Bodega Bay - Beach Hopping

Culminating our spring break, last Sunday we took the kids for an impromptu beach day. Our first stop was at Wild Flour Bread Bakery in Freestone near Sebastopol, CA. They are famous for their sticky bun, but my favorite was the banana chocolate chip scone. You can see the whole menu below. Make sure to bring cash (a lot of it...because you'll want to buy everything!). This place is definitely another gem of Northern California. Loaded with coffee, carbs and sweets, we beached hopped along the Sonoma Coast in Bodega Bay. Our favorite was Shell Beach, where we spent most of our time collecting sea shells and looking for star fish. Below are some shots from our day trip. Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Bloomingdale's Friends and Family - Take 25% Off

Use promo code FRIENDS at checkout. Online and In-stores from 4/4-4/10

Here are some of my favorites:

 

Off-the-shoulder chambray top. Love the easy A line shape of this top.

This Gingham dress is so versatile. You can pair it with heels for a formal event or with jean jacket and a pair of white sneakers for a day at the farmer's market. 

 If there’s one style shirt to add to your closet for Spring, it’s the lace-up shirt.

 In love with these Levi's crop flare jeans! 

This BB Dakota Faux Leather Jacket is the perfect jacket from spring to fall.

I use this tinted moisturizer from laura mercer daily. Why? Because it evens out my skin and add a perfect glow. It makes my skin look healthy and natural. Perfect all year around.

Motherhood - 10 Reminders To Myself

1. Slow down and put away distractions 

2. Make a cup of morning coffee and enjoy it while sitting

3. Put a couple drops of lavender oil on my kids' tummy and make them giggle

4. Watch them smile and feel yourself smile back

5. Hold them close when they ask for snuggles

6. Teach them how to read by flipping the pages one by one

7. Sit back, and watch them try 

8. Slow down and savor life

9. Hold onto these moments tightly

10. Repeat…

 

20 Pound Challenge Napa Valley

With summer just around the corner, it’s time for me to get prepped for another 20-Pound Challenge with Napa Valley Fitness Revolution. This will be my third challenge and I can’t tell you how excited my husband and I are to get back at it. The challenges reshape our bodies, clears our minds, and resets our overall well being through proper nutrition and training. It's all backed by a team of coaches that gets participants to move better, look better, and feel better...all in just 42 days. It works every time for us. And we're ready to do it again. I highly recommend this type of program to anyone looking to make a difference in their fitness and diet, and my husband does too. 

So how to stick with the program? Join the challenge with your partner, best friend, or a family member. I have to say having my husband in the challenge really helped both of us stay on track and hold each other accountable. Having others join you also worked really well with a five person team challenge we did last fall. But if you can't find someone to join, you can do it. In fact, my husband's first challenge was one he did himself. He dropped 20lbs!  Napa Valley Fitness Revolution has numerous individual success stories

What other benefits do you get by joining the challenge? You will set good examples for your family and will get them involved. I took my daughter to one of the free cooking demonstration by one of our coaches, Tay Espinosa, so that she can learn that prepping healthy food it's actually fun, easy and delicious. This is another reason I tell everyone that our gym its not like any other. They are a community that truly cares about you!

Eating healthy does not have to be hard or expensive. When you join the challenge you will receive all the information on what to eat and a detailed shopping list for each week. You can also read some of my easy meals here, here, and here.

So are you ready for a spring cleaning? Let me hear you say "Yes, I am READY".  Join today and use code: momlikethat and get $25 off registration. Promotion ends Thursday 3/31.

See you at the gym!

 

 

Happy Easter

What are you up to this weekend? We’re having an easter egg hunt with friends and their kids today. I can't wait to see the excitement of my kids eyes when looking for easter eggs at the winery while we enjoy great vino and company. Easter is one my favorite holidays to do crafts with my kids. Thanks to Say Yes blog we learned how to make perfect polka dots eggs. Hope you have a relaxing weekend and a Happy Easter with your family!

 

Beauty Favorites

This multiple stick from NARS is one of my favorite things in my bag. I use it on my cheeks and lips. The creamy formula makes it so easy to apply. This color is perfect for creating a glowing look.

This moisturizer from Weleda is packed with botanical extracts and enriched with sunflower oil which helps to repair dry and flaky skin. I love using it on my face, hands, and feet on days when it's extra dry. It's a great creme and you can't beat the price!

This lavender foaming bath from L’Occitane is a staple in my bathroom. Every time I take a bath I pour a small amount under running hot water and the lavender scent is so relaxing. Perfect for stressful days.

 

Instagram Roundup and Outfit Details

Happy Friday! Do you have plans for the weekend? We have a baseball game, a kid's birthday party, a date night with the hubby at our kid's school fundraising event and get out our Easter decoration. I know…I'm a little behind but we're just getting over St. Patrick's Day. Here is another Instagram Roundup I put together for you. Hope you have a lovely weekend and a wonderful spring break!

// Target stripe dress //

// Book here, bar here //

// Madewell sweater (similar here) - Zara skirt (similar here) - Old Navy sandals //

// ginny bakes cookies here //

// Anthropologie blouse (similar here) - Forever21 denim (similar here) - Nine West pumps (similar here) //

// Journal here and here //

 

Slow Cooker Pork With Apples, Onions, and Sauerkraut

This is another favorite from my crock pot freezer meals class (see my previous post here). I like serving it with whole grain mustard and pickles. It's just divine when you combine them with pork and sauerkraut. A must try!

