Baking Fun

Lately I've really been getting into baking, especially cupcakes, I just love them. There are so many fun things you can make like rainbow cupcakes, ice cream cupcakes, or even popcorn cupcakes! Awhile ago I saw these adorable cupcake bites and ever since, I have been dying to try them. I knew I would need to make them a few times before I was able to get them to look how I really wanted to. Today was my first try and they were so time consuming but I thought they turned out so adorable. I made cake pops, cupcake pops, and cupcake bites (obviously the pops are on sticks). They were so much fun and the possibilities are endless, there are so many different colors and themes you can do. I will definitely be making these for birthdays and other celebrations from now on.

Piggy Banks and Chocolate Brownies

For about a week now Desirae and I had a pool day planned. We were going to go to the Esmeralda where they have a "beach" so the kids could play and we could lay out. Of course we wake up to find that the one day it is windy and cold out (okay, so it was still about 80 degrees, but that's cold for here!) we had plans to do an outdoor activity. Both the kids have coughs so we didn't want to risk them getting any sicker. Besides, the pool isn't going anywhere anyway. So we headed to Walmart to find something fun for the kids to do. We picked up a paint your own piggy bank kit and a bite sized brownie mix. As soon as we got back to the house the kids were ready to start painting. They did such a cute job on their piggy banks, now it's time to fill them up with money! After that it was brownie time. After the kids had made the brownies we decided to put chocolate frosting and sprinkles on them too! And as you can see, most of the chocolate ended up on their faces, not in their tummies. LOL

Mommy and Me Photos

Last week I was given a note from Layla's school that there was going to be a photographer coming to take Mommy and Me photos. Well, you know Layla and I, anytime there are pictures involved we are there. So on Friday we got ready bright and early and headed to her school to take them. Layla didn't corporate very well, we were supposed to hug and kiss and look at each other but no. Layla said "I just want to say cheese!" so all the pictures we got are of her looking at the camera and smiling. Whenever I tried to tickle her or laugh she got mad at me so those were obviously no goes. But even with her not being very happy about our picture time, we still got a few really cute shots. Happy Mother's Day to me, I love my baby girl!

A New School Friend

Layla's best friend, Ana, is now going to the Learning Tree with Layla! Layla couldn't be more happy, she comes home and talks about how the two of them played together all day. It's so cute! Plus, I get a coffee partner in the morning now, thanks Jessica! :)

We have tomatoes!

Layla and I are so excited about this! The other day we noticed that two of our tomatoes were turning red and have been waiting for the day we could actually pick them. Well, today's the day. They are so pretty, we cannot wait to eat them up!Give it a couple more days and we'll have these two babies nice and ripe and ready to be eaten as well. So happy to be able to eat our own tomatoes that we grew!

Stagecoach 2010

This weekend was so much fun! A bunch of my friends and I all went to Stagecoach and had an absolute blast. I only went for a couple of hours last year and didn't get the whole experience but this year we went the entire time. Saturday's headliners were Sugarland and Keith Urban and Sunday's were Brooks and Dunn and Toby Keith. They were all amazing but I am a big Toby Keith fan so I enjoyed him the most (Ed and I have seen him a few times while we were in Germany so I knew he put on an amazing show). Desirae and I (and her sister Gen and her boyfriend Greg) got to the polo grounds at around 4:30pm on Saturday and went to meet our good friends CJ and Nicholle. It was about 93 degrees out that day which is why we didn't get there until later in the day. We had a table and people watched and drank beer until the sun went down, then the party started! By the time Keith Urban came on we were all feeling pretty good and were dancing and being goofy the whole time. We were laughing the entire day, I don't even remember about what half the time but it was a blast! Hey, Desirae, show me your 6 pack... or keg! LOL Oh, and we ate the best pizza ever! It was so greasy and was probably 98462874657 calories but oh my gosh, it was amazing! The next day was a bit more low key since we were already so tired from the day before. We still had a great time but we did a lot more relaxing rather than running around and dancing every where. This time it was basically just Desirae and I the entire day and Toby Keith was the highlight of the day. Love him! He ended our night great! I am so glad Desirae and I went and spent the whole time together, it was such an awesome weekend!

Happy 25th Birthday, Best Friend

Today is my best friend, Desirae's 25th birthday! I hope this year is a great one for you! You are officially in your MID-twenties! LOL... I love you! Happy birthday!

Desert Rain

I've grown up in the desert my entire life and the one thing I have always wanted more of was rain. Desert rain is just amazing, rains very little, stays hot outside, doesn't get humid, and is just gorgeous. I remember growing up I would tell everyone that I wanted to live somewhere where it rained all the time, like Washington. I thought the rain was the same everywhere... Then I moved to Germany and realized that not all rain is as amazing as desert rain. It rained and rained and rained in Germany, we never saw the sun. I'm from California, I NEED the sun. I grew to hate the rain and counted down the days until I was back in the sun where I belong. Every now and again it'll rain here, not very much, just a few sprinkles, but I am falling in love with it all over again. This time I know it is not just any rain and I will never wish to move somewhere where it rains constantly.

Open House

It was open house at Layla's school tonight and it was a chance for the kids to take the parents around their classes and show us what they've been learning for the past year. Layla has 4 classes she goes to throughout the day; music/dance, art, science, and language arts. She absolutely adores her teacher and her teacher says nothing but great things about her as well. Layla had so much fun showing me different work sheets she's completed and the toys and books she likes to play with most. I have been so pleased with The Learning Tree and would reccomend it to anyone. It's amazing how much Layla has learned since she has been there, not just academically but socially as well. She is just getting smarter and smarter and she impresses me with her new knowledge every day. We also got to look around at the Pre-K class that (if we weren't moving in August) she would be going to next year. I, of course, fell in love with it and wish she could stay there another year but I'm sure we'll find a great school in Colorado as well. I'm just so happy that Layla is such a wonderful kid.

Happy Birthday, Mom

Today is my Mom's 54th birthday! My mom is such an amazing woman and is everything I strive to be. We had a really good day, hanging out around the house and then dinner at Tony Romas. Mmmmm! Then we came back to the house for some birthday cake. Happy birthday, Mom, I hope it was a great one!

Slumber party with Jessica and Ana

Last night one of my best friends, Jessica, and her daughter Ana, invited Layla and I over for a slumber party! It's just what Layla and I needed, to get out of the house and have some fun. Jessica had the whole night/this morning planned out for us with different activities. We got to their house around 6:30pm and as soon as we got there, Layla and Ana were ready to jump in the pool! So we got changed into our bathing suits and hopped right in. Then, it was time to hop in the shower, get nice and clean, and put on our PJ's! Movie time! Jessica's husband, Andy, blew up the air mattress in the living room for us and we threw on Princess and the Frog. They were so cute laying there watching their movie. We couldn't forget to throw popcorn and Raisinets into the mix though! :) The movie and talking wore us out and we were in bed before 11pm. Us mommies need our sleep! We were up bright and early the next morning and ready to do our craft while Andy made us Belgian waffles, bacon, and eggs. Jessica had printed out a bunch of pictures, got stickers, glitter, and picture frames so that the girls could make collages (reminds me of something I would do). They had so much fun putting everything together. I don't have a picture of the final product but they came out soooo cute! I love them! Before we left the girls wanted to play a round of dress up, Layla was Belle and Ana was Minnie Mouse. They play together so good and are going to be best friends when they grow up. Thanks for the great slumber party, Jessica, we had such a great time. I can't wait to do it again!