Thanksgiving Brunch with Made-In

Our kids have grown so much over the past year. Peyton and Charlotte now have preferences when it comes to breakfast. No longer are they satisfied with a bowl of cereal anymore, now they want a hot breakfast!
I think it all started when Peyton attended Mother’s Day Out and the teachers would have a special breakfast they referred to as a “Teddy Bear Breakfast.”
All of the children would bring their teddy bears and the teachers would make a huge spread for all the kids to enjoy.

This really set the bar high for breakfast at home, so now on the weekends the girls request a teddy bear breakfast and I know exactly what that means!

Their favorite thing is a breakfast casserole and it’s super easy to make.

I just chop up any veggies that we have in the fridge and toss it together with some eggs, cheese, sausage, and potatoes and put it in the oven for a little over an hour. It’s always a winner in our house and it’s my plan for Thanksgiving brunch to hold us over until Dinner.

I was so excited when Made-In sent me this beautiful oval gratin baking dish. Handcrafted in France, it’s the perfect bakeware for casseroles. I love that it has a natural non stick coating and can go straight from freezer to oven.

My favorite thing about this bakeware is that it is dishwasher and microwave safe.

Looking forward to using it for many years to come.

Hope your holiday plans are off to a great start.

Amber

Sponsored by Made-In

Three Avocados

This season is different for our family in so many ways. Peyton is in first grade now and my youngest two attend Mother’s Day Out a few days out of the week. For a while they were all home and now it feels that life is returning to normal. Our schedules are getting a lot busier these days.

We’ve been attending church online since last December and during the spring we decided that it was time to start going in person. We have been spending a lot of time at church, helping with children’s ministry and attending small groups and events. Our time is so important and we know that God honors our decision to spend time doing his work and helping others.

I recently found out about an amazing organization that is founded on doing just that. Three Avocados is a non-profit that sources and sells coffee beans from the mountains in Uganda to help the people there gain access to clean drinking water. Clean water helps to keep kids, especially girls, in school. Children are often responsible for fetching water daily, typically hours away by foot. Access to clean water gives them this time back, which can be better spent getting an education.

I just love how the name “Three Avocados” came about. It is inspired by the generosity of an elderly widow in Uganda.

You see, in small villages in Uganda, food is more important than money. An offering was being taken up there and the widow gave something very valuable to her, three avocados. It really touched me to know that she had sacrificed something so valuable because that was her heart.

It really opened my eyes to what God is wanting from me. I could give money or things. But what he wants from me is my time. It looks different for everyone. I feel like this sactifice is the key to blessings in our life. For the widow, it was avocados. For me, it’s my time.

I’ve really enjoyed this coffee in the mornings and it feels great knowing that it supports a beautful mission to provide cleaing drinking water to indivduals in need.

Check out Three Avocados and read more about their mission. Which season are you in right now? How are you spending your time?

Love and light,

Amber

Apple Crumb Pie

Harvest season is here.
The seeds that were planted months ago have matured and produced an abundance of crop. It is truly a reward for the patience and diligence a farmer has shown for the crop and I have a great respect for that work.

It also really inspires me to cook more… I believe that making food warms the body, mind, and heart and sharing it with those you love brings everyone closer together. Sunday night dinners have always been important to me, but more so now that we are heading into the fall and things are starting to get busy again.

So I’m starting this season off right with a warm oven and some flour dust.

We always have some kind of apple in the fridge and these bright red apples were the inspiration for this pie, perfect for Sunday dinner. I just love the smell of cinnamon and pecans roasting. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Before we begin, let’s talk about this crust. It’s storebought. Making pie preparation super simple and quick! And I’m all about that.

Happy Harvest season.

For the Apple Pie:

1 store bought pie Crust, room temperature

7 Apples, I just used what I had on hand, fuji, granny smith, gala are all fine.

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 stick unsalted butter

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

¼ cup water

¾ cup of granulated sugar

For the Crumb topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp granulated sugar

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup chopped pecans.

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in the middle.

Roll out dough into pie dish and crimp the edges to your liking

Peel, core and slice apples so they’re evenly sliced.

In a saucepan over a low flame, melt butter and stir in 2 tbsp of flour, let come to a simmer and whisk in ¼ cup water, 1 cup sugar and being up to a low boil. Reduce the heat and continue to whisk and simmer for  a few minutes until everything is combined.

Toss your apples with 1 tsp of cinnamon first and then pour over the melted butter mixture. Gently toss and place into prepared crust.

Crumb topping: Stir all the dry ingredients together. Add in room temperature butter and begin to work everything together. I used a fork and mashed everything together until it looked like wet sand. Stir in the chopped pecans. Gently spread over the top of the apple filling.

Bake uncovered at 375°F for 55 minutes or until middle of the pie reaches 175°F. Allow to cool 1 hour before cutting into pie so filling can set.

