Don't Forget to Smell the Roses


It's true there is nothing quite like the smell of a freshly picked rose and reminiscing about being a Rose Princess! Those two things just go together that is if you were lucky enough to be among the chosen few.
Growing up in Pasadena it was a huge honor to be on the Rose Court. Thousands of girls from Pasadena and the surrounding areas would gather at the Tournament of Roses house ( the old Wrigley Mansion) to try out. The selection process would start off with 1000 girls, then cut to 250, 75, 25 and then to the final 7 girls. Looking back I wonder how on earth I made it, but what a honor it was to be on the "Rose Court". We had a whirlwind of excitement that started in December with over 85 appearances meeting celebrities and having the time of our lives preparing us for our big debut on the Rose Float that would travel down Colorado Blvd. and be seen world wide on TV. Actually, that year I was suppose to have walked in the parade with my drill team from Pasadena College but instead got to ride in style on a float full of fresh roses! Wow that was a day I will always remember.
So this year it will be fun to share the day with my little granddaughter and teach her how to do the Rose Princess wave, smell the roses and watch the parade.

Wishing you a very "Rosy" New Year!

Lynda & Erin



Still Lookin Rosie after 30 Years!

Lynda Drake aka BURP (1) will be celebrating yet another year reminiscing being a Rose Princess! She still looks like a rose princess to Rylynn and I and we are proud to have a "celebrity" in our little family. Every year we all enjoy watching the Rose Parade and the new beautiful floats float down Colorado Blvd and of course see the new Rose Court..."mom's replacements." When I was little I would think about living in Pasadena and trying out for the Rose Court...but the OC ended up being my home instead, better weather but no parade. Now Rylynn will have a cool story to tell her children one day... and fun pictures to share.
Leaving a legacy for your children is important, what kind of legacy are you leaving yours? The world we live in is only going to get harder and more trying for our little ones, having core values instilled in our children and their children will continue to build a strong generation. Values like respect for elders, patience, compassion and empathy and self confidence, those are worth cultivating and are not just automatically built into a person....
We wish you a Happy New Year!
Erin & Lynda

Precious Moments

Today, Rylynn and I were at the park on the teeter totter and we were all alone - no one was at the park, really nice and quiet. A woman approaches and says as she continues walking "what a nice mom you are, you both are so cute sitting on that teeter totter together, what a cute moment." After she left I had thought what a nice woman...and what a nice thing to say. Its those little one or two sentences that someone says to you that can be so positive and give you a jump start in your day...today was my day.
I started to also think how great it is to take that extra time to say a kind word or sentence to a stranger, it just might make their day!
Take time in your day to focus on the little things, the things that seem little and non important just might be the thing that someone talks about for the next week!
Erin & Lynda

Family Christmas Shows on TV -

Here is a link to all the fun family Christmas shows on TV. We were watching Santa Clause 3 last night and really liked it! Hope your December is going great and you are finding time to focus on what really matters - Family, Christ's love and birth and our fabulous weather!

http://insidetv.aol.com/2009/11/22/holiday-tv-schedule-2009/

ENJOY!
Erin & Lynda

Happy Thanksgiving!

IN HONOR of Black Friday tomorrow BURP would like to extend our 25% off coupon to our loyal customers! Please type in GIVETHANKS for your coupon code at checkout.
The BURP family wishes you all a very thankful Thanksgiving and a fabulous shopping day tomorrow!!
Hurry this offer is only available till Midnight tomorrow, Friday, 27.
Happy Shopping!
Erin & Lynda

NEW LOOK for BURP!

Check out our new website! BURP has a new look and we are excited to share with you!
Check out our specials and stay tuned for our new baby dolls!
Erin & Lynda

NEW Holiday Gift sets -




NEW HOLIDAY Gifts Sets under $25! Check them out - http://preview.tinyurl.com/ygsp8o6

More to come - keep checking our site!


New BURP Babies...Coming Soon




BURP will be releasing a new baby doll for the holiday season in the next week! These babies are unique in that each one is hand made and designed especially with your child's look in mind. You can choose the hair color, body color and eye color. Each baby comes with his or her own baby bib, diaper and lovey ALL IN ORGANIC BAMBOO VELOUR! That's right, these babies are not only adorable and squeezable but ORGANIC too! They are made out of the organic bamboo velour - these are ONE OF A KIND for sure! Rylynn LOVES hers and will not go anywhere without it! Check out these cute pictures! You can also PRE-ORDER yours today - email me at erin@babyurprecious.com for more details!

