Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.

-Marc Brown on brothers

See those brothers up there? They’ve been through a lot in the last couple of months.Like most littles, they don’t do change well and we’ve had quite a bit. Their grandparents (who live with us) left for a 6 week long trip to Italy. We moved to a new house. I went away for a few days to attend a conference. We took away Luke’s binky.

All of those are fairly minor, though, in comparison to the major change that’s about to hit them. Next week they will be separated during the day for the first time since Luke was 12 weeks. Don’t get me wrong, they have been apart here and there for a day, but never 5 days a week. It makes me want to cry just thinking about it. And I have no idea which one of them I am most concerned about. It’s just going to be so . . . different.

Luke will be attending an in-home daycare, full time. We went there yesterday and it’s awesome. There will be tons of kids to play with and I think he will love it eventually. But he’s never been dropped somewhere new without his big brother and protector at his side. I feel a little like I’m pushing my baby bird out of the nest.

Joey will be home with grandma until he starts transitional kindergarten in the fall. In theory, he will love that but he’s such a social butterfly that I think it the time between now and then might be rough for him. I’m planning to enroll him in a day camp this summer to help bridge the gap but, again, he’ll be without “the bee” and I’m not what he’s going to think of that.

I’m sure it’s all gonna be fine, but I still worry. It feels kinda wrong to separate them. I love that they are best friends and it’s one of my biggest wishes for them to always be that close. Their bond as brothers is so much fun to watch – I’m hopeful a little time apart each day will only serve to strengthen it.

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Jessica Ferrara

Mom of boys. Wife to a chef. Crochet entrepreneur. Cupcake maker. Lover of wine.

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Summer has arrived in Southern California and that means I’m craving salads and fruit. It’s the perfect time to resume my salad in a jar activities.

Searching around for inspiration, I saw this Grilled Shrimp Avocado Fennel and Orange Salad on Skinnytaste and knew it would be perfect in a jar. Just a few tweaks to an already awesome recipe and a great new salad in a jar was born.

My only hesitation in making this was that I’m never quite sure how to handle avocado with the salad in a jar concept. I have considering just slicing the avocado in half and cutting it into the salad just before eating, but if you’re eating on the go that takes away some of the convenience.

As I was making the dressing/marinade for this salad, I realized that all that citrus juice was the perfect solution to my dilemma. I doubled some of the ingredients so that I’d have enough dressing to submerge my avocado and it turned out fabulous! My avocados are just as green after two days as they were when I put them in the jar!

A few Salad in a Jar notes:

• For Paleo eaters, just leave out the blue cheese. It wasn’t included in the original recipe, but I tossed it in because I happened to have some. I’d also double the shrimp or add an additional protein for a more filling meal.
• Vegetarians can obviously leave out the shrimp – I added additional blue cheese and veggies for my friend Kristina but left all the other ingredients the same.
• This is a really light meal on it’s own. You might add a piece of crusty bread or even a grilled chicken breast to go along with it at dinner time unless you are really watching your calories.
• To cube the avocado, cut it in half and remove the pit. Using the tip of your knife, make 4 length wise slices to the peel. Repeat in the other direction. Run a large spoon just along the inside of the peel to scoop out the cubes.
• To serve, give the jar a light shake and the empty onto a plate. Super easy!

Looking for more salad in a jar ideas? Be sure to check out my Antipasto Salad in a Jar from last fall.

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Jessica Ferrara

Mom of boys. Wife to a chef. Crochet entrepreneur. Cupcake maker. Lover of wine.

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Thank you MommyJuice Wines for sponsoring this post! MommyJuice can be purchased online at MommyJuiceWines.com. Californians: Visit your local CVS store to pick up a bottle of MommyJuice for Mother’s Day!

You know those weeks where everything seems to happening all at once and you just can’t manage to catch you breath? Well, I’m having one of those. Work has been crazy busy and things at home aren’t much better. My kids have been bouncing off the walls and Sal and I are busy trying to get the house together in anticipation of his parents’ return from Italy. Madness, I tell ya.

I anticipate that this will be one of those Fridays where I plop down in front of the TV with a glass of wine (or three — don’t judge) and let my kids run wild around the house in their underpants. Nights like this, I tend to grab the first bottle of wine in the rack and often get myself in trouble doing so. More than one pricey bottle of wine has been consumed on my couch on a Friday night. Oops.

One way to avoid this kind of mishap is to have my very own collection of wines. There are a few favorites that I tend to keep on hand but I recently added something new (and fun!) to my collection – MommyJuice Wines! The name is just silly enough to make me smile when I crack open a bottle and they are pretty great everyday wines.

