Kid Birthday Parties: Amazing or Annoying?

Wow. I had no idea how these kid parties worked. Aren't kids supposed to come over to your house, play, eat cake and call it a day? Oh, no, my friends. Not anymore. We certainly aren't attending these over the top $50k+ Beverly HIlls kid parties, but it's definitely not like the parties I went to as a kid.

My oldest son is in Pre-K and we have started to understand what one mom referred to at the begining of the school year as the "birthday party circuit". When I heard those 3 words even I got excited. I remember having so much fun at parties when I was a kid, that I was looking forward to my son having those same experiences. Cake, ice cream, games, gift opening, goodie bags, themed invitations - classic party at your friend's house, right? Wrong. Seemingly no one throws this type of party anymore.

Elaborate fondant cakes? No ice cream?!?! No games? Evites? The birthday boy/girl doesn't open presents at the party? And definitely not at your friend's house. Uh, what the hell is going on? We had sheet cakes from the grocery store (with ice cream), we played Pin the Tail on the Donkey, and it was awesome to see all the presents get ripped open! Now almost every party thrown is at a park with a bounce house and we got invited via e-mail.

After about 6 parties I have come to understand the new generation of Pre-K celebrations. You host a party for the classmates...their parents and their siblings. You invite everyone cause that's just common manners...but really...I pay for all the siblings, too? The answer is YES, unless you want to look like a cold-hearted, cheap bastard. So, all you Moms with babies, find a party hat, put it on and then get ready to hold the f#@% onto it in the next few years. You're in for a wild ride.

The parents make it complicated, but in the end all the kids have a great time. And by that I mean they all cry from having an overwhelming amount of fun and barf from too much cake. The one thing that does remain the same over the years is the most important - the kids have a blast & make memories with their friends.

2006 or As I See It; 3 B.K. – Let Me Explain

Can you even remember life pre-parenthood anymore? You know – B.K. – Before Kids. I think back to times when I was out with friends – even before I met my husband – and now I find myself wondering “Who was watching the kids when…” I was at that concert? That party? That spa day? That Bachelorette party in Vegas? That week long work trip? I know it’s totally not logical, but my head is so firmly set in Mom mode I can’t even picture life without my little birds.

Three years B.K. I was 26 and living a happy, full (so I thought), busy, single life. I worked out for 2 hours almost every day, spent time with family and friends not based on anyone’s nap time, my roommate and I bought groceries for ourselves (AKA wine and beer) and I worked a full time corporate job without contemplating the cost of 8-5 preschool. So carefree, right?! I was my own responsibility – that’s it.

My mind – my world – is now so consumed (in the happiest way) with these boys of mine that it truly is hard to even remember life without them. I think to myself, “Wow! I went to see Jack Johnson on the field of UCSD and I didn’t need a babysitter? Whaaaaat?!”. I know some people say life didn’t really start until they saw their child’s face for the first time. Now, listen, that moment changed my life forever in the most amazing way, but let’s not discount life before kids because that was filled with great times too!

The point is my world was forever changed in February of 2009 and again in November of 2010. My goals changed from being focused on my happiness to putting every ounce of energy I have into creating the best childhood for my sons. Raising confident, independent, caring, kind, happy, intelligent little men. That is my goal, my new dream. So, yes, I still absolutely enjoy and look forward to girl time at the spa, concerts with my husband and quiet time, but I always know that I have those two sweet faces waiting for me and that means more than anything!

Annoying Dad

Let me just start by saying I'm not trying to be negative here, but seriously, you all have run into a version of Annoying Dad at your playground and can relate!

So, my little birds and I were at the playground - lots of kids, Moms, Dads, Nannies - and everyone is having a great time. Sun is shining, birds are chirping, kids are laughing, blah blah blah. Annoying Dad shows up and throws off the whole vibe.

Let me describe him so you can get a good vision in your head of this guy. Dad jeans - and I mean DAD jeans. Acid wash, 12 inch zipper, probably Costco special via 1998. White (yet dirty), super puffy New Balance shoes which I'm sure he refers to as 'sneakers', sweatshirt tied around his waist (I mean, how can he do this?! I'm sure he normally reserves this space for his fanny pack!), shaggy gray hair with washed out brown tips. Proof that he went through some sort of mid-life crisis and dyed his hair only to realize it was not his best look. Oh, and how can I forget the color changing glasses - watch 'em get dark in the sunshine kids!

