Happy Halloween!!! - 2016

Let me start off by saying Happy Halloween everyone! I hope it's been a safe and successful one this year. I know we've had good luck and came home with a backpack full of goodies! Of course I have to go through each individual one to make sure they are truly edible and get rid of the peanut ones (don't worry, I give them to family), but it looks like mostly non-peanut items, so that's good. 

Man, this past weekend has been insane for me and this week coming up is going to be just as crazy. I'm 100% committed to you guys, so I will make sure to at least do an update, but don't be surprised if they aren't as entertaining as prior ones have been. My schedule is fully booked and my son is starting to come down with some sort of bug, which means this momma will be up all night trying to make him comfortable. Pair that with his homeschooling along with my normal mom duties and church classes, I'll be running rampant. Anywho...

I decided to share with you all our pumpkins - one which you may have seen on my Instagram, which was actually for my mom's husband - and our costumes! 

I personally went with being a witch - which was seen on THIS post. I really didn't want to dress up as anything super fancy, nor did I want to dish out a huge budget for something to be used once, so I went the easy route. I did go ahead and do a full face of makeup with a black smokey eye, but that was just to dramatize the entire thing. I will say that it was particularly cold out, so I threw on a sweater over it for comfort. 

My son on the other hand was Ash Ketchum from Pokemon! Not the new generation, the 90's version. 

This was a complete DIY for us, as I couldn't find a single legitimate costume of Ash, let alone in his size. I simple took a white shirt and a blue shirt to create the top portion, along with some left over yellow fabric to complete it. Then he wore a black shirt underneath, blue sweats (he had jeans, but again it was cold), a brown belt, and a white and red hat (I know you can't see it in the picture). I also sewed some very simple green gloves for him, by just cutting off the tips of old black gloves and sewing felt to the top of them. Felt makes his eczema itch, so using all felt would've been disastrous. All in all it took me about an hour to make and cost me around $10 to make. He had a stuffed Pikachu and stuffed Pokeball to complete the entire look, which really helped showcase his outfit. 

As for his pumpkin (the only other one I carved), he just wanted a simple Pokeball pumpkin. Thank the lord, because I was tired from the Game of Thrones pumpkin I created yesterday! (You can check it out HERE). After a few cuts, we were ready to go. 

Today in itself was exhausting, but tomorrow is going to be crazy. I have a couple projects I'm working on, plus it's my son's picture day, and he's not feeling too hot which means I won't get much rest, I have to clean the apartment and exchange the Halloween decorations for Christmas ones, and make a Dia De Los Muertos alter, then I have church class, and my uncle is coming into town. That isn't including any of my normal cleaning, grocery shopping, and laundry. I'm already having anxiety just thinking about it. 

Hopefully you guys have had an awesome day and if you're doing anything extra tonight, remember to stay safe! Love you all and Happy All Hallows Eve!!!!

P.S. Did you know that today is actually the eve before all saints day and all souls day? It started a long time ago in Great Britain. There's a lot more to it, but I learned about all that through Micah's schooling today. It was pretty interesting to me, so I thought I'd share it with you all. Nighty night Jedi's!

Featured Food Friday #1

Last week I mentioned during my last A to Z Food Challenge post, that I would be doing something food related on Friday's moving forward. Well here we are! Welcome to the first "Featured Food Friday"! 

For today's food feature, my son and I went to a place called 'Family House of Pancakes' here in San Diego. While the name screams breakfast, they also have a good variety of dishes for lunch and dinner as well. Regardless of their expansive menu, breakfast is their specialty which is why we decided to check it out! We were in the area and since I had heard mixed reviews about this restaurant, I thought we would try it out for ourselves. 

'Family House of Pancakes' - not to be confused with IHOP - is featured in two locations in California, National City and Chula Vista. We tested the National City location, to give this review precise details. 

Upon walking in, you get the immediate sensation that the entire restaurant hasn't been updated in quite a while, but this isn't a damper on the overall vibe. I felt like I was being taken back to the 70's with an authentic feel throughout. While some may see this as a downfall, I feel it's the exact opposite. 

So many times we go to these "fine dining" or "modernized" eateries and become overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of every day life. We don't take the time to just de-stress. This place made me feel like I could sit back, relax, and just enjoy a meal. 

Immediately I was greeted by quite a few women at the counter, all with a friendly smile. The hostess kindly guided us to a table, but after making a request for booth, she redirected us to a really big booth - probably saved for bigger parties, but since it wasn't an extremely busy time we were ok to use it. Her attitude didn't change when we asked to be switched, which was surprising seeing as how this can be a mood changer for some. It's specifically why I asked to be moved. Well that and my son does better with space and not just a small chair, although he can adjust just fine. 

Being a mom, I make sure to look over the menu of potential restaurants if available online, prior to visiting the place. This makes it much easier to simply order our food once seated, instead of having to wait any longer. My son tends to become "ancy" when food takes a while to get made - I wonder where he gets it from *hint*, it's me. 

