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Stars and Strikes

January 2, 2013

ACT Today!

{Stands for Autism Care and Treatment Today}

This is an amazing national non-profit foundation that

 raises money to provide resources for

families with children on the Autism Spectrum.

I have been lucky enough to share my experience with Autism with their readers.

It has been a wonderful and positive outlet.

Annually, they have a few events

to raise money for their foundation

in order to continue to support those in need of

these resources.

Their big event is around the corner,

and it is supported by a wonderful family that

has experienced Autism first-hand.

Eddie Guardado {Major League All Star Pitcher} and his wife Lisa,

help to support this event, as their daughter has been diagnosed with Autism.

Stars and Strikes

is a family bowl night at a local

bowling alley.

With the help of the Eddie Guardado Foundation and ACT Today!

The event will be filled with A-List guests that are helping

to support families with Autism.

Stars and Strikes takes place on

January 27, 2013

at BowlMor Lanes in Tustin.

What a wonderful excuse for a family night and a way

to support others in need.

For more information

on the event or how you can find out more

about ACT Today!

click here.

Filed Under: Family

Happy New Year, to You & Yours!

January 1, 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR, TO YOU & YOUR LOVED ONES!

So…

I was hoping to prepare a post on New Year’s resolutions for you all today…

the history,

the most common,

why they tend to fail {right?!},

how to set realistic goals,

and one’s worth reaching for.

Unfortunately, we got a bit busy over here…

but not busy in a good way.

It happens….

life happens…

so I’m forced to compromise.

We had an interesting start to our New Year.

After a full day of errands and family visits,

Husby had to rush one of our son’s to the ER due to asthma issues at 2 a.m.

Needless-to-say…

there wasn’t a whole lot of sleeping going on in our house last night!

So, Husby went off to work a 48-hour shift,

and I am writing this piece,

in a state of fog…

eyes half-mast…

{but, on the upside}

our little man is doing a bit better this morning,

and I am sitting here

{as one content mama}

now that I have my much-needed salted soy caramel macchiato in hand!

In the spirit of “keeping things simple”

{as Nicole mentioned we are both trying to do in the coming year},

I will leave you with a beautiful poem

that I was fortunate enough to hear yesterday morning.

After an hour of rigorous hot yoga we ended in my favorite pose…

savasana {corpse pose}

and the yoga instructor recited these lovely words

{The Power of One – Author Unknown}:

One song can spark a moment


One flower can wake the dream

One tree can start a forest

One bird can herald spring

One smile begins a friendship

One handclasp lifts a soul

One star can guide a ship at sea

One word can frame the goal

One vote can change a nation

One sunbeam lights a room

One candle wipes out darkness

One laugh will conquer doom

One step must start each journey

One word must start each prayer

One hope will raise our spirits

One touch can show you care

One voice can speak with wisdom

One heart can know what’s true

One life can make the difference

You see, it’s up to you!

 

Not only was the poem eloquently written, it resonated with me…

sparking a series of thoughts.

In the New Year, I hope to focus on what is in my control

and be the best person that I can be

{in any given moment or situation}.

I tend to be super hard on myself

{as many of us are}.

I am going to try to accept myself for whom I am…

and for where I am at

{both physically and emotionally},

as long as I am trying to be the best version of “me” each day.

We are not in control of what situations life throws at us,

but we do have control over how we react.

No one can make you feel any certain way.

It is all up to you…

YOU decide.

You have control over your emotions and can choose to let things internalize and fester in you – –

or process them, learn the lesson, and move forward.

I hope to stay more present,

soak up the moments that really matter,

give myself a break {as long as I am trying my best},

and focus on how I react to various situations…

hopefully with grace and light

{that can only come from above}.

As the poem states… “one life can make the difference,”

which in my opinion…

all starts with our inner most thoughts and personal perspective.

It can really be that simple.

A change in our thoughts…

results in a change of behavior…

which can positively affect those around us and even the world.

Wishing you all an abundance of peace, happiness and blessings in the New Year…

and let’s not forget, good health, for you and your loved ones!

Happy 2013!

{Image Via: Itsy Factory}

Filed Under: Lovelies

Happy {2013} New Year!!!

December 31, 2012

Sara and I would like to wish you all a

Happy and Safe New Years!

2013 cards

{Photo via Pinterest}

We hope to be able to focus on……

18-internal-monologues-60-creative-manifestos-and-quotes-for-new-year-06

{Quote via Weddingphotography.com}

New Year’s is always a fun night to dress up a little….

