If there is a college graduate in your life, why not give them a gift that will help them get interview ready, last a lifetime or give them a skill they can brag about later? Here are some great ideas that I presented on KUSI’s Good Morning San Diego.

Get Glam at 20 Lounge

20 Lounge, located in Cardiff, is the ultimate in relaxation incorporating a nail bar, bubbly bar and retail boutique with the latest fashion finds all in one. I had a shellac manicure there yesterday and love, love, love it!

• Mani/Pedi Party: brow shaping – $20, shellac mani – $35 and 20 Pedi – $30 or $85 total.
• Manly Choices: range from Face waxing, manscaping to nails! – $20 – $30

After a trip to this oasis of beauty, every grad will be perfectly polished and put together. Glitter and neon colors are “in” for the ladies. I even learned how to maintain my shellac so it lasts longer (stay tuned).

Suit and Style

Get your grad interview ready with a new look and some new suits. First impressions count!

Ron Stuart Men’s Clothing

Ron Stuart was established in downtown San Diego in 1981 by Ron Ford and has long been one of San Diego’s premier men’s clothing stores. Ron Stuart serves the professional businessman providing high-quality classic and contemporary menswear at a competitive price. They have brand names such as Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein.

Suit Starter Package: 2 suits and 2 ties for $599 (includes tailoring)

theFactory

Pull the look together with a clean, hip haircut from theFactory in East Village. They are a creative hair production space that inspires knowledge and creativity in the hair industry through an unrivaled level of service and education. The skilled team of hair professionals offers a full range of services, a full line of N. 4 hair products and comprehensive education program.

• Style Overhaul: Consultation, color, haircut, blow/dry, style knowledge – $200
• Interview Ready: Consultation, shampoo, blow/dry, style, package of 3 – $120
• Fresh Start: Consultation, haircut, condition treatment, blow/dry, style – $75

Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers

All pieces shown on the table were at very reasonable price points for fine jewelry and gifts that are meant to last a lifetime. As the largest full service fine jewelry store in San Diego County, Leo Hamel features a team of graduate gemologists that can answer any jewelry related question or issue you may have from buying to selling and designing. Pieces highlighted include:

• Tissot Couturier watch – $325
• Pandora bracelets – charms start at $25
• William Henry Studio Geneva Collection limited edition money clip with ladder damascus body, mammoth tooth scale inlay, and 0.05 carat diamond – $475

A watch will certainly help the grad get to work on time and there’s no better way to show off their new income than with a fancy money clip.

Surfari Surf School

I’m sure your grad was too busy studying to learn how to surf, right? After 4 years in San Diego, it’s time to learn properly. Surfari Surf School, located at Mission Beach, is the perfect place. They’ll take you out in a part of the beach that’s less crowded and has a sandy bottom, which is perfect for a newbie surfer. Their students typically stand up on their boards after one, two or three tries. They teach safe surfing techniques to all ages.

• One hour and a half surf lesson + one hour of practice on your own – $85 (includes one-on-one instruction, wet suite and board)
• Lesson for group of two – $65 for each person

These gifts are a great way to support local San Diego businesses too. Enjoy!

We painted La Jolla Girl’s room pale yellow before she was born, because it happened to fit the bedding and design of our old furniture. After she arrived, that pretty pale yellow guided us when selecting her bedding and room colors. If I was starting her room from scratch, I’m sure that I’d over-think the paint color. However, taking the cute quiz below will help you select a paint color and you just might win $2500 to put toward your dream nursery. Read on.

Introducing Glidden Paint

Welcome your little one to a world of color with Baby Room Colors from Glidden Paint, as seen in What to Expect When You’re Expecting (only in theaters). The movie features Glidden Brilliance Collection paint and is based on the popular pregnancy book by the same title. This book was one of the first baby items I bought, long before thinking about what our nursery was going to look like.

Get Advice From My Colortopia

Eventually, though, you’ll have to figure out a color scheme for your baby’s room. Glidden Paint has a great blog called My Colortopia, where their team of bloggers gives advice about paint techniques, finding the right color, tips for decorating a boy’s room or girl’s room and more. Several of their bloggers put together mood boards using Glidden Paint and furnishings from Walmart. My favorite mood board is by Lindsey and in the post photo above, however, it was a tough choice.

