Sprinkle Dipped Vanilla Sandwiches

Daniel and I have been loving these babies lately. I could be stingy and keep all of this yummy goodness to myself but I need to share em’ with the world :D These sprinkle dipped vanilla ice cream sandwiches were made for hot Summer days, or any day really- and they are so simple and actually quite fun to make dip.

(You may want to have your children eat them outside because they do get a little messy, but they are worth the mess, I promise.)

Handmade Gift Exchange Summer 2012 [To Give]

I signed up for the Handmade Gift Exchange a few weeks back. You can read more about it in the first post here. I have had so much fun with the whole thing and I’m totally looking forward to the next one (Winter, yay even better!). It was the first time I've participated in a gift exchange but it surely won't be my last!

A big thanks goes to Linda of craftaholics anonymous for doing all of the hard work to make this possible and SO much fun! If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, contact Linda for more information on the next one! 

 Anyway, I shipped off my gift this morning so I thought it would be the perfect time to share it with you.

 Enjoy!

 

I was planning on just sending the charm bracelet that I handcrafted but the more I thought about it, it just nagged at me, I had to make it more special. I got the cold processed soap on etsy a while back at EtsyBtsy, the minty smell is amazing and is perfect for the Summer time and the ribbon pin was made by a friend of mine, it was originally made for our March of Dimes team fundraising event. 

I think it all fits together nicely and I hope the person receiving it feels the same :D 

What do you think? Will you be signing up for the next one coming up this Winter?

Mai-Tai

One thing I’m not going to neglect this Summer is getting my drink on! As you all probably know, I was very pregnant last Summer.. Don’t get me wrong- I loved it, but nothing is more refreshing on a HOT Summer day then a nice cold mixed drink, or four! :) This is one of my favorite mixed drinks of all time. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Mai-Tai

Ingredients

2 ounces rum
1 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce orange Curaçao
1/2 ounce orgeat
Mint sprig, for garnish.

Preparation

Shake all liquid ingredients with ice. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Yield: 1 drink.

 

source [1]

DIY Polka Dot Nails

 

Hello, Dolls! 

Today I have a special DIY tutorial brought to you by a friend of mine named Kamen, she is the owner of KaKa Beauty Blog.

 

I've absolutely loved having her guest post & I’m hoping this will not be the last you see of her on SewCal Mama.

Without further ado, Meet Kamen. 

One of the many things I love about being a blogger, is the supportive community that you’re instantly welcomed into! I’ve recently joined a group called F.B.L and the amount of support and inspiration I have received from the girls in there has been incredible! It is also here where I met Tia from http://sewcalmama.blogspot.co.uk a life, travel and DIY blog! Tia kindly invited me to write a guest post on her blog, and gave me the freedom to blog anything of my choice!

Unfortunately I am not as savvy as Tia with DIY, so I decided to do something that is sort of DIY…

Polka Dot Nail Art! 

I love polka dot nails purely because they look simple and fun! However, despite their simple appearance, achieving perfect polka dots can quite frankly drive you nuts, or dotty in this case?

So what is the secret? Nothing! All you need is a steady hand and a good tool! The trick in polka dots is getting the spacing between the dots right! Once you get the hang of it! It should be a breeze! 

Polka Dot Nail- Step by Step Guide

What you will need:

• A base coat
• A top coat
• 2 colors of your choice
• a dotting tool or Kirby clip if you don’t have one
• a piece of scrap paper

Items Used:

Nails Inc. Base Coat

e.l.f Cosmetics Nail Polish, Smoky Brown

American Apparel Nail Polish, California Trooper

Seche Vite Top Coat

Dotting Tool, eBay

Piece of scrap paper

Apply a base coat to protect your nails from staining and allow to dry.

Apply two thin coats of your chosen polish and allow to dry. I have reversed the colors on the ring finger just to mix it up a little. You don’t have to do this if you don’t like of course.

This is where your little bit of scrap paper comes in. Place a dot of polish on to the paper. This is for dipping your dotting tool/Kirby clip in to apply the dots.

Dip your dotting tool or clip into the drop of polish. Now you are ready to start dotting!

TIP: Clean you dotting tool with a nail polish remover soaked pad in between rows of dots to avoid clumps  and keep the manicure mess free!

Begin by creating the middle row of dots first, start from the bottom and work your way up towards the nail tip.

Next, do the same on left and right side of the middle row of dots. Make sure the dots are evenly spaced and sized. You don’t want them to look squished or clustered. Once finished, you should only have 3 rows of dots.

Once you do all your fingers, it’s time to apply a top coat to finish the look! You will see that a top coat instantly perfects the dots! I don’t know why, but the dots always appear rounder and tidier once the top coat is on!

That’s it guys, perfect polka dot nails in 5 easy steps! I hope you found my first ever nail art tutorial useful and easy to follow! I hope to be doing more of these in the future so any feedback would be great!

Thanks for reading guys!

