Spring Essentials & A Bobbi Brown Giveaway!

In preparation for my trip to Scottsdale tomorrow for my BFF Lea's wedding, I began making a mental list of all the things to pack in my sweet little toiletry bag.

This is what I came up with:
1. Bobbi Brown Bronze Shimmer Brick: I use this pretty little hunk of a thing everyday once the weather turns warm.  Perfect for the cheeks and as an eyeshadow, it gives just the right amount of bronzing.  And it lasts forever!  I've had mine for a year now and I haven't even made a dent in it.
2. Moroccan Oil: This is a new discovery from my beauty supply store shopping trip, and the claims are true!  It really does smooth out flyaways, makes your hair shiny and smooth.  Oh and the added bonus is that it smells wonderful.
3. Smashbox Melon Drama Lipshine: The perfect amount of tint, perfect color for spring and summer, and not too ooey gooey sticky.
4. Maybelline Coral Crush Lipstick: I'm not the type of girl that takes lipstick color advice from just anyone, but when Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere recommends it, I tend to take it a little more seriously.  She's right, this is a great spring and summer shade for all hair and skin colors.
5. Fresh Sugar Perfume: This is the only perfume that I own and wear.  Seriously, 'nuff said.  I love the light, sweet, tangy scent of it.  Absolutely the perfect scent for the warm desert weather.
6. Eucerin SPF 30 daily sunscreen face moisturizer: This face moisturizer is lightweight, doesn't cause break outs on my skin and the best part is it's rather inexpensive and I can find it at a grocery store, drug store or Target.
7. Essie Main Squeeze Nail Color: This is a light, chalky color and I'm sure not for everyone.  But I like the subtle hint of lavender, and since it's part of their wedding collection, perfect for a weekend wedding.
8. Vitamin C Energizing Face Spray from Body Shop: I received this as a gift a couple of years back from our house model at my old job.  It's a refreshing spray that you can spritz over makeup to give you a little lift.  Smells and feels fantastic.

So there you have it folks.  I'm not one of those beauty supply crazies that has a closet full of stuff, rather I have just bought a few things here and there over the years.  These 8 things are all some of my favorites.

Now for the exciting part!  I am hosting a giveaway. My very first giveaway in fact.
Why?
Well just because.  It's not because I've opened an Etsy shop, or it' the anniversary of my blog or anything like that.
Just because.
Because I'm going on a 4 day mini vacation with my family tomorrow.
Because my best friend is getting married!
Because all of my special orders are complete.
Because the sky is blue.
Because I am thankful and appreciative for all of you!

So here's the deal:
Leave a comment telling me anything, you're favorite beauty product, what you'd like to try, anything really and receive an entry.
Become a follower and receive an entry (just click on subscribe to posts towards the bottom of the page).
Tell a friend and receive an entry (tweet, facebook, on your own blog, etc.)  For each tell a friend you do, you'll receive an entry...oh and tell me in the comments if you've shared the news about the giveaway so I'll know!

Yes, I will be honest, I am trying to buy friends and influence people.  But what the heck, I'm not the first blogger to do it :)

And what will some lucky lady win?
Your very own BOBBI BROWN BRONZING SHIMMER BRICK!!!
Yes, that's right.  In no time at all one of you lucky ladies will have a pretty shimmery glow to your face and all your friends will be asking you what you did.  Go on vacation, get some botox, or sell your soul to the devil?  Okay that's a little extreme, but you will love this stuff!

Okay, go forth and tell a friend my friends!
Happy Wednesday!
Oh yeah, the giveaway ends Sunday night at 4/18 11:59 pm.  I will announce the winner on 4/19!

A Birthday Eating Extravaganza!

(please pardon the pictures; we carried around the elph this weekend)

I turned the big 34 this weekend.  Only one more year until I'm in my "mid 30's".  But aside from the how old 34 sounds to me, my weekend was not filled with horror and dread.  Instead it was filled with family and friends and eating.  Lots and lots of eating that spanned 5 cities and 2 counties.  Starting with a Friday night dinner at the Crow Bar and Kitchen in Corona Del Mar.  Our friends Sarah and Aaron joined us and it was a fun filled evening with lots and lots of laughs, and bidding adieu at 10 o-clock at night.  Yes, we are old.

The menu gets a little overwhelming so my top 3 picks of the night are the mac n' cheese bites, the grilled stuffed dates and a cheese platter of any kind; the quince paste is phenomenal.  Oh, and a little Crow-tai to wash it all down

The next morning we strolled out of bed around 10 am (thanks Nana and Papa), picked up the kids and headed to one of our favorite low-key breakfast spots, Crema Cafe in Seal Beach.  Although when did it become a sit-down type of restaurant?  Although it has lost a little bit of its charm now that it is no longer a walk-up, the crepes and pastries are still to die for.  Do yourself a favor and skip La Creperie on 2nd Street for a crepe and head straight to Crema Cafe.

{cappuccino}

{Nutella and banana crepe}

Oh and do yourself one more favor if you go to the Crema Cafe, order a pear and mango muffin.  Even if you're stuffed, take one to go and eat it at home the next morning.  I promise you won't be disappointed.

