Comfy & Practical

The Perfect Pant Provides a Perfectly Comfortable Option!

This is a sponsored post. I received compensation for a review of the Perfect Pant. All opinions are my own.

In a loud, rowdy house full of boys, there are few things that bring me peace on a busy week night. Those include having no dishes in the sink, enjoying a glass of wine when the boys go to sleep and wearing comfortable clothes around the home.

Being that I usually wear khakis, skirts and suits to work, there's nothing like coming home and changing into lounge wear or some soft, comfy sweats.

Lucky for me, I found a clothing item that's both loungey and soft. It's a pair of pants called The Perfect Pant, developed by Yvette and her husband, a California couple who believes that all women should own "that one perfect pant that stretches to their body shape, soft on their skin and machine washable."

The pants don't have a waistband. They don't have hardware like waist fasteners, buttons or zippers. They simply wrap around your waist comfortably and have wide legs, providing ample leg room.

I found them to be perfect for sleeping. Perfect for hanging around the house and they're also quite versatile. I say this because I actually wore them to work the other day... (Shhhhhh, that's a little secret). It was one of those mornings when I was running late. Considering I have multiple pairs, I grabbed a pair of Perfect Pants and put together a Boho-looking ensemble:

On another occasion, I went shopping, threw on a peasant top with neon details, a bunch of neon-colored accessories and a denim jacket...so fun! Nobody would have ever guessed that the pants are also used as a pajama bottom:

The Perfect Pant got it right. They know women tend to wear many hats daily with housework, carpooling, going to work, fitness, travel and just lounging at home.

"This pant fits all those categories. The fabric I designed, doesn’t pull or stretch out at the knees," says Yvette. "It can be washed & dried everyday without fading."

And I totally agree.

You can learn more about the Perfect Pant here.

Thanks for reading!

Xo,

-Anabel M.

Hativity to the Rescue!

Hats Off to This Fun New Child's Accessory

I received a free Hativity in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was recently introduced to a very cool product developed by a SoCal Mom. It's a sun hat for kids called Hativity. It comes with embellishments in the form of velcro patches that stick to six different spaces around the hat.

During this weekend's trip to Oxnard, we visited the Channel Islands Harbor with our Hativity in tow. I really wanted Toby to try it. We rented a Surrey bike and Toby sat upfront so he definitely needed a nice hat to protect him from the sun.

When I showed him the patches, he got super excited! His three favorite patches were an acorn, an angel emoji and a ghost.

The Hativity patches are categorized in six different themes: 1. Emojis 2. Safari 3. Fall 4. Spring 5. Under the Sea 6. Winter.  The hats are available in blue and yellow colors.

Dr. Shannon Davis is the mom behind this invention. She says she came up with Hativity as a way to entertain her daughters, ages 4 and 8, at the grocery store.

"Initially I brought a tablet so they could play games while I shopped, but then I realized I was carrying even more in my mom bag! I needed a way to make life easier and happier for my children and I," she said.

When Toby started getting bored during our ride around the marina, I would simply pull off the patches and ask him to re-attach them. By the time our surrey rental expired, the penguin patch had taken center stage! When his cousins met up with us at the harbor, the older boys were curious and tried to pull off the patches from Toby's hat. Given that only the center of the patches has velcro, the outer edges stick out a bit on some of the designs, making it tempting for other kids to try to remove them, which is precisely why kids love this hat! But Toby defended his Hativity so his patch placement would remain intact...lol!

Overall, it's a really neat product. You can buy it online for $16 and the patches are $2 each. While buying all six patches will drive the total price to nearly $30, there's currently a promotion offering a 20% discount off your purchase. 

Now I'm hoping for a red-colored hat in time to match the winter patches which include Christmas Trees and Santa Claus... That way Toby will be covered with Hativity fun all year long in sunny Southern California!

Check out Hativity: www.Hativityco.com

Thanks for reading!

Xo,

-Anabel M.

It's all in the desserts!

Valentine's Weekend 2018

Before I started making weekend plans with Benny and Toby, my husband let me know he would be having his Jiu-Jitsu friends over for a Backyard BBQ on Sunday. My first question was-- but are they bringing their wives though!?

We all know a bunch of dudes wrestling, grappling and sweating on mats can be a source of intrigue, yes... but after a while, a woman needs to have someone to talk to about makeup and celebrity gossip and annoying husband facts, etc. Right?

The weekend arrived and Paul went to pick up meat, beer and chips. I called my parents over and they agreed to join us and bring salsa and all the ingredients required make chorizo tortas...yum!

