formal introduction

I got married...now what? After enjoying our honeymoon in Hawaii, and returning to our home in Las Vegas, my husband and I realized we were "back to our normal lives."  Except this time our normal lives included each other, which made us both a lot happier.

What we didn't realize was that now everyone around us would start asking when we were having a baby.  At first it was great to see how interested people were in our personal lives, so it was very easy to say "we are going to enjoy being married for a few years before having a baby", with big smirks on our faces.

Of course, we had no idea how hard it was to actually have a baby until we started "trying" for one.  Wow, exhausting! Not to mention the disappointment every time we got a negative pregnancy test result.

So as you can imagine, we were thrilled to find out we were pregnant.  As if that wasn't good enough news, the doctor then told us we were expecting twins! We immediately shed tears of joy.  What a great day that was.

Once they were born our entire life was turned upside down. They were born 6 weeks early and I had to go home from the hospital without my babies.  It was the worse feeling ever!  After 3 weeks they both came home, one day apart.  After that, it was months filled with sleepless nights and very tired eyes for mommy and daddy.  Hallelujah for babies sleeping on a schedule and all through the night! After that, it has been a piece of cake! Not really, but close enough!

These two are seriously the center of my inspiration.  Every time I think of anything I want to accomplish, I think of them.  So, without further ado, I introduce the stars of this show: Natalia and Sebastian...

fun filled cupcakes!

Ok, so I love sweets.  I also love being creative.  So, I came up with my own concoction of toppings for my special cupcakes (by that I mean any box of store bought cake mix.)  I'm not that great at making desserts from scratch, plus with 2 babies tugging at my legs while I cook, I need the easiest recipe.  After baking my cupcakes perfectly, I let them cool down and then begin my favorite part, the frosting/decorating!

The best part is that my cupcakes are only on display at my house and are only eaten and judged by my family and friends. No matter how they turn out, everyone always says they are delish!  Besides, who doesn't love showing up to someones house and finding freshly baked cupcakes?

This is so easy, you will never use plain frosting again! 

I like to have 2 different choices of frosting, maybe chocolate and vanilla? Predictable? Not after the awesome toppings you're going to cover them with!  Of course, you can have as many frosting  flavors as you want.  I don't like to waste the frosting so it all depends on how many I am making.

Next, I raid my pantry in search of things that sound like fun to place on top.  Get creative and crush anything you like!

Here are a few topping options:

• Crushed Oreos, just crush them and press them down onto the frosting. 
• Hershey's Kisses are adorable and who doesn't love them?
• Crushed almonds
• Crushed cinnamon cereal or powdered cinnamon drizzled with caramel
• Chocolate chips or shaved chocolate
• Chocolate syrup, drizzled on top.  You can also melt chocolate in a double broiler and drizzle designs on wax paper, let it cool overnight and then place on top of your cupcakes.  The chocolate will be hard and very thin and it looks super fancy!
• Diced fruit - If you really want to get creative with this one, place the fruit on toothpicks, roll in egg white and then in sugar, let it dry overnight and place on cupcake center
• Gummy bears or any small candy (like M&Ms)
• Of course, sprinkles.

I hope you enjoy my suggestions! Please leave your comments or any suggestions on toppings you may want me to try on my cupcakes. 

Happy Baking!

balancing act

I have been married almost 10 years and, if you read my last post, you already know I have 18 month old twins. 

People always told us how much children change your life, but my husband and I were firm believers that our life would not change because of them.  We were wrong.  As much as we wanted to keep things the same, some changes were inevitable. 

However, that being said, your life does not need to change in a negative way.  Learning how to balance your new addition is probably the number one priority.  First, I think it is extremely important to get your baby (or babies) on a schedule, and stick to it! I'm not going to lie, having two babies to take care of at the same time is difficult, but if you keep them on a schedule it helps you keep your sanity.  Trust me, I'm no expert, just giving my opinion.

I have always worked.  But, after having the babies we decided it would be best if I became a stay at home mom.  At first I was scared to quit work to become a SAHM because I had no experience in this field.  But I quickly realized no one would take better care of my babies than me.  So I agreed.  The plan was to stay home one year and then find a nanny, but that year was gone way to fast and I am not ready to leave them!

Oh yeah, one more thing, don't forget about your hubby! I know you are probably exhausted, but he needs a little attention too!

I'm sure I have a long road ahead and a lot of learning, but for now I am happy with the changes in my life!

crumbs.

I am inspired by crumbs, and by crumbs I mean my 18 month old twins.

I am a neat freak or what you might refer to as "Type A Personality".  Everything around me needs to be neat, organized and on schedule.  Well, that was before the twins... 

When I found out I was having twins I was thrilled! I always wanted twins! They are a handful but definitely fun and all worth the hard work.  I'm not as worried as I once was about the house looking perfect.  Now I am inspired by every cookie crumb left around my house.  I clean constantly, but somehow they seem to find the one crumb stuck in a corner under a cabinet that I missed. It amazes me!

My husband and I love modern living and have incorporated that style into everything in our home, including everything pertaining to our twins. We love clean cut lines and simplicity. We are constantly searching for everyday household items that fit our style, and baby items are no exception! I also love fashion and hand made items.

I started this blog with several topics in mind and hope that everyone reading it finds it useful and inspiring.  I'm hoping to share stories and pictures of what makes up my life and especially, items I believe make my life easier while staying stylish!

Here are some pictures...