J. Crew Kids Inspire Me!

Just getting a little inspiration for spring clothes for the girls!!

So many fun styles to play with :)

Girly & Grey

 

Preppy & Peach

 

Purple & Pearls

Sailors & Stripes

{photos via J. Crew}

Check out J. Crew girls

for other great styles :)

Spring on the brain,

Erica

Happy 40th Starbucks!!

I personally had no idea Starbucks had been around that long!

Any who, they are doing a bunch of special things to celebrate :)

but these little lovelies are what caught my attention!!

{Starbucks petites}

 

 

My mom always told me:

Good Things, come in Small Packages

{if you didn't know, I'm a shorty ;}

What are Starbucks Petites? 

They're super-delicious looking Cake Pops, Mini-Cupcakes, 

Sweet Squares and Red Velvet Whoopie Pies 

And at just $1.50* 

and less than 200 calories each 

they're a deliciously well-deserved afternoon {sweet} treat.

Try one free during Starbucks Tribute Days**

Go into a participating store between 2-5 p.m., March 10-12, 

purchase any handcrafted beverage 

and enjoy a Starbucks Petite treat for FREE!

*At participating stores, plus tax if applicable.
**Offer good 3/10/11 through 3/12/11 from 2-5 p.m. at participating stores. 

One offer per beverage. 

Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. While supplies last.  

{I was not paid by Starbucks or given anything free to post this, 

I just LOVE Starbucks}

Happy 40th Starbucks,

Erica

xo

My Secret Obsession...

COOKIE JARS

My husband makes fun of me because

 I have a cookie jar obsession,

well I admit it, I do!

I LOVE cookie jars!!

Now it would only be considered an addiction

 if I actually bought every cookie jar, right?!

But I don't because I have been waiting for the PERFECT one!

drum 

roll 

please...

THIS ONE!

Isn't he a cutie?

When I first saw this on the show

Modern Family

I jumped off the couch,

grabbed the remote,

and pressed rewind on the dvr, 

{to show the hubs, who could probably care less, but humors me ;}

all while yelling, 

"oh my gosh, oh my gosh!"

My hubs thought something crazy had happened that he missed, 

{while sitting right there watching}

No, just me acting like a crazy person, 

who found the cookie jar of her 

childhood dreams!!

There is something about this cookie jar 

that gives me that warm fuzzy feeling and

I want to make up a fantastic story about...

how it was passed down from my great-great grandma

who made cookies every Sunday

for her kids and grandkids 

and I am now the lucky girl who gets to have it for my kids!

I have only kept it 

a secret

because I don't want everyone 

thinking I collect cookie jars!

For some reason when you tell someone you like something,

you seem to only get that sort of item

anytime you receive gifts!

And that is usually really great!!

But when it comes to cookie jars,

I have to be clear,

I only like THIS ONE cookie jar!!

{and my birthday is only 4 months away ;}

This will be mine,

oh yes,

it will be mine ;}

Erica

xo

Grab My Button!!

BigSis LilSis has a BUTTON!!

I know, I know it's about time,

but I just thought it was a lot more complicated than it was!

I used a tutorial from here!

So if you don't have a button yet, 

get one, it's easy!!

Oh and grab my button while you're at it!! ;}

Button happy,

Erica

xo

5 Love Languages

This past week I learned something exciting about 

LOVE.

Love 

has it's own language 

and we all understand and interrupt it differently!

There are actually 

5 Love Languages

Ways that we give and receive 

LOVE!

My hubby and I decided to take the 

QUIZ

and learn our LOVE language!

Here is a run down of the 

5 LOVE Languages

It's fun to read them first to see which one you think you are

and then take the quiz to find out which one you really are!

Words of Affirmation

Actions don’t always speak louder than words. If this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words, “I love you,” are important—hearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward. Insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten.

Quality Time

In the vernacular of Quality Time, nothing says, “I love you,” like full, undivided attention. Being there for this type of person is critical, but really being there—with the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standby—makes your significant other feel truly special and loved. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful.

Receiving Gifts

Don’t mistake this love language for materialism; the receiver of gifts thrives on the love, thoughtfulness, and effort behind the gift. If you speak this language, the perfect gift or gesture shows that you are known, you are cared for, and you are prized above whatever was sacrificed to bring the gift to you. A missed birthday, anniversary, or a hasty, thoughtless gift would be disastrous—so would the absence of everyday gestures.

Acts of Service

Can vacuuming the floors really be an expression of love? Absolutely! Anything you do to ease the burden of responsibilities weighing on an “Acts of Service” person will speak volumes. The words he or she most want to hear: “Let me do that for you.” Laziness, broken commitments, and making more work for them tell speakers of this language their feelings don’t matter.

