MamaJo's Bridal Shower

Big Italian Shower...

As I was driving on the Gardiner highway, I reminisced about the first day I met Josephine. She appeared to be an all Canadian blond girl with a great personality and to my honour, she was of Italian descent. Jo and I clicked very well from the beginning, through cries and happy times that enabled our "Mama-daughter" relationship becoming our special bond. Today, I had the honour of joining MamaJo with her friends and family for her Bridal Shower at the University of Toronto.

Since her family is Italian, walking into this travel-themed event exceeded my expectations before even sitting down. The "flight attendants" (her bridal party) greeted me at the door, gave me some raffle tickets and ushered me to my seat 13C at the England table. The table setting was absolutely gorgeous with pink checkered travel cases situated in front of everybody (table favours to take home afterwards) and four forks with a spoon lined up for the upcoming four-course meal we were about to endure. 

The afternoon was filled with delicious meals, multiple raffles where I won the Martini Asti pictured below and lovely talks with the ladies at my table. MamJo looked amazing in her blue dress, pink facinator and pretty nude shoes which made me more excited to see her in the wedding dress in about 7 weeks time.

Winning item for Trivia Question

Myself with MamaJo

Friday Night with Zucchini

Parmegiana

There are always those recipes that come before you at a time when you wish you were an exquisite chef. Tonight was no exception. I had goggled a couple recipes during my afternoon at work and decided that we were going to have Zucchini Parmesan for a Friday night. The Food Network and Canadian Living showed promising recipes but I decided to use a fellow blogger's choice of ingredients and directions as I wanted to support a blogger's point of cooking. The end product was delicious even though preparation took me a little over half hour and mostly because of the egg-dipping-breadcrumbs-coating procedure but it was all worth it. Below is how you too can make your own zucchini dinner:

Ingredients:

3 medium zucchini sliced in 1/3" inch coins

2 eggs, beaten

2 cps dry Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

3-4 cups of your favourite marinara sauce (I made my own)

olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Dip zucchini coins in egg and then coat with breadcrumb mixture and bake on cookie sheets drizzled with olive oil until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes on each side. Once all zucchini is golden brown, bring the oven temperature down to 400 degrees. Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking dish. Put one layer of breaded zucchini on top and coat with more sauce and a generous sprinkling of cheese. Repeat this procedure to use up all the zucchini. Cover with tin foil and bake approximately 30 minutes or until top layer if cheese is melted. Mangia!!

Final Product of Tonight Dinner

Thursdays are meant for Soccer

Little Stretchers in Your Life

As I was looking at my computer screen watching the time go by, my manager came to my desk beginning to chat about his boys and about the upcoming weekend. He is quite the man who demonstrates professionalism while taking the time to discuss non work related topics. His youngest JD, is always the hype of our discussions because that little guy sure knows how to make his daddy laugh at just six years of age. I told him that I knew a jokester -kind of like his little boy- who appears at my soccer games from time to time. The problem is that he is not even part of my team in any way - but a referee. 

When I am playing on the field, it is time to focus setting my mind to score the ball at the opposite end. People that know me well have been heard to say I completely change to an aggressive, determined and focused oriented player on the field. Throughout my years of playing soccer, I have encountered my fair share of good players who know how to move the ball around and the players who think they can cut ankles and legs just to obtain the ball. Soccer is an aggressive sport, only because 6-11 girls (depending if you are playing indoor or outdoor) are all going for the same ball. It can be a dirty game also as not everyone thinks the same or plays the same; your idea of a volley can be understood differently by your opponent.

Last week we played a game where the jokester walked in the field and planted himself on the opposite side of the field. He was going to be refereeing our game which was to begin next. I had first met him at work where his rough attitude and unpleasant remarks would not sit well with anyone. I knew he remembered me and I knew I had to watch my moves closely because it is a soccer game and what the referee says, goes.

Tonight's game was a much better game as my favourite referee was present. He is the Scottish man as the ladies on my team and I refer to him. It was a good game to pass, move the ball around numerous girls an simply score. I had two beautiful chances to score with my leg and my noggin. I must say, that if the shot with my head would have gone in, it would have been a beaut! Little London was also present tonight playing with Jordan and watching her mommy play. Little London may have only two and a half years of age but sure is flexible as a pro gymnast probably was at that age.

 Little London teaching me how to stretch the hamstrings, see pics below:

London on the right trying to stretch with me

Move that leg closer

Finale: London gets her leg straight!

