For Love of that Sillie Smile!!

no new purse

2012-02-20T22:33:00.000-08:00

so this year: no new purse.
since my birthday is around christmas time, i usually take all the gifts i get and turn them into a nice purse. this year... i couldn't find one i liked!! well, one that was within my budget :)

2 purse returns later, i decided to upgrade my camera. i really really tried to love the canon (dslr) but couldn't. so like the 2 purses, that got returned.

i ended up with a nikon (which is the camera i first started taking pictures with) and LOVE it!! i just wish i had more time to play around with it, and get better....

but the little bit of time i have to take pics, i am truly enjoying it!! :)

3 is no joke!

2012-02-18T22:31:00.000-08:00

our family has been hit with a bug that has pretty much kept us in survival mode these last 2 weeks. i won't begin to complain about how 3 kids sick all at the same time is no joke...being outnumbered.

*sigh*

i pretty much took home the biggest bag of meds from the pharmacy EVER, while eating my lunch on my way home (because who knows if i would have a chance to eat once i got home!)

the grandparents came to lend a few extra hands, and the first one better (Sillie) got to see a movie with her grandpa! he's the best... i think i've mentioned that before?!

i snuck in while they were on their way out- to snap a few pics of them on their date :)

hoping this next week is a better, HEALTHY one :)

Tutorial: Any Occasion Wreath

2012-02-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

Remember this wreath from Ozzie's birthday party?

I turned it into this for Christmas

Then i made this for Valentine's Day

easiest wreath to make!!

all you need is:

- a cardboard form (circle, outside diameter is 12" and inside diameter is 9") got mine from papersource, but since i'm telling you the measurements here, you can just make your own :)

- about 28 squares (8" x 8") in the colors of your choice

- a stapler

- tape

- glue

roll the paper so that it makes a cone. try to manipulate it so that the top and bottom are somewhat lined up.

the paper should fold over in the back, this is where i staple it once.

i line up all the finished cones, face downward (so staple shows on top) and tape it into place, since they roll around.

then i put hot glue on the cardboard form and press it onto the wreath.

that's it!

hand from anywhere, using a ribbon tied to the cardboard form. add anything you want to say in the middle and tape that on :)

three's a crowd?

2012-02-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

playing so happily together- sharing a pillow, until...

ozzie comes. can you tell who is not happy that he came to join the fun?

shrinky dink valentine's

2012-02-10T23:54:00.000-08:00

in an effort to not give candy, Sillie and I created little shrinky dink packages as her valetines to her classmates.

i bought this paper and used a heart shaped hole punch, and made a second little hole (with a normal paper hole punch) to be able to tie it with a ring or ribbon.

the parent just needs to provide some permanent markers and help with the baking.

the white heart is the original size, and the colored heart is the shrinky dink size (after being baked for 1 minute)

sillie absolutely LOVED making these little shrinky dinks... i'm hoping her friends like them as well!

if you want to make little packages, here is the pdf with the instructions that you can include in your envelope.

enjoy!

5 minute hair clip

2012-02-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

quickest hair pins made...EVER :)

:: flower embellishments :: i found these on clearance for just a few dollars

:: fabric covered snap clips :: so you don't have to cover them yourself

:: glue gun :: the time it takes to heat up, i pulled the stickers off the backside of the flower and glued

a happy girl in 5 minutes :)

valentine's day gifts: teachers

2012-01-31T20:32:00.000-08:00

:: a cute mug :: crate and barrel $3.95

:: dressed up tea bags :: Yogi Green Tea (from Trader Joe's)

:: simple and sweet gift, without the sugar ::

can i mention it's a very economical gift, esp if you have multiple teachers to give to.

how to dress up the tea bags:

1. take any sticker or embellishment that you want to use (i used these).

2. fold over paper or cardstock so that 90% of the circle fits. punch them out.

3. put a little double sided tape on the inside crease and tuck in the paper flag from the tea bag.

4. embellish and gift :)

wall heART: a few tips

2012-01-30T22:30:00.000-08:00

A few things to make putting this together easier:

1. make several different sized flowers, in different colors.
2. try to incorporate different colors into a few flowers as well
3. don't get hung up on symmetry (like i did)
4. lay out the flowers on the floor first, so you have a general idea of where things will go.
5. i pinned the larger ones onto the wall using the ribbon that holds the flower together. i also used packing tape for the smaller ones
6. create depth by tucking in a few of the flowers.
7. create height by balling up some scrap paper or plastic bags and tape that on the wall. then attach the flower on top of that.
8. be sure to stare at it and really enjoy it :)

packaging

2012-01-30T21:45:00.000-08:00

layered different colored tissue paper on kraft paper.