Erin and Lynda

BURP's Child of the Week!



Matthew is an adorable-handsome little boy who is easy on the eyes for sure :) Congrats on being our child of the week Matthew!

************
Matthew is my mellow child. He is very easy going and a sweet little boy.

Likes
include bathtime, stealing his brothers cars, jumping in his "johnny jumper" and getting into everything!!! He loves any and all kinds of food.

Dislikes
include naptime, the end of any meal.

Hobbies
are batting his eyelashes at pretty ladies and giving his brother a run for his money!
xxxoo Melissa (Matthew's Mommy)

Soon To Be Daddy!


This is a cute picture of our friend Ryan who is demonstrating to all those dads out there how to wear this bath towel. This towel is a fabulous invention and a must have for all moms and dads! This towel goes around your neck like an apron, so you are not struggling to hold the towel between your teeth and trying to reach for your child in the bathtub! Your hands are free and you are ready to scoop you baby right up. The strap around your neck also has Velcro so transferring to the changing table is an easy task. This towel helps you survive bath time without a drop on you!

Check out our website for colors and more details! http://www.babyurprecious.com/


Thank you Ryan for being our Daddy model, you will LOVE this when your little one is born!

Erin & Lynda



Child of the Week - Thomas!

Child of the Week!

Thomas is one of Rylynn's boyfriends - isnt he adorable!!!? He moved to TX with his family so they dont get to hang out anymore - Rylynn is sad and misses her T!


Thomas is a 23 month old inquisitive and busy little boy. He loves anything that has wheels or resembles a car. His favorite movie is Cars and he also likes Thomas the train. He loves to cuddle and is a total mamma's boy.

Dislikes:
He hates meat and anything that resembles a vegetable :) He also does not like sharing his toys with little brother.

Hobbies:
include playing outside with cars, attending preschool 2 days a week and running around at the local splash pad.


Looking forward to the next Child of the Week! Send in your pictures and bios!
Erin & Lynda

Flies, Flies and more Flies!

I know this is a weird topic, but I have some great "organic" ways to help with your fly problems - either outside or in your house. Since it has been so hot out those pesky little flies tend to be more prevalent. Here are some good tips I found in my "Fly research" -
* Flies do NOT like lavender, basil or mint, so scatter some fresh herb bundles around your yard or house where they seem to congregate. I bought some at our local farmers market for 40 cents a bunch -great deal!
* Flies also do NOT like moving water or reflecting light. SO fill up some baggies with water and hang in yard or house with a penny at the bottom. Not only does the water move but the shiny penny will do some glistening which are both things Flies do not care for.
* You can also hang CD's from trees or awnings to give added sparkle.
* Since you cannot avoid flies sneaking into your house you can help them DIE faster by spraying your window seals with raid or any other insect poison. The flies land on the window seals and end up cleaning their legs which makes them ingest the poison - and Wahlaa, dead fly!
Hope this helps someone out there with a pesky fly problem! We have had our yard full of them, and yes, no poop, trash or standing water, they just like our yard!
Good Luck
Erin & Lynda

Rylynn will start us off!


Coach Outlet in Carlsbad -like mother like daughter...oh dear!

Rylynn Riddle will start us off on our first "Child of the Week" - mostly because she is my daughter and well I am writing this blog :) ha! So here is a little about Rylynn -
*She is obsessed with purses, plastic baggies, tote bags and doggie walk baggies and enjoys putting anything and EVERYTHING in them!
*Her favorite words are "Tattaa" and "More" which she expresses quite often when meal times come around
* Her hobbies are collecting treasures and putting them into her baggies, playing in her playhouse outside and helping mommy empty out dishwasher
* She likes dipping everything into a dip of some sort -salsa, ranch, applesauce etc... as long as there is something to dip into she will!
* She LOVES to dance - if there is music on she will dance to it! (this is how we tire her out before bedtime...ha)
* She does not like being told NO (which kid does?) and does not eat anything that is orange colored (mainly sweet potatoes/yams).
* Her personality is extremely extroverted/outgoing - she cant stop saying hello and "Tattaa" to everyone she meets, she is stubborn and likes things her way -well who doesn't :)?
My first born- Rylynn will be turning 2 this December - cant believe it! She will be starting a dance/music class on Mondays, Story time on Tuesdays and Mommy and Me on Wednesdays. Her fall will be FULL of extra-curricular activities.

