Wordless Wednesday: December Favorites

 

• My wedding band.
• Christmas Nails
• Glitzy Starbucks tumbler - DIY: Glitter Starbucks Tumbler
• Lemon Water  

 It's life's smallest details that can instantly brighten my day!  What are your December favorites?

Things to Do with Kids - Downtown Disney

I am always looking for things to do with my stepson that don't cost money.  One place that we love to go is Downtown Disney.  You get three hours of free parking (plus two additional free hours if you get your ticket validated.)  There is so much to see and do there!  Although it can be tempting to spend money, we usually do not spend much at all.  

Downtown Disney is packed with restaurants and shops.  They have a movie theater, ESPN Zone, Build-A-Bear, Ridemakerz, and a giant Disney store (among the many other stores and restaurants!)  They always have live entertainment going on as well.  Right in between the movie theater and Rainforest Cafe is a stage where they always have some form of fun and family-friendly entertainment going on.  We went in the summer, back in June where they had a DJ performing kid-friendly songs.  They had lights going any many of the kids were up dancing.  It was too fun!  

Christmastime at Downtown Disney is my absolute favorite.  The lights are beautiful!  They have so many decorations.  Disney really knows how to do Christmas.  This year, they have an ice skating rink as well.  Carolers also walk around, singing Christmas carols.  It is awesome!

With so much live entertainment, people watching, and window shopping to be done, you really can make this an inexpensive night out if you wanted to.  We usually eat before we go (since the restaurants there are seriously overpriced!)  We usually treat ourselves to an ice cream in the summer, or a coffee in the winter.  But other then that, it really is just a fun outing for us as a family.

DIY: Glitter Starbucks Tumbler

Pinterest inspires me to try so many new recipes, organize my closets, and... bling out my Starbucks tumbler!  I am so impressed with how it turned out... SO CUTE! I will be rocking this tumbler every day!  If you try my tutorial, let me know how it goes!!

Materials Needed:

-Starbucks Tumbler (make sure you get the one that can screw off.. it is the one that is meant for you to write your drink on the inside.)

-Spray Adhesive

-Glitter (any glitter/any color... I really like the Martha Stewart brand, so that is what I bought!)

-Piece of cardboard

Steps:

1. Unscrew the tumbler and take the inside part out.

2. Take the smaller part of the tumbler and spray the ENTIRE inside with spray adhesive.  Spray from about 6" away.  Spray enough...but not too much, or your tumbler will turn out looking cloudy.



3. Pour glitter into the tumbler, turning as you are pouring.  Make sure the ENTIRE inside of the tumbler is coated with glitter.  Any excess glitter that is not sticking, you may dump out.

4. Let it dry for about an hour.

5. Once dry, put the tumbler back together.  Voila!! You have yourself a blinged out Starbucks tumbler!

Thank you Pinterest, and your fabulous ideas! :-)

Restaurant Review - Stubriks

My husband and I LOVE dining out when we can.  So I thought I would add restaurant reviews to my blog.  The first one I decided I would review was Stubriks.  Stubriks is a steakhouse and bar in downtown Fullerton.  We had been there once before, but it was years ago.  We went last week for my birthday and we had a great time.  The food is delicious and it is a very fun atmosphere. 

Parking: Downtown Fullerton on a weekend night can be notoriously busy.  We went on a Thursday night around 8pm and didn't have trouble finding parking at all.  We parked in the lot on the backside of Stubriks, near the Spaghetti Factory.

Hostess: We called early on in the day to try and make a reservation.  They said they were not taking reservations but did not expect it to be crowded.  They were right.  When we arrived, we checked in with the hostess and got a table right away.

Drinks: Stubriks has a good selection of beers, wine, and liquors.  Although I would normally be a cocktail or wine girl, we both decided to have a beer because it sounded most fitting for our steaks we would be ordering!  My husband ordered a Sierra Nevada (they only had it bottled, but they did pour in a glass for him) and I ordered a Bass.  I LOVE when we go places that serve Bass Ale.  It is one of my favorite beers.

Appetizers: We decided to go with the garlic cheese bread as an appetizer, as we had been told by a friend that it was delicious.  It arrived and we were in cheesy bread heaven!  They do not disappoint on the cheese or the garlic on the bread.  It comes out warm, cheesy, and delicious!  It was hard not to fill up on the bread alone!  I would highly recommend this appetizer!