love working with colors :)

this one is smaller than it looks

and i like the depth that the layers create

3 gifts :)

heart cards

2012-01-26T22:20:00.000-08:00

i gave sillie some blank cards and stickers, and let her make whatever she wanted to with it.

here's what she came up with:

just a few thank you's to her sunday school teachers, as well as the blut's teacher. i think i will have her make her classroom valentines as well. she was so proud of her work!

apple of my eye

2012-01-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

of course, it changes on a daily basis (if not hourly).

but he's such a happy kid!! when he laughs, he gets this twinkle in his eye. of course, this is when he is not hungry. because he is hungry ALL THE TIME.

i am *trying* to enjoy every minute of him!

heart

2012-01-24T20:57:00.000-08:00

i've always battled with this big white wall above my fireplace.

but got this idea from Martha Stewart Living, and LOVE how it turned out!!

another bonus is that Sillie absolutely loves it as well :)

managing

2012-01-23T21:45:00.000-08:00

wow.
i have over 20 posts, that are just in draft form... waiting for pictures!

i'm slowly getting caught up cleaning, bills, finishing valentine's day projects and doing holiday returns. every moment i have free i am either in yoga or at the chiropractor.

whatever helps my back!
i sneezed (not even the crazy kind) a couple weeks ago and threw it out in a bad way. and so now i'm just trying to manage the pain, not lifting the kids (yeah right), not bending, and not sitting in front of the computer for long periods of time.

oh, and a few meds that the dr gave me :)

so until i get better, i will try to squeeze out a post here and there.

hopefully they will be interesting! and not pain driven! hahaha...

some more coffee love

2012-01-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

i have a big white wall behind my desk.

it was used as a display for ozzie's bday party decorations for the past month. (i've finally been able to let go of all my hard work and take it all down)

and now... i have decided to get a few prints to put up:

both prints are from Restyle.

coffee love

2012-01-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

i. love. coffee.

i think i've written about it many many times. but really- i love it.

if i could, i'd drink 8 cups of it, instead of water- every day. i like trying new kinds of coffee, different ways of brewing it, and even different brands of instant coffee.

my current method is this one:

given to me by a dear friend for my birthday (wow. she really knows my heart!)

it's by bodum. a french press coffeemaker.

every other day i grind some beans (which has been also fun, trying different kinds) and make 1.5 cups of coffee for myself. some beans have more caffeine than others. and the day i drink those- i am VERY productive! haha :)

ozzie's 1st birthday

2012-01-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

just a few pics of our fun night...i scaled back in all the things i made, and went the simple route :) it's all i had time for, and the baked desserts were the most important thing to me- as i wanted to have all the guests be able to take something home (we ran out last year).

wreath

Dol go-ims, with a little glitter to match the other decorations

very simple cake topper, with a fringe on the bottom

main view, with ozzie's name in lights (rockstar-style!)

we had additional cakes to celebrate ozzie's grandpa and ozzie's aunt-grandmother's birthday. all were coconut, to match the Confetti System theme

fringe garland

the only thing i knew i wanted since july (when he was 7 months old) was his name in lights :) luckily, his birthday was near christmas, so christmas lights were readily available!

the party was smaller this year, and in a cozier room. we VERY much enjoyed ourselves that night, very thankful for those who came to help us celebrate!

twenty twelve

2012-01-03T21:45:00.000-08:00

happy new year!

it's been a hectic holiday season- almost going too quick to enjoy and savor the family time that we had :)

i have a lot planned for this year, and hopefully will be able to accomplish half of it by the time it's twenty thirteen!

i needed a little wall calendar for my white white walls. so i made this real quick and thought i'd share :)

enjoy!

happy birthday, ozzie!!

2011-12-21T06:21:00.000-08:00

i can't believe one year has come and gone. this last year was probably one of the most difficult, yet by God's grace, it zoomed by :) as the husband would say, "3 kids is no joke!"

one year ago... i walked into my last day of work without knowing it. we had a rough 10 days while ozzie and i were in one hospital, and the Blut and the husband were in another.... but now, one year later- i have so much to be thankful for!!

our little ozzie started walking earlier than his brother and sister... a little before turning 11 months! and since he was born real early... i was very impressed! (also the big head i think is hard to balance, hahaa) like his siblings, the boy likes to climb... i suspect i will be needing another crib tent for this one :)

i'm really trying to enjoy the oz...since he's my last :)
happy birthday!!

(my first 2 were happy babies. but wow, ozzie takes happiness to another level! thank God! although this pic doesn't show it)

a new take on rice crispy treats

2011-12-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

i'm DEFINITELY making these over the weekend! and i want to play around with the flavors to see if i can put more of a sesame flavor into it :) maybe even a slight hint of coconut?

