Street Fair Preppin

With just under a week to go - here's some booth prep I've completed...it's been a LOT of work, but I couldn't be more excited!!

Before/After of our old changing table to use for extra shelving at the fair:

I found this mini faux-bird/water fountain at Michael's for 60% off - score! I thought it'd be perfect to display my biz cards, especially since it has some height to it, compared to most biz card holders:

Bird Cage Display Rack I found at Kohls.com...love this rustic look...came with the clothes pins too!

I had searched all over Pinterest for ideas on a 'directional sign' - I was thisclose to buying one for $30 + shipping... until I realized that I could probably throw something together myself. So I journeyed to Home Depot & picked up two 2x8 pieces of wood. Of course their saw wasn't working that day {*sigh*}... but at least that meant I got a discount, hehehe! While checking out, I sent out an 'SOS' on Facebook, asking if anyone had a saw I could use... exactly .5 seconds later I found my helper - a good friend of ours who lived down the street & offered to come by & help - yay!

He ended up pretty much cutting & putting the whole thing together - which left me with the 'tough' chore of paint...yippee! It took about 1 hour start to finish (including 2 coats of paint) and cost less than $15!

Oatmeal Container Headband Holders - now I've done something like this before, about 2 years ago... but loved this look wayyy more than my past attempt. I made two of these 'headband holders', covered in burlap, glued to a wide-rimmed shallow vase from the Dollar Tree, and glued little 'sola flowers' on the top - so cheap & easy to make!

My vinyl sign from Vista Print:

My bags with labels & "thank you for your purchase" card - made by moi:

My pocket apron:

And finally, a simple preview of our setup when I did my trail-run the other day:

Side note - cute thing Kapri said to me during all this work and prep, taking over our house:

K - "Mommy...I'm proud of you"

Me - "Oh really...proud for what?"

K - "for all your hard work on the street fair."

Me - "aww toots, that's so sweet, thank you!"

Love that kid.

CAN'T WAIT!!!


**Others not pictured in this post, as they are in past posts:

• Mini Chalkboard Stands (for price displays)
• Thrift Store {and other re-purposed items} Makeovers (using LOTS of white spray paint!)
• DIY Tree Branch Display (lots more spray paint!)

Happy 32nd Hubby!

This year for the hubs 32nd birthday we celebrated twice... once with just our little fam of 3 on his actual bday, and another 2 days later with a ton of friends.

Bday Sushi Dinner:

Hubs always loves sushi...so this year we tried a new place that had great reviews....everything was super yummy and the Miso soup was one of the best I've ever had! mmmm, getting hungry just thinking about it now!




Yay Kapri - using 'training' chopsticks for the first time, haha! She was obsessed with their sticky white rice...

Bday with Friends at Stone Brewing Company:

It was sooooo great to see a bunch of his/mine/our friends all come together to celebrate James - many we hadn't seen it WAY too long. We had a fab little spot for everyone to gather and catch up, enjoy some awesome food/drinks. And thanks to my sis KayLee for bringing ice cream cake, ice cream cupcakes & ice cream cookie sandwiches from ColdStone!


I wanted to make something that we could all wear that would identify that we were there together for a certain purpose...so I found a huge case of these bead necklaces at Party City... then took some very old & outdated, but super thick business cards, spray painted them with chalkboard paint, punched a hole through them, and assembled them onto the necklaces with a paperclip - it turned out GREAT!

Everyone had fun coming up with funny things to write on them - though every time we'd hug one another, some of the chalk would rub off, haha!




Check out this group (more came later too!) - way to represent!!


The bad-ass Bostonian chick who made this all possible {manager at Stone} - thanks for the hook-up Sheena!!!!!


And last but not least - some of my fav ladies:


So glad I was able to spend a longgg afternoon/evening with all these awesome people, it was entirely too much fun and I know the hubs felt super special with the huge turn out! Happy bday babe!!! xoxoxoxoxxxx

Sweet Strawberries

I have lived in San Diego all my life, and never once have I gone to the strawberry fields and picked my own - until now! And this particular field was huge & has been in operation for over 50 years!!

James had to work on Saturday, so I thought we'd spend our mother/daughter day with my youngest sister KayLee (or Aunt LeeLee as Kapri calls her). We headed out early to beat the weekend crowds. The small bucket was $10 - so a little pricey, but I guess you pay for the experience. Kapri loved picking the strawberries and putting most in her mouth rather than the bucket...they were so sweet & delish!

And they had the pretttttiest flowers for sale...I wanted them all!

Then we stopped at Costco to pick up my diaper cake poster to display at the upcoming street fair, had hot dogs for lunch, and tried every single sample they had to offer!! It was hilarious... we should've just had samples for lunch!! After that, we did a little strolling & shopping at the Forum, and ended the day with ice cream - perfect day!

Cutest Baby Shower - EVER!

Baby showers have become more & more stylish over the years, especially with the explosion of Pinterest - people are FILLED to the brim with ideas on decorating everything from your house, to nursery, to weddings & parties.

