LIFEFLIX

Christmas Crack

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:16:00 +0000

I've been spending waaaay too much time on Pinterest lately and to make matters worse, my favorite finds always seem to be food related. Introducing Christmas Crack... Chocolate + Saltines + Toffee. Be careful if you try this at home people, it has certainly lived up to its name! Don't say I didn't warn ya.

24 more days 'til Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:20:00 +0000

I can't believe it's already the first!
Emma opened the first window on her advent calendar this morning (thanks for the reminder Mrs H!), although I'm pretty sure she was confused by the whole thing, I still enjoyed the ritual and look forward to doing it every morning! And who knows, she might even get it after a couple of days. This year we decided to put up a tiny table top Fir instead of our usual - we figured it was the *safer option with little miss explorer around. She looks at the tree in wonder each night as I turn on the lights. She's still not quite tall enough to touch it from the ground so I carry her up to get a better view, she'll usually brush the needles and ornaments with her hands (and gets quite feisty when it's time to go back down). Christmas is definitely more fun with a little one around!

It's probably a little too late but I want to share my favorite source for holiday and tree decorations - Lancaster Market is the best! My most favorite things on our tree are from there.

Up, Up and Away

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:07:00 +0000

I'm currently obsessed with making hotair balloons and decided to sell some at Melissa's Pop-up Shop this past Saturday. All but one sold and are now in happy homes thanks to my wonderful and sweet friends :)

I hope to be making a few more before the holiday madness begins!

Pop-up Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:50:00 +0000

First of all, I'd like to apologize for not taking enough pictures. I was feeling a little queasy and looking through a camera was the last thing I wanted to do. Argh, so annoyed coz it ALL looked so lovely and Melissa's home was the perfect setting for it all - wish I had taken more photos to share with you all. Fortunately Jennifer took some amazing shots, so go here!

Melissa Loves Pop-up Shop!

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:37:00 +0000

I've got some very exciting news to share... I'm co-hosting (more like tagging along for the fun) a Pop-up Shop at Melissa's beautiful home in Maplewood next Saturday the 12th! I urge you to come if you can, promise it'll be lots of fun. We've invited some of our favorite designers (I'm sure you'll approve of 'em all) AND if you get there early enough there may even be some wine and freshly baked goodies waiting for you! Go here for more information! Send me a tweet or an email (lifeflix@gmail.com) if you're coming, looking forward to seeing you there (I hope).

Snowstorm in October

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:34:00 +0000

Both Hillsy and I are feeling a little shattered after dragging what seemed to be a never-ending amount of fallen branches from our gianormous Silver Maple tree. Despite the hard work (which we're both feeling in our muscles this morning), we're thankful that the damage wasn't any worse. Apart from a broken fence and some wood paneling that needs to be nailed back in, I'd say we were pretty lucky!

Emma's (almost) Halloween Costume

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:14:00 +0000

I was sooo excited when I finally finished Emma's costume the other night, but what I didn't count on was her reaction...Totally freaked out by the feathers, to the point where she was holding her breath and flailing uncontrollably. I guess the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. For those of you who don't know, I'm terrified of birds and lots of other animals :)

I plucked off the feathers this morning, she'll be going as a featherless chick with a cute pink comb and pink leggings.

Butterfly Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:45:00 +0000

I've been meaning to post pics of my MIL's yummy Butterfly Cakes. They were Hillsy's favorite when he was little so he sweet talked her into whipping some up on their last visit. Aren't they the cutest things?

I've been busy making the bean's Halloween costume, I finally finished it last night... tried it on her this morning and quickly found at that I need to start working on Plan B. Let's just say she freaked out when I put the onesie covered with white feathers on her (she WAS going to be a chick).

nan and granddad

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:53:00 +0000

My in-laws from England recently paid us a visit - sadly they left a couple of days ago and our house is eerily quiet without them. I'm sure just the thought of your in-laws staying in your home for three weeks would send most of you straight into the looney bin, but I can honestly say that it is always a pleasure when mine come to visit. Call me crazy, but I even wish they'd stay longer! I was never close to any of my grandparents so it was a total joy for me watching them with Emma. I've learned so much from them and I hope one day Hillsy and I can be just like them with our own grandkids.

I took a ton of photos and videos during their stay but this short video is one of my faves.
I'm sure if Emma could talk she'd say I miss you nan and granddad!

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:17:00 +0000

I got a special belated treat for my birthday this year...

A special dinner at Blue Hill! It was spectacular, definitely a meal that I will always remember. Unfortunately we didn't have time to explore the entire property, hopefully we'll get a chance to head back before the weather gets too rough and take a tour of the farm, take one of their kid-friendly farming classes, and sneak in a quick bite from the cafe.

Cream Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:46:00 +0000

My in laws are visiting from England and have inspired a couple of new obsessions around here...
Scones + clotted cream + jam served with a nice cup of tea. Hillsy has been baking a fresh batch each morning - I think I could get used to this.

Turning 35

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:21:00 +0000

Honestly? So far it feels a lot like 34.

Dinner Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:09:00 +0000

Emma's new fave - Hummus & Pita with a side order of roasted Zucchini (sadly the red peppers were not invited to the party and were left on the plate.)

Dinner Party

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:49:00 +0000

Cooking a nice meal, setting a simple table and sharing it with a couple of friends is probably one of my favorite things to do. I took a beating from the mosquitos while plucking these beautiful flowers (and weeds) from our garden (which is in desperate need of some TLC) - it was worth it though!

Fall Booties

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:40:00 +0000

I'm constantly looking for new shoes for Emma - lil' missy rips everything off of her feet (including socks!) I can't tell you how many times I've had to back track my footsteps in a store to find a missing shoe or sock! I'm not sure how these new Minnetonka Moccasin Booties will fare - but they sure are cute right? I'll keep you posted!

