Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Always dressing up

 I have been organizing my room for days with all my accessories such as scarves,jewelry,headbands and bows, hats, shoes,purses, belts along with all my beauty supplies perfumes,lotions,make up, polish etc etc and of course all the clothes in my closet..aye aye aye..anyways Ava has really been watching me cause I find her a lot wearing something of mine
Last night she put on a scarf, headband, 2 rings, bracelet and my shoes. Wonder what it will be tonight....

Friday, January 27, 2012

Family Night Fondue

So I am IN LOVE with the melting pot and have been dying to go back. The melting pot is a Fondue restaurant. We been talking about going and taking the kids cause we really thought it would be something fun for them to experience because it is such a fun experience. I also find that finding something fun will help encourage them to try new foods..especially for Parker..he is so picky!
Since Gabe worked a double shift on Monday he got Thursday off so we decided to do family dinner night.

 We went to the Melting Pot in Torrance. I love this one. It is in a cool round Mid Century style building. This melting pot is always dimly lit and the bar is fantastic.
 Our Pot! Since it is DINELA going on right now ( DineLA is like restaurant week in Los Angeles..lots of restaurants having GREAT deals)  Usually for the 4 course special that we got it is about 90.00 a couple. DineLA was only 34.00 per person just for Gabe and I..the kids ate for free. We just ordered and extra portion of the cheese and chocolate fondue since we knew that is what they would eat the most off.
 The starter of the meal was of course the cheese fondue. There is a big selection of different types of cheese fondues..we got the spinach artichoke cheese fondue. They brought a basket of breads and chips, a bowl of fresh veggies and sliced green apples for dipping in the cheese fondue.
 Ava liked dipping the chips best
 Parker dipping a piece of apple
 Ava then was really enjoying dipping the apples in the cheese
 After cheese fondue we got our salads. I love the cocktails they serve at Melting Pot but since it was a work night and we had the kids with us Gabe and I just brought in our own bottle of wine from one of the wine clubs we belong too.
 Waiting for the main course
 There is a few different types of broths they let you choose from to cook your meats and veggies. We got the Coq Au Vin style. They prepared the broth in front of us with sliced mushroom, scallions and garlic and some red wine. They brought out our meats ( which are raw since you cook them at your table) Here we have Shrimp, terriyaki beef, Peppered steak, Tuna and seasoned Chicken.
 You also get this array of dipping sauce such as terriyaki, ginger and plum sauce, a creamy curry, cocktail sauce, a blue cheese type dip and another white cheesy dip.
 And a bowl of Mushrooms,potato's and broccoli
 Parker loved the terriyaki beef and the chicken..he would not try the other items :/ . We were cooking up the foods for Ava's plate..
 She did not want us to cook it for her she wanted to do it by herself  so she started to pout
 Ok Ava here you go ..you can cook your own...which she LOVED doing.
 Parker is so picky..he only wanted the terriyaki beef..I had to force him to eat a potato and broccoli
 Ava was getting the shrimp tails and putting them on her fingers and then saying she was a crab LOL
 After the main course came the DESSERT!! Chocolate fondue..there is several to choose from.
These are the items they give you to dip in the chocolate fondue..cheesecake, rice Krispie treats, bananas, strawberries, brownie bites, red velvet cake and coconut and chocolate dusted marshmallows.
 They even brought Parker his own little plate. We choose the Original chocolate fondue which was chocolate and chunky peanut butter
 I knew the chocolate would be the fave of the kids...and MESSY!
 Parker scarfing down
 ofcourse I liked the strawberries and bananas best..however the red velvet actually may have been my fave!
 WHAT A MESS!!!!
 Once all the dipping items were devoured Parker just starting eating the chocolate with a spoon
Once we were done it was time to make a B LINE to the restroom to clean up Ava's chocolate face and hands and dress. It was such a fantastic dinner...I can't WAIT to go back..maybe next girls night will have to be here!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Whisked Away To Sunny Florida

 Well I got Confirmation that I will indeed be heading to Sunny Florida March 9,10,11,12,13 for work.
 We are having our annual dealer meeting at the http://www.diplomatresort.com/ In Hollywood Florida.
 I hope the weather is nice and sunny




As beautiful as everything is the thing that really sucks is I will be indoors WORKING the whole time. I know I will manage to have some fun though. I love the dinners and receptions and cocktail hours with the dealers. A lot of our dealers are a bunch of fun and they offer to buy me drinks which is nice. I am super excited. I will be flying out with in a couple days of my flight back home from Vegas..Jetsetter I have become!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Just a regular weekend...

