Heat Exhaustion and Chicken Nuggets.

It was another sweltering day here in sunny San Diego with temperatures hitting close to 90 degrees in the afternoon. I was lucky in the sense that I spent majority of my time in an air conditioned hotel room, leaving to take my Padawan to and from class, along with paying rent (which was a mission in itself).

The moment I got my precious bundle of joy we drove to the nearest 7-eleven for Slurpee's and snacks, cooling ourselves off from the inside. Bellies semi-full, we came back to the hotel for a quick dip into the heated pool to cool ourselves off from the outside as well. This combination was prime for beating the heat. Having the AC in our room set to 65 helped as well.


It was during our calm down time that we simply felt exhausted from today's excessive heat, making us "lazy".


We decided to have a simple dinner when the sun started to set - and the weather became much more bearable - by the fire pit near the pool. It wasn't really too hot, but after a few minutes we decided to move our dinner to a nearby table, allowing us to enjoy our meal without any additional heat, because we definitely didn't need anymore than we had already experienced.


My initial intention for today's post was a "part two" to yesterday's hotel review, but I almost fell asleep twice before whipping out my laptop to post today. I simply don't have the right mindset to describe our experience in thorough detail, but I haven't given up. I did type a little - I tried guys, I really did - but unable to concentrate fully, I set it aside as a draft to be finished tomorrow after we head back home.


Thankfully it will include a breakfast review of BOTH days - adhering to my usual "Food Feature Friday's - which I think in retrospect will be better since I can review whether or not the menu itself changes on a daily basis.


For now I'll leave you with this, our experience at Hilton has been a memorable one indubitably. So much so that I won't ever forget it. If you want to know how so, if it's good or bad, and the moment that will stick with me the most, check back tomorrow for a review AND food feature.


Now I'm off to get some much needed rest like my peacefully sleeping Padawan. Goodnight Jedi's and stay cool. Also pray for those in Texas. You may not be able to give financially or physically, but a prayer can do more than you know.

Hampton Inn Part 1.

Yesterday I briefly spoke about the disastrous chaos that was currently taking place (see post HERE). While it's definitely not preferable to leave the comfort of my own home, we were put in a more than suitable hotel for the next few days - the Hampton inn.

Hotels tend to be a little tricky for me, as I'm slightly picky on my preferences: pool, Jacuzzi, mini fridge, free continental breakfast, free wifi. Simplistic in a certain sense, but nonetheless complicated when you factor in price. Luckily my step dad and mother were able to spring for a hotel that met ALL these "desires", along with the most important one not mentioned above. Cleanliness.


Our apartment's management company wanted to put all the tenants in a Motel 6 in the heart of Downtown San Diego, but with my padawan's severe skin issues and allergies we found it to not be a wise decision. Insert caring and helpful parents.


After a little research we found a hotel not far from our home that had everything we were looking for, as mentioned above. Today was hectic in itself - packing up, loading the car, dropping off and picking up my little guy from school, waiting for our room (early check-in), and my little one is still sick - but thankfully Hampton came to the rescue with max relaxation.

First off the cleanliness of this hotel (and so far all the Hilton hotels I've stayed at) seem to be at the top of the scale. Secondly their staff has impeccable customer service skills, going above and beyond to help take care of our needs (i.e. early check in). I'd also like to say that their facility is beautiful with a gorgeous view, up to date furnishings, a stylish dining area, and an outdoor setting that makes you forget your worries.


Also the beds are beyond comfortable, the AC makes the room freezing (we're Eskimos and we love it, plus it kills germs), the pillows make you feel like you're cuddling clouds, and the space is perfect for an organized person like myself - plenty of storage areas to help make the hotel stay a little more "home like".


My Padawan was even able to score himself his very own Queen sized bed, which he of course decorated to make it more "Padawan like".


After everything was set up, we walked around to tour the building. We found the exact area breakfast is served - by the front desk like usual - which made us super excited for the morning! We also learned that the pool runs about 70 to 80 degress, while the Jacuzzi runs about 100+, perfect for my sore back. IF my little guy feels better tomorrow - which I truly hope he does - we may try to take a dip in the pool for a little bit, since it's due to be a very hot day once again. Plus there's nothing like going for a swim after a long day of school.

Now that we're settled in, unpacked, and our bellies are full (we came with plenty of food to suffice our mini "stay-cation"), it's time to wind down and enjoy what little precious time we have here. Granted we're excited to go home, but if we can't be there we'd prefer to be here.

My Padawan is asleep and I'm going to do the same. I'm hoping that he will sleep through the night in peace without his cold disturbing him too much - having a freezing room really helps him and I truly believe that the "cold" may be due to the heat, unfortunately. Although it seems to be passing by quickly with the help of Elderberry. Now I'll be joining him in slumber land.


Tomorrow I'll be able to do a better review of the hotel stay, since we will have a complete idea on how the hotel is day and night. It's during the full hotel day that you really get a handle on how the entire "operation" works. Plus I need to let you guys know how the breakfast is!


I bid you all a goodnight for now. Here's to a peaceful night away from home.


P.S. yes Yoda is with us and he even has his own private set up in our room.

Packing For The Termites.

Today's post is going to suck[ish], just as much as today somewhat sucked for me.

First my little guy is sick and while I truly thought it was a fluke sore throat yesterday, he's started to have a bad cough at night along with a lot of congestion. The sore throat seems to be going away quickly, but sleep has alluded us both with him being frustrated and me trying to keep him calm. What joy.


This has SLIGHTLY put a damper on his first week of school, but he's being such a trooper. He even told me today he had a good day at school, regardless of him not feeling too good.


Secondly I had to pack up the house - a little less intent than last year's chaos, which you can see HERE. Only difference is, we actually have to leave the house for two days starting tomorrow, returning tomorrow. Why you ask? Termites.


