The Princess Diaries Begin...

Dear Junebug,
I remember liking Princesses when I was a little girl... but your obsession with all things Princess is just incredible.  I'm enjoying every single moment of it.
XO
Mommy

Trend Alert: Airport Tracksuit!

Dear Junebug,
We went to Tucson to visit your Poppy and Nana for Thanksgiving.  You're not exactly a frequent flyer so your commitment to organization and travel fashion was pretty impressive.  Many have rocked the "airport tracksuit" but to pair it up with matching luggage too?! Next level! 
XO Mommy

Jude Turns 3!

Dear Junebug,

Every Saturday you wake up asking, "We going to party today?"... Good thing your friends like to party too.  When Jude turned 3 it was all about popcorn and Thomas the Train which is your favorite!  Jude's Mommy Sheila also made these awesome peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on a stick which you were so excited about you were eating them standing up in your best Sumo wrestler stance. I keep forgetting to ask Sheila where she bought that lemonade, it was YUM!

XO

Mommy

Stuffed Animal Chair!

I was watching a home show about Kelly Bensimon's house and she shared about a chair she made for her daughter.  She called it the memory chair and made it with all her stuffed animals and a glue gun.  Inspired by an Italian designers Campana Studio who invented the idea http://campanas.com.br/, I was actually instantly obsessed with it. It's kinda GREAT!

Jagger Turns 3!

Dear Junebug,

Jagger's 3rd Birthday Party was a blast... Caterpillar Cake, Pizza, Ball Pit and good friends.  You love a good party!

XO

Mommy

Trick or Treat!

Dear Junebug,
We certainly picked a dramatic moment to take you out in the dark for the first time.  The fact that you go to sleep so early means you just never went out at night.  But this night was certainly special.  We went trick or treating at the Oaks with Alfie and Jagger and you went crazy.  They close down the street and all the neighbors really go all out with the decorations... they try and make it as scary as possible but you weren't scared.  You wouldn't even walk up to a house unless it looked like a scary mansion.
XO
Mommy

Is This a Treat or a Trick?!

Dear Junebug,
We love getting invited to your friend Ledger's holiday parties... they are always so beautiful, full of detail and fun BUT since you've realized that all that "stuff" is actually CANDY it's become more of a "conversation" or maybe a debate between Mommy and Daddy about how much candy you are allowed to have.  If it were up to Daddy - NONE.  Mommy is a bit more pragmatic on the matter.  I think you should learn how to eat sweets in a responsible way.  In the meantime, just admire the decor, the design the time and effort Ledger's parents put into this Halloween extravaganza!!!
XO
Mommy

"I NO Baby, I Snow White!"

Dear Junebug,
This year for Halloween we dressed you up in one of these store bought Snow White dresses.  I was very upset by the fact that I didn't have time to get creative, maybe log onto etsy.com and dress you up like a handmade piece of shrimp sushi.  I felt like a failure.  But, the Snow White thing kinda worked out.  You loved it and the dress works post-Halloween for dress up in your playroom.  Since then, you've made Snow White your alter ego... the other day at the park some little kid said, "Be careful, baby" as you were climbing up the jungle gym and you said, "I NO Baby! I Snow White!"
XO
Mommy

Mommy Tips: Best $175 spent EVER!

After June's second birthday, she was literally asking for a jumpy on a daily basis. Her Daddy got so tired of it, he went to Wal Mart and unbeknownst to him they actually exist and for not that much money. This one is made by little tikes, has it's own generator and blows up in about 45 seconds. It's been invaluable. She probably uses it on a daily basis. I have to say though, they do sell ones with a little roof on them for about $50 more which if I had to do it all over again, I would do that instead as this one can get a bit dirty. Seen here with her cousins, June having the time of their life which is of course: Priceless!

Big Girl Room Inspiration!

Dear Junebug,

I bought this rug for you at a flea market in Paris. After seeing Ruby's adorable little sate upholstered in a rug, I thought maybe this would also be a good place to start. What do you think?!

XO

Mommy

Ruby gets BIG GIRL room!

Dear Junebug,

I remember holding Ruby as a brand new little baby and now she's in a big girl room! You guys are growing up so fast! It's no surprise the room is BEAUTIFUL, perfect for a modern day little princess. Ruby's Mommy did an awesome job on it. It has definitely inspired me to start thinking about yours!

XO

Mommy

Pics: courtesy of Susan Anderson blog

Mommy Tips: Overtired and Cranky Bubble Bath!

Last night Junie threw a major tantrum before bath time. This has become more of a frequent occurrence in the house which is quite shocking as bath time was never an issue with her before. As I started scrambling around the bathroom while my husband was holding her body down, the kicking, screaming in full swing; I came across a bottle of this California Baby bubble bath called "Overtired and Cranky" in the bathroom cabinet which someone must have given us as a gift. It's aromatherapy bubble bath which smells really calming and it also comes with a little bubble thing to blow bubbles. Voila! Magic! Within seconds of dropping some in the tub and offering the option of blowing bubbles, the tantrum came to an instant halt. I'm sorry I can't remember who gave it to me but THANKS!

Royce turns 3!

Dear Junebug,

You have a new friend called Royce and how excited were you for his Dinosaur Themed Birthday Party?! It was amazing... Piñata, Dinosaur egg hunt, jumpy... the works. And to make it all so much cooler, your Tia Ana was in town from Costa Rica so she came with us. Lately, you wake up on Saturdays and the first thing out of your mouth is "Birthday Party?" So lucky you, the invites keep on comin' !!!

XO

Mommy

The Aliens are Coming!

Dear Junebug,

As you know, I travel a lot for work. You've been so awesome about it. When "Mommy goes on airplane" you just say "Oh, OK!" This makes it so much easier for me so appreciate that so much. Recently, I've decided to make more of an effort to see family when I travel to the east coast. I can't wait until you're a little bit older and you can come with me. Last time I was in New York I went to visit your little cousins, Abby, Ian and Eli. We had a lot of fun playing with photo booth on the Mac. We played like we were aliens!

XO

Mommy

Mommy Tips: Finger Paint!

This is one of the best things I ever did for my daughter... buy her some finger paint! I just threw on a little black onesie that I didn't care got ruined and let her go at it. I haven't done any research but I can only guess that this exercise is good for both her mind and soul! She got so excited when she saw her own artwork she was screaming and squealing! It was one quick trip to Michael's to find both the paint and these cute little plastic shell shaped plates where I squirted the paint; we used the left over butcher paper from her birthday party as the canvas. I highly recommend.

Red Carpet Arrivals!

Dear Junebug,
There was one very anxious paparazzi taking your picture on the red carpet at the 2011 TJ Martell Family Day which benefits Children's cancer and leukemia research.  Oh wait, that wasn't paparazzi, that was Mommy!  Well, regardless, I think pink vintage Lily Pulitzer with pink and white checkered one star converse sneakers was a wise choice and very age appropriate for "the carpet".
XO
Me

Photo of the Week: Junie and Cleo

Mommy Tips: California Science Center

Out of all the places to go in Los Angeles, I LOVE taking June to the California Science Center. It's fun because it's interactive, the people are friendly, it's diverse in its exhibits and it's easy to get to (Exposition Park just south of downtown LA). By far June loves the aquarium the best with it's diver show... the little mini tide pools are nice too where the kids can touch starfish and sea urchins, etc. Perfect for a Sunday morning.