1. Currently adding to an Ikea Hack I'd completed. Loving this marble..... or is it marble?

2. Reminiscing about the Stitch Fix event. Debating on taking the plunge and doing a subscription service. What subscription services do you recommend?

3. Visited with a girlfriend. It was SO NICE to have adult interaction. Most of the time, I speak baby.

4. I made a big ass cookie for the hubs and I. I think it's micro baking has become my Friday night ritual.

5. Doing a closet cleanout and debating on starting an Instagram handle to sell it all.

6. Played the Powerball lottery and lost. Maybe if I keep playing, someday I'll win? Momma wants A LOT of shoes. You know what they say, "you can't win, if you don't play..."

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Whether you're single and minglin' or proudly taken... Lily hopes you have a fabulous Valentine's Day!

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited by Stitch Fix to attend their Style Influencer's event at the swanky Citizen Hotel. Stitch Fix is a subscription service that comes with a stylist who sends you five pieces a month....accessories, pants, dresses, jackets... whatever your heart desires for $20 a month. You can purchase 1 item or all five (you get a 25% discount if you purchase all five). I've never used a subscription service before, so I grabbed one of my girlfriends and headed to the event to see what Stitch Fix was all about.

The event was so much fun! They served appetizers and champagne and we were able to preview the clothes.  There were stylists and other Stitch Fix staff there to answer any questions we had. Toward the end of the event, they had a "style off" and had 3 invitees style pull 5 items for their client based on the clues they were given.... The twist? They were the managers or supervisors at the event. I even met a fashion blogger from San Francisco that I follow, Kate Ogata from The Fancy Pants Report!

The clothes that were on display were gorgeous! There were jackets, scarves, dresses, bags and accessories on hand.

Here are a few pictures... Please excuse the poor quality as the room was dimly lit.

My girlfriend reppin' #stitchfixlife

Paris pulling items for the "Style Off"

Kate Ogata (at right) and I.

This silver tank was GORGEOUS!

Some goodies I scored from the event.

I met some really fun ladies including Kim (Dir. of Ops.) and Laurie (who was taking this picture).

If you follow me on Pinterest (if not, check me out here), you'll see that from time to time I get the urge to pin desserts. I will look at board after board pinning dessert upon dessert. And yet, I don't make any of them. Why? Because I really don't want to ingest 18-24 cookies, a pie that serves 4-6 or any other "mass quantity" dessert. I'm still trying to go strong with this "eating better" goal I'd set for myself since I'm still about 10-15 lbs over my pre-preggy weight.

Enter Pinterest and micro recipes. 

After eating a totally healthy (and seriously delicious) chicken salad made by Chris, I thought I'd woo him with some kitchen talent of my own. For the past few days, I'd been pinning micro dessert recipes and had just found a micro blueberry cobbler. Oh yeah, that was so going to happen.

Filling

• 3/4C blueberries
• 1/8C sugar
• 1tsp flour
• 1 tsp margarine or butter
• 1TBSP water
• 1TBSP lemon juice

Topping:

• 1/4C flour (you could even use gluten-free flour and make this a GF dessert)
• 1/2TBSP sugar
• 2/3tsp baking powder (I used 1/3 cream of tartar, 1/3 baking soda)
• pinch of salt
• 1TBSP margarine or butter
• 1TBSP milk
• 1/4 egg (I scrambled an egg and measured from that)
• 1/3ts almond extract

Extra:

• 1t Brown Sugar 

Method
1.Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine filling ingredients in a microwave safe dish and mix until the mixture is boiling and thickened, stirring every minute or so. This took about 5 minutes in my microwave.
3. Mix together dry ingredients in a small bowl with a fork until well combine.
4. Melt margarine or butter and mix with wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
5. Mix wet and dry ingredients until doughy.
6. Spoon dough over blueberry filling in blobs
7. Sprinkle extras on top
8. Bake for about 18-20 minutes until the extras are caramelized and the topping is cooked through and fluffy.

Oh hello! Remember me? :)



Happy 2015 everyone! Yes, its been 7 months since i'd last blogged but that is part of my list of 2015 goals (as I think its been in the last couple of years)... to blog consistently. Last year, I focused on being a mom. It was quite the adjustment, let me tell you! In my former professional life, I was great at multitasking but for some reason, motherhood gave me a gentle nudge and forced me to slow down in life. After 7 months, I am eager to get back in the saddle and do more.