Okay, okay so who cares what he looks like. I get it. If he's a great Dad he can wear whatever floats his 1990's lovin' boat. What certifies his Annoying Dad status is how LOUDLY he talked to his 5 year old son in a baby voice in public. "Watch that big guy come down the slide-y wide-y! Go strong man...my tough bear!" I feel like he was trying to talk so loudly so we could all see what an "amazing" dad he was being. He asked all the parents which kids were theirs in a manner that made me feel like he wanted to know right away who to jump on if his child was 'wronged' and made absolutely sure no one cut his son in line for the swings and was right on his heels baby talking him all around the sandbox. Do your son a favor, Annoying Dad, and keep the baby talk at home. Geeeesh!

I'm one of those people who gets embarrassed for others and I was dying inside for this kid. Uuuhhhh, I feel so much better now that I got that off my chest! I hope your inevitable run-ins with the Annoying Dad at your playground are few and far between!

Halloween Schmalloween

Don't get me wrong, October is an exciting month, but I'm not a big Halloween fan. What I love about this month is breaking out the holiday candles (please, please say that in your best SNL Target Lady voice), snuggling in the cold - 60 degree - weather  (hey, I live in SoCal), thinking about Thanksgiving & Christmas, Fall festivals & pumpkin patch trips with the kids. I'm all about the warm, family-fun feeling this month starts to really bring out in us. I would be perfectly happy skipping all the spooky, scariness of Halloween. Yes, I want my boys to dress up as Mario & Luigi, I just don't want to run into zombies, Scream masks or the inevitable dead/sexy cheerleader while trick-or-treating. And really, ladies, if your costume consists of dressing up as a baby you can not be a sexy baby. That's just weird. Fishnets, a bonnet & an over-sized pacifier are not cute. And makes no sense. Moving on...

Here are some of my favorite October moments:

Nothing spooky, creepy or scary here! Just pure, childhood joy! 

Happy October!!

Water Front Family Fun!

San Diego's Most Beautiful Playgrounds

My family and I are lucky to call San Diego home. My little birds are especially lucky that our city is full of so many beautiful playgrounds, many of which are on the water.

Coronado, Del Mar, Solana Beach and La Jolla (clockwise from top left) are a few of our favorites. Liberty Station, Pacific Beach and Shelter Island also have parks on the water your kids will love.

Have fun exploring the city and see what others you can find!


Coronado: Tidelands Park, Mullinex Dr., 92118

Del Mar: Powerhouse Park, Coast Blvd., 92014

Solana Beach: Fletcher Cove Park, S. Sierre Ave., 92075 http://www.solanabeachchamber.com/Preview/visit/parks/index.aspx

La Jolla: La Jolla Shores Children's Playground, Camino Del Oro, 92037
http://friendsoflajollashores.com/wp/kellogg-park-childrens-playground/

Yum!

Simple Chicken Enchiladas

I want to share this easy dinner I made because my family LOVED it. I keep it really simple which allows each person to then add their favorite topping – guacamole, sour cream, extra spicy salsa…anything really. You’ll soon realize how Trader Joe’s is my BFF and if you don’t have one close you might want to consider moving.

Basic ingredients:

Sliced chicken breast

Cheese

Tortillas

Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce

Start with chicken breast already sliced into strips (yep, Trader Joe’s or Fresh & Easy), salt & pepper, taco seasoning and lemon and/or lime juice. Cook the chicken (spiced to your liking) until it’s nice and browned. I love the flavor the fresh citrus gives the chicken and it keeps it moist.

Grab your tortillas (I use flour) and shredded cheese (Mexican blend works well) and start rollin’!  Place chicken and cheese (and any extras your family likes – peppers & onions or corn…maybe even sliced black olives) in center of tortilla, roll tightly and place in an oven safe dish that you’ve given a good coat of cooking spray (I like TJ’s coconut oil spray). If you want to make these extra special check out this gem – slice then pan fry cotija cheese and use this as part of your filling. I challenge you to actually get the cotija cheese in the enchilada and not all in your mouth. It’s that good. 

