Soup's On! The floor, that is...

I know my kids aren't the only ones. But man do they seem extreme. Do you see those perfectly, lovingly cut and prepared star quesadillas up there in that photo? They ended up on the floor tonight (that would be Maya). Finn's still picking his way around the corn (as few kernels as he was given). And as I type this, Maya is stealing Finn's berries while he's not looking. Maya's pediatrician reassured me today that since she's gaining weight and zipping up in height, I don't have to worry about it. But I still do. Although, I think I worry most about all the wasted food! So many meals go uneaten and ignored, or thrown in handfulls onto the floor, or end up chewed up and spit out. There really is a lot of food rudeness going on over here. Which is something I have a low tolerance for. But that behavior is apparently all quite normal, and I just shouldn't make a big battle out of it. 

I have a copy of The Sneaky Chef, but alas it's in storage somewhere. Last night I found these two cookbooks hiding on my shelves. So I plan to give them a whirl. I started tonight, in fact. (Star-shaped quesadillas: Check, Disaster: Check, Try again: Check.)

What are your tips for picky eaters? I'd love to hear them! 

Coconut Oil

I've had quite a few questions and emails about the coconut oil. I buy Spectrum Naturals Unrefined Coconut Oil from Fresh & Easy (my grocery store down the road). But you can get it at any health food store, or buy it online. It's about $7 for unrefined, and I always buy one jar for cooking and one jar for beauty. Ha! I transfer the oil to small screw-top jars to keep in my bathroom so it looks a little nicer, and it's easier to travel with it that way. I use the straight-up oil. It's not added to a moisturizer. It has a solid texture until melted or heated. In the summer it starts to melt in my cabinet a bit, making it easier to apply. I know it sounds CRAZY for oily, blemish-prone skin. That's what I thought at first, too! And I put off using face oil for a long time. But one night I was doing some late night online research and decided to just give it a try. Boy am I glad I did! Here are a few FAQ's:

• Does it matter if I use refined or unrefined? 

No, Not really. Unless you are a stickler about those things. I use unrefined because that's what's at the store. The unrefined has no smell, whereas the refined does smell and taste like cocout. It is pricier, as well. Some sites will tell you that refined is for skin and beauty. But I found many sites that said there is no beneficial difference. I am extremely happy with the unrefined coconut oil.

• How in the world can you put OIL on your face when it's oily?

Unlike olive or baby oil, coconut oil is very light and relatively greaseless (unless you take a huge dollop and smear it on, of course). I use a pea sized amount warmed up in my hands first. Then I rub it in starting on the outer edges of my face. I use VERY LITTLE. Blotting it on can help you to not use to much. It leaves me with an amazing, soft velvety finish. I have a healthy sheen, but no shine all day. It might seem counterintuitive to apply oil to an oily or blemished complexion, but it's actually the most effective solution. Your skin is smart—it knows whether it's sufficiently protected, producing more of its own oil when skin is dry, and less when it's balanced. I've noticed that even I use drying skin-clearing products, and oil-free or gel moisturizers, my skin produces MORE oil. That leaves me with shiny cheeks. I don't get a shiny face anymore using oil. 

• Is coconut oil good for blemishes and acne?

Yes. Sure I still get the occasional breakout at certain times of the month (ahem). But that seems hormonal, and unrelated to the coconut oil. If anything, the coconut oil has helped clear up my skin, and helps blemishes disappear faster. Most sites promote using refined coconut oil for this. Here are some articles on that topic:

http://www.highonhealth.org/coconut-oil-is-an-awesome-natural-acne-treatment/

http://www.ionehealth.com/nutrition-health/use-coconut-oil-for-acne.htm

• Are there other benefits to using coconut oil?

Coconut oil is awesome for lots of things. I use it in the kitchen. But I also like to use it as an all-over moisturizer. It's great for a belly cream on growing pregnant tummies. And it can be used as a cream when nursing, as well. It has many other health benefits. To find out more uses and benefits of coconut oil, see these sites:

http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html

http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/coconut_oil.html

http://www.coconutoilhealthbenefits.com/

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/

• If you are looking for other face oils in the beauty circut, try Dr. Hauschka products. They are AMAZING (albeit a little pricey). Find them HERE.

Do you use coconut oil for anything? Let me know!

