Jane Monreal, who has worked more than 15 years in TV and radio broadcasting in the Los Angeles market, was most recently the traffic and features reporter for KABC-TV’s Eyewitness News in the morning. After joining KABC in 2004, she took on roles as segment producer and writer, anchored its inaugural live webcast of the Academy Awards Arrivals Show in 2007, and served as the station’s “Resident Dance Expert” for the hit ABC show, “Dancing with the Stars.”  Previously, she was the lead afternoon traffic reporter for KFWB News 980, where she…

These weeks keep flying by, HOW does that happen?!?!?  I must say, I LOVED my week off from cooking!!  Such a treat!  I can honestly say I have never done that before, but will definitely again.  It was obviously a little pricier than cooking every meal, but if you balance it between some lower priced places, it’s not too bad.  And fun for older kids too, you could have everyone pick a place for a night.

(And YES,  I Have posted

Continuing the topic of New Year, New You….

I’m feeling good, are you? Would love to hear how your goals are going!

I’ve managed to get walks with the girls in, some good park time, and a shower each day.  Albeit, the shower is at the end of the day and I go to bed with wet hair and throw it back the next morning.  BUT my hair and I are clean,  I’ve gotten exercise, and I’ve played outside with the girls, so for ALL OF THAT, I feel like I’ve…

Honestly, I have the BEST Book Club group of friends ever!
I so wish you could meet them as they are a FAVORITE group of girls!

They can multi-task like nobody’s business!!
And are amazing examples of what moms and friends should be.
(I can only hope that Addie & Hay will know friends as fabulous.)

Last night was our Holiday Book Club Party which is the one book club each year that EVERYONE makes it…

So I was desperate yesterday…

Background…

With #3 on the way, my SUV would no longer work for us as the second row had bucket seats and we couldn’t expect Addie to crawl into the third row and buckle herself up when she is not even 2 years old yet. Plus it didn’t leave a lot of room for gear, which you kind of have a lot of with  3 children, 2 and under…Soooo, my beloved SUV was on the market and we ordered the next step.…

Well, I have definitely been a little behind the game this week!
I kind of feel like Addie in this photo!

I WAS feeling pretty good about all the fun posts this week!  So many wonderful FAVORITES!
But then as I sat down to work on today’s post, it occurred to me that I never posted a menu, shopping list or December “to do” list last Friday!!!

HELLO – brain where have you gone and WHEN will you be back!!…

With all the holiday parties upon us, it’s time to put on our “A Game” and look like the hot mamas (sisters, grandma’s, ladies!!) that we are!  I enlisted the help of FABULOUS Misha from Holiday Salon to help us all out.  She is my favorite Orange County make-up go-to girl and knows all the best tricks to make your assets work for you! You will look even more amazing once she has worked her magic!  Misha helped me with my “hot smoky eyes” for Halloween that…

Doesn’t it always work, that you have to open your wallet for unexpected expenses at the WORST time ever??!!  This month we’ve each had traffic tickets (the dumb ones that you think, SERIOUSLY!?!?), medical bills for an emergency room visit for Addie (that turned out well, thank goodness!), and this weekend….replacing my makeup bag…

Now any girl reading this KNOWS that replacing your makeup bag is painful!  I don’t even want to add the cost up…the designer bag itself (which was a gift), the amazing brushes (that were a gift), and the priceless collection…

First the basics:

YES!  Next weeks’s menu and shopping list are posted and ready to enjoy (at least I hope you enjoy them! Would love to hear any comments back on what you think, what you would like to see more of, what’s not working for you, what might be helpful, etc…)

We have 2 fabulous winners of the iTunes gift cards from Wednesday’s Post!

Hayden & Addie helped pick them both…it was a very formal drawing!

…

This is not what I was planning on posting today, but when I received the email with the 30% off for 3 days, I decided it was only fair to share with you all (I have no affiliation with this company at all – I just love the products and wanted to pass  along a promotion)…so I moved this entry up on the post list.

Now I definitely need to start off by saying that I’m not making any claims to the fact that air brushed perfection can be reached…

A few last minute Halloween things to think about….

FIRST – have you ever thought about doing something, but are totally “spooked” at what it might cost that you rule it out before you try?  I’m usually pleasantly surprised when I actually ASK what it might cost.   That being said – how about having someone else do you’re eye makeup and  fake lashes for Halloween? (Feel like a celebrity for minute without the billion…