Entrees: All steak entrees at Stubriks come with either a soup or salad.  We both decided to choose the soup which is a potato broccoli soup.  The soup was also good, especially dipping the garlic cheese bread in it. YUM!  For dinner, my husband chose the Black & Blue Top Sirloin.  He ordered his medium rare.  It came out cooked perfectly.  He said it was the perfect amount of richness from the blue cheese.  It was served with mashed potatoes and gravy and steamed veggies.  As for myself, I chose the ribeye steak coked medium.  I also asked to add grilled onions to mine (BEST CHOICE I COULD OF MADE!)  The steak, again, was cooked to perfection.  And the grilled onions were to DIE for!  At first, when I saw the onions, I was a bit bummed because that is not usually how I like my grilled onions.  But to taste the onions with the juicy and tender steak... It was the best flavor combination I had in a long time!  Mine also was served with mashed potatoes (I asked for no gravy) and steamed veggies.  Both of us took about half (if not more) of our food home with us.  The portions are HUGE and the prices are a great deal.

Dessert: Usually we are not very big dessert people.  But since it was my birthday, they brought me a birthday dessert with a candle in it on the house.  It was the bananas foster dessert served with vanilla ice cream.  It was so good.  As stuffed as we already were, we could not help ourselves.  Whether it is a birthday or not, I would highly recommend this dessert as well!

Service: Our server was great.  I forgot her name, but I can say we had no complaints about the service.  She was friendly and on top of it throughout the entire meal.

Prices:
Sierra Nevada (bottled) - $5.50
Bass Ale - $5.50
Garlic Cheese Bread - $6
12 oz Black & Blue Top Sirloin - $23
16oz Ribeye - $25
Grilled Onions - I don't remember
Dessert - Was on the house because it was my birthday! (Usually $9)

Overall, I would recommend this place for a fun date night or night out with friends.  I wouldn't say this would be a place that we would bring my stepson to.  It has a very present nightlife atmosphere.  But for an adult night out, this is an awesome spot!

Stubriks Steakhouse and Bar

118 E. Commonwealth Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92832

Blackberry V&T Recipe

If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that I LOVE Pinterest!  On Monday, I found a recipe for a cocktail that sounded delicious and I wanted to try it for my husband that night!  We both LOVED it!  It was the perfect "Monday night cocktail."  The original recipe called for lemonade, but I substituted tonic water instead, because I thought the lemonade might make it a bit too sweet for my liking.  If you try this recipe out on your own, let me know your thoughts!

INGREDIENTS:

blackberries

ice

vodka (we used Sky)

tonic water (we used diet to save on calories)

STEPS:

1. Using 4 blackberries, muddle them in a glass.

2. Put ice cubes in the glass.

3. Pour vodka into glass. I put about 1.5 shots in each drink. You can tailor yours however you like! 

4. Pour tonic water into glass until full.

5. To add "decoration" to your glass, slice a blackberry almost all the way through, and place on the side of your glass.

6. Cheers!

Beauty Product of the Week - Clinique Dramatically Different

CLINIQUE

DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT 

MOISTURIZING LOTION 

I cannot even begin to express how much I LOVE this moisturizer!  My skin drives me crazy.  In the summer it gets very oily, and in the winter it gets so dry.  This lotion saves my skin no matter what season we are in.  I am not the type of girl who forks out big bucks on beauty products or makeup.  I usually try to find a drugstore product I like so that I am not always spending a tun of money on products.  I tried so many drugstore brands of moisturizer, and nothing helped my skin in the winter time like this lotion does! 

This lotion is for people with dry to combo skin types. It is unscented and doesn't clog or block my pores.  It feels very light and soft on my face, unlike most of the drugstore products I tried which felt very heavy and thick on my face... ewww!  The only thing that I wish this moisturizer had in it would be an SPF. 

This lotion runs for around $25.  You can buy it at any store that has a Clinique counter.  This bottle usually lasts me almost a year.  I could not live without this lotion!  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Starbucks Deal

Living Social has a Starbucks deal going on right now... LOVE IT!

$5 for $10 at Starbucks

They will send it to you in an "E-Gift Card" which you can print and redeem at any Starbucks.

Pumpkin Spice Lattes just came out this week... Perfect timing for a deal like this!

http://www.livingsocial.com/cities/38-long-beach/deals/448600-10-starbucks-card-egift

Pinterest

It seems like Pinterest blew up overnight!  I keep getting emails informing me of all my new friends.  It definitly seems like the "it" website, that everyone wants to be on.  Unfortunatly, they have it set up in kind of an "exclusive" way where you have to sign up, but they make you wait a couple of weeks before sending an invitation to join.  Luckily for me, I was on Pinterest before most joined the band wagon, so I didn't have to wait as long.