They've swarmed quite a bit last year and after finally having enough tenants complain about the issue multiple times, they've gone ahead and decided to tent. Of course during the WORST TIME POSSIBLE. My little guy's starting school, he has a cold, and I was supposed to go to an event on Friday.
6am
I'm trying to be positive and keep remembering that all of this is temporary and we will be having a mini "stay-cation" close by, thanks to my mom and step-dad.


All I know is right now, I'm exhausted and in loads of pain from having to pack and clean up. So I'll be taking a nice hot shower, packing my toiletries, and laying down to rest as much as I can. I know I'll be waking up every hour or so to calm my little one and administer medicine when needed, plus I have to get up at 6am to take my little sicky-poo to school.


After my padawan's at school safely, I have to come back home, pack up the car, and head to the hotel around 11 in hopes that our room is ready for an early check in. Then I have to rush over to pick up my little one early (short day). If I can't check in early, then I will be packing up the car, waiting for my little guy to get out of school, picking him up, THEN check into the hotel.


I'm admitting this right now, I WILL be swimming while my son is at school. I'm not trying to taunt my little guy with "fun swimming" while he's at school, which is why I won't be telling him I went swimming.


Hopefully this all goes smoothly and life gives us a break soon, because Lord knows I really need it.

First Day At A New [Public] School!

As most of you might know, my little Padawan was homeschooled last year for his Kindergarten year. While I truly enjoyed that time and I was on the verge of doing it again this year (see that post HERE), we ultimately decided to put him in public school.

Personally I was extremely anxious as today crept closer and closer, worrying that he wouldn't adjust or would have a hard time, ultimately making him dislike school.


We woke up this morning with a mild wrench in our plan (sore throat), but after a little medicine and positive thinking, we got it together and headed to his first day of first grade. Lunchbox and backpack ready to go, we headed into his school and prepared for his teacher to lead him into his classroom. I cautiously walked beside the line of students - along with other parents - towards his class with a smile. Quick hug and a kiss, then he was in class seated while I walked back to my car.


I will admit, I had panic attacks all day long with the awful fear that I'd get a phone call of my son not doing too well in class, being highly stressed. Luckily that wasn't the case at all!


Once class was over, I picked up my little guy and to my surprise he was absolutely thrilled with his school! Mostly because he got to play on the playground three times, but regardless I'm just ecstatic that he enjoyed himself. He ate lunch, played, went to class, everything with ease. He even told me this evening, "I love school, even more than homeschool!". You can imagine the amount of weight that was lifted off my shoulders the moment I heard that statement. I couldn't believe how happy he was and that made me happy!


Regarding homeschool, I'd like to say this: it truly isn't for everyone. We had loads of fun going out and learning through the world, but having my little guy at home all day long lead to a lot of conflict. He wasn't able to fully switch from home life to school life, making learning a bit difficult. Now that he has an authority figure who's not a relative, he's more likely to pay attention and focus on working hard. I even got a notice today that he was following directions immediately and extremely well behaved.


I'm not saying he misbehaves often, although he does have his moments like the rest of us, but to know he was behaving set my mind at ease further.


I do think homeschool taught us a lot about our family dynamic, along with my little one's learning style, but I truly think that public school is a huge progress for him. I do think spending the night away from me contributed to the fact that he had an easier time integrating, making this Summer a successful preparation.


Honestly I'm exhausted from the roller coaster of emotions today, but I'm happy things ended up working out. This is the first step into our future and thank GOD [literally] everything has worked out positively. Now I'm off to bed for another day of getting ready for school! Except tomorrow I also have to pack up the house, but that's for another post.

Food Feature Friday #44: Lay's Chips Taste Test!

In case you're unaware, Lay's has a "chip contest" roughly every year where they release 3 flavors entered by contestants from around the nation. We as a nation get to taste test these chips, then vote for our favorite, granting one the title of "grand prize winner". Well the flavors are here!

My Padawan and I went to Target a few days ago to get a few last minute items for his first day of school, when I noticed a giant sign stating Lay's were on sale. But not just any Lay's, special Lay's. "Crispy Taco" flavored Lay's!

I also saw that they had "Fried Green Tomatoes" along with "Everything Bagel and Cream Cheese", but the "Crispy Taco" was what caught my eye.

We practically ran home to try these and let me tell you, it tasted exactly like a beef taco! Even my little guy was ecstatic to find these chips and they are absolutely our new favorite flavor! I truly hope they win, because the seasoning and overall taste is beyond impeccable. It was so good, we decided to remake our Dorito's chicken tenders (see that recipe HERE) with these chips!

Basically a chicken tender with "Crispy Taco" chips as the breadcrumbs. We ended up pairing them with some steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes, which was beyond delicious for our evening meal.

This may not be the most "informative" Food Feature Friday, but believe me this is something you absolutely need to taste test and experiment with. I highly recommend trying the "Crispy Taco" Lay's chips (currently on sale for $2.50)! As for the other flavors I'm unsure, but you can believe I'm going to be reviewing them as well!

What are you opinions on the new flavors? Have you tried them? Let me know in the comments down below!

Goodwill Haul: Dressed For Success!

It's been too long since I've done a Goodwill haul and man does it feel good to finally post another one today!

Today San Diego was gloomy and cold (my favorite kind of weather honestly), which made me think of how on a muggy day we'd go to Goodwill for awesome finds. Seeing as how my little guy is starting first grade on Monday, I've been trying to pack our days with the usual fun we enjoy ever so much. So we jetted off to our local Goodwill and the finds were impeccable.

First I'd like to say my little guy found a brand new snorkel set - his first one ever - which he so proudly shows off. He even paid for it with his little money, saving himself loads. The exact same one was previously seen for $25 and my thrifty Padawan only paid $4! I'm so proud.

As for me, I found a total of 7 items. 3 dresses, a pantsuit romper, 1 t-shirt, 1 pair of wedges, and 1 pair of rain boots. Let's start with the dresses:

All three dresses that I found are my new favorites for different occasions. The first being of a burnt orange, resembling the Fall colors of freshly fallen leaves. I love the tiny diamond pattern all over the dress, with a hint of extra "pizzazz" on the end with white. It reminds me of a Spanish style house, ultimately reminding me of my abuela's town. This dress came out to $6.

