Simply Yvonne's Blog

I'd like to first thank Yvonne for giving me the opportunity to guest post on her blog. I'm HONORED to contribute to such a beautiful blog and for such a wonderful and lovely gal! Simply Yvonne is definitely on my regular to-read list. My name is Lisa Ng ("ing") and I write expandng.com (currently on a blogging-hiatus while moving from Blogger to WordPress). I am a working mom to a 2-yr-old named "J" and two Bichons named Coco and Jasper. My husband of 4 years and I raise our family in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Today, I'd like to write about teaching our 2-yr-old age-appropriate responsibility since it's something we've recently been doing more of. I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas we can implement! Our daycare calls them "life skills". They are the skills that we as adults perform (mostly) without a second thought -- getting dressed, brushing our teeth, putting on our shoes, getting in and out of the car, cleaning

I am a huge soup person. I'm always on the lookout for a good and easy soup recipe. Today, I want to share a delicious recipe for potato soup. It was given to me by a friend. Everyone in my family loves this recipe. What you need: 4 russet potatoes 1 small head of cauliflower, stem removed cut into florets 2 cups chicken broth 2 cups milk 1/2 cup sour cream Shredded sharp cheddar cheese Chives for garnish 6 slices bacon - Cooked and crumbled Directions: Cut the potatoes into cubes. Put them in a saucepan with enough water to cover them. Boil them until tender (approximately 20 minutes) Meanwhile, steam cauliflower with water in a large covered pot until tender. Drain and transfer to a blender. Add chicken broth, milk and puree until smooth. Transfer the liquid to pot. Add sour cream, chives, salt and pepper and cook on low another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Top each serving with shredded cheese, chives,

Hi everyone! I'm Cee and I blog over at to brighten my day . I'm stepping in today for Yvonne while she's on vacation with her adorable family. Lucky duck. Summer, hands down my favorite time of the year. I was (still am) a tomboy growing up. I remember days and nights of running around without a care in the world. A skinned knee? No problem; it shows I can compete with the best of them. Mud stains? It's all good, as long as I don't track it inside the house. If I do, always lay the blame on my brother. Back then, my appearance mattered little to me. Years later, I'm finally getting it. A little grooming goes a long way. From a novice, here are some of my recent beauty obsessions:  image credits: one / two / three / four   (1) Fav: Eyebrow threading Eyes are the window to your soul, so that makes eyebrows... the gatekeeper? If so, I've been slacking off on the job. Plucking requires patience, waxing is usually out of my way, so I tend

Happy Friday!! Hope everyone had a great July 4th! Our little family is having a great time visiting our close friends in Minneapolis despite of the heat wave right now. While we are traveling,   I want to introduce my readers some of my favorite bloggers. First off, Meet Michaela, sweetest and prettiest girl on the blog. She blogs about interior design to diy and and always have the cutest hair style! Hi friends! I'm Michaela and I blog over at Michaela Noelle Designs , sharing my love for interior design, fashion and lots of do it yourself projects.  I'm excited to be here over at Yvonne's blog today while she's on vacation! I'm an interior design student with one year left until I graduate, and I'm excited to say I can't wait for the rest of my life- designing spaces for others is what gives me the most joy! In addition to interiors, fashion is also a fun way for me to express my favorite colors, patterns, and trends.  Isn't it fun to see tr

16 Months and Counting:: -Kaylee is very fascinated with water, can't get enough of bath time and we need to get her into a kiddie pool soon! ::She's is definitely a dog lover, she call them Jet ::Weighing in only at 20 lbs, such a petite little girl! ::She would kiss you on the lips if you give her food or if she want something. ::Loves Vietnamese food and no more baby puree for her ::Not camera shy at all but you already know that from all her photos on my blog! :D ::She's very attached to her daddy and thinks mommy is too strict. ::Favorite TV show-Yo Gabba Gabba, Dora Explorer and Go Diego Go ::If she doesn't like something, she will let us know by say NO very clearly ::Still smiling and happy baby (thank goodness) 

I love playing around with colors, whether if it's through clothes or interior design. In a muted room, adding a burst of color can make the room more interesting and pleasing to the eye. In fashion, you get to express how you feel by the colors you are wearing. Bright colors always uplight my mood! This lookbook is inspired by SewPetiteGal Fashion Challenge: Candy Colorized . The challenge is to take a bowl full of colorful candies (M&Ms, Jolly Ranchers, jelly beans, etc.), close your eyes, and draw 2-3 pieces. Now use those colors (+ a neutral of your choosing) to form the basis for your ensemble. I got very lucky and got yellow , orange and red from my S k i t t l e s bag.  Here is my result! Necklace:: Amrita Singh Blouse:: Bebe Pants:: HM Bracelets: Francescas Collections Thanks SPG for hosting such a fun challenge! Check out her blog to see more participants ! 

Linking up today with Hello Hue on the little things: Sweet tea  is so dull and boring without fruits in it.  All you need is Lipton tea, sugar and add your favorite fruits. I love adding strawberries, peaches or lemons into my tea. nom nom Watermelon does a lot more then just quench your thirst on a hot and humid summer's day. It's full of antioxidants! It can be used as a beauty aid to reduce skin blemishes, just rub a small piece on your skin and leave it on for 10 minutes before you rinse it with water! I love these pom-poms in Kaylee's nursery.  So easy to make and can brighten up my  mood even when her room is messy! Melissa made Kaylee a lot of cute bows while she was here to visit us I am not a messy person but I have trouble keeping my bathroom organized! Good solution is to find a small basket and just throw everything in there :D Love these 3 products that my friend Michelle introduce me to. Cure Natural Aqua Gel , The Botanics toner Thank you

Happy Monday!! This post is long overdue; we took a family road trip to Washington DC a couple weeks ago when my sister and her friend was in town. Traveling with a baby was interesting since we have to navigate on-the-go naps and make sure she's in a good mood throughout the trip. We visited the Holocaust, which was a pretty powerful memorial museum, just wish it wasn't so crowded! We had good time eating out at Eden Center in Falls Church, meeting Cee To Brighten My Day and did some shopping in Georgetown. The traffic in DC is just plain horrible! :X The highlight of the night was watching Manny Pacquiao fight on our ipad while facetiming our friend since we didn't have HBO in our hotel room :D Good time. Our next family trip is traveling to Minneapolis to visit Kaylee's godparents and grandparents! Any good tips on traveling on a plane with a baby?

Carnival fun Harborfest  in Norfolk Virginia::Tall ships from all over the world gather on downtown waterfront for annual celebration of nautical heritage. A perfect summer day is sun is shining bright, gentle cool summer breeze, going to cool concert like Colbie Caillat; simply enjoying the outdoor with your friends and family. Not having anywhere to be and sipping on my mango smoothie by the pool.  Looking forward to my summer vaca in Minneapolis, South Dakota and California this summer! Happy first week of summer!