Mini confession time, I've never had legitimate steak and eggs for breakfast. I've had different forms of carne asada and eggs or meat and eggs, but never steak and eggs. So the moment I saw it was an option for a decent price, I used the opportunity to finally try a meal I've always wanted to. My son agreed to split the dish with me, so long as I ordered a side of bacon for him as well and a small scrambled egg. This was doable, so we went for it. 

The waitress was very king and we only had to wait 5 minutes - more or less - to order. Within a few moments our drinks arrived and not long after that our food. 

While we were waiting for our food, I glanced around to further inspect the atmosphere. There were two main rooms, one with booths and one with tables. The booths sections were placed in the front and the table section was in a "sun room" styled area towards the back, on the other side of the kitchen. The booths were sections with a vintage style red and the carpet was fairly clean for being a restaurant. The seats weren't beaten up or ripped like I would've expected with such an "older" style, but it made me feel like I was in a place well loved and respected. I also checked out the bathroom with my son and to my surprise it was very clean with zero stomach turning smell. This re-confirmed my suspicions of being in a restaurant worth dining at. 

When the food came, my eyes widened immediately. Not only did it bring an intoxicating aroma, but the portions were more than I bargained for and that's ALWAYS welcomed. The waitress also brought over a side of salsa and some A1 sauce for the steak. My son and I were ready to take on the deliciousness that awaited us. 

Our entire dish consisted of house potatoes, steak, eggs, and toast. I also ordered my padawan's scrambled eggs and bacon, along with our drinks. I had coffee and orange juice, while my son chose orange juice and water. 

My son immediately gravitated towards his bacon and eggs, but also asked for multiple bites of steaks. 

I'm getting ahead of myself, let's discuss portions. The steak size was decent, although I would've loved a nice hunk of meat for perhaps a little more, but I wasn't complaining since the price was within a good range for us. The eggs themselves were very flavorful and two eggs sufficed, while being perfectly over easy. The potatoes came in a tidal wave, which was really surprising. Half the plate was house potatoes. Don't get me wrong they were mouth watering, especially with their salsa - which was amazing - but a little too abundant in my opinion. With the bread as well, I felt like I was experiencing carb overload. 

I have to say, I understand 'Man VS Food' now when he talks about too many carbs. The feeling exhausts you. 

With portions a little skewed in favor of potatoes, my real quest during this visit was the taste. 

The eggs were very well prepared - as mentioned above - and were very good. Nothing extravagant, but nothing to hate either. The potatoes - also mentioned above - were decadent, just too much quantity wise. The orange juice tasted freshly squeezed, with the perfect amount of pulp throughout. The coffee was again nothing spectacular, but a simple cup o' Joe. The toast was like home, with just the right amount of butter. Now for the steak. Oh man, the steak. 

I've had a lot of steak in my life. I'm a carnivorous - I'm sorry vegans - momma bear who devours steak like you wouldn't believe. I'm a stickler about them, I can be harsh reviewer, and I don't take my meat lightly. This steak was NOT my absolute favorite, but it was a very good contender. 

I ordered it medium-well and it came out just as I asked. A smidge of pink, no blood, but tender and juicy. The top was grilled without being hard and the fat content was really well dispersed. I loved it. I dipped it in the salsa, I smeared it with the eggs, I mixed it with the potatoes, and I ate it bare. It didn't matter how I ate it, I melted with every bite. I was a little sad that I didn't have more to scarf down, but I'm not mad at all. To be completely frank with you all, I give the entire plate an 8.5 out of 10. The reasoning being that I really wished I had more steak and less potatoes, but I'm not too disappointed seeing as how the price - a little over $15 - was well worth the overall portion and flavor. 

This experience has made me a lover of 'Family House of Pancakes' and you can believe that I will be back again. Perhaps with family to have them fall in love like I did. I crave an authentic diner that brings me out of the busy world and into a bench where I can eat and truly enjoy myself. This restaurant did exactly that for me and I would - and will - recommend this place over and over again! 

Happy Friday Jedis! May your weekend be as juicy and delicious as the steak I had! See you all Monday for a Halloween play by play, single mom style!!! 

Much love,

TWRC

59 Ideas for Carving Your Pumpkins!

I can't believe it's only 4 days until Halloween!!! That means it's only 6 days (we celebrate Dia De Los Muertos) until I decorate for Christmas! Yes, I'm THAT mom. 

Today we went to the local pumpkin patch with my mom, to take our yearly photos. Luckily we didn't have to buy any, because my mom so graciously bought us one. So this year we only needed to take his photos and of course let him ride the train. My padawan also got to feed the goats and pet a chicken, which is always awesome. That's where the inspiration for today's blog post struck. 

Seeing as how pumpkin carving is one of the many traditional decorative pieces used for Halloween, I thought I'd share some inspiration for your pumpkins this year!

