The Mombot - the money-saving, dinner-cooking, fashion-loving mom machine

Traveling Vegas in style

Amy — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:00:47 +0000

photo: damien on flickr

My husband and I were lucky enough to get away for 4 glorious days to celebrate his 30th birthday. His vacation spot of choice: Las Vegas. The man loves his craps (so does his lady).

Anyone who has kids probably knows that there is no need for me to preface this by saying “Of course we missed the kids” (because that's a given), so I'm just going to skip right to... we had so much fun! I adored sleeping in, sitting on the couch as long as I wanted, lounging poolside without having to chase after my ever-wandering daughter, and enjoying my husband without 500 “Mama! Mama!...” interruptions.

We enjoyed the sun (the weather was perfection), walked the strip, relaxed, ate, ran into Wolfgang Puck at Spago, found the pawn shop and Rick's Restorations from "Pawn Stars" (which was nerdily exciting), hung out at Fremont Street like a couple of college kids and of course, gambled. It all paid off since we left with $1500 in our pockets. There's nothing better than a vacation that pays for itself, am I right?

Of course, we stopped at the outlets on the way, which is where I scored the fabulous floral dress below from the Gap for only $15. I also snatched up the coral dress from Charlotte Russe for only $25. Top quality it is not, but it will work for a couple of occasions before it falls apart (hopefully...).

Here's more from our trip:

Of course I didn't take a single picture of a Vegas landmark, but I did manage to snap a shot of the desert... why? I don't know.
Here's that cute Charlotte Russe dress. Don't be looking at that handsome fella next to me – he's taken, ladies.
I thought I hated fringe; but it turns out I love this bathing suit (from Target).
I found a hat shop in the Venetian that had me drooling over fascinators of every shape and color. I wish more people in the states wore them! (That sounded so English, didn't it?)
This Gap dress from the outlets was lucky. Not only was it super cheap and fit me like a glove, but I wore it the night we won all our money!
Remember this top? It worked perfectly for walking the strip, paired with white cutoff shorts from AE Outfitters, a crossbody bag, and sandals.
Happy 30th to my love! Where do we get to go when I turn 30?

I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy & Dear Abby Leigh & Style Elixir

Low fat pizza burgers recipe

Amy — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:56:56 +0000

{ get the full recipe on Point-less Meals }

I am always on the lookout for a good burger recipe. I've been pretty hooked on adding veggie purees and other ingredients in my burgers since discovering Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious" book.

Besides being healthy, burgers are also a quick, easy meal. And since I buy turkey meat in bulk at Costco, they are also super cost-effective.

I came across this pizza burger recipe on Pointlessmeals.blogspot.com, and was intrigued. We like to eat a lot of Weight Watchers meals in our house (excellent portion control and healthy ingredients), so I also loved that these burgers were only 8 points +.

I pretty much followed the recipe as given on the original site, with a few changes:

I used ground turkey instead of ground beef
I added extra cheese on top of the burger ('cause I love me some cheese)
I put a few turkey pepperonis on top of the cheese inside the burger (what's a pizza without pepperoni?)

This burger was YUMMY. I loved that the patty was stuffed, which I honestly have never done before. I also loved covering it in marinara sauce... if you like spicy, add some red pepper flakes to your sauce.

Try it out if you need a new burger recipe; you won't be disappointed. Get the full recipe on Point-less Meals

*Disclosure: Affiliate links used

Spring fashion trend: Black and white

Amy — Wed, 15 May 2013 03:59:36 +0000

Marc Jacobs Spring 2013, source | Jason Wu Spring 2013, source

One of the most wearable trends that popped up on spring 2013 runways was the bold use of black and white. It was usually seen in thick stripes, but it was also used to create graphic patterns like the Jason Wu design above.

Truthfully, I'm not a huge fan of black and white. I feel like a pop of color is always necessary (for me, anyway), and for some reason I've always hated black and white stripes, so that was definitely not going to happen.

My style usually strays far from graphic/edgy and closer to feminine. So in an effort to stay true to myself, I created a subdued version of the trend with a black floral print top and a white maxi skirt.

I loved this top from the LC Lauren Conrad line at Kohl's as soon as I put it on. I can't wait to wear it with white cutoff shorts this summer for a very “beachy” look. Tucked into my white maxi, it takes on a much sweeter feel. I purchased this maxi from H&M probably two years ago and I am still in love with it!

Top: LC Lauren Conrad for Kohl's
Skirt: H&M
Sandals: Old Navy
Necklace: Lisa Leonard

I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy & Dear Abby Leigh & Style Elixir

Funny Father's Day cards in the shop

Amy — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:15:24 +0000

Mother's Day is over and it's time to start prepping for Father's Day...

