How To: Make a Mustache Cake!

I absolutely love making cakes. I finally took pictures of the process I go through, and here's a step-by-step tutorial on how I make my cakes! I'm obviously not a professional and I just do this for fun, so if you see an imperfection--there's no need to call me out on it :). My cousin Chara is pregnant with her first baby, a boy they're naming Jackson. Of course I had to make her a cake; honestly, she could have gotten a new puppy and I would have said "oh how exciting! Let me make you a cake!!" just to have an excuse to bake. However, she is pregnant, and pregnant women love cake--so it worked out perfectly. She requested a red velvet cake--which was great because I LOVE making red velvet (I'm obsessed with my cream cheese frosting recipe). 

Bake your cakes then set on parchment paper and let cool.

Next, make your frosting. This cream cheese recipe is my go-to recipe for red velvet cakes--its SO good (recipe is listed below)

All mixed up! DON'T do a taste test--It'll be hard to stop eating it once you try it! (Tip: if you do try it and want to dip stuff in it, graham crackers taste amazing in this ;)--however, don't eat it all: you need to frost your cake!)

Time to start frosting the cake. These 3 things will be your best friend while frosting cakes: a large and small spatula and a cake turntable.

Don't worry if it doesn't look perfect; just make sure its straight. 

Once the layers are stacked, frost it completely. Be generous with the  frosting; your guests can always scrape off extra if they don't like a lot of frosting. 

I forgot to take a picture of this step, so I'll just tell you here. Before you start piping on your design, I draw it out with a toothpick first. Doing so helps you to see how the cake will turn out, and if you don't like how it looks, you just smooth the frosting out and start over.

Once your okay with your outline, pipe your frosting on!  Go slow, but don't freak out if you mess up--you can always scrape it off  and start over. 

I always like to pipe some sort of design at the base of the cake; it seems to finish it off nicely :)

...and done! This was a pretty basic cake but it was fun to do :)

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Ingredients:
3 - 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
8 - tablespoons of butter
2 - teaspoons of vanilla
8 - cups of powdered sugar
3 - teaspoons of milk

Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients together then let set in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Be sure to store frosted cake in fridge if there are leftovers. Enjoy! 

How To: Make a Thoughtful Gift (Part 1)

Every year my dad's birthday rolls around, I never know what to get him. He has to be one of the hardest people to shop for (besides Joe, of course)--and if you ask him what he wants, he'll just tell you not to get him anything. I cant just not get him something! My sisters and I usually just bought him new shirts or lots of candy (until recently when we started taking him out on 'dates' as his birthday presents so that he'd get one-on-one time with us). Having the kids with me 24/7 makes it difficult to take him out on dates, and I'm the kind of person who loves getting presents on my actual birthday--so of course I prefer to not give an 'IOU' for a date.
This year I decided to get creative and make him something. He hates when we spend tons of money on his gifts, and he would much rather prefer that its hand-made (just like we were 6 years old again). My mom happened to pin this idea on Pinterest, which in turn I ended up pinning as well. This sign is for sale on etsy for $70--but sorry, I'm not going to spend that. I was able to make it for $20, AND its more meaningful because I made it. This one is specifically for a dad, but you could customize it and put a quote in for a mom, sister, or friend. Here's what you'll need:

I used a black canvas, two sheets of scrapbook paper, lots and lots of letter stickers, a black frame, and some mod podge.

Mod podge your scrapbook paper onto your canvas and let dry. Then, decide what you want it to say and cut out the letters individually (doing so helps you figure out spacing so that you aren't committed to placement before you try it). 

Play around with the placement of the words, and once you're happy with how it looks, place them on the canvas. Give it one more coat of mod podge just to seal the letters on. 

Pick out a picture for your frame then glue the entire frame onto the canvas. Once dry, you can hang it up! Done! :)

I love how this turned out and my dad loved it too. Heartfelt gifts are so much better than store-bought (although you'd never see me complaining about a gift card!). Go ahead and try this and see the reactions you get; guaranteed the recipient of something like this will be blown away by the amount of thought and effort you put into it :)

Happy Fourth of July!