I feel like every year you generally see three types of pumpkins. Something relating to the year's pop culture, a "generic" pumpkin face, or a traditional halloween theme - i.e. Nightmare Before Christmas, a witch, etc. While smiley faces and Jack Skellington are always great options, I thought I'd give you guys a few "unique-ish" ideas for your gorgeous pumpkins, that are sure to brighten up your door step - or wherever you put your pumpkins on Halloween. 

Found HERE

Here is a list of some pumpkin ideas for when you're carving this weekend!

1. a tiny pumpkin in a big pumpkin jail
2. "Stranger Things"
3. a christmas tree
4. a pineapple
5. Spongebob Squarepants
6. a big zombie pumpkin looking at a tiny brain pumpkin
7. fall leaves
8. painted leaves with glowing paint
9. a mermaid
10. a magnifying glass (Nancy Drew anyone?)
11. a sports team
12. "Harry Potter"
13. a rainbow painted pumpkin
14. a jeweled pumpkin
15. smiley faced pumpkins with glow-in-the-dark paint all over
16. Pokemon
17. a cupcake painted pumpkin
18. "Star Wars" characters
19. lightsabers
20. projector images on a pumpkin (see HERE)

found HERE

21. a "Dia De Los Muertos" owl 
22. food in general
23. coffee
24. glitter pumpkins
25. cannibal pumpkin (big pumpkin eating a little pumpkin)
26. "Minion" themed painted
27. "Minion" themed carved
28. emoji pumpkins
29. flower pumpkin carved
30. flower pumpkin painted with a flower crown
31. "Power Rangers"
32. a dog
33. a starry night sky
34. a tiny house
35. Maleficent 
36. a hedgehog
37. eyeballs
38. galaxy art pumpkins
39. a mummy

found HERE

40. "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
41. Legos
42. music notes
43. books
44. "fairy garden" styled pumpkins 
45. any animal
46. "Making a Murderer"
47. "Orange is the New Black
48. Instagram
49. an old lady
50. Mickey Mouse
51. "Finding Dory"
52. "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"
53. a carousel
54. the Cookie Monster
55. your kid's hand
56. a date
57. a blowfish
58. a unicorn
59. a superhero

And there you have it! 59 ideas for what you can do this year on that plump pumpkin your kids probably picked out, but that you're going to end up carving yourself. Why 59 you ask? No clue. I literally just picked a random number and decided to go with it. As you can see, there are a white variety of ideas that you can make for Halloween this year. Also, you don't have to use candles if you're worried about leaving the house with a candle on. You can opt for a glow stick or a fake candle from Dollar Tree. 

I know that some of these didn't necessarily call for "carving", but maybe you're too tired to do the dirty work and need an easy out. That's why I gave you a few different options. Hopefully you won't feel clueless and you've got an idea on what to do this year. I know what we will be making, but you'll have to wait until Monday to see! 

Have an awesome Friday tomorrow guys and don't forget to smile, because it's the last Friday of October, which means Halloween is almost here, which means Dia de los Muertos is almost here, which means Thanksgiving is almost here, which means it's almost CHRISTMAS!!! I freaking LOOOOVE Christmas you guys. That's why I decorate so soon after Halloween, because I want to celebrate it as long as I possibly can. 

See you all tomorrow Jedi's and happy almost Halloween!!!

Halloween Dishes for the Perfect Spooky Party!

Holidays don't just bring massive festivities on their actual date. They also bring forth a time of family - and friend - gatherings in which everyone joyously eats along with laughter. The food however, truly depends on the holiday being celebrated. For example, Thanksgiving is more of a time for turkey and stuffing, where as Christmas tends to be more of a ham holiday. This is of course, if you're a carnivore that is. That's not to say that vegans don't have excellent holiday feasts, because I could show you a few that cook with pure decadence, to the point that you wouldn't know the difference. 

Halloween is a bit more of a casual time, so when you do host a party you don't necessarily go all out with a fancy meal. Instead, it's more of a time for hilarious puns and silly foods that will get anyone laughing in a "dead" room. Get it?!

I know, I'm horrible at puns. 

With less than 5 days until Halloween and less than 2 ti'll this weekend (which is when you may prefer to host a Halloween party), I thought I'd share with you guys some of my favorite Halloween treat recipes to serve at your party. Now none of these I have photographed myself nor created on my own (the credit will be underneath each picture), but they are my favorites from this year and what I plan on serving for my little padawan and I.  

To help give you guys a little variety, I thought I would do a Halloween dish "round-up" to suit a few of your food needs and to help you create a "killer" party! So without further ado, here are 4 things to serve at your Halloween Monster Bash!

