My PB + J

it’s a weekly thang {weigh-in wednesday}

Midnight is nearing so I better get this post up! I had to wait for the hubby to get home from traveling today to take a picture and I am so glad I did! This past week has been amazing in terms of finding strength in my mind, body and wellness. Like I mentioned last week I starting taking classes at The Dailey Method. My weekly minimum is getting in at least four classes and I did just that. I wanted to take five but by Friday I was beat so I took Friday off to rest and then hit the weekend strong. I am loving the classes more than ever even if yesterday was probably the worst for me in terms of being mentally engaged but I made it through and I felt great afterwards. Tonight’s class reconfirmed why I love taking classes at The Dailey Method.



When I arrive to the studio I am always greeted with friendly smiles and by name! All the instructors are fab and they all try to get to know you enough to create a great relationships. This is huge to me! I stopped taking Bikram because of the instructors and even some spin classes depending on who is instructing. Honestly, at The Dailey Method it doesn’t matter who the instructor is, you get a great workout and you leave feeling positive. Tonight’s class instructed by Michelle left me feeling energized. She gave me a high-five after class and applauded me on my hard work and dedication. I seriously could’ve cried. While I had felt deflated over the weekend she picked me right back-up. I have a goal and gosh darn it I will get there! It doesn’t matter if one day my legs chatter like crazy or the next I can hold my low c-curve without holding on. I am working at my own pace and I am loving it! 
Each night my body is sore, a good, healthy sore. I can see a change and I am getting addicted seeing my old body re-emerge. While the road is still long, my butt is being lifted (thank you seated pretzel!) and my core is a lot stronger. The other day I was complaining that the skin below my belly button would never tighten up and would you believe that today there are barely any wrinkles in the skin? It’s happening people! Believe in yourselves and believe that with hard work and dedication you will see the results you are working towards! 

In terms of my weight, I have lost another pound. I believe in the next two weeks the pounds will start coming off a little faster but we shall see. I’ll take a pound at a time…

How was your week? Your challenge?

On another note, thank you to all who have e-mailed me about inspiring you to reach your goals. You brighten my day and keep me going!

Want to take a class at The Dailey Method? There are three San Diego locations (Rancho Bernardo/  Encintas / Downtown) or visit the website for a location near you, it’s only $8 for your first week!

vegan carrot cake cupcakes {recipe}

I’ve only baked vegan cupcakes once before. While I went on a vegan diet for one month back in 2008 it just isn’t for me per se. This past weekend I made two vegan cupcake recipes, carrot cake and dark chocolate. The cake on both were delish but the frosting on the chocolate was just weird but tasted amazing. I guess that’s what happens when you compromise real butter vs. faux. I loved these carrot cake cupcakes and I hope you will too! 

Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes
makes 24

  • 1 + 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 TB cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp cloves 
  • 3/4 tsp ginger
  • 1 + 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup sunflower oil 
  • 2/3 cup almond (or soy) milk  
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups grated carrots
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 350º. Line your muffin tins with liners, greaseproof work best for this recipe. In a large bowl, mix together the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and let stand for a few minutes. Add the sugar, sunflower oil, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Slowly mix together the wet and dry mixtures. Add the carrots, raisins and nuts – mix until combined. Using an ice cream scoop or a 1/4 cup divide the batter evenly. Bake for 18-24 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. 


Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting 

  • 1 tub tofutti brand cream cheese 
  • 2 TB vegan margarine 
  • 1 TB vanilla bean paste 
  • 1 1/2 – 2 pounds powdered sugar 


In a stand mixer beat together the cream cheese and margarine until combined. Slowly beat in powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Mix in the vanilla bean paste. Frost to your liking. 

nordstrom rack grand-opening 9/13

If there was one event that I have been waiting for in the month of September it would have to be the grand opening of the new Nordstrom Rack in Carmel Mountain Plaza. This plaza is where I head everyday, Coffee Bean, Michaels, Chick-fil-a, Panera, it’s all there. This building has sat vacant for too long after Mervyn’s went out of business and I always said a Rack should go in there. I guess I got my wish! 

Last night the kids and I headed to the pre-grand opening celebration. I thought it was just a media screening so to be greeted fifteen minutes prior to start time with hundreds of shopping addicted women  surprised me. We got in line and after about twenty minutes we realized we never had to wait in line. We quickly moved inside where were greeted with a cute reusable shopping bag, cocktails and tasty appetizers. The DJ was playing great music so the vibe was fantastic as we made our way to the kids shoes.

If there’s one thing I always look for while at the Rack, it’s shoes. Payton is in need of shoes for Fall/Winter since her feet are growing at an exponential rate. She wanted sparkly and we found the same silver sparkly Stride Rite shoes she had last Fall, the plus, they were 40% off what we paid last year. My friend, Kate, from San Diego Deals & Steals gave me a tip that the clearance section was killer so I wedged the double stroller back into the racks and went through the clothes.