This weekend was just an average weekend with nothing really major planned.

 Ava hung out and just played with her MobiGo all night long and Parker played with my brother Xbox 360
 My brother and his girlfriend stayed the night Friday and so we all made some drinks ( whipped cream vodka with OJ) and played drunken Jenga and then afterwards some Cranium..so it was another Board game night for us.
 This game some of the tiles tells  you to take a shot
 We didn't want to go that crazy so we just took drinks out of our cocktails
 So nerve racking
 I knocked down the tower so that meant Jessica who went before me won.
The next morning we got up and Gabe went to take Parker to little league try outs ( which got rained  out) Jessica and I went to do some shopping. I was taking her and my brother to their first "MOD" club with me. So I bought some hair dye and died Jess Hair black, did her make up and dressed her in my clothes
. The Bullet is more I would say the hipster groovy ghoulie type crowd then a HARD MOD crowd but nonetheless still fun. I HATED the location though. It was at the American Legion Hall...would have been much better in a smaller niteclub/bar atmosphere. The hall was just TOO BIG and Dingy and made the whole event seem really small like not that many people were there.
 Gabe and I...I was so tired
 Jessica and Michael Burns.
My brother and Jess and I...It was a fun night of dancing, watching bands, hanging out. Jessica and I had a mission to ask every person to do their best Sean Connery voice...we weren't very successful..NEXT TIME!

Sunday we all just lounged around the house and watched the football game. I was not feeling very well and still do not feel well. I have a case of strep throat again i Think!!

Jess and Alex I think liked this event and I have a feeling they will be coming to more mod-ish events with me.

Friday, January 20, 2012

A trip to the Aquarium

Last Sunday we took a family trip to the aquarium. Parker has been wanting to go so badly and we also had free kids tickets that were going to expire soon so off we went.

 It was kind of a chilly day
 Ava anxious to get in when we were in line to get our tickets..She kept pulling her bows out of her hair too...I loose so many bows.
 We went first to check out the first exhibit
 Jelly Fish
 We got to pet them..I guess they have their stingers too but the sting is too weak to penetrate a human touch..however you can feel a little something.
 They fascinate me
 Ava and Parker looking at this funny faced crab..Parker was busting up laughing at him
 HAHA...check out his funny face
 Ava loved the Star Fish
 Man this whale creeps me out...Imagine being in the ocean next to one of these things...YIPES
 Ava just loved going right up to the glass
 So much to see
 shark Eggs..I love how they cut it where you can see the sharks developing in the egg cases..I would love to actually see one hatch!!
 Ava favorite SEAHORSES...she LOVES see horses so much..and turtles!
 I will be eating you later....
 One of those Caves They had to go in everyone
 Ava ofcourse LOVED the Lorikeets
 and Parker
 I want one
 He almost crapped on me
 Nice birdie
 Kids had fun playing with everything!
 SHARKS!!!
 Petting the sharks
 Playground time..
 Ava jumping and running all over the place.
 Parker was hanging out on this guy squirting everyone
 Time to pet the rays
 looking at more fish
 and more jelly fish
 big crab
 mmmmm crab legs...My Fave
 Ava was getting mesmerized by all the fishes
 Relaxing watching all these fish
 Artic Foxes were being playful
 Ava kept yelling out Dory DOry!! I was like look Nemo is there too!! She didn't care for Nemo she still only wanted to point out the DORY's!
 he Husband..Hanging around chillin
 The scuba guys were waving to the kids..they got a kickout of that
 Pretty
 Ava just HAD to have this turtle..She takes this thing everywhere now!!
 I love the sea dragons!!!
 After the day at the Aquarium we headed over to Red Lobster for dinner. We had to indulge in the 4 course 15.00 special. We upgraded our mash potatoes to Lobster Mash potatoes.....O...M...G...so damn good. The desserts were very good as well
 Parker was waiting for this moment all day
Gabe's Key Lime Pie was my fave.

What a fantastic Family day!