The Vegan Mommy Wannabe

Over the weekend, my younger sisters and I ventured Warped Tour here in San Antonio. Saying that I had a blast would be an understatement. Being the blogger that I am, working from home writing, and being a Mom, people tend to forget that I am 22 and still act like a 22 year old occasionally. Mostly when it comes to music. My daughter's and I love to jam out to anything that has a killer bass and guitar solo.

 Waiting for 3oh!3 to take the stage with the youngest sister

The 3 of us.

It was bloody hot, and our youngest sister couldn't take the heat after a couple of hours. So our mother came and picked her up while the 17 year old and I rocked on for the rest of the day. We got to meet so many great people, and by the end of the day our feet were killing us and our voices were gone.

But how does this tie into being a Vegan Wannabe? Well at the tour there were of course a bunch of tents and one of them was about trying to go Vegan for a day. Not only is it good for your health, but for the environment as well. We signed up, got a little booklet and I stuffed it in bag to read later.

When I did get to the booklet, I was disgusted at what I read. Granted, I've seen documentary's on America's meet, and industrial "farming" of animals, but I think reading it, were I wasn't able to tune it out, it stuck with me.

So I went Vegan. Cold turkey. It's a little experiment I am trying to see how hard it is to stay away fro meat. My decision is based on my health more than anything else. I suffer from a lot of headaches and tension, as well as having an issue with my weight control. So from my diet I have eliminated meat, dairy, and eggs. 

It's been 2 days, and honestly, it hasn't been that hard. I'm just pickier than before, but they are great substitutes like soy milk or almond milk that I had already enjoyed.

My biggest hurdle is getting my children to adjust. I have squeezed in some Vegan meals for them, and so far so good. Truly also loved the chocolate almond milk more than anything.

It's also important to take vitamin supplements in addition to the food you are eating. Both the kids and I have our separate vitamin intakes.

So Day 3 of this little experiment, and so far so good! :-)

$10 for 2 Tickets to the Summer Performance of Phantom of the Alamo

My daughter loves watching plays, but what she loves even more is musicals! That is why this Juice in City Deal today in San Antonio is the perfect fit for our family! 


Since our youngest one is free, this 2 for $10 ticket deal is awesome. The performance for Phantom of the Opera is a show that is going to get you  and your children off your feet into a magical world.


"Located on South Alamo Street in the historic Hemisfair Park, Magik Theater is a beautiful and unique community theater that caters to the area's youth. Producing plays based on popular children's books, Magik encourages imagination and a lifelong love of reading. Experienced actors bring favorite characters to the stage, enhanced by moving music, clever costumes and artistic sets."


Click here to purchase today's deal.


Not in San Antonio, Click here to find out what today's Juice in The City deal is for your town.

$12 for 2 Professional Eyebrow or Lip Waxes

The thing about being a mom means that you always have to look your best! And that can be a lot of hard work especially if you're a blogging mom! Today's Juice in the City deal is $12 for 2 professional eyebrow or lip waxes.


"This deal makes shaping up your brows easy and affordable, for you'll pay only $12 for TWO treatments and look all kinds of fresh-faced as a result. And if you've already done your brows? No problem: this deal is also good for two upper lip waxes!"


Click here to purchase today's deal.


Not in San Antonio, Click here to find out what today's Juice in The City deal is for your town.

Attack of The House Zombies

Crazy things start happening to my kids when we don't leave the house. We can never just spend a peaceful day at home. If we do not go somewhere, at least one place during the day, my children turn into something I like to call House Zombies.

This transformation begins when around 2pm when they notice we still have not left the house. Their eyes start glazing over, and they start to chew on the couch and pillows. They begin leaping from the banister, and riding on the dogs. In a blink of an eye, my sweet little girls have torn apart mommy's closet, ripping through dresses and hats.

These House Zombies, with a mind of their own, frown at every puzzle or art kit placed in front of them.

Luckily, I've found a cure. An hour or two at the playground, mall, or movies bring back my sweet little girls.

But I must get going now...before it's too late and the transformation begins...

Meeting Their Needs

With Addy, Truly with her Auntie because they were fighting....

I never thought I'd find myself here with 2 kids. Never in my life did I imagine I would be the age that I am, doing what I love to do as a writer and a blogger, all while balancing two kids.

