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February 28, 2010

happy holi...


Today, I helped a friend celebrate Holi, or Festival of Colors. We met at a park and had plates of these vibrant talcum-like powders. We were gathering the powders in our hands and pretty much covering each other...making a fun chasing game out of it. It was a great way to end the day, and a great way to celebrate. I have to admit, I had to Google Holi to learn about it, since I hadn't heard of it before. When I saw some of the colorful photos online, I almost wished I could be in India at least once in my lifetime to experience this. Click here to see some of the amazing photos I found online.

signs of life...

Our seeds are starting to sprout. It's starting to feel like Spring!!!

February 27, 2010

paper boat...


On Friday, Connor's class had their Chinese New Year celebration...okay, a couple weeks late, but still worth the wait. One of the moms, Karen, amazed me. She went to every boy and girl in our class, took their chopstick wrappers, and folded them into little paper boats. Naturally, it was the highlight for all the kids. Watching her and seeing how all the kids thought she was a rock star was just too much.

It was great hanging out and chatting with her, too. She's Chinese, but married a Korean who grew up in Hawaii. Her parents owned a Chinese restaurant growing up...and making these little paper boats is something she did for her parent's restaurant as a kid. It was neat listening to her. I'm trying to do that more...listen. I have a horrible memory, and usually something they say kicks my mind into high gear off somewhere else. But, I'm trying to be more attentive. Everyone's got a story. I'm learning that! But, Karen...she's one cool chic!

sleepy...



Sometimes, I just want to watch my babies sleep. It's during those times, that I realize how precious they are, and how quickly they're growing. My sweet, sweet boy...

February 25, 2010

breakfast date...



One of the things I love are my weekly breakfast dates with Emma. After dropping off her brother at school, we hit up either the local donut or bagel shop and have breakfast together. It's just a thing we do that we both really enjoy. I find that if you more than one child, dedicating time (or dates) just one-on-one is fantastic!

February 21, 2010

decluttering...


One of the things I love about holidays (literally) is when they're over. It always makes your house feel so much cleaner when you put all the stuff away. So, goodbye Valentine's decor...see you next year!

February 20, 2010

supercross time...


Before you start getting all, "Ahhhh, that's cool," and "Did you really do that?" I have to tell you that I did do it, but I didn't come up with the idea. I have to thank Family Fun magazine for this one. My mom made a similar cake for Connor's birthday last year, but when Connor saw this one, he really wanted me to make it. It just so happens that we were invited to a Supercross BBQ tonight since it will be broadcast live. So, I woke up this morning, baked off the cakes, went to the kids' basketball games (where Connor did AMAZING...making the first basket, and then another later in the game), came home and finished assembling and decorating. Ever since we got our new kitchen appliances (note: not all installed yet), I've been in a cooking mood. Making this cake just made sense. It's been a great day, and I think it's only going to get better!

February 19, 2010

seeds...

This morning, we were invited to a friends to get the kids together and plant some seeds. The kids got to spread wildflower seeds throughout their vineyards, and then we planted vegetable and flower seeds in some trays. I had been wanting to take the kids out there to get their spring pictures done because they have this gorgeous mustard seed growing in between their rows of grapevines. I didn't have their outfits, so I decided to for-go that idea for the time being. I did get a few cute shots of the kids planting their seeds. It was a great way to end our week vacation from school. I think just having the time to hang out with my kids was invaluable. I'll never get this time back, so I try to enjoy every moment with them.

February 18, 2010

balsamic reduction...

Yesterday I spent a few hours making sweet heaven on my stove...a balsamic reduction. I had it recently at a friends, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. So, I bit the bullet and made some. I took it and drizzled it over some toasted bread, roma tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella. Just writing about it is making my mouth water. You truly cannot fully appreciate the sweet yumminess unless you've tried it. I used a giant bottle of balsamic vinegar, added some brown sugar and simmered it until it was cut more than in half...leaving an almost syrup. I probably could've let it go longer to make a serious syrup, but I just couldn't wait. I have two small jars of it, and when used, I literally want to lick the remains off the plate. Yes, it's that good. A friend recommended it over vanilla ice cream...hmmm, I think I have my midnight snack set.

tulips...

How can this not make you smile! Stopped by Home Depot yesterday searching for plants to satisfy my Spring fever fix and saw these. I wish I could afford a meadow of these... simply breathtaking.

February 16, 2010

hanging around...