Isn't she quite the fast-learner? I am going to tell London's parents to put her in soccer.... or in gymnastics.


Have a wonderful Thursday!
xo Jessica

The Lucky One

Another adaptation of Nicholas Sparks: 

A little date night can just be what the doctor ordered. After some much needed alone time this past Sunday, my boyfriend Jordan and I were driving around the neighbourhood figuring out what we should do for that evening. The weather was not the greatest in comparison to these last few months that we decided to simply have a movie/dinner date. The one good thing about moving to the GTA, is Oakville's VIP movie theatre where it is solely 19+ and the individual seats are cushioned with rocking-motion mobility for the utmost comfort. When you order form the concession stand, the employees bring you meals and drinks (alcoholic and non-) directly to your seat. It feels like you are important for those 1.5 to 3 hours of watching a movie.

We had looked through the only three movies that were playing on Sunday: We already watched The Hunger Games and American Reunion which left us to watch yet another Nicholas Sparks movie. I, of course, was uber excited as Nicholas is my favourite author of romantic novels plus he is always keeping me on my toes with his different endings. I had seen previews to The Lucky One but I had wanted to read the book prior to watching the movie. Jordan bought us the tickets and we were on our way to watch the movie.

Zac Efron was a perfect Logan, beautiful eyes as always and his trained sexy bod was something to make the teenage girls squeal. I will not spoil the movie if you have not seen it but what I will share are a couple of pictures that I am linking from a google search. I will always recommend to read a Nicholas Sparks novel - any one of them- but for now, go on and feel Lucky.

From a magazine

Review on Lush

after thorough reviews and testing...

A little over a month ago, I wrote about my very first experience at a Lush store after purchasing a few products. After having thoroughly used up some of the products I purchased that day, I can now state that I am a Lush junkie who has recently jumped on the bandwagon. Lush has been a part of some people's everyday lives where I only knew of it to be a strong-scent store every time I would walk by it at the St. Laurent Mall. 

The first of my Lush products which I love is Ro's Argan Body Conditioner: 
This is a rosy-pink thick consistency that is best used in the shower. I love it so much that I bought another black pot on a recent birthday Lush spree - simply could not resist! I usually grab a small amount (a little goes a long way) and place it all over my body, waiting for a good 5-7mins before rinsing off. By this point, I have combed through my conditioned wet hair, washed my face with my St. Ives Microdermabrasian Daily Cleanser and have rinsed off all residues from my body. Lush states to pat dry your body with a towel after using Ro's Argan as the waxy after-feeling is normal and doing so will leave the scent and moisture last longer. This is Lush's first body conditioner that leaves your skin feeling very smooth and smelling nice without having to use a moisturizer afterwards is definitely a keeper. It is a two-in-one type of product that deserves a 5 out of 5 stars!

Secondly, I have fallen in love with the Lovely Jubblies Breast Cream:
It has a thick white consistency, rose scent and is best used in the mornings. At first, I was not sure if I would like the smell since it is quite strong for a cream made of rose extract. However, after several uses of this cream over my breast and neck area, I have noticed some firmness that could be as a result of my weight classes from the gym and/or because of applying this cream on a regular basis. Lush fans state it has firming particles as well, which I must admit, this cream is also applied to my thighs and stomach areas after long days at the gym, yoga and soccer games. I do this after a great workout because a non-physical "push" cannot hurt anybody :). The only flaw in this product for me, is the strong smell of rose extract and the sticky cream feeling that I must immediately wash my hands after applying this product. A 4 out of 5 stars in my book for this cream and it will be a definite re-purchase. 

A few more products I will talk about are Sweet Lips and Aqua Mirabilis:
Sweet Lips is a Lush sugar scrub intended for the prevention of chapped lips and encountering smooth lips as a result. Lush claims Sweet Lips is edible and best results are obtain with daily use. I began using the product back in March when I first purchased it and must admit that I still have the same small twist-top pot that from that purchase. I have a likeable-hate relationship with this product due to having to apply several coats on my lips before feeling the product work when I rub my lips together. 2.5 stars out of 5 only because the packaging is cute, workable and can be tossed in my purse without it spilling everywhere. Also it tastes like vanilla and chocolate, two of my favourite scents.
Aqua Mirabilis was a newly discovered product - and very late to use according to some Lush fans. I was told by a youtube guru that the body butter helps with dark discoloration in the skin especially in rough edges of the body such as the elbows, knees and ankles. Luckily for me, those areas are the least of my worries as opposed to my armpits. After three uses, I have noticed significant reduction in dark spots that were under my armpits which has been a little concerning at times. Especially now that summer is around the corner, I want to feel and look my very BEST, and as of right now this is a 4.5 out of 5 stars!