Can't wait to hear all about your little ones - send in your information to erin@babyurprecious.com
Erin & Lynda

BURP's Child of the week!

Baby U R Precious wants to start honoring a child of the week! Please send in your pictures and a short narrative on their hobbies/likes/dislikes/personality to erin@babyurprecious.com and we will choose one child a week to showcase! We look forward to your entries.
Erin & Lynda

Monthly Specials at BURP

BURP has decided to offer monthly specials to our customers. We will also be offering small gift packs as an introductory to our product - many of you out there have not felt the luxuriousness of bamboo velour so we want to make it more accessible for you! Please check out http://tinyurl.com/lohtvk for our monthly specials.
Happy Shopping!
Erin & Lynda

Teaching your children how to eat healthy!

Over the last week I have been really thinking of how I want to teach Rylynn to eat healthy and "crave" the healthy snacks rather than the sugary ones. I found quite a lot of helpful tips in my research of healthy eating for kids and wanted to share -
*Start your child's day with a healthy breakfast, whole grains, fruit rather than fruit juice and a protein/dairy
*Let your children help shop for groceries and prepare meals, they love to help and this makes them more in engaged with what they are eating
* Keep healthy snacks on hand, veggie sticks with their favorite dipping sauce is a great one
*Don't label any foods as off limits, labeling a food as forbidden may actually entice your child to eat it behind your back
*Sit down to eat meals together rather than on the run or while walking or standing in the kitchen, meal time is important for families anyways - a cool time to talk and fellowship together.
Stay tuned for more tips tomorrow -
Erin & Lynda

NEW BURP Models!





We have been having photo shoots the last week for our new product. The cute BURP models really rocked their photo shoot. Here is cute little Addie who is 7 months old and Tyler who is 2 1/2 years old and of course you know who Rylynn is. Thank you Charyse for being the best photographer we could have! The kiddos really like smiling for you! And thank you to Annie and Christy for letting us "use" your adorable children as BURP models - our product wouldn't be the same without them!
ENJOY!
Erin & Lynda

It just keeps getting better!

The last 2 days have been quite comical to say the least. In the morning yesterday I was going through the "do it yourself" car wash with my "fur" daughter (Lucy) in the passenger seat and Rylynn in the back seat. All of a sudden the window is rolling down as the foam suds are shooting across to my face and entire car! My adorable Lucy rolled it down with her paw!!!!! I am screaming, Rylynn is screaming and Lucy is cowering on the floor. It was a perfect start to the day for sure!
If that wasn't enough fun, for lunch time Rylynn decided to dump her plate of spaghetti on top of Lucy's head. The noodles were stuck all over her fur and red sauce all over my white dog! GRRR for sure! So a bath was of course necessary - added chore to my to-do list.
So the moral to this day was HAVE NO EXPECTATIONS and lots of PATIENCE and go with the flow :)
Hope this brings some laughter to your day today!
Erin & Lynda

Weight Loss Tools -

Are you trying to loose weight by counting your calories? Check out this great website I found to help you do just that! I was at Rubios the other day and this site came in handy to calculate my fish taco - simple and holds me accountable!
Are you trying to save money by working out at home? Do you get bored with the same exercises? Check out this free site I found - great tid bits on how to get creative with your work out!
This site is cool for a full comprehensive weight loss plan - meal plans, message boards, exercise demos, advice from experts etc.
That's all I have for now :) Keep up the good work!
Erin & Lynda

Cute craft idea -




Rylynn received a cute handmade card from her friend Brynn in RI yesterday. The card was made with spongy ladybugs, butterflies and other critters along with personalized crayon drawings. Rylynn loved feeling the card and would not put it down yesterday. I was thinking what a great craft to do with your children - handmade cards, and then mail them to their friends. I imagine not very many 20mth olds receive mail and what a cool thing for them to open and play with. So with that said, I am going to start card making with Rylynn....soon :) AND mail them to her little friends....and grandparents too :)




Erin & Lynda

BURP Shout Out!