Carne Asada-- not too visually appealing if you ask me!

Here's my husband holding a tray of Chorizo tortas made by my dad!

Then it donned on me that it was the weekend right before Valentine's Day. So I went over to my laundry room where I store party and craft supplies and found an entire bin full of Valentines Day decorations!

On Sunday, when the guys arrived, they brought their wives! I was happy and decided to start making Valentine's Day-themed desserts: Chocolate covered strawberries, cupcakes, and fruit skewers with heart-shaped strawberries (yes I know, strawberries already look like hearts but there's a way to make them really look like hearts). By the way, I actually delegated the strawberry and cupcake decoration duties to my friend Ashley, wife of Paul's friend AJ!

Sweets

Cupcakes are easy to make & everyone loves them!

Fruit

Because something healthy(ish) should always be included!

Once the guys were done with their Jiu-Jitsu roll, I put out my little dessert table and suddenly the backyard BBQ looked like a mini pre-Valentine's Day gathering... Awwww.

All this to say, the way to turn a dudes' BBQ into a cute and festive occasion is by way of sweet treats and small details like flowers, drinks served on champagne glasses and pretty serving trays.

The drink stirrers served no purpose other than to make a the sparkling wine glasses look more Valentiney!

We had a lot of fun and the desserts were actually quite a hit!

Thanks for reading!

Xo,

-Anabel M.

Happy in Hollywood!

An LA Outing with the Traviesos

Given Benny's recent obsession with arcades, I decided to take my boys to Dave & Busters in Hollywood for some food and games. It was a normal Saturday for us–– Paul was away at work and I needed to get the boys out of the house!

Off we drove to Hollywood. We parked underground at Hollywood and Highland (enter structure through Highland as if you're going to the Lowe's Hotel). If you dine at one of the restaurants within the facility, you get 2 hour parking validation for $2!

We had lunch at Dave & Busters which included a unique and refreshing icy grape soda beverage with gummy worms and later, a churro for dessert (from Street Churros outside on Level 1). Yes, I know...tons of sugar. Happy boys. Bad Mom. But believe me, I'm pretty good about healthy eating and snacking on weekdays, maybe.

The boys can't see a ground-level water fountain without feeling an urge to run through it and get soaked. I allowed them to do so because, seeing their enthusiastic faces and happy smiles is priceless in a life that's so fast-paced and short.

Hollywood with my boys was pure happiness!

Thanks for reading!

Xo,

-Anabel M.

MY #BENNYBOYJOY IS GROWING TOO FAST!

Blending In The Good for my Chiquito's Birthday!

I received a free supply of Jamba Juice products. All opinions are my own. #IJamba

2017 was such a busy year that I simply didn't have a chance to plan ahead for Benny's 5th birthday celebration.

December 7 (his birth date) started approaching and I already knew I was going to be traveling to D.C. for work around that time. I also knew Paul wasn't going to be available a single weekend in December due to his job. So time passed and Benny's birthday week arrived with news that Paul's schedule would suddenly be changing in order to allow for mandatory training. Next thing I knew, Paul was going to be free on the Saturday immediately following Benny's birthday! 

I imagined a fun outing to Bob Baker's Marionette Theater in Downtown or a magical visit to Disneyland but my hubby had other plans. On the night my sisters and I took Benny out for his birthday to see George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, I learned Paul had graciously invited his family to celebrate Benny's birthday. I was very excited about the prospect of decorating the house and throwing a party for the sweetest 5-year-old in the world but I literally had ONE DAY (Friday) to pull it off.

So we rushed to our nearest party store and Benny went for an Emoji-theme which I thought was appropriate given this kid's love for technology and self-expression!

Then I stopped by an ice cream shop, ordered Benny's Favorite cookies n' cream cake and upon arriving home, I dug deep in my garage bins for table cloths, streamers and balloons. I ordered pizza & lasagna for delivery and my mother-in-law and parents brought plenty of side dishes to share.

On the day of the party, our guests had a very special surprise–– a Jamba Juice delivery that included vegetable and fruit juices and smoothies in three popular flavors. They were the highlight of the event!

I set up the Jamba Juice cups on the favor table and dressed them with smiley face party hats. The kids were so, so excited to pick their healthy liquid treat!

I've been a Jamba Juice customer for a long time. I love it because Jamba Juice started out as a little juice shop with a big idea: that healthy living starts locally.

Further, their products are awesome (they carry 13 different kinds of fruits and veggies) and they do great things for the community, like participate in securing garden grants for schools, help community fundraising efforts and promote childhood health through Team Up for a Healthy America. Plus, their smoothies and juices are refreshing and delicious.