I had a feeling while getting ready for this one that it'd be pretty special...even the location was amazing - tucked away in a little (and by little...I mean huge & exclusive) gated community that contained houses/mansions, which were nothing short of AHHHmazing. Living in San Diego, and right next door to RSF, I'm somewhat accustomed to seeing very nice homes, but as I drove through this particular area...my jaw was on the floor. I just wanted to know one thing.... "what do you people do for a living?!!!!" haha

Anyway, the actual shower was held in the local community room/center (that was flawless in itself), located right on this little lake, surrounded by beautiful homes & lush landscape. We couldn't have hoped for better weather - the whole day was stunning.

I arrived to find adorable shower decor in every inch of that place & being the person I am... took note of all the tiny details the hostess' put into it...I could tell they spent countless hours making everything to ensure it was perfect:

The glowing mamma-to-be {Christina} is a long time friend, who's husband actually used to share an apartment with James & I many years ago. They are high school sweethearts like us, so I love having that common bond with them. They also married in the same location we did - though entirely different theme & feel which was so fun!

My gift set - coordinating necktie onesie, clip-on bowtie, & burp cloth - cannot WAIT to see baby Lucas rockin his new CfC gear:

As she opened my gift, she knew by looking at the front of the card that it was handmade...by me, haha! I'm such a sap, I totally cried writing on the back of it...remembering Kapri as a baby just brought tears to my eyes. It all goes so fast!

Along with the above baby gift set, I also made her a nursing cover from fabric that she'd seen in an Instagram pic and specially requested it a few weeks prior.

Congrats girl & thanks for having me at your out-of-this world, beachy baby shower!!! Can't wait to see how little L's first b-day party turns out! haha

March Madness {a recap}

It really was "March Madness" in & around the Mejia home, which left me with ZERO time to blog practically all month... blogging really does take time, but I enjoy it & love to capture all our memories in one place!

In addition to Kapri's weekly ballet classes (can't wait for the recital!!), here's a recap of the happenings in our lives during the last 5 weeks:

K's 3rd Dentist visit

She's doing much better now that she's been here 2 other times...still gets a little anxious when the first lay her down, but as long as I am there beside her, holding her little hand - she's all good. Doc says teeth are perfect (with the exception of the 1 she's missing)...so that's good news! I love that they have TV's in the ceilings and headphones, so the kids can just 'zone out' while getting their teeth checked out. My dentist has something like that too now (score for me!), except it's Netflix streaming in a pair of GLASSES!! Crazy how technology has advanced.

K's first train ride!

James, Kapri & I spent an afternoon together the last weekend in February down at Seaport Village. K & I had a mommy-daughter date there once before, which she remembers clearly... but this time we decided to take her down on the Coaster... she loved it! The whole ride down she kept waving & saying 'hi' to all the people OUTside of the train, too funny!

Two 'suspect' moles & stitches

Between Jan/Feb, my dermatologist removed/dug out 2 suspicious looking moles...first 'surgery' was to get one from the upper-most part of my inner thigh (OUCH)...with stitches in for 2 weeks. After that time was up, I went back in for stitch removal and to get the 2nd one removed from the middle of my back...and of course, another set of stitches. It all was brutal and so painful. The scar on my leg is about an inch, and the one on my back is more like 2.5" - so gross, but better safe than sorry.

Since then, I've canceled my tanning membership, which has been on hold for a year anyway, haha...but I only spray tan or use tanner at home now. Too scary to continue to fake'n'bake when you are a bit older, are a mamma, and realize how precious life is.

{{no pics, thank goodness - no one want's to see stitches & scars!}}

Baby Maddie's Baptism

After attending my first baptism for her older brother, Jack back in 2011 - it was baby Maddie's turn, who arrived into this world on Jan. 21st! I was asked to take pictures with the godmother's insanely profesh and by far THE heaviest camera ever, so that was fun!...though I didn't get many pics on my phone to document the occasion. She did wonderfully and slept most of the time....so glad we could be part of her special day!

I realized I didn't post about her arrival back in January...here are some cute pics of little Maddie when I visited her in the hospital...rockin her new Custom from Calista headbands!

And how presh is this... a side by side pic of when I visited each baby in the hospital - like brother, like sister huh?!

Baby Hadley's 1st Birthday!

We love birthdays...and Miss Hadley's 1st party was so adorable and all the kids had so much fun...I mean, how could you not with a jumpy in your backyard all day?? Hadley's outfit was the cutest thing I've ever seen... a full lace romper - I kinda want one for myself, LOL!

I especially loved the streamer/balloon/tissue pom poms hanging outside...it was so pretty!

I made Miss H her own embroidered Crayoll and 2 hair clips:

Our 15-Year Dating Anniversary - which I did actually find time to post about ;-)

St. Paddy's Day

Just hangin with friends, bbq'ing and letting the kids play on a huge greenbelt - love these afternoons!

Easter
Easter was split int two days - one day going to "EGGstravaganza" in Carlsbad - which was INSANELY busy & way too packed to be fun...(at least she got a pic with the Easter bunny, who she was "jumping" for joy to see!)...so we went back to a friends house, had a pot luck and did a mini-egg hunt for the kiddos.

