My PB + J

a little sweet, a little salty and a lot of inbetween

the unofficial end of summer

As I lay wide awake just hours before both my babies enter elementary school, I am pondering how we got here so quickly. I know this is the most redundant question a parent asks themselves over the course of a lifetime, but seriously, why does it happen so fast? Payton is entering first grade and Brayden is beginning transitional kindergarten. Payton is over-the-moon excited that she got the teacher she wanted and the friends she cannot live without. Brayden has no idea what to expect, but has been very clear that he does not want to do homework and wants to play as much as he can. When he lined up today during a practice run of what to do when the bell rings, I found myself (yet again) looking over at my son. I was beaming with pride that 1). he did not cry 2). he handled walking in late to orientation and after I urged him to sit in back, he walked right up front and plopped himself front and center 3). he is the second tallest and though he gets scared with learning and tends to quit I know he is going to kick butt in TK.

Our Summer vacation was fast and while it seemed to me that we did nothing, we did. The first weekend of vacation we made a bucket list as a family. Most of the items seemed to be way easier but as the days moved quickly so did our work schedules. We joked that the kids would only gets baths in the pool and we would be lucky if they washed their hair. This was almost a correct assumption as the first month was swim lessons every day and then post lessons they were in our pool until the sun went down. The good thing is, we escaped without green hair and Payton didn’t end up with dreds, parenting win I tell you! Theres still time to knock a few things off our list like: baking cinnamon rolls, a Padre game (this week to be exact), Palm Springs, library visits and a backyard light show. I am sad that Summer is unofficially over with the school year beginning, but I am also excited for my kids. I love watching them become better tiny humans with larger hearts and sarcastic souls.

 

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A big thank you to Little Blue Bow Photography for capturing our beautiful blue eyed babes!

Bunny Brunch at American Girl

Over the weekend my Mom treated all her girls to the bunny brunch + an amazing shop trip at the American Girl store in LA. It called for an early morning wake-up call but it was worth seeing the girls so excited. My nieces had  been to the store before but it was a first for Payton. She got a doll for her birthday at one of the holiday pop-up shops so going to the mecca was outstandingly overwhelming. We arrived to the store quarter to nine. The store was quiet, every doll in place, every outfit perfectly hung. We made our way upstairs to the café and were seated at table one. They quickly helped the girls get their dolls in their seats and brought over the signature cinnamon rolls. They were tasty, but doll sized. Since it was a brunch we had four options to choose from: blueberry pancakes, buttermilk pancakes, french toast or scrambled eggs with potatoes. Since there were six of us I nibbled on everything. Everything was good, my sister said that their lunch menu was more impressive. As we were done eating it was our turn to take a picture with the Easter bunny. Each girl got an individual photo with the bunny  and then we had the option to take a group photo with our own camera. When we returned to the table dessert was served. It was the signature flower pot chocolate mousse and a bunny sugar cookie. Both were very good but rich. The meal experience was memorable but the girls could not wait to start shopping. My original plan was to only let her doll get her hair done and ears pierced plus an outfit. That plan quickly changed once her cousins were getting a new doll. We now have a new member of our family, Lea, the doll of the year. I couldn’t say no to this doll, she’s adorable and with our upcoming family trip to Hawaii in the Fall she was the perfect addition with her island flair.

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After the doll shopping we made our way to Nordstrom where Grandma spoiled them even further. Matching dresses, mini Easter stuffed animals, sandals, etc. If it couldn’t get any sweeter we ended at Dylan’s Candy Bar where there was no limit. It was a magical day for the girls. They truly have one amazing Grandma!

