easy omelets

Omelets are so easy to make. I used to be intimated to make them at first, but now I will make them for a quick breakfast or even lunch. You can pack a lot of good and healthy things in them too.

I simply put a small tablespoon of olive oil on a small pan and pour egg whites on medium heat and wait until it firms up. I don't add salt, pepper, or anything else; just egg whites. Next, when bubbles appear I simply poke them and start adding some toppings.

Select Read More to view all my different omelets.

For the omelet above I added spinach, red pepper, red onions, and shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese.

On this omelet above I added frozen kale, red onions (had a lot of red onions) and some left over muenster cheese I had.

And on another day I made an omelet with spinach, red onion, peppers, and salmon. The last step is simply adding any cheese you want and then folding it in half.

Experiment and have fun adding any type of toppings. Enjoy!

a little nature and exploration

The weather has been so beautiful, so I took a break from making my usual weekend pancakes or omelets and we went out for brunch to my favorite little breakfast nook.

They have the best chocolate croissants and this little guy just came out of the oven.  They also have amazing magic bars and I indulge on one everytime I go there. After eating brunch we went for a walk and got happily lost in the woods.

june 2014 birchbox

The June 2014 Birchbox included a few items, but I only really enjoyed two items that I have been using pretty often since I first got them.

easy bbq chicken wings

Summer is officially here and that means weekend BBQ, beach days, and lounging in the sun (with plenty of sunscreen, of course. One of the easiest things to make is chicken wings. On this particular day it was a nice cool day, so turning on the oven wasn't a big deal, but on a hot day these are perfect for the grill.

Click Read More to read my quick wing recipe.

josie maran

I have heard such wonderful things about Josie Maran's line and when I saw Sunnie Brook write about summer skin recently I just had to take up her recommendations on Josie Maran's Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadow and Watercolor Cheek Gelee. They looked liked the perfect colors and additions I needed to add to my bag for summer.

I have been wanting a few new pieces for a natural makeup look and these items were perfect to achieve that look and it also felt nice and light on the skin.

I realized after I opened the package that I didn't buy the Beach Sands Sunni recommended, I bought the Rio de Rose Gold shade, but I am very happy with the color. It was a happy mistake, as its light, shimmery, and has a bronze shade to it. It's very cooling on the eyes and very lasting. It remained on my eyelid all day without it fading it at all.

The description for it indicates that the first layer delivers fresh coconut water, and the second provides a layer of argan-infused pigments to give eyes a more youthful appearance and minimize the appearance of fine lines.

A very little goes a long way. I placed a very small dot on my eyelids and it was very intense and covered the entire lid, so I can see this lasting a very long time.

Next, I bought the Cheek Gel in Coral Oasis, which is a bright fruit punch color.

The description indicates that this is a buildable, blendable blush hybrid which provides a natural look of a cream blush with the long-lasting hydrating color of a gel stain. Infused with 50 percent-pure coconut water, it instantly hydrates while nourishing with the powerful benefits of vitamin E-rich argan oil. 

I used it as both a cheek and lip stain. As soon as I put it on it was very cooling and hydrating. The color looks very bright, but it comes on sheer.

Lastly, I scored the Josie Maran Daily Moisturizer with SPF 47 as a sample. It is so soft and creamy.

The description for the SPF moisturizer is that it is all-natural, chemical-free, lightweight sunscreen that moisturizes the skin with a non-greasy texture. It features green tea and innovative SunBoost ATB, resulting in powerful sun protection. It is skin-nourishing, texture-smoothing, and radiance-boosting.

I do have to say it's heavy and thick. I highly recommend it for those with dry skin. 

These are perfect to wear for a natural look on a hot summer day out and I usually just loosely braid my hair and pull a few pieces out. 

ice cream bar

Can't have a party without desserts. To compliment the retro diner themed party we threw we decided to have a milkshake and ice cream bar. I made chocolate milkshakes by request and guests could make their own ice cream sundaes by adding all sorts of yummy toppings.

Of course we had to have some chocolate and pink frosted sprinkle donuts. What diner doesn't have donuts? Plus, any leftovers was a perfect breakfast treat the next day.

The birthday boy wanted a double chocolate cake, so I just picked one up and I put a cherry on top. And a friend brough over an ice cream cake.