In the bag

I have a daily makeup routine. I pretty much do the whole shebang every day. Maybe not totally glammed up, but I put on foundation, blush, and do my eyes. And lipgloss keeps people from asking if I am "feeling under the weather." I like putting a shining face forward. And I am a makeup fanatic. I have a lot of makeup, consisting of a lot of eyeshadow. And don't get me started on nail polish... But I do have the basics in my bag for everyday in a hurry. Here are the TOP 10 "must-haves" in my makeup case right now:


1. Moisturizer: Coconut Oil. I have oily and blemish-prone skin. And the coconut oil actually reduces the oil in oily skin, and has no scent. Amazing, I know. But there's really nothing like it. No more blotting. No more shiny cheeks. Only a satiny glow! It was the find of a lifetime for me. A true "eureka" moment. * For more on coconut oil, read my post HERE.
2. Quick Fix: Benefit Erase Paste (bye-bye dark circles)
3. Face: bareMinerals Matte Makeup (I mix Light and Fairly Light for my perfect shade, as my foundation and concealer)
4. Cheecks: MAC Powder Blush in Springsheen (a shimmery pink-peach with golden undertones)
5. Curl, if you will: Tarte Eyelash Curler (best ever)

6. Line: Clinique Quickliner in Black/Brown (the darkest brown without going black)

7. Eyes: Lancome Eye Shadow Quad in Haute Sunset (my go-to standardized colors)

** Update! Lately I've added some new eye shadow to my routine. I love MAC's Paint Pots. I use my fingers to sweep Bare Study on my brow bone and inside corner, then Reubenesque on the lid, and a tiny bit of Constructivist in the corner (dab and smudge into eye liner). Find them HERE.




8. Lashes: Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara in black (warm-water removal, coats each lash, won't smudge or bleed)
9. Lips: Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey (a fave since high school!) & Clinique Long Last Glossware in Bonfire (hot hot hot)
10. Nails: My go-to coral red=Revlon's Love That Red (I stare lovingly at my nails when I wear it)

To feed my beauty supply appetite, I love BirchBox. I've posted about them before. My savvy sis-in-law, Katia (far right), started the business last year with some great girls, and it has just exploded. Find out how you can get in on the oodles of goodies that come to your doorstep each month, HERE.

Sandalous

I can't stop thinking about these sandals. I had them in yellow last summer. I loved them so much that I wore them out. Now I am longing for a new pair. The green and red are really calling my name:Find them HERE. Buy a half size smaller. Such a steal at under $50!!

The way things are:

Life's a Beach

Finn's "weapon belt"

To quote Finn: "I just love being a man!"

Changing Tides

The time has come for me to take a step back from blog design and client-focused graphic design. This has been a change that I have been implementing over the past year. But it's really time for it to come to a close. I will still continue to help Stephanie Nielson of NieNie Dialogues. And I will also be contributing on a part-time basis over at The Blog Guidebook (my other blog HERE). But in an attempt to simplify and allow for the natural change of things with home and family (and a soon-to-be AFI graduate, full-time Cinematographer husband—yay), I need to focus on as few client-based projects as possible. I have loved the intricate net of friendship and support that has knotted its way securely around me in the past four years as a blog designer. It's been a tough choice to let all of my beloved clients go!! Since it's impossible to suppress my creative tendencies completely, I am sure you will see some of my personal creative efforts come to the surface here and there. And on a business note, if I have ever designed for you, and you would like your files, please email me HERE. I am happy to supply you with all of the Illustrator and/or Photoshop files so that you can take those to a new designer, if needs be. Don't forget that The Blog Guidebook offers free blog listings, and TONS of blogger tips so that you can make your own blogs sing! Visit the buttons below to find listings for many talented and capable designers:

Who's REALLY in charge here?

Wes and I woke up to Maya eating a full pack of gum in our bed this morning. At 6am. In her little footed ducky PJs. The wrappers were all over while she clutched a handful of sticks in her gooey palm. When we rolled over she said, "HIIIIII!!!!" and grinned with a blue mouthful of gum. Then she discovered she could unzip her "stuck" PJs and parade around in her diaper on a chilly morning. And if I tried to say anything about it, she took off at a breakneck pace giggling. All with her "sleepy princess hair" (as Wes calls it). She keeps asking for puckered-up kisses on the lips with her runny little nose. And is demanding kisses on her toes and scuffed knee every 5 minutes, as well. Currently, she's standing in the dining room windowsill banging on the window for all the passers-by to see. Gotta love this girl.

Nautical Freebies

I thought I'd offer some freebies today! Three 8x10 nautical numbers for your little sea-faring fellow. 

Click the small thumbnails at the bottom of this post for download options.

 

{If you'd really like these in another color, email me HERE, and I'll send you a new PDF.)

