#418 - Wake t-shirt

this would be a cute onesie!

via

#417 - sopapillas

I made sopapillas a few weeks ago...delicious and easy to make.

I used this recipe, but it was way too much and I ended up freezing almost 3/4ths of the dough. I wouldn't recommend freezing them because they didn't turn out as well after being defrosted.

Next time I'll make a smaller recipe...here's my new smaller recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter flavored crisco
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons warm water
• 2 quarts oil for frying
• honey/powdered sugar for toppings
  

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and shortening. Stir in water; mix until dough is smooth. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.
2. Roll out on floured board until 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 3 inch squares. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (I didn't have a thermometer, but the burner was about medium/medium high). Basically, I threw a small piece of dough in and if it started frying, then it was ready. Fry until light golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with honey & powdered sugar.

#416 - Diaper Jeans video

Seriously!? Love the tag line. No wonder Oster isn't potty trained yet, he's been waiting for these.

#415 - funny t-shirts

via

#414 - lower cholesterol?

Anybody ever try these? Did they work? I think I might try these, they look yum and who couldn't benefit from lower cholesterol?

#413 - cake, erasers, floating baby

3 things from the web...that recently caught my eye...

1...cake painting...love the neapolitan colors & the name of the painting "frosting"...yum!
2...eraser stamps...if i was still in school, i'd totally be preoccupied during class
3...floating baby announcement...so cute! can you tell babies are on my mind?

#412 - Sunday Comics

True

#411 - 2 Before & Afters from the web

I saw these 2 before & after's on the web and I totally want to do them. I'm posting them here, so that I will remember them after I have the baby (nope, still not here.)

We need to redo our basement stairs and this remodel looks so good! Or should I just stick to putting down new carpet?

And this easy lamp remodel (fyi, there are lots of great remodel ideas on this webblog), so cheap, yet looks so good!

Pepe wants to keep our lamps the brass color...what do you think? Would they look better painted? If so, what color? Our lamps look a lot like the before picture (but a little brighter brass) with a cream lamp shade.

#410 - Fruit Notes

These are so cute!

#409 - cool prints/mommy stationary

Really liking this stationary and the cute stamp silohette!

#408 - What will the new baby look like?

Yes, I also photoshopped this photo again to reflect what I think our new baby will look like.

During 2 ultrasounds, 2 different techs said the baby has lots of hair.

So, I think this baby is going to look a lot like Pepe with a slight hint of me. (notice the baby's shirt above...dark stripes like the dad, with just a few tiny stripes from the mom)

Pepe said he doesn't think the baby will look like Oster(aka Baby O) at all. He feels bad for the new baby because he's going to look like us...thanks a lot hon...what are you sayin? :)

#407 - thumb drive

gross, but true

#406 - PopChips

Have you tried these? They are yum!

#405 - Baby Cradle

Really liking this! I think it would go awesome with this.

#404 - What's in a name?

walking through the streets of DC with his uncle BT

Did you know that Baby O didn't have an official name until 7 weeks after he was born?

Well, guess what? He's getting a name change (don't freak out mom). I'm changing his name on this blog, not in real life.

He's no longer a baby and we are going to have another baby soon.

Drum roll please...his new name is....

"Oster"...pronounced like, "toaster". Phonetically it would me "o" "stir".

Yes, I realize 50% of the people who stumble on this blog will probably call him "oyster" with a thick Boston accent. And they'll think what was she thinking when she named him?!

But, whatever...

Also, I'm messing around with my blog a little bit, not sure if you've noticed the links right below my blog heading...here's the link to the "who's who" on my blog.

#403 - 3 Things, 3 Hours, Philly

When BT and Kar (my siblings) were here, we went to Philadelphia, PA for 3 hours and we decided to do 3 things.