The white is 100% Chardonnay and it’s pretty tasty, if a little on the sweet side for my taste. The red is a blend (77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 3% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot) and it’s really good. Together they make great pair because there’s a little of something for every Mom.

If you’re local, definitely consider picking up a bottle or two at your local CVS – they’d make fun, last minute Mother’s Days gifts! If you’re not local, you can always order direct from www.mommyjuicewines.com.

Enter in the Rafflecopter widget below for a chance to win your very own 4-pack of MommyJuice wines!

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You can also enter to win a 4-pack of glasses on the MommyJuice Facebook page. Simply post photos of MommyJuice on the shelf at your local CVS store to enter. Five winners will be chosen at the end of May!!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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Jessica Ferrara

Mom of boys. Wife to a chef. Crochet entrepreneur. Cupcake maker. Lover of wine.

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The thing I stressed most about when we decided to move was the long commute I’d be facing every day. I’ve been spoiled up until now with a short drive to work and I always thought people were crazy for commuting that far.

I have some new thoughts on the subject now that I’ve done it for a few weeks. Although I do miss carpooling with my friend Terri, there are some hidden benefits of a long drive to work. I’m actually kind of enjoying it and I’ll be liking it even more when I get to join the work van pool in a couple of weeks. The benefits of commuting minus the stress of driving? Sign me up.

You’re probably wondering about now whether I’ve lost my mind, but let me explain why I’ve come to like commuting.

1. Reading – Between work and crafting and blogging and kids, there just hasn’t been much time for reading but thanks to Audible on my iPad and time to kill in the car, that’s all changed. I’ve finished two books in two weeks which makes me a very happy camper.
2. Alone time -  Since I only have to drive the boys one way (thank you, husband), I get an hour or more to myself every single morning on the way to work. I can’t remember the last time I had that much alone time – it’s heaven. I know I won’t technically be alone in the vanpool, but I plan to pop my ear buds in and pretend.
3. Home by 5 – This one isn’t a given but my new, earlier work schedule makes it a definite possibility. We often didn’t get home until 6 or later before we moved and there seems to be so much more time to get things done after work these days.
4. Reaching out -  I’ve found that the tail end of our commute (after the traffic ends and driving doesn’t require so much attention) is a great time to catch up on all those phone calls there never seems to be enough time to make.
5. Make plans – I spend a lot of my drive strategizing meal plans and blog posts and general to do lists. It’s obviously not an option to write these things down while I’m driving, but it’s nice to be able to give them a little focused attention and I can always make voice notes on my iPhone if needed.

I’m guessing I’ll have a few additional items to add to the “things that don’t suck about commuting” list once I start the vanpool. Napping on the ride home comes to mind . . .

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Jessica Ferrara

Mom of boys. Wife to a chef. Crochet entrepreneur. Cupcake maker. Lover of wine.

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Remember that time I stole a stroller? Yeah, me too. It was kind of embarrassing. I won’t have to repeat that particular experience thanks to the folks at Graco who were nice enough to send me a Graco jogger all my own!

You might be thinking, her kids are almost too big for a stroller. And you’d be right, but here’s the thing. Luke is at that age where taking him out in public really does require some type of restraint because, despite my very best efforts, that kid is all over the place, all the time.

Enter the awesome new Graco jogger. So many important features are bundled up in this one crossover stroller that the name is perfect.

Luke loves this stroller. That may sound like a big fat lie based on the cranky kid in the picture above, but I promise it’s not – he just doesn’t like his picture taken these days. Since we started using the Graco jogger, he has asked for it every time we get out of the car. That’s huge for a kid who’s hated strollers since the day he was born. He seems to love that he sits up higher in the Graco jogger than he did in any of our other strollers – it’s like he feels more important or something.

What are some of our favorite Graco jogger features?

1. The kickstand! I kind of want to kiss whatever genius had this bright idea. Being able to stand this baby up in my garage without fear of it sliding down and smacking my car is worth a bajillion bucks to me.
2. The parent tray! Finally, a place to put my cellphone that makes sense. Really, this is such a great feature for fitness walking – a universal clip holds phones in place either vertically or horizontally. And the cup holders are deep enough for a water bottle so no more worry about them tipping out of their place.
3. Removable snack tray! I don’t know about you, but my kids are an absolute disaster when it comes to snacks. They also use their tray for toys so between the two, it gets pretty nasty. This tray is completely removable and you can throw it in the dishwasher. Problem solved.
4. Bring all the things! I almost always bring too much so I need a stroller basket that manage that and this one most definitely can.  We took it to the pool the other day and crammed beach towels (x4), snacks, diapers and swim wings for 2 down there. It’s awesome.