*I will include the necessary items to complete each creation, so you can better decide which you'd like to create. If you would like the directions, simply click the title of the recipe you wish to make and it will take you directly to it's original page*

Found HERE

Halloween Mummy Pizza Bites

 

I find this recipe to be easily re-creatable. All you're going to need is:

1 can pizza crust
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
10 slices salami
sliced olives
1 tbs melted butter
1 garlic clove minced

These are absolutely adorable and an excellent "hot pocket" styled dish. Perfect for a kids party OR for adults, because let's be honest. Who doesn't like pizza?

Found HERE

Toxic Waste Mac and Cheese

While this one will take you a little more time and energy to create, it's not as difficult as you may think. Also, it's freaking awesome and is bound to be a hit at your party! For this main dish, you'll need:

1 tsp onion powder
1 package of frozen spinach
1 tbsp dry mustard powder
1lb of pasta
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 bottle of green food coloring
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups milk or half & half
8 oz vermont sharp white cheddar cheese
1 head cauliflower steamed 

Honestly, this is going to be my favorite to re-create (which I plan on doing this weekend). My son and I are HUGE fans of mac n' cheese, so to add a "spooky" twist should be loads of fun!

Found HERE

Cauldron Cupcakes

These are some of the easiest cupcakes to create and one of the cutest! All you will need to complete these adorable edibles are:

silicone cauldrons (or just black cupcake liners if you want something simpler)
cake mix
frosting
edible candy bones, bats and eyeballs
mini pretzel sticks

To be honest, I feel like cupcakes are the way to go whenever doing any type of party. Obviously cake in general is amazing, but with cupcakes you can do a mix of different styles that coincide with the overall theme and they are easier to serve. When I showed my padawan these, he instantly said "I want those!!!". So as you can tell, they are already a hit online. Just wait ti'll you make them yourself!

Found HERE

Goosebumps Punch

Out of every thing I've mentioned thus far, this is by far thee easiest thing to recreate and the most fun. The only items for this fabulous drink are:

3 liters lemon lime soda
12 drops green food coloring
1 package rainbow sherbet
30 gummy worms

Not only is this extremely creative and sure to get your guests raving about how you went "all out this year", but it's really tasty (I already tried it out and it's freaking delicious). The only warning I have is that you may have a green tongue and a good time at the end of the night! 

To me Halloween doesn't have to be some sort of fancy shmancy night with expensive meals and fine dining. If you want to throw a party, put on some silly music - or any music, dress up, make some of these silly dishes, and have yourself a good time. 

The best part about every single one of these, is that they can all be altered (or purely used as inspiration) to suit your desires. Perhaps you want your cauldron cookies to be yellow or your goosbumps punch to be red? Regardless what you choose to do, as long you do it your way, you won't go wrong! 

So don't stress or freak out. You're going to have a great Halloween and if you aren't throwing a party, well here's a bunch of festive food to give you cravings! 

Happy *almost* Halloween everyone! 

*I did not create any of these recipes nor did I take these photos. These are merely a few of my personal favorite halloween food inspirations. All credit goes to the original poster. You can find the full recipes for each dish/drink by clicking on it's title or on the link beneath each photograph. I love each and every one of these bloggers and I wish to simply share their talents with you all.*

Orange Lipstick Can Hide a Tattoo?! Hack or Whack?

In case you were all unaware, I am a tattooed mother. I have three to be exact, so don't think I'm covered in them - although I secretly want to complete my sleeve. 

One is on my upper arm, one is on my back shoulder blade, and one is on my forearm. My shoulder blade and upper arm are easily concealed with a t-shirt, but my forearm is not so easily hidden. Of course if I wear a jacket or a long-sleeve, you won't see it either, but wearing winter/fall clothing, isn't always easily accomplished. 

Unfortunately in today's society, tattoo's aren't always as accepted by potential bosses, especially in a business casual or formal setting. Perhaps you don't have anything to wear that will conceal all your tattoos (like mine on my forearm) or perhaps you have something in a highly visible spot (face, neck, etc). Although it's inconvenient to consistently apply makeup to conceal your art - and I think people should just accept that ink doesn't automatically make you a bad person of some sort - you might not have an alternative. 

While there are a few heavy duty concealers out there to help in this sort of situation, you may not be able to afford them. Well recently I came across a potential hack on Pinterest, that simply said if you use orange lipstick or orange eye shadow underneath ANY concealer, you'll be given a newly refurbished "blank canvas" where your ink once sat.

Personally I don't hide my tattoos, unless I'm cold, but I also know this isn't an option for some, so I thought I would really test out this hack for you all. Perhaps you have a small tattoo that just gives you grief from the bosses or maybe you have a palm sized color-filled tattoo that is causing you to miss out on business opportunities (I know it sucks, just know I accept you as you are, but not everyone is as open-minded, I'm sorry). This may just be your ticket...or it could be a complete waste of time. So to save you all from a potential messy hassle, I thought I'd put it to the test with my very colorful forearm tattoo. 