This week is President's week vacation for us, and we chose to stay around town. Today was a really great day for the kids and me. We started at the firehouse for a tour, then had a picnic at the park with a bunch of our friends. We then came home, played in the backyard for a while, then parked it on the couch and watched last night's olympic coverage. I said to Connor, "You know, I like just hanging out at home with you." His reply back was, "I like hanging out at home with you, too, especially on vacation." My heart melts when my growing boy is still sweet and affectionate. Those moments are becoming more rare, but they're that much more special when they do happen.

February 15, 2010

smell the roses...

Okay, okay...so they aren't roses, but flowers nonetheless. Emma and I headed to Trader Joe's to pick up groceries for tonight's dinner, and we loved seeing all the flower right as we walked in. Emma couldn't help but go around the display and smell all the flowers. It was just too darn cute. I think Trader Joe's has some of my favorite flowers (and they're so affordable), but I can't lie...I'm really looking forward to the farmer's market starting up again next month.

February 14, 2010

love is food, food is love...


Happy Valentine's Day! We woke up this morning and decided today is going to be a day of eating. Of course, Chris, the non-planner unless it's work related, asks me, "Where do you want to go out to eat?" Really? Does he not realize that today is Valentine's Day...the day couples go out for a delicious meal? I told him I'd cook dinner, but he really wants to go out to eat, so we agreed on Chili's for lunch. We'll see how that goes. Oh, and to give you a little back history, I used to make that boy lobster every Valentine's day until two years ago when he told me he didn't really care for it. Yeah, so I told him not to eat it, and I'd take it for lunch the next day, which I did. I now make him steak and prawns...something I know he loves. Wishing everyone a day filled with love.

reveal...


My favorite group of mommies got together yesterday to do our Secret Valentine's reveal, have lunch, and see the movie Valentine's Day. First off, I was spot on with my guess, and I loved every surprise she left me. Of course, being a mommy, I received a couple of crafts for the kids, and some shamrocks for my metal tree in the entry (which she knew I was looking for!). Then, at our reveal, I received the most scrumptious chocolate chip cookies ever, a bottle of wine (the one we typically share whenever I'm over at her place for a playdate), and a frame with a photo of our last trip to Aptos...things that all have some type of special meaning and a wonderful memory.

It was fun this year because another gal and I did a little conspiring...giving each other a little help and ideas to throw our recipients off. In the end, I think it worked, which made the game that much more fun.

We had a great afternoon together...chatting, sharing onion strings and sweet potato fries with our burgers, and finishing off the afternoon with the movie, Valentine's Day. What a great movie. I hadn't laughed that much since I saw The Hangover. Of course, I shed a brief tear which made the movie that much better. Probably the most memorable line...which was just a small snipped of hilarious one-liners was, "Do you know Moorpark is spelled backwards?" as they passed the street sign. Too funny.

February 12, 2010

candy....


Seriously...what better way to get ready for Valentine's Day than with a big heart-shaped bowl filled with red, pink, and white M&M's. I can't lie...I really love this photo. I love it so much, it's now my wallpaper on my iPhone.

I should really throw it out there that the bowl is already half empty...and I've been the only one home today. I love Valentine's Day! I love the cheery colors! It makes me happy!

morning tea...

There really isn't a lot I can say about my favorite morning ritual...the cup of scalding hot tea. The tea I get from Peet's every Thursday and Friday (and those special Wednedays that I don't work). It's the Xiao's Blend or the English Breakfast that's so hot, your tongue is pissed at you for days and rebels by denying you any sense of taste. Yeah, I love my Peet's tea. More so, though, is the great company that comes with it. Today, I got to spend my morning with my girlfriend, Cyndi and her gorgeous daughter, Sterling. I love our chats, and value our friendship. It definitely brightens my day!

February 10, 2010

monday...

I've had a few technical difficulties that ended up being a user error...big surprise there, so I haven't been able to upload my photos. This was actually Monday's post that didn't get posted. So, I came home to yet another wonderful gift from my secret valentine (whom I'm 90% sure I know who it is now thanks to the writing...unless someone's pulling a fast one, which is probably what I would do...or "may" be doing to throw mine off). Anyway, after a long day at work and overcome with sickness again, I had a cheery bag of goodies to put a smile on my face. Oh, that and that we finally got our new kitchen appliances delivered (note: we ordered them 2 weeks before Christmas). So, Monday was a pretty good day. We have our big reveal of our secret valentine's on Saturday, and I'm really looking forward to a day with my girls. We've got a great day planned...movie and Fro-Yo. Then again, I could be stuck in an empty room and still have a great time with these gals. Yeah, they're that great!

