quiet times

I've made it a goal to have a quiet time with my boy, whether it be to color and create, or to eat a snack with mom.  This is besides reading books, counting everything, learning the alphabet, helping with chores, helping cook, helping clean, outside time, and taking a mini nap (which most days he skips).  It's a way we both can sit down and take a breather from life.  We sit and just smile at each other, not many words, no bcakground noises, everything is off and far away.  I like it and I hope he remembers it forever! I sure will.

Soymilk and "Maria's cookies."

I LOVE being a mom!

LoVe is in the AiR!

My birthday just passed this weekend and it was quite a nice day!

Well, since then, I've been in a good mood...i don;t know, I guess it has to do with the fact that everyone treats you a bit nicer? Mmmmh, yup!

My son has also recently become a big Star Wars fan, calling it "Staa Woo!" and even making lightsaber sound effects and it's super CUTE!

Now, since I've been in a better mood, I feel all lovey-dubby and stuff so here is a video i saw as I opened my internet browser this morning...very adorable and it keeps making me cry everytime I see it!

ENJOY! DISFRUTEN!



May all of you be able to share this with your special loved one.  Remember that a family essentially consists in the true happiness between wife and husband to truly have a positive atmosphere wherever you go.  It's never about spoiling your kids, buying the latest electronics or gadgets, and definitely not about focusing on money.  Sure, stress from bills and debt can supress you, but your spouse is there...you're not alone any more and you're also there for them. I think that's the best part of being married.

We sometimes forget also that we as parents aren't just providers and figures of discipline, but before everything, we are examples.

I'm not going to tell you I have a perfect marriage, but I can tell you with all my heart that I love my husband with every fiber in my body and that I try everyday to make our marriage worth something for me and for our own future while building our family.  My expressions of love, on a daily basis, are very simple: I wake up as he gets ready for work and iron his clothes and his tie, sometimes I put notes in his pockets or lunch bag so he can find them at work. Everyday, I call him while he's away, just to tell him I love him and he always says, "awww!" even though he's heard it hundreds of times already.

Everything too good to be true is attainable, the catch lies in YOU keeping your part.  For more ideas and advice for your home, check out Happiness in Family Life from lds.org.

Now, I gotta get back to working on some wedding  and family pictures...ciao!

Summer Pinwheels!!!

So, I haven't posted in a LONG time, so I need to do it right at this very minute, or else I'll get busy with something else.

So, I've been perusing around for photography inspiration lately and boy, have I been so amazed!!! I realize I still need to move up in equipment, and soon too, but luckily, I have a thing called creativity in my back pocket and studied a lot of art in college too so that helps.

Anyways, I found this also to make for my little Andrew.  He turns 2 this Saturday, June 11th, and we're taking him to the zoo!  I'm exited, but because of relatives being out of town on his birthday, we had to move it out to the following weekend :-(  Oh well.  Luckily, it gives me more time to collect stuff for his birthday - like decorations, candy, and DIY cute stuff.  So, I found this, and I REALLY want to make them for his birthday to decorate and stuff.  It'll be so much fun!  The invites I designed also had a special note at the bottom letting everyone know to wear the 3 basic colors on the card for a prize....which is mostly to encourage people to get involved too.  So here's the site that I will surely follow to make these great pin wheels:

From Northern Cottage

super cute, huh?!
So, I'm off to fulfill other duties in my life, but I hope you try this out and start feeling that summer happiness and dust off the winter cold ;-)

Hasta luego! 'Til next time!

Kid's toy

Have you ever noticed how children sometimes prefer common household items as toys, rather than the brand-spankin' new ones you buy them to "develop" better?  Well, my little one loves making a racket and playing with general household items.  Pots and pans, empty cartons, you name it.  Of course, I make sure he's not touching anything harmful, but yet he still manages to somehow hurt our home in a way.  Anyway, that's another topic, so I've been making a lot of "new" toys from stuff I don't use anymore instead of throwing them away immediately....and he loves it!!! 

