Let's Party!

This weekend was quite a whirlwind.

Saturday was the Bridal Shower for my longtime childhood friend Mary.

I could go on and on about Mary, but that's for another time.....

I will say that she is a wonderful friend, and I could not think of anyone more deserving of all the happiness in the world.

Mary has three besties Debbie, Lisa and me.

Combined there is 64 years of friendship.  That's a whole lotta friendship!

The shower was thrown at my home, and hosted by the three of us.

Mary received so many gifts.  It was clear that her favorite were the ones monogramed with her new last name.

I'm not usually a fan of games at parties, but that was Mary's only request.

There had to be LOTS of games.

So that's what we did.

We played Wedding Bingo, and "What's in your Purse?", "Mary can't say the Groom's Name", We also played "How well does Mary know the Groom?".  Every time she got one wrong she had to chew a piece of Bubbalicious.

I have to admit....this one was my favorite.

I wish I had more pictures.

The food was catered by Los Panchos- Mexican food was the Bride's request.  We had Margarita Punch, and Chips and Salsa. The house was decorated with purple and pink flowers (the Brides favorite colors), There was a HUGE cake Debbie made in the shape of a wedding dress.

Since Lisa lives in Texas, we decided to do the Bachelorette Party immediately following the Bridal Shower.  So the Bridal Shower was from 4 to 7, and then the Bachelorette Party was from 7:30 till......

For the Bachelorette Party we had lots of wine, assorted cheese and crackers, fresh fruit, chocolate covered strawberries, shrimp cocktail (requested by the Bride)

I have no pictures of the tables of food, the favors, the cake........

People were taking pictures like crazy......but none with my camera....

So boo.....these are the few that I have above.

I will say Mary had a fantastic time, and we were still living it up until the wee hours of the morning....

but no photos to prove it..

I don't have a single photo from the Bachelorette party.

Maybe that's not a bad thing.....

Mary's wedding is April 16th.

I will be taking lots and lots of photos then.....even if I have to hide my camera in my bouquet.

Love you Mary!  Can't wait for your Big Day!

Happy St. Patricks Day!

In our house, St. Patricks Day is a BIG deal.

Like Christmas Big.

Gram has been throwing her annual St. Patricks Day party for YEARS now.

This year.....

was super low key.

I missed seeing all the family and friends, but did not miss helping with clean up.

;)

We still had all the fixin's

Gram makes the best corned beef on the planet.

Mashed potatoes with spinach, home-made horseradish cream, and of course Cabbage!

Madeline especially loved the Cabbage

(shocker)

I washed it all down with some Smithwick's- my FAVORITE Irish beer.

I wore green all day...

And so did

The rest 

of the gang.

:)

Dessert was equally delicious

Irish Potatoes from See's

and 

Yum!

The main topic of the night was NEXT St. Patricks Day

When these two TIE THE KNOT!

WOOT! WOOT!

We are going to look at venue's this weekend!  Stay Tuned...

Even though this year St. Patty's was on the down low, we still had fun!

Hope your day was good too!

Happy St. Patricks Day!!!

Don't eat that, Do eat THIS!

We found very early on with Jack-man that he was a spirited child.

Clay being a spirited child himself, and me coming from a family of energetic boys, I knew there was help for us.

We realized that diet controlled his level of energy.

Jack has always been full of life, very energetic, enthusiastic and spirited.

But when he ate certain foods, these traits became magnified to the point were we found ourselves helpless to his outbursts and waves of "out of control"- ness.

My Grandmother found The Feingold Diet for my Uncle when he was young.  She had the same challenges that Clay and I found with Jack.

My Grandmother introduced the diet to my Uncle and noticed immediate changes.

When my Brother was born, My Mother found herself in the same position.  She implemented the diet for my brother and she too saw immediate results.

When Jack turned 3 we were having trouble with daycare.  Our Daycare provided pointed out that Jack was much more energetic than the other children, he was having difficulty concentrating on one task, and was taking her time and attention.  

That is when we really started to put all our effort into helping Jack in any way that we could.

Both my Mother and Grandmother suggested the diet to me. 

My next challenge was trying to make a believer out of Clay.

Here are the basics of the diet.

Nothing artificial.  Nothing.

At first it's A LOT of work.  Walking the aisles of the grocery store.  Reading Label after Label after Label.  But that's what I did.  I remember calling my Mom from Safeway completely frustrated that there was nothing without artificial flavoring and coloring. And to top it off, everything that I found that was on the program was 3 times the cost of items that were artificial.

Once I had the kitchen stocked, there was no choice for Clay but to see the results.  

It was immediate.  The high energy, and not listening, and the acting out, stopped.

and then.....

if we slipped, and he had something he shouldn't.....

The change was immediate.  

We had trouble disciplining, he wouldn't listen, the outbursts.

He was frustrated. We were frustrated.

I brought the diet to his school.  I provided the snacks, and a list of what he could have and what he couldn't.