I paired this dress with my new wedges I found today, which are tan with cream lacy details around the heel. These wedges were basically brand new from Charlotte Russe, only costing me $7! That's an $18 savings, which I couldn't believe. Especially with the amazing condition they were in.

The second is a dress I normally would never purchase for myself. It's a yellow flower petal patterned dress with a hit of purple and pink mixed in. It has a black mesh top and a tiny string of ruffles around the mid-waist, giving the illusion of a black belt. I loved how it looked for Fall coming up as well, perfect for a casual or semi-casual event. This dress was also $6.

For this dress I paired it with my black booties purchased from Goodwill a while back, which I featured HERE.

The third dress is something I'm particularly excited to wear for a special occasion. It's a royal blue dress with a gorgeous "boat line neckline" (I believe that's the correct terminology) and a nude under lining. The flow is gorgeous and the overall feel is beyond comfortable. I can see this being the perfect outfit for a Christmas event, especially with the nude heels I paired it with. The dress cost $6 as well, bringing the cost for these three outfits (not including the prices for my shoes from previous Goodwill hauls) to only $25.

The nude heels were also purchased at Goodwill, which you can see HERE.

Next up are the last three items I purchased:

First up is my jumpsuit romper, that I absolutely adore. It's got small cutouts on the sides, with a beautiful neckline that isn't too revealing (which tends to be a problem for me with the current trendy clothes) in a coral color. The length is a tad long which can be fixed with a simple hem (see how I hem my pants HERE), giving me all sorts of excitement for the future. Yes it's more of a spring/summer color, but you can bet your patootie I'm wearing it whenever I feel like it! Shoe wise I'm unsure, possibly black wedges, but for now I'm leaving the option open. Even the tan wedges would work or the nude heels! This beautiful piece cost $6.

Next is a simple "whatever" shirt, which I'm in need of. I tend to buy what I consider "nice" clothes, but then I'm stuck with very few "errands" clothes. I've been trying to get dressed up for daily excursions, but not everyday. During those "whatever" days, I truly appreciate just having a nice comfortable shirt to throw on. This shirt is not only soft and comfy, it's just the right amount of "I care, just not as much as you". Perfect for on the go. This shirt only cost $2 on top of everything!

Last up I found some amazing rain boots, which gave me such a twinkle in my eye. I've been looking for a good pair to wear during our [few] rainy days, saving my other shoes from any potential damage. The inside is lined with a fur-like material, keeping my piggies toasty warm. These bad boys were only $7. When I did some research, these were running about $115 at Nordstrom's in black!

Overall my total came to $40, BUT we were able to get a student discount seeing as how my little guy is starting school on Monday! That brought my total to under $40! Yay Goodwill!

Everything is a new love for me and everything I'm anticipating wearing, making this another highly successful Goodwill trip for the books!

A Hacker In The Works?

Last night something very interesting happened. While I was watching "Shameless" on Netflix, my internet decided to stop working altogether. My phone, my Roku, and my laptop were all disconnected from my Wifi. Confused I got up to reset the router a few times, with no luck. Restarting the router with my app didn't work either, leaving me to believe that this could indeed be a case of Cox (my internet provider) error.

It was midnight and I really didn't want to deal with it, so I waited till this morning to see if anything would connect. Perhaps Cox was having minor issues that could be resolved by morning. Well when we went to watch the news, everything seemed to be working again. I went on with my day.

Fast forward to 6pm when we finally got home, only to find that the internet was no longer working once again. My phone wasn't connecting, the Roku wasn't connecting, and now my laptop isn't connecting.

I noticed an unusual and unknown "phone" was connected to my wifi, so I immediately blocked it from gaining access to my Wifi. Then about an hour ago when I tried logging onto my blog, I noticed that not only was my laptop refusing to connect, but it wasn't even given the option to link to my Wifi. But there were three Wifi names that I found to be...interesting.

Three Wifi's had "Roku" in their names. We ourselves have three Rokus.

So now I'm absolutely paranoid that someone had indeed hacked our Roku's and has taken over my internet. What I can do about it, I'm not sure.  I'm still unable to use my laptop (I'm currently typing from my phone), but tomorrow I plan on tackling this issue. I'll call my internet provider, reset the passwords, create new Wifi names, and figure out what else I can do to fix this.

For a while now I was concerned of something like this happening, constantly pushing it to the back of my mind thinking it wasn't anything to worry about.

The universe has been testing me these past few weeks. I'm ready for a break.

DIY T-Shirt Design: FAIL

T-shirts with logos are rather expensive these days. This can especially suck when you're in love with a certain cartoon and said cartoon is on a nice shirt and said shirt ends up being $50. Alas when you think there's no hope, I shall offer you an alternative...sort of.

During a recent shopping trip, I saw a shirt with the Pretty Little Liars plastered on them which I absolutely adored. I wasn't going to dish out the hefty price tag that came with it, but I loved it nonetheless. It was only after strolling through the office supplies aisle that I decided to try out their iron-on printing papers, in hopes that I could DIY my very own shirt with my own Pretty Little Liars logo from online.


Let me fast forward and say this: It didn't work out as fantastic as I would have liked.


In order to apply the iron transfer (I purchased the Avery brand iron on paper) you had to first iron your shirt - or whatever you're trying to transfer an image to - to get out any wrinkles, you had to iron a pillowcase on a table (it has to be a hard, firm surface), make sure your iron had no water (and was on "no steam"), and cut as much of the extra paper off as you could. Then you simply put your design (that's mirrored on paper) in the location you want it to sit and firmly press down with your iron for roughly 10 seconds all over the print.  Remove your shirt from the table and lay somewhere to completely cool down, then slowly peel off the sticker.


This should in theory give you a beautiful new creation with a perfect printed t-shirt. Problem was, mine ended up not lasting very long.