On the day of Benny's birthday celebration, we enjoyed Peach Pleasure Smoothies, Strawberries Wild Smoothies and Tropical Greens Fresh Squeezed Juice cups.

It was a very quaint and small party. I didn't get to invite the rest of my extended family since things were so rushed, but one thing's for sure, we'll be having Jamba Juice again at the next one!

For now, I'll be thinking of my smiley boy who has certainly made mama go through each one of the many emoji expressions during the last five years of his life–– from kissy faces and eyes with hearts, to crying of laughter, angry teeth clinching, dreadful face and proud smiles with blushing cheeks. Love you, my Benny boy.

Thanks for reading!

Xo,

-Anabel M.

Ferdinand Opens in Theaters Nationwide on December 15!

Built to Fight. Born to Love.

There was something about Ferdinand the Movie that made it especially endearing for me, a mom of boys, to watch with my sons last weekend.

We were lucky to get invited to an early screening of the movie. The film is based on The Story of Ferdinand, a book written in 1936 by American author Munro Leaf, that tells the story of a strong and robust bull who prefers to smell flowers than fight against matadors in arenas.

This was Toby's first movie theater experience which didn't go exactly as planned but we managed to stay indoors for most of the movie!

Overall, it was an adorable film that touched on several current day subjects including...wait for it.... bullying (lol), peer pressure and the idea that it's okay to look a certain way and not fit the role society expects of you. Actor John Cena is the voice behind Ferdinand!

Much to my embarrassment, Toby was skeptical about meeting actor John Cena, who voices Ferdinand. Cena was at the Gentle Barn following an early screening of Ferdinand the movie.

As a mom of two little guys, I loved the idea that a strong, valiant bull was also gentle, loving and caring. The characters, the soundtrack and the overall message definitely make this a movie worth a holiday trip to the movie theater. It has hilarious scenes, including one where Ferdinand escapes from captivity by entering a home with delicate and intricate china. The bull manages to finagle his way through the room without breaking a single dish, until the old lady who's dusting the plates mistakes Ferdinand's tale for a duster!

My two little boys are possibly like Ferdinand in the sense that they may seem a little rough and but they're also sweethearts!

Further, and much to my delight, Twentieth Century Fox Animation Studios partnered with The Gentle Barn, a Santa Clarita based animal sanctuary where farm animals are rescued and cared for.

The Gentle Barn rescued Ferdinand from what would have eventually become a trip to a slaughter house, as explained by one of the barn's volunteers. Now the young bull can enjoy a safe home at The Gentle Barn, where, the founder says Ferdinand will always have the freedom to be happy and smell the flowers!

We had the opportunity of meeting the real Ferdinand at the Gentle Barn!

I hope you make it out to the theater and watch the movie! Most importantly, try to visit the Gentle Barn and get involved with organizations that advocate animal rights. We all deserve a chance to be happy and smell the flowers!

Xoxo,

-Anabel

How a mommy date with my son turned into a Mother's Day outfit idea!

Kut From The Kloth

A funny thing happened when I took my son to Au Fudge last weekend for a special “MommyAndMe—Create Salon” hosted by LA-based clothing company Kut from the Kloth.

During the week leading to the event, I shared with Benny that he would be having an opportunity to design a denim jacket for mama. Benny said he was going to decorate my jacket with glitter and purple colors and butterflies and sprinkles— basically everything he figured I’d like to hear.

Details from the "MommyAndMe-- Create Salon" hosted by Kut from the Kloth at Au Fudge.

Then on the day of the event, as we sat down to begin decorating my cool denim jacket, Benny turned into a total minimalist! He placed only three patches on the top left corner above the jacket's pocket. The back was a little more elaborate with three sequin hearts. It was adorable, although I'll be honest-- I'm the type of mom that loves a lot of color and patterns and ornate things (go figure). It turns out, Benny was more interested in visiting the restaurant’s backroom arcade than embellishing my jacket! He basically squeezed a few globs of glue on some patches and was quickly "done" and ready for the next adventure. This was too funny. All I could think of was a phrase I've been repeating since Benny's younger brother was born: “boys will be boys!”

The unique Kut from the Kloth event was an opportunity for kids to interact with one another and spend a lovely afternoon designing a gift for mom. There were goodies and desserts and a book reading by Sara Aspinall. There were also several jackets for moms to choose from, something which opened my eyes to the company, whose clothing items I’ve often seen at large department stores like Nordstrom and Macy’s but never tried.

