If there is one thing that can remove any ketchup stain, pizza grease, and dirt residue, it’s Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover.  It’s compact in size so it’s always ready to go in my bag (as we all know, accidents happen everywhere and anytime).  I came across this remover when I was looking for a spot cleaner that was non toxic (most of the time, I need a spot remover for my children and you don’t want any harsh chemicals getting on them or their clothes).

Not only was it non toxic, it was environmentally safe, biodegradable, and did not contain any chlorine or phosphates.  At first, I raised an eyebrow thinking, “Hmm…Does this really work, like it says it works?”  I hate when you buy something off an infomercial and the product does not do anything that the infomercial claimed it would do (Remember: infomercials have this tiny fine print that says it doesn’t work for everyone, I wonder why?).  Since it was only $3.99 (at Jo-Ann Fabrics), I had to try one out.

Before I even bought the remover, I had a stack of stained shirts and pants that needed some good stain removing.  I wasn’t sure if the spot remover could remove stains that were a few weeks old, but to my surprise, it did!  I love that it does not have a strong odor and it literally takes a drop to remove the stain.  Since I use the spot remover so often, my preschooler learned to use it herself.  She has a bad habit of wiping her hands on her clothes when she eats (I don’t know where she gets this habit because we always tell her to use her napkin) and the last time she spread olive oil all over her dress.  Instead of watching me freak out, she took the spot remover out of my bag and put it on the oiled areas.  When we went back home, I just had to wash it out.  Simple as that!

This spot remover has been my secret for almost a year and I am happy to share it with you!

(Disclosure: I haven’t received any monetary compensation or free products. This review is based solely on my personal opinion and experience and results may vary person to person.)

Pregnancy could probably be the single most costly thing during your life, but with a little tweaking here and there, it can be cost effective and at times completely free.  With two pregnancies under my belt, I have learned a thing or two about taking something you need and making it budget-friendly.

These are ten things that not only saved my budget, but made me a happy pregnant momma:

1. Luxury Beauty Services: Skip the spa (upwards of $125). Put your significant other to work and have them give you a foot, shoulder, neck, or full body massage ($0).
2. Prenatal Vitamins: Sometimes the prenatal vitamins that are prescribed by your doctor can be very expensive ($45 co-pay for a 30 day supply).  Go to Whole Foods or Vitamin Shoppe and get a prenatal that fits your needs (the staff at the stores are very knowledgeable).  I went with New Chapter Perfect Prenatal which was on sale for $66 for a 2 month supply.
3. Parking: Forget about valet services at the mall because you’re still going to have to walk ($7-$14).  Almost any big mall will have an “Expectant Mother” parking spot, indicated by a bold pink line and a sign with a stork on it ($0).

Read the rest of my post at Savings.com

Just yesterday as I was speaking to my friend about her settlement check for her car accident, I checked my email to find multiple emails (I’m talking 16 to be exact) from iTunes saying ” Your receipt #” with an order number following it.  At first, I thought it was spam mail, but then my gut told me to open one.  I opened the email to find out that a purchase was made in the amount of $149.99.  My stomach dropped to the floor and my body froze.

After going through a moment of shock and my friend still on the line, I opened all 15 emails that followed the first one.  As I opened each one to see the same $149.99 charge ($149.99 x 16, you do the math), I was speechless.  I told my friend of the situation and got off the phone immediately to make a call to iTunes.  Unfortunately, iTunes/Apple had closed shop for the day, at least the customer service end of it.

I had to think quickly and immediately and called Paypal, since the payment transaction, happened through them.  First, I had to go online and chat with an automated customer service chick about my situation (I probably have not sworn that much in my life).  Seriously, getting a phone number should not be that hard.  The whole process just infuriated me (Note: Paypal just put a phone number on the Contact Us page).

After getting the number and almost losing my sanity, I called Paypal to let them know what was going on.  I spoke with a guy named Al who was a representative for Paypal Credit Card.  Eventually, after both of us being confused for a good 4 minutes, he transferred me to the appropriate people.  Once I was on the line with them, I had to tell them the situation all over again and guess what?  They passed me onto the security department.  It just felt never-ending.