Physical Touch

This language isn’t all about the bedroom. A person whose primary language is Physical Touch is, not surprisingly, very touchy. Hugs, pats on the back, holding hands, and thoughtful touches on the arm, shoulder, or face—they can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. Physical presence and accessibility are crucial, while neglect or abuse can be unforgivable and destructive.

Share the LOVE!
I am offering 
15% OFF 
until Feb. 28th
in my Etsy shop!
Use code LOVE15

Happy Valentine's Day,
Erica
xo

The VEGAN Challenge: DAY 3 & 4

Day 3
Today was very productive for me,
I decided to try a Vegan Banana Bread recipe

Fresh out of the oven!

Ready to eat and time for the taste test!
It was DELISH!
Even the hubby liked it!
It was pretty basic,
I didn't have any nuts or 70% chocolate on hand,
but it was still super yummy!!
So that was my breakfast :}


Lunch: 
I had leftover veggie marinara spaghetti
Still YUMMY!


Dinner: 
We made black bean and brown rice burritos with whole wheat tortillas.
Wow was that hard to swallow, literally!
It was very bland,
we added non-dairy cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, radishes,
but still pretty plain :{ 
I wasn't really sure how to season it,
so I suppose that was the reason!
But like the hubs said, 
"once it's in your stomach and you're full, 
it doesn't matter what it tasted like!"
Good job staying positive babe!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Day 4
Starting to Break


Breakfast:
Kashi Cereal and light Soy milk


Brunch:
I met friends for a birthday brunch
at one of my most favorite breakfast spots,
and this is when it really starting breaking me!
Watching everyone order their 
Macadamia Nut Banana pancakes,
Raspberry French Toast,
Egg, Toast and Bacon,
all smothered in syrup
and then looking down at my 
measly potatoes and fruit cup
really made me question, "why I was doing this?!"
But I did NOT cheat!


Snack:
 Some people may think Oreos are not Vegan,
but as far as I'm concerned,
 the ingredients don't lie!
And at this point I am losing hope :(


Dinner:
I CRACKED,
I CHEATED :(
We went to dinner at my parents house to celebrate
my Grandpa's 86th birthday!!
Happy Birthday Grandpa!!


I am not even going to tell you everything that I cheated on,
because it is bad, real bad!
I will tell you I had a cupcake with 
vanilla confetti frosting!!
SO FREAKIN' GOOD!!
After missing out on 
ice cream cake on Day 2
I was DONE,
I picked the worst week for this challenge!


So I guess the moral of this story is that 
I GAVE UP! :(
I admit it and I am proud of the almost 4 days I did complete! 
I have learned a lot about food
and feel like I can make better decisions for me and my family.


As for being Vegan,
it's just not for me!
 We plan to reduce our meat intake to a few days a week,
and add some healthier choices,
 like the meat-less spaghetti,
so that will definitely go on the monthly menu!


As for the vanilla Soy creamer,
I will never think it's better than my coffee mate creamer
and since I am not lactose intolerant, 
I will most likely go back to regular milk for my cereal and cookies!


And last, but surely not least,
Nothing compares to
REAL CHEESE!
I LOVE CHEESE way too much
and if you have been to my house,
you know this is true!
American cheese, jalapeño cheese, sharp cheddar,
goat cheese, brie, blue cheese, gorgonzola, monterey jack,
the list goes on!!!


Almost everything SUPER delicious has some type of 
DAIRY
in it and I am not ready to give that up!!


But another thing I realized during this challenge,
was that even if I don't eat like a Vegan,
there are other ways I can be Vegan!!


VEGAN SHOPPING!!
{not groceries, but CLOTHES!!}


I was just shopping around on a website I frequent called 
LuLus.com

and found their 

VEGAN PURSES and BAGS! 

They also have

 VEGAN SHOES! 

Pretty cool and cute! 
I have never seen a strictly VEGAN section on a shopping website!

I really wanted this pair

But they are out of my size :(

Love the Cheetah print!

So maybe this will be my next challenge ;}

Happy VEGAN Shopping,

Erica

xo

The VEGAN Challenge: DAY 2

Day 2:

Went a little better!
Actually A LOT better!!

Breakfast:

Bagel w/ peanut butter {YUM!}

the other half of my grapefruit {also YUM!}

Coffee w/ Silk french vanilla soy creamer {tasting a little better ;}

Lunch:

Peppered Tofurky sandwich w/ mustard, lettuce and tomato 

{I really wanted some avocado, but didn't have any}

This sandwich was so much better than it sounds!!

The Tofurky was surprisingly tasty,

my hubby was totally grossed out by the idea of "Tofurky,"

but if he gave a chance I think he would like it!

Oh and those Veggie tortilla chips are super good too.

The three flavors are: 

spinach & garlic, red beet & onion, tomato & sesame

{thanks for the suggestion Nancy}

Snack:

Apple 

& 

two OREOS

That's right, I said OREOS!!!

My life just got a whole lot BETTER today

when I found this list

Accidentally Vegan

*It is still best to check the ingredients listed on these products,

 as some may contain traces of animal-derived ingredients.

I double checked the ingredients on my OREOS 

and I was in the clear!! YUM-O!!

Dinner:

We went over to my In-laws to celebrate my Brother-In-Law's birthday

Happy Birthday Chris!!

There was Sausage pizza,

Ham and Pineapple pizza (my fav)

and Veggie pizza

Now since I am not eating cheese I removed the top and ate

Cheese-less veggie pizza 

Luckily there was salad too!!

Thanks to my MIL I was able to eat :)

BUT...

dessert was a different story 

{and kinda depressing}

I was an ice cream cake,

not just any ice cream cake 

{maybe with a flavor I hated, unlikely}

but with World Class Chocolate ice cream

{my #1 fav)

At this point I am still very strong and not willing to break on Day 2!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After I found my "accidentally vegan" list

I started searching for sites that would let me know 

what specific ingredients I should be looking for that would be 

animal-derived or dairy

Beginner Vegan Food Shopping

helped me with so simple key points from when shopping

Hidden Animal Ingredients

Since those ingredient list can sometime seem like a foreign language

Go Dairy Free

Just because it say "non-dairy" or "lactose free" 

doesn't deem it Vegan

Hopefully this will make things a little easier 

for shopping and EATING! 

 It has already made me feel like 

I can actually eat things I have always eaten!!

Liberated,

Erica

xo

Pinterest is the NEW...

INSPIRATION!!!

Wow this new network is so exciting!

For me, 

this is what I have been needing 

to catalog all those ideas and inspiration 

for DIYs, blog topics, decor ideas, and the list goes on!

I was turned on to this site by Beth from The Stories of A to Z

She did a great tutorial on what Pinterest has to offer!

Here is a picture of my first PIN!

Aren't they adorable!!

Well I have a feeling I am going to be going Pin wild

all over my board with fun things like this! :}

Pinner,

Erica

xo

Fabulous Find: Ella's Kitchen ~ Organic Baby Food

We all know toddlers can be picky,

but my toddler will not even touch a veggie!

As an infant she ate all the pureed veggies so well, 

the moment she hit toddlerhood, 

she wanted nothing to do with them!

I suspect, 
I am not the only Mom trying to sneak a veggie or two 
any chance I get 

{most of the time very unsuccessful}
I have tried hiding them in her food, 
telling her they are candy, 
but I think when it comes down to it 
the taste and texture just doesn't work for her.
So the struggle continues... 


Or not,

I may have found the answer to our veggie problems...

~Ella's Kitchen~ 

Organic Baby Food

I gave her the 

Broccoli, Pears and Peas

{I know it doesn't sound very good, but it isn't bad, I tried it too}

and

she LOVED it!!! YAY!!

She even asked for more when she was done,

 that is a complete success in my book! :}}}

I think she likes the packaging too

because she can sit in her playroom 

and drink it with the little straw!

Needless to say, 

{I am so desperate to get her to eat veggies}

we will be having these on hand from now on!

I found them at Babies R Us on sale for $1 each.

If you have a picky little eater like me,

maybe give these a try, 

there are a bunch of flavors!!

Sneaky {and proud of it} Mommy,

Erica

Fabulous Find: Card Pool

Do you have giftcards at home that you just haven't used?

Apparently, a lot of people do, 

there are hundreds of thousands of dollars

from unclaimed giftcards every year!

If this is you,

check out this website where you can sell your unused giftcards

for CASH or gift cards you will use!

here

With Christmas around the corner,
why not trade those unused gift cards
for some extra cash or new giftcards to give as gifts!!

Card Pooling ;)

BigSis LilSis

xo



Fabulous Find: Do you Groupon?

A few months back I found this website

click here

It has now become one of my favorites!

The way it works is you look up your city

{or the closest one to you}

And every day there is a NEW DEAL

usually 50% or more off!

But today's deal is something NEW!!

GAP has offered a deal like no other,

$25 for $50 worth of apparel :}

The BEST news is that it is

valid for ALL GAP stores!!!

{Can be used at Gap, Gapkids, GapBaby, GapBody}

Be sure to read the fine print for ALL details!

This deal is so popular that I can only imagine

they will sell hundreds of thousands today!!

Happy Shopping,

BigSis LilSis