lifestyle Archives - Page 9 of 29

in the studio with sudo

March 1, 2016 4 Comments

crazy to think about it, but i think i’ve been blogging for eight years now. it’s actually been so long that i’ve started to lose track of the time! and between blogging, social media, selling vintage, and shopping online, it’s safe to say that i have a hard time managing it all! not only that, but for the past eight years, i’ve pretty much just used one email address for everything i do online. back when i started in 2008, i wasn’t thinking about internet security or business plans. i didn’t have some carefully crafted stage name, it was and still is, just me. and all these years later, as embarrassing as it is to admit, i’m still basically operating like it’s the early aughts.

fast forward nearly a decade, and i can’t tell you how many times i’ve found my inbox flooded with online newsletters, invoices, weekly social media updates, pr emails, personal family emails… the list goes on. or how many times i’ve missed a really awesome opportunity because i literally never saw the email amid all the junk. and i can’t tell you how many times i’ve had my credit card information stolen thanks to online security breaches. but i’m only one person! and i only have so much time to dedicate to everything i do online. especially when i’m also the primary caretaker of a very rambunctious toddler.

but despite all of that, i’m still very dedicated to my little “online empire” haha. in addition to recently finding a renewed sense of interest in filling this blog space with things about my life, i’ve also been moving full steam ahead with my vintage shop. i don’t mention it here much, but it’s been a really fun and rewarding outlet for me. and it helps pay the bills, so it’s a win-win. and for today’s post, i thought it would be fun to share a little sneak peek at my home office/studio space. i still have a loooong way to go in setting this space up, but a little corner of the room is starting to shape up!

and one thing that’s helping me along is my latest partnership with sudo. this brand new app allows you to automatically generate safe, secure, and private personas to use online to help you protect your online safety and privacy. each persona comes complete with email addresses, working phone numbers, and password managers so that you don’t have to worry about giving out too much personal information that might leave you vulnerable to data leaks, hackers, or just plain spam. and it helps you to compartmentalize all of the different things you do online, whether it’s blogging, social media, shopping, or selling. i’m especially excited because they’ll also soon be rolling out sudopay, a virtual credit card service that encrypts your personal information to protect you from credit card and identity theft. if you want to check it out for yourself, you can read more and download sudo here.

home

guest pinning for krrb!

February 25, 2016 2 Comments

just wanted to let you guys know that i’m guest-pinning over on the krrb pinterest page for a bit! they’ve invited me to share some inspiration for their apparel & accessories and for the kids boards! over the years, i’ve become so completely obsessed with pinterest. honestly, if it weren’t for all the hours i spend on that site, i would have no clue how to decorate my home. it’s become a super important tool for me when i’m planning new projects or can’t figure out what to wear for the day.

oh, and if you’re not familiar with krrb, it’s a really nice online classifieds page where i’ve found some really awesome furniture for my house!

above: boligcious

smile and wave.

bonnesoeurs.

camomile london.

lifestyle, beauty

morning routine with clinique smart

February 17, 2016 1 Comment

it may not always seem like it as you scroll through the photos on my blog, but life with a toddler (and being 29 weeks pregnant!) is actually pretty hectic. after adam was born, i made a huge decision and quit my day job to stay at home full-time to be his primary caretaker. in addition to working full-time as a blogger and vintage seller! it was a major shift. i can still remember those early days when i was alone with him, tip-toeing to the bathroom and attempting to wash my face and put on a little bit of makeup before he woke up in the morning. and later, when he started crawling, i would have him “help” me get ready. only for him to wander just out of view so he could unravel an entire roll of toilet paper and tear it into tiny bits! these days, things are a bit more relaxed when it comes to the morning routine. he knows the drill, and often hangs out with me at my vanity while i get ready for the day. a big part of what makes it easier is to have a foolproof routine with as few steps as possible, while still reaping the benefits of smart ingredients like antioxidants and spf. taking care of my skin has meant that i can get away with wearing less makeup, which has made a huge difference in the amount of time it takes me to get ready every day. so when clinique asked me if i’d be interested in partnering-up to try the clinique smart system, i was definitely on board.

