Today. Sun, toilet, and tears. Oh my.

I need to talk about my day.

I got the kids off to VBS. It's not fun to get up like it's school hours.

My husband had the day off so after VBS we went to Wild Waves Water Park. I once again contributed to getting age spots and wrinkles. I cooked in the sun and then felt guilty about it. When we were leaving my stomach felt really BAD.

Got home and drug myself to the shower. Ended up spending some quality time in the bathroom with my sick tummy. Yuck. Must've been that funnel cake with strawberries and whip cream OR was it those healthy nachos?

Got my self pulled together and called my mother to apologize for something I said yesterday. She started out calm and rational and ended up screaming at me. She was apparently not ready to accept my apology and just wanted to give me a list of all the crappy things I have done. It was also a chance to rehash why she is so kind and wonderful and she doesn't understand why no one can see how sweet she is. I ended up bawling and just letting her know I couldn't carry on any more of a conversation and hung up.

So, got up early, visited the toilet, and my mom freaks out. BUT...the boys had a really good time. Thank goodness.

I am exhausted.

Thanks for taking the time to be a friend and reading my lame problems.

xo M

Fiber One bars.

These "granola" bars are pretty tasty. They are loaded with 35% of fiber in each bar. Heaven knows that I need some fiber. LOL

I am pretty particular about granola type bars. If they taste healthy I am turned off. If they taste like kid food and sugary sweet I am turned off. If they are way chewy or way to dry I am turned off. SO..these are just right! Not to sweet, not over the top with tasting like health food, and not dry as bark.

I have only tried the oatmeal chocolate.

Let me know what you think!

Take it easy.

xo M

PS. Thanks to Melissa S. for telling me about these. :)

More fun than I thought.

When my husband wanted to take the boys to the NHRA drag races I was a bit worried. I thought about the crowds, the heat, my kids being hungry, them wanting to use the restroom, etc...

I know I am a bit of a control freak. To prove how much of a freak I am I decided that I would go along. NOT to see the races but to make sure my husband was looking after the boys. Making sure the boys were not getting sun burnt. Making sure the boys were not hungry. Just making sure they didn't get lost. I obviously had complete confidence in my husband.

Well, I went. Everyone was fine. AND....I had a really good time!! It was so FUN!!!! I know, like I said, FREAK!

Take a peek at the photos. Thoughts please.

xo M

The drivers pictured are Ashley Force (John Forces daughter), Antron Brown, Gary Schelzi, Brandon Bernstein, and Tony Pedregon.

Fun, easy, good summer read. MRS. PERFECT

Title - Mrs. Perfect Author - Jane Porter

Okay ladies. This was a great book. Thanks to my wonderful client, Michelle, for turning me on to this one.

I haven't really read anything like this. It is definitely written for women, mothers in particular.

I enjoyed it so much that I ordered another book written by Jane Porter.

I also enjoyed that fact that I live in Western Washington and the story takes place here. It was fun to read about familiar local hot spots.

I would love to hear from you if you have read this book. Sorta like an online book club. Take care and happy reading!

xo M

Try this one on the grill. Mmmmmm

This recipe calls for quite a few ingredients. I like the flavor but would change the red wine vinegar to a touch of balsamic vinegar...or both!?

I like this recipe because you can add more or less of the seasonings you prefer.

I sliced the cooked chicken and served it with a salad. The salad had a few slivers of red bell pepper, mushrooms, blue cheese chunks, blueberries, sunflowers seeds, boiled egg, and black olive. On the side were canned cooked white beans. I sprinkled a bit of balsamic vinegar over them and put a piece of fresh basil leaf on top. That was super yummy!!

Whisk together these magical ingredients.

1 lime juiced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Adding red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper if you like it to have a little "kick".

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thick

Marinade for at least 30 minutes. I let mine sit in the fridge for 24 hours.

I sorta thought this had an Indian or middle eastern flair. I really like the ginger and cumin flavors.

You can click on the image to enlarge it.

Give it a try and let me know.

My moms birthday party.

I had a birthday party for my mom this past weekend. It turned out really well. As you can see from the photos, my family is Korean.

That is me along with my mom and aunts.

