Lauren’s Third Birthday Fiesta!

Jun 11th, 2013 4 Comments
Posted in: Entertaining, Family

I’m excited to share the details of Lauren’s third birthday fiesta with you today.  Lauren’s desire for a pinata and our Texas roots and love of Tex-Mex cuisine inspired the party’s theme.  I put a girly spin on a traditional fiesta by using a rainbow color scheme which included hot pink, orange, yellow, lime green, turquoise, and purple.  It was my first time to style a party with SO much color and I love the way it turned out, really fun and perfect for a three-year-old’s party.  (To read more about my planning of this year’s party check out this post.)

As in previous years, we were thrilled to have family from Texas make the trip up to New Jersey to help us celebrate our little sweetie.  Bine-Bine and Pa Jim (Andy’s parents) and my sister, Aunt Lizzie, and her boyfriend Ben helped us make the party just perfect!

Without further delay here are the highlights from Lauren’s Third Birthday Fiesta! Ole!

Balloon columns and a rainbow deco-mesh wreath with mini pinata greeted our friends as they arrived at the fiesta.

We decorated the main floor of the house with traditional, colorful Mexican Papel Picado tissue paper banners.  (Thank you, Bine-Bine, for buying these in San Antonio and sending them to us early! We got most of the party decor set up early in the week.  It really help keep party-day chaos away on Saturday morning. )

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Happy Birthday, Lauren!

Jun 7th, 2013 Leave a comment
Posted in: Family

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As we celebrate three years of Lauren with family and friends this weekend this quote sums up what’s in my heart.  Happy Third Birthday, Lauren! I LOVE you!

{HELP!} I need book recommendations, please.

Jun 4th, 2013 10 Comments
Posted in: Entertaining

Please HELP! I want to hear from you.  I’m looking for book recommendations for upcoming summer reading, specifically for our trip to Kauai.  Even if I don’t know you, and you’ve never commented before, I’d LOVE for you to give me some ideas.

To get you started here’s a little about my reading preferences.

I don’t like anything too serious. (No Kite Runner for example.)

I don’t like anything too scary. (No Stephen King, etc…)

I LOVED The Help.

I LOVED The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. (Probably one of my favorite books, ever.)

I LOVED both the Harry Potter and Twilight series.  I haven’t read any of The Hunger Game, and I don’t think I want to.   

It’s summer.  I’m fine with reading something light and girly (and easy) like say, Something Borrowed or Chasing Harry Winston.

It can be old or new.  I really don’t.  I guess just something with a good story and good characters.  That’s not asking for too much, right?

So I’m open to any and all suggestions.  Please send them over, please! And, THANKS in advance!

Also, I’m thinking about using my iPad mini to read on for the first time.  Any thoughts on that from folks who use e-readers?

{Menu Monday:} Week of June 3, 2013

Jun 3rd, 2013 Leave a comment
Posted in: Eats

 

Happy June! We started the month off Saturday morning by welcoming Andy back from a nine day trip to South America! I’m not sure who was more happy to have him home, me, Lauren, or Chester.

We’re all excited about everything this month holds for our family.  Later this week Andy’s parents and my sister and her boyfriend will be here to help us celebrate Lauren’s third birthday.  Then next week we find out if Lauren’s getting a baby sister or baby brother, and the following week we’re off to Hawaii to celebrate our tenth anniversary!  Here’s to a busy and wonderful month!

Here’ our menu for the week:

Monday: Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken Soft Tacos

Tuesday: Chicken Soft Tacos/Tosadas

Wednesday: Grilled Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken Salad

We’re turning our Grilled Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken into a salad by placing it atop a bed of crunchy romaine lettuce.

Thursday: ? Undecided ?

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

 

Friday: Hawaiian Chicken with Coconut Rice

Have a great week, everyone!

 

“Monster” Mania

May 30th, 2013 Leave a comment
Posted in: Entertaining, Family

Like many other children, Lauren is in love with Monsters, Inc.  Neither of us can wait for the new Monsters University movie to come out next month.  We’ve never taken Lauren to the movie theater before and we’re all looking forward to this special family date night.

Last week, our fabulous library lady, Ms. Linda, shared many books and songs about monsters and I thought I’d pass ideas along here.  If you have a little monster lover at home these are just the thing to keep them entertained until the movie comes out.

Some monster books you might enjoy:

The Perfect Little Monster by Judy Hindley

This is a sweet story about a baby monster who is just a little different from the other monsters in his family.

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{Favorite Thing:} Potty Training Edition

May 29th, 2013 Leave a comment
Posted in: Family

One of many other exciting things that happened in our house over the past few months was that Lauren was potty trained! Woo-who! Honestly, the hardest part of the whole process was craving out a chunk of time to be (mostly) at home for three (plus) straight days.  The long President’s Day weekend in February was the perfect time.

We (pretty much) used the “Three Day Method.”  (We did use Pull-Ups during naptime and at bedtime in the beginning.)  To prepare bought about a dozen pairs of Disney princess and Minnie Mouse panties.  (*If you can stand being in one (I barely can), check Marshalls or TJ Maxx.  I think I got each pack of panties for only $3.00, which is great considering some pair ended up being thrown away.)  We also bought a Costco size bag for chocolate candy for post-potty rewards.  I was a little concerned about both the Pull-Ups and the candy being an ongoing thing, but after a month we had phased both things out.