Swimsuits for Summer

Texas has always had super hot summers, but lately it has been such a scorcher! To cool off, we have been taking the kids to the neighborhood pool.

Swimming at a public pool used to be an extremely stressful time for me. I used to wear a swimsuit and then a cover it up with a shirt and shorts to hide all of my flaws.

A few years ago, I decided I wasn’t going to do that anymore. Freedom from that way of thinking feels so good.

I was so excited when Meet Curve wanted to send a few pieces of swimwear for me to try out. I was truly amazed when I put them on. For the first time in my life, I tried on a 2 piece and didn’t hate it!

Today, I own 2 of them, both from Meet Curve and I can’t wait to wear them to the pool. My favorite part about these swimsuits are the super high waist, extra lining in the abdomen so they aren’t see through, and lots of abdominal support. I am also a huge fan of the compression they have as well. They hold everything in which I appreciate when I’m swimming with my girls. I have been using these swimsuits for over 3 months now and the quality is the same as the first day I received them. Truly a great product that I am absolutely loving.

My kids love that their mom gets into the water with them and has a great time. No more stressing, no more anxiety! I love that I can feel confident in these swimsuits.

Sponsored by Meet Curve, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rockport Memories

Sometimes a change of scenery is all you need. I couldn’t wait to getaway to the beach. There’s just something about the water, sand, and sun that is so refreshing.

We recently visited Rockport, Texas and stayed at the cutest Beach house we found through Air BnB. I loved having the whole place to ourselves so that the kids can run and play and make as much noise as they wanted to. I also loved that we could cook and relax in our own spaces versus staying in a small hotel room. It was a good thing that my Mother-in-law came along with us for the vacation. Having here there with the kids was a huge help. They just love her. And I loved that she could be comfortable in the beach house in her own room.

The house was in a small community of other beach houses and there was a swimming pool nearby. We stayed during the week, so things weren’t as busy which is what we prefer.

One thing that we hadn’t planned on though were the mosquitos. They were literally everywhere. On the first night we were there, the owner of the beach house texted me to let me know that she was going to call and have the area fogged so the mosquitos weren’t as bad. I was really impressed that she had gone through the trouble to make our stay more comfortable. The next day, there was noticeably less mosquitos and we were all so thankful.

We decided to drive to Corpus Christi and visit the Selena Museum and the USS Lexington. Both places did not dissapoint! The Selena Museum was a little smaller than I expected, however, there were so many things to see. Selena’s outifts, various awards, and memories of her past accomplishments were all on display.

Afterward, we had lunch at a place called Catfish Charlie. The seafood was really good and so was the service. I highly recommend it if you are in Corpus.

We were all so excited to visit the USS Lexington. It is a real ship that has been turned into a musuem. It took us a few hours of walking the ship and really touring every aspect of life in the Navy from where and how they sleep on a ship, to where they eat, and how the ship itself functions. My favorite part was seeing the airplanes. Rhett just loved seeing them. I love his smile in this picture. He was so proud to be standing near them.

On our last night, we took family pictures on the beach. I found Megan, with Prickly Peak Photography, on Instagram and she was the sweetest to work with. The girls just loved her! I absolutely loved how our session turned out. I will cherish these memories forever.

Currently planning our next trip with this crazy crew of ours and I’m so excited for more memories to come.

-Amber

Pantry Love

It’s been a while since I have updated anything here… Life is going 1000 miles a minute and some days it’s just hard to take a breather!

At the beginning of this year, I told myself that it was going to be a YES year! Everything that I have ever wanted to do (within financial reason of course) I was going to get accomplished. In February, I had Lasik surgery and in March, I had my eyebrows microbladed, earlier this month I colored my hair. Whew that’s a lot! But I intentionally wanted to do things that I have denied myself in the past because of mom-guilt or not wanting to focus on myself. That me is gone. Last years pandemic brought out the resilient me. The me that I wasn’t sure I could become because I was so fearful. I thank God for his grace and deliverance from that. It’s a lesson that I won’t forget. Ok back to what this post is alllll about!

One huge thing that I have wanted to do since we moved into our home, is organize our pantry! We are truly homebodies and we cook alot so having functionality in this space has made all the difference. I knew that doing it would be an investment that would be so worth it!

BEFORE of our pantry.

We have always just thrown everything in our pantry. Cans on one shelf, bags and dried goods on another, cereal at the top. At the beginning of this process, I slowly began adding items to my shopping cart at Target and Amazon and little by little purchasing the ones that I knew we would get the most use out of. I was also very cognizant of sales.

The large, medium, and small wooden top jars are from Target and I fell in love with them! I had them in my cart for a month hoping they would go on sale, but they never did. I had purchased a tall and slender set of jars from Amazon and realized that they were not going to be functional for me. I wasn’t able to place my scoop into them. I like to measure out my flour and oats so they were an obvious no for me. I decided that I would just bite the bullet and purchase the jars from target and they have not dissapointed. We love them.

