Over The Top Mommy

Come Meet Olivia Rodrigo, star of the American Girl Movie, Saturday, 10/17, at Williams-Sonoma South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa!

October 14, 2015 / Family Fun, Lifestyle, Orange County, South Coast Plaza

Meet Olivia Rodrigo, star of the American Girl movie, “Grace Stirs Up Success” and Chef Amanda Haas, Williams-Sonoma’s Director of Culinary this Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Williams-Sonoma South Coast Plaza!

Williams-Sonoma is introducing a line of exclusive, branded products as part of the partnership the brand launched in June with American Girl. The new line includes a dedicated, hardcover cookbook, now available, called Baking-Recipes for Cookies, Cupcakes & More.

The illustrated book is 90 pages and contains 40 images with 30 recipes that complement the American Girl cooking classes Williams-Sonoma introduced this summer. The American Girl by Williams-Sonoma line ranges in price from $9.95 to $59.95 with products available at Williams-Sonoma. American Girl stores will also carry all non-food products from the line and at its retail stores nationwide, starting October 8.

In “Grace Stirs Up Success”, Grace has a special talent for baking and a passion for making delicious dreams come true and Williams-Sonoma aims to inspire cooks of all ages. Williams-Sonoma President, Janet Hayes comments, According to Williams-Sonoma President, Janet Hayes, the partnership between Williams-Sonoma and American Girl and the development of the product line is another exciting way that aims to engage the entire family in the kitchen.

At the in-store event, Amanda and Olivia will bake together and take questions from the audience with cookbook signing to follow. This fun baking demo and signing celebrates the product launch of Williams-Sonoma for American Girl.

This is a ticketed event. Secure a ticket by visiting Eventbrite or contacting the hosting store to purchase a ticket. Ticket price includes the new Williams-Sonoma cookbook, Baking-Recipes for Cookies, Cupcakes & More. All guests will also receive a copy of the American Girl DVD “Grace Stirs Up Success” as a bonus!

Williams-Sonoma South Coast Plaza is located inside at:
3333 Bear Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 540-1397

*Proof of purchase required. Returns prohibited. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. Images property of Williams-Sonoma and American Girl.

GOOSEBUMPS Scholastic Educational Program – Unlock the Adventure! Download FREE Activities! #GOOSEBUMPS

October 12, 2015 / Entertainment, Movies

GOOSEBUMPS fans of all ages are getting excited in anticipation of the film’s release in theaters October 16! I loved reading the GOOSEBUMPS books and now my own daughter does too!

If you haven’t watched the official GOOSEBUMPS trailer yet, here it is:

Here’s a synopsis of the film:

Upset about moving from a big city to a small town, teenager Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) finds a silver lining when he meets the beautiful girl, Hannah (Odeya Rush), living right next door, and makes a quick friend in Champ (Ryan Lee). But every silver lining has a cloud, and Zach’s comes when he learns that Hannah’s mysterious dad is in fact R.L. Stine (Jack Black), the author of the bestselling Goosebumps series. As Zach starts learning about the strange family next door, he soon discovers that Stine holds a dangerous secret: the creatures that his stories made famous are real, and Stine protects his readers by keeping them locked up in their books. When Stine’s creations are unintentionally released from their manuscripts, Zach’s life takes a turn for the weird. In a crazy night of adventure, it’s up to Zach, Hannah, Champ, and Stine to team up and get all of these figments of Stine’s imagination – including Slappy the Dummy, the girl with the haunted mask, the gnomes and many more – back in the books where they belong to save the town.

There’s also a GOOSEBUMPS Scholastic Educational Program where you can download creepy classroom activities, writing programs, a digital flipbook, monster masks and many other activities. How cool is that? It’s a great resource for parents AND teachers! To learn more about the activities, click here.

With GOOSEBUMPS coming to theaters October 16th what are YOU most anticipating in the film? Are you ready to see the GOOSEBUMPS stories come to life on the big screen? I know I am!

Don’t forget to find GOOSEBUMPS on Facebook and Twitter!