The "hack" on Pinterest said that any orange lipstick or eye shadow would do and any concealer would do. Seeing as how I had concealer, but no orange lipstick/eye shadow, I set out to Target to pick up the cheapest thing I could find. In the Wet n' Wild area, I found a $0.94 lipstick called "Carrot Gold". I'll have you guys know, it's been really hard to find a good lipstick that's not too red or too coral. This color however, was very true orange so I immediately picked it up and called it a day. 
Once I got home, I found thee most unforgiving light in my house and decided to take pictures with it to really put this "hack" to the test. Which is why there isn't a fancy background or a nice setting. It's a really awkward area in the house, but like I said, I wanted to know if this would sincerely work. 

The steps are as follows (from this particular "hack" meme):

- apply an even coat of orange lipstick
- wait 5 minutes or until tacky
- apply second coat if the tattoo is colored and wait another 5 minutes or until tacky
- apply concealer that matches your arm, in a patting motion, blending outwards
- wait 5 minutes or until mostly dry
- apply second coat if necessary in gentle patting motion, blending outwards
- apply any powder to help set 

Finished.

I personally decided to use three tools when applying the concealer, to help get a better coverage. All in all, I used my "Age Rewind" concealer, a concealer brush, a beauty sponge, my fingers, and my NYC setting powder (not pictured, but you can see it HERE). 

This is how I personally went about testing this "hack". 

I applied a layer of orange lipstick to the majority of my tattoo, just so I could see how much it truly covered. I waited about 5 minutes and decided I didn't want to apply too much lipstick, as the particular one I chose has a thick consistency. Once it was slightly tacky (almost a sticky feeling), I put some of my "Instant Age Rewind" concealer on my concealer brush and carefully dabbed it all over the orange area. I used my fingers to gently tap the concealer all around, dispersing the product evenly over the orange section, making sure to not rub the product. I used the  blending sponge to blend the concealer outwards onto my "regular" skin, so you wouldn't see this huge change in color.

I don't recommend using the beauty blender to help "spread" the product, as it can actually take off too much product. It's a good thing for you to not use too much product on your face, but in this case you need the product to stay and not have too much come off. 

After about 10 - 15 minutes tapping away at my tattoo and getting the FIRST layer on, I finally felt content with how it was progressing. I could still see the tattoo peaking through, so after about 7 minutes and seeing that it was mostly dry, I carefully applied a second layer using the same gently tapping technique all around. Once that layer was dried, I tapped my powder all over the concealed are and patted it in using the beauty sponge (it was mostly dry at this point). 

After the second layer and a setting powder, I came to the realization that this was the best it would get. How did it turn out? You tell me...

Honestly I am shocked by how much it really covered. Even in this extremely harsh lighting, it isn't noticeable AT ALL. 

I will say that the concealer is a tad lighter than my arm, but if I had the correct color it would've turned out perfectly. 

Also, when it came to the "hairy parts", the concealer is a tad noticeable. After applying the setting powder though, it's a lot less noticeable. Frankly, I don't think people would notice regardless, because they won't be THAT close to your arm. If they are, they need to learn the meaning of "personal bubble". 

I don't think I'll have use for this technique, but you never know. I do know that this may help a lot of you for any obstacles you've been having with your visible tattoos. 

As for dark or tan skin tones, this hack says it works on ALL skin tones. I personally don't know, because my arm's are pretty darn light, but if you have a different gorgeous skin tone and decide to test this out, please let me know! I'd love to be able to include it in this review!!!

Even though it takes diligence, patience, and a lot of patting. I guess you can look at it this way, if you really need something to be covered or disappear, you won't have to worry anymore about paying a hefty price!!! 

Hack or Whack? I say hack indeed!

A Typical Monday.

I don't know what the heck has been going on in my noggin, but I've been experiencing

headaches like crazy. I know I'm not personally sleeping well - thank you insomnia - but I don't know how else to combat these darn head pains, without taking ibuprofen. 

I'm doing my best to get rest, reduce stress, eat well, and focus on limiting brain activity at night, but when you're a mom it's not the easiest. I'm trying, that's all I will say.

My uncle came into town today, so we all decided to just catch up on some shows and just relax after Micah's schooling. I was more than happy to cuddle with my sugar butt and eat while laying down. 

I've also been having issues with some weird "shocks" in the right side of my jaw, almost like a pinched nerve. My uncle mentioned it could be an after effect from my wisdom tooth being pulled a little while back, but at this point I'm just not going to focus on it. If I do, I'm going to drive myself mad.

Today wasn't filled with fantastic adventures nor extravagant meals, but in all honesty it was just as meaningful. Sometimes you just need to do nothing with good people. 

After a while, we went to Sonic for happy hour, Target to pick up some necessities and to Costco for samples and dinner. Just something simple. Now we are back home and continuing our day of relaxing. I'm hoping to just get an early start to bed tonight, without the struggle of actually dozing off, and get enough rest to combat my exhaustion. I partially think the headaches are from my lack of sleep and solely that, but who knows. 