Here they are in no particular order (well, I guess the order in which we did them, but not the order of my preference):#1 - Philly Cheese Steak
*We went to Jim's Steaks
*Cost about $10, but we split it between the 3 of us (Baby O didn't want to eat it)
*My siblings are super healthy, that's why we got a cheese steak with all those veggies
*If I were to order it, I would have gotten it authentic with Cheesewhiz (notice the look on my face to the far right...I'm thinking "where's the Cheesewhiz?")
#2 - Liberty Bell and Independence Hall
*Independence Hall is where the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were adopted
*Liberty Bell wasn't crowded at all (we went during the week)...which was great for Baby O
*Loved the big grassy area...glad my siblings were there to entertain Baby O
*My pregnant belly makes an appearance again...about 35 weeks here...it's as big as the bell!#3 - Rocky Stairs
*Baby O was sleeping, so I stayed in the car, while Kar and BT ran the stairs and hung on the Rocky Statue
*Philadelphia has a beautiful skyline

The one thing we missed was "West Philadelphia". Kar wanted to see where the Fresh Prince was born and raised...and the playgrounds where he spent most of his days.

Have you ever been to Philly? Any good recommendations of what to do?

#402 - watermelon baby - *post edit - see below

I know I said that you wouldn't see any pics of my pregnant self...well, I couldn't pass up these photos that Pepe took with me. What an awesome husband!This is my belly at almost 36.7 weeks (now, I'm at 38 weeks)

To make myself feel better, I want to let you know that was a mini watermelon, not full size...there, I feel better.

*I just remembered that this is the first Tuesday that has come up since Pepe proposed to me on May 11th, 6 years ago. So happy he asked me to marry him! When we called my mom to tell her that we were engaged, she said, "who gets engaged on a Tuesday?"

#401 - How Genetics Work - polka dots aka recessive jeans

How Recessive Genes Work
When Baby O was born almost 2 years ago, I felt like this picture! (more on this later)
Just pretend the mom & dad in this photo are wearing polka dot underwear...

that's what I call recessive jeans.

I saw the original photo floating around the web a few months ago and I thought to myself, I've got to photoshop this to reflect my Baby O.
Do you notice the 2 changes I made (yes, I know the polka dots are obvious, but do you see the other change)?

#400 - Happy Mother's Day! ~ a post for mom

OK, so I'm doing one better, I'm not just tweeting or facebooking, but I'm blogging about my mom on Mother's Day.

In fact, it's a blog from all of us (kids and grandkids.)

Why We Love You Mom ~

I love how you are always positive. - Brian aka BT

You befriend anyone no matter who they are. - Karli aka Kar

I love your positive attitude through all of life's roller coasters. - Casi

You are a strong, independent woman and you stand up for what you believe in. - me aka tvmom

We love that you are a giver. You always have something to give everybody. It makes us realize that you are always thinking of us. - Jordan and Rachael.

I also really love that you treat others with so much respect and kindness, that has been a great example to me of how to live my life. - Brian

You are a great example to look to. - Casi

I love how you are always thoughtful and thinking of others. - me

You send me postcards in the mail, play puzzles with me and skype with me. - Baby O

Memories Growing Up With You As Our Mom

When growing up I would remember riding the bus home, but I LOVED the days when I would see the blue suburban parked on the street because I knew mom was there to pick us up. Happy days. Love you Mom!!! - Casi

I remember mom would always get the end of a pen and tickle my face when I was younger. I also remember we put our bikes in the trunk and go on bike rides to the trail that goes along Highway 95. I also remember she would take me to go roller skating all the time when I was younger. - Karli

I remember (and still love) the back rubs, the tickling...just feeling relaxed and taken care of. - me

After Mae was born, Mom came down and stayed with Rachael and me for a week. She made dinner for us, she cleaned for us, and she watched Mae for us so we could get some sleep. Rachael and I were both so appreciative of her willing to sacrifice for us. I am very grateful for Mom and the example she is to me. -Jordan

We love you!
Casi, Jordan, Brian, Karli, Baby O, Mae, Pepe, Rachael, Pedro and me

#399 - motherhood - live in the moment

beautiful gerber daisy from my brother BT, in a vase from my trip to Argentina

Motherhood is the ideal time to "live in the moment"...these things will never happen again.

-Jane Clayson Johnson

I really do love being a mother...the good, the bad, the hard, the fun, the ugly, the diapers, the kisses, the hugs, the spills, the everything.

#398 - i won!

Guess what I got in the mail? This gorgeous "oh so lovely poppy" headband above from much love, illy!

The headband is even more beautiful in person and I think I'll wear it for my baby shower tonight or on Mother's Day...or both. I think this one & this one are also adorable...gosh, all her stuff is fun!