By the time I had reached the security department, my mouth was dry from speaking to everyone along the way, I just wished it was a bad dream.  They reassured me that this was an ongoing issue with iTunes and it was more common in recent months.  Apple?  Aren’t they a multi-qua-trillion dollar company?  Security Breach?  What?

So after they canceled the transactions and requested a refund, I went onto Google to do a search on “itunes hacking” and it came up with 16,500 results. Wow!  Everything from iTunes developer being kicked to the curb,  Facebook site dedicated to iTunes hacking, and real stories of victims like me.  It’s quite scary that a company like Apple can’t get rid of a problem like this.  Do something quick!

After losing sleep, calling Paypal again, calling my bank to stop payment, speaking with my credit card, I finally received an email from iTunes.  The email sounded like they were trying to cover their backs and made it seem like it was a non serious matter (this lit a huge fire under me).  I was pissed and wrote a really nice email back to them stating that they should refund my money because clearly my account was compromised.  Moreover, I have not used iTunes for a couple years and don’t even have the app on my computers to have access to my account.  The last purchase I made was a couple years ago for a music download that cost me 99 cents.  Common people!

I received a reply towards the end of the day saying, “A refund in the amount of $x,xxx.xx will be credited to the PayPal account used to pay for the order. Please note that this is a one-time exception to our sales policy.” Seriously, this was their fault and they made it seem like it was my fault.  Anyhow, it’s definitely a lesson learned, and I am canceling my account, plus changing all my passwords on everything.

So if you have an iTunes account, make sure you keep your eyes wide open because it can happen to the best of us.  I hope my experience can save people from having to experience the shock of feeling violated.  Unfortunately, we live in a society where we constantly need to watch our back (that includes powerful hackers) because it literally takes a second for our lives to be turned upside down.  Take all precautionary measures!

The old Santa Monica Place was very dull, very empty, and very boring.  When I saw the construction happening, I wasn’t excited about the traffic and I really didn’t care for a whole revamp of something that was almost nothing.  My memories of the old Santa Monica Place was a half vacant mall with nothing to do.  I only went there for two reasons: to cool off when it was overly hot and to eat when all the 100 other restaurants around the corner were packed and I was desperate.

 Alas to the old days and in with the times.  The mall’s selection of stores has a pretty impressive line-up that caters to all tastes, but I would have to say that most of the retailers are high-end.  Some of my favorites include the Disney Store (I have two princesses), CB2 (Oh how I love thee, my condo in Chicago was fully decorated by CB2 and very affordably), Bloomingdales (for my splurge days), Joe’s Jeans (every girl needs to own one), and Bird Pick Tea & Herb (one of my favorite tea spots).  Oh and the Dining Deck is not to be missed.  You can see the city and ocean.  It’s so captivating that if I ever need some mommy time, I intend to go to the dining deck and imagine that I’m lying out on the Mykonos Island.

If you are a mommy like me, then the your new hotspot will be the new Disney Store.  Shall I say a Princess Paradise!  Although there are toys and Disney products for boys, when you walk into this store, there is no denying that it was made for a princess.  A beautiful castle ornamented with a crystal chandelier, princesses dancing atop, and a magic mirror, I wished I could switch into my daughter like a scene from “Freaky Friday.”

All in all, I have to say that the Santa Monica Place took me by surprise and I really look forward to being a regular patron of this mall!

When I was young (let say 10-14), I really never thought about dating, much less think about sex.  Call me a prude, conservative, abstinent, hormone deficient, whatever, I just never sat there thinking about boys at that age.  I was more about my dance, gymnastics, and musical activities.  If I did have some spare time, I would hang out with my best friend at the mall or the local swimming pool. 

Of course, I had little childhood crushes here and there, but nothing my parents would’ve been worried about.  It was as far as, “You know so and so likes you, do you like him?”  As young as I was, I always thought that having any relationship with a boy should be saved for when I was older, or when I was independent from my parents.

So the other day when my preschooler came back from school and said, “So and so said that they were going to kiss with their tongues because they were going to get married tomorrow,” I was in shock.  Wow!  Okay, first off, my daughter is 4 years old and so are her friends.  I listened to what she was saying and was surprised that 4 year olds these days were saying things that I never even knew when I was 4.  I distinctly remember when I was 4, I was scared that I would wet my pants during naptime because I didn’t use the bathroom.