Oh, and let’s not forget the one second, one step fold action on the Graco jogger. This is no joke – it really is that easy!

Other cool things about the Graco jogger include:

• It’s compatible with Graco’s  new SnugRide Click Connect 35 Infant seat so this is a stroller that will last you years. The one step connection makes life easy peasy.
• The seat fully reclines with one easy squeeze of the rear adjuster handle.
• The front wheel locks for jogs and unlocks for easy day-to-day maneuvering making this a great stroller for all active moms.
• Air filled tires make for a smooth ride and reflectors for low light visibility.

In order to get cozy with my brand new Graco jogger, I had to opportunity to attend a fabulous launch party hosted by the lovely Wendy of Whimsy and Wise. We spent a couple of hours learning about all the great features of the stroller and even managed to discover some favorites of our own! It was a great time and I was happy to be included!

Graco’s NEW jogger is the ultimate crossover stroller, combining all the comfort and convenience features of a traditional stroller (FastAction Fold and Click Connect Technology) with performance and maneuverability of an all-terrain jogger.

As an added bonus, Graco’s innovative one-second, one-hand FastAction™ fold automatically locks & is self-standing.

This post is sponsored by Graco.

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Jessica Ferrara

Mom of boys. Wife to a chef. Crochet entrepreneur. Cupcake maker. Lover of wine.

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I wrote this iPhone tips  post about creating new Pinterest pins from your iPhone a little over a year ago and it got a pretty good response. Turns out that I wasn’t the only one trying to figure out how to do it.

Looking back, it wasn’t the prettiest post I’ve ever created so I took a little time to give it a bit of a facelift this week. I also tweaked the method because it works a little differently than it did when I first posted. Definitely let me know if you think I missed any important steps.

Click on the graphic below to check it out!

Also, if you haven’t had a chance to enter the super awesome giveaway I’m hosting with some of my favorite people, click here!

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Jessica Ferrara

Mom of boys. Wife to a chef. Crochet entrepreneur. Cupcake maker. Lover of wine.

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Have you ever noticed that words for spring make you smile just seeing them? With everything I have going on personally plus yesterday’s horrific events in Boston, I really wasn’t feeling all that happy when I woke up this morning.

In a feeble attempt at boosting my mood, I gathered up some of my most favorite words for spring and made myself a happy new wallpaper graphic for my desktop at work. (Feel free to grab it if you think it might help lighten your mood, too.)

Also in honor of spring, I have joined forces with some other fabulous bloggers to bring you an AMAZING giveaway. As a group, we’re giving away a $500 gift card to B&H Photo and a $250 gift card to Kelly Moore. Exciting, right?

These are some fantastic prizes, friends. Need a new camera? Been eyeing a special lens for your DLSR? How about an iPad? The $500 can be used to purchase whatever your heart desires from B&H! Got a camera already? Then maybe you need a gorgeous Kelly Moore bag to carry it in!

This giveaway begins Tuesday, April 16th and ends at midnight on April, 23, 2013. You can enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

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Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only. Void where prohibited.

All entries are optional with the exception of providing an email address so that we may contact you if you were to win. We will never sell, distribute, or spam your email.

Two winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter (powered by Random.org). The first winner chosen will have the option of choosing between a $500 gift card to B&H Photo, Video & Pro Audio or a $250 gift card to Kelly Moore Bags. The second prize winner will be awarded the item that was not chosen by the first prize winner. Gift cards are not transferable and cannot be exchanged for a cash prize.

This is a non-sponsored post. Prizes were purchased by a group of participating bloggers. B&H Photo, Video & Pro Audio and Kelly Moore Bags are not affiliated with this giveaway.

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Awesome graphic by the talented Lindsay Goldner at LLYDesigns.

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Jessica Ferrara

Mom of boys. Wife to a chef. Crochet entrepreneur. Cupcake maker. Lover of wine.

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You know how sometimes life is all calm and quiet and boring? Yeah, that’s not the case here. Things are happening. Let me give you some quick updates.

We are moving.

Those of you who know us in real life probably know that Sal and I dreamed for a while of moving to a place where bigger houses and more land are affordable for us. Don’t worry, we didn’t buy a ranch in Oklahoma or anything. In fact, we didn’t buy at all. We’re renting a beautiful house in Lake Elsinore in a neighborhood that we’re hoping to make our forever home. It’s a one year lease and if we hate it, we’ll come back to the OC.

I’m a vendor at Queen Bee Market!

Ever since I walked through the doors at my very first QBM (San Diego, August 2011), I have wanted to be a part of it. This show isn’t just any old craft fair. It’s a curated show which means that you have to submit photos of your work and vendors are selected based on what the organizers will make the most fabulous show. It’s a BIG DEAL and I’m super excited to be part of it!! The show is in Oceanside, CA on May 4 – if you’re there, come say hey!

