My dream kitchen - I love the Mondrian-inspired wallpaper. Photo of a page from Bazaar Magazine

Growing up I spent most of my time at home in the kitchen; while my mom cooked dinner, I sat at the kitchen table and did homework.  Now that I have my house, I’m the one doing the cooking and the kitchen is the focal point of our home.  And, inevitably, when we entertain, everyone ends up in the kitchen.

Such an important room needs some extra TLC — here are five ways to add some (more) life to your kitchen…

1.  Pop of Color!

I prefer kitchens that are white, as they have an air of sterility and cleanliness — two things you want your kitchen to be!  But just because it’s clean, it doesn’t need to look clinical.  One of the advantages of a white kitchen is that you can brighten things up by adding a pop of color — and most any color will work.  You can change the color depending on your mood or season., just swap out towels, table cloths, and accessories.

2.  Add Some Life

Plant life, that is.  Plants and flowers make all rooms better, and the kitchen is no different.  Adding some plants (I personally have a bunch of orchids in my kitchen) are a great way to add something fresh to your kitchen, especially if you don’t have a great view from your window.

3.  Paint the Walls and/or Cabinets

One of the cheapest ways to revitalize a room is by using some paint.  Whether you change up the walls, or your wooden cabinets, a new color will give the kitchen a whole new look.

4.  Change the Hardware

If you can’t change the cabinets and drawers, a less expensive option is to change the hardware.  Adding a metallic or matte finish will transform the look of the kitchen.

5.  Add Some Art

Like plant life, art adds so much vibrancy to a room.  Whether you go for fine art, or you child’s latest masterpiece, displaying art in the kitchen is another way to add personality and life to a room.

Replace, Reface, ReNew are three options available ONLY at The Home Depot. Replace allows for full transformation of your kitchen cabinets with an array of choices from top brands. Reface is a perfect option to update your cabinets without a major renovation. And lastly, ReNew is ideal for consumers who want to give their existing cabinets a facelift without major disruptions and cost. And to complete your kitchen project, The Home Depot is your one stop shop for countertops, sinks, appliances, backsplashes and lighting.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by The Home Depot via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of The Home Depot.

Back when we took the tiny dancer to her first Yo Gabba Gabba! show, we thought it would be a one-time deal. But, Asiya had such an amazing time (and we did too), so whenever Yo Gabba Gabba! comes to town, we are there. I just found out about the Holiday Show and immediately go our tickets. If you have a Citi card you can get your tickets now, if not you’ll be able to get tickets next week. Haven’t been to a Yo Gabba Gabba! show? It’s totally worth it - just seeeing the little ones so happy and dancing is amazing. You can get show and ticket info for your city on the Yo Gabba Gabba! website.

Vans has teamed up with Krochet Kid intl., a grassroots organization that seeks to help and empower impoverished people in our global community. Using handmade wovens from around the world, Krochet Kids intl. creates unique, handmade products by providing valuable opportunities for developing countries worldwide.

The collection marries woven Peruvian fabrics to Vans’ women’s Surf Siders, the popular Mohikan and a new silhouette, the Alpaca, along with the men’s Rata Mid. Additionally, the collection includes a backpack made of simple canvas and trimmed with a special yarn creation.

Each pair has a hand-signed tag and online profile tag so the wearer can make a personal connection with the woman who crafted the krochet detailing on your Vans x Krochet Kids intl. collection.

The Vans x Krochet Kids intl. collection is available now on Vans.com.

The tiny dancer at the farmer’s market - strawberry face says it all - she samples everything.

We’re already half-way through summer and before we know it, the kids will be back in school. Sometimes it’s hard to get your kids to eat healthy so if we can start the healthy habits now, they’ll be second nature once the kids are packing lunch. Here are quick five tips to get your kids to eat healthy…

1. Farmer’s Market
Take the little ones to the farmer’s market with you so they can see all the gorgeous fresh produce. Most vendors offer samples — let the kids try all the yummy fruit. I take my little one every week and she wants samples of everything.

2. Cook with the Kids
Let the kids see the process of cooking. Even better, let them help out in small ways. If they feel invested in what you’re making they’re more likely to eat it.

3. Lead by Example
You can’t expect your kids to eat healthy if you’re stuffing fast food and soda in your face. Most kids, especially when they’re really young, imitate their parents. So, if you eat healthy, chances are your kids will too.

4. Cut Out Processed Foods
Try to cut out processed foods as much as you can. They’re bad for you. Period.

5. Dessert = Fruit
I have a giant sweet tooth and if I could, I’d eat cupcakes, cookies and ice cream every day. But those are treats and they should be for special occasions. Instead, for daily desserts, opt for nature’s sweets - fruit!