Southern California Great Wolf Lodge® Set to Open in February 2016! #GWLSoCal

October 11, 2015 / California, Family Fun, Great Wolf Lodge, Lifestyle, Orange County, Travel

Great Wolf Lodge® is opening in Southern California and our family is ecstatic! I was invited to take a hard hat tour of the newest location, which is currently under construction in Garden Grove and I’ve never seen anything like it! Great Wolf Lodge refers to themselves as the ultimate family vacation destination and I can see why! They pride themselves on providing quality accommodations, exceptional services, and a variety of amenities and entertainment all under one roof. The 603-room all-suite resort is going to WOW when they walk in!

At the start of the facility tour, I got to meet Wiley the Wolf, who is the official Great Wolf Lodge mascot. As I was During my hard hat tour, I felt like my mouth kept dropped open around every new corner! Seriously, I cannot wait for it to open!

The GIANT 105,000 square-foot indoor water park at Great Wolf Lodge is the most popular amenity for resort guests. Water park passes are already included in the cost of your stay and are exclusive for the guests staying at Great Wolf Lodge.

The water park itself is maintained at 84 degrees which means that weather will never affect your stay. Unique water slides and attractions will offer something for everyone.

The Howlin’ Tornado is the water park’s signature ride and is six stories tall! It sends riders swooshing up and down its enormous funnel before the final splash into the catch pool! I can’t wait to get on it!

Let’s talk about the accommodations! There are more than a handful of different suite options to choose from at Great Wolf. Each suite offers a complimentary coffee pot, microwave, and refrigerator. Families have plenty of room to spread out and relax and can choose the accommodations that best fit the size of their family.

Double Queen Suite – Features two queen beds and sleeps up to 4 guests.
Family Suite – Features two queen beds and a full sofa sleeper and sleeps up to 6 guests.
Wolf Den Suite – Features a queen bed, full sofa sleeper and a themed Wolf Den, complete with a set of bunk beds. Sleeps up to 6 guests.
KidCabin Suite – Features a queen bed, full sofa sleeper and a Great Wolf Kids-themed KidCabin complete with bunk beds and a twin bed. Sleeps up to 7 guests.
Grand Bear Suite – Features a private master bedroom with a king bed and a full bathroom. The main area includes two queen beds, a full sleeper sofa and a second bathroom. Sleeps up to 8 guests.
Great Bear Suite – Features two queen beds and a semi-private living room, complete with a private master bedroom with queen bed. Sleeps up to 6 guests.
Great Bear King – Features two queen beds and a semi-private living room, complete with a private master bedroom with king bed. Sleeps up to 6 guests.

The dining options at Great Wolf provide something for everyone in the family to enjoy. I like that Great Wolf not only acknowledges kids can be picky eaters but also offers options for guests with food allergies and have special dietary needs ,such as a gluten free diet. It’s something that moms can really appreciate as it isn’t often easy to dine out when your child has those kinds of needs.

Lodge Wood Fired Grill – A full serve a la carte restaurant open for lunch and dinner, with delectable shareables and unique signature items to create the perfect place to eat.
Hungry as a Wolf – Family meals on the go for lunch and dinner featuring fresh made pizza, sandwiches, salads, and pasta.
Bear Paw Sweets & Eats – A confectionary that offers a variety of treats, such as fresh-baked pastries, ice cream, lodge-made fudge and more.
Buckets Incredible Craveables – Located inside the water park, the casual menu offers burgers, hot dogs, french fries, cold beverages, ice cream, and more.
Loose Moose Family Kitchen – A buffet style restaurant, open for breakfast and dinner, that has options for the entire family.
Grizzly Jack’s Bar and Grill – Located by the outdoor water park, this is the place to refuel for more fun in the sun, offering a variety of food and drinks to choose from.
Dunkin’ Donuts – Located right inside the resort, this is America’s favorite all-day stop for coffee and baked goods.