Lucky is finding a new home.

A while back, I wrote this post about how hard it’s been to raise Lucky dog and how I feel like we’ve failed him in many ways. After the 75th time he nipped Luke’s ear, we decided it was time to find him a new home. Lucky will be going to stay with his rescuer, Emily, who I am confident will find him exactly the right home. I’m sure there will be people out there who judge us, but I know without a doubt that this is the right decision for everyone.

I’m headed out of town this weekend!

I’ll be joining lots of other bloggers in Phoenix, AZ for Bloggy Bootcamp: Business Edition.  There are some amazing speakers lined up and I’m pretty sure I have the most awesome roomies a girl could ask for. Doesn’t get better than that. And bonus? I could use a little time away in the midst of all the chaos right now.

I told you things are happening. You are definitely gonna want to stay tuned for a super awesome group giveaway coming next week to this very blog + 29 others.

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Jessica Ferrara

Mom of boys. Wife to a chef. Crochet entrepreneur. Cupcake maker. Lover of wine.

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This post is sponsored by Arrowhead Waters.
Be sure to visit them on Facebook.

We drink a TON of bottled water in my house. My husband diligently collects the used bottles and takes them to the recycling center when they start to get out of hand. Sometimes, though, I think there must be some plastic bottle crafts that we could be doing with them.

A quick web search tells me this is definitely the case.

1.  Recycled Rocket Craft from No Time for Flash Cards
2. Papier-Mache Airplane from Inna’s Creations
3. Water Bottle Pencil Cases from Duitang
4. “Dew” It Yourself Jewelry Stand from Epbot
5. Felt Bottle Bracelet by Diane Gilleland on Think Crafts
6. Relax Bottle/Time Out Timer from My Crazy Blessed Life
7. Holder for Charging Cell Phone from Make It & Love It
8. Apple Shaped Boxes from Creative Jewish Mom
9. Desk Organizer by Diane Gilleland on Craft
10. Pop Bottle Firefly from Crafts for all Seasons

So are you recycling your used water bottles or making plastic bottle crafts? A little of each maybe?

Here are some important facts about recycling and Arrowhead’s new ReBorn bottle that you may not know:

• U.S. plastic beverage bottle recycling rates are only at about 30%
• 2.8 Billion plastic bottles ended up in California landfills in 2011.
• Even though a package says it is “100% recycleABLE”, that does not mean it is made with recyclED plastic. It just means it CAN BE recycled.  In fact, most containers are not made of recycled plastic.
• Arrowhead’s new ReBorn™ bottle is made with 50% recycled plastic and demonstrates how the plastic you recycle can be given a new life.
• Due to the limited supply of high quality recycled plastic, Arrowhead needs your help in recycling so they can continue to use more recycled plastic in their products.

Be sure to click over to Arrowhead’s Facebook page to learn more about their ReBorn bottles and what you can do to help them with their mission, but first check out this behind the scenes look at Recycling is a Beautiful Thing.

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Jessica Ferrara

Mom of boys. Wife to a chef. Crochet entrepreneur. Cupcake maker. Lover of wine.

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Sometimes ideas live in my head for a long time before I actually get around to making them into real things. In the case of this tattoo heart beanie, the biggest obstacle was wrapping my head around how to make the little yellow banners. My need for perfection often interferes with my ability to be creative, but I finally decided to just do it and I’m so glad I did because I love the way these turned out.

My inspiration for the tattoo heart beanie was my uncle who passed away 3 years ago. He had many tattoos but my favorite was the heart that said “Mom”. It’s funny how even the toughest of guys will always have a soft spot when it comes to their mama. I always think of that tattoo when I remember my uncle and thought it would be so cute on a beanie if I could just figure out how to recreate it.

The perfect occasion to make this hat presented itself recently so I decided to just do it. This one was actually for a little girl (who will undoubtedly have her father wrapped around her little finger within moments of birth) so I thought “Daddy” would be fun. The tattoo heart beanie listing allows customers to personalize the message on their hat so they can really say anything there as long as it fits on the banner.

I think these tattoo heart hats will be perfect for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or really just any day. They will also make an awesome photo prop, especially for tiny newborns. I’m super excited to have them finally listed in the shop and can’t wait to see how creative people get with the personalization.

Want to order a personalized heart tattoo beanie of your very own? Click here and be sure to enter the code CNLBLOG for 10% off your purchase.

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Jessica Ferrara

Mom of boys. Wife to a chef. Crochet entrepreneur. Cupcake maker. Lover of wine.

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