Wedding Cake

Okay, so I survived my first wedding cake! It was ridiculously stressful and did not turn out exactly how I envisioned (lots of unexpected bumps along the way), but I did it none the less. I learned a LOT of good lessons and am certain that with some good practice I might actually get good at this cake thing. Hopefully if I ever do another wedding cake it will be buttercream. I'm still learning the ropes with this whole fondant thing. Trial and error and of course a LOT of practice are needed to master this edible art form. For now, I think I'm going to stick with showers and birthdays for my cake making hobby. Less stress equals more fun!

The wedding was for my dear friends Whitney and R.J. Whitney is one of our favorite babysitters and was the very first person to bring me a baby gift when I was pregnant with my first child (only 5 weeks along). Five weeks?!!!! What can I say? She LOVES kids, and she is so great with them. Her fun bubbly personality is contagious, and you can't help but smile around her. R.J. grew up across the street from us, and is as kind and loyal as they come. It's been fun to watch this sweet couple fall in love!

They are passionate and fun, and I know they have a lifetime of fun adventures ahead of them. I can't wait for them to have there own little kiddos running around because they are going to be fantastic parents. For now, they are enjoying every minute of their sweet life as newlyweds!

My middle son, Owen, was the ringbearer at their wedding (He looked SO cute!!!), and my amazing friend, Stephanie Morgan, was one of the photographers. All of the photos you see here were taken by her. You can check out more of the wedding photos at Stephanie Morgan Photography.

The wedding was beautiful as was the bride! I'm so happy for Whitney and R.J. and wish them all the best as they begin their marriage journey together! Congratulations guys!!!

The Lonely Life

Photo by Stephanie Morgan Photography

I am finding more and more that the life of a stay-at-home mom can be a lonely one. Especially for those who are just starting out on their motherhood journey or have young ones who haven't entered the crazy world of school just yet.

I remember over the last few years how desperately I needed close girlfriends, a form of companionship, a lifeline to the world that swirled around my secluded life at home. I prayed and prayed for God to bring women into my life who could come alongside and share in my journey. Women who would understand what my morning to night routine was like with it's chaos, monotony and exhaustion. I felt alone. I had my amazing husband for support, but even he couldn't fully understand what I was going through. I was surviving, struggling to breath in what felt like a never ending wave of overwhelmingness. I was in a spiritual desert, and I was desperately seeking to get out.

As the boys got older things became easier, and I began to regroup and get my bearings on life back. I finally had enough "umph" in me to get out of the house and get involved to find the friendships I was so deeply needing. I signed up for my local MOPS group (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) hoping to just get out of the house and enjoy some adult conversation. I never would have guessed that some of these ladies would one day fill my soul with joy and laughter and share in the ups and downs of life that come so steadily. I get so excited every time I get to spend time with them because they truly are a breath of fresh air in my life.

Around the same time I began going to MOPS, I started a prayer group with a couple of women I had become friends with at church. They also had the same desire for companionship in this motherhood journey and were feeling alone in their life as a homemaker. Our little prayer group has now grown to seven women. Not everyone can make it every week due to sickness or other plans, but whether it's two or seven, I always come away from our meeting refreshed and so very thankful. We are committed to encouraging and supporting each other. We lift each other up in prayer, and we challenge each other to be the best moms and wives that we can be.

I know that God was walking with me through my time of survival. He is faithful. It fills my heart with joy though to say that my spiritual desert is finally experiencing rain, and He is using these women to bring refreshing drinks of love, support and encouragement to this thirsty soul.

Through this experience my eyes have been opened. I see these moms with thirsty souls all the time desperately looking for a place to belong, and I feel a mission to seek them out, come alongside them and bring them the encouragement that they need. God made us for the purpose of relationship afterall...relationship with Him and sharing His love through relationships with others.

It's so important to have close relationships in your life, people who you can count on and who will keep you accountable to be the best version of yourself.

This stay-at-home life doesn't have to be a lonely one. If you're not already involved in a mom's group or a group of women (big or small) who you can share your motherhood journey with, I would encourage you to do so. Many cities have mom groups, and MOPS is a worldwide organization with groups all over the U.S.

With all that being said, take a deep breath and go for a walk outside your comfort zone to seek out some fellow "mommy" friends. You'll be glad you did!

"For where two or three have gathered together in my name, I am there in their midst." Matthew 18:20

For more information on MOPS or to find a group in your area, please go to www.mops.org.