Then on Easter morning, we had my mother-in-law & her hubby over for a little brunch. I stuck with my go-to casserole that is just so easy to make & super yummy...it can't be passed up!

Then we took a few pics outside - so blessed to have such incredible weather!

For Easter dinner... banana pancakes - why not?!

Whew...I'm exhausted just reliving all of that!!

How does she do it all?!

The last month has literally escaped me...and I honestly cannot believe it's April 1st {shout out to my mamma: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!"}. I hate when weeks go by and I just DO NOT have the time to blog. I don't do it for anyone but myself, but I really enjoy documenting our cherished moments & activities in chronological order, because I frequently refer back to old blog posts when I need to remember something that my crazy mommy-brain has long forgotten.

So, I'm going to try to plug everything into one post after this one & finally get caught up!

I've noticed my last  few posts have been a few of my fav recipes, and documenting our family's life adventures has taken a back seat - which doesn't mean they're less important at all - we've just been SO flippin busy!! It's hard to keep up... between working at an office full time, completing CfC orders & preppin for the street fair (which is a short 26 days away...ahhhhh!),  trying to be a good mamma/wife, cooking dinners more often (and trying to be more healthy), and every other life event in-between... people often ask/tell me: "how do you do it all?? you make all of us look bad, I can't compete!" I really feel awful to hear that some people/moms may feel that way - but to be perfectly honest... I DON'T do it all.

I can't. 

There's just never enough time in the day... 

My dirty laundry piles up for 2-3 weeks before I force myself to wash it all. 

Then my clean laundry sits in wrinkled piles for another 1-2 weeks before I force myself to put it all away. 

We never make beds. Ever. (unless we have company)

My bathroom goes uncleaned for weeks at time...get's pretty gross with all my makeup and hair all over the place. I hate cleaning. I pretend the mess isn't there. And how the hell do I still have hair on my head, when so much of it is on the floor?!! 

Toys are scattered everywhere & are not typically not put away both downstairs & up in K's room (again, unless we have company). 

Dirty dishes frequently pile up & far over the kitchen sink...until my dear hubby tackles them all - love him for that... I hate doing dishes. 

Our back patio is truly a disgrace....literally, there is a 4' wide patch of our yard that has been overtaken by weeds that are now as tall as me (or taller) - and I'm 5'3"!! 

My car always seems to be filthy inside & out, and is extremely overdue for an oil change & 90K checkup. It's making weird noises recently - that cannot be good for my bank account.

My grey hairs are becoming more wide-spread & visible since I haven't been able to get it cut/colored since mid-November (holy moly - that's 20 weeks ago!!) 

My craft corner has never been messier.  

I want to spend quality time with old friends more, workout more, read more, sleep more than 6 hours a night - but again... not enough time. 

I (and many who know me) consider myself to be a pretty organized person - but the last couple months have felt anything BUT organized.... "chaotic" sums it all up much better - unfortunately. I procrastinate - a lot. I avoid cleaning at all costs. I don't save my money like I should. I let Kapri watch cartoons &/or movies so I can get things done (can't be THAT bad, can it?). I can never remember to floss my damn teeth...or take my vitamins. I can barely watch TV without having snacks beside me - ugh! I have a BAD nail biting habit...since 2nd grade! I have piles and piles of K's beautiful artwork shoved in paper bags, not properly well-kept (and feel guilty knowing James has thrown many away when he thinks I'm not looking). I don't wash our bedding once a week (or 2)  like we should. I drink way too much coffee...and wine... and indulge in way too much chocolate.

So to anyone that may come across this post - who thinks that I (or any other mom out there) have a cute little life that is in perfect order and somehow manages to "DO" it all - please... PLEASE, do not be fooled.

For now - I just have to take one day at a time, be thankful when I can check off my 'to-do's' and don't be too hard on myself for the 'couldn't-do's' - and just hope that I'm doing an okay job being a mamma, wife, and everything in-between.

EASY *Almond* Pesto

Never again will I buy pre-package pesto!! I was actually looking for the pesto at Trader Joe's...but they were out.

Sad day.

So I picked up a pack of fresh basil instead and decided I'd give it a shot myself...but using almonds that I knew I already had at home (pine nuts are too much $$!).

I've tried before, but sorta burnt the almonds when the recipe said to lightly 'toast' them... so the pesto was a brown-green, smelt weird, and not appetizing in the least.

So this time, I found a simple Almond Pesto recipe that didn't call for toasting...and this is all I needed:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh basil roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic clove (I used pre-minced...about 2 cloves)
• ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup sliced or slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons canola oil (the recipe linked above said that using just olive oil can be a bit overpowering in flavor)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Measure, roughly chop, juice...

Put everything BUT the oils in the food processor...

Blend up until you have a combined, smooth consistency...

Then slowly pour in oils (I just measured each & combined into a measuring cup to make it easy to pour in while the food processor was running)...

Your kitchen will smell heavenly... fresh basil...NOM! Then scoop it all out into a Tupperware container (or freeze in cube trays). I found that the next day the oil had absorbed quite a bit, so I added in a tad more olive oil - FYI.

ENJOY!! I used up all of my batch on THIS awesome, healthy recipe!! DO IT!