Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is my dad's birthday and I want to wish him a   

Very Happy Birthday!

A little girl needs her daddy
To love her with manly charm,
To soothe her when she’s hurt,
And keep her safe from harm.

 A girl needs her dad To show her a man who’s good,
To help her make right choices,
As only a father could.

 A woman needs her father Just to be aware,
He’ll always be there for her
To sustain her and to care.

 You’ve been all these things, Dad. I hope that you can see
How much I treasure you;
You mean everything to me.

Little Helper Tower: Construction

I just wanted to give you guys a little update on the Little Helper Tower project I mentioned a couple posts ago. My Dad and I (with a little help from JD) started working on it the weekend before last and sure enough about two days later my dad had finished the whole project on his own. He really did an amazing job and I can't get over all the amazing details; from the fancy legs, to the perfectly sanded corners and all for about $30 bucks! Now all that's left to do is choose a color to paint it,  although JD has already begun using it around the house and telling everyone his Abu made it for him!

Thanksgiving Recipes: Maple Dill Carrots

Thanksgiving is only a couple days away and I'm super excited to be hosting at our new home for the very first time! The menu is finalized and I'm even throwing in some special request like this very simple but delicious maple and dill carrots side dish. Enjoy!

Maple Dill Carrots

Ingredients:

4 cups baby carrots

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons brown sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Place carrots in a skillet and pour in just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat; simmer until water has evaporated and the carrots are tender. Stir in butter, brown sugar, dill, salt, and pepper.

Wordless Wednesday

The Little Helper Tower

Since buying our home, hubby has started a collection of pretty nifty tools that I'm dying to get my hands on! Although we have about a million and one projects to get done around the house, there is one little project that I really want to try making for JD, a Little Helper Tower! JD loves helping me in the kitchen and this tower is a safe and fun way for him to reach the counter tops. Step stools like this one retail for around $150, but I came across DIY plans on Ana White, and the whole project comes out to around $20! I'm hoping to build it this weekend, just in time for Thanksgiving!

ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: DINOSAURS

On Sunday after our yummy lunch we took stroll through DTLA and stopped at The Last Bookstore. This was my first time visiting this used bookstore and I have to admit I just wanted to grab a stack of books and hang out, it's a great quiet atmosphere in a very busy city! I picked out some great used books for JD and Mari found a book for JD that I think is by far the most amazing pop-up book I've ever seen, (not that I've seen that many) the ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: DINOSAURS.

From renowned pop-up masters Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart comes an awe-inspiring tribute to the world's most beloved extinct animals and their 180-million-year reign on our planet.

Open this book and a massive T. REX springs out, flashing a startling jawful of jagged teeth. Turn the next spread and a ravishing raptor unfurls and appears to fly off the edge of the page. Inside the amazing ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: DINOSAURS are "shield bearers" in full-body armor, creatures with frilly headgear, and weighty, long-necked giants. There are even amusing tidbits on the history of paleontology itself — like a pop-up version of a Victorian New Year's dinner in the belly of a dinosaur model, or a pair of scientists locked in a literal tug-of-war over bones.

Full of fascinating facts and lighthearted good humor, this breathtaking book includes fascinating, up-to-the-minute information about popular dinosaurs as well as many lesser-known varieties. With each of six spreads featuring one spectacular, large pop-up as well as booklets of smaller pop-ups and text, ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: DINOSAURS is a magnificent display of paper engineering and creativity — an astonishing book that will be read, admired, and treasured forever.

The expression on JD's face when first opening this book was priceless! He adores his new book and wants us to read it to him several times a day. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an amazing gift for a dino loving child, it truly is an amazing pop-up book!

Nickel Diner

I love watching the Food Network and one of my favorite shows is Triple D (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives). On Friday the show featured one local diner that we've probably passed by a hundred times and never stopped in to try. Well, after seeing all of the yummy food being featured on Friday I was determined to try it for myself and it wasn't hard at all to convince hubby, Gaby and Mari to come along! On Sunday we took a little trip to DTLA to the Nickel Diner (JD on the other hand opted for Chuck E. Cheese with Ama & Ampa) for lunch and although it was about a 35 minute wait, it was well worth it. This diner has personality, the staff is friendly and the food is so good, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

Maple Bacon Donut

NightClub Sandwich

Bacon Burger

Monica's Chicken Pozole

12 Days of Christmas Printables Party!

I am so excited to announce that Kristin from A Simply Klassic Home is hosting a 12 Days of Christmas Printables Party! What does this mean exactly, well for 12 days starting December 1st Kristin will be providing amazing inspirational Christmas printables for free to all of our readers. I'm super excited and honored that she has asked me as well as a few other wonderful friends to join the party! There will be gift tags, scripture, banners, subway art, movie quotes and more! There will also be a giveaway and a linky party.

Please visit A Simply Klassic Home for all the fabulous details and don't forget to mark your calenders for December 1st!

The Nightmare Before Christmas 4D

On Sunday we took JD to see his favorite movie The Nightmare Before Christmas in 4D at El Capitan! It was JD's first time seeing a movie in 3D and he actually managed to keep his glasses on for almost the entire movie, oh and managed to eat almost half a bucket of popcorn all by himself. The whole 4D (visual effects, wind, snow) experience was amazing and we all enjoyed it so much, especially JD!

Halloween 2011: JD as Jack Skellington

JD's Halloween dreams came true when he was transformed into his favorite Tim Burton character, Jack Skellington (the Pumpkin King)!  He loved his costume and had so much fun trick or treating around the neighborhood with his god-sisters and Zero (Tommy).  I want to thank my friend Vero for turning my Goodwill find into the perfect Jack suit and for hanging out with us on Halloween.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!