Coupons

I recently attended a coupon class with some girlfriends and learned some great pointers on how to save on everything from groceries to cleaning supplies. With today's economy everyone can use some good pointers on how to keep your hard-earned money in your pocket! As a stay-at-home mom I don't have a paycheck coming in, but my time can be spent saving the amount of money going out. Here are my top 10 money saving tips when using coupons:

1. Get the Sunday paper. Although you can shop sales and find coupons online, the Sunday paper is the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to coupons! I currently subscribe to the San Francisco Chronicle (Sunday edition) simply for the coupons. Most of my toiletries and household item coupons come from the paper along with many food item coupons.

2. Look Online. Not only can you print coupons from online, you can also load ecoupons right onto your grocery shopping card. If you can't find a coupon you're looking for then contact the company and ask for coupons and free samples. The worst thing that could happen is they say, "No." 99% of the time though, they will be happy to provide you with coupons for their product! You can also buy bunches of coupons online for things you need which will still save you a ton. Some retailers offer special online deals that you can't find in stores as well, so keep your eyes open for these great deals.

3. Shop the 99 cent only store and other dollar stores. The 99 cent store carries fresh produce and many other perishable grocery items, many of which are name-brand quality! You can also find all sorts of other handy things at these stores for a portion of the prices you'd spend somewhere else.

4. Find freebies at drug stores. Most of the chain drug stores (CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid) offer rebates, money-back coupons and highly-discounted sale prices that when paired with coupons can get you FREE stuff or even make you some money back! It's worth checking the ads each week to find these amazing deals. Also, be sure to go shopping at the beginning of the week before these deals are sold out.

5. Stack coupons. Did you know that you can use a retailer coupon (from the store) and a manufacturer coupon (from the product company) on the same item? You can also use a manufacturer ecoupon with a printed manufacturer coupon on the same product. Anytime you can put coupons together on top of sale or clearance prices on a product, you are in for some big savings. Be sure to print out the coupon policies of the stores you shop at, so you can be familiar with their policies.

6. Use your coupons on the lowest priced version of each product. Sometimes bulk isn't better. If you can use a $3.00 coupon on a $10 pack of diapers rather than a $20 box of diapers, your savings are better. You may need to use more coupons on smaller amounts of items in order to get the best bargain.

7. Time is money. Only take time to cut/print coupons that you know your family will use. You can save the rest of your Sunday insert coupons by labeling the date they came on the front paper and keeping them in a folder/filing system. Check online blogs to see if there are any good deals you missed. They will let you know where to find your coupons (which week, ad, etc.). Keep things organized so that you aren't spending hours sifting through a hundred coupons looking for that one that you need. A binder with baseball card sleeve pages is a great way to keep your coupons organized. Remember if you can save $50 a week for two hours of work it's like making $25/hour!!!

8. Meal planning. Try to plan your meals around the sales/coupons you have for that week. By planning ahead, you can shop for exactly what you need at highly discounted prices. You will save money and save food! It's easy to be wasteful when you don't plan ahead.

9. Entertainment. You can find coupons and deals for more than just groceries. Theme parks, museums, restaurants and retail stores are a few of the places where you can use coupons and/or special rates. Look on their website or online to find just the deal you're looking for.

10. Trade and share. I have a few other friends and family members who are also into couponing and bargain hunting. Not everyone uses the same products, so put together a little coupon swap party. If you find a super great deal while you're out shopping, let them know about it! They'll start doing the same for you.

A couple of websites I have found extremely helpful are www.coupons.com, www.hip2save.com and www.thefrugalfind.com. Julia over at The Frugal Find is in the S.F. Bay Area and teaches the fabulous coupon class I attended (available soon on dvd). She feeds a family of 6 for $50 a week!!! I highly recommend taking her class. Please check out her website for more information on classes and frugal finds in your area.

I hope you find these tips helpful! Happy shopping!

Recipe: Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

Okay...let me first apologize for not having a photo on this one. We ate them up so fast that I didn't even think to take a picture until they were in our happy tummies.

I love to make up new things that are quick and easy, and it is so gratifying when I get a thumbs up all the way around from my family. This was a spur of the moment "I don't know what to make, and I don't have a lot of time...what can I throw together?" type of dinner.

I am a big fan of frozen chicken tenderloins simply for the fact that they fall in the quick and easy category. They don't have to be defrosted (you can just throw them in a hot pan frozen), they are always tender, and you can easily make a little or a lot without any extra trouble.

The ingredients for this recipe are pretty basic, so don't be surprised if you already have most of the items ready and waiting for you in your kitchen. My oldest son is five and after a few bites he announced, "Mommy, these things are REALLY good!" I couldn't help but smile. My husband agreed, and judging my my 3 yr. old and 2 yr. old's plates, they agreed as well. So here it is...

Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

8-10 chicken tenderloins (or two boneless skinless chicken breasts)

1/4 cup or 1 package of taco seasoning (I get the big container of it at Costco...it saves a bundle!)

3/4 cup water

6 medium-sized flour tortillas

4-6 cups of shredded cheese (Mexican blend or whatever you have)

1 1/2-2 cups shredded lettuce (substitute fresh spinach for a healthier option)

3 Roma tomatoes (thinly sliced)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

In a saute pan pour 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over pan and cook chicken over medium heat until cooked through (turning once). Remove chicken and cut into small bite-size pieces. Return to pan and add taco seasoning and water. Stir chicken and coat with seasoning. Cook until liquid has evaporated being sure to stir often. In a frying pan over medium low heat place one tortilla and sprinkle with 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded cheese over entire tortilla. When the cheese begins to melt add about 1/2 cup of chicken (just enough to cover 1/2 of the tortilla). Cook for one more minute. Using a spatula slide the quesadilla onto a plate. Add about 1/4 cup of shredded lettuce and a few slices of tomato over the chicken. Fold cheese side of quesadilla over the chicken side and press together. Let cool for one minute before cutting. Repeat with additional ingredients.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole and salsa, or enjoy by itself.

Yields six servings. Total time: approximately 20 minutes.

Hope your family enjoys this one! I know I'm going to add this to our "regulars" list.

Finding Nemo Birthday Party

I have always loved making cakes, so birthday parties are a great time for me to enjoy the art of baking. It's even more fun with having young boys. I get to be creative, use bright fun colors and create a fun environment for them to enjoy on their special day. My oldest and youngest boys have birthdays only 3 days apart, so we decided to combine their celebration this year with a Nemo inspired party.

I made two separate cakes (one for each of them). The first was a 9 x 13 inch chocolate

cake with chocolate mousse filling and buttercream icing for my 5 year old. The second was an 8 inch round rainbow chip cake with vanilla pudding filling and buttercream icing for my 2 year old.

I used little Nemo figurines on both cakes that my mom found at the dollar store (I LOVE dollar stores!). Both cakes were iced in light blue buttercream and bordered with sea blue dots. I used a leaf tip to create green seaweed, a round tip for the pink coral and of course a star tip for all of my little orange starfish. I also used the star tip for the orange fish on the round cake and finished them off with a mini chocolate chip eye and sea blue bubbles. The mound on the 9 x 13 inch cake was created by cutting two chocolate cupcakes into thirds and then arranging them in a rock type formation. I then iced it with white icing and covered it in seaweed and coral.

For the party decorations, I covered the walls of our dining room with a beach scene (found at most party supply stores or online). The tables were covered in turquoise blue tablecloths. Centerpieces were a fish placemat in bright orange, lime green and blue colors and topped off with mini tiki torches and sea shells. I also found some adorable round paper lanterns in

lime green and turquoise blue (at the dollar store of course) that I hung around the house and outside. The party supply store also had a page of fish window clings (for 99 cents!!!) that

I used on our dining room mirror to create an aquarium scene. We also had Hawaiian leis for our guests to wear, and Jack Johnson music playing in the background.

Entertainment for the kids included a kiddie pool in the backyard along with water guns and water balloons. They had a soaking wet fun time in the warm sun! I printed out a Nemo fish (colored and cut out with their name on the fin) for each child attending the party and hid them around the party area (at eye level for their size). We played "Find Your Nemo". Once each child found their Nemo, they turned it in to me and got to pick something out of the prize basket. The basket was filled with fun disney water toys from the dollar store (floating rings, water frisbees, beach balls, etc.) and took the place of a goodie bag.

We barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs. No fish sticks were served because "Fish are friends, not food." Sides included potato salad and a fruit platter with watermelon, strawberries, blackberries and pineapple along with some yummy fruit dip (marshmallow cream and cream cheese blended together). I also made little aquariums for everyone by making blue jello in clear plastic party cups and inserting a swedish fish candy when the gelatin was about halfway set. I topped them off with a wave of whipped cream and put a sand bucket filled with blueberries in the middle for everyone to top off their "wave" with a few berries. Ironically, I think the dads found these even cooler than the kids did! Baby goldfish crackers were served in a sand bucket with a shovel (like the blueberries). For drinks we kept it simple with a tropical punch (mango, orange, pineapple and ginger ale), along with fresh brewed iced tea and ice water.

Overall, the party was a success, and the kids had a blast! It was a fun celebration of my two sweet boys getting a year older!

Now I'm in the mood to spend a day at the beach with a pina colada!