Pinterest is an amazing website where you set up "boards" and can "pin" things that you like to your boards.  It is pretty much dream land for most.  People plan their dream weddings, decorate the home of their dreams, etc.  I happen to do that too, although I do use it for more practical things as well.  I have gotten party ideas, organization ideas, DIY crafts, and my favorite...recipes!

I thought it would be fun to share the recipes that I have tried thus far.  I have liked every recipe I have tried.... Give the recipes a try... and give Pinterest a try! I promise you won't be disappointed!

Recipes from Pinterest I have tried:

Marbeled Nutella Banana Bread:
http://pinterest.com/pin/50313720807111740/


Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits:
http://pinterest.com/pin/50313720807106315/


Beer Mac and Cheese:
http://pinterest.com/pin/50313720806718262/


Creamy Jambalaya Pasta:
http://pinterest.com/pin/50313720806713092/


I plan on trying many more in the future... If you want to check out the rest of my Pinterest account, you can go to http://pinterest.com/stephemery/ .

This Week in Free Magazine Subscriptions

I found some pretty awesome deals for free magazines! If you are interested in any of these, just click the link, fill out the info, and it will be on your way! I have signed up for many magazines through ValueMag.Com and am happy to say it is the real deal... Free magazines... No strings attached!

1. Bridal Guide
   Get one complimentary issue.
   https://www.valuemags.com/freeoffer/freeoffer.asp?offer=bridalguide.asp


2. Ski
    Get a complimentary 12-issue subscription.
    https://www.valuemags.com/freeoffer/freeoffer.asp?offer=SKI_TSC


3. American Baby
    Get a complimentary 12-issue subscription.
    https://www.valuemags.com/americanbaby/freeoffer.asp


4. Baby Talk
    Get a complimentary 12-issue subscription.
    https://www.valuemags.com/babytalk/freeoffer.asp


5. Everyday with Rachael Ray
   Get a complimentary 12-issue subscription (when you enter promo code JR44YNSE)
   https://w1.buysub.com/pubs/MR/EVR/EVR_Free.jsp?cds_page_id=112040&cds_mag_code=EVR&id=1333176291847&lsid=20910144518026349&vid=1

Free Magazine Subscription - Outdoor Life

Hurry to get your free 12-issue subscription of Outdoor Life magazine!  No strings attached!

Click here to sign up for 12 free issues of Outdoor Life magazine!

Beauty Product of the Week - Maybelline Baby Lips

This week's product is:
Maybelline Baby Lips


Shade:
I have two shades... Cherry Me and Grape Vine... Although I plan to buy more, as they have six shades total.


Where to buy:
I bought mine at Target.  They were $2.99 regular price.  I used a $1/off manufactures coupon on each one making them out to be $1.99 each!  You can find the coupon at www.redplum.com .


Review:
I LOVE this product!  It is a moisturizing lip balm that also gives your lips a pretty color.  It makes your lips feel quenched and soft!


Pros:
-SPF 20
-Keeps lips moisturized.
-Hint of color is perfect for the daytime.
-Price


Cons:
-Shade selection... They currently only have 6 shades.
-If you put on chapped lips it cracks and doesn't look nice.

Free Magazine Subscription - Better Homes & Gardens

I found a "No strings attached" subscription to the magazine, Better Homes and Gardens! The free subscription will give you 24 free issues!  Be sure to sign up ASAP, as this offer won't last long!!



Click the link to sign up:

24 Free Issues of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

Quick and Easy Rainy Day Dinner

In Southern California, we don't get very many cold, rainy, and gloomy days!  So on a day like today, comfort food was on the menu for dinner!  A coworker of mine mentioned that she was going to make grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner.  It sounded good to me as well!  This recipe was a hit in my home!

Cream Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:

-Butter

-Sourdough Bread

-Cream Cheese

-Lite Mayonaise

-Shredded Cheese (I used a Colby/Jack blend)

-Garlic Salt

Directions

1. Butter one side of each slice of bread per sandwich.

2. In a bowl, mix about 4oz of cream cheese, 8oz of shredded cheese, a squirt of mayo and sprinkle of garlic salt.  The cream cheese is pretty thick, so I used a hand mixer to get the right texture.