Win $2500 Toward Your Dream Nursery

Go vote for your favorite mood board and be entered to win a $2,500 Walmart gift card, which would certainly help paint and furnish a dream nursery. You’ll need to visit the My Dream Nursery Giveaway page on Circle of Moms, log in or register, and vote for your favorite by Thursday, June 7. Easy.

Plus, 50 lucky entrants will be randomly selected to receive Color Tester Packages featuring two hues from the Glidden Brilliance Top Nursery Color Collection.

This Quiz Really Does Help Choose Paint Colors

The fun quiz below takes well less than a minute and just might help you pick a color scheme for your nursery. My answers generated greens, oranges and purples that one might see in a Dwell magazine or modern furniture store. I actually like them quite a bit and, seriously, they also happen to be present in the mood board I picked before I even took the quiz! I admit that I am surprised.

Go enter the $2500 sweepstakes on Circle of Moms! The winner will be announced during the week of June 18 on MyColortopia.com.

*I have been sponsored by Glidden brand paint to write this post but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I get stuck in a coffee drinking rut sometimes, but I’ll try anything with the word “donut” in it. And, if I have to give away a Keurig, a machine that seriously gets our day off on the right foot, I will.

As a part of my Keurig Ambassadorship, we received a little shipment of The Original Donut Shop™ Coffee. It’s is a fun brand of coffee that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is considered the “quirky cousin” of the Green Mountain Coffee® family of brands. The latest fun flavor is Donut House Chocolate Glazed Donut which basically tastes like a rich chocolate donut, topped with flakey coconut and dipped into your favorite mug. We don’t typically drink flavored coffee, but La Jolla Dad and I honestly liked this one…a lot.

It would be even better WITH a donut. I love donuts.

Win Yourself a Keurig

To celebrate the launch of this awesome new flavor, I am giving away a single serve platinum Keurig brewer AND a box of The Original Donut Shop Coconut Mocha.

• Keurig Platinum One Cup Brewer (Retail Value: $179.95)
• Coconut Mocha K-Cup Portion Packs (Retail Value: $19.95)

To enter: Green Mountain Coffee would like to know how fun you are, because this new flavor of coffee is all about fun. Take the quiz below and have at it with the other entries in the Rafflecopter widget.

Click below to find out:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck! This giveaway ends Monday, May 28 at 9:00pm PST. The winner will be chosen by Random.org so the more entries you have the better your chances your winning are.

I know, these are a little weird. Your kids, however, will think hot dog cutters are awesome because they make kids bento lunches (or any lunch) much cuter. I first saw hot dog art on a Japan Airlines flight when my then 1-year-old was served something that looked like a mini squid, when in fact it was a hot dog shaped like an octopus.

You can find these gems on Ebay or at Japanese kitchen stores.

They work on Trader Joe’s turkey dogs, though they are designed for those little cocktail wiener things (ew).

Basically, get some kitchen scissors and cut the uncooked hot dog the same length as the cutters.

Smash the hot dogs into the cutters by putting the tops on.

Boil the hot dogs and voila – little penguins, fish and whatever.

So how do you eat these? Well, La Jolla Girl just dips them in ketchup, but Japanese eat them with rice dishes. I mixed up some of these in sliced, steamed carrots once and the novelty of them caused her to actually eat the carrots. The choice is yours.

Back to focusing on kids bento lunches because I’m off to Tokyo in a few weeks and I’m positive I’m going to come home with more bento trinkets. Get ready.

Have you ever paused and thought, “hmmm…..what do other travelers do?” as you’re about to reach for your wallet or put those luxurious amenities in you luggage? I have, and it’s been on my to-do list to look into what is “normal” for some time. Or is there a “normal?”

Do You Take The Hotel Amenities?

I admit it. I was so in love with the above Bvlgari amenities at Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills that I took them, used each bottle to the last drop and then recycled the bottles. I actually bought a full-sized bottle of the Bvlgari shower gel after the fact. I don’t always take amenities, because I feel funny about it. Do you?

So, what happens to the leftovers? It depends.

I read accounts of former hotel workers admitting that unnamed chains top off the shampoo bottles and re-use them. I also read that some just throw them away. Or, there are travelers like me who occasionally take the ones we’ll use .