Ka Ka

Banana Pancake Recipe

Tomorrow is a big day in the Gibson house, It’s Daniel’s very FIRST Father’s Day! We’re having brunch at my mom’s house to celebrate. With that being said, I thought I would share this Nom Nom recipe that every father will enjoy! So… ENJOY!

source[1]

 

Do you have anything special planned for the special Father in your life? If so, what?

Slowing things down.

Today was my very first day at my new job & I completely loved it! It’s the most chill job ever (maybe because the boss is my older brother, hehe) & I am definitely looking forward to the upcoming months. 

I will also be starting my last year of college in the Fall..

With that being said, understandably I won’t have as much time to dedicate to this blog like I have had since launching it in March so I apologize in advance for the slowing down of posts. 

I promise to get back on top of things in a couple weeks when life has calmed down a bit. :)

What’s keeping you busy lately?

Aqua Zumba

My sister-in-law and I start Aqua Zumba on Monday so I’ve been researching it a little and wanted to share a bit about the "pool party” and what it’s all about. 

After I’ve taken a class or two I will write up a follow up post about my experience!

 

 

As the name suggests, Aqua-Zumba® keeps the Zumba® fitness workout party in the pool, led by instructors who have specialized licenses. They might also have Aquatic Exercise Association certification.
Exercising in the water gives you the same or even better benefits as exercising on land. Also known as the Zumba® “pool party,” the Aqua Zumba® program gives new meaning to the idea of a vitalizing workout. During the workout or class, you may experience splashing, stretching, twisting and even shouting, laughing hard, hooting at each other and hollering and lots of fun that will charge you up!

Amalgamating the Zumba® formula and philosophy with traditional aqua fitness disciplines, the Aqua Zumba® class merges it all into a safe, challenging, water-based workout that helps in cardio-conditioning, body-toning, and most of all, invigorate beyond belief.

In-water exercise provides following additional benefits:

• Less strain on joints, bones and tendons
• Increased resistance for toning in muscles
• A full massage provided within the water around you
• The higher muscular activity and workout intensity due the water’s resistance compared to land
• Anti inflammatory effect due to water pressure
• The cooling effect in a warmer climate

Aqua Zumba® uses mostly Latin music rhythms such as Merengue, Cumbia, Salsa and Reggaeton, but can also use plenty of upbeat tempos as found in other world music.
Because of the resistance of the water, movements will be slower and adjusted to the water environment than in a regular Zumba® class, yet they can be just as intense. It is recommended that you wear special water shoes while doing water aerobics. These shoes can provide support,adhesive friction and protection from pool floors.

Aqua Zumba Steps

• To get started is as usual as you do it on land, the difference is the medium, the only thing different in Zumba® underwater is the water itself, because of its high resistance you need to make forces heavier.
• Perform large muscle movements by reaching your arms and lifting your legs underwater, as well as circling your hips and shoulders.
• Instructors receive quarterly DVD releases with new routines for their students.
• The typical Zumba® dance steps done on the land, such as cha-cha, merengue, salsa, reggaeton and mambo, need to be more appeased and slower in the water, so the tempo in water becomes a half of the land tempo. 

Who should do it?

Aqua Zumba® is designed for anyone who can follow instructions and manage being in the water.
Unlike regular water aerobics, which are monotonous from one end to another,Aqua Zumba® entails different movements for the lines, chorus and rhythm of each song.It can be intriguing to someone who likes to chill in water or doesn't want to get as hot as in the land-based classes.

Health concerns

Those who suffer from hip or knee replacement prefer Aqua-Zumba®. A local health magazine reported that a Baltimore-area student recovering from a car accident who loved dancing and bought her crutches to the poolside. "She lay the crutches down, got in the water and got all the fun and flavor of the music without the impact on her feet."

Water effect

• Almost eighty to ninety percent of your body weight is submerged in the water when the water is at your chest level. Thus your knees, hips and back endure less pressure when doing Aqua Zumba®.
• At the same time, "your body works four times harder than on land," experts say. Scientifically, you deal with the resistance of the water rather than gravity.
• For even more resistance, perform Aqua Zumba® standing with the water at your collarbone level instead of at your chest. 

credit[1]

So  now that you know a little more about it, will you join the pool party?

Baby's First Summer Guide

Hello friends,

My son Liam was born towards the end of last Summer.

 I didn't get the chance to take him outside much because he was so tiny, so this is his first REAL Summer! 

I have a lot of friends with babies and/or baby bellies right now so I figured I  would put together this little guide for all of the new mommies enjoying their first Summer with their little ones! 

Enjoy!

Do you have any Summer time tips for new moms?

World Environment Day

Today is World Environment Day (WED)! On this day every year people from all over the world come together to raise global awareness of the need to take positive environmental actions.

The first ever WED was nearly 40 years ago! WED is hosted every year by a different city with a different theme and is commemorated with an international exposition in the week of June 5th.