I did some research on labels. I found so many great customizable options on Etsy that were a little pricey. I sat down and wrote out all of the items I would need to label and ultimately, I went with a set I found on Amazon for a great price that included most of the items in my pantry. I am missing a label for pancake mix. But I think we’ll manage not having a label on that one!

Love these little risers that make canned goods easier to spot.

These turntables have made grabbing items so convenient! They are literally everywhere. Lowes, Home Depot, Target. You name it. Kitchen organzation is not complete without one! I love the high sides on the clear turntable, it makes storing jars and heavier items easier.

The girls are becoming a lot more independant, so I wanted to have ease of access with a few bins. I planned to keep fruit in one of these, but it always seems to qo so quickly! I love these small and large wooden bins from Target. They are very light and can be stacked. The large clear bins beside them are from the container store and I love how sturdy and clear they are.

<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=amberrosilez-20&marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&placement=B07J16H8Q7&asins=B07J16H8Q7&linkId=4807118bb8ad42b02ebc3cf344d149fa&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff">

</iframe>

Ok. So remember that poor pancake label? It’s pretty obvious which one it is! Overall, I love these containers from amazon, especially because it allows us to be aware of how much goldfish and cheerios we have. These two items are absolutely necessary in our house.

No explanation for this thing. I do love that I am no longer searching for a sandwich bag box while making lunches.

Kitchen foil and wrap organizer.

We eat potatoes at least once a week. For some reason, I have always kept them on the floor of the pantry but I felt like they needed a space of their own. Enter this beautiful basket from The Container Store. I love the basket design and ease of access.

My favorite thing about the pantry are these clear bins I originally found on Amazon. On one of my frequent visits to Home Goods, I noticed the exact same bin that I had purchased from Amazon, for $4 cheaper! The clear design makes it so simple to store items visibly. I also found these dry-erase labels at Target on clearance and they clip so easily to these bins. Absolute win! Sadly, they are sold out! But I did link another option here.

I honestly saved the best for last… I have searched high and low for these Water Hyacinth Baskets. They are almost always $17 and up each when I have seen them At Home stores or Target.

One day, I walked into Lowe’s looking for spray paint. I just decided to check out home organzation to browse around. I literally stumbled on a box of these that hadn’t even been put out yet. But they are not what I thought they would be! These babies are collapsible! They literally fold up when you are not using them…but the best part? They were only $13! I couldn’t believe it! I love how sturdy and beautiful they are.

The last and final stop on this journey was definitely figuring out how I was going to organize that bottom space. Peter has so many large protein jars, there’s oil containers for fish frys and together we love to hoard plastic bags for various uses. I found some huge water hyacinth baskets at Home Goods and it has made all the difference.

Every time I open the pantry now, it brings me an immense amount of joy! I know that as a family, cooking, baking and snacking are a lot more enjoyable because of it. Oh and remember that piece of wood that was nailed down the middle? Peter tore it out and added brackets for support. I love the openness now and overall how it is so functional for us all.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Every photo has a story to tell

Peter and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary last week. When they say that time flies by, they couldn’t be more accurate. I remember going on my first date with Peter like it was yesterday. I remember the day we got engaged and the exact spot I said yes. I also remember the years we spent in college, working, studying, and looking forward to the day when it was all behind us. Things certainly were a lot simpler back then.

Over the years, we’ve gained 3 new family members and it has been one wild ride. I wouldn’t change it for the world. Now instead of late night study sessions, it’s late night cuddles from a toddler that can’t sleep. And that happens quite often these days!

When it comes to gift giving between us, I almost always know what to get Peter. He loves thoughtful gifts. Especially things that take time to create. It’s the best thing to him. So it was a no brainer to create a photobook filled with all of the wonderful memores we’ve made and he loved it. I used Mimeo Photos to customize a photobook and added a few special pages with our wedding date and graduation dates. I’m planning to hand it down to the kids when they’re older. The best part about the book is it’s well made design. I love that it is bound and has a beautifully, well-made, dust cover. When he opened it, I heard that classic crack of a new book and I realized how amazing this gift was for him.

It is such a wonderful addition to our home, a gift to reminisce about all the wonderful years we’ve had. And many more to come.

I’ve included a special discount from Mimeo Photos. Link below.

Amber Rosilez Exclusive Offer! 20% OFF Sitewide with Promo Code AMBEROSI when placed through Mimeophotos.com - SHOP NOW!

Baking up memories in the kitchen

Christmas time is here! My girls are at the age where they know something special is happening. Music, lights, and decorations. Yes, Christmas is upon us! I’m already using Santa as an excuse to get well behaved children. And it’s working.