i’ve been a long time fan of clinique products, so i was excited to give their new 4-in-one system a try. the idea behind the product line is to visibly reduce wrinkles, even skin tone, firm, and brighten skin with formulations that will work for every different skin type. it’s a smart yet simple routine that makes getting ready stress-free. the less time you have to spend worrying about your skin, the more time you have to take care of everything else on your plate. speaking of which, i should probably get to work on the nursery!

if you’re interested in trying it out for yourself, i’ll be giving away a jar of the broad spectrum spf 15 custom-repair moisturizer and night custom-repair moisturizer on my instagram later today!

wearing:
vintage dress, hand-overdyed with natural indigo
brookes boswell panama hat
birkenstock arizona sandals
j.w. hulme legacy handbag

lifestyle, beauty

valentine’s date night in with vaseline lip therapy

February 8, 2016 No Comments

even before we had adam (and before i was pregnant with a second), brendan and i have always kept our romantic endeavors pretty low key. as fun as it is to go out on the town, sometimes it’s nice to drop off the baby with a sitter and just relax at home. it’s always been really important for us to be able to just hang out and talk to one another. to catch up on what’s going on in life, to talk about politics or parenting, to hash out future plans, or to just goof off. even though it might sound ordinary, it’s really what’s kept us together these past 10 years, babies or not!

this year, i’ve been especially mushy and sentimental about valentine’s day… i’m gonna chalk it up to these crazy pregnancy hormones! but i wanted to make a point to have a romantic date night in with brendan. obviously, this is a no-frills endeavor, but it’s still fun to do a little bit of prep! setting out flowers, picking up a few sweet treats, and pampering myself just a little bit. fortunately for me, vaseline has just released their new lip therapy tins, so i’ve partnered with the brand to give them a try.

over the past couple of years, i’ve transitioned into wearing less makeup and focusing more on skincare, which includes making sure my lips are soft and moisturized. i tend to spend more time trying out scrubs and face masks over going all out with makeup. i usually wear a tinted moisturizer with a dab of blush and some mascara. if i’m feeling fancy, i’ll swipe on a flick of eyeliner. and i have lots and lots of lip balm. so of course i was excited to try the new vaseline lip tins. i love the minimal, almost vintage aesthetic of the packaging. and of course they are perfect for a date night in, or as part of my daily routine, especially during these dry winter months when my lips tend to get chapped.

a selection of the new vaseline lip therapy tins: original, cocoa butter, rosy lips, and aloe. the tins can also be found at target stores nationwide.

can you think of anything better than rosy lips on valentine’s day?

a cute little cake arrived in the mail with my new lips tins. perfect to try on our date night in!

kids

misha and puff spring 2016

January 25, 2016 2 Comments

i know i didn’t make the official announcement here on my blog, so if you hadn’t heard the news… we’re having a girl! besides the fact that it’s cool to get the chance to have both a boy and a girl, i’m also pretty excited about getting to play around with little girl clothes. it seems like there are so many more options out there if you have a little girl, and while i’m not planning to go all out pink and frilly, i’m definitely going to playing around with some slightly more feminine styles this time around. so yes, i am ridiculously excited about the upcoming misha and puff spring 2016 collection because this season might be my favorite yet!

