As you all know, I recently had the honor of being Disney's guest at the fabulous Langham Huntington Pasadena for a fun-filled Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3:Viva La Fiesta! launch celebration. The event was quite lavish, in true Hollywood style, with beautiful surroundings, drool-worthy cuisine, and there were even a few VIP's in attendance. I mean Very Important Pups, here. Yep! Papi, Chloe, and Papi, Jr. took the time out of their doggy schedules to pay us a visit and even answer some interview questions.

We even got to have an intimate chat with Director Lev L. Spiro, Producer Sarah E. White, and Mathilde DeCagny, an amazing animal trainer with Birds and Animals Unlimited of Hollywood. It was fascinating hearing about all of the little tricks used on the set to get the animals to play the parts in the films. I never realized how involved the training process was, or how many "tricks" these pups were really able to do. If only MY dogs were so well-trained...Hmph...Maybe someday!

The movie crew and trainers had to get awfully creative while filming, and some of their methods are completely genius! For example, to get the dogs to bob their heads, sway, or look in one direction simultaneously, the trainers employed the use of a "look stick". This is a tool that looks much like  a cane for the vision-impaired and it has a ball attached to the end. The pups paid very close attention to that ball, and this helped greatly during filming. The dogs also had their "mark" on the set. This is a small, circular disc that is placed on the floor where the dog is supposed to go during a  scene. The dogs are trained to recognize this, and will go sit on  their mark. A little birdie told me this also helped the camera crew, since they always knew which direction to point the camera!

With two toddlers that are only 12 months apart in age, one thing I need to focus on is getting my body back. Sure, I have lost most of the baby weight and am at a "healthy" weight, according to those annoying charts, but I still have about 15-20lbs I would like to lose. Hey, back to back pregnancies and c-sections are not overly kind to a mama's body.

I was doing quite well and eating sensibly until a couple of months ago when we began preparing for our recent move to Ohio. As we began packing all of our dishes and cookware, we began eating out. A lot. This has continues in our new home as we're still unpacking everything and getting things organized.

Between taking care of the kids, settling into a new home, blogging, and being a wife, I don't have a lot of time right now to cook elaborate meals, so it's been easy to get lured in by convenience foods. That's why I was absolutely thrilled when I recently got the opportunity to review the diet delivery services from Diet-to-Go.

Since we finally own our own home, I am so excited that I can finally decorate our rooms the way I want to rather than how a landlord thinks I should. (Which usually means drab white walls and little creativity.) While we liked our old rental home, it never truly felt like it was our home…It didn’t reflect who we are, since we were not allowed to make certain changes in decor. In our new home, I plan to make each and every room special. Pops of color, different textures and moods…We already have plans forming for almost every room in the house. Gone will be the hideous, ancient wallpaper in the formal living room…In will come my brand new stainless kitchen appliances, courtesy of the awesome folks at Maytag, and my counters will be the envy of the neighborhood, thanks to Giani Granite. We’d also like to eventually finish our gigantic basement and have a rec room and extra bed and bath put in. There are about a million changes we’d like to make, and I cannot wait to get started on our home renovations and after a lot of sweat equity, see the finished look.

There are certain rooms that are a bit of a challenge. Namely, the kids’ rooms. You see, as a mom I know all too well that kids’ tastes change regularly. A couple of years ago, my now 12 year old wanted to paint his entire room in a High School Musical theme…Then the next year, it was a Lady Gaga obsession…Now, he’s an “emo”, whatever that means. Thankfully, these phases seem to pass rather quickly.

So rather than do something as permanent as painting murals on the kids’ walls, I started searching for easier ways to give my kids the rooms they want without having to spend countless hours and hundreds of dollars painting.That’s when I discovered evgieNev. This is an amazing company that creates vinyl wall decals that are easy to apply, removable, and work on all wall surfaces. There are simply adorable nursery and kids decals as well as classy, elegant solutions for the rest of the home. They even offer some great wall quotes, which happen to be quite popular now. So as the kids grow and styles change, evgieNev can grow with them, and at a very affordable price!