My new challenge lately is trying to meet the needs of two completely different personalities. My Truly is the typical 4 year old girl. I opted not to put her in preschool since I work from home. I have plenty of help with my family that if I ever need a break or need to run some errands. Once you start going to school, you're pretty much going to go to school for the rest of your life, so I'd rather postpone that as much as I can.

So with both of these girls, I'm constantly trying to find a way to make both of them happy. If one is hungry, one is tired. If one wants a toy, the other is already playing with it. If one girls wants to watch Barney, the other wants to watch Yo Gabba Yo Gabba. These girls are only 1 and 4.

Maybe I should invest in some juggling classes, or maybe military school? Do you know were the nearest circus or bootcamp is?.....

Juice in The City Deal for SA Moms

Today's Juice in The City deal is for $29 for 4 Baby Boot Camp Classes. If you've read this blog whatsoever, you know that fitness and living healthy is something I always try and implement into my life. Note the word, "try." This deal today comes at a perfect time when everyone's weight loss goals seem to be at their peak.

Baby Boot Camp Classes offer many different classes around San Antonio, meeting at local parks. They always have a blast, and the best part? You get to bring your baby. No need for a sitter or tying down Dad.

Click here to buy today's deal, before you regret it!

Not in San Antonio, click here and find out your cities daily deal!

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post, but all thoughts and opinions are mine.

Juice in The City Deal for San Antonio Moms

Today's fun Juice in the City deal is $65 for 2 months of Children's Drama Classes. Even at Truly's age she loves goofing off, being silly, and playing pretend. What makes this even all the more fun, is that your children are able to be silly with a group of other kids.

Brainstorming: What's Your Next Move?

My desk this evening seems to be the living room floor. Today we painted my daughter's room princess purple, so it's been a pretty stressful day painting a room with a 1 year old flailing a paintbrush one way, with a 4 year old screaming that we aren't letting her do what she wants. So now, my Truly is winding down while I get some extra work done. She's keeping me company catching up with her favorite Upside Down Show, while her younger sister has already crashed out for the night. I usually am on the computer late at night since it's the only time I can get anything done without having to jump up every minute thinking someone fell off the roof, or worse, stained my carpet.

Win a Free Pass to The Lady Blogger Social Online Conference!

I hope you've heard of this already, and if you haven't, well I'm so glad you've stopped by!


I am giving away a free online pass to The Lady Blogger Social Online Conference on July 8!

The Lady Blogger Social Online Conference was born after many failed attempts of trying to find an amazing resource for women bloggers who just couldn’t find the time (or, shall we say, “funds”) to get out and attend the other amazing blogging and social media conferences around the world.

The conference is brought to you by TheLadyBloggers.com, which was designed to build a community for blogging women. A place to learn, network, and feel confident in their choice to blog.

With the huge demand of blogging conferences growing with the huge demands of our lifestyle, we introduce the online conference for the rest of us!

You still get the same perks as attending a live conference: the speakers, the giveaways, the swag bags, the networking rooms, and most importantly, all of the amazing things you will learn!

Sounds like a fun time now doesn't it? All you have to do to win your free pass is the following:

1) Follow this blog 

2) Follow Stepfanie on Twitter

3) Follow the Stepfanie's Desk Facebook Page

Do 1 or all 3!

4) Then, leave a comment below stating which one you did!

This giveaway ends Wednesday June 15 at 11:59PM CT.

The winner will be announced Thursday June 15, 2011.

Good Luck!!!!!!

$5 Kid's Haircut at Sharkey's Cuts for Kids!

Karate, For My Child For The Family

I've recently enrolled my daughter in Karate. If you know my daughter on a personal level, you would know how deceiving she is. She approaches you with a coy smile, touching her ear to her shoulder, and with a higher pitched voice will introduce herself as such, "Hi, I'm Truly, I'm beautiful, What's your name?" The ooohs and aaaawes soon follow, impressed with her cuteness and sweetness. That is when she turns around and when no one is looking, will punch her 15 year old straight in the stomach and take off.

My little deceiver.

Most of the time, my Truly is well behaved, well mannered, and just acts out like any regular 4 year old. Then there are the days when things truly go in one ear and out of the other. She would honestly forget I told her not to jump off that cliff and do it anyway.

Truly doesn't go to Daycare and she will not go to Preschool. My philosophy is that once they start school, they are pretty much going to go to school Monday-Friday for the better part of their lives. So instead of hauling her off to the places I hated the most, I decided to fill her days with fun activities to encourage interaction with other children. She absolutely loves Ballet class, Sport camps at the gym and her other playgroups.