PS. These run big - I ended up ordering two sizes down and they still have a little room! I figure I can always double up on socks for the winter.

Green Lemonade

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:56:00 +0000

After only two days of juicing (starving), I caved. I just couldn't go another day.
I did however come up with my new favorite concoction - next time I decide to torture myself I'll be sure to whip some up...

Green Lemonade
a handful of kale
a stick of celery with leaves
1 lemon
2 small apples (macintosh)
1 pear

Time to make the Donuts

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Ez came to visit last week and we had such a lovely time catching up (and goofing around of course). She and the Mr even made homemade donuts (from this book). Yummmers.

Hope you all have a great weekend! I'm so excited coz Hillsy's family from the UK is coming for a visit, we haven't seen them in a while and I can't wait for them to meet little Ems.

Snack Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:06:00 +0000

Emma is obsessed with Annie's Cheddar Bunnies. Asian Pears not so much.

Jersey Fresh

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:50:00 +0000

Fresh supplies for a meal with friends. Can't wait to try the funky looking Broccoli (Romanesco), it's supposed to be a little milder than the typical variety.

Making Banana Cereal

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Emma is lovin' Gerber's Apples and Bananas with mixed cereal so I thought I'd try making a semi-homemade version for her. I'm going to mix in some organic apple sauce that I already have on hand + cooked oats. Hopefully she'll like mine as much as she likes the jarred version!

Last Hurrah

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:18:00 +0000

After eating my way through our recent California trip (and hardly moving) to now suffering from a bug that I just can't seem to kick since returning from paradise (not to mention my new found obsession with chocolate AND wine), I've decided that my body needs a reboot. Also known as... I'm going to be drinking lots of kale juice and will be in a very bad mood for the next couple of days.

Knowing that I was about to embark on yet another one of my silly (and probably dumb) ideas - I happily indulged on a few of my new faves while watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. NOTE: the Cheese Doodle puffs were camera shy.

Day Trip: Amish Country

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 20:26:00 +0000

A few shots taken on our Lancaster PA day trip.

Where we ate lunch. The Potato Stuffing was my favorite!

The horse kept hiding

My favorite pic from our trip (made me wish I had schlepped my camera instead of my iPhone)

$1.50 per bunch!! I wanted to buy 'em all but decided not to be so selfish

Two bunches from the roadside flower shop

The best pie I've had in a loooong time, wish we bought more! Washed down with a glass of unpasteurized milk!

Snack time!

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:54:00 +0000

Now that Emma is eating more than just puréed fruits and veg, it's been both fun and challenging to figure out her meals throughout the day. She pretty much can eat whatever we're having but sometimes Hillsy and I don't have the most baby-friendly cravings so the little miss gets a personalized meal. I also started giving her two little snacks - one before her morning nap and one after her afternoon nap accompanied with either milk or water.

Oh and I'm happy to report that she's officially half Filipino - I cooked Adobo this week and she loooooved it.

Honeycomb tissue pops

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:36:00 +0000

I had a few leftover honeycomb tissue paper fans from the bean's party (I actually forgot to hang them up). Way too pretty to store away...

...I decided to attach them to popsicle sticks and stick them into painted wine bottles on top of my radiator box.

I'm not sure what looks better - the vintage chalkboard where I can change the message as I get bored or Ashley G's Let's Stay Home?

Emma turns One

noreply@blogger.com (Marichelle) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 13:59:00 +0000

Happy 1st Birthday

We survived our first birthday party!! Although I ran out of time and didn't end up decorating the deck and backyard as I had planned - I think Emma had a good time, so job well done!! Right? You'd think after one year of being a parent I'd learn that nothing ever goes according to plan. Thanks to this horrid weather we're having, we're stuck indoors and I finally had some down time to go through my photos. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to take photos of every detail, but I'm actually happy about that coz that means I was enjoying the party too :)

I didn't want to cook too much for the event but I was definitely set on baking her first birthday cake!

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse filling and frosted with Chocolate buttercream!

I wish I could say she devoured the cake but it seems that little Ems isn't too keen on chocolate...

...she was more interested in eating the party blowers

Rather than having set activities and games for the kids, we put out a box of random things like balls and rackets, couple of baby pools (thanks Z!), portable slide (thanks Karen!) a slip n' slide... (this was a lot easier since their ages varied so much)

... a radio flyer (thanks Melis!)

Some of the boys brought their Nintedo DSs which kept them entertained

My personal favorite was this makeshift tent we made out of a sheet and some rope (aka THE TENT OF POSSIBILITIES). I stocked it with various arts & crafts supplies (wooden spools, fabric scraps, popsicle sticks, chenille pipe cleaners, markers, glue etc and household items like empty toilet paper/paper towel rolls). The girls were pretty much in the tent for hours and it was so much fun watching them come out with the most brilliant things - I wish I had taken photos of some of their art work!

I decided to give each kid a lunch box. I made my own lunchables - popcorn chicken in paper cones, cheese & crackers, rice cereal treat dipped in chocolate and shaped like a popsicle and carrots so the parents didn't kill me! I also had kiddie box drinks and IZZE drinks available for the kids. The adults ate yummy sandwiches and chips from Crane's Deli, one of our favorite food shops in the village.

I used some leftover Nice Package supplies to package the kiddie lunches. Luckily the napkins were the perfect size to use as a topper!

As I mentioned, I ran out of time to decorate and put the finishing touches but I did manage to make a cupcake garland to go with my red/white picnic theme

Each kid also received a customized giveaway box filled with random toys and some of my favorite candy that remind me of my own childhood (poprocks and fun-dip)

As hard as it was to plan and execute this simple party, I'm still excited and looking forward to planning her next birthday party :)