I have made no effort to hide how much I love the Kia vehicles I have driven. I finally had the chance to drive the 2015 Kia Sportage SX. It did not …
Stride Rite Made 2 Play Shoes are Perfect for Active Kids
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Stride Rite that was originally published on Happy Mothering. Zoë loved modeling for photos when …
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Hyundai Accent: Best Subcompact Car I’ve Driven So Far
The 2015 Hyundai Accent GLS is one of the best subcompact cars I’ve driven. Usually when I think of a “subcompact” car I’m picturing a super small, …
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Family Friendly Museums in San Diego
Thank you to the San Diego Tourism Authority for providing us with 2 Media Passes for some of these San Diego attractions and museums. Can you …
Appreciating My Family for Its Unique Qualities + Quirks
All families have their own unique qualities and quirks that define who they are. My family is no different. I grew up in a family where there was …
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2015 Mazda5 Review: An Affordable Minivan for Families
Do you know how long it's been since Brian and I had the opportunity to spend a weekend away from home without the girls? Well, I think it was …
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San Diego Road Trip in the Hyundai Sonata Limited
Over Spring Break, the girls and I decided to go spend a week in San Diego. We did lots of fun stuff, spent lots of time with family and I got to …
Appreciating the Beautiful Mess of Parenting
Parenting is the greatest thing I've ever done in my life, but that doesn't mean it's not a mess... a very beautiful mess. We all have our ups …
Get in Touch with Nature at Your Local Park
Today, we're all very connected - electronically. Technology seems to have taken over our lives. Instead of meeting for lunch, we chat on Facebook. …
Kaylee Models Her Janelle Funari Handmade Christmas Dress
My two daughters are very different in how they like dress. Zoë is very much more casual in her style like I am. Kaylee, on the other hand, is a girly …
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Zoë and Kaylee’s Bouncy House
It never fails. Every time we drive by a place with a bouncy house, the girls freak out. "Mommy, look a bouncy house! Can we go, can we go? Please, …
Kaylee’s First Day of Pre-School
I have gone back and forth on whether to send Kaylee to pre-school for a while. After we sent Zoë to Kindergarten last year, Kaylee started …
5 Tips for Acting Like a Real Life Princess
This is a sponsored post we did for Disney on Happy Mothering several years ago. The girls were so cute in it, I just couldn't part with it, so I …
The Hyundai Santa Fe is a Great Family Vehicle
So we got a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited to review. It's a pretty rad SUV. The power in the Santa Fe surprised me. It has a lot more get up and go …
On the Road in the Hyundai Elantra GT
I got to test drive a 2014 Hyundai Elantra GT and boy was it a fun car to drive. I like performance along with bells and whistles. The Elantra GT …
My Beautiful Girl Graduated Kindergarten!
This time last year, we were debating whether we should homeschool, or send Zoë to the small, private school in town for Kindergarten. After a lot of …
Drive in Luxury & Style in the 2014 Kia Cadenza
When we took our recent trip to San Diego, we had the opportunity to take a 2014 Kia Cadenza along with us on the trip. I was really excited about it …
4 Fun Family Activities in San Diego
Sometimes you just need to get away for a long weekend. Even though we live in a mountain resort town, it's nice to change it up every once in a …
8 Reasons Big Bear is the Best Place to Live in Southern California
I grew up in San Diego, and I've lived all around the county over the years. It's a beautiful place and a lot of people love living there. However, …
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Happy 6th Birthday Zoë!
It's hard to believe this sweet baby... Is now a beautiful little girl... I love you Zoë! Happy Birthday! …
Zoë’s Invention Convention
It's Science Fair at schools across the country. Since Zoë is in Kindergarten this year, I wasn't expecting her to have to create a Science Fair …
Kaylee’s 4th Birthday Party
My baby turned 4 on Valentine's Day - I can hardly believe it! There has been a lot of illness going around town, so we had a small party with a few …
Happy 4th Birthday to My Sweet Kaylee Monkey!
Four years ago today, I was in the hospital in Uruguay, holding my brand new sweet girl Kaylee, and missing my little Zoë who was staying with some of …
Mazda6: A Great Family Car That’s Fun to Drive
I drove the Mazda3 a few months ago and really liked it, so I was excited to have the opportunity to drive a Mazda6 a few weeks ago. Brian, the girls …
Family Fun at the Hollywood Wax Museum
Back when we did a lot of family travel on Happy Mothering, we had the opportunity to visit the Hollywood Wax Museum as part of a sponsored post we …
My Life Could Be a Show About Kids and Bathroom Adventures
I never knew what comedy was before having kids. Seriously, every day in our home is full of laughs and giggles. Not only because we have fun …
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Kia Forte EX is Fast & Fun to Drive
A few weeks ago, I got to drive my third Kia (I previously drove the Kia Sorento and the Kia Optima Hybrid). This time I got to drive the Kia Forte EX …
A Fun-Filled Trip to Paso Robles with Girlfriends
Disclosure: The costs of the events and activities for Fitcation were defrayed by sponsors, and the attendees were contractually obligated to write a …
Cruising the California Coast in the Ford C-Max Hybrid
Thank you to Ford for sponsoring this post. Last weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to fly to San Francisco and drive a Ford C-MAX …
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Kia Optima Hybrid Teaches You How to Drive Efficiently
I have always been curious about driving a hybrid car, but never had the chance until recently when I had the opportunity to review a Kia Optima …
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A Weekend of Food, Wine & Culture New Orleans
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hilton HHonors. If you’ve ever wondered how much food, wine and culture you can indulge in …
Luxury & Culture at the Hilton New Orleans / St. Charles Avenue
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hilton HHonors. If you’ve been following me on Twitter and Instagram, then you know I spent a …
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Why Co-Sleeping was the Best Sleep Training Method for Us
I sit here, late at night after the girls are sound asleep, writing this post. After 5+ years of co-sleeping, I believe that phase of our lives has …
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Time Flies: Our Chickens Are Already 6 Weeks Old!