A couple of things I've noticed with Truly is when playing with other children, even though she is very assertive with her family, she is very quick to just do whatever anyone else is doing. She'll follow anyone, jump in and scream with the group, and copy the person beside her. A follower and not a leader. This doesn't concern me as much being that she is only 4, but my fear is that this may be a habit.

In comes Karate. I always knew my children were going to go to a karate class. I want y children to be able to defend themselves, have the confidence to do what they want, but have the respect for others that is demanded in Karate. Plus, I think every girl should be able to say , "I have a blackbelt."

Her first day was fun. She jumped right in, loved the yelling and kicking, and couldn't wait to get her hands on the nun-chucks. She picked up everything right away, and ended the class in a sweaty mess, loving it. The thing I also love about this certain Karate studio is that they Parent participation is required. Parents have to stand up, encourage their children from their seats, and must bow with their children. Students also earn stripes on their belts and badges, when their families write them notes of job well dones, and accomplishments throughout the week. The focus is to not only strengthen the mind of the student, but of the family as a whole.

My daughter is now 3 years away from receiving her first black belt. That will be 7 when she can officially say she is a black belt.

Wow.... I want one too......

Juice in the City Summer Deal! 2 FOR 1 ADMISSION AT HISTORIC ENCHANTED SPRINGS RANCH!

Today's Juice in the City deal for San Antonio Moms is a fun deal to beat the summer boredom! Get 2 for 1 Admission to the Historic Enchanted Springs Ranch.

This awesome facility boasts an 1800's atmosphere void of electronic devices. They have an amazing collection of exotic animals, live shows, wagon rides and so much more! Who wouldn't want to visit a place recommended by Oprah and featured on The History Channel.

Buy 1 for your family, and another as a gift to bring your friend's family along!

Take a day and remind your children what the Wild West was all about!

Click here to purchase today's deal.

Disney Store San Antonio Sneak Peek

Today I was invited to a sneak peek of the new Disney Store design in San Antonio, Texas at the Northstar Mall.

The new Disney Store offers a one-of-a-kind, interactive and magical experience for Disney fans of all ages. Disney Store's new design concept aims to deliver "the best 30 minutes of a child's day" through immersive experiences including a Disney Princess with Magic Mirror, Translucent Trees, Disney Pixar CARS-branded Ridemakerz experience and the Disney Store Theatre featuring the latest Disney entertainment.

When Truly was 2 years old, we went to Disney world and stayed at one of their resorts. She is now 4 and still begs and pleads to go back and visit. This summer we plan on taking another trip, as well as every year or so.

With that being said, we are frequent shoppers at any place that hold Disney toys. Not only is it something that my girls love, but I grew up as a Disney gal as well. I hold so many memories and love the fact that my daughter and I can relate to our love of Cinderella and Ariel.

Truly was excited to go to the Disney Store. She knew exactly what it looked like, and where to find it in the mall. When we came to the store entrance, we saw it was blocked off and completely covered, getting ready for the Grand Opening. Truly was a little confused and looked around wondering what to do next.

After a quick e-mail, we were happily greeted at the entrance, and Truly quickly realized that something special awaited behind the dark curtains.

This is what we saw as we entered

Image Source

Could you imagine the face of a 4 year old girl?

Getting Through Your Mistakes

A mistake is simply another way of doing things - Katharine Graham

If I had a penny, just a penny, for all the mistakes I've made in my life, I'm sure the earth would be covered in copper. Or whatever pennies are made out of now a days.

As cliche as it sounds, my mistakes truly have made me who I am today. My daughters were both un-planned. I found out I was pregnant with Truly on my second day of College. I found out we were pregnant with my second daughter, Addy, in the middle of planning our wedding.

My children were "mistakes" in the sense that they were "Oops" babies. After the initial shock though of finding out we were pregnant, I was excited about both of them and their arrivals.

After having children, my mistakes became more than just little mess ups. They meant more to me because I was now an example to my children. I didn't want to mess up, I couldn't mess up, I had two little eyes constantly watching me. So I started to live life safely. Never taking risks, and never putting myself in a position where there was a choice of failure, a choice of messing up, or a choice of making a mistake.

Then I realized, who am I if I don't mess up?

Without taking risks, what kind of life does a person live?