Although most people are going to spend a lot of time at the water park, there are a ton of other attractions and entertainment to enjoy during a stay at Great Wolf Lodge including:

Character Appearances – Daily appearances with Wiley the Wolf and Violet the Wolf.
Story Time – The entire family can gather in the Grand Lobby each evening to hear a story about the Great Wolf Kids characters before bedtime.
Wolf Walk – Learn about the many animals and wildlife living in the Northwoods and make an origami wolf to take home.
MagiQuest – Battle dragons, befriend a pixie and wave a magic wand in this live-action adventure game throughout the resort. The games feature three unique chapters, each with their own challenges and quests.
The Great Wolf Kids Program – Daily activities for kids that take place around the resort, including dance parties, face painting, and games such as Wiley Bingo, Character Floor Memory, and Character Trivia.
Howly Wood XD Theater – This motion thrill ride transports riders directly into the movie action with every effect amplified, creating an unforgettable experience.
Howl at the Moon Mini Golf – 9-hole themed indoor miniature golf course.
Northern Lights Arcade – More than 100 interactive video and redemption games that allow guests to redeem points for prizes.
Scooops Kid Spa – A unique spa created for kids, complete with ice cream-themed manicures, pedicures, and more. Each service includes a real ice cream treat.
Ten Paw Alley – Family-style bowling with pint-sized bowling balls.
Clubhouse Crew – Interactive Scavenger hunt through the resort starring the Great Wolf Kids characters. It’s the perfect experience for the resort’s youngest guests.
Laser Frenzy – An exciting arcade-style game with the latest in touch and LED technology. Players can see who is fastest as they dart between the “laser beams”.

The Great Wolf Lodge Southern California also features over 20,000 sq. feet of meeting and banquet space. It’s the ideal location to host corporate meetings, youth excursions, family reunions, special occasions or more. With 12 separate and configurable meeting rooms, the resort’s team of experienced meeting professionals can create the perfect space to your needs.

Great Wolf Lodge Southern California is now accepting reservations for its newest location. You can book reservations for March 2016 through December 2016 by visiting http://www.greatwolf.com or calling 1-888-960-WOLF (9653).

So what are YOU most excited for at Great Wolf Lodge Southern California? My answer to that is “all of it!“

Connect with Great Wolf Lodge Southern California on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

{Giveaway} 5th Annual EEK! At The Greek! Presented By Children’s Hospital Los Angeles! 10/24 at The Greek Theatre, L.A.!

October 9, 2015 / Entertainment, Greek Theatre

The 5th annual EEK! At The Greek! event will take place this year on Saturday, October 24 at the Greek Theatre,
LA. Presented by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, this family-friendly event will, once again, feature the 60-piece Symphony In The Glen with Maestro Arthur B. Rubinstein and will present a creepy collection of frightening favorites.

EEK! At The Greek! will also feature a “Trick-or-Treat Village“, in the Greek’s plaza welcoming families to bring their children for safe trick-or-treating and Halloween activities from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM, including:

arts & crafts
face painting
a costume contest

The costume contest will begin at 4:30 PM in the front plaza, with the finale taking place during intermission on The Greek Theatre’s main stage which will b emceed by the popular Doug Kolk, entertainment reporter for KTLA, and self-proclaimed “concert-going fool,” who reports on all the amazing live music venues throughout Los Angeles.

The Main Stage performance begins at 7:00 PM. This year’s musical program includes Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries,” “Ghost Riders in The Sky” with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, the premiere live-to-film performance of the classic Disney cartoon “Hell’s Bells,” John Williams’s “The Devil’s Dance” from The Witches of Eastwick and actor, Armin Shimerman (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) narrating Edgar Allen Poe’s Gothic masterpiece, “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

As you can see, EEK! At the Greek! is a wonderful event that you should take your entire family to. For many Southern California families, it’s become an annual Fall tradition. Tickets for the event are on sale now and available at GreekTheatreLA.com and AXS.com. All dates, acts and ticket prices subject to change without notice. A service charge is added to each ticket price.

I’m also giving away a family 4-pack of tickets to EEK! at the Greek! You can enter to win below on the Rafflecopter. Don’t forget to read the instructions carefully. Good luck everyone! Happy Fall!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Symphony In The Glen is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization with the mission of cultivating new generations of classical music lovers. The orchestra comprises professional musicians whose talents and skills grace the premier orchestras of Los Angeles.