Feeling your best does not always need to be as a result of material things or of a physical goal. Feeling your best can simply be as a result of an internal calmness where you just would like to sit down and relax in a bath or discover a good book to read. The Best of Me for this past month has been trying my new products and discovering the end results. Discovering that my patience and persevered consistency in using my beloved products have payed off in the end -not just in my physical appearance but in my everyday routine maintaining my body healthy and clean. "My body is a temple that I shall respect, protect and keep healthy" - JMV.



Have a Wonderful day, 

Jessica xo

Happy Easter 2012!

Happy Easter Lovelies, 

It has been a couple of days since I last posted because I was working on preparations for Easter festivities. I was put on desert and basket-filling duty as those are tasks I quite excel at. This year, I decided to make chocolate cupcakes, layered with vanilla icing, and topped with various Easter-themed marshmallows that were purchased at Wal-Mart. It is the best [Canadian] Supercentre when seeking a variety of neat themed-ideas with overall best prices. This is also where my boyfriend and I stocked up on Kinder Surprise Chocolates as they are really good and are also peanut-free (one of the great grandchildren is allergic to peanuts).

My boyfriend's family all came over for the annual Easter egg-hunt that took place at his mother's house in Oakville. This event is usually for all the great-grandchildren to convene together in one place while enjoying each others company in strengthening the family ties. This family is very close and it could not have been a better time sharing moments with them than this past weekend.

I also went golfing for the first time this Easter weekend - let me correct this, I was the golf cart driver (see picture below). My boyfriend obtained coupons from work that granted us coupons with 50% off when golfing 18 holes that he also invited his siblings to come out for the afternoon. That day was quite chilly however the warmth from the sun definitely made me a content person while driving the golf cart. If you are into spending hours driving a machine with no seat belt and hitting short balls while at it, this is the kind of sport to do especially if you are not a Pro! I will now be hitting up a couple of driving ranges as my boyfriend loves golf and it is something he and I and can together.

Would anyone like to join us next weekend?

xoxo Jessica

Hidden Lake Golf and Country Club

In Picture I am wearing:

- Charlotte Russe jacket

- leggings purchased at The Bay

- black Aldo boots

- Ray Ban sunglasses purchased by my boyfriend

- gold/amethyst ring inherited from my grandma

Another year older..

Hello Lovelies!

Another year to convince myself that it is OK to splurge even if the bank account doesn't agree. However, this year, it is a bit better as the tax return was much more appreciated! As you have read in my previous Pre-Birthday Shopping sprees, I was on a mission to purchase a set of a classic pumps in the famous red soles. I will have to make an American trip for the Bianca style since they are nowhere to be found in Canada and if I Pre-order them, they will not come in before July. 

My boyfriend drove me to Yorkdale for another look at David's shoe store. There were three other ladies trying on Louboutins but were becoming frustrated as the store did not have their particular size. A salesman named Tino, approached me as I picked up the "Simple" Black Leather Pump and stated he had both my size and the half size up that I could try. I tried on the size 8 fitting both my feet, but as I walked around the store, the left shoe fit a bit snug to my liking and I decided to try on the 8.5. Luckily that size fit like a glove and as I turned to show my boyfriend the shoes, he exclaimed I should buy them. That I did!

New Louboutins Simple Pump

These are a classic style that are very comfortable and can be enjoyed as an everyday work shoe. Despite this purchase, I have not given up on the Biancas. I have my American family on the search for the Patent Black 120mm as well as my boyfriend's mother who has generously offered to look for them on her next trip to Chicago (..and her upcoming trip to Paris, just in case!)

Today is not only my birthday, it is a day where I am away from my family in Canada, United States and El Salvador along with my closest friends who are located in Ottawa and abroad. I am far away from my little-tall brother whom I love and protect as much as I can. Today is also a day where my phone ramps up the most minutes and Facebook notifications are tripled than usual as people call/message to wish me the best wishes for my birthday. I am truly blessed I have the love from my family members and my friends whom I have known since living/studying in Ottawa, Canada. Those are the people I used to do gelato runs and multiple sushi dates as we eat until our stomachs are full. Those are the most cherished people in my life who have touched me in one way or another and will never be thanked enough for their love!

I am headed to eat dinner now but I did want to stop by to thank everyone for remembering me today. All my love and hugs to all!

xoxo Jessica