp the concept of rain equals no park, yet. So I've got to think up of some rainy day activities for us to do.

Today, we tested out a new vanilla cupcake recipe and it's a keeper. I've got to remember to add it to my recipe book. It is what a cupcake should be; light, fluffy and most of all delicious! I love Jimmy's recipe for devils food cake so I haven't been searching for a replacement, but I have to work on a brownie recipe, I guess that's tomorrow's project. Except, I ran out of my favorite Valrhona cocoa powder so I have to make do with the cocoa powder that I have on hand. It's a nice one, but it doesn't have that deep dark rich chocolate flavor that I love! Maybe I'll try a recipe that calls for melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder.

Or maybe chocolate chip cookies! We just got in some yummy chocolates from Italy and I could put them in cookies...hmmm. The only problem with all this baking is, I have to eat most of it (Kai eats the other half). I'll have to get exercise some how in the rain! I think I'll take them to the weekly Mommy Cafe get together. (I haven't been to one yet, but as soon as it stops raining I think I'll give it a go and meet some moms.) So until then, I get to munch on all the treats.

New Gloss

Just read my sister in law's blog and was inspired to write a quick thing about this week's new item in my make-up tray. I was craving lip gloss (to wear of course not to eat...I'm not preggie), and went to put some on, but realized that during one of my 'must throw everything out' phase I had also gone and threw out some of my make up too...so no gloss. I walked over to CVS and picked up a Cover Girl Wet Slicks Crystal gloss to satisfy my craving, but I didn't like it. The color was fine, but all the glittery specks is what I didn't like. I'm 30 not 15, but I guess that's what the 'crystal' on the label is! I'm not knocking the product, it's just not for me...I'm not into the glittery lips.

So yesterday, I picked up two more at Target; Burt's Bees Super Shiny Natural lip gloss and Boots Botanics lip gloss. I loved them both!!! I'm already a big fan of Burt's Bees and knew they wouldn't disappoint and I was right. Boots is a brand I read about in some magazine a while back (probably some parenting mag, since that's all I seem to read these days) I finally saw it at Target and bought one to try....and hey...it's pretty good! They both have a citrus scent and flavor to them and they do wonders for keeping your lips moist not to mention the perfect little hint of color that I was looking for. Love them, love them, and great price at $6-$7 each.

For the hair products; I've been using Aveda's new line of products called Smooth Infusion and let me tell you I can not live with out it now! I use the shampoo, conditioner, and style prep and let me tell you I will not use anything else on my hair! One day I used my old hair care products and noticed a big difference! My hair was not silky and soft like it is with the Aveda products! So now I use the old stuff to clean the tub! Seriously, what else am I suppose to do with it? I also use Aveda's sensitive facial moisturizer because it was they only thing that didn't leave my skin all flaky during winter. It's light and wonderful!

Eyes and Face
I am using Philosophy's The Supernatural airbrushed canvas spf 15 powder foundation. It goes on so easily and I don't miss messing with the liquid foundation at all. It is light and has spf to boot! For my eyes, I use Origins eyeliner and Aveda's Mosscara in black. Love'em!

As you can see, I try to stick with the naturally made, organic and earth friendly cosmetics. Have you read or even know what goes into makeup these days? I feel guilty enough using Burt's Bees because the recent news about the honey bee population decrease and possible extinction! But I love their stuff so I will still use them for now.

spring has arrived!

Spring is here, spring is here! It's the best time of the year! We are soo happy the weather is finally nice. We have been receiving lots of sun and the temperature is mild. The kids and I have been going for walks and to the park daily again. It feels great!





Kai loves the sand box at the park!


Here Cassia is hanging out with her sippy cup, watching Kai have fun.