Baby J Holiday Venue

Ok....we have been busy little bees, but wanted to give you the places you can find us at live and in person for the Holiday season....

October 7th - Monrovia Family Festival

October 21st - Monrovia Family Festival

November 4th and 5th - Moo Mops Fall Boutique - Fri: 9am - 12:30 pm and Sat: 10 am - 2 pm Location: 24772 Chrisanta Dr, Mission Viejo, CA 92691

November 10th - Holiday Handmade Boutique

November 11th - Monrovia Family Festival

November 12th - South County Family Festival - Time: 9am - 3pm, Location: 32712 Crown Valley Pkwy, Monarch Beach, CA 92629
(Food Trucks, Raffles, Family Photos, Bounce House, Face Painting, and Vendors to indulge in your favorite shopping....from jewelry, arts/crafts, shoes, clothing, golf accessories, electronics, Baby J....and much, much, more!!!!!

November 18th and 19th - Queen Bee Market

November 24th - GIVE THANKS!!!!

December 1st -4th - Sugar Plum Festival

Our new Winter products will be up on the website soon so keep posted and come see us up close and personal at one of our shows!!!

QUEEN BEE COUNTDOWN!!!!!

It's ALMOST here!!!!! The Queen Bee Market is only two days away! If you are in Southern California you HAVE to come Downtown to enjoy the Queen Bee Market. 50 of the most amazing handmade vendors will set up their 'Oh So Cute' and incredibly unique booths to sell their most amazing handmade items. Everything you can ask for from homegoods, vintage items, womens-kids-mens-baby clothing, photography, art, jewelry, every kind of accessory, AND SOOOO MUCH MORE!!!! The Queen Bee is one of my favorite markets to attend. The talent at this market is amazing and gets better every show! The effort and creativity the vendors put into their booths is worth seeing in itself. This was the Baby J booth at the last show in May....we have re-vamped and have a slightly new showcase, so you must come see.

This is the last of the summer product and then we will be introducing our Winter Line....which is looking fantastic, I might say :) So come check out the Summer dresses, onsies, sunhats, flower clips, headbands, tutu's and much more.

Check out all the in info at the Queen Bee Site. Hope to see you there and make sure to sign in at our booth to get a discount on your first online order!!!

Bring canned goods to donate to the Canned Food Drive and you will be entered to win prizes from the vendors!!!

Monster Bash!!

We have been BUSY!!! And up to our eyeballs in MONSTERS!!!
It already came and went - WAY TO FAST!!! My littlest baby turned 1....already! Tear in my eye :( But we threw him the biggest Monster Bash of the year. And let me tell you it is the last Party I wanna plan in a looooong time, and I mean that in the sweetest way possible :)

But seriously...procrastination and perfectionism don't mix well. My loving sweetheart husband and best friends in the world were helping till 4am, finishing decorations, food, deserts, cleaning and everything in between to throw the perfect party for my little Jace!! Thats true love.
We started with the handmade invites....Super easy and cheap :) Perfect because our guestlist was 74 people!!!! How to: take a regular sheet of felt (8 1/2X11) cut in four equal rectangles, cut a piece of cardstock the same so they are same size as the felts. Glue cardstock (using Felt glue so it doesn't leak through the felt, sold at Michaels), After it dried I cut freehand monster shapes, cut scrap pieces for the mouths and teeth and glued on those with the felt glue, added google eyes because everything is funner with google eyes and pom pom noses :) I printed out the party info on regular paper and glued that on last....Done....mail out right away! (It will take a little extra in postage, not much but if you add the pom pom noses keep that in mind so they don't come back to you...if you don't wanna pay the extra use flat scraps for the noses :)

And then there was the deserts.....cake pops...and more cake pops!!! I loooove cake pops....and loved making them....until I got to about 150 cakepops and then I decided I never wanted to see another cake pop again in my life!!! My mistake though....no matter how many people you have at your party they will never eat all 150 cakepops! So I think it would be best to make only 1 per guest, considering 60 people came and I took home about 130!!! And they were good too! I promise! Recipe to come soon - you can try them for yourself :)

These were fun! I found these GIGANTIC Marshmallows at CVS and Albertsons to make Candied Mallows for everyone to take home. After they dried I used candy writer from DUFF from Michaels baking section to make monster faces - loved it!! Note: Keep out of the sun! I found these cute pots at Michaels for $2.49, stuffed a styrofoam inside and stuck all my cake pops inside! The monster treat bags, plates, bowls and napkins were found at Target. They also have a super cute Green Monster Pinata!
Wrapped the Candied Mallows in plastic wraps (found at Michaels-baking section) tied with curly ribbon and sent home with everyone that came :) Monster Balls, Monster Rubber Duckies, Monster Pop Ups, Monster Tattoos all found at Oriental Trading. You can find every theme and party supply there!!! The kids loved them all as prizes and to take home...
Ray made this Monster Melon - Super Easy and Fun!!! A Must-Have at every Monster Party :)

Monster Toss!!! Hubby made this too!! So handy in the kitchen and with the tools, LOVE IT!! Found a Monster pic and sawed a piece of wood to make the monster toss game...Jace is Monster tossing in this picture. After Monster Toss we played pin the nose on the Monster (thats what those red dots are :) Two games in one!! AND a really great photo prop as well!