This is not a sponsored post. I was provided with information in order to facilitate this post. Images and logos property of EEK! at the Greek! and The Greek Theatre, L.A. All opinions are 100% my own.

Friendly Ghosts, Delicious Treats and Tons of Not-So-Spooky Halloween Fun at Knott’s Spooky Farm! #KnottsSpookyFarm

October 7, 2015 / Knott's, Orange County, SoCal Fun

I was invited to attend a media day at Knott’s . No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Have you had a chance to check out Knott’s Spooky Farm yet? This year you can enjoy not-so-spooky daytime Halloween fun, throughout the park, every weekend in October! There are so many things to see and do and it’s all focused on Halloween cheer rather than fear! Activities are geared towards children ages 3-11 but I’m *29 and had the best time there last weekend!

Here are some of the cool things you’ll find at Knott’s Spooky Farm this year:

Ghost Town Trick or Treating – Kids will have so much fun trick or treating in Calico Ghost Town. They’ll encounter a different friendly ghost at each station and receive a special treat from them! Be sure to bring a trick or treat bag or bucket!

Creepy Crawler Cabin – Explore creepy crawlers and other things that’ll make your skin crawl in the Creepy Crawler Cabin, located inside the Pony Express Outpost in Ghost Town. There are even opportunities to touch some of them if you’re extra nice to the resident there…a witch!

“The Monster Are Coming, Charlie Brown!” Show – Over in the Camp Spooky Theater, located inside Camp Snoopy, you can catch one of the daily shows of this musical production, starring some of your favorite Peanuts characters. Snoopy’s Costume Contest and Dance Party – Sign up to enter the costume contest held in the Camp Spooky Theater. Guests (under age 12) in costumes who enter have the chance to win fun prizes. Note: Adults are not permitted to wear costumes in the park.

Spooky Hollow Maze – Travel through a spooky forest with gigantic jack-o-lanterns and you might even encounter the Headless Horseman. For a nominal fee, you can decorate your own pumpkin after you exit the maze. Monster Masquerade Ball – Join in on some karaoke fun at the Monster Masquerade Ball! Kids can sing along with their favorite songs and also choose a Halloween mask to color and decorate and take home.

See? I told you there’s a ton of stuff to see and do at Knott’s Spooky Farm! I love that they’ve made this family friendly Halloween celebration a park-wide event this year because we also spent time going on all of our favorite attractions, too! All of the Knott’s Spooky Farm fun is already included in the price of your regular park ticket! Why not consider getting a Knott’s 2016 Season Pass? Right now it includes one 2015 visit, which you could use for a day at Knott’s Spooky Farm! For more information about Season Passes, click here. You can also purchase your Knott’s tickets online at a discount. To purchase yours, click here.

A very special thank you to Knott’s for hosting us for a very fun day in the park.

Who are YOU going to BOO This Year? I’m BOO’ing the Teachers! (Plus “Monster” Cookies Recipe) #BOOItForward

October 6, 2015 / Crafts & DIY, Food, Holiday Fun, Printables, Recipes

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BOOItForward #CollectiveBias

I absolutely LOVE this time of year. I can’t say that the weather cools down much here in Southern California but you DO start to see pumpkins and Halloween decorations all around. It’s one of my favorite holidays of the year and I get so excited to kick off the Halloween season by BOO’ing people at the beginning of October.

If you aren’t familiar with the modern-day tradition of BOO’ing, it’s really fun and easy to do. You just put together a little anonymous Halloween surprise for someone and deliver it. The surprise usually consists of some type of treats in a cute Halloween bucket, basket, or even gift bag. You also include a BOO sign and instructions so that whoever you BOO, can BOO someone too! (Hey, that rhymes!)

I found all of the items I needed for my BOO’ing at Walmart. On the Seasonal aisle, I found giant Mars Chocolate Mix Fun Size bag of assorted candies, including M&M’s®, TWIX®, and SNICKERS®.

On the soft drinks aisle, I grabbed a couple of 6-packs of special Halloween “Mini Monster” cans of Sunkist® and 7UP®. They’re adorable with little monsters on them! l also found the ingredients I needed to make my “Monster” Cookies. (It’s a special Halloween cookie recipe we make every year using M&M’s® and TWIX®).