A company called Clean The World safely recycles used hotel soaps and distributes them to impoverished people in order to prevent hygiene-related diseases. Clean the World has recycled over 9.5 million soap bars and 200,000 pounds of shampoo and conditioner back into human use, simultaneously eliminating over 600 tons of waste. This is a very cool concept.

I have also read that some churches and shelters will take hotel amenities if you have drawers full at home.

Do You Tip Hotel Housekeeping?

And,  if so, how much is appropriate? I found a very interesting CNN article with quotes from Lizzie Post of the Emily Post Institute. Ms. Post says:

• Tip every day to ensure your tip gets to the person who actually cleaned your room.
• Leave a note in your room with the money indicating it is for housekeeping.
• Tip $1 or $2 per person, per night in most hotels. In higher end hotels, $3 to $5 per person per night is typical.
• In a motel, tips are generally not necessary for a one-night stay. The $1 or $2 standard is appropriate for multiday stays. – Lizzie Post via CNN

Most travelers don’t tip hotel housekeeping. In fact, according to this article, only 30% of travelers do. Hotel housekeeping is out-of-site so it could be that people forget or it’s just not an obvious gratuity to leave even though they are providing a service for you. I had been tipping at the end of my stay, but a daily gratuity makes perfect sense.

Room Service Tip Dilemma

You bite the bullet and order room service. Depending on where you are staying there’s a percentage service charge (usually 15-20%) and perhaps an addition flat fee or delivery charge. The receipts still have a tip line. Do you still tip?

According to an article in USA Today, the reporter ordered an $18 hamburger. Here is how his bill broke down:

$18 hamburger
$3 room service delivery fee
$3.78 for room service charge
$1.80 tax

Not paying attention, he tipped another $3 on top of that to make the total for his hamburger almost $30. This is what he said:

Here’s where it can get tricky: A “service charge” includes the tip. But a tip is not included in a “room service charge” or the more commonly used “delivery fee” or “delivery charge.” So in the case of my burger, the $3.00 delivery charge was not a tip but the $3.78 service charge was (calculated as 18% of $21.00). Then the tax was added. Throw in my additional $3.00 tip, and this server was well compensated for the ten minutes spent carrying that tray to my room. – Bill McGee, USA Today

I always wondered if tip was included in one of those charges. Now I know. And, I can still tip extra for excellent service.

So, what do YOU do in these instances? Spill in the comments.

Are you pulling your hair out trying to figure out how to keep the kids busy this summer? Put this in your calendar. San Diego’s largest hands-on, creative festival for kids and their families, KidsFest, will be held on June 9 & 10. More kid fun (ages 2-10) than they’ll be able to handle will occupy the 100,000 square foot NTC Promenade at Liberty Station in Point Loma.

Your ticket price includes ALL KidsFest activities. This list is enormous so here’s an abridged version:

• Messy Zone for kids who like to get dirty
• A make and take crafts Creation Station
• Dance Party for those with fancy feet (non-stop musical games and contests)
• Green Thumb Zone for future gardeners
• Build It Construction Zone for the industrial type
• A costume-design Dress Up Bar
• Tiny Tea Time for the little princes and princesses
• Bubble Zone for toddler
• And much, much more!

Discounted KidsFest Tickets

Use code LJMOM to receive $10 off a family 4-pack of tickets to KidsFest San Diego! This brings the price down to $50 for 4 people. Buy tickets online.

In addition to all of the activities, here are some other items included in the ticket price:

• Every family gets a KidsFest Family Swag Pinata (that kids can decorate on-site) filled with gift cards and values of over $50.
• Snack Shack where kids can make a healthy treat, plus sample Chobani & Honest Tea.
• Stroller valet has complimentary parking for all of our four-wheeling friends thanks to Stroller Strides.
• Free parking
• Once you’re inside, all of the activities are free! Food at the food truck area is additional though you are more than welcome to bring a picnic.

Just picture the smile on your child’s face while you unplug and play for the day. It’s important. And, I bet they’ll sleep really well afterward.