We transitioned Charlotte from the crib to a toddler bed and now she makes her way to our room at night. The requests for water, the My Little Pony movie and to sleep in our bed were just a few questions I’d hear. The other night, I told her that she had to stay in her bed because Santa was watching. It was the first night in a few long nights that I got uninterrupted sleep. How glorious.

Baking is one of our favorite Christmas past times. One thing I love to do is hop on Pinterest and find a recipe for whatever I’m wanting to make. Chocolate chip cookies are the most requested thing and I found this recipe that was so simple and easy. The girls had a great time making them in the kitchen. They love digging their hands in the flour and making a mess. I give them their own bowl to play around with to keep them busy. Such wonderful memories are made in the kitchen. Hope you’re carving out some time to “bake” some memories in the kitchen this month.

- Amber

Rhett's Pumpkin Patch Parade

Rhett turned one in October and although I wanted to have a huge birthday gathering for him, we still found a way to celebrate him in a big way. I threw him the most special parade complete with a pumpkin patch in our front yard . Everything was held outside in a distanced manner and it was perfect.

Baked By Rosa created this beautiful cake for Rhett. Complete with fondant pumpkins, and a little fondant truck, She also created cookies shaped like pumpkins and trucks for him.

Our beautiful pumpkins were purchased from Aldi grocery store and were a steal at $2.98 each. I attached a special message to each pumpkin with raffia and a kraft paper tag from hobby lobby. I also bought puffy pumpkin stickers and placed them on each tag to make it extra personal. Pumpkin treat bags were placed on a table at the end of the driveway with reusable orange cups inside, candy, and trinkets for his guests.

We bought hay at a local feed store. They were $10 a bale and added a fall scarf over the top. The mums you see are also from Aldi grocery. I purchased them before they had bloomed for around $4 and watered and nurtured those babies for a month before the party. And they didn’t dissapoint. They blossomed so well.

Peter created these wooden backdrops the day before the event. He’s so great at carpentry. All Pops Of Color delivered this master piece balloon garland. I love her creations. I love how detailed she is. She showed up and immediately started adding more and more balloons and the results was jaw dropping.

It was so awesome to see all of our family and friends stop by and walk around our yard for the perfect pumpkin. (Although they were all perfect, let me tell you, because I picked them myself! haha)

We sat Rhett in his highchair to greet everyone and it really helped make things that more special. Throughout quarantine, the only faces he would see were ours and my mother in law who watches him while we work. It was nice to see him greet family members he had not seen in several months thoughtout his 1 year of life.

I am so thankful for this little boy. The silver lining for 2020 would be that we got to spend so much time with all of our babies and truly slow down. Peter also got to watch Rhett grow and bond with him on a daily basis for a few months. And for that I am thankful. Cannot believe he is 1.

Letsa Go! Halloween 2020

We love Halloween!

This year, Peyton has been really into Nintendo. She got a Nintendo Switch a few months ago and loves playing every chance she gets. Peter says the switch was for her, but I see him playing it a lot too, so I think it was more for him…Ha!

Well. naturally, Peyton wanted to be Princess Peach and we all just followed her lead. Well, everyone except for Charlotte, she insisted on being Elsa. Who were we to change her mind? So here we are, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, the Star and the Queen of Ice, Elsa.

The girl’s and Rhett’s costumes were purchased from Amazon and I’m wearing my new obsession, spanx leggings. Peter just pulled out some overalls he’s had in the closet. They’re actually apart of his work uniform and they were perfect for his role as Luigi. I made the star out of a cardboard box and painted it. Super simple and complements my Mario Bros. team quite well I think.

For the past three years, we have held a huge Halloween bash at our home. I invite all of the kids friends and have candy bowls at every corner. Although we won’t be able to do that this year, I am going to bring the fun outdoors. I am leaving these balloons set out along with individual packages of candy for each trick or treater and have a Halloween projector out for them to enjoy. So excited for Halloween night!

Hope you enjoy all the festivities!

Amber

Teaming up with Kendra Scott in Support of Cancer Survivors

My career as nurse has taken me down several paths I never thought would be possible. Two years ago, I applied for a position in the cancer center at my hospital. After working 3 years in the ER, I felt my time there was coming to an end. The long hours, missing Christmas and special events. was weighing on our family. Peter’s job was also becoming increasingly more demanding and we both agreed I needed to spend more time with our 2 girls at the time. After several months seeking out other areas, I felt the cancer center was a good fit for me. The hours were better for our family. Monday through Friday, no holidays, no weekends.

In transferring to this position, I knew that I would face many challenges, administering chemotherapy is complex and very specialized. After almost 2 years in Oncology, I can tell you that these patients have my heart. Their bravery, strength, and courage have given me so much hope. Especially during this time.

