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! ;)