I will say that I got quite a few looks today, because I remained in my slippers, black sweats, and "Greasy Wiener Hot Dog Shop" shirt. I didn't mind, mostly because it made people laugh and it kept me comfy. Yes, I'm one of THOSE people.  

I'll definitely be sipping on my "Well Rested" tea tonight before bed and winding down early. My padawan seems to be on board with this as well, as he is also exhausted. As they say, a body in motion tends to stay in motion and a body at rest tends to stay at rest. Well this momma wants to stay at rest and rest all night. 

I secretly hope the random bursts of loud rain returns tonight, so I can fall asleep to the soothing sounds of mother nature. It's my favorite "white noise" to fall asleep too. What is your favorite white noise?

I know today's post hasn't been exciting or anything super informative, but trust me I'll get back on it. Sometimes we just need to babble about random stuff to make space in our minds for sleep. Here's to falling asleep early and getting enough rest!!!

A to Z Food Challenge: Z

This is it everyone, the final A to Z challenge. 

I can't believe we are already at the letter Z. To be honest I was growing a little tiresome of this challenge around week 'L', but I wasn't going to back down. As for future Friday's, I think I'm going to do "Food Friday's", either showcasing food at a restaurant with review, sharing a recipe with you guys, shouting out a food blogger and a recipe of theirs, or just doing a food haul for you all. Regardless, I really want to keep Friday's for food. That isn't to say I won't be sharing food on other day's of the week, but Friday's just sound like a really good food day. 

I'm not big on setting specific day's for specific categories, as I feel it hinders how I work, but it's made me excited to implement one set day for something fun about food to share. So for now, that's what we are sticking too. 

Now that that's out of the way, let's get into our final letter, 'Z'. 

This wasn't necessarily a difficult letter and I initially intended on making a recipe with Zucchini, but after browsing through Trader Joe's on a recent shopping trip, I saw this little dish called "Baked Ziti". For those of you who don't know, ziti is a pasta that looks like tiny pool noodles. 

Personally I don't like Trader Joe's frozen pasta dishes - they aren't all bad, just not my preference - but I was interested in this one, because of the "guilt free" statement. I know that we don't really want to be eating our weight in pasta, but it's just so darn good. Mind you there are ways to cut down the "unhealthy" factor when eating pasta, but sometimes you're just too tired to think and need something quick to make. So for that alone, I knew I had to try it for only $2.29. 

It is for the most part simple to whip up. Simply choose microwave or traditional over - I chose the oven - and warm up using the directions provided on the back. Withing about 20-25 minutes (again, using the oven) you'll be given a smaller sized "TV dinner". The portions are fair for one person - it would not fill me up, but the average might be just fine - but I wouldn't separate this for more than just yourself. Perhaps if you had a side of chicken and a nice salad, you'd be able to share. I think the portions would make for a nice small lunch as well. 

My son and I both decided to do a quick taste test. While it wasn't bad in any sense, it wasn't necessarily tasty either. In fact, it was a little bland. 

Have you ever drained your pasta, accidentally leaving a little too much water in the bottom of your pot, then pour the pasta sauce into it, giving you a really water downed sauce and hardly any flavor? That's what this was like. 

My son didn't hate it, but he even asked why I didn't put enough sauce on it. I had to explain to him that it came like that. Also, the box shows cheese and when I first removed the clear plastic wrap, I noticed the cheese there. Somehow when we mixed it, the cheese disappeared. There wasn't a single trace of delicious cheese in the entire mix. Not going to lie, it broke my heart a little. 

After another bite we quickly decided to add this new pasta sauce we found at Trader Joe's called "Autumnal Harvest". Oh my goodness you guys, it's freaking amazing. If you were on my Instagram earlier, you would've seen this, but I'm telling you all right now, it's delicious. This sauce has pumpkin and butternut squash, with an extremely creamy and rich consistency. It's not sweet and goes perfectly on any pasta or chicken (that's all we've tried it with so far). My son devours anything with this sauce like there's no tomorrow. Seeing as how it's a new love of ours, we covered this sad pasta tv dinner with this sauce, and revamped the entire thing. 

Will I buy this pasta again? No. In the time it took me to warm up the frozen dish in the oven (obviously it will be faster in a microwave), I could've simply boiled some regular pasta and poured any of Trader Joe's amazing sauces. In fact, it would've been cheaper to do that AND we would've had a bigger quantity. As for the cheese, well Trader Joe's has an abundance of beautiful cheeses to suit anything you're craving. For us, we just ate the pasta with the Autumnal Sauce (really I gave the rest to my son, because he loves that sauce). 

If you just simply don't have time to boil pasta, this may be the best route for you, if you have a microwave. Like at the office or when you barely have enough time to eat, after feeding everyone else. For the price, quantity, and flavor, I wouldn't recommend it at all. If you like subtle flavor and more of a "light sauce on your pasta" type of person, this is the dish for you! 