Proud of my new creation, I went to put it on the next morning. After a few hours of wearing it, I started to notice that my design was ripping off in odd areas. Not the edges, the actual middle part. It wasn't peeling off in a chunk either, it was flaking off.


Utterly devastated, I took off my shirt to see no imminent way to fix it rendering the shirt scrap fabric.


Now I don't really think that this was JUST a product fail. It could be partly due to user error, but I'm not definitively sure. I looked up the issue I had and majority of people that experienced the same problem said it was due to air bubbles forming in that spot, basically "erupting" when worn, causing the flaking of the image.


I tried re-doing a smaller design on other items with other issues arising, leaving me to believe that the product I chose in particular could be a big portion of the problem.


This DIY was a flop for me, but I plan on doing a little more research to see what other products (if any) would be better. Perhaps I'll try a different technique to transfer images, a true DIY. In the meantime I'm going to scratch this DIY as a loss in hopes that my next DIY will be much better.

The Universe Tested Me.

Oh man, things have been harsh this past weekend. First I was heading to an event roughly 2 hours away, when I was hit with a minor set back ON THE FREEWAY.

Imagine you're driving along minding your own business in the far left lane, when you hit 55 mph and all of a sudden your car stops accelerating altogether. You can't maintain any speed at all and the entire vehicle is slowly coming to a halt. All you can do is try to safely - yet quickly - move over to the right lane and exit (luckily there was an exit immediately accessible). You pull over, stop your car, see that you're able to carefully press on the accelerator and go, but once you hit a certain speed you're screwed all over again. Well that's what happened to me.


I freaked out and semi-panicked, worried that I wouldn't make the event. In a desperate attempt to keep my car from being towed on top of everything, I drove my car (at 5 mph) to a nearby residential street and parked it securely. Luckily I had a friend close by who was going to the event as well and was able to pick me up along with all my stuff.


With minimal time to spare, we set off towards the event with roughly an hour and a half to set up, IF I made it within the given time Siri claimed it would take me to arrive. That didn't happen.


About 30 minutes into our "road trip" my friends car began to overheat, making us pull over to cool it down. This entire process took roughly 20 minutes. After we set off - again - I was doing my best to stay positive as I now only had roughly an hour to set up. IF nothing else happened. Something else happened.


About 10 minutes down the freeway we hit traffic. Someone decided to have a giant pile up (yes I'm aware the people most likely didn't set out to have an accident) and everyone around began to gawk at the situation, making us even later. Lovely.


By the time we arrived, I was given 20 MINUTES to set up before the doors opened. I was full on panicking. I really didn't think I was going to make it in time, but some sort of weird superhuman speed took over my body and I actually pulled it all off. I got everything set up with zero time to spare and the entire event actually went off pretty well.


At the end of the day I was utterly exhausted and beyond ecstatic that it was over. Things were fun, but I just wanted the day to be over seeing as how I still had my car to deal with.


Today I finally got ol' reliable checked out (she's 12 years old) and learned that my engine nor my transmission were mounted anymore, causing the loud noise (which I kept wondering about, but was constantly told "it's just your car") and [hopefully] the reason for my gears slipping. The vibration COULD have been the cause to my issues, but they couldn't check out my transmission any further until it was properly mounted, as they wouldn't be able to get around it otherwise. This alone is going to cost a pretty penny, but I'm hoping that it will be the solution to all my problems. If not, then the issue will be something much more severe, rendering my car "done". Fixing the transmission, replacing it, or doing anything extremely major, would be more costly than what the actual car is worth.


Honestly I'm hoping that I don't have to worry anymore - I'm remaining positive - and that this will be the end of my car troubles. Tomorrow I should know more, but for today I'm just ready to call it a day.


I watched the eclipse (safely on the News), did 6 tests for my RMA license, took my car to get fixed, finished cleaning the ENTIRE apartment, and did my normal mommy duties. You can say I'm rather pooped. Luckily tomorrow I should have more time to FINALLY finish my DIY for you guys! It's a really cool idea that I'm hoping goes well, which was inspired by a very infamous TV show that came to an end recently.


For now, I'm off to bed to get some rest. I hope you all had an absolutely wonderful weekend and please send me good vibes for ol' reliable! Much love my rockin' Jedi's,

Food Feature Friday #43: The Donut Bar!

I started doing donut reviews back in February and decided to sporadically do a few more throughout the year. While I've only done one other donut review, today I have another one for the collection.

Earlier in the week my Padawan and I were walking around downtown, when we got the idea to get some donuts. Not really sure what was around, I simply searched for a place nearby. That's when I found "The Donut Bar". A short walk led us to what would be a magical memory.

With an impressive line for a donut shop (the most impressive I've ever seen anyways), we waited roughly 15 minutes - probably even less - before reaching the inside. A giant donut blanket (towel?) hung on the right of the wall, with a long case filled with killer donuts of all sorts staring at you straight ahead, almost reaching the left wall.

There were so many big beautiful choices, but we finally came to the decision to pick 4 super special ones.

- The Homer
- The Nutella Overload
- Butter Beer
- Crème Brulee (which sadly ended up dropping 4 blocks away where we sat to eat them)

All of the donuts were beautifully fluffy, well breaded, perfectly proportioned, and decadently flavored with exquisite tastes.

The Homer donut was specifically for my little guy (his chosen one) and is basically just an oversized traditional donut with frosting. Except this donut is supposed to resemble the infamous Homer Simpson's favorite pink donuts and the frosting actually tastes like frosting.  

Personally I would choose this particular traditional donut over any other I've ever had.

The Nutella Overload and Butter Beer were mine - even though I still shared with my young one - and oh my lanta.

The Nutella Overload was a fluffy donut with powdered sugar generously sprinkled all over the top, stuffed with loads of Nutella inside. It was every girls dream. If you could imagine eating a white fluffy cloud drizzled with smooth sugar, while swimming in a pool of creamy rich Nutella and having magical fairies sing you the lullaby of Gods, you'd have a pretty good idea of what this donut tastes like. I would like to give the warning that you'll need some sort of beverage to wash it all down as the richness is rather, well, rich.