In past years, we’ve BOO’d neighbors on our street, friends who live close by, and even relatives who live in our same town. This year I think I’ll do some BOO’ing at my school. I teach first grade and I know of some teachers who would appreciate a little BOO surprise on their desk one morning. ( I know I would!) Teachers are really easy to please and love almost anything.

I decided to make little BOO kits with some snacks and mini cans that my teacher friends could enjoy during their break time. I also baked up a fresh batch of my “Monster” Cookies to include in each BOO’ing kit! (see below for recipe)

Here are the items I used for my BOO’ing kits:

assorted chocolates from
“Mini Monster” cans of 7UP® & Sunkist®
black and white polka dotted paper straws
black and white striped washi tape
googly eyes
regular tape
decorative black and orange plastic patterned popcorn boxes
cellophane bags
decorative ribbon
Mouthwatering “Monster” Cookies

Since I purchased Halloween “mini monster” cans of Sunkist® and 7UP® for my BOO’ing kits, I cut down some cute paper straws a little and used washi tape to attach them to the cans. It makes an adorable presentation.

I also used some big googly eyes on the popcorn boxes to make them look a little cuter. You could use glue or even tape to attach them.

After I baked my cookies and let them cool, I stacked up a few and put them into a cellophane bag and tied it with a festive Halloween ribbon. My “Monster” Cookies are pretty big so only a few fit in each bag.

It was fun to put the BOO’ing kits together. First, I filled the bottom of each popcorn box with the candies. Then, I placed a Halloween “Mini Monster” can inside, then I filled it to the top with more candy. I set the tied up cellophane bag of cookies on top of the box (I told you they were giant cookies!) and placed the “We’ve Been BOO’d” printables” next to each surprise on each of the teachers’ desks!

I don’t know about you, but I get as giddy as a first grader when it comes to leaving surprises like this! I couldn’t wait for them to discover they’d been BOO’d!

To make BOO’ing easier, MARS has provided a free “We’ve Been BOO’d” sign that you can print out and use with your BOO’ing kit. Just click here to download yours and print.

After you print out the pages:

Cut out the “We’ve been BOO’d” sign.
Fold the “You’ve been BOO’d” greeting card (page 2) and tape openings together.
Include the card (and sign if you don’t want to remain anonymous) when you BOO someone!

Look how cute these turned out! It’s so much fun to BOO at work! Having a “We’ve Been BOO’d” sign on the classroom door is really fun, too!

Here’s my recipe for “Monster” Cookies. It’s fairly simple to prepare and the cookies turn out delicious every time.

“Monster” Cookie Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
10-12 Fun Size Twix Bars, chopped
8-10 Fun Size packs of M&M’s®
1 package of candy eyeballs

“Monster” Cookie Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. (This is my best kept baking secret.)
Chop up approximately 1/2 cup Twix bars and set aside.
Measure out 1/2 cup M&M’s and also set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated and brown sugars, and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating them in after each one is added.
Beat in the flour mixture gradually.
Mix in the Twix and M&Ms with a wooden spoon.
Spoon generous portions of the cookie dough onto the parchment paper-covered baking sheet. (They’re supposed to be pretty giant.)
Bake 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and add a few more pieces of each candy plus 1-3 candy eyeballs on the top of each cookie. This will help them to bake while staying visible in the cookie.
Bake 3-5 more minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.

Right now, you can save $2.00 on on ONE (1) 6pk 8oz Cans or TWO (2) 2L and 2 bags of Mars® Candy at Walmart. Click here for coupons. Also, don’t forget to enter the Boo It Forward Sweepstakes! #booitforwardsweepstakes

So are you ready to go out and BOO someone now? I hope I’ve inspired you to “BOO It Forward”!

Spend a Magical Morning Participating in the 2015 CHOC “Walk in the Park” at The Disneyland Resort!

October 3, 2015 / Lifestyle

It was such an honor to be part of the 24th Annual CHOC “Walk in the Park” at The Disneyland Resort last year that we’re participating in it again this year!