Mother's Day recap: Tiny Prints Follow-Up

I'm happy to report that the Tiny Prints cards were a smash hit! 

Check out some of the cute designs I chose:

My Mom sent me this sweet photo of her cards lined up in her kitchen. 

Definitely the most special cards I've sent yet. Thanks Tiny Prints!

And a very special Thank You to Megan who helped with my shipment, rushing the cards to "the moms," and even hand-addressed envelopes to make sure everything arrived as speedily as possible. You were a joy to work with!
Next up? Father's Day, of course!

Great Expectations

Maya and I sent Dada and Finn off on a Father & Son campout for church. Finn was SO excited, but was really dragging his feet in terms of finding his boots and duffle bag. And there was some whining and crying over marshmallows. I started to worry that maybe he was a little too young to be doing this. That there would be more whining and crying. But what I really wanted was for Finn (and Wes's) expectations to be met. I wanted a success.
Earlier today I was talking to my Mom on the phone about an upcoming trip to Disneyland. "Do you think the kids can handle it?" she asked with a suddenly dubious tone. I told her that it will be a total success if we do one thing: Don't have any preconceived notions about how the day should go. If we don't expect a perfectly blissful day, we won't be disappointed. If we accept that whining and crying will happen, and that those things are part of every singe day with small ones, then we'll all handle it just fine. I learned to give up on "painting a picture" in my mind a long time ago. Because every time I had a certain idea of how things should pan out, they would just go horribly wrong ("wrong" being not the image in my mind). So I don't dwell on it any more. I just hold my breath, and then I'm pleasantly surprised when things actually go really well. Surprisingly well in some cases.
Take today. Right after Wes and Finn pulled out of the driveway, I loaded Maya up for a trip to CVS. I DREAD going to the store with Maya. She won't sit in the cart (never has), and I have to carry her AND push the cart. She wiggles and tries to escape, and screams loudly. My arm almost falls off every time, and I am sweating by the end, with only half of the things on my list (plus fruit snacks always sneak their way in). Today I strapped Maya into her little red stroller, and headed into CVS. Within 5 minutes she was ASLEEP in the stroller. Stop the presses!! She's never done that in her entire 2 year life! I was in shock. In so much shock that I walked around that CVS store for an hour smiling broadly at people and pointing to my sleeping angel. "She never does this! I am buying more cotton balls! Look at all those nail polish colors—I have to pick up every single bottle." Too bad it wasn't the mall. Sure it was a boring drug store, but it was an exciting success. It made me hopeful that Disneyland might have a fair shot at being a triumph, as well. 
I came home with a drowsy Maya to find a photo in my inbox (the one I've posted at the top of this post). And I have to say, all expectations aside, that looks like the most perfect picture I could have ever painted for them. Let's all raise a s'more to success!

Loving Ladybug

Every Tuesday Maya and Finn groove, wiggle, shake, play, sing, and dance their little hearts out at Ladybug Music. Ladybug is hands-down the BEST music program around. All of the songs are either original or original remakes (if that makes sense) of many well-known classics. They are the hippest tunes out there—tunes even Mom can love! I caught Wes singing one of the songs while doing the dishes the other night. Every time we get into the car Wes starts looking for the ladybug CDs because the kids love them, and he doesn't want to throw them out the window (like so many other hard-to-stomach kid CDs out there). Every week the kids get to sing and dance along to live guitar music. They know all the songs, and act them out. They get get to play with instruments, play silks, and shakers. And the teachers are wonderful and really believe in what they are doing (in fact, my friend Beth is one of these talented ladies). It's a blast. If you live in the L.A. area, you have to check it out! You can find class information HERE.

And if you happen to live a little farther away, no worries! You can still get all of their great music, HERE. In their shop, you'll find links to CD Baby and iTunes (they are also available on Amazon). It's so easy to grab some fun tunes for summer! 

Have a listen to Two Little Blackbirds:

A little more about Ladybug:

"Ladybug Music offers a research based, mixed age (infant to 5 years) class that embraces and celebrates the rich, eclectic and diverse musical styles of our time and culture. Families are welcomed into a non-performance learning environment where everyone is able to experience their style of learning at their own pace with no expectations – just play!

In a fun and informal setting, we sing, play percussive instruments, dance, get silly, sing lullabies and so much more. Together using Ladybug’s original music collections we explore all spectrums of music including but not limited to sounds, words, pitch, tempo, melody, tone, meter, rhythm, dynamics, beat, movement and dance. Our mixed aged format allows older children to take on leadership roles, while younger ones can learn by example."

So shake things up with Ladybug! Your kids will thank you. :)