I have a few goals that fall in my blogging resolution and I hope to get these accomplished this year:

• Redesign my blog // Yes, there are links missing and it doesn't work right (like... at...ALL) but i'm hoping to re-do it all (and soon!).
• Start Fashion posts // I've been wanting to do these posts forever but haven't had the guts to do them. I have so many cute outfits burning a hole in my closet and now that I don't have an office job to wear them to, blogging would naturally be the next best way to show them off, right?
• Meet new people from blogging // Once upon a time, I tried to be a (commercial) model. While I was working with photographers, make-up artists, hair and stylists, I got to know some pretty cool people and hope to do the same in the blogosphere.
• Go to more events // I've been a homebody for far too long. Time to get out and get moving!
• Build my blog into a reliable business // I've always wanted to (consistently) blog part-time and to create and build a brand and someday create income from it. I've envisioned creating working relationships with brands and writing about exciting experiences. Maybe even going to New York Fashion Week? There, I said it. I put it out there into the universe. Hopefully this year the gears will start moving and things will work themselves out!

And with that, I've successfully posted my first post for 2015. A step in the right direction.

How do you stay focused with your resolutions or goals?

 -M

Baby Lily!



Well hello there world! I finally don't feel like a zombie anymore! Hooray!

Having a baby is INTENSE! I want to write Lily's birth story but haven't had the energy to do much more than feed her, feed myself and sleep. But come hell or high water, I WILL write it soon.

For now, I can only describe how in love we are with her through pictures. They say that having a baby really changes your life. They were so very right. Sure, there is sleep deprivation and the recovery process is another set of intensities, but seeing her sweet little face everyday has put a new perspective in mine and my hubby's life. We are so in love with our little lady.  I especially love hearing my husband sing to her, talk to her, take care of her... its a feeling I can't describe but it absolutely melts my heart watching him with her. About 5 years ago, I swore off having children or even getting married. I'm glad I took those decisions back... <3

Last week, I hit week 38 in my pregnancy. I've been reflecting on the different things that I'd experienced throughout this time: minor meltdowns, morning sickness, the first of many baby kicks... It seems like it went by slow and yet fast at the same time!

There are some products that I don't think I could have lived without during my pregnancy so for all you mamas-to-be, here are some items I think are worth a shot in trying!



1. Spanx Power Mama Shaper - Hands down, this was my favorite item (hell, i'm wearing them now!) to have. As your belly grows, all the weight can be a little much to handle when walking or doing simple chores. I tried maternity weight belts but the little lady in the belly didn't seem to like them and would wiggle and squirm when I put them on. She didn't mind the Spanx so much and they came in a full panty hose as well as the Super Power Panty (which is what I chose since its been so warm out). It smooths out panty lines and is pretty airy. The only downside is that the tummy panel does run if you're not careful since its made of nylon. It also helps support your back and waist. They come in two colors (nude and black).




2. Hydro Flask - I initially bought this because I was doing Bikram yoga but it was extremely helpful in keeping track of my water intake and since its double insulated, it keeps my water freezing cold (even up to 24 hours of pouring it in, ice cubes and all!)! I bought the 40 oz. bottle so I know that drinking 2 of these will give me 80 oz of water a day. They have fun colors too!



3. Confessions of a Scary Mommy by Jill Smokler - With all the reading and research I've been doing trying to prepare myself for baby's arrival, it was nice to find a funny book to unwind with. Jill is a blogger who started sharing her realities as a mother and connecting with other moms out there. Her book is real and funny and a short, great read!



4. Target Women's Favorite Tank -  I have lived in these tanks because they're great for layering and long enough to cover a giant belly! They come in so many colors and prints and are affordable! Now that the weather is warming up here in sunny California, they will definitely be a staple for my summer wardrobe!



5. Vitamin E oil - I have not been so lucky in the stretch mark department. I knew that eventually i'd succumb to stretch mark central but have done my best to stay hydrated and religiously lube up my bump. At first, I was solely using coconut oil but in the seventh month, I started to see stretch marks. Funny enough, I honestly don't believe it was from weight gain as I had gained it in a fairly steady manner. I attribute my stretch marks to my little one moving around. Since week 20, she has been a wiggling machine! At times, her kicks have been so hard and painful, I felt like my skin was tearing and when I would go to investigate it, the areas where she was kicking were red and irritated and eventually donned my lovely battle scars. I had started to combine coconut oil with Aveeno lotion to make a paste but that didn't seem to do much. While wandering around Target, I found a bottle of Vitamin E oil and have been lubing up 3 times a day. My scars are still reddish colored so I've been trying my best to make sure they heal (OR DISAPPEAR!!!). So far, this oil is much more viscous  and stays on the skin longer. Once I have my little lady, I'll look into other lotions to help aid this process.


I hope these items help you with your preggy-ness like they've helped me! What products have helped you along the way?