I’d say do what works for you child at the time and stick with it.  Day 1 was hard.  I think we went through about seven pairs of panties and didn’t have much success.  Day 2 was better, she “held it” for a long time, but about halfway through the day things clicked and after that it was smooth sailing. By the end of Day 3, Lauren was potty trained!

The Baby Bjorn potty seat is, in my opinion, a MUST for potty training.  It is a bit more expensive than some of the other seats on the market, but it’s design is 100% better.  Trust me.  It’s easy to clean. It doesn’t’ wiggle or slip and seat is comfortable and non-irratating to little tushes.  Best of all, the curved and angled splashguard makes sure nothing lands outside of the potty.  Again, take my word for it, this can be traumatic for parents and kids, and it’s an issue for girls and boys a like…enough about that though.

Happy pottying!

{On the Menu:} Spring Salmon Salad

May 28th, 2013 Leave a comment
Posted in: Eats

When the weather is warm, we eat a lot of salads.  I recently made this for lunch with friends, and it’s a new favorite of mine.  The best part is, I prepared all the ingredients ahead of time and stored them separately in the refrigerator.  Then I assembled the salad platter just before my guests arrived.  I love easy dishes like this for spring and summer entertaining.

Spring Salmon Salad

¾ pound salmon fillet

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 hearts of romaine, or lettuce of your choice

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, undrained

3 cups fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

½ cup frozen sweet peas, thawed

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

DRESSING:

¼ cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ cup reserved mandarin orange juice

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

For the marinade, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the salmon on a sheet pan that has been covered in aluminum foil, and drizzle the marinade over the salmon. Allow the salmon to sit for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain oranges, reserving ¼ cup juice. Set oranges aside. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water bath. Drain and pat dry.

Place the salmon in the oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until it is almost cooked through. Remove to a plate and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Flake or break into large pieces.

Prepare dressing in a small bowl by whisking dressing ingredients and reserved juice. Set aside

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, asparagus, oranges, and peas. Arrange on a large platter or four serving plates.  Tops with salmon and sprinkle with almonds.  Drizzle dressing over salad or serve on the side.  Yield: 4 servings.

Printable Spring Salmon Salad recipe.

Enjoy! xo Aleah

 

{On the Menu:} Crab Cakes

May 22nd, 2013 Leave a comment
Posted in: Eats

Looking for the perfect summer delight? This crab cake recipe is a family favorite (we even served them at Lauren’s first birthday party), but they come with a serious warning.  Once you make them you will NEVER be able to eat crab cakes in a restaurant again.  These crab cakes are so good that no others will compare and you’ll only be left disappointed (trust me it’s happened).

Maryland Crab Cakes

Printable Crab Cakes recipe.

1 lb cooked crab meat, picked over

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/3 cup milk

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tbs. finely chopped green onion with top

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground white pepper

2 tbs. unsalted butter

2 tbs. olive oil

all-purpose flour

tarter sauce (recipe follows) Read more

{Preview:} Lauren’s 3rd Birthday

May 21st, 2013 1 Comment
Posted in: Entertaining

I have to admit, one of my biggest motivators to get back to blogging was my desire to share the details of Lauren’s upcoming third birthday party.  I can’t believe my baby girl will be THREE in less than a month.  The time has flown by and, if I’m being honest, I’m just a little sad.  ”Two” still seems like a baby age, but “three” is a big girl.  I LOVE her and love planning a special celebration for her each year!

I usually like to choose her party’s theme and start planning in January.  However, this year we had a really hard time picking a theme.  Lauren isn’t the kind of kid who gets really into just one thing.  There are lot of things she loves, but no clear “favorite.” Then, one afternoon as we walked through the produce department of our local grocery store, it hit me.  As she had on nearly every previous shopping trip, Lauren asked about the pinatas displayed high above the bins of vegetables.   Suddenly, it was perfectly clear.  We could combine our Texas roots and LOVE of Tex-Mex cuisine with Lauren’s desire for a pinata and have a “FIESTA” themed party!

Of course, I started a Pinterest board to streamline my ideas.  Andy loves the theme because it gives him a great reason to grill up one of his favorites-fajitas!

So today, I just wanted to share a few sneak peaks of what we have in the works for her party ”FIESTA” next month.

I knew from the get-go that I wanted to put a colorful, girly spin on the “traditional” fiesta.  I purchased digital paper and clipart from Lilly Bimble on Etsy. EVERYTHING in this shop is so cute. I highly recommend you check it out.

I also created this fabulous mesh wreath to place on our front door and welcome guest to the FIESTA.  (Sorry about the horrible iPhone photo, pregnant Aleah has no time for photo editing.) I love all the bright colors and the adorable mini pinata.  Ole!

I’ll share all the details from her party in a few weeks! Be sure to check back soon!

 

{Menu Monday:} Week of May 20, 2013 & a BIG surprise!

May 20th, 2013 6 Comments
Posted in: Eats, Family

It’s hard to believe that just one month from today we’ll be back here (Kauai, Hawaii) celebrating this (our TENTH wedding anniversary)! The time has flown by, and while this won’t be our first return visit to the Garden Island since our big day back in 2003, it will be Lauren’s first trip to the Aloha State.  She’s such a fantastic little traveler and did so great on the longs flights to and from Paris earlier this year that we figured there was no better time than now for a trip to this place we love.

Here’s our menu for this week: (and keep reading for a BIG surprise at the end of today’s post) Read more

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