In 2014, 16,000 walkers who came out to walk for the children and, as a result, over 2 million dollars was raised. The monies go straight towards helping fund care, family services, education, and research that CHOC provides for so many. As a teacher who is local to the CHOC area, I have know many families who have received services there, regardless of their family’s ability to pay. It’s a pretty amazing place!

CHOC “Walk in the Park”, presented by the Disneyland Resort, is the largest, most unique single pediatric walk event in the nation. This year’s event will be held the morning of Sunday, October 11 and is expected to draw an estimated 15,000 participants from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia and Japan. (I think it’s going to exceed last year’s number.) More exciting news is that the CHOC Walk is celebrating its 25th silver anniversary this year simultaneously with the Disneyland Resort’s Diamond Celebration.

There are a few different ways that YOU can help! First of all, you can participate in the CHOC Walk, yourself. Grab your friends, grab your family, even grab some of your Instagram followers, and join in! There aren’t many things that can drag an adult out of bed this early on a weekend. You’ll be beyond touched when you are surrounded by the crowd. I shed quite a few tears during the event.

You’ll see so many families walking together as a way to say “thank you” to the doctors and nurses at CHOC, as well as honor their loved ones who have been patients there. It’s an experience I highly recommend, especially something to include your own child(ren) in.

Also, getting to walk inside of Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure before opening hours is something you can’t even pay to do! It’s a magical experience. Trust me when I say that The Disneyland Resort will have lots of surprises awaiting the CHOC Walkers because they just don’t disappoint. To register as individual or find a team to walk with for CHOC Walk, click here.

Each year, the CHOC Walk features a special ambassador. This year’s CHOC Walk ambassador is Mac Christman. Read more about Mac’s story here. As part of this year’s event, CHOC Children’s is hosting its first CHOC Walk Ambassador’s Luau on Saturday, October 10, 2015, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., in the Grand Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel.

The CHOC Walk Ambassador’s Luau promises to be a fun-filled afternoon for the whole family that will take place the day before the CHOC “Walk in the Park,” presented by the Disneyland Resort. For more information about this special event and to purchase tickets, click here.

Another way for people to support the event is to register for the Walk as a “Sleeping Bear.” This special designation allows CHOC supporters who cannot make it on Walk day to still raise money and support CHOC Children’s.

“Sleeping Bears” receive a CHOC Walk T-shirt and are eligible to earn prizes from their fundraising efforts. For more information about how to register as a “Sleeping Bear”, click here.

There are so many ways you can show support for CHOC Walk! We’re participating again this year to show our own support. Won’t you join us?

Learn more about this year’s event, register, or donate, click here. Connect with CHOC Walk in the Park on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own. Logo images property of CHOC and Disneyland Resort.

My Adventures at CosmetiCare Medspa Continue! This Time I’m Talking About Voluma!

October 2, 2015 / Beauty & Pampering, Lifestyle

Disclosure: I am part of CosmetiCare’s Mom Ambassador Program. I received medspa services in order to write my review. All opinions are 100% my own.

I recently wrote about my first visit to CosmetiCare’s medspa for some Botox. It was the first in a series of anti-aging treatments I get to try out as part of their Mom Ambassador program. I loved what the Botox ended up doing for my face. I feel like the wrinkles that bothered me immensely are pretty much gone, at least for now. I am amazed at all of the non-invasive and non-surgical options that are available to help fight against the aging process.

This time, I’m here to share about my experience with one of the injectable fillers they offer in the medspa at CosmetiCare, JUVÉDERM VOLUMA™ XC is my new favorite. Of course, I may actually say that about everything I’m trying at CosmetiCare because, so far, I’ve loved the Botox AND now this. It’s so convenient to have the option of getting an “instant makeover” on my lunchtime if I choose to do so. Nowadays, patients are able to get a lot of the same results that surgery used to accomplish. with virtually no down time and minimal pain.

My technician and I had a little chat before doing anything. Do you know what happens to your face as you get older? It’s just not good news. I basically learned that as we get older, we lose a lot of the volume in our faces, like in our cheeks, and it can cause our face to sometimes appear gaunt. I swear there have actually been times when I’ve looked in the mirror and felt like my face was falling. Well, my consultant confirmed that it actually is falling as I age!