February 9, 2010

the irony...


I just had to take this photo. It was just too funny to pass up. Of course, I didn't realize what the bottle said until after I was done "reinking" my stampers. Neat Flo...ha

February 7, 2010

wrap it...


Today was a wild, crazy day...basically setting up for tomorrow's wild, craziness. Super Bowl Sunday is a day for family to get together while the men watch the game, and the women chat and wait for the commercials and half-time shows. We usually invite Omi and Opa over for a mellow-er get together. It's also my chance to try making something new. Today, I made these asian lettuce wraps, and OMG, they were soooo yummy. I got the recipe from a friend, and I've been waiting to make them. The craziness part is that we are getting new appliances delivered tomorrow, so we had to prep our kitchen for tomorrow. We moved the fridge out to the garage, which was a feat in itself (trying to empty it all out and then refill it). We also took out the old dishwasher. It was a little cluttered moving around he kitchen today, but the end result with these wraps and family to help enjoy it was worth all the craziness today.

By the way, I had this great reminder of why I'm doing this project. I may (or may not have) stated previously, that one of the gut-wrenching things I had to do to become a happier person was get rid of so called toxic people in my life. While flipping through the channels today, I came across a movie I love..."Mean Girls." So, Lindsey Lohan's character has this great line in the movie. She says, "When you get bit by a snake, you're got to suck the poison out. That's what I had to do...suck all the poison out of my life." Wow! What a great reminder for me that helps eliminate some of the guilt.

February 6, 2010

snack sack...

Since I had my sewing machine out, I thought I'd throw these little snack sacks together. It's just a way to avoid using so many ziplocs that just keep getting thrown out. They're great for putting veggies or crackers in for the kids. I made these with a little draw string so the snack won't fall out. Personally, I just think they're super cute, and it's an outlet for me to be crafty.

February 5, 2010

love...

This is what I came home to today. "Mommy, I have an early Valentine's for you," Connor told me. "Okay," I said. Then he handed this to me. What a sweet, sweet boy.

Another happy note for the day was the birth of my nephew, Mason Christopher. Chris's sister, Jessica and her husband, E.J., had their baby this morning. I was so excited, I ran to Target, bought him a little boy outfit (since no one knew what they were having...them included), and then the excitement festered, so I pulled out my sewing machine and made him a fleece baby blanket. I really love the homemade gifts. Speaking of homemade gifts, I got creative again today, but I really can't talk about it until after Valentine's Day because it's part of my Secret Valentine's, but I can't wait to post pictures after!!!

February 4, 2010

hot chocolate-kinda-day...

Today got a little rainy in the afternoon after a few dry days. The kids suggested we make hot chocolate...brilliant! I was worried because it was going to take some time away from the other things I had planned, but then I remembered...nothing is more important than spending time with your kids. So, we made some hot cocoa...heavily marshmallowed for Emma, while Connor picked out every one to give to his sister. It was a great way to welcome back the rain.

February 3, 2010

lucky...


So, today, I feel like the luckiest person. My secret Valentine made another delivery, and the smell and color of this flower is so amazing. I cannot reiterate enough what amazing women I have in my life...not just because they deliver things to be before Valentines, but because of their thoughtfulness, kindness, and strength that makes me want to be a better person. I have a feeling I'm going to be posting a lot about my mommy friends this month. To my Secret Valentine, YOU ROCK!!!!

February 2, 2010

opportunity...

An opportunity arose last week that I couldn't pass up. To make a long story short, we are now the proud owners of a Young Chang upright piano (just delivered today). It's something we've wanted for some time. I took lessons as a child, however, I couldn't play a tune now if my life depended on it. I've had this desire for a couple of years to relearn, and now that Emma is going to be five and she is so musical, it is something I've been eager to explore for the pair of usl. I believe that if it's something we do together, then it might keep her interested...until she's a rebellious teenager and doesn't want to have anything to do with me. I'm looking forward to the process, and naturally the end result. Mostly, I am grateful for the opportunity.

February 1, 2010

valentine...

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It's that time of year again... I have some of the most amazing mommy friends and every year we have Secret Valentine's. I got my first delivery today that made me all giddy. On my doorstep was an adorable wooden "Welcome" door sign and some Valentine's window clings. I have to admit, I'm a little thrown my the handwriting. This one is gonna be tough to figure out, but it's going to be a fun 2 weeks trying!