Baby U R Precious teamed up with the PAD Showroom (Patricia Ann Designs) to grow our business. Shelley the owner of Patricia Ann Designs is getting us ready for that next level in our business - wholesale and retail stores! This is going to be an exciting journey for BURP and we look forward to see where Shelley leads us in the retail world! Check out the Lily Pad for our shout out!




Erin & Lynda

Pool Time!




Here was our pool day the other day! This floaty makes swimming so much fun! Hope you got yours!
My mom and I hope you all are enjoying your summer so far. We look forward to new products, colors and growth in the coming months. So please keep following - we have exciting adventures ahead!
Happy Summer!
Erin & Lynda

Summer by the pool!

Rylynn and I have been going to the pool practically every day this summer. At first I was hesitant to bring her since previously she was not a fan of the pool...AT ALL. She would maybe on a good day last for 10 min! Well, have I found the trick (or rather my friend Jana) - swim trainer floaties! YES - the COOL small rubber tube that you inflate with a bicycle pump and the floaty goes up and over their head/shoulders and they wear it like a tank top with inner tube attached - pictures to come :) Rylynn mastered this tube the first day - you have to be balanced and able to kick your feet under the water and maneuver by yourself. She is obviously very independent and did not want mommy's help. Today she went around in circles and kicked her feet to follow me. I tell you - this is the greatest kiddo toy out there. Our average pool time now is 2+ hours with this floaty! So thank you Jana for buying this for us! - Our summer would be hot without it!
ENJOY! You will love your summer that much more!
Erin & Lynda

Peaches Peaches and MORE Peaches!

My grandparents have a huge peach tree in their backyard and it is loaded with peaches! Every time I visit they try to give me as many as they can or will fit into a plastic grocery bag. I have them everywhere in my house, and I was beginning to feel bad because I wasn't eating them fast enough. HAHAHA - as I am writing this my mother just called to tell me she just got MORE peaches from Grandmas house for me!! I told her NOOOO - more peaches!
Well here are a couple of really simple and yummy recipes that involve peaches - so if you have the same problem as I do please feel free to make your own peach creation!
Peach martini
Puree peaches ( I used skin and all)
coconut rum
peach liqueur
and a dash of lime
Add 1 -2 shots of puree (depending on how peachy you want it)
Add 1 shot coconut rum
Add 1 shot peach liqueur
and a dash of lime (fresh squeezed if you can)
shake shake shake in a martini mixer with crushed ice and WAHLAW you have a yummy and semi healthy martini!
Broiled Peaches with spiced whip cream
cut peaches into wedges (leave skin on)
place on cookie sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar OR raw sugar
place under broiler until sugar is melted and crisp
As they cool, whip 1 cup heavy whipping cream with 3 -4 packets splenda and cinnamon (you can also add a liqueur of your choice too for extra yum factor) until stiff peaks form.
Place a dollop of cream on top of crisp/gooey peaches - Enjoy!
Easy Peach Cobbler
3 -4 C of peeled peaches (place peaches in HOT water and skin comes right off)
1 C oatmeal
1/2 C sugar
1/3 C brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
MIX above ingredients with 1 stick of chopped butter until well incorporated.
you may add raisins and nuts too - depends on your taste buds.
Place peeled peaches in buttered baking dish, sprinkle topping on top and bake for 30 min at 350 until bubbly and golden brown.
OF COURSE add ice cream on top!
TO SAVE the peaches that you do not use, cut up in wedges drizzle honey on them and place them in large zip lock baggie and freeze! This way when you need peaches you can take them out and they will be sweet and ready to eat or cook with (and they don't stick together either)!
Erin & Lynda

New Sunday tradition!