Kut from the Kloth offers a unique reward program called "Your Style Rewards". It's how the company rewards its customers for shopping and sharing their Kut from the Kloth items on social media. The way it works is, you become a member by creating an account on the company's website. You refer friends, post product reviews and share on your social media channels in order to gain points. For every 2,500 points earned, you get a $15 discount on your next order! They have adorable dresses and tops and their jeans come in all different cuts and styles.

The jacket Benny decorated for me is so comfortable! It's a Kut from the Kloth Amelia Denim Jacket (Sweet Wash) and now that I look at it again, I'm actually happy and very endeared with how it turned out. As a matter of fact, I plan on styling it with a fun dress on Sunday. I'll make sure to post some pictures...

Thanks for reading and Happy Mother's Day!

Xo,

-Anabel M.

We're bringing our excitement of the live-action film to the table!
 

Be Our Guest!

We love the tale as old as time and since we're days away from the box office opening of the live-action film starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, we're feeling excited and inspired!
When I found out my cousin would Be Our Guest this weekend (she's in town from Mexico), I felt inclined to make our lunch date at my house extra enchanting.
A few years ago, I had a Beauty and the Beast-inspired breakfast with Benny but this weekend's warm and lovely weather called for an outdoor soireé. 
I have plenty of antiques and Disney collectible items, plus, Benny has a Beast costume. Even better, one of my nieces made her own Belle dress for Halloween last year so I asked her to bring it over!

Our lunch didn't include French delicacies such as "beef ragout, cheese souffle, pie and pudding em flambé!". It was much more simple than that but tasty and a worthwile experience.
 Our menu included Cogsworth croissant sandwiches, enchanted rose strawberries and even vanilla pudding "gray stuff"!
Benny as the Beast was playful and informal... He never waited for Belle to be served before taking the first bite out of his sandwich...
Here are more pictures of our Beauty and the Beast-inspired lunch.

En español

Nos encanta la película de la Bella y la Bestia. Y es que estamos a unos días de la apertura de la fabula ancestral de acción en vivo protagonizada por Emma Watson y Dan Stevens. Con motivo de la nueva cinta y al enterarme que mi prima estaría de visita este fin de semana (vino de Querétaro con su hija), decidí hacer algo asi como un festín.

Tengo antigüedades y artículos de colección de Disney, además, Benny tiene un traje de la bestia. Incluso una de mis sobrinas hizo su propio vestido de Bella para Halloween el año pasado así que le pedí que lo trajera!

Nuestro almuerzo no incluyó delicias francesas como ragu, soufflé tarta y pudín em flambé. Fue muy sencillo pero agradable y memorable.

Tuvimos sándwiches de croissants a la Cogsworth, fresas picadas para aparentar rosas encantadas e incluso pudín de vainilla que pareciera higado de pato, como en la película original!

Benny en su papel de la Bestia se portó muy informal ... ¡No esperó a que Bella se le sirviera antes de dar la primera mordida de su sándwich!

Pasamos un rato verdaderamente encantador.

Will you be watching the movie on opening night?
Feel free to share any small or beastly plans you may have!
Thanks for reading! ¡Gracias por leer!

Xo,

-Anabel M.

Costumes shouldn't be limited to a single day use!

Buzz Lightyear Should Return Year-Round!

Halloween is so much fun, isn't it? But it's over in a blink of an eye!
In 2016, it was reported by the National Retail Federation that people spent over $8 billion dollars on Halloween, with the most amount of money ($3.5 Billion) going to Halloween costumes.
I know I'm guilty of buying my boys more than one costume...
How could I not?
With so many adorable options and the boys growing so fast, I couldn't help myself.
But then I started thinking--
Is it possible that their costumes will only be good for one month of the year?
What can I do to maximize their costume fun outside of trick-or-treating?
And, what's a creative way to justify the expense that will almost certainly be acquired again next year?
So I decided it was time to get creative and schedule some play dates.

I bought a few large, neon project boards at the dollar store and created planets and stars and dizzy circles out of them. This was done to make a planet scene and get the boys and their guests in full Space Ranger mode...

It all took place in a planet far, far away named...my backyard!  And all the space heroes going around made this morning too fun for us mommies who were standing by in case of a meteor meltdown! I placed all the Buzz Lightyears from around the house in different areas of the yard and their mission, among others was to escape the "asteroid ghosts".

The pretend spaceship skeleton was from Benny's 2nd birthday and was made out of PVC pipe.
I also turned a regular dart board into a space target, trying to mimic scenes from the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters ride at Disneyland.