In the early stages of the pandemic, I saw the fear that many of them faced. I was also fearful. Honestly, I almost left the profession altogether. Facing an unknown future was terrifying. But mostly for these patients. Cancer patients are immunosuppressed and this meant that they were more susceptible to this virus.

I took this picture early on in the pandemic. Thankfully, we have kept COVID out of our unit. We are diligent in our mask weaing, hand washing, and limiting the amount of people who come in contact with our patients.

In the face of adversity, these patients show up for their treatment and continue to fight. It truly has given me hope throughout this whole time.

When our local Kendra Scott store reached out to me to collaborate with them for an organization in need, I knew exactly who these efforts would help. October is breast cancer awareness month, so why not give to an orgnanization giving back to not only breast cancer patients, but all cancer patients that are fighting.

Kendra Scott necklace my husband gave me for my birthday last year.

The oncology department has a specific fund that provides resources, therapies, events and so much more to these patients. This weekend, Saturday, October 3rd and Sunday, October 4th, 20% of all purchases made online Kendra Scott Sugar Land and in-store at Kendra Scott Sugar Land will be sent directly to Houston Methodist Sugar Land Cancer Survivor Fund. I am a firm believer in sowing seeds of hope and faith into the lives of others and this organization is doing just that.

Special thank you to Kendra Scott and @Ashlillyotm and @zayansmommy for joining me in this effort for an amazing organization that touches so many lives.

Happy Pinktober,

Amber

Mornings at Home

Our mornings start off with Kindergarten for Peyton and transition to Charlotte and Rhett waking up and everyone having playtime. It’s the sweetest thing to see them all look out for each other; especially when it comes to breakfast or snack time.

And of course, when one says they’re hungry, everyone else is hungry too. 

We recently tried LALA® Yogurt Smoothies, they are made with real fruit, are packed with probiotics, and have 5 grams of protein per bottle. They were an easy thumbs up for this crew!

They are pretty easy to enjoy as well, the bottle was given a new look recently and fit perfectly into little hands.

H-E-B shoppers! Check your mail for a coupon in your Valpak for $2.50 off LALA® Yogurt Smoothies, including Pecan cereal, made with real pecans!

Mornings sure look different these days. I hope you are finding your morning routine. It sure can be chaos around here! Luckily, I am always able to find some peace and quiet when the kids are eating.

*Thank you to LALA® Yogurt for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Our Peaceful Patio

I’ve been wanting to share this space for a while. Our patio isn’t fancy or huge but it’s my space for tranquility and peace. I think that everyone should have a place to gather their thoughts and just reflect. I purchased this chair and table set from Big Lots when we moved into our home almost 3 years ago. It has held up quite well despite the Texas heat, hurricanes, and our 8 year old lab mix, Penny. I threw these buffalo check pillows on for fun. I love how they go with everything. I use them throughout the year with all of my decor.

The curtains you see are actually painter’s drop cloths. I chose 9 ft by 12 ft to cover the entire space. Peter made rods out of metal pipe (I spray painted them with a non-rust spray) and we screwed them into the side of the patio roof. The curtains are held up by metal rings with clasps and can be easily taken down.

This is actually my second time purchasing these drop cloths. The first time I purchased them, I left them up year round. This turned out to be a huge mistake because when they got wet, they molded and we had to toss them. This time around, I am going to take them down and store them when the season changes.

Lighting can really transform a space. Don’t you just love this soft glow?

After reading several reviews on outdoor lights, I went with these led string lights. Our patio’s parameter is around 48 ft, so they fit perfectly. We also attached a smart outlet to the plug outside so we’re able to control it with our amazon Alexa device. It’s convenient to say a command and the lights instantly turn on and off.

Every spring, I see these planters at Target and I could never get myself to purchase them! They are a little pricey but I had been so stressed lately from work and this quarantine saga that I just went ahead and purchased one. After I purchased one, I realized that I really needed to have 2! ( When is one of something ever really enough?) On my birthday, I received gift cards from Target that added up to the amount I needed. It was fate.

I love how they look. So sleek, tall, and bold.

I’m so thankful the sun sets in the front of our home. It’s something that I never paid attention to when we purchased the home. But it ended up being the best thing because afternoons on the patio are shady and breezy.

I hope you have a space to call your own. A space of tranquility and peace.

Love and light,

Amber

Drinks on the patio for Cinco De Mayo

I’ve been working on our outdoor space for a few weeks now because we’re spending so much time there. I’ll admit, being outside is not my favorite place to be! I remember asking my optometrist why my eyes are so sensitive to the sun, his response was, “Well, were you always inside as a child?” I was a little embarrassed to admit that, yes, I was!

Soaking up the sun is something that I am truly enjoying these days and I will continue doing it with the kids. I certainly don’t want them having my sensitive eye problem! haha

While enjoying our outdoor time, we often make something refreshing to sip on.

I wanted to share some delicious drink recipes with you that we have been making that range from fruity drinks to coffee to cocktails.