Once your dish is full, pour the Trader Joe’s amazing-ness (yes that’s a word) enchilada sauce over the top being sure the tortillas are fully covered. Top with more cheese, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a few more minutes to allow the cheese to get bubbly and crisp.

Top with finely shredded lettuce and anything else you like! Make sure you make enough for seconds!

Products I Love!

Physicians Formula Eye Makeup Remover Pads

I love mascara (I'll even post a 'drug store vs. department store' review of my two favorites soon). Along with lip gloss it’s my go-to, everyday product even if it’s just me & the kids around the house! 

What I hate about mascara is how it can crumble and leave little specks on my face or smear by the end of the day. I wash my face every night...okay...most nights. Let’s face it, at the end of a long day we don’t always have the energy to go through the wash & moisturize routine our skin deserves. 

On those nights I use these gentle eye makeup remover pads by Physicians Formula. Oil free & fragrance free, these magical little pads wipe away the racoon eyes and are super gentle on my skin. They are also great for the stubborn grey tint left behind under the eyes even when you do give your face a good scrub!

I love them because they actually remove the mascara easily (unlike some others I’ve tried) & they don’t sting my eyes at all (and they’re inexpensive - $5!). Even better, I bought them online (drugstore.com) & avoided taking my little birds to CVS where they undoubtedly would have done some product testing of their own. My littlest one loooves to cover his arms in lotion – or shampoo. Ugh. Boys will be boys! ;)

Cupcakes?! I'll Show You Cupcakes!

Each week in my son's Pre-K class they share something special from home that starts with the letter they are working on that week. This week it was the letter 'C'. I've been fighting a head cold so this week sharing wasn't so special...no biggie, they're 4 years old, right. Honey, go pick out a few cars to share. Check. Done.

Off we went, pajamaa pants and all thank you very much, and in the school kitchen with a spotlight shining down (well, maybe I made that part up) is a platter of cupcakes - home made, organic (said in a snotty voice) 'colorful cupcakes with candied cherries'. "Mom! All those words strat with 'C'! Isn't that cool?" Yeah, babe, cool. Kick Mama while she's down.

So my little one and I head home and I start plotting my revenge against Organic Mom. Okay, maybe not revenge, but what am I going to do for 'D' week...a four course dinner for toddlers? A delicious dessert? A bunch of dandelions for the teacher? Kathy Griffin to explain her life on the D-list? It might be 'D' week, but Mama's bringin' her A game baby!

So while I sort all that out I decided to get my boys involved in dinner tonight. We made dinner cupcakes - so there. Macaroni noodles, broccoli, chicken, carrots and cheese baked til adorable in a muffin tin. You want cupcakes? I'll show you cupcakes! Oh, and by the way, some of my ingredients were organic...boo-yaaaaa!

Kids Are Funny ;)

Mama wasn't feelin' great today so the kids watched cartoons and (thankfully!) played nicely together. They were playing with toys they forgot they had - like good ol' Mr. Potato Head.

They were so proud of the completed product and ran (squealing)to me with Mr & Mrs. Potatos and screamed "Mama! Look! It's you and Daddy!".

Well, today I kinda feel like a couch potato so maybe I do resemble Mrs. P, but I swear I don't own any oversized visors! I especially like that my older son packed extra mustaches for Mr. P "just in case". Yeah, just in case that potato needs a disguise he has one right in his back pocket/pouch thing-y. Kids are funny.

 

Emmys!

Best Dressed, Worst Dressed & Clothes That Make You Go, Huh?!?

I'm a sucker for awards shows. I don't care if they are four hours long. I watch it all - and the pre-show and the red carpet. I get sucked in to the glamour, the attempts at humor from each presenter, the  upsets, the insane dress choices - I love it all!

The red carpet this year was all over the place. From classic Hollywood beauty (Malin Akerman & Carrie Underwood from the waist up) and clean lines (Tina Fey I'm impressed!) to sheer skirts and straight up WTF was she thinking. You can click through the pretty dresses online, let's get right to the crazy.                           

