Five on {Friday}

Thursday, January 30, 2014



Happy Friday Everyone!! I'm linking up with Darci and the girls again for 5 on Friday and boy, has this been an eventful week!

{one} 
Tuesday, I was having a bad day, (which turned into a bad couple of days) and I received an email saying I had  won a giveaway I had entered on another blog's website!! Seriously?! I think my heart stopped beating for a second, or maybe two or three. I have only won something one other time in my entire life! I was ecstatic! Not only did I win the giveaway, but the best part is that the giveaway was for Whitney English's Day Designer and Year Designer. I have been wanting these planners but couldn't see myself spending that kind of money on one right now. sad.

Now, I see why they cost what they do. In the front of the Day Designer, it has worksheets for you to fill out your Goals, Ideas, Passions and Skills, Values, Strengths & Talents.  All I have to say is, Whitney English you are Brilliant! And what makes it even better is that the packaging is super cute! I was in heaven when I opened the box- gold polka-dots, hot pink and black and white stripes!

I haven't starting filling my worksheets out yet but I am definitely looking forward to that "alone" thinking time. 


So thanks Erin, from Blue Eyed Bride and Whitney English for making my week!


{two} 
As I mentioned earlier I have been having a bad week. I will be honest with you, the terrible two's are getting to me. It's my fault though. I'm the one "letting" them get to me. Our little guy is smart (Yes, i know every mother says their child is smart) and I think he's getting bored being home with Olivia and I so I figured I would get some educational activities together for him besides puzzles.

Yesterday, the hubs came home a little early so Olivia and I went out and got some Valentine's day decor and I picked up a couple new toddler friendly craft materials like glue and fruit loops. 

I drew a number "1" on a piece of paper for him and dabbled  dots of glue along the lines and had him place the fruit loops on the glue. He loved it! yay! Brownie points for mommy! Of course he ate more than half the fruit loops I had poured in the bowl for him but that's besides the point. 



{three}
We are potty training this weekend!! I picked up some of little Gus' favorite goodies yesterday, including mini lollipops! His "Cars" potty (when it flushes it makes a car engine sound) is ready to go!

Big boy undies here we come!

Wish us luck!

{four}
Olivia took her first steps on Wednesday using a push walker we have! My babies are growing up! One is getting potty trained, the other walking...what is this world coming to?

{five} 
Atlanta is frozen-- I am originally from Atlanta and they got about 2 inches that they weren't prepared for. That screams disaster. Everyone was let out of work and school around noon which also screams disaster. People were driving a commute home of 7 hours, which usually takes about 45 minutes. What?! That's insane. Absolutely insane. There were people that pulled over on the side of the road and abandoned their cars because the roads were ice and no-one knows how to drive in those conditions. There was a woman that gave birth on the side of the  road because they were stranded in bumper to bumper traffic because of the road conditions.



Luckily, both my parents work close to home so their commute was nothing compared to 7 hours. All of our family and friends were safe thank goodness but seriously Atlanta, this is one of those occasions when I'm telling myself I'm glad I live in Miami.  

Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Elda

DIY// Ribbon Garland

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Last week I was feeling crafty and put together a little ribbon garland for the wall that Olivia's crib is on. That wall was bare. There was nothing on it so I figured I would spruce it up a little.



 I like to buy ribbon at a wholesale supply and they sell it by the spool which is 25 yards. So you NEVER run out :). (And it's much more cost effective) I happened  to have the colors of her bedding and decor so I got busy!

Materials:
scissors
4 or 5 different colors/prints of ribbon or strips of fabric 
(you could use different widths, mix fabric and ribbon prints to make it more interesting)
tape
Pins to attach to the wall
measuring tape or ruler

Instructions:

I used a thick white ribbon, hot pink, light pink with white polka-dots, and lime green. 

I measured out how long I wanted the garland to be and then added a little length to each side and cut my main piece of ribbon that size.


Figure out how long you want the garland to fall and then double it. That is how long you are going to cut your pieces of ribbon in each color or print. Cut a good amount out. I would cut a few a time and as I would run out, I cut more. 