For Peyton and Charlotte, smoothies are the most requested thing! They just down these and I sneak in spinach and oats when they’re not looking!

Mixed fruit smoothie

• 1.5 cups frozen fruit mix

• 1 banana

• 1.5 cups almond milk (any milk substitute)

• 1 tbsp honey

  Blend all ingredients and enjoy!

Iced Coffee

I usually drink iced coffee year round and have found that this recipe is just as good as a coffee shop. It has saved money and my sanity during this time at home.

• 1.5 tbsp instant coffee (Nespresso is my favorite..add more if your kids wake you up in the middle of the night like mine do!)

• 1/2 cup of lactose free milk (or any milk will do)

• 1 package of stevia (or any sweetner)

• 1 cup boiling water

• 1.5 cups ice

  I add the instant coffee and stevia first in a tumbler. Next, pour the boiled water in and stir (I use an electric tea pot for a quick boil). Add the ice and top off with milk. Instant coffee is such a life saver! I don’t like watered down iced coffee and I am thankful I can make it as strong as I need it to be!

Paloma

We took a trip to Las Vegas for my 29th birthday with our good friends, Daisy and Jaime. I had never been to Vegas and it was so much fun! This was where I first heard of this drink. Every where we stopped, Jaime would order a Paloma (and we stopped a lot! LOL). It was so much fun watching the bartenders make this drink because of its very pretty presentation.

• 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice

• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 1 tsp sugar mixed with 1 tsp hot water to create a simple syrup

• 1/4 cup tequila

• 1/4 cup topo chico or club soda

• Rose Salt- (Recipe by Ivory and Noire Below)

Pour your salt on a plate and rub the rim of your glass with a grapefruit wedge. Dip in the salt. Combine grapefruit juice, lime juice and simple syrup mixture. Stir in the tequila, add a few cubes of ice and top off with topo chico or club soda. Garnish with lime or grapefruit.

Rose Salt- Recipe by Ivory and Noire

Makes approximately a 1⁄4 of a cup

1⁄4 cup dried rose petals* (Amazon)

1⁄2 cup fine sea salt

Directions:

In a food processor or spice grinder, grind the rose petals for about 10 seconds, until the petals resemble small flakes. Be sure not to grind them into a powder.

I try to make sure our pantry is always stocked with supplies to make these drinks! I hope you take some time to enjoy them.

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Amber

Stems and Shakers Event with Ivory and Noire

Flower arrangements and cocktails can turn any occasion into a grand affair. From the smell of fresh roses and flowers, to the taste of them, Ivory and Noire can instantly sweep you away to another place without even taking a single step.

I had the privilege of working with Jessica Pearsall, the creative mind behind this brand back in March. Together with Emily from The Guild, they invited me to host several bloggers from the Ft. Bend County area to experience her Stems and Shakers class.

From tablescapes, to flowers to cocktail recipes, Jessica does it all and she showed us how.

She gave us tips on how to style a table on a budget by just swapping out different key items for the season.

What is even more exceptional about her is her knowledge of each subject. This isn’t your typical design and cocktail recipe class. She provides an educated perspective on the infusion of different items.

We were in awe of her knowledge of different flowers and how to use them in mock-tails and cocktails. Moonflower Farms sponsored the event by providing nasturtiums, an edible flower with a spicy bite to it.

Flora cocina catered the nibbles and bites, check out that vibrant hummus. Truly a fun spread to choose from.

After tablescapes and cocktails, we made our own floral arrangements. These flowers smelled absolutely amazing!

These photos were taken at Studio Vibes right next door, a “cozy photo and video rental studio in the heart of Richmond, Texas.” The lighting is perfection and their Infinity wall is amazing!

This intimate setting of this class allowed us to really connect with each other. I met some of these beautiful women for the first time and it was a memorable experience to enjoy this class alongside new and old friends alike.

*** Jessica’s classes were postponed due to the events happening in the world. But I am looking forward to the day when we can all come together and enjoy her gifts again.

X’s and O’s,

Amber

Photography: @mybeautifulphotos2017

If you’d like to know more about any of these small businesses that sponsored this event, please follow their links here:

The Guild

Ivory and Noire

Studio Vibes

Dash Blossoms

Vintage Hope Boutique

Flora Cocina

Moonflower Farms

Crafts and Cocktails- Galentine's Night In

What started out as a simple call to get together, ended up being an epic night of laughs and friendship. I hosted a Galentine’s cocktails and crafts gathering at my home Thursday night with some friends.

The plan initially was just to grab dinner and drinks, but I knew it would be so much fun to have all these ladies over to entertain them and make them feel welcome as we worked on something special. The idea was simple, a hanging heart wreath which consisted of heart shaped burlap, stuffed with poly fill and glued shut, then decorated with various Valentine hearts and attached to a wire hanger to display.