3. Heat a skillet or griddle.  Put one slice of bread (butter side down.)  Then scoop the cheese mixture onto the bread.  Put the other slice on top (butter side up.)

4. Let cook like you would a normal grilled cheese.  I like mine pretty toasty!

5. Serve with a bowl of tomato soup and a salad for a quick, easy, and tasty rainy day meal!

*Makes 4 sandwiches.*

What are your favorite rainy day comfort foods?

Target Makeup Haul

I visited the Target by my work on my lunch break today and was so excited to find a TUN of clearance deals on makeup! I picked up quite a few things that I wanted to share with you all!

My Purchase included:

- Physicians Formula Plentifull Thickening Mascara

Reg. Price: $5.49 Clearance Price: $2.74

-Revlon Nailpolish #745 in 'Frankly Scarlet'

Reg. Price: $3.99 Clearance Price: $2.78

-Revlon Colorstay Quad Eyeshadow #330 'In the Buff'

Reg. Price: $5.49 Clearance Price: $3.84

-Revlon Nailpolish #210 in 'Electric Pink'

Reg. Price: $3.99 Clearance Price: $2.78

-Rimmel London Glam Eyes Quad Eye Shadow #016 'Urban Flower'

Reg. Price: $3.99 Clearance Price: $2.78

-Rimmel London Glam Eyes Eye Shadow #200 'Spicy Bronze'

Reg. Price: $2.54 Clearance Price: $1.77

-Sally Hansen Kwik Off Nail Polish Remover for Dry, Brittle Nails

Reg. Price: $2.99 Clearance Price: $1.48

-Maybelline Line Express Eyeliner #906 'Charcoal Grey'

Reg. Price: $4.94 Clearance Price: $2.47

-Maybelline EyeStudio #30 'Pedal to the Metal'

Reg. Price: $5.49 Clearance Price: $2.74

-Maybelline Color Stay Lip Stain #85 'Bit of Brown'

Reg. Price: $5.54 Clearance Price: $2.77

-Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm #20 'Grape Vine'

Reg. Price: $2.99 Used: $1/Off coupon Total Price: $1.99

Total (before tax): $28.14

Savings: 59% ...Gotta LOVE that kind of savings on the fun stuff!

They had tuns of makeup on clearance at the Target I went to... Hopefully you guys can find some good deals too!  If you happen to find some good deals, please leave a comment letting me know!

Free Magazine Subscription - Family Fun

I found a "No strings attached" subscription to the magazine, Family Fun! I have subscribed to this in the past, and it gives great ideas for recipes, crafts, and fun stuff to do with kids!  I highly recommend it!  The free subscription will give you 20 free issues!  Be sure to sign up ASAP, as this offer won't last long!!



Click the link to sign up:
20 Free Issues of Family Fun Magazine

It's the Little Things in Life...

Super Bowl 2012

Okay, Everyone... Question of the day: Who is going to win the Super Bowl?

or

I have decided to go for the Giants! Go Eli Manning!!  Enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday, everyone!

Happy Birthday, Ethane!

Yesterday, was Ethane's 8th birthday!  He had quite the day.  I made him "funfetti" pancakes for breakfast... Basically pancakes with sprinkles in them... Such an easy and fun idea for a birthday morning breakfast! 

We then went to Toys R Us where he picked out his birthday gift... He chose a 'Spy Watch.' He has not taken it off since he got it! He loves it!

We then headed to Chuck E. Cheese for his birthday party.  We were joined by two of his aunts and uncles, five of his cousins, and his two best buddies!

After, we went to the park to burn off any extra energy the kids had... Then it was sleepover time at our house!  Lots of playing, laughing.. and ended the night by watching Avatar...(of course they chose the longest movie we owned!)

All in all, he had a GREAT birthday! It is so awesome hearing him tell Joey and I he had "the best birthday ever!"  Little does he know, that is what we aim for... Making him the happiest, healthiest, and smartest kid in the world!

Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes!  That kid is more loved then anyone I know! Xoxo.

New Michael's Coupon

Lately, I have loved shopping at Michael's!  Thankfully, they just posted a $5 off $5 coupon! Available to use today (2/3) and tomorrow (2/4) only.  This is perfect if you need any last minute super bowl stuff or even to get ahead on your Valentine's Day projects!

To print coupon: 
http://www.michaels.com/c/020312-EMAIL-US-3,default,pg.html

Things to Do - Go to the Movies

One thing that just about everyone enjoys doing is going to the movies.  Lately, movie prices have been skyrocketing and it is now pretty unaffordable.  To go to the movies near our home, it cost $25 just for the three of us to go see a movie... and that includes no snacks or drinks!  It is insane!  At that price, I would rather just wait for the movie to come out and buy it! Sheesh!