I taped the main of ribbon, close to the edge of my kitchen table. You could also use your kitchen counter.



Start tieing the strips of ribbon to the long main piece. Slip the strip underneath the main piece until it is about half way through and tie with a double knot facing down. Create a pattern with the colors, prints or textures you chose. Do this for the rest of the ribbon strips and cut more out, as needed. 

When you are done, hang with the pins on your wall!

Let me know if you have any questions!!









{Five on FRIDAY}

Friday, January 24, 2014

Thank God it's FRIDAY!!! I'm so excited it's the weekend and I'm looking forward to relaxing with the hubs and my little ones although we have a pretty packed weekend! I'm linking up with Darci and the girls today for a fun link up called FIVE on FRIDAY!



{one} We took our little Livey to pediatrician for her follow-up visit after her diagnosis with broncolitis, a viral rash and double ear infection and she was looking great! She wasn't wheezing, the rash was gone and the ears were looking great! That poor little thing was so miserable last week. 

{two} We are taking some family pictures this weekend yayyyy! We haven't taken a good family picture since before Olivia was born. I will admit, I am a tad bit nervous...the last time we took pictures of the two kids it was a little bit of a disaster haha. We took them to a studio and as you can see in the picture below neither one of them is smiling.  I'm hopeful though that this time it will go a little bit better!



{three} I finally got the two little ones back into their normal sleep schedule! With the holidays,the traveling and family commitments they wayyyyyy out of their routine and honestly this full-time stay at home momma needs that time after 7:30pm to just have some down time. Little Gus was the hardest to put back into his routine. He is still falling asleep in our bed instead of his. But as long as he falls asleep alone and at his normal time im good. One thing I have learned, being a mom is that you have to pick your battles!



{four} I love seeing my husband happy! He is so happy at his new job! He is a Realtor and recently switched over to a new brokerage. I am so thankful that he is happy with what he is doing!



{five} I am in the lookout for some semi "real shoes" for Olivia now that shes's starting to stand up on her own. I am looking for a shoe that's acctually good for warm weather. I have fallen in love with these Minnie mouse ones from Stride Rite but am  really looking for something that is versatile and will go with everything. 

I really like these because they are crawlers too. I like the price even more right now but of course, with my luck they don't have her size! 

I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Super Bowl Party Food Link-Up// Baked Brie

Thursday, January 23, 2014




Today, I am linking up with Kaitlyn from Wifesessionals and Brittany from This Beautiful Life to bring you some ideas for Super Bowl Party Food. 

I am sharing a recipe for a baked brie that I absolutely LOVE. This tends to be my "go to" dish when I have to bring something to a get together with friends. It's quite simple, (I am a huge fan of simple, since with two babies I really don't have very much spare time to labor over amazing recipes)absolutely delish and has become quite the crowd pleaser!




Ingredients:
1 sheet of Peppridge Farm puff pastry (found in the frozen section at your grocery store)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (8oz.) wheel of Brie cheese
1 egg beaten
Crackers for serving

You will also need a cookie sheet for baking and a saucepan to saute the walnuts.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Defrost Puff pastry for about 15-20 minutes and unfold. I like to just lay in the middle of the cookie sheet so you don't have to move it after you have put it together and also to avoid it falling apart. 

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the walnuts in the butter until golden brown. (about 5 min.)

Add the cinnamon and stir until the walnuts are well coated. 

Unfold the puff pastry and place brie in center of the puff pastry. 

Place the walnuts on top of the brie cheese and on top of the walnuts place the brown sugar. It will look like the picture above. 

Gather the edges of the pastry,  pressing against the brie and gather at the top. you are going to have to press the dough together at the top, making like a little package. (picture below)



Brush the beaten egg over the top and side of brie. 

Bake for 20 min or until pastry is golden brown. 

Serve warm with crackers.

Sorry I don't have a picture of the finished product but it looks just like this last picture but golden brown!

I promise all of your guests will be asking for the recipe :)

Ikira & Alain's Wedding// Vintage Romantic Flower Girl headbands

Tuesday, January 21, 2014








For those of you who may or may not know, I make baby and girls hair accessories. I had a family friend come to me and ask if I would create some headbands for her flower girls. The theme of her wedding was romantic, vintage and shabby chic.