Here’s a bit more about evgieNev, from their website:
Evgie and Ev are real gals with passion and expertise in digital illustration and interior decoration.

A few words About Us.  Each of us liked drawing very much since childhood, it became our profession.
With vinyl wall decals being the latest trend in home decor – easy to apply, easy to remove, easy to tailor to specific wall or surface – we offer handmade large and small vinyl stickers with our designs and ideas for kids and grown-ups rooms. We start with idea, pencil and blank paper and then render our designs digitally for vinyl cutting. We view wall as a background for living.

CUSTOM DESIGN
EVGIE Studio specializes in producing customized wall decals. We create personal designs that not only reflect the ideas you have in mind, but are tailored to fit into your unique space. Send us pictures of your room, wall color, bedding sets, painting, anything that inspires you and we will craft an idea that will transform your home.
If you need help or have an idea of how to personalize your space with walls decals feel free to drop us a line, we’d love to hear from you. hello@evgie.com

These gals are skilled, talented designers who have a great passion for helping families to create beautiful spaces. I loved browsing their designs and daydreaming about all of the fun transformations I could make in our new home.

My first project? Xander's room. The awesome folks at evgieNev generously sent me their Tree With Monkeys decal, and I knew this would be perfect for my own little monkey! Xander loves climbing and also adores monkeys. I couldn't wait to get started and see the finished results!

It's definitely no secret around here that I love cloth diapers, and am very enthusiastic about debunking common stereotypes surrounding them. Yes, there are plenty of false assumptions about cloth, and before I tried them, I had these preconceptions, myself!

We began cloth diapering out of necessity. When our daughter was only 3 months old, we discovered we were pregnant again. Doing the math, we realized that our babies would only be 12 months apart in age. Well, being a one income family, we had to find ways to save money. The first concern was diapering. Can you imagine what it would cost to keep two very different sized babies in disposable diapers? By our calculations, this would cost HUNDREDS of dollars every single month! And this was a cost we certainly couldn't afford without my husband getting a second job, or me finding work at night. Neither idea seemed overly appealing to us, so at the urging of a friend, we began looking into cloth diapering.

I will admit, we were very reluctant at first. I had images of big prefolds, gigantic, sharp diaper pins and squeaky rubber pants running through my mind. I also had the notion that cloth diapering would be messy, hard to get on a squirming baby, and that they would be a nightmare to clean. I imagined that I would be a veritable laundry machine, needing to wash stinky, oozing diapers day and night just to keep up with the demands of two babies. It's safe to say, I was definitely a skeptic.

And then my high school friend came to town with her family. Her two youngest daughters were in cloth at the time, and it was the first time I had actually seen modern cloth. I was amazed at the plush materials, the vibrant, fun colors and prints, and most of all, I was shocked at how EASY they were to put on a baby. Modern cloth diapers were nothing at all like I envisioned them! And this is where my love affair with all things fluff began.

I started doing more research about cloth-diapers, and even got a few to try out, and I quickly learned that everything I had assumed about cloth diapering was outdated and just plain wrong. Is cloth difficult to use? Not at all! Modern Cloth diapers look and act much like their disposable counterparts. They are easy to fasten, even on a wiggling baby, and they are not complicated for the parent to figure out. (Even clumsy husbands!) Are cloth diapers stinky? Well, this is an unfair question, because ALL diapers smell when they're soiled. But I have found that cloth diapers tend to be LESS smelly than disposables, probably due to the fact that they're not full of the chemicals found in disposable diapers that just tend to amplify odors. When switching to cloth, I noticed that my baby smelled like a baby...Not like some off concoction of artificial, perfumey substances mixed with the unmistakeable smell of urine. Yuck! Are cloth diapers hard to clean? Not at all! Sure, it takes some getting used to. Yes, you need to use a cloth-friendly detergent. But once you get a good routine in place, it becomes second nature. And it's only a couple extra loads of laundry per week!