 Several years ago, I created this craft with my mom and cousin on a whim. It was fun then, and I was sure it would be fun now.

My mom and I in January of 2013.

I ordered the fabric from TMI Gifts on Etsy. Which took about 1 week to come in. I then purchased the rest of the items, a 5 lb. box of poly fill, glue gun and glue sticks, felt heart stickers, heart garland, and colored Pom Poms. Dollar tree, Dollar General and Hobby Lobby was where I found the cutest Valentine stuff for the wreathes. I gathered wire hangers from my husband’s side of the closet (luckily, I hadn’t gotten rid of them all… “WIRE HANGERS!!!” in my Madea Mommy Dearest voice haha) and used wire cutters to cut away the “hanger” part.

Several days before, I made a template of a heart using poster board and cut the fabric into equal sheets so that guests could trace it and cut their heart however they liked. I made a stop by Aldi’s the day of the event and picked up 2 dozen roses. For $9.99 a dozen, they were a great buy and I placed them in vases I already had. These made 3 of the cutest arrangements. I added some lip picks to them which I found at 99 Cents only store a few weeks before and were the perfect touch for Galentine’s Day.

And because we had just celebrated my middle daughter turning 2, I still had balloon garlands up and just added to them. I picked up a few heart balloons from Dollar Tree as well and it helped to brighten up the atmosphere.

Right before the guests arrived, I set out a fruit tray, meat and cheese board, along with chicken pasta and some yummy meatballs. I placed the cutest bags from Dollar tree at the chairs for every guest to enjoy and filled them with goodies from our sponsors.

A local baker, Baked by Rosa sponsored our Galentine cookies. They were so soft and flavorful and were the perfect touch to our spread. Everyone enjoyed the pink roses, white hearts with gold specks and the sweetest of lace detailing.

Milagro Salons also sponsored the event by gifting everyone a shampoo, blow out and style at their salon in Katy.

Image by @zayansmommy

We had a blast sharing stories with each other and working on the project. It was nice to let loose, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company. Everyone’s hanging heart wreath was unique to their own style which made it fun to watch as they worked.

I am so thankful to have these friends to share such wonderful things with, the memories are priceless. I hope it’s given you some inspiration for your girls night in!

Xoxo

Amber

Naturally White-Sugar Land Experience

I have been wanting a whiter smile ever since I had my braces removed. With the pregnancy over and having a more established routine with Rhett and the girls, I had time to pop in to Naturally White Sugar Land and have whitening treatment performed.

My appointment was at 10:30 and I was instructed to eat and not to brush for 2 hours prior. The location is near First Colony Mall and really easy to find. I arrived for treatment and was met by Linda, a dental assistant, who also performed the whitening. She led me back to an area between 2 partitioned walls. Enough to give me privacy but didn’t feel too enclosed. The treatment chair was already reclined, so I sat back and we began the process.

She compared my current tooth color with a selection of shades that she had so we could see a before and after and then placed a re-tractor in my mouth to expose my teeth. She then applied aloe and vitamin E to my lips and gum line to protect them . After that, she put whitening gel on my teeth and placed the the light near my mouth to begin treatment. The actual light had a timer on it so I could see where we were during the sessions. After each 20 minutes, Linda would allow me to swish my mouth with water to remove the gel and the process continued 2 more times. We compared my teeth again and they were 3 shades lighter.

It was such an easy process coupled with really great customer service. Linda asked me several times during treatment if I was comfortable or if I needed anything and I appreciated her care.

I was instructed to not eat or drink anything with color for the next 48 hours. No wine, ketchup, tea. So last night, I ate chicken soup and rice. I did have some sensitivity which is probably from all the dental work I had in the past. For those considering any kind of professional teeth whitening, I suggest using a sensitivity toothpaste for a few weeks prior. It wasn’t the worst feeling, but it was a little uncomfortable. I am happy to report today that the sensitivity is completely gone and I am enjoying my new brighter smile.

This post is sponsored by Naturally White Sugar Land but all opinions are my own.

Photos by @mybeautifulphotos2017

Christmas at The Moore Home- Fort Bend Museum

When I was in college, I worked on campus at the library. I didn’t have a lot of money, so on the weekends, I would check out old movies and binge watch them in my dorm.

My favorites were of course Gone with the Wind, Rear Window, It Happened One Night…. and the list goes on and on. I just love how they transport you back in time. I have always loved history (I swear I was born in the wrong era), especially all the old architecture and buildings. Texas has it’s share of beautiful historical buildings and one of them is The Moore Home.

This year, I wanted to take our Christmas pictures there. The Moore home is a part of the Fort Bend Museum and was built by John M. Moore in 1883. You can read all about the history here.

This place is so spectacular and dreamy and it reminded me of the books and movies that kept me company so many years ago. It was truly an honor to walk the steps of the home with my family and revel in the rich history of this beautiful place.