I hadn’t been in to Maryam Beauty Salon and Spa yet, despite driving and walking by it on Girard literally hundreds of times. I had no idea how huge the space is or that they are a full service salon offering threading, waxing, hair, make up, lash extensions nails and more. Deal Me In Today is currently running a deal with Maryam for facials and waxing, just in time for Mother’s Day. I opted to try a facial since I needed it. I asked Papar and Paknar, the mother-daughter team who owns the salon, a few things about exfoliation (I don’t do it as much as I should) and extractions which are critical aspects of any facial.

You Need Exfoliation

Exfoliation gets more important as we age as the skin’s ability to turnover cells slows down and cells start to pile up unevenly on the skin’s surface. A dry, rough, and dull appearance can be the result, if you don’t exfoliate regularly. Basically, exfoliation removes dead skin cells from the top layer of the skin, allowing a fresh layer to show through. Why I forget to do this weekly, is beyond me.

Papar tells me that whenever you’re treating your skin always apply from the decollete up. Forgetting to exfoliate, moisturize and sunscreen neck and chest area is one of the biggest mistakes people make. She has been using Dr. Murad products (including exfoliants) for the last 11 years on herself and her clients.

Are Extractions Necessary?

So, they don’t feel that great, but it’s the part of the facial I enjoy most because I feel that my skin needs it. I judge my facial experience by whether or not the esthetician spends what I quantify as “enough” time doing them. I’ve also read that perhaps they aren’t necessary. Extractions manually remove pore-clogging sebum after cleaning skin and opening the pores with heat or steam.

I looked around online and asked Papar her thoughts. She is trained in Europe where they are taught to thoroughly clean the skin and perform detailed extractions. I also read several articles online that mention extractions aren’t taught in some schools here in the USA or suggested to be done lightly, in order for the client to return for more down the road. Technique is key in order to unclog difficult pores without causing too much discomfort, breaking capillaries or just making the skin look worse. Papar performed extractions on my face for a good amount of time (perhaps the most of anyone to date) unclogging areas I didn’t even know needed help. She believes that they are a very necessary part of a facial and, based on my experience, I can tell you she’s good at them. And, don’t try this at home!

More About My Maryam Facial

I also judge a good facial by downtime. Meaning, am I just lying there with a masque on while the therapist is out of the room? Papar gave me an awesome shoulder, head and neck massage during my masque. As a result, my skin felt great and my shoulders were more relaxed. I recommend that you try it!

Facials (And Waxing) At A Deep Discount

$69 (regularly $145) Deluxe Facial: Includes Maryam Salon’s miracle eye treatment (helps reduce puffiness, dark circles and fine lines around the eyes), relaxing shoulder, neck, and scalp massage; as well as a hand and foot massage that will restore a sense of mind and body.

$59 (regularly $110) Customized Facial: This 1-hour facial focuses on your specific skin needs. Maryam’s skillfull and experienced estheticians will select from the following specialized treatments: Vitamin C, Alpha Hydroxy Acid, Therapeutic Acne Facial or Redness Therapy Facial.

$19 (regularly $45) Bikini Wax  

$25 (regularly $50) Brazilian Wax 

Visit Deal Me In Today in order to purchase! Print a voucher for Mom. She’ll love it.

*Maryam provided my facial complimentary. Opinions are my own.

Despite rarely jumping on the gift guide train, I evidently have quite a bit to say about Mother’s Day gifts this year. I have gift ideas for every “type” of mom, ones that are ageless and avoid going to the mall, and some that are last minute quick-print deals. Have I dropped hints about my own Mother’s Day gift yet? Surprisingly, no.

Gifts For Every “Type” Of Mom

In this article, I discuss gift ideas for:

• The Fashionista
• The Spa-Goer
• The Expectant Mama
• The Nostagia Mama
• The Sexy Mom and the “I want to feel sexy again” Mom
• The Not-So-Domestic-Diva
• The Domestic Diva or Foodie
• The Philanthropist
• The Blingy Mom

Most businesses mentioned are based in San Diego, which is always fun. Read on Red Tricycle San Diego.

Unique, Ageless Mother’s Day Gifts

This was fun. These Mother’s Day gift ideas from an NBC San Diego segment are unique because they don’t involve going to the mall, they are ageless, and they can be enjoyed in the comfort of home.

