Inspiration All Around! by Tana Hallows

Inspiration All Around!!


BEFORE


AFTER

I wish i could say i MADE these...but my daughter was making up a lab she missed in foods class. It was a simple bread stick recipe...but when it came time to rolling them out and putting them on the pan she was too impatient to wait for me to explain how to do it and these were the END result! Somehow her creative instincts took over and these perfect bread sticks and pretzels appeared!! They were beautiful and so delicious!!  I love to cook but when it comes to presentation I am mostly in a hurry to get it done so everyone can eat!  But she has inspired me to try to plan ahead so I can take a little extra time to enjoy the process and create even more Yummy looking food! Enjoy!

Simple Bread Sticks

1T yeast
1 1/2 C Warm Water
1T Honey
1tsp Salt
4-4 1/2 C

Mix the first four ingredients...add flour till dough forms a soft ball. Knead lightly then shape into
bread sticks or pretzels. Place on greased cookie sheet...brush lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy seed, salt, Parmesan cheese, or cinnamon sugar  {this is optional}.   Let rise until double,  approx 15-30 minutes, Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Brush with butter. 

All I want for Christmas... by Tana Hallows

All I want for Christmas...

Its so hard to believe that the holidays are fast approaching! My Kids have already given me their Christmas lists...my 13 year old gave me her Christmas list in a nice digital format...
With the digital age it makes sense but so different from even just a few years ago! I love
the holidays and the spirit of the Season. I am excited for the Mom's Best Holiday Gift guide!
It will be full of all of our HOT picks for the season...
We are just putting on the finishing touches and plan to unveil it soon!

 

1. Tom's Aztec Canvas womens boots

2. Tom's pewter sequin Cordones 
3. iPOD touch
4. wand Curling iron

Bumbo Halloween by Tana Hallows

Bumbo Halloween

My sweet pumpkins first Halloween! Traditionally we have a neighborhood Trunk-or-Treat then the bigger kids go around and Trick-or-Treat to get even more candy! We are Loving this BUMBO seat as Presley is not sitting up yet...it is so handy and at the TOP of my list of Baby must-haves!

We love Halloween...luckily the weather was perfect my kids had a ball!

Hope you had a Happy Halloween!

Mother's Milk by Tana Hallows

Mother's Milk

Mimijumi {means mother's milk} the name is perfectly fitting for this chic Brand of baby bottles. So unique...The innovative nipple design replicates a mother’s breast, creating a natural feeding and latching experience for a happier and healthier bottle fed baby. From my own personal experience...as I mainly breastfeed my baby... this was the only bottle my baby was comfortable taking.  Now she is old enough to take cereal so I thin out the cereal and she will take it in her mimijumi bottle with the flowrate 3, 6+ month nipple. It truly is the next best thing to Mama! Try it!


Presley drinking her cereal from her mimijumi bottle...


Meet Dr. Frank...the founder of mimijumi

 

Uber CHIC baby bonnet's!! by Tana Hallows

Uber CHIC baby bonnet's!!

It seems I could go on for WEEKS about all of the great products I found at the ABC show! So I am going to do my best to keep it simple and hopefully finish up SOONER than Later! I finally found that darling sunhat I needed for my BABY Presley! The URBAN BABY BONNET
Simply Chic...I LOVE IT! Of coarse
I could not resist also buying the
fleece lined one for winter and
matching mittens!


I also love the new designs of CADEN LANE baby BIBS{especially the ruffles} and BURPS...


a Little Sugarjack by Tana Hallows

a Little SugarJack

A Diaper Bag that has taken fashion and function to a whole new Level Sugarjack from England most definitely took the ABC show by Storm!! As I have mentioned before not carrying a diaper bag around for a mere 6 years this Mama won't just carry any bag! It must be so Hip it Hurts and these bags are definitely hurting and on my WISH list! Soon to be available in the US but for now you can find them here Sugarjack.com
Here are a few of my favorites...
 

Nursery Make-Over ABC Style! by Tana Hallows

Nursery Make-Over ABC Style!