Last years theme was “Forests- Nature At Your Service” and the global host was India- a county of wide biodiversity. In 2011 thousands of activities were organized worldwide, which consisted of beach clean-ups, exhibits, concerts, film festivals and many more other community events.

This years theme is “Green Economy: Does this include you?” and is being hosted by Brazil.

 

Here are a few helpful tips from Recycle Bank for easy ways to get involved in changing OUR world today!

What did you do today to help our World’s environment?

Guest Post: Healthy Food Alternatives

I hope you are all having a fantastic Monday! I have a guest post for you today from Emilie, she is a total sweetheart that blogs over at Hungry Delights. I love the idea of healthier alternatives to my favorite foods and this little food swap guide will help with those tough decisions! I'll let her take the reins now :) and don't forget to check her yummy blog out too! :)

Hi! My name is Emilie and you can usually find me over at Hungry Delights where I blog about my life, share photography, and most importantly, the foods I love.

Today I thought I would share some healthy food swapping ideas with Tia's readers, I am always looking for healthy alternatives and these are a few favorites that I try to live by.

 

Air-Popped Corn instead of potato chips - I love popcorn! I reminds me of going to the movies, it is also super healthy (only approx 100 cal for 3 cups).

Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream - sour cream can be pretty fatty, Greek yoghurt is a great alternative for cooking.  It still has that slight sour taste but much less fat and increased protein.

Avocado instead of butter - If you love a bit of butter on your toast, consider swapping it for some avocado. Avocado is packed with nutrients and healthy fats.

Brown Rice instead of white - White rice has been processed and stripped of all the nutrients of brown rice in particular, fiber which is important for the body and helps keep you fuller for longer.

Baby Spinach rather than lettuce - lettuce is so boring and old school, swap for baby spinach for a tastier and nutrient rich alternative.

Oatmeal instead of sugary cereals - While sugary cereals can be delicious they are full of sugar! You can expect a sugar high and then a slump mid morning, definitely not the perfect way to start your day. Try oatmeal instead and top with fresh berries for a lovely sweet kick :)

DIY Beachy Hair Spray

I love the messy hair/bohemian look that is effortlessly achieved after a day at the beach but I live a few hours from the Ocean.

Here is a DIY Sea Salt Beach Hair Spray to achieve the look without the drive! 

After using this spray your hair will look so pretty, just like after a day at the beach. And it works for any hair length!

 

Ingredients:
♥ Coconut Oil
♥ Sea Salt
♥ Vodka
♥ Hair Gel
♥ Spray Bottle
♥ Measuring Cups

 
Make sure to shake it all up and always do before each use.

NOW: Spray all over damp hair and scrunch with your fingers. Blow dry or let it air dry. Finger comb through your hair and you look like you just came from a beautiful and fun day at the beach!
EXTRA TIP: If you have some more time you can also spray all over, part hair in about six sections and loosely braid your hair. Blow dry or sleep on it. When its dry (or the next day), finger comb braids out. Take a large curling iron (1 1/4") and loosely twist some (about 4-6 should be enough) hair strands around the iron, hold for a about 30 seconds. Finger comb through again and you are good to go. 
 

credits [1]

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Five Step Facial

Here’s how you can give yourself a lovely at-home facial in just 5 easy steps:
What you will need…

• gentle facial cleanser
• exfoliating scrub
• washcloth
• face mask (clay-based for oily skin, cream or gel mask for dry skin)
• face moisturizer

Instructions

1. Clean. Remove all makeup and then wash your face, neck and ears with a good facial cleanser.
2. Exfoliate. Using your fingers gently rub an exfoliating facial scrub in small circular motions all over your face. Make sure you focus on areas around your nose and forehead. If certain areas of your face are oilier than others, give that section an extra scrub. Go the extra mile and do a lip scrub too! 
3. Steam. There are a few ways to steam your face (over the stove, using a steamer), but the safest way is to do the washcloth trick. Fill your sink with warm water and soak a washcloth in it. Ring out the towel and then press it to your face. Repeat this 2 to 3 times.
4. Mask. If you have oily skin, use a clay mask. For dry skin, I suggest using a hydrating cream or gel mask. Depending on the mask, leave it on for the suggested amount of time and then rinse completely. (DIY Alert: Making your own mask is very easy. An orange and yogurt mask is especially simple. Mix 1 tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt with the juice of about one fourth of an orange. Spread the mixture evenly over your face and rinse after 5 to 10 minutes.)
5. Hydrate. Last by not least, moisturize! Smooth a nice, thick moisturizer over your face and neck.

Is your skincare routine working for you? Share your tips and tricks in the comments below (especially if you have any fun DIY face mask recipes)

 

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INSPIRED BY [family]

My family inspires me more than anything in this world.

 

adventures with zoey

spontaneous car rides// backyard hidden sanctuary

sandals and the river bank

my loves

 best feeling ever

ollie