Luckily, Regal Cinemas does a deal where every Tuesday, they show their movies for $6 ALL DAY!  Matinee, late night... It doesn't matter. $6 all day.  Every Tuesday.  We don't take advantage of this as much as I would like to, but it is a great way to see some of the new movies... Add to this that they offer $2 popcorn on Tuesdays (when you are a Regal Club Member), and you have yourself a very inexpensive mid-week date night idea!


For more information, and to check that your theater participates, please visit:
http://www.regmovies.com/Regal_Value_Days.aspx


What movies do you guys want to see right now?  I am really looking forward to seeing The Vow!

Stuff to do with Kids - La Habra Children's Museum

Tip: On the first Saturday of every month, the La Habra Children's Museum gives free admission!  We have taken Ethane twice and he loves it!  I would say this place is geared for kids under 10 years old.  They have a train you can walk through, some stuff that teaches about science, a dress up room complete with a stage and microphone (so cute to see kids get up there and make believe!)  Also, on the first Saturday of the month they also have free crafts and activities for kids to do.  Last time we went, Ethane got to make his own bracelet, decorate a pot, and plant his own plant into the pot... and take it home... for free! This is so much fun for kids, and you can't beat free!


Where:
301 South Euclid Street
La Habra, CA 90631


When: 10am-4pm 


For more information, you can visit their website at:
http://www.lahabracity.com/section.cfm?id=41


 Have fun!

Beauty Product of the Week - Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation Compact

Each week, I will feature a beauty product of the week.  This can either be a product I have used for years and is a part of my every day beauty routine... or it can be a brand new product that I recently bought and have been loving!

This weeks product is: 

Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Concealer

I bought mine at Target.  It was on sale and I also had a $2 off coupon!

The one I got is in the Natural Ivory 20 shade.  I have pretty light skin, but I also tend to get red and blotchy pretty easily.  This powder really helps even out my skin tone.   
Another huge PLUS to this powder: 20 SPF!  Protecting your skin from the sun is SO important... especially your face.  Using a powder with SPF can help keep you covered. I know none of us want skin cancer! 

Pros: 
SPF 20
Shade Selection
Coverage


Cons:
-Application Pad... Use a brush! You will get a much more natural look!

Deal of the Week - Children's Advil

Lately, I have been going to Target once a week to do my "Extreme Couponing."  Between the show that is out, and my friend Trisha getting me started... I have become addicted to saving money!  Since I do a Target haul just about once a week, I will try to post my hauls weekly.  I also will post a separate post for my "deal of the week."  This will be the deal that I thought I saved the most on or was the most excited about!


For the week of January 30, 2012:


 When: January 31, 2012
Where: Target
What: Children's Advil Fever (Liquid) 2-Packs


In the clearance section, near the medicine, I found 2-packs of Children’s Advil Fever (liquid) for half off.


Regular Price: $8.98 per 2 pack
Clearance Price: $4.24 per 2 pack
I picked up (3) 2-packs.
Before Coupons Price: $12.72


Used: (3) $1/Off Coupons from RP x 3/31


New Total = $9.72


Mail-in-Rebate for $10 from RP 1/29/12


Final Price = -$0.28


Each 2 Pack = -$0.09


Each Bottle = about -$0.05 each


Just wanted to make sure you guys saw the (-) before the amounts... Yes... I actually earned money buying 6 bottles of Children's Advil!  It is so great when you MAKE money while you shop! Now, I KNOW you can get used to this!

Welcoming Myself to Blogging

I think it is appropriate at this time, since my only follower at the moment is myself, to welcome myself to the blogging world!  This is something I have wanted to do for a long time.  I tried in the past, but found myself posting a lot of the same content that I post on my Facebook.  I figured it was too time consuming and pointless to be posting the same stuff in two places.


Lately, I have been reading quite a few blogs.  My favorite types of blogs are Couponing blogs that teach how you can save money, beauty and fashion blogs, and recipe blogs.  I would like this blog to combine all of the above... As well as some posts about fun stuff that I find to do in Southern California.  One of my new years resolutions was to start a blog. Yes, I know I am a month late, but late is better then never!

Here is nothing... diving in head first into the world of blogging... And hoping a few of you want to join me for the ride!

Cheers!