After listening to my daughter, I tried to figure out what would be the “right” thing to say to her.  I didn’t want to say that kissing was a bad thing because it’s not (I’ve watched on Tyra where adults were scared of intimacy because their moms told them it was dirty when they were young).  But I also didn’t want to encourage it either (I’ve seen enough Lifetime to know that).  Suprisingly, I learned a couple months ago from her teacher that it was normal for children between the ages of 3-4 to start discovering their sexuality and begin to differentiate body parts.

My initial reaction was that I freaked, and then I was like okay, let’s roll with the times.  The truth of the matter is that kids are developing a lot faster these days (mind & body).  By no means do I think 4 year olds should be engaging in any non-childlike physical activities (that includes mouth to mouth kissing involving tongue), but I do feel that parents should be prepared to teach their kids about different things as they happen, regardless of age.

Fortunately this time around, I was able to explain to my daughter that kissing was a beautiful thing between two people who love each other, but should be saved for when she or her friends were much older.  She understood and said, “I’m only going to kiss you, daddy, and my sister.”  I am glad she is at the age where she is responsive and understands.  However, I am not looking forward to puberty and or talking about the birds and the bees, in the near future!

Peter Rabbit Organics is my daughter’s favorite shampoo and wash.  We have gone through our fair share of shampoos and body washes, but the one that I consistenly buy is the Peter Rabbit Organics Carrot and Pumpkin Baby Shampoo and Wash.  We discovered this wash when we went to Whole Foods to find an all-in-one product to use for my childrens bath.

Immediately, my daughter pointed out Peter Rabbit.  She was jumping up and down pointing at the product because she couldn’t reach it and I was hesistant at picking it up because if I did, I would have to be prepared to purchase it. Well, I am glad I picked it up because after reading the packaging and the ingredients that it did not contain (the whole saying, “less it better.”) I was completely sold.

In the spirit of “LESS is MORE” I will keep my words minimal and let the pictures speak for itself because it’s the exact reason why it got  our attention.  So here we go!

The reason why my daughter wanted to get it.

The reason I wanted to get it.

 You can only purchase this product at Whole Foods because it is a Whole Foods Exclusive.  I paid $15.99 (every bit of it is worth it).

So what person doesn’t like free?  Especiallly with many households trying to make ends meet and not having the luxury of spending money, other than paying off bills. It’s always nice to hear about free food, free events, and anything free in general.  I am always trying to find activities to do with my little ones that don’t cost an arm and a leg, and can create a lifetime of memories.

Summer months can be fun and difficult.  I love spending time with my children but the truth is that they get bored and I get bored, trying to do the same old same old.  However, it’s not easy to plan a field trip everyday considering the added costs that come with it.  So this is where “free” and “summer” comes in to save our days, weeks, and summer months!

I’ve listed some free activities and free food options to make all of our summer lives easier and more fun with our adorable children:

Coco’s and Carrows Kids Eat Free All Summer Long: Dinner promotion runs nightly from 4pm until close, starting July 8 at all participating restaurants.

Chipotle’s Free Kid’s Meal Deal: I love going to my local Chipotle because they offer healthier options (even Vegan options with the Garden blend) to the normally not so figure friendly Mexican food. Recently, I was excited to get an email from Chipotle with a new kid friendly promotion.  From August 1 through August 22, when parents eat a burrito, salad, taco, or burrito bowl, kids eat free.  I will definitely take advantage of this offer since I frequent the one near my home.

Free Bowling at 300: From now until September 7, kids 12 and under can join 300’s Summer Kids Club program at no charge, and every Sunday through Friday before 4pm, kids get one free game and free shoe rental.

Target Free Sundays: Every third Sunday, Target sponsors a free day in select museums across the country.  To see if there are any in your local area go here.  My children and I go to the Free Target Sundays at the Japanese American National Museum and they have fantastic activities for the kids as well.  The last Sunday my children got to make backpacks, luggage name-tags, and also did a stick on activity.