Another important benefit of cloth is that by using cloth diapers, you're doing a big part in helping the planet. Did you know that BILLIONS of disposable diapers are thrown into our already overflowing landfills every year? It can take up to 500 years for these diapers to biodegrade. So when you think of all of the diapers sitting there in landfills, not breaking down, you can see what an impact this has on the environment! Since cloth diapers are reusable, you're doing your part in helping to keep unnecessary waste out of the Earth's landfills. If properly cared for, cloth diapers can last through several babies' diapering careers. Think of the thousands of diapers you could keep out of the landfills by using cloth!

But the thing I love the MOST about cloth is that they're stinkin' cute and my babies love them! With so many vibrant colors and prints and plush fabric options, cloth is a fashion statement in itself. Not to mention, they are much more comfortable for baby. Wouldn't you rather sit on soft, velvety cloth than on scratchy, mushy paper? Guess what? So would your baby! So really, cloth is a no-brainer in my mind. It's more economical, it's better for baby and for the environment, and it's so easy to use. The only downside? It's addicitive! But that's not really a bad thing at all, if you ask me!

I am always on the lookout for awesome cloth-diaper retailers. I recently discovered Glow Bug Cloth Diapers. This company was founded by Sarah and Neta, two amazing mamas. They actually became friends in a prenatal yoga class. Over the course of their pregnancies they became very close friends.  They were thrilled when Sarah's daughter Amelia was born only weeks after Neta’s daughter Ela in 2007.  They  both discovered and enjoyed using cloth diapers on their girls. After the birth of Neta’s son Edder and Sarah's daughter Gloria in 2010, they were both looking for new cloth diapers.  Both women shared the same concerns with the available brands.  All they wanted were good quality, affordable cloth diapers but  were really frustrated that the product they were looking for did not seem to exist.   What better solution to their  dilemma than to start their own company that would sell amazing quality cloth diapers at a great price?

The result? Amazing! Glow Bug Cloth Diapers offer  a ton of great features that make this a goof-proof diaper. From a convenient snap system that allows for error-proof sizing to double leg gussets that keep messes IN the diaper where they belong, this diaper is absolutely wonderful as well as affordable. Glow Bug diapers also have  the convenient feature that you don't have to handle soiled inserts - they come out by themselves in the wash! This diaper also has a snap that secures the insert to the diaper, should you choose to use it. Glow Bug diapers feature an extended sizing range, and truly will fit from birth to potty. The diaper  is designed to for babies from birth to about 35lbs!

Take a look!

It's time to party, Beverly Hills Chihuahua style! So grab your sombreros, maracas, and a furry friend or two because today, September 18th, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta! hits the shelves on Blu-ray combo pack, DVD and Digital Download.

This is the third movie in the Beverly Hills Chihuahua series, and the Cortez family is having more fun than ever! Papi, Chloe, Uncle Pedro and all of the pups go on a whirlwind adventure when they move into the fabulous Langham Huntington Pasadena, the premiere pet-friendly resort in the Beverly Hills area.

The pups enjoy lavish accommodations, swimming in a gorgeous pup pool, posh dinner celebrations complete with piano solos from Chloe Winthrop-Ashe-Cortez, and even an upscale closet filled entirely with peanut butter. Sounds like any dogs dream come true, if you ask me!

But could there be trouble in paradise? Papi notices something is amiss at the Langham and decides to investigate.I won't go into detail since you'll want to see the movie for yourself, but what Papi discovers just might be the end of the Langham, and of his family's stay there. So what's a proud papa to do? Get to the bottom of it, of course!

While Papi is busy unraveling the mysterious happenings at the Langham, the pups have their own problems to deal with. You see, they begin Puppy School at the Langham. This means new teachers, new lessons, and a wide variety of peers to adapt to. The pups are unsure of how to deal with their new environment. Poor little Rosa has the hardest time of all. She is the victim of doggy-bullying and called a "runt." This leaves Rosa feeling quite inadequate and she worries that she will never be grown-up enough for anyone to think of her as anything other than the runt of the litter. I won't spoil the movie, but Rosa ends up proving that it's not the size of a dog that matters, it's the size of their hearts that does.