You should definitely try this at home... It's not too complicated and it's the kind of stuff memories are made of!
The Buzz Lightyear costumes will probably come out of the box a few more times...and they'll be transported to Infinity and Beyond!
Thanks for reading!

Xo,

-Anabel M.

A Fun Place to Brunch with your Airplane-Lovin' Kids!

Fabulous Father's Day!

The Waypoint Cafe in Camarillo is a place where you can fly-in for breakfast (I'm not kidding-- there are even pilot instructions on the restaurant's website).
It's located adjacent to the small Camarillo Airport in Ventura County, CA.
The place is close enough to LA to make a morning trip and enjoy good food and drinks, while your kids run on a pretend runway and watch real Cessna Jets land and takeoff! 
We spent Father's Day morning at the Waypoint Cafe with my husband, my dad and my dear uncle Rafael.

We hung out in the cafe's backyard overlooking the planes as Benny ran with new buddies whose parents were also waiting to be buzzed to their tables.
The ladies enjoyed pineapple mimosas while the men had 805 Beer, which was pretty appropriate considering Camarillo's area code is *805*.
Once inside I went with the Berry French Toast, because...why not!
My sister ordered a veggie omelet with fruit and we shared-- both plates were awesome!
Benny colored on airplane-themed placemats waiting for his small order of pancakes.
The mood was very chill, reminiscent of a beach restaurant. Oh wait, the Oxnard beach is only a few miles away...fun.
But honestly, The Waypoint Cafe nice little place to spend a weekend morning. 
If you don't believe me, just ask Benny.

May the Little Brothers Appreciate Each Other

Early Brotherly Love Pt. 1

My son Benjamin turned three in December. 
We celebrated his birthday at Walt Disney World. 

Before that, we celebrated almost every accomplishment, milestone and cute thing he did with tons of attention, cheers, outings and gifts.

He was the light of our lives-- our first child, the only grandchild on both sides of the family and my inspiration for so many things (including this blog).

But as of three weeks ago, Benny has a baby brother named Tobias. 

Throughout my second pregnancy, we explained to Benny that he would soon become a big brother. We read books for him on the topic and explained that our family would be growing into a family of four. We hyped the arrival of Toby and frequently reminded Benny that his baby brother would eventually become his best buddy.  

On the day Toby was born, Benny had a "Big Brother gift" waiting for him at the hospital. 

He was so endeared by his baby brother that day that he sung a lullaby for him, in front of all of us, in my hospital room. The cuteness and innocence of that moment practically had us all in tears!

But then came the time to bring our newborn home. And that's when sibling rivalry took over!

Benny is a sweet boy and we always knew he'd be nice to Baby Toby.

What was interesting though was seeing him go from giving his little brother soft pats and kisses to ignoring him altogether! 

During the first two weeks, if we asked him questions about Baby Toby, Benny would ignore us or change the subject. He started pretending to be an infant and would try going inside Toby's bassinet and ask for breastmilk. He was very sentimental and desperate for attention. It was as though he loved Toby but felt a lot of jealousy at the same time (which I've read is quite normal).

But now that Toby is almost a month old, Benny has apparently come to terms with the reality that he is not the only child at home anymore.

He talks to Toby a lot and recently asked me: "Mama, when can I play with Toby?" 

"Is he old enough?"

Suddenly it occurred to me that toddlers need a "play" connection to feel close to other kids. 

So I put on my thinking cap and figured out a few ways to get my toddler to "play" with my newborn!

This is the first of three activities I will share to demonstrate how we made it happen. 

I must say, this was the most fun and laughs we've had in a long time (Hooray for Maternity Leave)!

Note: these play activities require adult supervision. AT. ALL. TIMES.

Enjoy!

Benny the Pediatrician
 

I started out by creating a pretend doctor's office. In this activity, Benny was the pediatrician and I took my baby to see the doctor because he was showing symptoms of drinking too much milk...LOL. 

I printed and framed a few graphics and gathered all of Benny's doctor toys.

During the consultation, I explained to Dr. Benny that Baby Toby needed a check-up because he's always hungry!

Benny said: "Ok, let's put him on the bed"

Somehow he diagnosed Toby with a broken hand... (laughing)

In the middle of the consultation, Toby started crying and Dr. Benny turned around and asked him to keep it quiet."Shhhhhhhh," he said.

The doctor visit lasted quite a while, but fortunately, everything checked out fine in the end.... (hilarious).

 Thanks for reading... Stay tuned for Part II our Toddler-Newborn play activities!

Xo,

-Anabel M.