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Disney’s Zootopia


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Last Friday my family had the privilege of screening Disney’s Zootopia a few weeks early. We were already on our way to Disneyland and cut our trip short to make it back down to San Diego. From the previews a few months ago, my kids have been dying to see those silly, slow paced sloths! They were so excited to see the silly tale of two unlikely friends immersed in their crazy pursuit! I loved Judy Hopps’ story, small town girl with a big dream. She makes her dream a reality and moves to the big city. I love this message for any child, but for young girls this was a great one! The silly story of Nick Wilde (that sly, sly fox) is one you do not want to miss. My four-year-old did get a little scared at one point but I have to be honest that I even jumped back out of my seat as well. My husband and I could not stop laughing, they really worked in adult humor and sarcasm making it a fun movie for all ages! If you’re a Breaking Bad fan you’ll love the reference, don’t fret though, unless you’ve let your kids watch the show it should fly right over their heads. Don’t miss the animated movie of the year, Disney’s Zootopia hits theaters Friday, March 4th.

Download the fun coloring pages: zootopia-coloring-pages


 

you make my heart RACE!

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My son is a matchbox car lover (one of the many) and when I was thinking of what to do for his preschool Valentines it made sense to make my own cards. Our school does not allow us to bring treats (boo!) so these Hot Wheels inspired Valentine’s Day cards are perfect. I simply printed out on white card stock, I purchased three packages of five Hot Wheels and attached them with washi tape that looks like tire marks. Below is the file for you to print too! Enjoy!

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Click here to print your own “You make my Heart Race Valentine” RACEvalentine

apple pie pops, celebrating Snow White

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Do you love apple pie? Do you love Disney’s Snow White? We sure do! So I was even more excited when I was asked to bake an alternative to the classic apple pie to promote the Diamond Edition release of Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. My little baking assistant and I were very lucky to make some adorable and even tastier apple pie pops on CW 6 San Diego. These pops are something I have made before. but I switched it up for the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday and because afterall, what does the evil Queen want the huntsman to bring her back? Snow White’s heart of course! I hope you bake these easy pops with your kids, they are fun and super easy!

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Apple Pie Pops, celebrating Snow White. They will take about thirty minutes to prep and only take 15 minutes to bake. Make them for a Snow White themed birthday party, a movie night or for your child’s class for Valentine’s Day. {recipe at the end}

apples Peel three granny smith apples. If your kids are old enough you could have them peel. Next, take a apple slicer/corer. My kids love doing this part!

appleprepSlice your segments into halves or thirds depending on the thickness. Cut them in half and then dice. The key to these pops is making sure your dice is even and small so they cook quickly. Next, mix apples with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Mix until all apples are well coated.

crust prep

This recipe calls for store bought pie crusts. You could make these from scratch, they turn out the same but for the ease of this recipe I used Pillsbury pie crusts. I also enjoy the Trader Joe’s frozen crust, both brands are my go-to because they bake well and taste similar to homemade, which I do prefer as a crust lover. Use a heart shaped cookie cuter to cut the crust. Place a stick 3/4 of the way on the crust. Spoon a heaping teaspoon onto the dough. Remember not to overfill, otherwise when they bake you will oozing caramel-y goodness.

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Before place a second heart shaped dough over the apples you will want to do a light egg wash around the edges so the top crust sticks. Gently press the two pieces together. You can crimp or press however you wish. Brush an egg wash over the dough if you are using a sanding sugar. If you wish to skip this step you can. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

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I hope you enjoy these! If you bake them I would love to hear from you. Remember, Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is out for the first time on Blu Ray/DVD! Pick-up your copy today and make it a movie night at home!

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apple pie pops, celebrating Snow White
 
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Easy Apple Pie pops that you can bake with the kids!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 3 Granny Smith Apples
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ light brown sugar
  • 1 ts. cinnamon
  • 1 ts. flour
  • 1 package store bought pie crust
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • decorative sanding sugar (optional)
Instructions
  1. Peel, core, slice and dice your apples.
  2. Mix in sugars, cinnamon and flour.
  3. Roll out one crust layer to flatten out the crust.
  4. Cut out heart shapes with cookie cutter.
  5. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, stager hearts.
  6. Place a stick ¾ of the way onto crust and lightly press.
  7. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of filling onto each heart.
  8. Spread a thin layer of egg wash around edges and lay top crust over, lightly pressing until sealed.
  9. Crimp or press edges together. With a knife slice a small air vent into crust.
  10. Spread egg wash over crust and sprinkle with sugar.
  11. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet.