LOTD #37 and a Weekend Update

Too Faced Mood Swing Emotionally Activated Lip Gloss in Smurfette

(discontinued- but purchased from Sephora for $18.50)

My lips are so so so chapped today! Yesterday was worse, hence the no-lip-of-the-day yesterday. You didn't want to see the flakes, trust me.

Today is a bit better, but I still needed a nice gloss. The Smurfette Mood Swing gloss has been a fav orite for years. As it wears off, it leaves behind a very pretty pink stain. And there's no feathering, which is always a problem for me with glosses.

We spent almost the entire weekend outside, and it was so cold and windy! I suspect that's where the lip problem came from.

Will's team won the city's 9U soccer tourney, after playing through three games in the playoffs this weekend. So proud of the Tigers!

Saturday was our annual Block Party and although the weather didn't cooperate enough for us to have the giant waterslide like we did last year, we did have some really fun stuff- like the Euro Bungy!

Block Party 2012

Last night I fell asleep with the biggest smile on my face. Saturday was our annual Block Party and I thanked God for blessing our family with a wonderful home to live in- and for providing us with wonderful neighbors who have created an amazing community for us to raise our family in. Folks, it just doesn't get any better than this.

If you don't know your neighbors, let me encourage you to knock on their door and invite them to join you outside for a cookout. You might just make some life-long friends like we have! Whether it be for a cup of sugar, signing for packages, or watching your kids in a pinch, I count on my neighbors for so much, and am always glad to return the favor. I can't imagine living anywhere else!

Mardi Gras!

I always have the best intentions, but for some reason I never get around to doing things timely! I am sure you all know that by now! So here's my Mardi Gras party report.... over a week later.

A few months ago I signed up at House Party. A House Party™ is thousands of parties across the country, hosted by people like you. Each event is sponsored by a leading brand and focuses on something cool that the sponsor wants its best fans to experience firsthand and share with their friends. (from their website)

I put in an application for a Zatarain's Mardi Gras party, telling House Party all about my fabulous neighbors and all the fun get-togethers we have every year- the block party each May, our adult poker party, our chili cookoffs..... we have the absolute best neighbors and I can't imagine living anywhere else.

And yay, we got chosen! We got a really cool party package with Zatarain's mixes, coupons for more Zatatrain's products, Mardi Gras items like beads and masks, recipe ideas.

Mr. Sasha got to work cookin' up some crawfish.

One of the items we had for our main course was Blackened Chicken Alfredo.... it was so good! I purchased a family-size package of this frozen dinner at Sam's.

The Wild Child had made a mask at school that day and was so excited for everyone to come over and for the party to get started.

We whipped up some Pat O's Hurricanes (how is it that I don't have a picture of that???) and also made Zatarain's Dirty Rice, Red Beans and Rice and Jambalaya. All the dishes were super easy to make- I just wished I had more burners! We ended up transferring things to crock pots to keep them warm and that worked great.

Zatarain's even had a Pandora Mardi Gras station for us to use for party music! I pulled it up on my iPad and it was great.

We planned on having the party outside, but of course the weather didn't cooperate! We ended up cleaning out our garage and putting our outside table and chairs in there so we would be out of the wind.

I think The Wild Child needs a few more beads, don't you?

Looks like Bella had a little bit too good of a time, huh?

We had a fabulous time! Thanks to House Party and Zatarain's for including us in your event!

Block Party: Best Little Neighborhood in the (South)West

I am still tired from a wondeful weekend. Saturday was our annual block party, and let me tell you, we throw down. Kegs, street closure, a salsa contest, Minute to Win It, inflatables and other fun stuff for the kids- it's a blast.

The hubs won second in the salsa contest with his Pineapple Chipolte salsa, which he made for me since I am a huge fan of Taco Cabana's.

These two little girls went sno-cone crazy. See why we call her Wild Child (right)?

My little budding artist.

Hope you had a great weekend too!