{pear & mango muffin}

That night we headed out to my old stomping grounds and hit up El Cholo.  I could go on and on about the food, the margaritas, the flan, but I'll spare you my soliloquy and just simply say, "GO THERE!"  Please, please, give it a try.  You will be thanking me my friends.

{Blue Corn Enchiladas}

On the way to El Cholo (we go to the one in La Habra by the way), we stopped at Sweet & Saucy Shop for some cake pops.  My perfect idea of a birthday cake.

{cupcake lollipops}

And last but not least, the husband did good this year for birthday gifts, real good.  I've wanted one of these for years.  It's something you just don't think to buy yourself. And when you're 2 weeks shy of 23 and you get married, it's not really something you think to register for.  Not when your culinary skills are limited to boiling premade raviolis and grilled cheese sandwiches.  But finally, I own my first piece and I am very excited to get started in the kitchen.  Beef bourguignon here I come!

Oh, and to top it off, he signed us up for cooking lessons at Prep!  It will be on Cinco de Mayo and we'll be cooking up a Mexican Fiesta!  I have to say I'm pretty adept at Mexican fare, so we'll see what the chef can teach this gal.  I'm most curious about her version of Spanish rice (because personally I think my family's version is the best I've ever had).

Happy Monday everyone!

Vacation Dreaming - Paso Robles & Cambria

While browsing through pictures tonight I came across these from our summer vacation last year.
Rented an Airstream and traveled up the Coast.
Great memories.
Some yucky ones too involving the black tank (anyone own an RV will know what this means; if you don't, well then consider yourself lucky).
Where to go this year?
Dreaming of the Carolinas and the Pacific Northwest.
Where are you dreaming of going this summer?

Is This Really Okay?

I just witnessed a mom, easily in her 30's, donning a full head to toe Lululemon outfit, driving a brand new fancy Mercedes minivan, leave her 2 very young children (2 & 4 I'm guessing) in the car while she ran into Sprouts to shop.

Is it just me, but is this just not okay?
Especially on a day where the temperature is reaching 84 degrees.
And in a very busy parking lot.

If it is okay, then sign me up because believe me I would much rather leave the crazy kids in the car while I do my errands.

She did leave her Golden Retriever in the car with them.
Oh I know what happened! She must have got mixed up and thought she was living in a Peter Pan movie and the dog was the kid's Nana.

The worst part is that I actually stood by the car for the 10 minutes that she was in the store and just sort of kept an eye on them.
I didn't feel right leaving, it just felt weird.

When she walked out (yes, walked, not ran), she sort of gave me this weird look like "why are you standing by my car."
I said, "I was just sort of standing watch because I noticed the kids in the car."

Her reply?
In a very indignant, almost smug and irritated tone she said, "Oh thanks, but I could see them from inside."

And to that I call bull$hit.

There is no way you could see them the entire time lady, so don't try to make yourself feel better and look like less of a jerk by telling lies.

Now I have left my kids in the car while going to the ATM and even a couple of times to do drop off at the dry cleaners where they are literally parked right outside the door.
But to leave them for more than 100 yards in a crowded parking lot in the middle of a hot day just doesn't seem right. Call me judgmental.
Especially children so young. A 6 and 8 year old, I get. But a 2 & 4 year old?

And the reason I felt the need to tell you what she was wearing, her age and the kind of car she was driving? Because she is old enough and {most likely} educated enough to know better. It's not like she was some teenage unwed mother.

Alright, glad I got that off my chest. I feel much better now. Time to go on about my day :)

MY BLOG LAYOUT

Attention!

if anyone happens to stumble on my blog between the hours of midnight last night and today, please disregard it's layout. Just please ignore it.

My techy husband is trying to teach me how to make link index type of buttons using photoshop and at midnight I gave up. We will give it another go tonight.

Until then, again please just ignore it!

But since I have about 5 readers anyhow, I'm probably just talking to myself.

Hi self!

Food Inc., I finally Watched It. Twice. And the Debate On Organics

To say I was disturbed is a gross understatement.
I now know why I put off watching it for so long.

I've also now put off writing this post for over 3 weeks.
People get wicked passionate about food, especially mothers and what they feed their families.
I mulled over how to write this without offending anyone, or coming off as preachy.
At the end of the day though this is about me, and my family, and the choices I will make for them going forward. With that being said, please take it all with a grain of salt.

The top 2 take-away points for me were:

The Meat Industry: We as a family eat meat at least 5-6 times a week, be it beef, chicken, pork or fish. As a shopper, I buy whatever is the cheapest that week. Chicken breasts for $1.99/lb, roast beef for $3.99/lb, pork tenderloin for $2.99/lb. If I were to be honest in the back of my mind I did sometimes think, "hmm, how can we get this meat so cheap?" But I didn't want to think about it too much lest I be scared out of my mind.
The scary truth is that even if I prepare the majority of our meals at home, and eat very little fast food, I am still feeding my family meat produced by the system that produces meat for the fast food industry. Cows that are fed only corn, then pumped with antibiotics to stave off e-coli; chickens that are fed hormones to get them bigger, fatter, faster, cheaper.