I love making yummy breakfast on Sunday mornings for my family. I came across this new cinnamon doughnut hole recipe in my FoodNetwork magazine and thought it sounded daunting. BUT I made it and it was super easy and of course super yummy! This is not something you make often (calories are not so friendly) but for a special treat or Sunday breakfast it works great. And your family thinks your so talented and cool for making them...heehee!
So here it is - try it!
4 T unsalted butter
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 C flour
1/2 C instant mashed potatoes
1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 t salt
3 large eggs plus 1 egg white
2 T ground cinnamon
vegetable oil, for frying
1. combine 1/2 cup water, the butter and vanilla in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer, stirring to melt butter. Remove from heat and stir in flour, instant potatoes, 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Return to medium heat and stir dough till its tight and doesn't stick to sides - 2 min. Transfer dough to a bowl and cool for 10 min.
2. beat dough with wooden spoon, add eggs one at a time -mixing until each egg is fully incorporated before adding next. once all eggs are added beat with spoon till glossy and smooth -1 min. Set aside for 1 hour!
3. mix remaining sugar and cinnamon in shallow dish. Place heavy bottom pot over medium heat and fill it about 1/3 of the way with the oil -340 deg. With small ice cream scoop, drop heaping teaspoons of dough into the oil (in batches). FRY - turning once, until golden brown - 6 min. Transfer doughnuts with a slotted spoon to the cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll to coat. serve warm!
ENJOY!
Erin & Lynda

No more pantry tantrums!

My adorable daughter has been quite the busy little bee when it comes to opening the kitchen pantry. I will have my back turned for 30 sec and she will have all crackers, snack boxes and my onions out on the floor! This can put a damper on things, since it NEVER stops and time outs tend to not work at times. So instead of fighting the battle I found some fabulous lever locks (since our pantry has the lever handle rather than the round one) and they work perfectly. They actually look pretty nice and don't look so obvious! So here is the link if you would like to buy some :)
Our little family went to the pool today and got some sun and enjoyed the cold water....it was 91 today! I worked on my tan while Rylynn and daddy played - not a bad deal!
Happy Summer!
Erin & Lynda

Toddler Towel Feature -





This is a great pool/beach or bath tub towel. The hood is great at keeping your little ones' head warm and dry and the long towel is great for them to snuggle and wrap around themselves. My daughter loves this towel -I bring it to the lake and pool and of course use it for bath time. She dries off faster with bamboo - much faster than terry cloth or cotton. You will have to check them out http://www.babyurprecious.com/

We have found the perfect laundry detergent to wash your bamboo toddler towel in -
http://www.shaklee.net/babyurprecious we became distributors since they are a perfect partner with our bamboo products! Enjoy these cute pictures of Rylynn :)
Erin & Lynda

Rylynn's Day at Costco -








Rylynn loves bags! I think I mentioned in an earlier blog that she loves carrying around plastic baggies and tote bags and filling them up...well she took it upon herself to hold 3 of my recycle bags while walking into Costco! She was too cute, holding her arms up so the bags wouldn't fall down. She was the spectacle of Costco - everyone was stopping asking if I had a camera....well of course I had my iPhone :) Anyhoos - enjoy the pictures and video. It was too cute to pass up. Not only does my child LOVE to shop BUT she recycles too and know how important it is to re-use your tote bags!
Erin & Lynda

One of those mornings!

You know when you can't clean your house all week due to either work, kids or errands? And one evening you get the motivation and determination to clean the whole house (well maybe just the downstairs) and you stay up till midnight putting your house back to normal and making it sparkling clean....Well, I had one of those nights last night. And this morning my lovely daughter throws and flicks applesauce all over my walls, is going to pantry pulling out all her favorite boxes of crackers and taking out everything in my junk drawer! This is all within the first 30 min of waking up! I just wanted to go back to bed and have pleasant dreams of my beautiful downstairs...before children! I am a little bit of a clean freak and enjoy having a clean and orderly house....so with a child in my life I have had to simmer down a bit and be more flexible....I will let you know later if that is working for me -HA!
I will be ordering some Shaklee baby items today or tomorrow and will let you know how I like them. I am trying to go organic...cleaning supplies/laundry/vitamins/cleansers....we will see how I like them!
You can always check out the organic laundry detergent and baby items on our NEW website -
Yes - we are distributors now, Mom really likes there stuff :) I will soon be a "user" too!
Erin & Lynda

Mom...I'm Bored!

Are your children already bored this summer? Check out these cool sites I found. It goes with my 3 C's - Cheap, Cute and Creative! Enjoy your summer....and your children! If you have any inexpensive ideas please comment!
Erin & Lynda

OC Register...So Cool!

BURP had some exciting news coverage over the weekend. Jan Norman from the OC register wrote a fabulous article on her blog about BURP! Check it out!
Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement! We appreciate our customers, friends and family!
Erin & Lynda