Pretty Holiday or New Year's attire. Perfect for a wonderful night on the town.  www.simplyhappenstance.com via polyvore creation.

{Quote via IFB}

New Year’s Can’t be complete without

a fabulous dessert/drink recipe.

This is one of our favorites from Bakersroyale.com…..

{Get the recipe here}

 

Or a little cotton candy can always help a celebration!

New Years Eve: Fill glass with pink cotton candy and slowly pour champagne over it. Such a beautiful beverage. Make it kid friendly by adding sprite in place of champagne.

{Photo via Pinterest}

Of course Sara and I are always trying to live by this,

maybe 2013 will be the year……

::

We wish all of our readers, friends, and of course family a very

Happy and Healthy 2013!

We at Simply Happenstance are excited for the future,

Hope you continue to follow us along the way!

xo,

Simply Happenstance

 

Filed Under: Lovelies

{weekend} lovelies

December 28, 2012

Nicole and I hope that you and your loved ones have had a blessed & joyous Christmas!

We both spent some much needed time with our husby’s and sweet littles!

Although both of our families have members that are currently sick,

we are thankful for the family time we have had,

for pajama mornings…

fresh coffee…

board games…

lots of kisses & cuddles…

bike rides…

and time to catch up with good friends & our loving extended family.

We would love to hear from you!!

So, please post a comment and let us know how you’ve spent your Winter Break, so far!

We hope you enjoy some of our favorite finds from the web this week!

Have a lovely weekend!

{xo}

n & s

{Strength, Grace, Beauty}

Briohny Smyth has all three… my personal yoga inspiration

{a girl can dream *wink*}!

 

 

 

 

{2012 Best Dressed Celebrities}

 

 

 

{Healthy High-Protein Snacks}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Some New Year’s Hair Resolutions}

 

 

 

{Instagram Friendly Softcover Books}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Darling 2013 Printable Calendar}

 

 

{A Good Read: What Happened to Down Time?}

 

 

 

{Clean Eating: A Beginner’s Guide to Shopping}

 

 

{DIY Sharpie Mugs}

 

 

{Fashion Week’s Backstage Beauty Snapshots}

 

 

 

Filed Under: Lovelies

{We wish you a Merry Christmas}

December 24, 2012

Sara and I would like you wish you all a very

Merry Christmas!

Holly Jolly Christmas!

{photo via Livin’ on Love}

Enjoy your holiday under the tree…..

{Photo via Livin’ on Love}

And if you have time, make a little Egg Nog…..

{Photo via Lululemon}

But Most of all…..

{Photo via I am MaryXmas}

Wishing all of our readers a magical and special

Christmas!

xo, Simply Happenstance

Filed Under: Lovelies

{weekend} lovelies

December 22, 2012

{#26 Acts of Kindness}

Honoring Those Lost in Newtown

You’ve heard of paying good deeds forward.

This is exactly that.

Amazing to see what everyday Americans are doing to honor those tragically lost.

Hope you will join us in being a part of this inspiring campaign!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{60 Selfless Ways to Pay it Forward}

Really great ideas to help you along your way with the above challenge!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Katy Perry’s Sweetest Duet}

The music star teamed up with Jodi DiPiazza, a young girl with autism, to sing “Firework”

on stage at Comedy Central’s “Night of Too Many Stars” autism benefit.

This one gave me the chills and brought me to tears {happy tears}… truly INSPIRING!!

{5 Ways to Keep the Magic of Christmas Alive in Kids}

What to do if you have a Santa doubter in your house this Christmas…

{this one is for one of my closest friends who may have suffered from a slight mommy slip in front of her two boys while on the phone with me last night!!!}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{The Truth About Santa}

A moving letter from mother to child explaining the truth behind the man in the big red suit!

 

{Caramel Apple Sticky Buns | Pioneer Woman}

How delicious would this be to wake up to on Christmas morning?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{DIY | Salt Scrub}

Need another last minute gift? Here are a few recipes for homemade salt scrubs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{25 Printable Gift Tags}

Darling {did I mention… free} gift tags that you can print at home to dress up your packages!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Holiday Milk Punch}

A grown-up only holiday drink!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Noël | Scandinavian Style}

I honestly couldn’t resist!

This design style just speaks to me!

A beautiful way to end our lovelies…

Have a blessed weekend!

 

Filed Under: Lovelies

Trains, Trains, and more Trains….{Christmas Tradition}

December 21, 2012

As many of my friends know,

Mason is obsessed with Trains.

He has been since he was around 1 1/2 and it still is going strong.