We will never be a vegetarian family, but I can make better choices for my family that I feel good about. Going forward I am only going to buy hormone free, grass fed beef and chicken. To offset the costs, we will just have to eat less meat. Plain and simple.

Fruits & Vegetables; Buying Locally and In-Season: As soon as I finished watching the movie, I emailed my friend Jenny and asked her to sign us up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) veggie box right away. I learned that the average fruit and vegetable travels over 1500 miles from farm to grocery market. Living here in California, where we have a cornucopia of fresh fruits and veggies to choose from all year long, there's really no reason why I can't get everything I need from locally grown farms, thus limiting the amount of ethylene ripened tomatoes and apples and Chile grown strawberries we ingest.

The Organic Debate: I said in my prior post that I hadn't bought into the whole organic thing, and even after watching this movie I can't say that I am 100% convinced to buy nothing but organic for my family. My friend Miranda sent me an article that I thought addressed many of my concerns and obstacles I see with the Organic movement:

*Organic doesn't necessarily mean it's sustainable as well.

*Some of my questions are still unanswered such as what is really the difference between buying regular milk from cows not treated with RBST, versus spending twice as much to buy organic milk?

*There still is no concrete evidence that proves pesticides cause long term harm, especially on some of the "peel" fruits and vegetables that show little traces of pesticides. So are they really worth the extra money?

*A big one for me is I don't like the way the Organic movement has been used as a marketing tool aimed at moms and families to spend more for food that may still be highly processed and bad for you. Much like the way Disney has marketed to young girls with the Princess movement, I often feel like I'm being pushed to "jump on the bandwagon because it's the cool thing to do" by not so well-meaning corporations. You can slap an organic label on a chocolate covered granola bar and claim it to be healthy, but at the end of the day it's still a big chewy cookie in disguise.

*Finally, this is where I might offend some people, but again, this is based on my own experience. I sort of resent the elitism that comes along with the whole organic realm, particularly the way some people that only eat organic present themselves. I've had a mom not feed her child the peas I was serving at my home because they were not organic. I've had someone offer me wine and preface it by saying "it's Organic", as if it being organic makes it something other than an alcoholic beverage, AND, as if I wouldn't drink it if it wasn't organic. I've actually had a mother at preschool tell me, upon seeing the Yo-Go that was packed in my child's lunch sack, "You know Stonyfield Farms makes an excellent Organic yogurt in a tube like that. You should try it."
Ummm, thanks, I'll make sure to check it out the next time I'm at the market buying crack laced Pop Tarts and Flaming Hot Cheetos for my 2 year old.
There is a way to be respectful and non-judgmental about people and their choices, but clearly I have come across a few that could use a lesson in humility.

Of course these are extreme examples, but real life examples nonetheless.
I can't help but come to the conclusion by these real life examples that sometimes the organic equation goes something like this:
Feed your child Organic=Good Mom
Don't feed your child Organic=Bad Mom
And this equation makes me cringe a bit, and the Aries in me becomes a bit stubborn about the whole issue and almost take a stand against it.
I know it may be silly, but I'm just being honest.

And the fact we can even debate whether or not to buy organic speaks volumes as to how lucky we are to even consider such things, when so many struggle just to put food on the table.

I've been writing this post since 9 am and I think it's time to wrap it up.
Bottom line, I liked the movie tremendously and got so much out of it.
I did not think it was one sided or slanted towards the hippie, crunchy, tree-hugging left, which was a huge relief to my father, whom upon learning that I had watched it quickly asked in a defensive tone, "What was the agenda?" The man hasn't seen a Hollywood produced movie in over 20 years.
Documentaries can very easily steer in one extreme direction. Case in point, Michael Moore. But I really felt that this documentary came from a good place and was well meaning in its intent.

We should at the very least, have easy access to the facts about the food we eat, where it comes from, how it was grown and produced, and its effects on our health and our environment. Once we have those facts, its our right to do with them what we will.

Good Eats my friends! And if I did offend anyone, Sorry.

Quick Apple Streusel Pancakes

I started dreaming about apple streusel pancakes last night for some odd reason.

My friend Lea and I made up the quick secret recipe to achieve an apple streusel pancake by doing this, now get ready, it's real complex, you add apple pie chunks to pancake mix. It sounds weird but it's incredible. I promise.

So this morning I woke up with the mission of creating some homey, warm, comforting apple streusel pancakes of my own.

Here's what I came up with:

Apple Streusel Pancakes by Andrea Howe:
2 apples of any variety, peeled and sliced thinly
2-3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup quick oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2-3 tbsp butter
your favorite pancake mix (I like either Trader Joe's for quick and easy or The Joy Of Cooking's recipe from scratch)

Melt butter in pan over medium heat and add all ingredients. Occasionally stir for 5-10 minutes until apples are tender but still a bit firm. Add apple streusel mix to your pancake mix and grill pancakes as usual.
I'm linking this recipe up to Linda's recipe swap over at Craftaholics Anonymous!

Enjoy!