Whole Foods:  While this may be an odd choice for some of you as a destination spot, my children and I love goin to Whole Foods.  They offer Kid’s Club activities, which includes making healthy snack options and even doing a craft project or two.  The last time we went to a Kid’s Club event, my daughter made my husband an apron for Father’s Day.  Also, being a part of Kid’s Club means that your children get to choose an apple or a cookie from the store as their treat for coming to the store.  You can’t lose on this one!

Westfield Malls:  They have Kid’s Club events that range from cooking classes to crafty activities and sometimes they will have local musicians come and perform.  My children love going to these little events because they get to play and if it’s a cooking class, they get to eat too!

Have a Happy Summer!

Five years ago when we moved into our place, I thought I wanted a French country theme in our dining area.  So I went to a furniture store and bought pieces that went along with my interpretation of what a French country style (royal with a hint of shabby chic) would be like.  Although it was very luxurious and everything I had imagined, the dining set was massive and it was not practical for our budding family.

Flash forward to today and things are very different.  I have two children and everything has to be simple, clean, and child friendly.  What was my inspiration this time around?  My daughter’s Svan High Chair.  It’s very modern-sleek and almost something that you would see in an Eames inspired room (very mid-century modern).

Once I knew what sort of style scheme I was going for, I looked to find examples of the dining room I was envisioning.  The whole process took about 2 weeks from start to finish.  During that period, I had to match wood tones, test out chairs for comfortability, and made sure I wasn’t sacrificing taste in order to stay on a budget.  So how did it turn out?  Fabulous for my family!

(Disclosure: This post is in conjuction with a review I will be doing for CSN Stores.  CSN will be providing me with a $40 promotional code to use towards a larger purchase for my future review.)

As usual, I was picking my daughter up from preschool and she did her usual skippity hop towards me.  However, this time she waved at her friend, looked at me, and then pointed her fingers at her.  I looked at her friend, smiled, and proceeded to grab her bags to head home.  My daughter stopped me in mid-transit and said, “Mommy I want her dress and her sandals.”

I stopped, looked, and smiled again.  She was wearing a very cute red dress with green sandals.  My daughter proceeded to tap me and say, “Mommy can I have it. Please. Please. I will share all my toys!”  Hmm…I have been trying everything  and anything to teach my daughter that sharing with her baby sister is a wonderful thing, so we may have a deal.

I asked her friend where she got her dress, Mexico (go figure), and her sandals were bought at some store.  So I thought the odds of finding the sandals would be better than going to Mexico and trying to find a red dress that was purchased by some street vendor.

After a long day of begging, I decided to go online and go to every popular merchant’s site.  I looked everywhere from Amazon.com to Target.  Where did I hit jackpot? GapKids.  Thank Goodness (well not really).  I tried to put my daughter’s size into the cart and they were all out.  So then I called every GapKids store within a ten mile radius and found one that had exactly one sandal in my daughter’s size.

What did I do?  I literally drove cross town to get those suckers in Los Angeles rush hour traffic (which means driving at about 2 mph).  Once I got there, the sales associate said that they were out. No way!  I did not go that far to come out with nothing.  I asked her nicely if she could check in the back.  I thought she would say no because she looked like she was having one of the days (possibly PMS).  However, her manager was around the corner, so she had no choice.  About 5 minutes later, she walked towards me with the green sandals that my daughter was dying to have.

I quickly purchased them and drove back to pick my daughter up from preschool.  When I arrived, it was everything that I had imagined and even more.  My daughter screamed, kissed her sandals, kissed me, told me I was the best mom in the entire world, and told her baby sister not to touch it.

It reminded me of when I was a couple years older than her and Keds were such an “in” thing.  Every girl from my school had to have them and the real ones (you know the blue tags on the back), not the generic copies that were sold at Kmart or Venture (do you remember that store?).  After exhaustingly begging for them, I got one.  It was probably one of the best moments of my life (well, that’s how I felt at 9 years old).

When my daughter begged me, it brought me back to my childhood, and I could totally relate.  That same feeling prompted me to find the sandals and ultimately buy them.  I did have moments of, “Am I spoiling her?”  In the end, I wished that I would’ve saved the sandals, as a positive reinforcement, when she started sharing with her sister.  Everything happens for a reason and it’s definitely a lesson learned!