**He lost his legs so if you make one make sure its a flat bottom or made with REALLY thick legs :)

And look how happy it all made my Little Man!!!

Crown is from Target $2.99 and Every party no matter what the theme is needs Polka Dot Balloons!!!! (Partyland)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Jace's smash Cake - Came from Albertons! Its the Small Cookie Monster Cake, but re-done with green horns and buck teeth, amazing and only $7.95!!! HE LOVED IT!

Clean up was a Good Time.....and it was a great party!!!

My party planning tip for everyone: If you have not discovered Pinterest you need to right this second. It is an amazing site for not only party ideas, but recipes, decor, fashion, photography and so much more!!

Polka Dot GIVEAWAY!!!

There's a GIVEAWAY happening!!!!!!
Polka Dot Reviews and Giveaways did such a sweet review of the Crimson Tide Girls Beanie.
{Also available for boys without the bow}
First...check out how cute her baby girl Sagey is...and how fantastic she makes that Alabama Crimson Tide Beanie look! Ha!! Love those Cheeks!!!

Then visit Polkadot Reviews and Giveaways to enter to win your choice of item from the Baby J Shop

Up to $15!!! Fun stuff :)

But get there quick and follow all the rules to get as many entries as you can....it ends May 27, 2011 at 11:59 pm :)

Good Luck!!!!

I Heart Laura Jane

If you don't know...now ya know....I Heart Laura Jane. If you followed my blog before....let's just say ehhhh.....because look how amazing my blog is now...WOW!!!!! And even if whatever I say totally sucks, look how cute everything else is....yep pictures, fonts, layouts....pure fabulousness!!! And I owe it all to Mrs. Laura Jane. Check her out and follow her in every way possible facebook, and on twitter and her blog.... She is AMAZING and super SWEET and so easy to work with. I wouldn't steer you wrong. I am very particular and when I gave Laura Jane my vision and idea....She nailed it, even better than I had pictured in my head :) Thank you so much Laura and I hope my readers enjoy your work as much as I do! (I know they will ;) And check out her shop and all the amazing things she does {business identity, blogger. wordpress, premade templates and so much more to come}...so make sure you become an immediate fan!!!

Potty Training Woes...

This is my BIG son, Jayden. And when I say BIG I mean Gigantic in size...he started of at 7 pounds and 14 ounces, but every month it was like he was doubling and tripling in size. At 18 months he had the shoe size of a 4 year old, no joke.

And this is him now....Almost 3....


A preschooler soon! (Tear in my eye). So, it was a must to get this Giant baby potty trained! Many kids at the park already make fun of him because he wore diapers (Only because I think they thought he was much older than he is...don't worry I beat them up...jk) But, none the less...This Baby Huey needed to get out of diapers! So the potty training went on and on and as I was giving up all hope this fabulous New Years Day he put his big boy underwear on and what do you know was all of a sudden using the toilet (well...the frog toilet...close enough)


This was an exciting day...a great breakthrough...a new stage of life....Until we went to Target...



Let me back up for a second, I forgot to mention that my son literally came out of my stomach pooping...and when he poops it has always been explosive. And I mean up his back, in his hair, to the point that I have had to cut so MANY of his clothes off because it was just easier. And he exploded everywhere...home, Target, grocery store, in the car, every place you can imagine that there is not a changing table and it happened atleast two to three times a day...So now you can see my excitement about him FINALLY going in the toilet!

Which brings us back to Target....for the first time since he did not wear a diaper. It started with him panickly whimpering and flailing his arms in the air yelling "I HAVE TO POOP!!!" So we quickly ran to the bathroom....after going in and out about 3 times and him rubbing his hands all over the toilet...peeing in his face because he pushed so hard and nothing was coming out...and Finally giving up, I gave up too and said lets just go home and try again later. But as we are in line...it came out...came out everywhere...oh yes and he wanted everyone to know, and that was the epitome of embarrassing baby moments....SO FAR I should say.

And since then, there have been many accidents and toilet touching, and peeing in his own face, and pretty much only has to go to the bathroom when there are no toilets around or the grossest bathrooms you can imagine. And somedays...I think back when I was complaining about the diapers and sometimes I even miss the diaper explosions and am tempted to put a diaper back on because YES! it was easier than cleaning up after a potty training child....haha! But I don't and we are going forward and everyday is getting better ;) I hope....I may just be telling myself that at this point :)

I will keep you all posted on the progress for those that will be experiencing this in the near future...and for those that alrready have, words of encouragement are much loved right now :)

JANUARY PROMO!!!!