Butter Beer is a Harry Potter themed donut with the adorable symbol of Harry's glasses and lightning bolt. I'd like to say that while I haven't had the luxury of trying a Butter Beer from Harry Potter Land at Universal Studios, I am more excited now than ever before to try the real thing. This donut has made me utterly anxious with it's vanilla and butterscotch flavor throughout. The center is jammed with a thick layer of frosting, which can be a tad overbearing, but it's delicious regardless. I do recommend a cold glass of OJ to pair nicely with this particular donut, but a coffee or milk would taste nice as well. Perhaps even a nice cup of tea.

Overall these donuts were impeccable and unlike anything I've been able to enjoy before. I couldn't believe how scrumptious these breaded goods were, but then again it was rated top 10 best donut shops in the USA by USA Today, best donut shop in California by MSN, and #1 donut shop by Thrillest. All three spot on in my opinion.

The cost is a bit pricier than your averaging $3 to $4 each donut, but well worth it due to the size and quality. Regardless of the higher price tag, I will absolutely be returning to try the other kinds of goodies "The Donut Bar" has to offer. As for a recommendation, I HIGHLY recommend checking out this place and if you have the chance, stand in line for the few minutes to experience something unlike anything you'll probably have experienced before.

So Much Crafting.

It's official, I have carpel tunnel.

I've spent majority of the day crafting like a deranged crafting lady. From molding to painting and applying the tiniest details, I can't believe how much clay I've worked through with my little fingers. Honestly, I'm surprised I'm even able to type. Granted I'm doing it with one hand, but slow and steady right?


Knowing that tomorrow is crunch day, gives me angina. That's right, angina. Chest pains. Same anxiety as always, which I don't ever anticipate going away, but I do know that it's milder than the last show I did, seeing as how I know what's to come. Regardless I'm nervous, yet excited to get this started!


You know what's the hardest for me? Leaving my little guy. I know it's a normal thing for parents to allow their kids to spend the night with family or friends, go to work without the kiddos, and do adult things, but I'm not used to it. I never will be. I miss him every second I'm not with him. He's my little Padawan who I constantly want to cuddle and kiss.


He's a growing boy who someday will be on his own. I'm taking what I can get now people!


Sorry, I drifted off there for a moment. My entire point of this post is mostly just to update you all that I've been constantly trying to prepare and create enough pieces for this weekends event.


Thank you for your kind patience Jedi's. Much love.

DIY On Hold.

Yes I know, I had given you guys hope for a DIY project. I was almost done when unfortunately I ran out of thread and time, bringing my project to an end for the day. While I definitely want to get it out tomorrow, I won't make promises because I have a lot of prepping for my jewelry event this Saturday.

Also I'd like to say my own little comment regarding the domestic chaos in Charlottesville. It hasn't been questioned and I truly don't think any of my rockin' Jedi readers would agree with the vial chants that were spread, I'd like to extend my deepest remorse for those who do agree. For you are living a very grey life, never living in full color.


The world itself isn't one color. Land and sea are two different colors, on the same spectrum, on the same planet, in the same universe. Without each other, Earth wouldn't be home.

I've Never Come So Close To Drinking [Non Alcoholic Beer].

Ah life, you know just how to strike at me from all angles. You never give me problems sporadically sprinkled throughout the months. No, you like to bombard me with everything you could possibly think of for the month and jam it into one week. I guess I should be thankful it all just comes and ends at once...sometimes.

Random fact about me, I'm a registered medical assistant. Well, I was. You see, my licensed expired and it was a bit frustrating, but I decided to keep my license by doing continuing education courses online. I was given 60 days to complete my courses, but because life happened, I was down to the wire to finish my courses. Yesterday was my expiration date so I woke up early to try and complete my courses, only to be booted off around 11:30. With the companies phone line busy, I was then forced to call back today due to the office being closed and boy was that a mission.


I bounced around from person to person for over 2 hours, finally getting a call back from a supervisor who was generous enough to help resolve majority of my issue. I still have a few days to complete my courses, after repurchasing them, but I also have to pay $75 for my license to be reinstated (normally $175). Not perfect, but I'll take it.


Then my son and I went to the Disney store for their Summer Play Days (they had new patches every Wednesday that you could "earn" by participating for the next 6 days until the following Wednesday) only to be told that it actually ended Sunday. Not only that, but regardless of the fact that we had every patch thus far (9 I believe), they couldn't give us the last one we needed and the honorary one for having all of them. It wasn't because they didn't want to though, it was because there weren't any left. Fantastic.


But alas, there was hope! Another Disney Store - 30 minutes away - had VERY few left of both patches, but only today would I be able to pick them up. Even better.


We took off, into traffic, towards this busy mall, and finally got my little guy's patches. He's quite proud of his accomplishment and I'm really glad I was able to make those memories with him.


While all of this was going on, I was babysitting and preparing for this Friday's food feature (which I'm SUPER excited for).


I have another event this weekend, so I'll be preparing for the next 3 days like an insane woman. Anything else that comes hurdling at me is just going to be a joyous and happy add-on (insert sarcasm).


After we got the patch we decided to browse the mall for a little bit when we came across this unique candy store, filled with things childhood dreams are made of. Including a giant sized box of only pink Starburst. That's where I found the Harry Potter section along with their butter beer non-alcoholic. I was SO tempted to open a [fake] brew and chug one back...while cuddled under my blanket watching Murder She Wrote and waiting for the water to boil so I can have tea. Yes I'm and old soul.


For now I bid you all a wonderful night. Stay tuned for a special DIY (so long as I can find my spool of thread) that I'm hoping to get out tomorrow! It's a handy one with full of spunk.

A Science Experiment with Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Hemp Soap: GONE WRONG!

I am always looking for new ways to save money and help the environment at the same time. "Au Naturale" is a way of living, of which I really do enjoy trying to adhere by. Obviously it's difficult with society being mostly processed food and chemical products around every corner, but that isn't to say that you can't find organics products to replace the fake.

