Shaz by the Sea

H a p p y N e w Y e a r !!!   Jim and I hosted a small party on NYE. We had about 10 people over and it was a fun time ringing in the new year with great friends, like these lovely ladies.   In preparation of our NYE party, I wanted to make some fun edible party favors. I immediately logged into Pinterest and looked up a few options. I found the cutest little clear boxes with Hershey kisses that read "Kiss 2013 Goodbye!" I used that idea and then added a few personal touches. I ordered everything on Amazon Prime and it arrived within a few days. I was so excited to get started!   I find that hosting a NYE party is tough because you don't know whether to serve dinner or late night apps and treats. You don't want your guests to be too hammered, but at the same time you also don't want to spend the entire day cooking/prepping/setting the table all while planning a late night party. It's almost like planning two parties in ...

Yay!!  I am 20 weeks today!  I've reached the "official" halfway point! Although for twins, my halfway point was a few weeks ago. But however you want to look at it, I am now certainly over the halfway hump. Wooooooo!  As I prepare to fly back to Boston in a few weeks for my baby shower, I can't help but get a little anxious about flying alone.  Here's a pic of my belly at the gym last night (and I still have 2 more weeks til I fly): Since I feel nervous/anxious about everything these days, I decided to research some travel tips to help put my mind at ease.  I compiled the "Top 8" of what I thought would be the most helpful, and some of these tips are great for non-prego travelers, too! Get your Doctor's OK. Before you travel, make sure to check with your doctor to be sure you are progressing without complications, especially if you are in your second and third trimester. Also check with your airline to...

TWIN BOYS!!! Jim and I are absolutely over the moon about our twin boys arriving this May! We are both sooo so happy and excited. It really hits home for us, because Jim's grandmother Mary had twin boys during her first pregnancy (yup, it all makes sense now). I have to be honest and say that from day one of this pregnancy, I have said that we are having two boys..... On a personal and rather sentimental note, I feel there are several commonalities between Mary and Paul (Jim's paternal grandparents) and Jim and I. Jim is a lot like his grandfather in many ways, which is a huge compliment. For example, Jim and Paul are/were very hard workers, dedicated husbands/sons/brothers, both love the cape and bought homes there while they were young, both extremely forward thinkers and planners when it comes to finances, family and just life in general. Oh and they both married pretty awesome ladies. Hehehe. Ok, I am kidding, but Jim's grandmother is...

Merry day after Christmas, everyone!! I had a great Christmas -- and hope you all did, too. This year was very memorable, because Jimmy and I were able to Skype with our families, open our gifts to each other, spend time at the beach and then open the big GENDER REVEAL! Check out the "A & B" tab for more info on their production. Below are a few pics of us FaceTiming with the Callahans and Phelans on Christmas. The weather here has been beautiful all week. We spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the beach. We saw a few gorgeous socal sunsets, and made some fun beachy Christmas memories. Shout out to Rock for having us over. Christmas Eve:   Christmas Day:     I was trying to think of a creative brunch to have on Christmas morning and I came up with a soufflé idea. Last year, Jim and I spent Christmas Eve with the Alexy family (& their amazing chocolate martinis). Kiley made a wonderful ham a...

It's December 21st -- what would have been my Grampa Callahan's 95th birthday. It is also my good friend, Milady's birthday! So shout out to MAO and all those who celebrate their birthdays on the first day of winter. Being out here in SoCal, there isn't much to make you think Christmas is literally around the corner. The sun is shining bright, the weather is about 70 degrees and the traffic is still horrific everywhere. And as much as I want to be home with friends and family over the holidays, I can honestly say I am glad I am not traveling. I need a little break. My friend Nicole (who is ironically traveling back home to Boston today) hosted a FANTASTIC potluck Christmas dinner at her place in Manhattan Beach last night. We had tons of apps/salads, filet mignon, chicken parm, stuffed shells and tons of other sides and desserts. What a spread. I was in charge of making some sweet potatoes, a kielbasa & pineapple appetizer, and a warm spiked Christmas apple cid...

I just got back from a fun vacation in Los Cabos last weekend! I went to an all inclusive resort with my besties Sarah and Nicole. We had SUCH an amazing time. We were nicknamed the party girls by the hotel staff there. It was so funny. Our flights were short and sweet, and everything went very smoothly. Here's a pic of us on a little boat tour near the arch in Cabo and another pic of us at Lover's Beach. Now that I am back in the states, I am in full fledge Christmas-prep mode! I started cooking a lot again (now that I can stomach most smells) and even baked a mixed berry pie today. I included a lot of photos in this post because there was so much to talk about! To start, I was craving pie. I really wanted a blueberry pie (or maybe A and B really wanted blueberry pie) but the blueberries weren't on sale at the market. They were each $4 and I needed about 3 containers. I couldn't even think about spending $12 on blueberries alone, a...