Clay quickly became a believer.

It has made such a huge difference for us.

I have shared the diet with some friends, and they have seen results as well.

A lot of my friends eat all organic, and that's great. 

But this isn't about organic.

It's about All Natural.

So even if you think organic is hog-wash....

This is not that type of diet.

Nothing holistic.

There's no sacrificial Lamb.

It's just reading labels and being aware.

So here is my easy cheat sheet for you, from my few years of experience with this diet.

#1.  If it is sold at Trader Joe's.  It's okay.

(EVERYTHING they sell is All Natural.  The entire store.  I always let Jack get whatever he wants, because truth be told....it's not the easiest on him.)

#2. Every product made by Pepperidge Farms is okay.

(that means, all the Goldfish products and cookies and crackers are okay! Even the colored fish are colored with Vegetable extract.)

#3.  If its Organic and Whole Grain, usually that label is okay- including Safeway's "Eating Right" brand.

#4. Here are the words on the labels to stay away from: 

 Artificial.  A Color followed by a # (Like Yellow #5 and Red  #6.  Vanillan- not to be mistaken by Vanilla.  Vanillan is artificial. Annatto coloring is okay. 

To make it easier on us we have a specific cupboard that is just for Jack in our Kitchen. I keep it stocked with items specifically on his diet so when we have people come over to babysit, it's easy to tell them to only let Jack eat out of his specific cupboard. 

It's also easier for us.   

Now that Jack is old enough, he can get his own snacks, and he knows EXACTLY which cupboard to go to.

Here is Jack's cupboard:

Some of our go-to's include:

Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese (not regular) Only the Deluxe and the Whole Grain are All Natural

Cheerios(Multi-Grain, Regular, even Frosted are okay)

Pepperidge farm Goldfish(any type)

Ritz Crackers (the crackers only- The Ritz Bits are NOT okay)

Plain Rold Gold Pretzels

Regular Cheez It's

Krusteaz pancake mix- regular and wheat

We only use Pure Maple Syrup

Only real Butter as well.

Capri Sun- Any flavor

Sprite or 7 Up or Sierra Mist 

Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.

Trader Joe's Cheese Filled Crackers

Anntie Anne's Bunny Crackers

Auntie Anne's Fruit snacks

Yoplait Vanilla Yogurt

Dole Real Fruit Frozen Bars
Hebrew National Hot Dogs
Dino-Nuggets (it's true!)

Of course the Normal items are okay- Cheese, Milk, Tortillas, Eggs, Bread, Meats, Fruits, etc.

Here is an example of a product we would NOT purchase:

This has it all- die, artificial, coloring.  

All Jell-O products are a big No-No in the Kirbyface household

I have found myself coming up with alternatives to some of Jack's favorite items like Jello-

Luckily I enjoy cooking....

so I make Cakes and Cookies from Scratch....

and I found this Jell-O like recipe (thank you Ina!)

It's a little more effort-but SO worth the results!

Here is an example of a product that we WOULD purchase

It's all fine!

Good Ol' Pepperidge Farm!

Now that we got the hang of it, it's second nature.

Don't get me wrong....We aren't angels...

There's always Birthday parties, and Holidays, and Amusement parks......

And sometimes....

When we make the decision.

Jack goes off the diet.

But we are prepared for the consequences, and understand that it's not Jack, but his body reacting to the chemicals. 

I know this diet isn't for everyone.

It's just worked for us.

And My Mom...

And My Grandmother...

:)

If this post in some way helps even one person out there, then it's worth it.

But most of all

This guy is worth it.

Welcome to the Club!

Remember me talking about my Catholic Club....

Well....

Yesterday, I'm proud to announce that Anna Banana joined our club.

*please look closely at the priest's feet.....gotta love CA priests. ;)*

When Rose was planning the event, I raised my hand to help in any way that I could.

The thing I love most about Roseanne is her breeziness, and her tendency to agree with any idea I come up with.

So....

She let me have free reign of the baptism reception.

Love. That.

So I picked exactly what I would have done for my own daughter, had she been Baptized in Spring.

Lilac and Maize

(for my male readers...Purple and Yellow)

With lots and lots of Tulips

The menu included:

Pesto pasta salad, croissant sandwiches, baby green garden salad and tomato and turkey pinwheels.

(I promise I will share the pesto salad recipe very soon.)

I asked Tammie from Sinful Bliss to do the cupcakes.

They were gone in 2.5 seconds...

Here she is in all her Glory.

(How adorable is this baby??!!)

There's nothing I love more than throwing a party....So thank you Roseanne for letting me do my thing.

And thank you to all my helpers who made the day perfect.  Gram for being my sidekick, and driving to a million stops to get yellow tulips, who knew that would be so hard??  To Laura for saving the day and helping with floral arrangements.  To Tegan for bringing every vase in her home. To Brit for keeping my children entertained for two days straight.  And to my husband for being the cutest parking attendant I've ever seen...and for making it possible for me to help Roseanne on this very important day. 