The grounds are available to use for a small fee and it was well worth it. It also helped that the weather was absolutely beautiful!

I’m thinking I may have to pop in one of these movies for old times sake. Maybe the girls will like “It’s a Wonderful Life?” I can only hope.

Amber

Images captured by: @mybeautifulphotos2017

Sending Letters to Santa- Macy's Believe Campaign

Milk, cookies, and letters to Santa to help make wishes come true.

This is the first year that both of the girls can get excited about Christmas and Peyton can actually understand the true meaning of this holiday season. I love how she is so inquisitive when it comes to the holidays. I am pretty sure I have answered about a thousand “But why?” questions already and it’s only the first week of December!

I am hoping that our lessons about giving back to others will stick with them as they grow each year. I was more than thrilled when we were asked to partner with Macy’s for their Believe campaign.

“During the holiday season, children of all ages are asked to write a letter to Santa and drop them off in stores in Macy’s red Believe Mailbox or submit them online at macys.com/believe. For each letter sent, Macy’s will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish, up to $1 million, to help children’s life-changing wishes across America come true. The wishes granted through Macy’s Believe campaign can help Make-A-Wish children battling critical illnesses build the hope and strength need to fight harder and see the impossible become possible. There are thousands of wishes currently waiting to be granted.”

On December 6th, Macy’s will donate $2 for every letter sent to Santa either at their in-store mail boxes or via e-mail. It is amazing that such a simple act can help give hope to a child battling an illness.

Since 2003, Macy’s has donated more than $122 million to Make-A-Wish, including more than $19 million through the annual Believe campaign, helping grant more than 14,500 wishes and impact more than 2.9 million people, including wish kids and their families, volunteers, community groups, medical professionals and more. In addition to mailing your letter to Santa, find writing guides, local wish stories and more at macys.com/believe. Join the conversation on social by tagging #MacysBelieve.

Happy Writing!

Amber

Images by the incredible @mybeautifulphotos2017 on Instagram

Our Little Pumpkin is here! A Birth Story

Our sweet boy is finally here! Last week, I felt like I was going crazy waiting for him. I shared on my last blog post about thinking it was "go time” only to be utterly disappointed. I was waiting around for something to happen and had really just gotten myself into a funk. Only 6 days before I had the feeling that my water had broken..long story short, I ended up in labor and delivery only to be sent home that same night. All the testing was negative and I felt very silly for thinking my forceful sneeze had caused my water to break. Fast forward to this past Monday morning, when I felt the most uncomfortable pull/pain in my stomach.

This pain was unlike any other I had felt before and as I got out of bed, I realized it could be my water breaking. Those thoughts were immediately squashed as I remembered my false alarm visit just days before.

Can’t believe he’s finally here!

It was 7 am, Peter was already at work and both of my girls were sleeping. I didn’t want to disrupt everyone’s schedule for another false alarm. So, I sat there for another hour and thought out a plan. I would’t make a big deal out of it. I called my mother in law and asked her to come watch the girls while I went to get checked. She was the only person I told. I didn’t even let Peter know I was heading to the hospital.

When I got there, the Ob ER doctor checked me and let me know that she felt my “bag was intact” but she was going to test the fluid. My initial thought was, “They’re gonna think I’m crazy!” I sat there and pondered my sanity a bit, when she walked back through the door. “Well, it looks like that was your water! We’re getting you a room ready right now.” I put my hands on my head and jokingly let her know that I was glad I wasn’t crazy. I called Peter and let him know that my water had broken. “I’m on my way home!” He exclaimed, to which I replied, “Well, I’m at the hospital already!”

I was taken to the delivery room and things progressed very quickly. I met my sweet L&D nurse, Jacy. She started my IV, drew my lab work and kept assessing how I was feeling. She was absolutely wonderful. It takes a special type of person to be a labor nurse, I am sure I talked her ear off when I introduced myself!

I was relieved when Peter arrived at 11 and I wished I would have let him know sooner. When Jacy asked if I wanted the epidural, my answer was immediate. YES! I’m no warrior! If there’s a way to birth a baby without pain, I’m all for it. After the epidural, I relaxed back and Peter and I chatted about the girls and our families and letting them know our status. Around 1 pm I could feel so much pressure and I knew it was time to push. I told Jacy about the pressure, she quickly assessed and said, “Yes, he’s coming!” She called my ob who ran in and got ready. Little man wasn’t waiting for anyone. After 5 pushes, he arrived. Healthy and perfect!! It was better than I could have ever imagined and to think that I thought it was just another false alarm! So thankful for the medical staff at the hospital and for my support system that all showed up for baby Rhett. We are so blessed to finally be a family of 5.

Amber Rosilez

Images by: @mybeautifulphotos2017

Baby boy has 3 momma’s

Party of 5