lifestyle

two years

January 11, 2016 1 Comment

my little baby is two years old! we celebrated the big day at home with family, nothing too big this year. having a birthday so shortly after the holidays can be a little overwhelming, so i think i’m gonna have to learn how to better incorporate the planning in with everything else that goes on during the end of the year. and what’s even more, my own birthday is merely nine days away! thankfully, i’m a grown-up that doesn’t want or need much of a celebration. but i hope that as adam grows older, he’ll have fond memories of his birthday parties. he’s to young to remember this one, but i will certainly never forget just how much he enjoyed the day. he was cool and calm all day long, he oohed and aahed for every single gift, and at the end of the day, he asked if he could eat cake in bed and requested to bring a balloon into the bedroom. and he fell asleep singing happy birthday to adam, haha. it was really sweet to watch, and even though i’m not a very sappy person, i couldn’t help but get a little sentimental thinking about his life and how much joy he’s brought into our home in a matter of just two short years. here’s to many more!

ooh, and if you’re curious, we got the happy birthday plates, harlequin pattern napkins, and happy birthday garland from meri meri. i ordered some party hats that inexplicably didn’t arrive in the package, but the rest of the decorations were delightful. i got the cakes from a local bakery, martha green’s, and requested for them without piping or decorations so that i could add rainbow sprinkles at home. oh, and yes, that is a photo of me holding a giant burrito. we got them from a local favorite, rosa maria’s. i’ve always wanted to get one of their giant party-sized burritos, although i will admit that there are logistical challenges to eating said burrito once it’s been cut into slices!

food

the little baker boy

December 25, 2015 8 Comments

it’s christmas, and we’re all feeling comfy and cozy, enjoying this chilly southern california winter. the other day was particularly grey and rainy, so we stuck to indoor activities and decided to bake sugar cookies from scratch. fortunately for us, we just received the most adorable little kid’s apron set by odette williams, which turned out to be the perfect accessory for our activity of the day! like most toddlers, adam is obsessed with doing everything he sees his parents do, especially in the kitchen. brendan washes dishes most mornings before heading off to work, and adam often wakes up requesting to help his daddy! and you know he was ready to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty when i started mixing cookie dough. i set up a little work station for him to experiment with rolling out the dough and using a cookie cutter!

i’ve mentioned it here and there before, but i’m a certified pastry chef. before i became a blogger, i was actually a professional cake decorator. i still don’t know why i don’t show off my baking chops more often on the blog, but perhaps with adam’s help, we’ll share more of our culinary adventures in the new year. baking with a kid can be a test of patience, but it’s so rewarding to give them the opportunity to try something new and to truly feel like they’re contributing and collaborating with you. especially during such a special time of year.

food

mexican albondigas soup

December 8, 2015 3 Comments

if you’re a regular reader of my blog, you may remember this post from last year. but i just couldn’t help but post it again since it’s officially that time of year. in the past couple of weeks, i’ve already made three giant pots of this favorite family recipe. so here it is again!

coming from a mexican family, i grew up eating mexican food, with all of the recipes being handed down from generation to generation on my mother’s side. and as soon as the weather gets chilly, we all start craving a pot of caldo (soup) to warm our bones. albondigas (meatball) soup is one of my ultimate comfort foods. in fact, after adam was born, i asked my mom make a giant pot for me, and it was literally the only thing i ate for at least a week after i got home from the hospital. i just didn’t have the stomach for anything else. she would serve me a warm bowl of soup with a rolled up tortilla, and i would be in heaven.

last week was grey and rainy, so it was the perfect time for us to practice our family recipe. my sister and i made a big pot of soup under my grandmother’s supervision so that we could share the recipe with you. mind you, this is a recipe that we’ve all committed to memory, we eyeball the measurements for all the ingredients, and each of us tweaks the recipe to our own personal taste. there really are no rules, especially when it comes to making soup! i’m offering you the base for how we make it in our family, but feel free to add or subtract whatever ingredients you prefer.

albondigas soup

for the meatballs

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup brown rice
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped mint
garlic salt, pepper, and cumin to taste

for the soup

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup rice
1 tbsp crushed garlic
cumin to taste
3 cups vegetable stock
3 cups of water
1 small can of tomato sauce
2 cups cubed red or yellow potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
green beans or any other vegetable you prefer!