He hopes one day to become a train engineer.

For him, he has not been extremely into Thomas,

but the real deal.

When he was younger and he had speech we would sometimes stop

at the San Juan Capistrano train station and watch the trains come in.

He knows which trains are which and much of their history.

Though at times this obsession has been over the top,

{especially when we had a train table}

we will be sad the day he stops enjoying them as much.

For now we embrace it and love them as much as him,

in fact Madeline likes trains too.

Around the holidays, we try to incorporate them into our traditions.

With the events of last week,

it made it hard to get into the spirit, but we mustered the strength to do so for the kids.

We drove up to Roger’s Gardens to view the Christmas tree decorations,

see Santa and most of all see the train display.

It was a brisk day and the train display seemed to fit right into the scenery.

I believe the train was more fun than the viewing of the trees,

as I was a nervous wreck that my kids were going to break a

Christopher Radko ornament and we would have to fork over the $45.00 per each one {yikes}.

Mason and Madeline enjoyed taking a picture with Santa

and being able tell him what is on their Christmas list.

We were lucky enough to have Grandma Kathy with us to capture the moment.

It was a fun experience.

I have wanted to visit with my kids since my newspaper days,

but we finally made it happen, and the kids did GOOD!

Later that day…….

We had our second annual experience of more trains.

We drove down to the train station and watched the

Metrolink Holiday Toy Express 2012.

The train stop benefits one of our favorite holiday charities:

The Spark of Love.

We brought a unwrapped toy and donated it to:

 Orange County Fire Authority.

{the actual event is free, but they collect new toys for needy children}

They had two fire trucks parked right up to the train station.

The train rolls into the station completely decorated in lights.

All of Santa’s Reindeer sing all of the kid’s favorite carols,

and of course Santa makes an appearance with Mrs. Clause.

There is a little skit and candy canes and then,

the train goes on its way.

Short but a magical experience for any child that loves trains.

Today, ABC 7 will be collecting for The Spark of Love

at The Honda Center in Anaheim.

The perfect way for us to help those in need 4 days before Christmas,

and you might see some of our firefighter friends collecting toys

with Garth Kemp!

Filed Under: Family

Eclectic but Loved…

December 20, 2012

As I grow older,

I’m realizing that I am in fact becoming my mother in many ways.

This could be a whole post, in-and-of-itself

{love you, Mom…. but never thought I’d turn into you – haha}!

Husby could probably give you a laundry list of funny similarities,

but one thing I’m noticing that has stood out this Christmas season is my love for our eclectic tree.

I have so many lovely friends who pull off perfect looking homes

that always seem tidy and organized

{girls…you know who you are – – and yes, I’m totally envious!}.

These same beautiful friends also have amazingly decorated and coordinated Christmas trees

{really they could be straight out of a magazine}!

Then…. there is our tree

{and my house, but let’s not go there – cringe!!}.

Our tree is real…. we haven’t decided to go artificial.

Just can’t imagine our house without the natural, woodsy, Noble Fir smell.

As a family we decorate our tree after I’ve spent an hour or two wrapping it

with what seems like endless amounts of white lights.

The kids enjoy pulling out their individual ornaments they’ve collected over the years.

Our tree is furnished with my own pieces from childhood….

even the one my mom painted and made by hand for my very first Christmas

nearly 35 years ago…

{holy wow… there is my age for you!!}.

Each year, my mom and I both buy {or rather, she craftily makes} our children an ornament

that represents them and their current likes and interests.

Our tree is adorned by all of those…

some homemade treasures from the kids…

along with cute, colorful, glittery filler ornaments that I find each year when we are out-and-about.

In addition, we try to buy an ornament on every trip.

It’s amazing… you can honestly find Christmas ornaments year-round.

We have Santa riding a dolphin from our honeymoon minimoon in Morro Bay over ten years ago,

and a very festive and bright one from our trip to Cancun this past summer.

To complete the look… we have an extremely sparkly, bejeweled star to top our tree

and quite a few strands of beaded {look-alike} cranberries.

This year, after thoroughly dressing our tree with our assorted mix of well-loved ornaments,

Sophia and I finished it off with the cranberry strands.

I started at the top, while she completed the bottom… all on her own.

I finished my half and asked her if she wanted to use the same strands

that I had to finish hers {so that maybe it would match – ??}.

She said she liked her big red cranberries and carefully continued working on her masterpiece.

When our tree was fully garlanded,

Sophia stood back and said,

“Mama…. It’s a crazy tree!! But I LOVE it!”

