Diego the Elf is back...

It's that time of year again!  Diego the Elf is back and will be up to no good (ironic, since he's here to make sure JD is behaving).   Don't forget to stop by for a glimpse of all his "wonderful" shenanigans!

Diego the Elf is back!

With Christmas right around the corner, it was no surprise to me (JD was surprised) that a visitor stopped by from the North Pole.  Diego the elf is back!  From the looks of it he plans on staying to keep an eye on JD until Christmas.  Stay tuned for all of Diego's mischievous adventures!

Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon

Julian wanted to be Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon for Halloween this year. I really enjoy making JD's Halloween costumes, so I was definitely up for the challenge.

To make JD's costume I purchased brown fur fabric to make his vest. I used left over strips of the same fur fabric and sewed them on to a pair of brown suede boots. I couldn't find just the right shirt, so I purchased a girls long sleeve shirt at Ross on clearance and dyed it olive green (I also dyed an old pair of pants). I added a little slit to the shirt and crisscrossed suede cord for our little viking. While searching for ideas online I found and purchased Hiccup's Battle Pack Set from 2009 on Ebay and voilà JD's costume was complete!

Wordless Wednesday: Pumpkin Patch 2012

El Dia De Los Muertos 2012

On Saturday we visited the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for their annual El Dia De Los Muertos celebration.  JD doesn’t scare easily and he's recently begun to understand the difference between real and fake, so we decided to take him along.  The event is very kid friendly and even provides arts and crafts stations for kiddos. I'm glad we were able to share this cultural experience with him.  To learn more about El Dia De Los Muertos click here!

JD the Easter Egg Hunter

Valentine Cake Pops

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I've been working on a few treat ideas for JD and his classmates. I wanted to send something cute, sweet and bite size to school. Luckily for me I have Micaela of  Zendejas Goodies (sweetest cake pop maker in town) on speed dial and she was more than happy to help. Micaela made me a few samples to work with and I just added a few simple extras to make them toddler friendly and fun!

What you will need:

• 12 cake pops
• 6 paper straw (cut in half)
• 1 sheet of decorative paper (cut in 5” x 2” strips)
• Glue or double sided tape
• Scissors

Our Christmas 2011

Our Christmas Card 2011

We've finally sent out our Christmas cards! We used one of our favorite shots of JD from our photo shoot with Kersti Kooiman and the card was designed by Sonya the very talented mommy behind  West Willow Designs!

Colorful Ornament Wreath

I really wanted to make a ornament wreath this year but after seeing this one at Target for only $20, I couldn't help myself and I just bought one, oh and did I mention it's shatter-proof! Target still has some really cute Christmas decor available, so hurry before it's all gone!

16" Shatterproof Ornament Wreath

Christmas Straw Flag Printable & Giveaway

When Kristin asked me to participate in her 12 Days of Christmas Printables Party I was more than happy to join in and I was also super excited to create my very own Christmas printable! I absolutely love paper straws, so I decided to make a straw flag printable using one of Moo & Puppy’s super cute digital scrapbook papers and give you a chance to win 30 red and white striped paper straws just in time for Christmas!

Please visit  A Simply Klassic Home for this free printable and to be entered to win 30 red and white paper straws!

Thanksgiving Recipes: Maple Dill Carrots

Thanksgiving is only a couple days away and I'm super excited to be hosting at our new home for the very first time! The menu is finalized and I'm even throwing in some special request like this very simple but delicious maple and dill carrots side dish. Enjoy!

Maple Dill Carrots

Ingredients:

4 cups baby carrots

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons brown sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Place carrots in a skillet and pour in just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat; simmer until water has evaporated and the carrots are tender. Stir in butter, brown sugar, dill, salt, and pepper.

Halloween 2011: JD as Jack Skellington

JD's Halloween dreams came true when he was transformed into his favorite Tim Burton character, Jack Skellington (the Pumpkin King)!  He loved his costume and had so much fun trick or treating around the neighborhood with his god-sisters and Zero (Tommy).  I want to thank my friend Vero for turning my Goodwill find into the perfect Jack suit and for hanging out with us on Halloween.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!