Since my recycled “Reasons Why I Love You” Mother's Day card got a good response (see it featured here and here), I thought I would make some similar ones for Father's Day. These ones are, of course, inspired by my cooky-pants dad whom I love dearly (and love to poke fun at).

{ Purchase in my Etsy Shop }

The cards are available in my shop for $4.00, and you can choose which of the following reasons you want printed on your card:

Your sock tan is unparalleled.
You rock the combover.
Your mustache would beat Tom Selleck's in a head-to-head.
You somehow manage to burn hot dogs and undercook chicken.
Mom always blamed you for the stuff I did and you didn't mind taking the fall.
You work harder than any man I know.
You watch Nascar. Actually, I love you in spite of that fact.

Do any of these relate to your dad? I'm sure I'm not alone.

Happy Father's Day! (and daddy, I love you!)

Candid Coffee Talk: It took courage to grow up

Amy — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:31:29 +0000

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." - e. e. cummings

I picked up this card with a quote from E.E. Cummings while perusing the Lovefeast table at Blissdom.

I was so inspired by it, that I couldn't wait to come home and pin it up above my desk, where it happily now resides.

Truth be told, it pretty much sums up how I feel these days. The journey to who I currently am and what I do for a living has been a long one, and it definitely took some courage to get here.

I think it's the lucky ones who wake up one day in high school and know for certain what they want to do for a living, and then go to college, graduate, and actually make that dream their career. Do you know anyone like that? Because I think I know... one. Ok, maybe two.

And then there's the rest of us... the ones who thought they knew what they wanted to do, got a degree, and ended up working in a job in a completely different field. Truth be told, there are an awful lot of us:

“According to the economist Andrew Sum of Northeastern University, more than 44 percent of college graduates under 25 who were area studies majors were unemployed in 2009 or working in a job that did not require their degree.” (NY Times)

Oops.

I am part of this 44 percent. Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a fashion designer. I often sketched clothing, sewed, and had big dreams of working in the glamourous world of fashion. I paid way too much money to attend a 2-year college in LA that shall remain nameless (ahem, FIDM), received a pathetic AA, worked in the industry for a couple of years and was unhappy. Turns out it wasn't what I wanted, after all.

– This could totally go off on a tangent so I'll keep it brief, but how is an 18 year old supposed to know what they want to do for the rest of their life? It's no wonder so many of us turn out to be wrong; I think it's far too young of an age to decide on a career. –

So I started searching and trying to find out who I was and what I was “supposed” to be doing. Turns out I had the creative part right, I was just in the wrong industry. After a job change that was sort of terrible in and of itself but did help me discover my love for writing and graphic design, I finally figured out who I wanted to become.

But I was embarrassed. I was ashamed. I had wasted money going to college for something that I ultimately didn't want to do (although many of the things I learned were still applicable in my new ventures, and my love of fashion was still a popular topic in my writing). I felt, in essence, like I had failed, not to mention, wasted precious time.

It took immense courage, my friends, to pick up my hanging head, push aside my fear and start over. I went back to school and started working on a journalism and graphic design degree. I was 25 by this point, and I felt old in the college scene. What's worse, my husband and I made the difficult decision to move back in with my parents for a short time so that I could begin a freelance career without having to worry about rent. Nothing like moving back home as a married woman to knock down your self-esteem...

If it weren't for my EXTREMELY patient, supportive, loving husband, I don't think I could have ever made the switch. He gave me the boost of courage that I needed to find my career. Without him, I may have continued on working 40+ hours a week in an industry that I didn't love, because that was what I had chosen for myself (and I'm no quitter).

But he pushed me. He reassured me of my talents and skills in writing and graphic design, and at times, he forced me out of my comfort zone and into doing things I hated but ultimately have made all the difference in my career and who I am now. He helped me grow up; and I thank God for him and for making him a part of my journey.

I firmly believe that a career is different from a job. A career is something that you love to your core; something you get up for in the morning, something you think about, plan, and chase after even in your sleep. Shouldn't you spend your days doing something you love? Retirement is a long way off; enjoy your working years while you're in them!

I am so happy right now. Life is hard, and freelancing has its challenges, but dammit, I love every minute. When I sell a product on Etsy; my heart is full of joy and thankfulness. When I get an uplifting comment on Facebook or the blog, I am on cloud nine.

I thrive in what I do. I feel like I have finally become who I really am, and I am proud of my journey. It may not have been easy, but what in life is?

Have you grown up yet? Are you doing what you love? Did it take you courage to do it? I want to know!