Last Saturday night we took the kids to their first fireworks show. This is the first time Joe and I have been to a fireworks show since we lived in Downtown San Diego (before kids). Our apartment that we lived in had a rooftop pool that overlooked the San Diego Bay, and from there we were able to watch about 4 different fireworks shows. Living down there was such a great year :). We hadn't taken the kids to see fireworks before now because they were so young and were always tired way before the fireworks show even started--it just seemed like a hassle to keep them up past bedtime to watch the show. This year, we decided, they were old enough. Our friends Lauren and Harrison joined us, and it ended up being a great night.

Every year, the city that we live in does fireworks the weekend before the Fourth of July because it's the city's anniversary. They throw a huge party including huge bounce houses, rides, food vendors, bands, and lots more. I was a little leery about going; Joe doesn't like big crowds, and I knew that this place would be packed. When we got there and I saw how busy it was, we were lucky enough to find a spot in the grass where not many people were, and we were able to not be caught up in the crowd. We went off exploring everything the celebration offered; Lauren and I left the kids with the guys, then when we got back the guys went off to check everything out. There were tons of different food vendors, Monster giving out free energy drinks, ice cream, shaved ice--it was awesome. After hanging out for a few hours, it was finally time for the show to start. I was a little worried about how the kids would do with the loud firework noises, but surprisingly they did great. Madison seemed unphased, and Maverick just sat there with his hands over his ears. No freaking out, no fits, no crying. It was great.

Maverick asked Lauren to be his girlfriend--I think he looks a little jealous in this picture ;)

This is a terrible picture--but its what you get when you have two young kids. No one is ever looking at the camera at the same time..

Maverick plugging his ears ;)

Happy Fourth of July everyone! Try and remember the real reason why you got today off of work :)

Tuna, Avocado and Cucumber Sandwiches

I love sandwiches--but I think I have a bread addiction. No joke--I had a conversation with a friend earlier about how I cant turn down bread--I crave it. Hi, my name is Kristen, and I'm addicted to carbs. I saw this idea of cucumber sandwiches on Pinterest and though it seemed like a perfect summer meal. These tuna, avocado and cucumber sandwiches are packed with healthy stuff and they taste great--and the best part of it all? They're only 24 calories a piece--which means you can eat till your heart desires. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:
2 cans of tuna, drained

2 avocados

4 hard boiled eggs

4 cucumbers

Directions:

Put your tuna, avocado and hard boiled eggs in a bowl. Mash them up until they are all blended. Set aside.

Peel and chop your cucumbers (I recommend slicing thin cucumber slices--yet thick enough to support the "sandwich"). Using a melon baller, scoop the tuna onto the cucumber and sandwich between another cucumber.

There--done. How easy is this?! Doesn't take long at all, is very refreshing, and has low calories. Sounds like a win/win to me! The kids are calling these sushi (and I guess, in a way, it is sushi--just not all rolled up). These 'sandwiches' are perfect kid size ;)

Summertime Memories

As you probably read the other day, Joe and I built a fire pit in our backyard. We have talked about putting one in for well over a year, and now that we actually have, I wish we would have done it sooner. Last summer was one of the best summers of my life: we were never bored because we were out in the backyard all day long every weekend. The kids loved it! Now that we have a fire pit to accompany our summer fun, I'm positive that this summer is going to be even better than last. 

This past Sunday night we had our first bonfire--my sisters had just gotten home from a week-long camping trip up north with my parents, so we invited them over so that the kids could see them. We roasted marshmallows and made this year's first round of s'mores--and of course the kids went nuts over them (okay okay--so did I). It was a great night filled with fun conversations and we were out there for hours. I cant wait for all of these upcoming summer weekends--I know that we will be making memories that will last a lifetime. 

I love the simplicity that comes with summer: the tv is off a lot more and we're actually outside doing stuff. Hanging around the bonfire, you actually talk to people instead of playing around on Facebook, Instagram, texting, or even blogging. Summer is the time to build relationships and friendships--whether its making new ones or rekindling old ones. Although I love the holiday season because of the "closeness" I feel, summer--in a way--gives the same kind of feeling. You spend quality time with the people you love and you make memories that'll last forever. I'm guilty of constantly trying to rush the seasons--when it's Spring, I cant wait for it to be Summer; when it's Summer, I cant wait for it to be Fall; when it's Fall, I cant wait for it to be Winter. Its a vicious cycle, and I need to keep reminding myself to stop rushing life and just go with the flow so that I can enjoy it. This, right here, is how I can do that. Spending my summer nights with my friends and family that I love so much. I already love this fire pit--not only because it makes my backyard look pretty, but because of how much fun I know we're going to have using it. Happy summer, everyone! Go out and make some memories!