I am in the process of moving my boys down to the basement {which is being finished as we speak} then my idea is to repaint their old room to make it Presley's Nursery! So While meeting with the vendors at the ABC kids Expo I kept my eye out for Nursery Furniture and Decor. The only problem...there were so MANY to choose from which only makes my choice more difficult in deciding exactly which one I really want! One that particularly caught my eye was Petitnest...if you are not familiar with their story go to their website and see... I love their clean, modern, look and the
fact that its all made in the USA and Eco Friendly.  I also enjoyed meeting the founders Tiffani Thiessan and Loni Paul. These talented ladies were so sweet...

A couple of my favorite pieces include the Alouette Crib...

And Sophie Dresser.

Product Love at ABC by Tana Hallows

Product Love at ABC

I thoroughly enjoyed walking the ABC kids Expo with my sweet pea baby Presley! We were so LUCKY to test drive for 4 days one of the new iCandy Peach strollers...talk about the Mercedes of the Stroller industry this stroller is Made in the UK and maneuvers like your driving a POSH Car. A few of my favorite features: the Seat can lie flat so my baby was able to sleep easily! While walking the show for 8 hrs a day she had some long naps in this Baby! The Basket packs a TON of stuff...I was able to load up on lots of fun products each day! As well as the handle extends for my very tall Husband...which made it very easy for him to enjoy pushing her around. It was lovely to meet the owners of iCandy too... thanks guys for making the show an Enjoyable ride for my Baby!!

Check out the little Teether Presley is Loving from ZoLi baby

Dolls Recalled by Pottery Barn Kids Due To Strangulation Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Chloe, Sophie and Audrey soft dolls

Units: About 81,000 in the United States and 1,300 in Canada

Importer: Pottery Barn Kids, a division of Williams-Sonoma Inc., of San Francisco, Calif.

Hazard: The hair on the Chloe and Sophie dolls may contain loops that are large enough to fit around a child’s head and neck, and the headband on the Audrey doll, if loosened, can form a loop that fits around a child’s head and neck. These loops can pose a strangulation hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received five reports of dolls with looped hair, including one report in which a loop of the Chloe doll’s hair was found around the neck of a 21-month old child. The child was not injured.

Description: This recall involves soft dolls sold under the names Audrey, Chloe and Sophie. The dolls measure about 17 inches high and have hair made of yarn. Audrey’s hair is black, Chloe’s hair is dark brown and Sophie’s hair is blonde. The dolls are part of Pottery Barn Kids' Girl Doll Collection. The doll’s name can be found on a tag sewn onto her bottom.

Sold exclusively at: Pottery Barn Kids stores nationwide, online at www.potterybarnkids.com and through Pottery Barn Kids catalogs from July 2006 to April 2011 for about $40.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should take the dolls away from children immediately and cut the looped hair of the Chloe and Sophie dolls and remove the headband of the Audrey doll to eliminate the hazard. Consumers may also call Pottery Barn Kids for instructions on how to return the affected dolls for a merchandise credit.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Pottery Barn Kids toll-free at (855) 880-4504 between 4 a.m. and 9 p.m. PT seven days a week or visit the firm’s website at www.potterybarnkids.com

Note: Health Canada's press release is available at http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1389


Picture of recalled CHLOE doll
CHLOE


Picture of hair loop on recalled CHLOE doll


Picture of recalled SOPHIE doll
SOPHIE


Picture of hair loop on recalled SOPHIE doll


Picture of recalled AUDREY doll
AUDREY


Picture of hair loop on recalled AUDREY doll


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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on www.saferproducts.gov

Success Series 2 - THOUGHTS Are Things

{Success Series 2} THOUGHTS Are Things...

This is a concept I feel very strongly about...having already discussed about the law of attraction in a previous post, the principal Thoughts are THINGS goes hand in hand with this law and so powerful! As an energy we can attract good or bad through the thoughts that we are thinking right now!

"A man is literally what he thinks...a complete sum of all his thoughts!"   by James Allen

This food for thought is very True!

We reap what we sew or in other words we become what we think about all day long! It can be
tough and requires great discipline to always keep positive thoughts in our minds...
especially when times are tough and we are easily discouraged.  At that point I try to reassess the
situation and think on the positive side the options and how I can make the situation better.  Then I imagine it "AS IF" it were better and how I want the circumstances to be... I can attest that I have
seen the circumstances change... it gets better over and over again  :-)!  
I would like to encourage you in your quest for success in life that you remember how important your
thoughts are...they will shape and mold your destiny!  I know you {WE} can do it!  Just don't give UP!