I won it in a giveaway over at You Are My Fave.

Great site...check it out! Every time I click there, I think of the movie Elf..."smiling's my favorite."

#397 - 10 x 31 cents = ice cream dream

My friend Stacey knows how much I love...love...love ice cream. So she shared a little secret with me about how she stocks up on good ice cream (inexpensively). Once a year, Baskin Robbins does 31 cent scoop night and she asks for $3 worth of ice cream in individual cups. (Get flavors that you usually wouldn't order...it's only a 31 cents and the people scooping the ice cream didn't care at all. that I ordered that much) She then freezes them and has delicious ice cream for days!

Even though 31 cent scoop night was just last week, I've already eaten all my 10 scoops of ice cream...my post baby body won't be happy about that.

Above are the flavors I got, in the order of my preference...surprisingly I loved Cotton Candy Ice Cream the most!

#396 - Colorful Baby Shirts

Loving these bright colors...plus, they look so yummy!

#395 - Cinco de Mayo Desserts/Drinks (part 4 of 4)

Drinks for Cinco de Mayo
Horchata (pictured)
Virgin Margarita (not pictured) - would go perfect with the lime earrings!


Desserts for Cindo de Mayo
Make it easy (& low fat)...Breyers Fried Ice Cream
Can't got wrong with churros
My new favorite south of the boarder treat - sopapillas
There's even fried ice cream cupcakes
Tres Leches Cake - Pepe's favorite - hard (pictured) & easy (not pictured)(I'd sub in coconut milk for the rum on this easy recipe.)

Do you have a favorite Cinco de Mayo and/or Mexican dessert/drink?

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

#394 - Cinco de Mayo Food (part 3 of 4)

Any of these would be amazing for Cinco de Mayo!

I love Mexican Lasagna! (via)
These chicken enchilada rollups look divine! (via)
2 enchilada recipes that I'm drooling over - here and here.

Not pictured:
I'd love to try:
~this salsa
~Krista's fish tacos...great combo with the lime earrings.
~Homemade Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad (I miss CR!)

Or you can't go wrong with taco soup...yum!

To be honest, we'll probably just have cheese quesadillas!

Do you have a favorite Cinco de Mayo and/or Mexican meal?

And tomorrow, I'll be sharing desserts and drinks for Cinco de Mayo!

#393 - Cinco de Mayo - What to Wear (part 2 of 4)

There are so many cute outfits/jewlery/hats that have a Mexican flair, but here are some of my favorites Cinco de Mayo ideas because they are subtle.

Love the simplicity of these lime earrings.
Any of these Mexican charms would be cute on a necklace or bracelet.
I think this stamp necklace would be easy to make...just need someone to send me a letter from Mexico. In fact, I think this would be fun to make from locations that have a significance to me (ie: Brazil, Canada, Argentina).
And isn't this the cutest Cinco de Mayo Onesie.

Wait...I'm even more crazy...there's more Cinco de Mayo posts in the next 2 days (I really only have 2 days left, right?)

#392 - Cinco de Mayo Ideas/Decorations/Invites (part 1 of 4)

Cute Cinco de Mayo invites here and here.
Straw flower decorations.
Love No Biggie's photo booth idea.
Red Roko's easy to make maraca and sombrero.
And for the toddler in your life...Spanish Flash Card decorations.
Or you could make a pinata.
And some more Cinco de Mayo ideas.

But wait...I think I am crazy...I have another post coming up later today with "what to wear" Cinco de Mayo style.

#391 - 2 Trader Joe's Favorites

Just wanted to share two of our (my) favorite Trader Joe's standbys.

Love these thai potstickers because I'm not a huge meat fan and these are all veggies...yum!

And these fire roasted balsamic butter veggies are heavenly. They are pretty expensive, so I double them by adding more green beans...so good!

#390 - artist in the making

Baby O got a hold of the polaroid camera this morning and started snapping pictures in the car (Pepe thought the camera was empty, so he just let him snap away). He got some pretty artsy shots...I also think the film and/or camera is going bad.

Then before lunch, we decided to try some painting with edible paint...kept Baby O entertained until I finished lunch. Guess what, he wouldn't eat the marshmallows, but was super proud of his paper plate art.