I’m not willing to stand by and let that happen though! She suggested a little bit of “plumping” using fillers and I said “YES!” to that! CosmetiCare offers JUVÉDERM VOLUMA™ XC. This product is an injectable gel that instantly adds volume to the cheek area. It gives you a subtle lift and helps to restore contour and a more youthful profile to your face, for up to 2 years!

The technician literally drew white lines on my face where she was going to fill it in. It was really fun to see the transition in my face because she showed me one cheek when it already had filler in it. If you’re wondering if it hurts, it really doesn’t. It’s a lot of little pokes and you need to sit still, but trust me, I’m a pretty big “baby” and if I can do it, anyone can. I think the technicians at CosmetiCare are also just really good with their hands. Because they’ve received extensive training, they know how to do the injections quickly and efficiently with minimal bruising.

So, I’d say that I’m extremely happy with my results so far. I took this selfie after I’d had both treatments and you can see that both the Botox and the Voluma have done their “jobs”.

What do you think about my results so far? Do you have any questions for me about my medspa treatments? Ask away!

California Water is a Precious Resource. Make Every Drop Count with Scotts® EveryDrop™!

September 30, 2015 / Uncategorized

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts® EveryDrop™. All opinions are 100% my own.

With the lack of rainfall to replenish our water supply , California is in a serious drought state of emergency. This is a sponsored post written by me for Scotts® EveryDrop™ to discuss how we can each help with the situation. All opinions are my own.

The reality of the drought in California is now scarier than ever and it’s not getting any better. Everywhere I look there are lawns and landscapes that have major portions browning. There are posted signs in the different communities, stating specifics for community water-conservation goals, as well as the strictly enforced watering days. After more than a few consecutive years of a drought here in California, we need so badly to take some major steps to conserve water and make what we’re using last longer.

After our own Governor Brown mandated a 25% cut in water usage in California, many residents have opted for plants that require very little water and some have even replaced lawns with artificial turfs. However, for those who have decided to keep their yards, they are having to maintain them with A LOT less water. This is where an amazing product called Scotts® EveryDrop™ can help. The California Department of Food and Agriculture actually approved the registration for Scotts® EveryDrop™ this past summer, as an innovative consumer product that helps residents conserve water.

Scotts® EveryDrop™, developed by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, is a water maximizer for lawns and landscapes, designed to move more water into the soil, consistently and evenly, even in dry, hard-to-wet soils. EveryDrop™ is a unique formula of wetting agents, which help more water penetrate soil and get to the roots, where it is needed most. More water in the soil means less is wasted through surface runoff and pooling. One application lasts for four weeks, so no matter how you water; relying on rain, sprinklers, or hoses, EveryDrop™ helps maximize the water in your outdoor space long after the initial application and it’s so easy to use.

Often times in dry conditions, soils compact and cause available rain or irrigation water to bead on the surface and be wasted. EveryDrop® is a watering agent that uses an innovative surfactant technology to help available water penetrate the soil more easily and evenly so it can better reach the roots zone and hydrate the plants. EveryDrop™ helps homeowners use up to 25 percent less water on their lawns and landscapes.

As a first grade teacher and a mom, I’ve always made it a point to teach both my students and my own daughter about the importance of water conservation. I’ve taught them that “Everyday is Earth Day” and I’ve tried to help them see that they, too, can make an impact on our Earth. There are so many little things we can all do at home on a daily basis, such as turn off the water when brushing our teeth, take shorter showers and avoid baths unless totally necessary, and minimize the water usage during the washing of your daily dishes. Sadly, these things I’ve taught the kids to do are just part of what is going to make an impact at this point.

California residents, up and down the state, have to really consider their use of water on their lawns and landscapes too now, IN A BIG WAY. Well-fed lawns and plants are more efficient at using available water. For optimal results, feed your lawn and plants with Scotts® and Miracle-Gro®. California water is a precious resource and we have to make every drop count!

For additional information about EveryDrop® and to find more water conservation tips, click here.