• In home spa, wellness or fitness workout: This is perfect for new moms, and moms who can’t get out of the house. Book a mani/pedi during nap time or that quick hour window between work at home calls. On Demand is a private concierge for spa, wellness and fitness. Call Bonnie and tell her exactly what you like and she can find someone to do it.
• Closet therapy: You may remember my post about how to spring clean your closet from Mahjuba Levine from My Sister’s Closet. She also does in-home closet therapy sessions where she helps you make new outfits out of items you already have. She helps you purge what’s out of style, doesn’t suit you and suggest staples you might need.
• Dinner delivery: When I asked Twitter moms what they’d like for Mother’s Day, this was a popular answer. They just wanted to no have to deal with cooking dinner for a few days. I get it. In San Diego, there are several options for gourmet,  healthy food delivery such as Fitzee Foods and Susan’s Healthy Gourmet.
• Housekeeping: Enough said. This was another enormously popular poll answer. Give Mom the gift of time!

View more videos at: http://nbcsandiego.com.

Mother’s Day Gifts – Print And Go

On the SDNews.com blog (publishers of the La Jolla Village News, Peninsula Beacon and Beach and Bay Press), I discuss several easy, currently printable deals for San Diego moms. Deal Me In Today has great spa, manicure/pedicure, photo shoot and massage deals at a great price for mom. She’ll love it. Visit the SDNews.com Mother’s Day gift guide.

Photo credit: irum

This post brought to you by Dove Chocolate. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have a weakness for candy that’s only amplified by the ability to bake it into gooey, delicious cookies. My baking challenge: Limited Edition Dove Cinnamon Graham Chocolates. There was something about their flavor that screamed s’mores. You could just use them to make a gourmet version of the regular s’more, but s’more cookie bars are easier when you’re away from a campfire.

My 5-year-old thought that unwrapping these chocolates was the best task ever. They are softer chocolate with just a little bit of cookie crunch inside. Yum.

They’re made even better by surrounding them with this. This dough is divine. Yes, I ate far too much of it.

Mid way through baking, plop the Dove chocolates on top.

When cooled completely cut into squares. I pulled ours out a bit early, because we love gooey.

S’more Cookie Bars

This recipe is modified from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Ingredients:

11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ½ cups flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
One bag of Limited Edition Dove Cinnamon Graham Chocolates
2-3 packages graham crackers, broken into squares (we used cinnamon graham crackers)

Directions:

1. Unwrap the Dove chocolates. My 5-year-old thought this was the best task ever.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter with white and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixer and combine on low speed.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows.
6. Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight. We went with about 90 minutes, which was just fine.
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
8. Line a half sheet pan (18″ x 13″) with a Silpat or parchment paper.
9. Add one layer of graham crackers. You can lay them in strips, as is. If you need to double up around the edges to cover up the entire surface, go for it.
10. We used a 2 inch ice cream scoop to drop batter on to each graham cracker square.
11. Bake for 8 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven and smush Dove chocolates into the dough on each square. Don’t just set them on top, nestle them in a bit.
13. Bake for another 5-7 minutes.
14. Let cool completely because they will be easier to cut into perfect squares. However, they are to die for warm.

These save for a week in a sealed container and freeze well. They were a big, sinful hit in my house.

For more chocolate fun, join the Dove Mother’s Day Twitter Party by following the #DOVEMothersDay hashtag on Wednesday, May 9 from 8-9pm EST. This Twitter party is hosted by SouthernSavers.com and will have many prizes up for grabs that will delight any mom. And, if you’d like to to celebrate a Dove Mother’s Day by trying these Limited Edition Dove Cinnamon Graham Chocolates, go to Walmart as they are only available there.

I had a look around the internet and Pinterest for cute, free social media icons that might be appropriate for a project I’m working on. Sort of like baby clothes now versus when I was young, man, have the icons gotten way cuter.

The link to the cute icons in the post photo above are here and they come in all of these awesome colors (mix and match them too). Have a look, because they include Instagram and Pinterest (which is rare).

And, some of you may need social media bunting. Obviously.

Glittery icons for bling!

Love these “hand written” icons. They are missing a Pinterest icon but maybe if you ask nicely they’ll make you one or you can do it yourself!

Just cute.

Enjoy!