Guests selected an ice cream cup, a waffle cup, or cone to scoop their ice cream in. I had vanilla and chocolate ice cream ready with scoopers on the side counter incase of any spills. You could also pre-serve a scoop of ice cream in each cup and put them in the freeze so they are ready to decorate. Guests had fun putting fresh fruit or chocolate candy toppings with whipped cream, nuts, and cherries.

An ice cream bar is not just a great addition to parties, but great to add to any summer BBQ.

Supplies Used

Custom Ice Cream Table Toppers (little signs): A Delicate Gift | Jukebox Centerpiece: Amol's Party | Biodegradable Spoons: World Centric | Ice Cream Cups: Uniq | Cookies: A Dozen Eggs | Tablecloth: Linen Tablecloth

snoopy pinata

Our friend and his sweet family have a yearly fundraiser for Relay for Life.

Relay for Life is an all day and night event where people come together and create teams. The teams camp out overnight and take turns walking or running around a track, park or path. There is at least one member of the team on the track at all times. The money raised goes to the American Cancer Society.

Every year we attend their BBQ and everyone at the BBQ donates to this important cause. Their team's name is Lucy's Peanut Gang. This year we created a snoopy pinata for them to go with their Peanut Gang theme. To donate to their team, please visit: Relay for Life

Let me show you how to make your very own snoopy pinata.

Step 1: Find a large cardboard box and cut two symmetrical shapes and tape together long strips of cardboard in the middle of both symmetrical pieces.

Step 2: Make a door to be able to fill candy. (optional)

Step 3: Glue newspaper strips on pinata.

Step 4: Cover entire pinata with newspaper.

Step 5: Cut strips of fringe.
Step 6: Glue strips of fringe on board.

Step 7: Cover entire surface with fringe streamer paper.

Step 8 - 9: Cut out shapes for ear, nose, mouth, eyes, brows and neck collar using black cardstock or construction paper and glue on.

retro diner birthday party

We threw a small 50's retro diner themed party for Yanni's birthday with the help of my sister of A Delicate Gift. Last year we threw a fiesta for him. My sister plans parties, makes invites, and makes matching decorations for parties that she sells on Etsy. I knew she was the perfect person to help me throw this party.

Yanni and I both love retro classic diners, he loves burgers and I love milkshakes, so it was the perfect theme for this birthday party. We had a few friends come over to celebrate. I set up a burger and hotdog bar and an ice cream and milkshake bar for dessert.  Here are a few photos of the food table and some of the decor. I had lots of fun with this one. I will be sharing the ice cream bar and dessert table very soon.

We served hamburgers and hotdogs and everyone dressed them up using relish, pickles, mustard, ketchup, onions, lettuce, american cheese, and tomatoes. For sides we had salad and a friend brought over the most delicious potato salad. We also made some fries. You can't eat at a diner without having some fries with your burger.

For drinks we had some bottles of water wrapped in custom water bottle wrappers and some glass coca-cola bottles from Mexico.

For some snacks we had some popcorn in vintage style bags, and diner themed cookies that were made for the party. Those were a big hit.

For decor we added a few retro diner themed items in the party's theme color. We placed a jukebox in the middle of the table on a vintage style wooden box we accidentally and luckily found on sale at Big Lots. We hung balloons on top of the table in the the party's theme colors, which were skyblue, red, yellow, and white. We added some small details like the plastic red plates with red and white checker wax paper for everyone to serve their food in, NY Greek diner paper cups with red and white straws.

I can't wait to share with you the ice cream bar and dessert table. We had lots of fun and it will definitely be a day we will remember.

Items and Supplies

Jukebox Centerpiece: Amol's Party | Waterbottle Wrappers: A Delicate Gift  |  Food table topper cards: A Delicate Gift | Red Food Baskets: New Star Food Service  |  Red and White Checker Wax Paper: Cake Supply Shop | Vintage Style Coca-Cola Crate and Napkin Holder: Big Lots | Similar Wooden Vintage Coca-Cola Crates: Etsy  | Vintage Style Great Hamburger Sign: New Retro Signs | Red and White Straws: Kikkerland | Ketchup and Yellow Squeeze Bottles: Tablecraft | Cookies: A Dozen Eggs Bake Shoppe | Greek Diner NY Paper Cups: Solo Cup Company