That’s all I needed to hear to be completely enchanted by it myself!

We have left the craziness and have even added a few more unique pieces

{if you can believe it}!

Our very creative Grandma made kitty ornaments with Sophia and Finn

to hang at the bottom of our tree filled with catnip, bells and feathers

{I think we’ve actually been lucky in that Pixie & Pearl haven’t scaled the tree yet!}.

I realized through this process that my tree does in fact resemble my mom’s from my growing up years…

I have indeed become her with respect to that {which warms my heart}….

and it looks like Miss Sophia Blue is taking to our eclectic style!

Filed Under: Family

Fun Girl’s Night Out!

December 18, 2012

A couple weeks ago I had posted a wonderful recipe called:

“Miss Dixie’s Sweet Cream Ball”,

I had been preparing my recipe choice for an upcoming “girls night”

at my neighbor’s house.

She has a {Favorite Things} party, much like

Oprah’s Favorite Things, minus the lavish gifts and cars {I wish}.

The party is of favorite things that fall within a certain dollar amount.

The premise of the party whether you have one around the holidays or

in the summer is to pick a dollar amount {$5 or $10}

to be spent on each gift.

The gifts must all be the same.

This time my friend choose to make it simple and the dollar amount was,

3 of your Favorite Things at $10 each.

Another way that has been done before is 5 favorite items at $5.

With a ten dollar item the variety of choices is broadened but,

with a lesser budget you can be very creative {that’s the fun part!}.

My Favorite Thing was something rather simple but something I personally

can’t live without in the winter…..

 I have an issue with my feet being cold all the time and it is something I can’t stand.

I am constantly trying to keep my feet warm, so I sleep with socks.

{I know not the sexiest of things I do, sorry honey}

I love warm fuzzy socks that keep my feet warm but wash well.

I also find whether it is summer or winter,

I am constantly trying to keep my feet smooth,

{another bother, dry heels}

so I choose a foot lotion that can be put on before bed time

allowing for ample time to moisturize while inside cozy socks.

These products were well over the $10 dollar amount,

but with coupons from Bath and Body Works,

I was able to obtain a $10.00 dollar off $30.00 or more.

This brought my total to exactly $30.10 for all three gifts including these lovely bags:

{The bags alone are a favorite holiday thing as they included tissue and a gift tag for under $2}.

******How the party works******

While the guests enter the party,

they write their name down on a piece of paper 3 times {5 if you are having 5 items}.

The pieces of paper are placed in a bowl.

Once all of the guests have arrived and the names have been written down,

you all sit down with your gifts that you have brought to the party.

The host then walks around with the bowl of names.

Each person pulls three names out of the bowl.

The names can not be the same person twice nor your name.

The host then starts with whom ever the first person is and they stand up

and announce their name and what their Favorite Thing is.

After explaining their gift they proceed in calling out the names of

the three people they picked and they hand the gifts over to them.

This goes on until all of the guests have passed out their Favorite Things.

Some of these women are highly creative.

It is amazing on what little money one can come up with such fabulous ideas.

Some of the great items were the following:

*A box filled with twine, holly, and glittered gift cards to help with holiday wrapping.

*Earrings and bracelets.

*A handmade sign for the home.

*A bag with travel size “Favorite” hair products.

My suggestion is choose a product or trinket that you use.

It will then come easy to you……

Etsy is also a great place to find beautiful handmade products.

You leave in the perfect holiday spirit with the smallest of gifts.

As a mother, I do have to say I appreciate these small things.

They make me {smile}.

A Favorite Things Party is a fantastic way to get your “favorite” girls together

to celebrate the simple loves that we all have.

Though Christmas is only a week away…..

you may be able to throw one together with the help of a pot luck event,

or a New Year’s one might be fun as well.

But before I forget…..

Here is a picture of Miss Dixie’s Sweet Cream Ball that I brought.

It was so amazing I could have ate the whole thing by myself.

Filed Under: Lovelies

Holiday Gifts for Kids

December 17, 2012

 

Gift Guide for the Boys

{Gift Guide for the Boys by julietav on Polyvore}

*********************************************************************************************************
Gift Guide for the Girls

{Gift Guide for the Girls by julietav on Polyvore}

*********************************************************************************************************

Filed Under: Lovelies

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About

bioSara and Nicole are sorority sisters that simply “happened” to end up in the same small town. They have many things in common, which have set the tone of their blog. They hope that you will join them in their journey of motherhood, dreams that may be, the daily life, and their passion for cooking, yoga, fashion, and design!

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