My mom gave me a book called "101 Things to Make and Do With Googly Eyes"....it's quite interesting.  She knows I love crafts ( I get it from her anyway) and my little one thinks it's an awesome book to read, yes read.  He will cry to me so that I can read this craft book to him.  I don't know why he loves it so much, but we sit and read about all the different ways we can use "googly" eyes.  We can sit for so long and just read.  Well, one craft finally gave me an inspiration to make this:



It's really easy to make and my little 20 month-old helped me make it too!  I'm sure you have all the supplies already in your home.  It's a home-made "maraca"...or how you would say, a rattle.

YOU WILL NEED

Old toilet paper roll

Two round circles from card stock ( I cut it up from old cereal boxes before tossing them out)

Old or new drawings your child has made and cut up in random pieces

Sequins, boa feathers, or other decorative trim (this is for the edges)

Googly eyes

Glue

Marker

Dry beans, corn kernels, or anything small and noisy to make a rattling instrument.

MAKE IT

1.  Start by cutting those circles that will seal up your ends to not let the noise-makers out and actually be sturdy.  Here's a general idea.  Remember, try recycling, it's free.  So I used cereal box cardboard to do this and simply turned it over.  Cut slits on the lines inside the circles.

2.  Glue one circle to one end of the toilet paper roll and let the fringed pieces go around the outside edge.

3.  Let your kid out in the kernels (or beans or whatever you got) in the tube and you seal the other end the same way as the other end you sealed.

4.  Now, this is where your child can get creative!  Start gluing all the cut up pieces of his old artwork and  cover the roll and ends completely until you're all out of paper to "Mosaic" on anymore.

5.  Add your decorative trim and let your kid glue on the googly eyes.  Now, simple draw your mouth.

Believe it or not, this toy will be a sensational hit to your little one and he will walk around with it for days!  Mine, still plays with it and loves to dance to the noise it makes too.

Disfruten! Enjoy!

Pizadillas

Well, I have been cooking this little entree ever since I was...about 12.  I loved making it for my brother sna sisters when I would babysit them (there were 8 of us) and so it was always a hit.

Now, I do it for my son too and it a great alternative to eating pizza or plain quezadillas.  Plus, if you cut your cheese just right, then each serving is only 14 grams of fat and 31g for your carbohydrates.  That really beats a pizza slice by a  mile and the taste...well, like my boy says,"yum, yum!"

YOU WILL NEED

Cheese ( I used cheddar because I was out of mozzarella, but mozzarella is healthier and if you're lactose intolerant, like me, then it has a smaller effect on your body.)

Tortillas

Spaghetti sauce, or Marinara (try buying the chunky kind with lots of veggies to get some consumption going)

Lunch meat or leftovers for "toppings", sliced very small (optional)

Aluminum Foil

Large cookie sheet pan

MAKE IT

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees feirinheit.  Cover your coookie sheet pan with aluminum foil.  Place as many tortillas can fit without touching each other and spoon sauce on top each one.  Make sure you're leaving space around the sauce in the tortillas or you'll create a mess later.

2. Cut cheese and place on top of sauce.  I sliced my cheese thin, because a little goes a long way when it melts in the oven.  Keep everything relatively close to the edges, but not touching them.
3. If you decided to cut meat for this, now is the time to add it.
4. Place in oven for 5 minutes if you used cheddar cheese.  If you used mozarella, cook for 8 minutes.
5. Remove and serve.  I cut my boy's like a real pizza, but had to finger-tear it even smaller for him, you can just bite into it.

This dish is more filling than it looks, so listen to your stomach, not your taste buds.  Besides, portion is what matters when you want to create good habits in your life.

WARNING: This is so delicious that you might be cooking lots if you have kids, so get ready to make plenty!  This is one tasty meal you know is actually good for your family's bodies.