Ingredients:

1 small (1-2 lb pork roast) boneless shoulder butt
1 container sauerkraut, rinsed and dried (I get the raw one from Whole Foods)
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 small granny smith apple, sliced
1 small yellow onion, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons of pork chop seasoning

Instructions:

Seasoning for pork roast such as lemon pepper and curry powder or rosemary and sage with some salt and pepper. Place the rinsed and dried sauerkraut in bottom of slow cooker. mix in the caraway seeds. Place seasoned pork on top of sauerkraut then place sliced onions and apples on top. Cook on low for 6 hours.

MAKE AHEAD: Place all ingredients in a freezer bag. You can place directly in slow cooker but you may have to increase the cook time by 1-2 hours. Pork will become tough if cooked on high so know your slow cooker and make sure it will only simmer, not boil the contents. 

Enjoy!

 

Monday Sparkles - Sparkle Someone's Day

About a year ago, a good friend of mine asked me to start a subscription company with her that caters to tweens. The goal is to help young girls celebrate the power of positivity and bring Earth, love, sparkle to their lives one box at a time. As a mother of two girls I thought, "What a brilliant idea." I did not hesitate to give her my answer and Monday Sparkles was born.

So, the big question: Why tweens? Preadolescence or the "Tween Years" can bring its own challenges and anxieties, and, unlike most of the phases of childhood before this, crucial elements of preadolescence are starkly different for boys and girls. It is here that anxieties, development, and self-esteem can take unwanted turns. Enter social media and the ugly aspects of bullying, body image, and peer relationships can quickly spiral out of control.

This particular idea of reinforcing a girl’s self-worth, especially at that critical age (which my oldest daughter is rapidly approaching) is truly important to me. Bad and hard things will happen. Life does not discriminate. I want her to understand that. I want my girls to grow up believing in themselves, believing that they are strong, that they can do anything and feel safe being just as fantastic and strong as they are.

What makes Monday Sparkles unique is having a positive message of inspiration and empowerment where young girls can gift to #sparklesomeonesday. To learn more about Monday Sparkles and how you can get our subscription boxes for your own daughter or to give as gifts to a special tween in your life, please visit us at www.mondaysparkles.com.

“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.“

– Marriane Williamson

Photography by Julie Angold

 

Crock Pot Smoked Turkey Lentil Soup

I crave for soup on raining days and we've been getting a lot of it recently in California. Last weekend I went to a cooking class taught by my coach Tay Espinosa from my gym. The class was on crock pot freezer meals. As I mentioned before, it's not hard to eat healthy when you prep ahead, and Tay's classes are all about preparation and healthy eating. I'll be sharing several recipes from the class throughout the week. I'm not a big fan of lentils but this recipe is so easy and yummy that it has become my favorite by far. Definitely a keeper!

Ingredients:

1 8 oz smoked turkey leg
1/2 pound dried green lentils, rinsed and drained
1 cup of diced onion
1/2 cup of diced celery
1 cup of diced bell peppers
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of black pepper
6 cups of organic vegetable broth
1 teaspoon of salt
Greek yogurt (optional)

Instructions:

Place all ingredients except yogurt in a crock pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove turkey leg from crock pot. Remove and discard skin. Shred meat, discard bone and return to crock pot. Serve with a dollop of nonfat greek yogurt.

Enjoy!

 

Say It Like That

"My greatest beauty secret is being happy with myself. I don't use special creams or treatments - I'll use a little bit of everything. It's a mistake to think you are what you put on yourself. I believe that a lot of how you look is to do with how you feel about yourself and your life. Happiness is the greatest beauty secret"  -        T i n a T u r n e r

 

Loving Learning

My kids attend a progressive education school where they embrace a hands-on approach to learning that integrates disciplines that challenges students to ask questions, research real-word problems, and design and build their own solutions. For more than a century progressive educators have touted the importance of creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration - what is currently called the “4 Cs.” Sadly, most schools don't teach with these concepts in mind. For example, programs that offer the opportunity for the 4 Cs like art, music, and physical education have been cut from many lower school curriculums.

I see how my kids learn by doing rather than memorizing information. They love to learn and are eager to go to school everyday. This is how we should expect our kids to feel about school. As a parent I highly recommend getting the book LOVING LEARNING: How Progressive Education Can Save America's Schools. This is the way we should teach our children. They all deserve better learning environments.

Below are some of my son's first grade art projects. What can I say, I'm a proud mama. Can you tell this boy loves orange?!

 

Private Tour at Quintessa Winery in Napa Valley

On Sunday we drove Up Valley to meet with our good friends for lunch at the Goose and Gander. After our wonderful meal our friends were headed to Quintessa Winery for a private tour and my family decided to crash the party (I love impromptu wine tasting!). Living in the valley we have driven by Quintessa Winery countless times but we never knew about the private lake in the back of the property. We learned how the winery got started by a husband and wife from Chile. Since I grew up in Argentina and visited Chile several times, I felt very much like home during our private tour. Not only is the wine amazing, but the property is breathtakingly beautiful. Quintessa Winery is a gem in Napa Valley!

 

Instagram Roundup and Outfit Details

Happy Friday! Have any plans for this weekend? We have two kid’s birthday parties, date night with the hubby and read this book on the calendar. Have a lovely weekend, and here are some of my Instagram round-ups and outfit details.

// Forever21 jeans - White sneakers (similar here) //

 // Oxbow Market - I love my kale :)

// ANINE BING plaid shirt and jeans //

// My favorite afternoon snack - cashew butter and strawberries //

IMG_6698.JPG

// H&M top - Forever21 skinny pants - ANINE BING boots //

// Super Bowl Paleo Chili with baked eggs //

// Target denim vest - Gap dress (similar here) //

// Waiting for hubby to finish reading this book //

// ANINE BING dress and boots (similar here and here) //

// Monday Sparkles Spring Box //