In a prior post I mentioned how my hair was going through a traumatic experience with a protein overload and how I was doing damage control. At first I just stuck to my normal shampoo and conditioner - which was working out fine, but then I decided to try and use an infamous hemp product that I've seen practically everywhere.


I'm speaking of course about Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Hemp Soap, specifically in the scent "peppermint".


The claims of this particular soap are vastly different in a sense, but all correlating to cleaning. From washing dishes to bathing in it, there isn't much you can't do with it. Plus it's full of organic products, showing you just how natural this soap truly is and with so many seemingly awesome benefits, I just had to try it. In fact, it was even suggested on other sites pertaining to protein overload and how to combat it, so I dished out the $14+ dollars on a 32oz. bottle, willing to spend a little more than usual as it's cheaper than buying shampoo, conditioner, and body wash (totaling $17+).


I've used this product twice so far and I have definitive feelings. I hate it.


Yesterday I begun reading the bottle for any specific instructions - yes I'm THAT person, only to be visually smacked in the face with words galore. Tiny-itty-bitty writing that goes off on a few "different" tangents, includes a heartbreaking mini-story, and a larger-than-others word "DILUTE!" written twice in one section. I took it as a warning and diluted my portions.


First off, I had no idea how to dilute it (what ratio) so I was already playing uphill. Then I was unaware that hard water would technically react negatively with the formulation of the castile soap, which I would find out later with some research. Going with what I thought was the correct way to wash my own hair, to which I have been doing for majority of my life, I started to notice a very odd sensation that was familiar to when I've used extraordinarily cheap shampoos. A squeaky feeling with incredible dryness.


Convinced that it was just the soap cleaning my hair of all impurities, I kept washing in hopes that a widely popular wouldn't fail me so extreme. I moved onto washing my body, to which I will say produced an impeccable amount of lather with just a few drops.


The overall tingly sensation I got from the peppermint head to toe, was satisfying and gave me an overall fresh feeling. That much I enjoyed, but what happened next was not on my list of favorite things.


Once my hair was dried my roots has an overwhelming amount of "waxy" texture, making brushing my hair near impossible. My roots were worse than before - I had gotten pretty far in my protein overload remedy - and had become dry, shriveled up, stiff, straw-like strands. I was petrified and immediately went to the "interweb", hence learning about the "hard water" fact.


Turns out not only am I supposed to do a 1 tbls to 1 cup of water to wash, but I'm also supposed to use a vinegar rinse or the Dr. Bronners citrus hair rinse. Neither of which I owned.


Confused as to why this wouldn't be specifically listed on the bottle, I dug a little deeper and found out that apparently this is a very common problem with Dr. Bronner's and most of the details I read came from people's trial and error.


I was shocked and a bit disappointed, because I truly wanted this to work out. Unfortunately it didn't and I exchanged the soap altogether.


I know I probably could've tried this product out using it for the other 16 ways it claims to be good for, but I was done. It turned the clock back on all my hard work trying to fix my hair, frustrating me severely. Could I have tried to contact the company, ask for the appropriate "solution"? Probably. Was I willing to give this another chance to potentially make a bad situation worse? No.


All in all I don't hate Dr. Bronner's. His products seem to be very notable and well-rounded overall, giving numerous people an excellent product. I've seen it in numerous households and heard sworn testimony about how amazing it truly is, just for me it didn't work at all.


I would like to hear your opinion and possibly your recommendations. Perhaps I could give it another chance in the future, but for right now it's not in my shower.

Food Feature Friday #42: Mexican Food, San Diego Style.

San Diego is well-known as the "go to" spot for Mexican food, if you're not able to make it over the border. While there are numerous other cities [not just in California] that claim they too can make Mexican food as authentic as Abuela used to make, I've yet to see that hold true.

Personally I'm a bit biased, seeing as how I'm a San Diegan born and raised, but I'm not too biased, because I'm more interested in scrumptious morsels.

Recently I came across a news article listing all the top Mexican taco shops to devour your choices at. I scrolled through the list and while I don't necessarily agree with all of them, for the most part I did. However, I noticed that one particular spot didn't necessarily make the cut and I truly feel it deserves to be on that list. Instead of writing to the news source and blatantly call them out for their lack of knowledge regarding delicious eats, I decided to make my own review regarding the exact taco shop I for one constantly go to.

Before I begin, I'd like to mention that I don't necessarily think this is the number one shop in San Diego. It's merely a 4.7 out of 5, which I will discuss further in a second my reasoning. Also, I'm highly aware that rolled tacos aren't necessarily an authentic Mexican dish, as it's more "Americanized".

When looking for authentic Mexican food, don't look to the "fast food style" big chains, as they are more into quick put out, not necessarily taste. Not to say that El Pollo Loco isn't tasty, just not necessarily as good. I also look at the salsa bar, to get a better depiction of their recipes. If you can make a solid authentic, spicy salsa, you're more than likely to have a well-rounded and flavorful menu.

I found my chosen eatery years ago when I was little and I've never turned back. It's called Colima's Mexican Food and it's my number one spot when I wanted a tasty batch of carne asada fries, burritos, or in today's case fully stocked rolled tacos. They have an extensive menu for all your cravings.

The meat at Colima's is always tender and well seasoned, the rice is perfectly cooked, the toppings are consistently fresh, their soups are appetite pleasers year round, and their drinks take me back to my childhood in Mexico. The only thing I would suggest to Colima's, is that they return to their old salsa recipe as their current salsa's aren't really the same as they were years ago. I know I said the salsa bar should be a key factor in finding good Mexican food, but this particular one [while it USED to have amazing salsa] still has decent salsa, making their food supersede the flavor of salsa in this case.


Don't get me wrong, the salsa isn't horrible or lacking spice, but it's not nearly as scrumptious as it was before. I still recommend the green and mild red, but the dark red is a bit "sweet" for my liking.

As previously mentioned I ordered a fully stack of rolled tacos today, which included 12 beef rolled tacos topped with sour cream (extra), guacamole, cheese, and tomatoes. Everything was fresh [as usual] with an abundance of yumminess to go around. The rolled tacos were also delectably crunchy and the meat inside was beyond tender.

I douse my in salsa and chomp down on everything, only to be greeted with splendid flavor.


Besides their authentically amazing Mexican food, their service is impeccable. The friendly staff is beyond helpful and they go as quick as they can, while still providing excellent service and mouthwatering food. Colima's is also clean and well-kept, showcasing this dining establishment's true passion for giving the public the near perfect experience.


It's not fancy, no bells and whistles, and the salsa needs to be upgraded ever so slightly (hence the 4.7 out of 5 stars), but it's the perfect place for a plate of authentic Mexican Food between the hours of 8am and 3am. Late night burrito or early morning huevos rancheros, you'll be glad you chose Colima's for your food choice of the day.


By the way, with a minimum order of $30 you can have your food delivered too!!!

Be The Selfish B*tch.

Warning: Mild profanity and ranting.

Too many times in my life I've been told I was selfish. Whether it be because they truly felt I wasn't considering their feelings or because they were trying to bend the situation at hand, in order to get what they wanted. Well you know what, I've decided that instead of sitting by and allowing my feelings to be hurt while I consistently do what I can to prove the other wrong, I'm going to be selfish.

Selfish means to lack consideration for others. It also means to be concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure.

My entire life is about having consideration for others. I'm always thinking about how to help others and how to benefit their lives, because it truly gives me satisfaction to be able to give to others. I adhere my entire life to those around me. I do what I can with what I have, so to be called selfish is a bit upsetting.


I'm not saying that helping others is in poor taste or that I will ever stop trying to be a good person to everyone regardless of their "status", but I'm tired of not being considerate of myself.


You know that motto, "you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't". That's practically the way of life regarding, well practically everything. To give you a better idea, if I say I can't give a ride to someone at that immediate moment, because I'm enjoying myself with my friends, I'm selfish. If I don't want to drop what I'm doing - like resting on the couch with a nice cup of tea snuggled with my padawan - to take someone somewhere, wait for them to be done, and then take them home, I'm selfish. If I'd rather stay home with my little guy then stick him at a babysitters and go to lunch with someone, I'm selfish. Well damnit then I'm selfish.


Every single person deserves to be selfish at some part in their lives. I'm not saying to take out of the mouths of people who truly need it more, but I am saying to make a point to do something for yourself. Want an extra donut? Yes. Want to hang out with a friend today? Do it. Need to take a mental Saturday to binge watch a Netflix series instead of errands you can easily finish tomorrow? You deserve it.


Again, I'm not condoning putting off important errands or necessary appointments, and I certainly think it's important to continue being a good, kind hearted, helping, respectful human being.


If you're looking for a good way to balance things out, I recommend being the good guy (as long as it isn't negatively affecting you or your mentality) and everyday taking one moment to do something special for yourself. It doesn't have to be expensive or cost anything at all. It could be small, won't deplete the effect. Bubble bath, chocolate bar, a nap, walk to the park, read a book, swim for an extra hour, whatever makes you happiest.


We as humans all need to please ourselves in order to maintain a healthy mind. If we constantly wait on others, we won't be able to survive. So screw those people who think you doing something for yourself (and/or your kid) is selfish. Let them think what they want. Be that selfish b*tch!!!

Starbucks' New Horchata Frappuccino: Menu Worthy or Already Over It?

A few days ago Starbucks debuted a new horchata inspired drink. The Mexican beverage has often been the center of numerous "remakes" - ice cream, creamer, even soap - but this particular horchata beverage is a tad different. For one it's being "created" by an infamous company that has been known to dish out popular drinks [some even delicious, see HERE] and another reason being that this horchata is made with almond milk.

Seeing as how I'm in love with horchata, I decided to jump on the Starbucks train once again and try what was hopefully going to be a magnificent ride.


First up there's two choices, cream or coffee version. Also you opt in or out for whipped cream, but that's besides the point. I for one wanted some caffeine so I went ahead and had them add the coffee to the cinnamon I could clearly smell from over the counter. After agreeing to having whipped cream and watching them make my frapp, I took a sip and I have a few words for you guys.


I get that Starbucks may not be interested in learning the proper technique on how to make horchata the RIGHT way, but if they plan on keeping this drink around [or having it make another appearance], I suggest they get to the roots and make horchata right. This version is literally the rendition of the milk aftermath once you've eaten all the cinnamon toast crunch out of a bowl, with a splash of coffee.

This statement seems to run true for both the coffee and cream (coffee-free) versions, because prior to actually getting my drink, the barista said "People keep saying the coffee free version tastes like cinnamon toast crunch and I think the coffee version is way better." The fact that she was spot on with what I personally tasted with my own drink, told me that they took almond milk and sprinkled some cinnamon, to call it horchata.

I will also take into consideration that almond milk is the base, automatically giving it a different taste. Regardless however, I feel there could've been a better attempt at making a true horchata coffee, but I didn't necessarily think that the big chain coffee joint would do a perfectly fantastic job.


Do I recommend it? Well I do, but either not as a coffee drink [and not a huge expectation of having splendid horchata] or with extra. I could enjoy it as a cold drink, but I think I'd also request less cinnamon if anything. Almond milk may not be my favorite thing, but I could see this being enjoyable sometimes.

"The Good Neighbor", A Pyschological Reality Check.

Today I decided to watch a movie on Netflix without real preference in the genre or popularity. After a few moments browsing, I came across a crime/drama film called "The Good Neighbor". Intrigued by the mystery of what would happen, I readied myself with snacks and drinks to watch what would become a thrilling revelation.


*WARNING: Mild spoilers, but the ending is still a secret!


This movie was about two teenagers looking to conduct an "experiment" of sorts, with the basic concept that one could successfully induce paranoia and cause someone to have doubts about the paranormal, without every doing anything physical or producing an actual anomaly, therefore proving a suggestive idea can do more harm than initially intended. The two teenagers - Sean and Ethan - set up their "semi-controlled" environment by placing hidden cameras all throughout the old man's - who was the neighbor and goes by the name of Harold AKA Grainey - house across the street. They also rigged a the electrical wiring allowing them access to create the illusion the lights were flickering and the screen door now had the ability to resemble a forced slamming controlled by the boys. The key mastermind Ethan decided to further the intrusive behavior by breaking back into the house and moving an object, to make it seem like something was now moving objects around his house.


While Ethan and Sean illegally observed Mr. Grainey from Ethan's three-monitored computer set up in his bedroom, Ethan begins to suspect that something suspicious is occurring in the hidden basement.


During the experiment, Ethan and Sean began noticing Mr. Grainey spending an unusual amount of time in his basement - hours on end , sometimes till morning - and the basement door wasn't just locked, it had a Master Lock added. Whatever was inside Mr. Grainey either didn't want it to leave or for anyone else to get inside, both of which were worrisome to a degree. Unfortunately [for the teens experiment] Ethan nor Sean placed a camera in the basement, making the mystery near impossible to bear. So they decided to take matters into their own hands, "persuading" someone else to enter the basement on their own and finding out what was inside.


Towards the end of their (let's be honest) terror on the old man, day and night, Ethan and Sean attempted to put their final test in motion. They wanted to make it seem that an entity of poltergeist-likeness was indeed inside Mr. Grainey's house. Nothing too strenuous, but just enough to "put the idea out there". Little do the teen's know that the entire time these strange happenings were taking place, Harold was having his own flashbacks. The poltergeist instance simply put everything overboard, ending in a tragedy. Who is left lying on the floor at the end? You'll have to watch to find out!


Personally I recommend this movie for a multitude of reasons, albeit all probably a bit dramatic. You see, this movie really does shed light onto the aspect of psychological warfare and how easily we can alter someone's entire life with the power of suggestion. It also gives a little intro into "gas lighting", albeit not directly. Throughout the movie, I began feeling immediate sorrow for the old man, knowing that his vulnerable mental state was being altered with something I myself have been paranoid about: paranormal activity. It also didn't help because he was still dealing with a life altering event, which is shown throughout the flashbacks.

I for one rather enjoyed this film as it wasn't necessarily a thriller, but a mediocre drama with intensity. So if you're looking for mild adrenaline and perhaps something to think about, I suggest "The Good Neighbor" on Netflix.

*Picture found HERE

My Last Week Blogging?!

Happy Monday Jedi's! I'm so glad to be back. I will say that yesterday I was having a bit of a mental breakdown, but all better.

On Friday I failed to provide a scrumptious morsel review/recipe for you guys to indulge in over the weekend, but I was able to at least provide one earlier in the week. I also let you guys know I was going to an event where I'd be selling my art work. I'm happy to say that everything went smoothly and I did better than anticipated. Got loads of exposure, a few bulk orders, some companies wanting to collaborate, and future endeavors lined up. Personally I really enjoyed myself. It's definitely hard work and there are plenty of things I need to tinker with, work harder at, and figure out, but luckily this is actually something I enjoy doing.


My Padawan even got to experience his first sleep over while I was on this crazy venture of mine. I have to admit I couldn't stop thinking about sleeping without him, but I was really glad he was with his friends. He had an absolute ball and didn't have any issues at all. I was rather surprised and expected a call in the middle of the night for him to be picked up, but alas morning came without a word. As soon as I was awake I jumped into my car to pick up my bugger with huge hugs ready for him.


Yesterday however, was really hard for me. Perhaps it was from the past week of stress trying to get ready for Saturday, or maybe it was the severe insomnia, or maybe it was because of my poor eating habits. No matter the reasoning I was mentally unavailable.


You know that infamous letter an employee emailed her boss informing them of her "mental day off"? It's been all over the internet seeing as how the employer responded with poise and professionalism, while dropping a truth bomb of reality to people: everyone deserves to have a mental break without criticism.


While I was able to be the mother needed for my son - something most people often don't think is capable from someone who has mental disabilities of any form - I really couldn't deal with anything going on outside of my walls. I got through the day focusing all my energy of what my son needed, showered once he was asleep, and drifted into the slumber world myself.

Today I feel much better and was able to tackle organizing the last portion of our hall closet, cleaned up after Saturday (I got home and just unloaded everything in the living room), finished our laundry, and decided to reward myself with finishing up Pretty Little Liars - the final season.

I've been a bit lax about things that mean a lot to me, like reading Sarah Dessen, continuing my novel binge of Nancy Drew, actually playing Nancy Drew video games, watching movies I enjoy, catching up on my favorite shows, having tea time. I've been so preoccupied with getting my jewelry to take off, trying to stay calm with the idea of my little guy going to regular school (I was so ready to homeschool another year, volunteer at his school and go to field trips with him, and be available for him during vacations, but I will most likely have to go back to work full time), stressed trying to find an afterschool program/daycare for him during vacation time and half days, anxious knowing I won't have that much time with my little guys anymore, frustrated because I'm constantly doing upkeep on our home - it's like it can never stay clean, agitated because my car is being a butthead, and exhausted from not feeling well along with constantly thinking about everything as a collective.

I would like to say now that I may be taking a small break starting next Monday (possibly sooner) to be with my little guy as much as possible until school starts and everything changes. This may include taking a break from blogging until school does start for the cute one. Even while working, I'll do my best to blog everyday. But let's not think about that, let's just focus on this week. Today I've made it without feeling as horribly as I did yesterday, I was able to clean up the mess from this weekend, my son and I bonded over the small time we had apart from each other - even though it's killing me that he's growing up, and I've got a few ideas on what I'll be doing tomorrow for myself and the blog.

So here's to a great week and to whatever mess the future holds. It's going to be an insane ride and I'm not sure where we will be heading, but you can bet you'll find out right along with me Jedi's.


*Pictures found on Pinterest