Hope these simple tips help you get your little ones on track to eating healthy. Eating well will make your kids feel great, and will help them fight off all those germs they’ll encounter at school.

L’il Critters™ are the #1 child gummy vitamin. We are the better tasting gummy vitamin that is preferred by Kids and trusted by Moms. “We Make Nutrition Taste Good.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Church & Dwight via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Church & Dwight.

Last year I posted a recipe for raw one-ingredient banana ice cream with chocolate chips. Since berry season is here I decided to throw some berries in the mix and the result is one tasty dairy-free frozen desert. This raw banana, berry and chocolate chip ice cream is easy and delicious. You won’t be missing the heavy creaminess of ice cream - especially in the hot summer months. You get the refreshment without the heaviness - you won’t miss ice cream at all.

Ingredients:
6 over-ripe bananas
Frozen berries

Steps:
1. Peel bananas and cut into chunks. Lay banana pieces on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for a minimum of two hours.

2. Process the bananas in a food processor until smooth – this process will take a few minutes. Every so often when the bananas rose above the blades or shifted to one side I would push the bananas down with a spatula and then continue pureeing. I repeated that a few times.

3. Once the bananas are a smooth, creamy consistency add in almost half a bag of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and berries. Blend in the food processor until combined.

4. Put the banana mixture in a container and re-freeze for a minimum of two hours.

5. Scoop and serve.

Buon Appetito!

Adrien Broom is an artist and photographer who has been working on a project called “Where Did All the Colors Go?” — an art project destined to become a children’s book, short film and all around multi-media extravaganza for your tablets.

The premise is simple. The story is told through the eyes of a little girl and when she wakes up she realizes color has disappeared. As she moves on from room to room, she rediscovers colors. Though meant for children, the imagery is so enchanting it’s hard not to get drawn in — perhaps it appeals to the kids in us.

You can hear Adrien talk about the project below. She’s already met all of her funding so we can expect this to become a reality. In fact, she’s slated to have an exhibit at the Chrysler Museum of Art, in Virginia, in 2014.

Overview of Project/ Kickstarter Video from Adrien Broom on Vimeo.

I’m not sure when the book will be out but I’ll keep you posted because I definitely want a copy for myself, um, I mean, for the tiny dancer!

The latest designer collaboration with a baby products company comes in the form of Cybex, and they’ve teamed up with Jeremy Scott. Of all the designers to team up with a company to create children’s products, Jeremy Scott seems like the perfect choice. His fun approach to design and audacious prints lend themselves perfectly to kid’s gear.

For the Cybex by Jeremy Scott collection, Scott chose his Food Fight print — which, hopefully, will cover up all of the food and milk stains that will soon be covering everything. The print is perfect because as a mom, aka your child’s walking napkin, life sometimes feels like a food fight!

The Cybex by Jeremy Scott collection includes strollers, car seat, baby carrier, baby bag and foot muff. What’s great about this collection is that it’s gender neutral so you could use it for all of your kids - plus you’ll look really cool too. I wish this was out when I needed it for the tiny dancer!

You can get the Cybex by Jeremy Scott at Colette and other specialty boutiques.

Just when I thought Hello Kitty was plastered on any product imaginable I came across this amazingness - Hello Kitty x Moxi roller skates!

Sanrio and Moxi have teamed up to bring the ultimate in retro style roller skates in red, white, and blue adorned with Hello Kitty’s face on the side and custom designed Moxi Hello Kitty wheels. Some of my favorite memories from childhood/middle school are from my days spent at the roller rink aka Roller Castle. In fact, I wore a red and blue dress at one of my birthday parties at Roller Castle that would have matched perfectly with these skates. Now you can relive your childhood, or hook up your kid with the coolest roller skates ever made.

The skates are available now at www.sanrio.com and www.moxirollerskates.com with an SRP of $199.

Sorry for the lack of updates but I’m taking a much needed break to catch up with family. The little cousins are reunited and they are ecstatic. It’s hard to pull myself away to blog - I want to see their smiles and hear their laughter first hand. I’ll be back next week.

Making the transition from music-loving person to parent can sometimes be difficult. I like nursery rhymes, but I can only take so much and if you feel the same way then Rockabye Baby is for you. Rockabye Baby creates lullaby renditions of your (baby’s) favorite bands. Remixes have included Def Leppard, Bjork, Bob Marley and Journey - I’m actually amazed at how many options there are. The newest lullaby rendition arriving on July 9th is of Jay-Z’s music. Maybe it’s because he’s a new dad himself, but now baby Blue Ivy can fall asleep to the lullaby tunes of her dad. Here’s a little preview for you…