The wedding took place at Thalatta Estate in Miami. From the pictures everything was breathtaking. As much as we would have loved to be present, unfortunately, we weren't able to make it to the wedding as were in Atlanta for Christmas.

I had such a good time working with this beautiful bride to find the look she was going for, for her girls. We ended up sprucing up the flower girl dresses as well and adding a splash of color to them. I was so pleased with how everything turned out! I am so glad the bride was too ;)! 

Congratulations Ikira and Alain! 
We wish you all the happiness in the world!

xoxo
Elda 

Baby Files// Olivia is 10 months!

Tuesday, January 14, 2014





Our little princess is 10 months today! 

She finally has 4 teeth coming in at the same time!!!! Yipeeee! Her sweet smile has some pearly whites in it now! We are so excited but poor girl seems to be a little uncomfortable lately. :(


She is crawling like a pro these days and can stand up on her own using support from a table or chair. She is eating pretty much anything she can get her hands on! She loves to ride on her big brother's mickey mouse car and has figured out how to ride it on her own. It's so funny how she moves her little feet to make the car go!

She loves music and singing just like her big brother! 

We have also transitioned her off of her formula successfully!!! Which means she is not lactose intolerant!! Thank goodness! Since she had such a severe sensitivity as a younger baby we were really concerned her little tummy would not be able to handle normal milk. We are so relieved!

xoxo
Elda

Influenster// Jolly Vox Box

Friday, January 10, 2014

Happy Friday!! I hope you're just as excited as I am about the weekend! It's been a long week in our neck of the woods!

Last week I finally recieved my first Vox Box from Influenster, which I was so excited about! Influenster is a rating company that rates products. Companies that want their products rated give them products and Influenster put boxes of different products together to mail out to raters. ( kind of like a care package)


So this was the Jolly Vox Box. It consisted of some fabulous...

1. Rimmel Show Off Lip Laquer 
The color they sent me was just perfect do skin tone. I loved how the coverage was like a lipstick but it went on like lip gloss. Just fabulous! If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw the selfie I posted wearing the lip product. (I really dislike selfies.)


2. NYC New York Color HD Color Trio Eye Shadow 
This little eye shadow was a nice nude, natural trio. I really like to keep my eye shadow nice and light, nothing too drastic. It went on well for the money and had just the right amount of shimmer in it.
 
3. Skinny Cow Chocolate in Peanut Butter 
These were the best 130 calories I've had in a long time. Each box brings 6 packs of 3 good size chocolates. They were divine. Seriously, for 130 a pack you cant beat it!


4. Puffs Ultra Soft & Strong Tissue Pack
These guys were great for my purse. The tissues themselves were really soft and didn't tear.


5. Ducklings Mini Rolls 
This is a roll of mini printed duck tape! Mine was a purple and teal leopard print. And I loved it because for instead of having to cut duck tape with scissors, which is nearly impossible, you can just this little roll. Its almost just as wide as scotch tape. 



**All of these products were sent to me to test complimentary from Influenster.

Have a great weekend!!

xoxo

Elda 

Goals for the New Year...

Tuesday, January 7, 2014




1. Try at least one new recipe every week. 
I tend to cook the same meals on a regular basis. I am pretty tired of eating the same things...I am ready to mix it up a little bit. If you have any delicious recipes that you'd like to share, send them my way!


2. Choose healthier options for me and my family. 
Before my husband and I got married, I was such a health freak. I was that girl that watched and counted every single calorie. Then I got married and I don't know what happened. Little Gus is starting  to get used to eating too many "junk foods" and I am not liking it one bit.


3. Stay on a mass routine every Sunday.
My husband and I are Catholic and we are raising our little ones Catholic. However, it has been really hard for us to get into the habit of attending mass every Sunday. Somehow, something ALWAYS comes up. To teach our children and set an example for our little family and set a good example we really would like to go to mass every Sunday. no matter what.