To make little Rosa feel better about herself and learn to be comfortable in her own fur, Papi decides to plan his little girl an elaborate Quinceanera to celebrate her growing up into a capable, responsible dog. This leaves Papi with a bittersweet feeling since he knows he will be forced to let his little girl go and venture into the world with confidence and poise. Watching the party planning was absolutely hysterical! I especially loved the entertainment auditions. Watching the doggy band members perform and dance got huge chuckles out of my entire family.

Overall, this movie was heartwarming, hilarious, and definitely very fun for the entire family. I thought the actors portraying the pups did a fantastic job of capturing doggy personalities, and the voices were so colorful! George Lopez was my favorite. He made an amazing Papi!

This movie has a very positive message and offers something to everybody. Whether you're a child trying to find your own place in the world or a parent who struggles to let their children go, this movie is completely relatable on many levels.

Check out this great trailer for the film:

Traveling with a baby can be quite a challenge. New parents are often caught off guard by just how much stuff is required when going out on the town with their bundle of joy. You may need to pack diapers, wipes, bottles, baby food, extra clothing, blankets, strollers, and the list goes on and on.

One of my biggest pet peeves while traveling with my toddlers is the fact that my diaper bag stays pretty cluttered. I often have to dig around for whatever I am looking for. Mid diaper change, this is not something I want to have to do. Especially when the diaper is on the dangerous side! (And when it comes to my 20 month old, Xander, they usually are.)

That's why I fell in love immediately when I discovered the great travel accessories from JJ Cole. I received a Diapers & Wipes Pod, a Bib Set, and a Bottle Pod for my review, and they have made running errands with my little ones do much easier!

I have to be honest with you here. While being a Mom is definitely the most important role I will ever play in life, it certainly isn't always a glamorous one. I have a preteen and 2 toddlers, so many days are spent running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I chase my kids around as they try and destroy...oops, I mean explore our new home. I cook, I clean, I clean some more...and more...and more still. Some days it's all I can do to get a shower in peace, let alone get made up or have time to do my hair!

So I exist in comfy clothing with my hair thrown into a ponytail or messy bun. Sadly, this isn't the most attractive or polished look. In fact, it could probably classify as disheveled. I just don't have the time to give myself a proper blowout and style every day. Yep, Frumpty Dumpty it is...Most of the time.

That's why when Lilla Rose consultant Misty Marr contacted me about reviewing their best-selling Flexi-Clip, I jumped at the chance. I have seen Lilla Rose products all over the blogosphere for quite some time now, and I was always curious about them. Having an effortless, beautiful hairstyle in no time flat just sounded too good to be true. I was eager to find out for myself!

If you haven't heard of the Lilla Rose Flexi-Clip, let me tell you a bit about this must-have hair accessory:

With all the political talk buzzing this election year, it's hard not to think about what it takes to make a good President. Don't worry, I am not going to push my political views on you or even discuss them. I have just been thinking back on current and previous administrations and all of the fails and major accomplishments in our country's history.

When I think of successes, one name immediately comes to mind: Abraham Lincoln. Our 16th President was truly a great man from humble beginnings and did so much during his term as Commander In Chief to change our country, which was in turmoil at the time. Because of this great man, slavery was abolished, the Civil War (which really wasn't very civil at all) came to an end, and he united a country that was divided. Lincoln believed in equality for all Americans. I guess you could call him one of the first civil rights activists!

I am so excited that DreamWorks is set to release the much anticipated "Lincoln" this November!

Steven Spielberg directs two-time Academy Award® winner Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln,” a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

Check out the official trailer below! And be sure to connect with the film on your social media sites!


“Like” LINCOLN on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LincolnMovie

Follow LINCOLN on Twitter: http://twitter.com/lincolnmovie

Official LINCOLN site: www.thelincolnmovie.com

 

LINCOLN arrives in theaters November 9th (Limited) and Nationwide November 16th!