PROMO TIME!!!!!
Come check out all the new items in the Baby J Shop....And get 20% off your entire purchase when you enter the coupon code BABYJ2011 at checkout.
New Mesh Truckers, Boys and Girls....Infant and Toddler sizes!!!

Tie Onsies - Red, Black, or White - Available in a variety of different ties!!!

And the new leggings...we all know how much I looooove the leggings....

And much much more to see, so come by the Shop check it all out and use your coupon code BABYJ2011 and Enjoy your shopping!!!

~Jess

Leggings!!!

This was my project of the week....LEGGINGS!!!!

I love Leggings and think every child needs atleast 20 pairs for EVERY outfit. These are my newest for little girls...Solid colors with super cute bows on the back :)



See... so cute! And let me tell you why every child needs 20 pairs...they are AWESOME for crawlers (Protect their knees!!), They are super easy to pair with a onsie and makes diaper changing so simple and clean :) They keep your babies legs warm and then when it gets hot just slip them off. They will never grow out of them...put them on their legs...or on their arms as sleeves...They are stylish! They can be paired with onsies, shorts, skirts, dresses, tutus, or just a diaper!!! I HEART LEGGINGS....

Here's everything I made this week....Comment me your favorites! Anybody interested in a Giveaway????

Check them all out in the here at the Baby J shop...

And yes, my boys wear them...loud and proud :) Cause they are cool and functional in so many ways and a must have for everybody!!!

(I don't have the Footballs in my shop (cause I did not actually make these ones), but if you are interested in them, I do have them available for sale - send me a message at Baby J or Email me babyjshop@gmail.com

Hope you love them too!!!

~Jess

Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas

And....I'm BACK! With another SUPER great recipe....SUPER easy.....and Super versatile!! I am all about the easy and the great recipes with a 7 month and 2 yr old at home, I have 0 time or patience to spend more than 30 min in the kitchen for one meal, which is all this took me! And I love this recipe even more because you can serve so many different ways (I will show you at the end :)

So, here's what you need:
1 lb of shrimp (I buy frozen cooked ones at Target, only $6!!! Way cheaper than the grocery store and you just thaw in cold water, chop in half or threes and they are ready to go in)
1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice (usually about 3 lemons squeezed out, run them through the strainer to get rid of the seeds)
1/2 Cup White Vinegar
1 TS Salt
2 TS Tobasco
2 Lg Tomatoes Chopped 1/2" pieces
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion Chopped 1/2" pieces
10 Cilantro Sprigs Chopped

In a medium bowl, stir together: Lemon Juice, Vinegar, Salt and Hot Sauce....Add the Shrimp...Marinate covered in fridge for 4 Hours.
To save time I chop up the rest of the ingredients, add the olive oil, stir to mix and put in a separate bowl: Tomato, Onion, Cilantro Olive oil

After 4 hours of marination....combine both bowls and mix up....Marinate for one more hour....Then WAHHHHLAAAA, your ready to eat!!

And this is how we ate it, over tostada shells.

Or serve it inside corn tortillas

Or just serve it in a bowl...

Or serve it as an appetizer with tortilla chips!!!

And you can add so many different things....Avocado, Jalapenos, Cucumber, Fish, Other Seafoods, and the list goes on. So get creative!

Hope you love it! Let me know what you think when you try it out!!

Make sure to check out Rags To Stitches for Try a New Recipe Tuesday for some other GREAT recipes!

Thanks!!

~Jess

Drunken Crockpot Roast - Recipe #1

Ohhhh look at me...2 blogs in one night! I am determined to keep you entertained!!!

Plus Alissa over at Rags to Stitches is doing Try a new Recipe Tuesday!!! And it's Tuesday....and I cooked one of my faves tonight...and I am ready to share it with you all!!!!



Ok, so this New Year I am trying to lose some poundage...I do not think I am fat, but as my mama says "Jessy you carry your weight well" Which means I got a few pounds to spare...Plus, I'm getting ready to turn 30, February 6th....Superbowl Sunday...booooo on many levels.

So, I want to lose a few pounds, be fit, and tighten my saggy butt and get rid of this poochy baby pouch. Long story short...I am going low carb...we will see how long this lasts but for now I'm going for it. And the best part of my meal is you can go both ways...heeeeyy, carby or no carby...love it!

And the best part ever is it's only 4 ingredients!!! 6 if you are carbing it and 7 if you want to add cheese :)

Ingredients: 1 Chuck Roast, 1 Beer, a whole jar of peppercinis (juice and all), and one packet of Zesty Italian Seasoning (found in the salad dressing section)

Whip out your Crockpot...ooooh it's getting even easier!!!