There you go guys! The last challenge completed. I really didn't hate this "challenge", but I think that's because I really used this opportunity to try new things from Trader Joe's. For the future, I do plan on sharing more recipes - don't worry, I'll still be sharing Trader Joe's items - but for now I bid you ado. 

Have a wonderful weekend and please stay safe everyone. So many accidents and deaths have been on the news, and I don't want anything happening to you guys. If you drink, call a cab, a friend, or one of those car apps. If you don't feel comfortable in a situation, get out of it. If you feel alone, I'm here. I love you guys and I'm sending each and every one of you a big ol' bear hug. 

Keep on rockin' Jedi's and I'll see you Monday!!!

3 Free and Easy DIY Halloween Costumes - Kid Edition!

Yesterday I shared with you all 3 really easy (and free or cheap) ways to DIY a quick costume for any Halloween occasion that may be taking place soon (see that post HERE). Seeing as how us adults aren't really the ones wanting a costume to go trick-or-treating in - or perhaps you are, no judgment - today I decided to share with you guys 3 just as easy (and just as free or cheap) ways to dress up the kiddos without breaking the bank!

I swear the costume companies make so much money off of our padawans, with all the new crazed costumes hiked way up in price compared to the other ones! Last year my son wanted to be Darth Vader - after I prepped him with all the old movies for "The Force Awakens" - but I wasn't going to dish out big bucks for a costume he'd only wear once. 

Granted he didn't want to be Kylo, which made the price significantly less, but I still didn't want to pay the price, so we figured out a really cool way to re-use his clothes for a costume. Which is the basis for this entire post really. So without further ado, here are 3 costumes we've made for my son - and you can just as easily make for your munchkins - with clothes they can still wear during the year!

1. Darth Vader
As I mentioned previously, my padawan wanted to be the Sith Lord. It was a very proud moment in my life to pass on the dark side lightsaber (warning: I know the lightsaber pictured is a Kylo Ren lightsaber, but his Darth Vader one broke, which led to him getting this one for his birthday). 

At Target they sell character sweatshirts with adorable mesh hoodies, that give the kids a "mini mask". No worries though, because they can still see thru them perfectly! We absolutely loved the Darth Vader jackets, because not only did he need a new jacket, but this one would be perfect for his costume! It also comes with a Velcro cape, that stays put even after washing it! 

It's warm, it's the character he loves, and he can use it throughout the year regardless of the time - weather permitting of course. Perfect! 

For a mere $20,  my son got a jacket that he STILL uses (because I bought one size bigger than he needed) and it served as a costume! All we did was grab a Dollar Tree red lightsaber for added awesomeness and put on some black pants to complete the outfit. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. 

2. Construction Worker
This cost me nothing to make, because we already own everything. 

A while back I bought this yellow safety vest from Ikea - specifically for young padawans - for only $3.99. I love having this for field trips and adventures in highly populated areas (like the Del Mar Fair). Sometimes he likes to just wear it out, which I really don't mind at all. It's light weight and fits like a glove. 

To create the construction worker outfit, all you need is the vest, a white shirt (long sleeve or short sleeve), some jeans, and tennis shoes. That's it!!!

To add more details, you can dirty up the shirt (perhaps some light brown paint on a thrifted or Dollar Tree shirt) and purchase a kids hard hat from almost any toy store. Target even sold them at one point in their "dress up" aisle, but I haven't seen them lately. I do know that Toys R' Us has them in their "dress up" aisle and with the toy tools. They run about $5 - $7 clams. 

Perhaps even use a little lunch box for their "candy bucket", which would be an adorable feature!

3. Train Conductor.
My son has a love for trains just like his grandpa. When he was younger, he'd watch my father's toy train go around and around throughout the house during Christmas time. Last Christmas, my mom's husband purchased a toy train for my son, so now we have a really cool train for him to conduct all year long. 

Along with the toy trains, he also has wooden trains, and loves to ride the trains themselves. Well, every little train lover has to have the outfit to go along with it!!!

All you need is a pair of overalls - his are from OshKosh, but any overalls will do, a red - or white - shirt, and a train conductor hat! We got his hat from an actual train store when he was only 2 - it was really big then, but fits better now with room to spare - which only set us back about $5 dollars. 

For a little extra something, you can also add a red bandanna around their necks (LOOSELY) or in their back pocket. A train whistle to keep in another pocket would also add some fun for the kids, which my son personally recommends, because he did exactly that. You can find the whistle at the Dollar Tree and a bandanna in a wide variety of places. 

Boom! 3 costumes done and done. 

It just goes to show, that if you use a little imagination, you can probably pull of almost any costume with the kids' wardrobe. With all the graphic shirts and cartoon pajamas, your padawan can be comfy AND stylish for Halloween, without the parents breaking the bank. 