The party was held at a Korean restaurant. I posted a picture to show what I did for some of the table decorations. I made photos of her and printed words under each one. Everyone really enjoyed seeing how she has looked over the years.

I really enjoyed doing this for my mom. I had so much anxiety but it turned out fine.

Thanks.

Great website for parents and kids!

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/

This is a great website! I use it A LOT to check out movie reviews. The site is for parents that want a true take on content in movies, video games, TV, CD's, DVD's, websites, and books. It's covers pretty much all media that kids would be exposed to. There are reviews from parents and kids alike.

I like the layout of the site. You can look things up easily with age groups, media type, or just do a general search.

When it asks if you would like to sign up you can simply click "no thanks". There is no required registration or cost to use the site.

PLEASE take a minute to look it over. You'll be impressed.

Wishing you lots of fun on the 4th!

Wishing all of you a fun 4th of July.

This is Oliver. Our super sweet dog.

Toscanos cafe and wine bar

http://www.toscanospuyallup.com/directions.asp

This was a nice place. It is located in Sumner, not far from the freeway.

My friend Melissa and I had lunch there with my son's teacher Caryl. It was really pretty good. We each had a DREAMCICLE martini, turkey avocado panini's, and salad with a really nice dressing. We also treated ourselves to creme brulee. YUMMMMY.

This place was located in almost a business building sorta area. There wasn't a great view. That didn't seem to matter. We ate in the outdoor seating area which offers an outdoor fireplace. The indoor area was mature with dark wood and cool lighting. It would be perfect for appetizers and cocktails with friends or date night. The place isn't big which adds to the charm. It's sorta intimate.

I would defiantly go back. The menu was tempting, nice atmosphere, and the service was perfect. It receives an A- from me. Only downfall is the lack of something nice to look at in the out door seating area. You are looking at a road.

Side note. Definitely an adult restaurant.

Let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you.

Yummy with a capital "Y" - Homemade donut holes!

Well, well. What do we have here? How about some YUMMY donut holes?

I saw this idea on a TV show and had to make it my own. It turned out awesome and was super easy to make.

Break open a tube of biscuit dough from the grocery store. Role pieces of the dough into donut hole sizes. The kids enjoyed doing that part.

Heat a pot of oil. I used canola oil.

While the oil is heating up I got brown paper bags. I put a bit of white sugar, cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg into the paper bags.

I also mixed a side of powdered sugar with milk. This made a sort of glaze.

Once the oil was heated I carefully placed some of the rolled dough into the pot. I turned them frequently to brown on all sides.

Once golden brown I place them on a paper towel for just a moment then put a few in the brown bag with sugar mix. The boys bunched up the top of the bags and shook them. They were coated in sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mmmmmmm

I drizzled with the glaze and ATE them!! Warm and yummy.

Super easy and not very time consuming. Loved it. Hope you do too. Please comment and let me know what you think.

Made approx. 24-30 donut holes.

Asian Flair Chicken - Great for grilling.

This is Called Korean BBQ Chicken Marinade. It is a quick and easy marinade to make ahead and I usually have the ingredients on hand. Super simple with a lot of flavor.
YUM!

I mixed together 1 cup each of white sugar, soy sauce and water. Add onion powder, ground ginger, and garlic to taste. I added about 1 teaspoon of the onion powder and ginger and one clove of garlic. You bring those ingredients to a light boil. Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool you can add some lemon or lime juice as well as hot chili paste or hot pepper flakes to add some spice.

I pounded down some chicken breasts so they would cook evenly. I place them in a zip-lock bag an refrigerated for about four hours. There is enough marinade for 6 or 8 chicken breasts. You could set some aside to spoon over rice and use the rest for the marinade. They cooked for a few minutes on each side. I cooked two in a frying pan of sorts and cooked the others on an outdoor gas grill. Both were quick, easy, and yummy. I would use fresh ginger if it was available. Enjoy!

Please let me know if you try it or if I missed something.

xo M

Pretty nails

I don't wear artificial nails but I do usually wear polish. For some ladies keeping polish on natural nails can be challenging. I have found these items that seem to keep the polish on longer.