Life is about doing things worthwhile. Everything worth while involves a decision that risks a mistake. I realized that if I put myself in the position were I can't make a mistake, I will never seem quite human to my children. They need to see their mother mess up... and then rise again. Or else how would they learn as well?

My daughters will make plenty of mistakes as they get older, but how will they learn how to deal with them? If I can't show them that you can easily navigate throughout their mistakes, how can they be confident to do the same? Or worse, they'll want to hide their mistakes from me because they would be afraid of how I would feel? Now that would be a mistake of it's own.

Today's Deal: $20 for 2 Admission Tickets to Splashtown

Obviously it's the summer time. If you didn't notice, you're probably not in San Antonio with the heat pounding down on you. I think within the past week the temperature got up to 109 F.

Today's Juice in the City deal is perfect for Summer Fun. For $20 you get admission tickets for 2 to Splashtown. That's $32 in savings! You'll be able to save big while keeping the kids cool, safe, and having fun!

As always, this deal is only good for 24 hours! You don't want to regret not getting in on this deal when it's 109 F and your kids are yelling "We're bored"! It happens, I was once one of those kids.

Click here to purchase today's deal.

I was compensated for this post by Juice in the City, but all opinions, hot and sweaty, are all mine!

13 Small Ways to Simplify Your Workday

One of the best things I did when I decided to simplify my life was to simplify my workday — first with my business and later, by focusing on my writing and blogging.

I’ve eliminated most of the routine, boring, administrative tasks with a few simple principles.

These days, I have eliminated the non-essentials, and can focus on what I truly love: creating.

Not everyone can make such drastic steps toward simplicity, but if you have some control over your workday, you can do a few small things that will simplify things greatly.

If you don’t have control, or if you find yourself thinking, “I can’t do these things”, I’d start to ask why not? Is it possible to change things, if not today then over the long term? I found that often I thought something wasn’t possible (working from home, for example), but in the long run they were.

You don’t need to do all of these things — pick just one, and try it. Then try another and see if it works. Experiment to find what works for you.

And enjoy the simple work life.

1. Start early. Going into work early was one of my favorite tricks — it was quiet, before the phones and chatter and meetings started, and I could get a lot of work done in peace. By the time everyone else was getting started, I’d gotten two or three big tasks checked off.
2. Limit your hours. It’s ironic, because so many people work long hours and think they’re getting more done and being more productive. But they’re throwing brute hours at the problem. Instead, cut back on your hours and set a limit — say 6 or 7 hours a day — and get your most essential work done within that limit. If you know you’re only working 6 hours today, you’ll be sure to get the important tasks done first and waste less time. Limits force you to be effective.
3. Make a short list. Make a long list of all the tasks you need to do … then make a short list of 1-3 things you really want to get done. Choose so that, if you got only these tasks done, you’d be proud of what you did today. Start with the most important task, before checking email or reading online.
4. Batch distractions. What are your common distractions? Perhaps things like email, reading blogs, Twitter or another social network? Set a time for these, preferably later in the day: say, from 3-4 p.m. Don’t do the distractions before then. By grouping them all into one time period, you allow yourself to do other work first, but still get in your distraction time. Another approach might be to do them for 10 minutes at the end of each hour — but stick to that 10-minute limit!
5. Write shorter emails. If email takes up a lot of your day, the simple change of limiting yourself to 3-4 sentences per email will make a big difference. First, it’ll drastically shorten the time it takes to write or respond to emails. And second, it’ll shorten responses to your emails, which means you’ll spend less time reading email.
6. Limit meetings. The fewer the better. Some top Google executives just do 5-minute meetings — anyone who attends these meetings had better be prepared, and concise. If you can get out of meetings and just get the notes, or find an alternative way to communicate, it could save you hours per week.
7. Automate. The fewer repetitive and routine tasks you have to do, the more time you’ll free up for creating and important work. So automate wherever possible: have people fill things out electronically, or get info from your website instead of emailing or calling you, or use a service that automatically processes payments or ships your product, and so on.
8. Eliminate paperwork. I used to deal with a lot of paperwork, and even then I knew it was a waste of my time. If businesses and organizations could have paperwork filled out electronically, it would save a lot of paper, copying, filing, and duplicate effort. Whenever possible, eliminate paperwork in favor of digital. This might be more of a long-term move.
9. Clear your desk. This can be done in a few minutes. Clear everything off the top of your desk. Only put back a few essential items. Everything else should be: filed, given to the appropriate person, given a permanent spot in a drawer, or trashed/recycled. Make quick decisions and then get back to work.
10. Get away. If you can get out of your office, you can find a peaceful spot where you can focus on important work. Find a spot where you can work, turn off the Internet and do your work, and then turn the Internet back on so you can email or upload it to the appropriate spot. Working from home is a good option here. The more you can do this (it might be once a week, or an hour a day, or half of every workday), the better.
11. Take breathing breaks. Every 15-20 minutes, get up from your desk, and take a breathing break. It could be simply walking around the office, saying hi to someone, or even better, getting outside to get some fresh air. Walk around, get your blood circulating, perhaps massage your neck and shoulders if you feel tension. Do some pushups if you want to get fitter. When you get back to work, remind yourself what you want to be working on, and clear away all distractions.
12. Practice a focus ritual. Every hour or two, do a refocus ritual. This only takes a minute or two. You might start it by closing down your browser and maybe other open applications, and maybe even take a walk for a couple of minutes to clear your head and get your blood circulating. Then return to your list of Most Important Tasks and figure out what you need to accomplish next. Before you check email again or go back online, work on that important task for as long as you can. Repeat this refocus ritual throughout the day, to bring yourself back. It’s also nice to take some nice deep breaths to focus yourself back on the present. More focus rituals.
13. Schedule big blocks of creative time. Not everyone can do this, but when possible, put a big block of 3-4 hours in your schedule for creating or doing other important work. Make this time inviolate, and don’t allow meetings or other things to be scheduled during this time. Be ruthless about clearing distractions and doing the work you love during these blocks, taking breathing breaks as necessary. Rejoice in your creativity.