Side note: Using character pajamas is freaking awesome for Halloween. They have all sorts of adorable footie pajamas at Target on sale right now, making the kids look like all sorts of cool characters. From Leo from Ninja Turtles to Chewbacca from Star Wars. If they don't like footie pajamas, they also have regular character pajamas. 

I know you're probably thinking the memories come from the costumes and you don't want you kid to get made fun of at school (because we all know how kids can be stinkers sometimes), but with their regular clothes, it's not too bad. Besides, if it's anything like San Diego, you're kid will be sweating up a storm before the day is over in their costume. 

To each their own of course. I've found that my padawan would rather have something he can wear numerous times, then something that makes him uncomfortable since he gets hot really easily. 

Hopefully this has inspired you to get a little creative for the padawans this year! You don't have to go broke to make memories, it's the experience that counts!

3 Free and Easy DIY Halloween Costumes - Mom Edition.

If you're like me, you probably enjoy dressing up for Halloween, but your energy has been thoroughly depleted after making or buying your padawan's costumes. Perhaps you don't give two hoots and aren't going to dress up anyways - although I have the perfect "costume" for you if that's the case - but if you DO want to dress up, I've decided to share with you all 3 extremely easy Halloween costumes that you can "create" using things you already own!!!

I personally plan on dressing up to take my son trick or treating - because I'm really a kid at heart - but I don't have the funds or time to figure out some elaborate costume for myself. Granted I do plan on doing a big costume one of these years for myself - I say that every year - but this year is not the year. So if you don't want to go "all out" and really just need a simple get up to get you through that "mandatory" Halloween party at work, here are 3 costumes to help you out!

1. A Basic Witch (see what I did there young folk?) 
It seems like this year everyone's calling each other names, including "basic b*tch". I'm going to be completely honest and admit that I myself am not even sure what the heck a "basic b*tch" is, but I thought a play on words would "help" the costume description. 

All you need is a black shirt, a black skirt (or leggings, or pants, or shorts), and some black shoes. If you want to "pizzazz" things up a bit, pull out that witch hat from a few years back (or go to Target and purchase a witch hat for $3) and you'll have yourself a full costume. This is comfortable, free (or cheap), and takes absolutely no effort at all. 

To really play up the costume - for those slightly creative people out there or makeup fanatics - do a smokey eye with some black lipstick (E.L.F. has a gorgeous one at Target for $3 called "Black Out"), for a dramatic witch. 

Easy right?! I told you this wasn't going to take much effort at all.

2. The Crazy Cat Lady
You know them. You've seen them on hoarders and constantly wonder if you're going to end up like one, because every date you've gone on has ended in disaster. Don't worry, you'll find someone. If not, the pound always has fluffy munchkins ready for adoption and this costume will help you with "the look" (I don't actually think any of you are crazy, cats are adorable, and I myself own one named Mason). 

All you need is a robe, some pajamas (cat pajamas are extra points), some slippers, and a basket (or bag) full of stuffed kittens. To up the game on this costume, you can pin the cats all over your robe, put curlers in your hair, and put on some really big glasses - not sunglasses. 

As for makeup, you don't really need any. Unless that is of course you have mad skills - or just want to dabble - in the art of makeup, in which case you can try to alter your looks into making yourself look older. Party City also has grey hair spray (I think Target does too, but I'm not sure) to give yourself that "I've seen some crap" hair. 

Costume done and done.

3. Flower Child
I was actually this last year - with some alterations - and thought that this was so freaking awesome, because I was not only comfortable, but everyone got it immediately. 

Seriously I think that half the battle of a costume is having to answer every time someone asks "what are you supposed to be". 

All you need is a maxi skirt, a "muscle style" flower shirt, a flower (and bright) bandeau bra, some flip flops, and some flowers. 

For extra "oomph", you can do you hair wavy and wear a flower headband. The makeup for this can also be as little or as intricate as you'd like it to be. For me personally, I went with vampire flower child and just painted my face to look like I was dead with fangs. I have however, seen other people do this look with super glittery flowers on their cheeks and long eyelashes with really bright makeup - yellow and pink eye shadow for example. 

Boom, another one bites the dust. 

See, totally do-able! I know what it's like to try and create or find the perfect outfit for your little one's, with no time - or energy - to work on one for yourself. Sometimes you feel almost obligated to participate though, because of a work party or perhaps a costume get up that your little one is attending. I understand, trust me. With the hustle and bustle of our lives, time passes us really fast. Also, who wants to spend a ton of money on something you're most likely only going to wear once?! 

As a kid I didn't take this into consideration of course, but as I got older I realized that if I was going to participate in Halloween, I wanted my costumes to be multi-functional, so I could reuse the items throughout the year. I've even accomplished this task with my son's costumes and trust me, they turn out AWESOME! 

Want to know super easy costumes for your kiddos without breaking the bank or sacrificing their fun? Tune in tomorrow for the "Kid Edition"!