Amanda Peete is that you under your goth Halloween costume? Is that a super hero mask over your boobies unknown girl? White pumps? Just no. Wow, is it just me or is Paula Abdul's head like eight sizes too big for her body? And, Lena, come on girl. You're the break through chick that's teaching Hollywood that you don't have to be a twig with a supermodel face to kill it in this business and ...you choose to wear a bedspread to the Emmy's? Come on Girls! Seriously, this is a real question. Did you pay a stylist to put together this look? Run and get your money back...now.

As for the show itself, I love me some Doogie Howser! NPH's hosts of Emmys past skit was brilliant, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were the highlight of the night for me,  Julia Louis-Dreyfus gave the most clever acceptance speech, Bill Hader (AKA Stefon!) was robbed, and Will Ferrell - and kids - were hands down the best presenters of the night!

So, I know, these nights (and maybe my comments, sorry) can be heavy on the superficial side, but honestly the best of the best were the women who exuded confidence and humor. Sofia Vergara and Tina Fey were my two absolute favorites. Both are smart, funny, confident women who absolutely killed it on Emmy night!

                      

All pictures from: http://www.eonline.com/

Beauty: Drug Store vs. Department Store

CoverGirl Fresh Complexion Pocket Powder 
vs.
Chanel Double Perfection Lumiere Powder

                                                         

I have tons of products from both Nordstrom and Target. I thought it would be fun to take a look at my favorite products from each store to see how they compare. From mascara, to face powder, eye makeup remover pads and more I’ll let you know how they stack up. Expensive doesn’t always mean better so lets see what beauty treasures we can find! This week it’s Cover Girl versus Chanel…a face powder show down!

A standard stocking stuffer from my hubby each year is the Chanel Double Perfection powder in Tender Bisque ($52.20), which I’m pretty sure he calls ‘lobster bisque’ when he’s at the Chanel counter at Nordstrom! Hey, he’s at my favorite store buying makeup so I’ll let that slide – the Chanel girl knows what he’s trying to say ;). Anyhow, I LOVE this make-up, but have a hard time spending $50+ on it. Don’t get me wrong I adore the fancy things, but when I know Cover Girl Fresh Complexion powder exists for $6, well Coco has some competition.

The Chanel powder is more than a pressed powder, but not wet like a concealer either. It’s the perfect mix providing amazing coverage (and zero shine!) without feeling heavy or cake-y . I feel like my skin can still breathe! The powder makes my skin tone even and smooth without any additional concealer or foundation. Blemishes vanish and I have never experienced any acne break-outs from using Chanel Double Perfection.

Prior to using either of thee products, I had a problem with my powder making my face seem to ‘glow’ in pictures. I asked the makeup gal about this and she said some powders have reflective qualities that makeup artists say aren’t used for photo shoots or on film. Well, I won’t being doing any photo shoots soon, but I don’t want my face to look like a big, shining moon in pictures either! You won’t have that problem with this luxurious powder. The colors are great, it’s lightweight, and a little powder seems to go a long way. My compact tends to last 4-6 months. Hands down one of my favorite new products in the last couple of years.

So, now, the Cover Girl alternative. First off, the price is awesome! If I’m just running around with my kids, but still want basic makeup on I use my inexpensive Cover Girl Fresh Complexion Pocket Powder in Ivory. It’s lightweight like the other powder, but the coverage isn’t quite as good. Most mornings that’s okay though. I just want a touch of powder to even out my skin tone and take away any shine. If I want to achieve the same finish as the Chanel powder, I just have to use a bit more product. I definitely don't like the application pad as much for this powder and it appears to get sort of oil-y with use. By the time the compact is getting low you're really ready for a new one simply to see a bright white, fresh applicator! This can lead to slight acne issues if you wait too long. Hey, for six bucks just get a new compact. You know you want to go to Target anyway!

So overall, I keep both powders in my makeup bag. Cover Girl for every day (like errands to buy more beauty products) and Chanel for when I'm wearing something nicer than yoga pants and flip flops! The drug store product definitely holds its own in this comparison and is a great alternative to it's department store rival.