Yogurt Zone: $7 for $15 Worth of Delicious Yogurt

Today, Juice in the City is offering a great deal for San Antonio yogurt lovers! Again, this is another place my 17 year old sister has been multiple times with out me, along with my 4 year old daughter, but now it may finally be my turn using this deal!

They have over 16 flavors and combinations to choose from. Choose your flavors, pick your toppings, and enjoy your own custom creation! Not only is it fun for little fingers, but the amazing choice of healthy items for mom and dad will make this the place to go. Skip the calorie loaded ice cream and buy this deal today and discover the delicious-ness that is Yogurt Zone!

Click here to purchase today's deal.

I was compensated for this post by Juice in the City, but all opinions, mouth watering opinions, are all mine!

Captain Jack Sparrow Saved The Day!

My Truly has become a very funny little girl. We have started a new bed time ritual. Lately, I've been spending a good chunk of my day, working, writing, and finishing up some school assignments. So I've been finding new ways to cherish our time together especially since she is the oldest and acknowledges that I havn't been spending a lot of time with her.

When it gets closer to bed time, instead of reading a book, we have been making up our own bed time stories. First I tell a story, then she does, then I go again, and this usually happens back and forth until one of us passes out. My stories usually involve a girl named Princess Truly and her stories usually involve animals and someone saving the day.

Last night though there was one recurring character in the stories she would make up. Mr. Captain Jack Sparrow himself. One story in particualr was about a big bad wolf. He chased Truly into the house and tried to blow her house down. The first time he couldn't do it because our house has bricks, that silly wolf. But then he blew again and her house blew down. So she ran to Captian Jack Sparrows house and he killed the wolf and Truly and Jack lived happily ever after.

And then she fell asleep before it was my turn to tell the story. I woke up in the middle of the night to see her smiling in her sleep.

Oh my silly little girl, I wonder what dreams you were having...

$30 for a 10 Play Punchcard to Minitown in San Antonio!

Juice in the City deal you can't miss out on!

My daughter L.O.V.E.S Minitown. The first time we went there was when we were meeting up with a playgroup and she ran from room to room amazed at all of the things she found. The second time we went there was for a birthday party and she just couldn't contain herself. She was like a lion who was finally set free from the Zoo. With play rooms from a movie theater, dance club (my daughters favorite) HEB shopping center, school room, and more! They also have a train outside, a playground, and a moon bounce.

But that isn't the best part. The best part id the fact that Mommy can join in, or sit right center of this fun area and catch up on some reading without losing sight of the little ones! Win Win I dare say!!!

If your a San Antonio Mom with little ones, and looking for a fun activity for both of your sanity's, buy this one day deal now!

Click here to buy this deal.