There is a top coat and base coat from Creative nails. The top coat is called "Speedy" and the base coat is called "Sticky". I also use and "orange wood stick" to clean up when I color outside the lines. The can is purchased from Sally's Beauty Supply. It is Beauty Secrets Nail Enamel Dryer. It helps dry the polish faster. I apply the sticky, then two coats of polish, then one coat of speedy, then I wait a few minutes and spray with the dryer.

I usually treat my self to pedicures but do my own nails. I end up polishing about once a week. The polish does not peel off it just gets rough looking.

Pretty nails are always in style.

Crafty card

Here is a card I made a while back. I like the blue and brown together. I used Stampin' Up punches for the flowers and added a button. On the inside I stamped with craft ink.

Thanks for lookin'

Have an easy day.

xo M

$$$

Guess how much we made on our unwanted treasures?

The garage sale was crazy busy.

Take a guess!

Pretty lashes

Aren't these pretty? Just wanted to show you some recent lash extensions I did.

The ladies have been lovin' them. I think when the weather warms up people want the lashes. It's way easier than mascara. A lot of my clients are going on vacations and want to lay by the beach or pool with out worrying about mascara running down their face.

These are very light and natural. It wasn't a full set. Only 75% of her lashes were full in this photo. Still very pretty.

M

Pretty hair

Here is my fabulous client Melissa. Her color looks so great!

Love ya Mis! Love your hair do too!

OMG - What a mess!

Here it is. My shame. My mess. My GARAGE SALE. Hope people come and buy this stuff.

We have a four car over sized garage. We have managed to fill three of the four! Can you believe it. This goes to show ya that people have more than they need. I am embarrassed.

Lesson...don't do this!

Gift for friends at school

These are the DVD packaged up to give to each student. I shared it with the class today and they loved it. It's fun for little people to see themselves up on screen and hear cool music. They were so excited that they each got to take one home. So fun!

The stamp on the back says "Time spent with friends is time well spent." It is from Stampin' Up as well as the butterfly. The flowers on the front were cut from the Cricut machine and are stuck on the outside of the DVD package.

As always, you can click on the photo to enlarge it.

xo M

DVD Teachers gift

This is a fun thing I made to give to the teacher. I spent some quality time making a DVD of photos from the classroom. The pictures were from the entire year. The DVD had music, fades, the whole ball of wax. It was really fun to make. I burnt a copy of the DVD and a separate music CD for her. At the last minute I decided that presentation was suddenly important to me. Soooo...I ended up with this! I thought it wasn't that bad for a quick crafty item. One side has the CD the other has the DVD. I know the two sides are a bit different in height but at that point it didn't matter. It was gonna have to do. Sorta cute don't ya think?

Her classroom theme is Butterfly's and the front says "Life gives you many reasons to smile." The DVD had photos of all the students and various activities they did throughout the year.

You can click on the photo to see a larger view.

xo M

Oh, one more thing. The ribbon is attached to the actual folder. :)

This is my question. Summer camp, nanny, or nothin'?

So tell me what you or someone you know does with their school aged kids during the summer? I especially would like to know what working moms do. Daycare, family, friends, day camp...? I work part time and it's always a challenge as to what is going to work for the summer months. I have hired a nanny this year. That gets expensive! Looking forward to your input.

xo M

Well how about this "handy" product?! I know, that wasn't funny.

It's made by Dial and called color clean. I bought it for the little people who live here. They don't seem to ever really wash very well. I kinda think this helps. It has little blue beads that fade away after you have been washing long enough. The beads get in between little fingers and all those places they forget about. The pump doesn't allow a whole lot to come out. Maybe it's meant to be used sparingly.

That's my this and that for now. Till next time. Have an easy day.

xo M

Just a tired rant.

Oh man. I am soooo tired. I went to bed late then I ended up waking up at 1AM with my stomach turning. We had gone to Claim Jumpers for a retirement party and apparently my dinner did not sit well with me. I ended up throwing up and tossing and turning for a long time before drifting off to sleep. I was wiped out this morning. My poor kids must think I am the grumpiest mom ever. So, yuck. That's all I can say..YUCK. I have to work all day too. I can't wait to rest my head on my cold pillow.

Have an easy day.

M