Black Tie Birthday Bash- Mea and Eva's Themed Party!

Dear Diary,

The girls' birthday party this year was a lot of fun! Months ahead of time, they started brainstorming.  Mea wanted to know what theme we should chose.  "What could we dress up like?" she asked.  This apple is not falling far from this tree. There is no denying it... we love dressing up! We invent reasons to do so.  And Birthdays are a perfectly good reason to do something silly.

Birthday Traditions

Dear Diary,

One more year has passed for each of my baby girls... time to celebrate!  My girls' birthdays are a month apart. Eva has turned 3 and Mea is turning 5! After giving birth, I gained a whole new appreciation for BIRTHdays!  My appreciation was exponentially heightened when I was able to witness Layla, my niece come into this world.  It was indescribable...other-worldly. breathtaking. mindblowing... it left me speechless and will go down in history as the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed.  There is a deep sentiment to consider what we are celebrating on a birthday...  on this particular day, so many years ago, a miracle happened.  It is such a great reason to celebrate: LIFE!

Now the question, how do we celebrate it?  What traditions do we carry over from our own childhood.  What new traditions will we start?  Things will be ever changing but some things can stay the same.  Here is a list of 10 BIRTHDAY TRADITIONS:

Making Meatballs... like a little old Italian lady

Dear Diary, 

I remember a few years ago, as a new mom and wife, I would call my mom or mother in law to ask them for recipes.  Normally, I'd come to find out I didn't have exactly what the recipe called for so I was forced to improvise.  If I didn't have breadcrumbs, I could smash up cheez its.  If we didn't have one kind of soup, I'd use another.  Slowly, as my repertoire for meals increased, I became more confident to open up the fridge and cupboards and answer the question, "Ma- what's for dinner?" Over the years, planning and preparing dinner for my family has transformed from a dreaded chore to something I am proud to do.  My meatballs are the bomb!

This is a recipe from my mother-in-law with some of my own twists and secret techniques.    
Behold... my meatballs!

... More Photo Tips! (Piggyback Post)

Dear Diary,

When I see a really great photo, I get goosebumps. I can stare at a good photo for a half hour, almost meditating on it. I think that qualifies me to say that I have a passion for photography. I love the kind of photo where you can hear, smell, taste and feel the subject.

One day I wanna get a sweet camera with a zoom lens. But in the meantime, we work with what we got and if we work hard enough, we can do sweet things! My panasonic point and shoot broke a few months ago and my only camera is the one on my iphone.

Want Professional Looking Pictures Without the Cost?

Dear Diary,
I recently went to a professional store to take Christmas pictures of my daughter. It was the first time so I made sure to take mental notes of how they took the most amazing pictures! Anyone remember their senior pictures? I remember going home and thinking I could have done that at home without spending almost $1000! Well you know I LOVE saving money (check out my couponing post) so here are some tips you should follow:

Chocolate Footballs?!

 Dear Diary,

For the Superbowl this year I was given the opportunity to bring a dessert to the party.  I knew I could be crafty with a deliciousness! I decided to make chocolate dipped strawberries.... and look like footballs! These can also be made into basketballs or baseballs with the choice of different colors and possibly flavors (white chocolate).

Resolution #2 FITNESS… myfitnesspal app: Tested, Tried & True

Dear Diary,
Unlike the first resolution, my resolution to fitness is one I can speak confidently about.  I’ve been working on this one for years now.  The exciting part is that I finally have some answers that I think everyone, especially busy moms can appreciate.  I officially started a resolution to lose 15 pounds on October 16^th 2011, three months ago… that’s 12 weeks so I can tell you what I’ve learned so far and what I plan to do moving forward.

Perfect Toddler Gift and a Mod-Podge Masterpiece!

Dear Diary,

Craft time! Gift time! This is one of my favorite things to make as a gift to give the kids in our life... newborn to 4 years old.  It is personalized, useful and my kids can help create it!  My kids use their stools all day long to reach the fridge water and the bathroom sink and the toilet etc! They are independent and usually that's a good thing. So, let's get started.

From Fiscally Responsible Family to White Trash in Split Seconds

Dear Diary,

We are off to a great start with the new budget but I am already itching for a new outfit.  It is 2 weeks into January and I am trying to figure out ways to feed my shopping bug that is still responsible.  I had some returns to make at Kohl’s from Christmas last week.  It was well before naptime so everyone was in great spirits as we waited in the customer service line.  The girls were all put together in their new boots from Christmas and hair in ponytails.  They entertained the people around us with some songs… “The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow!” … aw- they're adorable!  So far, yes. I shuffled through my wallet and found 2 very old Kohl’s gift cards.  I had no idea of their value or where I got them.  Also with my receipts, I had some “Kohl’s cash” that expired a few days earlier! Darn it.

Routine

Dear Diary,

Routine makes Life less chaotic then it already is.

A new year doesn't have to be the beginning of a routine but maybe a tweak in what you already have. Along with all the advice I was given by moms, one I listened to was to start a bedtime routine around 3 months of age.  We started the routine when Layla became 2 1/2 months old.  My 4 Bs: Bath, Books, Boob, Bed. Layla is now 7 months old and is very used to the routine that she doesn't sleep