...nothin better than some great conversation! 

Time to roast some marshmallows!

...think Maverick liked his s'more? 

From left to right: Joe and Madison, my sister Brianna, our friend Branden, and my sister Rachel :)

Finally got the fire goin!

She's cute <3

Traveling with Toddlers

I have gotten a few requests to write a blog on travelling with kids, and since Joe and I have only gone on one vacation with the kids (to Myrtle Beach last year), I'm not much of an expert on the subject--however, my sister-in-law Marea is. She is married to Joe's brother Tom, and together they have 3 boys--7 years old, 4 years old, and 2 years old. They have lived and traveled all over the world--ranging from Kuwait, Egypt, Germany, Rome, Japan, Tokyo, and Bangkok. Marea has done a ton of travelling with the boys by herself, and I have to say that she is a trooper: I was freaking out about taking Maverick and Madison to South Carolina last year, with Joe there to help me, on a 5-ish hour flight. The flights that Marea takes alone with the boys range anywhere from a few hours when they go on vacation, to about 17 hours when they come back to the states. I couldn't even imagine. Kudos to you, Marea!

I asked her for some travelling tips and advise, and she sent me back a crazy long email packed with tons of great ideas to help your travelling-with-toddler experience.

1. If you have a baby, now is the time to fly. If you're worried about travelling with a baby, it'll only get worse as they get older. When they're that young, they sleep most of the time anyways. Besides a few diaper changes and feedings, the flight should be pretty uneventful. Be sure to feed during takeoffs and landings to help with the elevation changes.

2. Must-have carry-ons: 

• A sense of humor and patience. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned, so just go with the flow of things.
• A smile. You never know what kind of help you may need from the flight attendants (ie., washing out baby bottles with hot water and soap). A smile helps with the check-in staff because you never know what kind of seat they can assign you and your kids (god forbid, 5 rows apart!). 
• A "fully loaded" iPad or iPhone with kid-friendly games and movies on it (with headphones, of course!)
• LOTS of snacks. Gummy fruit snacks in cute character themes are always a hit. 
• NEW small toys. Some great toy ideas are: hot wheel cars, small figurines (age appropriate, of course), puzzles (put it in a ziploc bag with a cut out of the box for a picture reference so that it doesn't take up much room), a coloring book with fresh crayons, a fresh can of play-doh with cookie cutters, and kids books (the color wonder markers, books, and paints are amazing--no mess!). 
• Extra clothes. Even if your child is potty trained, accidents happen. Drinks could spill, they could have an accident--its better to just prepare for the unknown. 
• If you're travelling with a formula-fed baby, those Enfamil 4oz packets are amazing for airplanes--just be sure to bring at least two extra baby bottles and burp cloths. 
• Extra diapers, wipes, underwear, and/or night time pull-ups. 
• A baby sling (however, nothing with buckles: the flight attendants will make you take it off during takeoff and landing). 

Use these tips to avoid starting or ending your vacation on this note! 

3. What can you check? As much as possible. From Marea: "After taking Devin (her oldest) across the country so many times as a baby, I learned that most of the stuff I carried on I never even touched. If your child is old enough for a backpack or their own luggage--then let them carry it! Pulling their own suitcase is half the fun!" 

4. Easiest way to get through security check points: Security checkpoints are never easy--they're always invasive.. But here's a few tips to make it go smoother:

• Wear easy slip-off shoes
• Have all of the pockets emptied in the stroller so that its easy to fold down
• When it comes to liquids, have everything emptied out and ready for inspection.

5. How to entertain a toddler on a long flight: Along with all of the new toys listed above, here are a few tips for keeping your squirmy toddler quiet and happy: 

• For every 30 minutes on the flight, your child gets a new toy to play with (kids attention spans are so short, it helps to give them something new every 'x-amount of time' to keep them from being bored and therefore raising a fuss on the flight).
• Limit the amount of walking around they can do on the flight until absolutely necessary (once they know they are allowed to walk around, they will want to keep doing it). This should be a final desperate act to keep your toddler from throwing a fit. 
• If you paid for their own seat on the airplane, bring their car seat on board and buckle it onto their seat. It will save a lot of headaches and keep your child from wiggling and squirming around. 

We'll call this 'Part 1' because Marea said she has a ton more advise to give on the subject. Check back later for 'Part 2!'