On a side note...I LOVE THE CROCKPOT...it saved my marriage ;) I think cooking is in a wifes title...my crockpot took care of that duty for me :)

Next....pour the beer in (I love cooking stuff in beer...I feel like my food is drunk), put your Chuck Roast in, pour the Italian packet all over, and dump in the whole jar of peppercinis (Juice too).....

One last step....set your crockpot low - 8 hours and WAAAHHHLLLAAHHH!!!! You are done, well atleast for the next 8 hours till it's time to eat.

So here are your two options to serve:

No Carb - Shred the meat and serve in a bowl....add a slice of Provolone if you like :)

Yay! Carbs - Serve on a hoagie roll with a slice of Provolone.....soooo gooooood!!!

And look.... EVERYONE IS HAPPY!!!

Ok, the tiny one didn't really eat it (he only eats Sweet Potatoes) But he was still happy I didn't have to spend all afternoon cooking dinner :)
See ya next Tuesday for a new recipe and the Linky Party at Try a New recipe Tuesday!!!

~Jess

Labels: Cooking

New Year Introductions....!!!!

Today is the First Day of The Rest of My Blog.....

Ok, yall...so I had a New Years Resolution/Revolution!!! Yay...It involves Kicking up business in 2011 here at Baby J and giving you all an ear full in my Boutiquish Blog :) Which by the way is being made over by the one and only Blog, etc Designer Laura Jane (Who by the way again wrote the funniest yet true blog the other day that I am still laughing about and you will too Snips, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails). Anyway, she is giving my blog a face-lift and I will be giving all of you my favorite recipes (Super good ones for the cooking challenged :)...Favorite products for me and me as a mom and me as a successfully organized person and me as a business owner/starter.....Crafty Projects.....AWESOME promos and deals in my Baby J shop....AND TONS MORE!!! So, stay tuned...give me your feedback....recipes to try...products to try....things you want to hear about...or a simple HI!!!

So for the New Year I would like to begin with a formal introduction to myself...family and LIFE....

This is me....Jessica. Well, me and my newest baby, it's funny when you have kids the pictures of you become less and less....especially of you alone! Anyway....I am a proud mother...crazy daughter...thriving business owner... housecleaner..... chauffeur.... babysitter..... worst cook ever.... and sooooo much more....
I am a planner whose biggest and best things in life WERE NOT PLANNED...and I say that with a super huge SMILEY :) face.
I would like to be a clean freak organizer...but reality is, I'm a cluttery mess boarderline hoarder (I blame that on Target) but, I am working on that this year :)
I got my AA, in I dont even know what, at Saddleback Community College...Design Degree at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising...and my Bachelors in Business at UOP (and yes I did school in my PJ's...I think I learned A LOT more this way)
I LOVE TO SEW....LOVE LOVE TO SEW....and craft and make anything and everything. I started my business idea 2 years ago and plan to continue making it a successful and greatly profitable business.... come visit the Baby J Shop
I love my home even though we totally outgrew it way too quick...I still love it, a lot...I love my wild boys...most amazing step-daughter....my stubborn husband..and my giant dog that drinks my coffee and eats diapers...I am a beyond grateful person...


This is Ray...The big man around the house...He is a great husband and a great friend and alright roomate as I tell him often :) He works hard...has amazing potential...and can fix anything!!! He is funny and spontaneous and stubborn as hell...We are constantly bickering about the dumbest things and always laughing at eachother...We are far from perfect, but we are really perfect together.
And that is Ray.....


Ray gave me two Beautiful boys....but he brought me the most amazing step-daughter in the world.
This is Sierra, she's 7 and the second mother/wifey in the house. She can cook, clean, babysit....she listens...is ALWAYS GOOD and SWEET. Nobody in this world could ever ask for a better step-daughter....NOBODY....We have been together since she was 2....she promises to take me to Vegas with her when she turns 21...I don't think she knows what Vegas is...but I am just excited that she still plans on hanging out with me when she is that old....haha.




















JAYDEN!!!! That's usually how his name is said in our house...He's wild, potty training, and gets funnier by the day. He loves Hockey, and his dad, and our Big Dog, his sissy and his Baby Jacey....He is turning 3 on Feb. 29th....my leap year baby. He is huge...really smart and remembers everything!



Last, but not least is my little Jace...He is 7 months. And yes he has this smile on 24 hours a day...He is tiny even though he started out Big...he doesn't want to crawl or sit up....just roll everywhere. We still aren't sure who he looks like...except that he has Sierra and Dads nose...it's funny how two brothers can be sooo opposite. He lights up our day....and sleeps really good :) Haha...PERFECT.

So, this is us in a nutshell...Hope you enjoyed our Introduction and look forward to blogging your ear off the rest of the year!!

~Jess



Labels: Family