4. Try and save time so I can spend more time with my family.
I want to manage my time better with the daily tasks around the house. maybe use the crock pot to make dinner more often instead of laboring in the kitchen every day for an hour and a half while two babies are tugging at my clothes because they need something. I could use that time to sit down and spend quality time with them.


5. Read.
Take the time to sit down and read a good book. I want to read something that will contribute to who I am and make me a better person. Something that will make me a better wife, mother, daughter, friend and sister. I want to learn something from it. If you have any good suggestions let me know!


6. Do random acts of kindness. This world can never have enough kindness.
It feels so good when you something for someone else. Not always does it have to be something big. Maybe hold the door open for an elderly person or the pregnant lady walking in front of you. Maybe pay the toll for the person behind you. Give a smile to a stranger on the street. You never know, you could have made their day with that simple smile.

7. Laugh. 
This is a hard one for me. I tend to be a bit of a pessimist. Try and forget about all the negative in your life or how negative my day has been. Think about the positive. Think about what I have to look forward to. Laugh about it. Life is short. Be happy.

8. Reach 500 followers.
This is one YOU can help me with :). If you are a regular on here let's make it known! Follow me! It's quite simple! I want to know who my readers are!

xoxo

Elda

Holidays 2013 Re-Cap: Christmas in Atlanta, New years in Miami

Monday, January 6, 2014


Man, it's awhile since I've posted. I feel like I neglected this blog during the holidays. I guess they really took a toll on me ;). I hope you and your families had a fantastic Christmas and New Years together! We sure did! We were in Atlanta, like I mentioned in my Christmas Day post, for a week with my family. My parents and brother are there and although my sister lives in Mobile, due to her new position she accepted this fall she had to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day :(. But she came down the 26th and was able  to spend a couple days with us, which was nice!

There really is nothing like family around the holidays, I had never really realized it until I got married and moved to Miami.



The kids had a blast. They basically did whatever they wanted since they were in grandparents' territory. They ate too many sweets, went to bed wayyyyy past their bedtime (we are still trying to sleep re-train them and it's not going well), and did lots of fun other things. Gus and I got to sneak away and had a day date ;). We got some last minute Christmas Shopping done and went out for drinks with some old friends of mine. It was so nice to have some adult time and re-connect.  


 My family has always had the tradition to attend midnight mass as a family, which is such a beautiful service. However, since the kids are still little it is a little hard for us and we have started to attend Christmas morning mass at my parents' parish. The service was beautiful. After opening presents Christmas morning it was really nice to celebrate Jesus' birth, by going to mass and kind of stopping and realizing what Christmas is really all about.



Another tradition we have is to make Baby Jesus a birthday cake, sing Happy Birthday to him and do a procession putting him in his manger. We did this growing up every year. This year Little Gus loved EVERYTHING about this tradition! (He is going through a phase where he loves to sing "Happy Birthday" and blowout birthday candles.)

Goodbye's are always hard. I wish we could be living closer to my family. I know my parents do too. So they could just stop by and say hi. Take their grandkids out on the weekends. Be there for EVERY holiday. But that's not reality. God for one reason or another wants us here in Miami right now. Maybe in the future he will show us what he has in store for us.


On our way down to Miami, my in-laws called us, asking us to take a detour and stop in Tampa. My father-in-law had some family in town that they wanted to see. So we agreed. little did we know we would get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. it was awful. I think that was the worst roadtrip I have ever been on. According to the GPS it should have taken us about 6 hours to get to Miami. Instead it took 9. That's almost what it took us to get from Miami to Atlanta. Anyways, we had dinner with the family that night and the next day we went to a little Greek Town, Tarpon Springs, famous for their Sponge Docks. It was beautiful! We enjoyed some great food, lovely ambiance and some live music played by some locals.



New Years we spent with my husband's family like we do every year. This year his cousin and his wife threw a party. There were Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc.,a lot of people. We had a blast. Little Gus I think enjoyed the party just as much, if not, more than the adults. He didn't fall asleep until we put him in the car to go back home. And little Miss Olivia was able to watch her first New Years countdown! She fell asleep awhile after midnight. I was so surprised she even lasted that long!





I hope your holidays were as fabulous as ours!!

xoxo

Elda


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