A post is so much better if you write it with a toddler on your shoulders…

 (FYI I took this picture myself!)

For more wordless Wednesday visit Angry Julie Monday.

Happy 4th of July!!

How can you not be in love with this little Lid Lover!?!?

 Jadyen is sporting our Trucker Lid in red!

 Praise God for our Freedom!!

We’ll be BBQing burgers and wearing our 4th of July tees!

Well, my mom got it at KOHL’S.

After seeing the coming home outfit options for a boy or a girl my mom went on a quest for matching shoes. Aren’t these perfect. You can’t even imagine how tiny they are in person!!

She picked up these sweet little shoes on clearance AND with a 15% off coupon at KOHL’S. They ended up only being $1.02, which makes me like them even better.

There is nothing like an awesome deal to get me smiling 🙂

Wanna show off something you got this week? Join our “I got it at…” Carnival!

See my lil’ Laundry Catch-All tutorial over at Blissfully Domestic…

And enter to win 1 dozen cupcakes from Kristin at Meringue Bake Shop from my She’s Crafty blog at OC Family.

Don’t her cupcakes look delish!?!?!

And in case you are wondering how Cyrus is doing…

Remember my friend Michele from Fun OC Parks?

We had an awesome playdate at the park?

And I sat on my giant pregnant rear the whole time while Michele watched my kiddos?

OK, now you remember!

She graciously offered to do some guest posts here at Eli’s Lids so I can spend more time smooching Cyrus!

You won’t be disappointed! Be sure to check out her awesome blog for tips on outdoor fun and the latest about Orange County Parks!

Beets Are Ugly
I wrote a post in April about our beautiful produce baskets fresh from the farm. You see, I’ve learned many things since joining a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). I know how to prepare kohlrabi and how to store lettuce so it stays fresh. The kids appreciate the flavor when fruits and veggies are fresh. The most glaring lesson, though? Beets are ugly.
They are ugly when they come out of the ground:

They are even uglier after roasting:

The skin peels off easily, but then they become ugly and messy:

Beets are ugly until . . . they aren’t.

The fresh ones actually taste amazing when you marinate them in a recipe like this one from Simple Recipes.  Kara Noel even gave me the okay to wear my crafty shirt – which got mildly splattered with beet juice. I tried to get creative and turn it into this:

Guess what happened when I put it in the wash? The beet juice disappeared! So it was my incredible disappearing craft project. Oh well!

Michele writes about pretty parks and playgrounds on her Fun Orange County Parks blog.

Our baby was born!

Did we dress our sweet bundle in PINK or BLUE?

(If you follow me on Twitter you have heard the news AND got a play by play of the whole event. If you aren’t following me on twitter, get with the program!! My friend Suz wrote a great recap about the whole ordeal at OC Family)

It’s a boy!!

Cyrus Daniel was born on June 22nd with a face (like most newborns) only a mother could love…

 Of course, it wasn’t long till he was scrumptious…

Cy burps like a champ…

 Sleeps occasionally…

 And has the neverending assortment of awesome newborn faces.

Did you get something awesome this week? Link up at our “I got it at…” Carnival…

…let him sleep in a box.

He didn’t last the whole night but we secured the ‘Coolest Parents Award’ for like 1 hour.

For more Wordless Wednesday link up at Angry Julie Monday.

Happy Father’s Day!!

What did you get your Dad?

I’m not ashamed to say that I’m giving my Dad something I won from Thoughts N’ Stuff’s Geeky Dad’s Giveaway:

Battlestar Galactica Propaganda Poster Set

 My Dad is one of those “hard to shop for” Dads.

He has it all, if he doesn’t have it he just buys it for himself and the stuff he does want is way out of our price range.

AND he’s not one of those gift people.

He’s happy with lunch and pictures of the kiddos. We can’t complain!! He’ll even spring for the lunch!

For the contest I had to leave a comment about why my Dad is a geek (Sorry but true Daddy). And my comment is also one of our favorite family memories.

Read for yourself:

I would love to win the Battlestar Galactica Poster Set for MY dad for Father’s day. My dad (and I) are total geeks. I started watching Start Trek with him as an infant and I memorized the opening of the show by the time I was 2! I still know the whole thing to this day (the original and next generation versions… because they are different. In case you didn’t know). One of my mom’s favorite memories is me sitting in my dad’s lap with my lil’ blond pigtails sticking out and reciting the whole beginning in a toddler accent!

I love how the that the posters have a vintage art deco look. I think we hit the nail on the head as far as something he will really like! And if he ever gets his office organized they will look great on his walls.

Thanks for being such a great Daddy!

Happy Dad’s Day!! See you at lunch 🙂

Now if you want to play along with the “I got it at…” Carnival, just add your link below…

I have had the privilege of visiting The Pacific Waters Spa at the Hyatt Huntington twice! It wasn’t too long ago that I went to learn about home spa treatments with my OC Family gals..

(Who could forget that just over 5 years ago Hot Hubby almost burned the place down on our honeymoon?)

My last visit was to test drive their new Pregnancy Package called Bundle of Joy.

It was a whole DAY of mommy-to-be pampering!!

The Bundle of Joy package includes a “Baby Love” massage, the Moisture Surge Facial, and Swell Hand and Foot Treatment.

See the full story by clicking on the picture below…