Love you all.

It's so hard to have one of your best friends live across the country, I'll miss you Rose. 

but I know...

We'll see each other very soon....

And for what it's worth....

I throw a mean 1st Birthday Party...

I'm just sayin....

Happy Birthday Rob!

Happy Birthday Gumpy!!

I have to say as far as Father in Law's go....

I got very lucky.

He puts up with my occasional ditzy-ness, my love of all things girlie, and he works in the fashion industry!

Does it get any better?

Rob is always supportive.  Always there for us.
And just overall a great Dad.

I searched and searched for photos of Rob and I together....

and with many family vacations together....

None. Nadda. Zilch.

Not one picture of Just Rob and I.

*mental note*: Stalk FIL with T1i. (he's gonna hate me)

In fact, I barely had any of him altogether....

He tends to stay quiet in the background, adding a funny tid-bit here and there to conversation.

He is so dedicated to his work and his family.

I have so much respect for him.

And I'm thankful for him.

Not only for who he is and what he does, but also for who he shaped my husband into.

But most of all I'm thankful we live close, so my children get to spend time with him as often as possible.

Maddie needs her mustache kisses, and Jack can't wait for their next camping adventure.

Happy Birthday Rob.

We Love you.

(My all time favorite pic of my Father in law....I know I've already posted this pic..... but...it deserves an encore...)

Happy Birthday Benny!

Happy Birthday Benjamin!

As you know I have three brothers, who I love very much.

But Benny.....

Benny is special.

Very...

VERY

Special.

I was 10 when Ben was born.  And I can not tell a lie.  I wanted a Sister.  More than anything.  I wanted someone I could play dress up with, and hang out with and be silly with.  I had two brothers and felt that was good enough.

Well....

Mom came home with Benjamin and I decided to make the best of it. 

He was the sister I never had.

I wish I had pictures of him letting me dress him up in my clothes, and party-ing it up with my friends  when I had slumber parties. He was always a hit with my girlfriends.  In fact...he still is.

He is hilarious and fun and I love the guy. 

So much. 

 I wouldn't trade him for a sister for all the money in the  world.  And coincidentally, the sister I prayed and prayed for as a child...... was in my future....just not my immediate future, and that baby boy that came home back in 1987 is the same boy that would someday grant me my wish.

Ben is set to Marry one of my Best Friends in March of 2012.  And I will finally have that sister I always wanted.

Everyone loves Ben.

I have similarities with all of my brothers, but out of the the three Ben and I are the most alike.  He's the life of the party, a performer, the center of attention.  He loves to cook, and dance and drink Beer.  He's caring and sweet, and family is very important to him.

He loves my kids...

And they love him.

He is also very close with my significant other...

they tend to be

Inseparable 

at times....

Ben and I have a *unique* relationship....

Which I love.....

Because no matter what

He'll always be my baby brother.

Love you Benny!

My bet is this will be your best year yet!

There's a Gadget for that!

Lately Gadgets have become my Best Friend.

Dilemma#1-

My Children will not brush their teeth.  

They will put the tooth brush in, move it around until the toothpaste disappears and call it good.

I needed to find a way to make brushing fun, and fun-ctional

This weekend at Target
 (I love Target) 

I found these:

Spiderman and Barbie

You push the red button and they start to flash for one minute.  When they stop flashing, you stop brushing.

Jack thought this was the coolest thing he had ever seen.

So he brushed.

 For one minute straight.

Hooray!

Madeline on the other hand....

Is still a work in progress...

Dilemma # 2

I have an escape artist

Every night we would kiss Jack goodnight, shut his door and wait.

It was just a matter of time before we would hear little footsteps from one end of the second floor to the other.  We would catch him in my office, in our bathroom, in my closet.....

Clay and I would alternate going up to catch him in the act. 

It got to the point were Clay would just hide next to his door and try catch him as soon as he set foot into the hallway.

The last straw came when we found him one morning, with Clay's Ipad, which was dead.  The T.V. was on the cartoon network, the Playstation was on and he was dead asleep next to a half empty bag of Cheetos(which he KNOWS he's not allowed to eat).

I felt like the worst parent on the planet.  

How long had he been up?  How could we not have heard him?  What are we going to do?  

After many, many calls to my girlfriends, mothers, co-workers and Best Friends we found a solution.

A Door Alarm.

$16.95

From Home Depot.

It has two settings.

One setting sounds like you have just entered a 7/11

The second setting sounds like you are killing a very large bird.

Both scare the crap out of him.

We explained to him that this door alarm was just a reminder for when he forgets that it's bedtime and accidentally gets up too soon.

After we closed the door and headed downstairs it was about 3 minutes before we heard the chime for the first time.

Clay and I looked at each other and smiled.

We went back upstairs and explained again, how important it is that he listen to us and stay in bed.

And he has since.

Double Hooray!

Two battles down.

1,345,678 to go....