If you feel like your kids grow too fast, you have no idea until you get baby chicks! They start off as these cute little fuzz balls and quickly turn …
And Then There Were Three…
See that sweet baby sleeping on my chest? That's Zoë as a newborn. My sweet little 10 lb. 1 oz. baby girl. I can't believe that picture was taken 5 …
Happy 5th Birthday Zoë!
I can't believe my baby is 5 today! Seriously, where does the time go? I can't believe it was 5 years ago today that she came into our lives and …
Our Baby Chicks are Growing Fast!
I last posted pics of our baby chicks when they were just a few days old. They have grown so much! Here's what they looks like now: Here's …
Reflecting on Life Before I Met My Husband
Yesterday, I shared a bit about my life before kids. It’s amazing how much children change your life, but meeting your spouse does the exact same …
We Got Baby Chicks!
I have been dreaming of having chickens for quite some time now. We had them when I was a kid and it was great. Now that Spring is here, we decided to …
100 Things That Make Me Smile
This is one of the things that was on my Day Zero list that I just kept putting it off, and I thought it would be fun to do with other bloggers. So …
20 Wishes For My Daughters
My wishes, hopes and dreams for Zoë and Kaylee are simple – or at least I think they are simple. I know simple and easy aren’t the same thing… …
Looking Back on Life Before Kids
Today’s writing prompt is about what life was like before kids. That seems like an entirely different lifetime since my girls are such a part of …
Happy 3rd Birthday Kaylee!
It is hard to believe that my sweet girl Kaylee was born exactly 3 years ago today! Valentine's Day took on a whole new meaning when it became her …
Wordless Wednesday: Daddy’s Tough Girls
Merry Christmas!
I want to wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year! It has been a wonderful year, and I'm so grateful each and …
First Real Snow of 2012
Yesterday we had our first real snow of 2012. There was only a light dusting on the ground when I woke up, but it started snowing heavily very shortly …
Halloween Pictures
This year, we had the best Halloween we've had as a family so far. The girls had 3 opportunities to dress up and they loved every one! Even though …
Watch our Hydroponic Garden Grow!
Sprouts are Coming Up September 12, 2012 3 weeks later - the growth exploded! October 17, 2012 …
Wordless Wednesday: Paper Airplane Fun
Implementing a Quiet Time Routine
I have never been one for scheduling nap time. I have worked very hard to teach the girls to listen to their bodies and develop a natural rhythm. It …
Wordless Wednesday: Kaylee’s First Piggy Tails
Wordless Wednesday: Discovering Giant Dandelions
I Learned To Shoot a Gun at a Totally Green Training Center in Los Angeles!
Thank you to The Green Zone for providing me with a complimentary tour of their facility. While I received the training mentioned in this post at no …
I Learned To Shoot a Gun at a Totally Green Training Center in Los Angeles!Read More
Having a Blast with LeapFrog Summer Camp
I wasn’t really sure what to expect with the LeapFrog Summer Camp, but most of the daily activities have been well-suited to Zoë’s interests. There …
Today Has Been One of THOSE Days!
I love being a Mom. I love my girls like I've never loved anything before, but today has really been one of those days. You know, the days where you …
Wordless Wednesday: Happy 4th Birthday Zoë!
Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Three Girls In The Tub
Since becoming a mom, there is nothing I miss more than taking a long, hot shower – by myself. Or even a warm, relaxing bath to soak in some relaxing …
Happy Mother’s Day to My Beautiful Wife Chrystal Johnson
Good Morning Everyone and Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful mothers out there... to the not so wonderful mothers, well, you're probably not …
Happy Mother’s Day to My Beautiful Wife Chrystal JohnsonRead More
Happy 2nd Birthday Kaylee!
I can't believe that Kaylee is 2-years old today! She is my perfect little Valentine's Day gift. It's hard to believe that 2 years ago, we were in …
Zoë and Kaylee Meet Santa for the First Time
I know there is a huge debate in the natural parenting community about Santa. Most natural parenting families don't "do" Santa. It was something Brian …