garnish (to taste)

cilantro
green onions, chopped
oregano

after prepping all of your veggies and meatballs, coat the bottom of a large pot with a thin layer of olive oil. saute onions until translucent, then add crushed garlic and saute for another minute before adding the cumin. finishe sauteing for another minute, then add the vegetable stock, water, and tomato sauce, and bring to a boil.

once the soup is boiling, carefully drop in the meatballs. let boil for about a minute before adding in the vegetables. reduce heat and allow the soup to simmer until all of the ingredients are tender, about 30 minutes.

serve with cilantro, green onions, and oregano to taste. then warm a tortilla and enjoy!

lifestyle

makr cards for christmas!

December 1, 2015 3 Comments

this time of year, i haven’t had much time for anything other than holiday prep – and i’m not complaining! i mentioned it in another post, but having a kid around during the holidays makes everything just a little more delightful. seeing the way adam’s eyes light up when we set up the tree, or watching him react to all of the silly christmas decor is enough to make me melt into a big sappy puddle. we’re even sending out christmas cards this year, which i have never ever done in all of my life. but when makr asked us if we’d like to partner up to try out their service, i was totally on board. and you bet i pulled up our cheesiest family portrait just for the occasion. i know that all of our aunts and uncles and distant relatives will be delighted to see our little family, and to hear about our new addition to arrive early next year!

i ordered the happy holidays pack, which includes a set of cards that you can customize front and back, along with little matching gift tags! the tags came in handy because i’d already put together my own little hot cocoa recipe to send as gifts for friends and family who live in faraway places. and i had a lot of fun putting together a customized calendar using pictures of adam throughout the last year. but of course, who could resist our silly little family portrait? it’s very rare that we pose like that, but looking back, i’m glad we did it at least one time this past year so that we’ll have a little token of our memories as time goes by.

get 20% off your holiday pack order via makr.co with code “CALI” now through 1/31/16!

this post was sponsored by makr.

lifestyle, home

breakfast in bed with eve

November 25, 2015 8 Comments

as many of you know, my life has changed pretty dramatically over the past couple of years. after making a big move across the state, having our first baby, and buying our first home, we just found out that we’re expecting another baby early next year! with all of these constant changes, we’ve been making a lot of big adjustments. one adjustment we didn’t anticipate? the shrinking size of our bed! we’re all about attachment parenting, and we’ve been co-sleeping with adam since he was born. and while we are beginning to transitioning him to his big boy bed, we still fully expect him to occasionally wake up during the night and wander over to our bed… which is soon to see yet another new occupant! so when eve asked us if we’d like to try out a mattress, i jumped at the opportunity to upgrade!

eve just launched in the us earlier this month, so i was pretty excited to be among the first people to give it a try here in the states. the model is simple and straightforward: they designed one ridiculously comfortable mattress, cut out wholesalers and middlemen, and ship the mattress in vacuum-sealed packaging so it can easily fit through a doorframe, or up a flight of stairs. the result is a luxury mattress experience at a fraction of the price. when it came time to pick my own, i didn’t even hesitate: i knew we needed a king sized bed to accommodate our growing family.

when the mattress arrived, it was tightly wrapped up in its compact box. we slid it into the bedroom, pulled it out of the packaging, and watched as it magically unrolled and filled with air right in front of our eyes. the yellow trim and cheeky packaging was unexpected and delightful, but we were sold once we stretched out on our new massive expanse of bed. adam hopped around while i dressed the bed in new linens. and we spent the rest of the day anticipating bedtime to give it a try. as expected, the mattress is super comfortable thanks to four different layers of squishy memory foam. and all of the extra space feels like a major luxury after sleeping on a much smaller bed for the last couple of years.

one major perk? eve offers a 100 night trial – if you don’t like the mattress, they pick it up and give a full refund – no questions asked. but we’ll be keeping ours, thanks!

this post was sponsored by eve. all content and opinions are my own.

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