Photo Credit: Simmworks Family Blog
I am so happy I visited the clearance rack. 70-80% off clothes I had been eyeing at the beginning of the Summer at the department store. If you aren’t familiar with Nordstrom Rack it is the off-price division of Nordstrom, Inc. They offer a wide selection of on-trend apparel, accessories and home goods that are offered at Nordstrom stores and from Nordstrom.com at 50-60% off retail prices. This is always a plus for me. 

Payton didn’t want to part with her new dress and couldn’t give up a smile either. Focused shopper?
Photo Credit: Simmworks Family Blog

Photo Credit: Simmworks Family Blog

I would like to say I did some damage but I did not. The biggest shopping score was the Peek… dress for Payton. It was originally $48 and I got it for a PENNY! Overall I saved $137.86! 

While checking out the cashier informed me of the grand opening ‘Race Through the Rack’ sweepstakes where one lucky person will be chosen to be the first customer to enter the store and have 90 seconds to select up to $2,000 worth of merchandise! Fill out, print and bring the entry form here. 


                  Follow the store on Twitter @CarmelMtn_Rack for clues to find a Golden Hanger!


You just might be going home with some great steals just like me! 

birthday party date

On Saturday we had a birthday party to attend. The party was for my high school friend, Tawny’s four-year-old daughter, Mary. I had not seen Tawny since her wedding six years ago, which just seems crazy because it was like no time had gone by at all. For my gift to Mary I baked her Hello Kitty themed cupcakes. Since I had been up late and then woke-up fairly early to take a class at The Dailey Method I decided to only take Payton to the party. While I felt guilty for leaving the little guy at home with daddy I knew it would be good for Payton to have a solo mommy trip. 
When we arrived at the party I quickly caught up with Tawny’s family, setup the cupcakes and Payton was swiftly whisked off by Mary. They were so cute together, holding hands, sharing toys and enjoying fluffy pink cotton candy before any of the guests arrived. They soon moved on to the huge blow-up water slide and slowly Payton moved to the pool as she was outnumbered by fifteen or so four-year-olds. We enjoyed lots of skittles, a cheeseburger, a cupcake and then we left the party after dealing with the 100º+ weather for three hours. 

We chatted, we sang and mostly enjoyed one another’s company. We made a quick pit stop in Temecula to meet my sister to look for our wig pub crawl ensembles. Payton loved walking around the mall without the stroller, without her brother and pretty much just like a big kid. We held hands and went up and down the escalator a half a dozen times before looking for outfits. She would giggle and give her fashionista opinion on my fickle ideas for the LMFAO inspired wig crawl this weekend. The best part about the day was that there wasn’t any breakdowns when asked to leave the party, mall or Hobby Lobby. She went along for the ride and we enjoyed ourselves. We were gone for over eight hours and at the end of the night she asked for me to come lay with her. Of course I couldn’t resist one last snuggle for the day and then she squeezed me a little tighter and said, “mommy, thank you for today. The birthday party was so fun. I love you.” I love these moments and I will cherish them. It isn’t everyday we get solo mommy/daughter dates.

Payton loved picking clothes out for me. She is my biggest fan as I am hers. Above she is trying on the dress she wanted me to purchase. 

pûrICE soothing teething ring {nûby mommy blogger review

One of the amazing perks of being a Nûby Mommy Blogger is that my family gets to review amazing  Nûby products! Over the next few months I will be sharing these products with you. For my fourth review I would like to introduce you to the pûrICE soother teething ring. 

One of the worries we had for Brayden being a cleft baby was whether or not he would have all of his teeth. He started showing signs of teething around four months just like his sister but at six months there still weren’t any teeth. Of course, we were worried but every child is different so we waited and waited. Finally, at eight-and-a-half months his first top tooth came in. It didn’t take long for the next six to come in. During this time he showed very little distress that his teeth were coming in, we’re not going to complain about this at all! But, of course, there were days where he needed a little soothing for his swollen gums. Cue the Nûby pûrICE soother teething ring. 


The Nûby pûrICE soother teething ring is just what Brayden needs to help relieve his swollen gums. The soother ring provides a cool textured surface for baby to bite and teethe safely. The raised offset surface was designed to assist in the eruption of teeth by gently massaging their gums. What we love about this teether is that it stays colder longer because of the pûrICE. Most teething rings are filled with water, they begin to sweat and go warm after just a few minutes. This teething ring stays cold for about twenty-minutes and it doesn’t sweat. This is a huge plus for us and honestly why I strayed away from teething rings for so long with Brayden. I cannot recommend this teething ring enough for teething babies. 

Do you have a little that’s teething? Are you looking for a great addition to a baby shower gift? Then look no further! You can purchase this product and many other Nûby products from: www.buybabydirect.com & www.walmart.com. 
disclaimer: I received  the product listed above for review purposes only. However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own and I only recommend products that I would personally use or believe my readers would enjoy.