Happy Halloween

Halloween is such a fun day, but it is especially fun now that I have kids and can see how excited they get (well, Kai anyway...I think Evan is probably annoyed that he can't get in on the candy action).  

This year, we all dressed up as a family for Kai's school Halloween Carnival: Kai = Popeye, Evan = Swee' Pea, Rich = Brutus, and me = Olive Oyl. Tonight, we'll reprise our roles to take the kiddos around the neighborhood for Kai's first official night of trick-or-treating. They took a picture of us at Kai's school, so I hope to get a copy of that. It's nearly impossible getting family photos of all of us together. I know I can grab the tripod and set the timer on the camera, but really, that's just too much effort. Maybe I'll give it a try tonight. Maybe.

I'm pretty sure Rich will insist on "inspecting" Kai's candy and it will mysteriously disappear. Just like the stash of candy I bought ahead of time and hid in the garage, only to discover that all the bags had been opened. I hope I don't run out of candy for the kids who come by. I really don't know what to expect in our new neighborhood. When we lived in our last place, we got zero trick-or-treaters that last two years and maybe one or two kids the year before that.  

Rich got into his costumes for work this year, wearing a bolt through his head or an extra eyeball with lots of fake blood. He dressed up for work on various days - his offices were getting into the Halloween spirit early and I think he had fun dressing up, especially for his young patients. Kai was really freaked out when he saw the bolt the first time. He cried and yelled, "Daddy, I don't like your face." When we explained to him that it was just a costume, he insisted that Daddy take off his costume. But, by the fourth time seeing Rich with some sort of foreign object on his face, Kai didn't flinch and would just say, "Daddy's wearing another costume to work."

We also enjoyed decorating the house this year. We have a skeleton hanging from one of our outdoor lights and Kai likes to say hello to him whenever he sees him. Next year will be better because I plan on hitting up the after-Halloween sales now that I have room to store decorations.  

What I really enjoyed this year was making fun Halloween treats for Kai's school and Rich's work. Here are some of the things I made.  Notice the "teeth" made for a dental office - aren't I funny?  ;)

Apple Marshmallow Teeth
Idea from family.go.co

Witch Finger & Mummy Pretzel Rods
Idea from friends (Jill & Maria)
Instructions on Wilton candy mold packaging

Spider Krispies
Idea from cookiesandcups.com

I've included where you can find instructions for these treats (plus, you can see the way they're supposed to look - although, I am proud of my first attempt at making these things).  Thank you, Pinterest, for the inspirations and ideas.  Btw, if you don't already know about Pinterest, I recently learned about it from my BFF and have been absolutely addicted!  So many fun things on there! 

I hope you all have a very Happy Halloween and enjoy lots of yummy candy.  

Happy Half Birthday

Today is Kai's half birthday. He's now the ripe age of two and a HALF. It's a big deal.

Half birthdays are important in our family. I celebrated my half birthday every year growing up (and still do). Nothing fancy, but I usually got to pick out a special meal and have a real dessert after dinner. Plus, the joy of saying that I was now, [insert age] and a half years old! That extra half helps kids sound so much more mature, don't you think?

For Kai's entry into age 2.5, he asked for his red gummy vitamin, to watch Shark Tale when he gets home from school, and to have fish for dinner. I'm sure he'll also ask for cake. He always wants cake.

Two has been a fun age so far, but of course it comes with its moments of us wanting to pull our hair out. The hitting, the tantrums, the insane number of time outs. We hope those days will be behind us soon (I know, I know, I won't hold my breath).

But for now, we are going to cherish these next six months before he turns three and remember all the little things he does that puts smiles on our faces and warmth in our hearts . . .

• The sound of his little munchkin voice. 
• The way he says "ma" when giving kisses (he means "mwah").
• His insistence on reading the same books, watching the same movies, and listening to the same songs over and over again. 
• Hearing him sing to himself, to us, and to his baby brother.
• Saying his prayers before meals and bedtime.
• How he turns on his light every night after we tuck him in (then we go back after a half hour to turn it off).
• That he still sleeps on his tummy with his butt up in the air.
• His strong opinion about the outfits he wears, all the way down to his socks.
• Him sharing all the things he learns and the fun he has at school.
• His love of all ocean-related items, especially whales (specifically humpback whales). 
• The way he answers with his first, middle, and last name when anyone asks him what his name is.
• How he has to put his foot on Rich's leg under the table while eating.
• His obsession with cheese.
• Hearing him say, "I love you, Mommy. I love you, Daddy. I love you, Baby Evan."

Happy Half Birthday to my sweet baby boy!

Feel Your Boobies

It's National Feel Your Boobies Week (October 14-21).  Feel yours and remind your friends to feel theirs too.

Learn more at http://www.feelyourboobies.com/.

Buy Pink

If you're looking for a way to fight breast cancer, or if you just love pink, check out these fun products & deals. Hurry, most of these are only available for a limited time.

Real Simple put together a great list of products: 13 Gifts That Help Fight Breast Cancer

I especially love OPI's Pink Shatter nail polish. And as if I needed another reason to love OPI, they make an annual donation of $25,000 to Komen for the Cure. 

Ellen Degeneres' shop also sells a selection of Breast Cancer Awareness Items: www.ellenshop.com

I have her hoodie and it is so soft and comfy.

ModernMom compiled a list of their favorite Breast Cancer Awareness beauty products: www.modernmom.com

There are a few repeats from the Real Simple list, but you'll find a bunch of new items too.

Another company I love, Pure Barre, is offering FREE classes for the entire month of October (at the Newport Beach and Mission Viejo locations) to survivors. Check out their October newsletter for more details.

So many fun ways to think & buy pink this month! Happy shopping . . .

Think Pink

Today is my mom’s birthday, and I’ve always thought it was fitting that Breast Cancer Awareness month is also in October. She has been a survivor for over 25 years, so this topic has been near and dear to our hearts for most of my life.

We all know someone who has been affected by this awful disease, and the month of October gives us a good reminder to do what we can to support the cause. Whether it be sporting the pink ribbon, wearing pink, purchasing products from companies that donate proceeds to charities benefiting breast cancer awareness, or simply spreading the word, we can all do our part.

Most importantly, don’t forget your monthly self-exams. It could save your life—it saved my mom’s.

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!

My First Blog

Hello, blog world. I actually started this blog almost a year ago, but never got around to posting anything. In true procrastination form, I waited, thought about it, wondered what I would blog about, who would want to read it, when I would have time to do it…blah blah blah.

Last week, I got a bit of a kick in the pants with the death of Steve Jobs. One of his famous quotes was stuck in my head . . . 

Now, I don’t hate my job by any means, but I wouldn’t say that I love it either. You know, it’s not as if I was a little girl dreaming that one day I would be marketing annuities and mutual funds. But, even though it’s not my passion, it helps put food on the table and pay the bills to support my family. And I love them, so that counts, right? 

This got me to thinking about the blog and that it doesn’t matter if no one else is interested in it. It is for me and is something that I will enjoy doing. I used to be an avid journal writer, but like so many other things, that got bumped out of my daily routine to make room for my wifely and motherly duties. This is my way of bringing it back. Without all of the embarrassing secrets, of course. 

I don’t know how often I’ll post things, but my goal is to write about anything that makes me happy—whether it be a new delicious treat I just tried, a product that makes my life easier, or the TV shows that take up way too much of my time. If you’re looking for gravitas, I assure you, you won’t find it here. But, if you want to share in the little things that make me happy, then come join me here at Happy Spot.