Sesame Ginger Rice Krispies Treats

- Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar

Makes approx 100 bars

1½ tablespoons white sesame seeds
1½ tablespoons black sesame seeds
2½ tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon ginger juice (or ½ tablespoon powdered ginger)
4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
⅛ tesapoon salt

Butter a shallow pan (a 13-by-9-by-2 inch pan works well) or line it with wax paper, and set aside. Toast the black and white sesame seeds in a heavy saute pan over low heat (about 2 to 3 minutes), stirring frequently to get an even golden color on the white sesame seeds, and dump into a large mixing bowl.
In a large sauce pan, melt the butter and add the ginger and marshmallows, and cook until thoroughly melted. Remove the saucepan from the burner.
Add the cereal, salt and melted marshmallow mix to the mixing bowl with the sesame, and combine until everything is well coated.
Spread and press mixture into the pan. When it's cool, cut into bite-size bars and enjoy.

sneak peek

2011-11-29T12:47:00.000-08:00

it's all starting to come along :)

work in progress

2011-11-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

i make, then i change my mind.

i make, then i re-design.

it's been a slow process of starting over and over. but i think i'm on my way....

(it may be a little quiet for the next few weeks as i try to wrap stuff up!)

invites done!

2011-11-07T21:19:00.001-08:00

i was going to order my invites, because i'm all about keeping things simple this time around.

but then i had a hard time finding/taking a pic of ozzie (he's not photogenic!). and then i had a hard time finding an invite in the colors that i am using for the party (my theme, haha).

so i ended up making the invites. although they are not printed yet.

i was going for a christmas-y look :)

i am slowly checking things off my to-do list!

invites done!

2011-11-07T21:18:00.000-08:00

i am slowly checking things off my to-do list!

it doesn't always work

2011-11-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

sometimes i waste so much time making something... and i don't end up using it. or it just doesn't work.

for example, the rope. it looked nice while i made it, but after hanging it... it just didn't hang right! so that idea will be scratched and i am trying something else. luckily, plan b is much quicker, but we'll see if it's what i had in mind!

and i have 50 feet of this!! *sigh*

the birds

2011-10-31T23:32:00.000-07:00

a very angry bird

his sister had to model his costume for him

quick family pic (the husband came later)

a very good time was had :)

and now that halloween is done i can finally focus on ozzie's dol! :) it's hard to have my brain on so many things at once.

sillie the swan

2011-10-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

so proud to be a swan

checking herself out

relieved to be done! :) the swan is completely adjustable, since the feathers make her itch. it took 15 minutes of adjusting to finally get it comfortable.

now on to the boys' costume!

swan dress

2011-10-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

here's a pic of when i first started, but now I'm almost done! it's taking me a lot shorter than anticipated because i cheated on the skirt- bought a skirt from target, and just added feathers! :)

but now my sewing machine is freaking out, and i had to send it to the sewing machine dr. not sure if i will be able to finish up the boys' angry birds costumes at this rate...but at least the rest of sillie's can be done by hand. phew!

ornament challenge

2011-10-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

last sunday as i was dropping off sillie in her class, the children's director at my church handed me this little white puff ball and asked me if i could turn it into a sheep ornament. something that families can make as a craft.

hmmmm. that was all the direction i got! fortunately, there are other ladies that are giving ideas, but given that i didn't have time this week to really work on it (i had a whole 10 minutes late last night) ...i'm pleased with the way it turned out :)

not sure if my version will be used, but it was a fun little challenge for my tired brain. the hardest part was messing around with the face...to make it cute.

and now i'm back to swan-dress-making and angry-bird-costume-making! very excited about how these are turning out too :)

happy weekend!

such a pleasure

2011-10-19T06:41:00.000-07:00

i try not to favoritize him (try harder than the husband, at least) but there are times, esp when i get him after his naps, and he just completely looks like my brother. but with my dad's pleasant/sweet disposition.

rope

2011-10-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

so the company that did the crewcuts/jcrew ads was called confetti system. and i love EVERYTHING they do!

esp their tassel bunting, which you better believe that i will have too :) although, it is more time consuming than i thought...

i've been twisting and twisting sheets and sheets of mylar to make my own rope. after several yards, i've got a little method to layering the sheets and tucking in the edges so that it is more "rope-like" and have less fly-away edges :)

my latest obsession

2011-10-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

brie, fig spread and garlic crackers

i'm embarrassed to say how many round of brie, packages of crackers and jars of spread i have gone through these last couple weeks. (a LOT)

costume theme

2011-10-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

so i'm all about themes and being matchy matchy :) if you can't already tell.

since sillie wants to be a swan (which i need to get working on!) i couldn't figure out what to make the boys. so after much though, i came up with this:

the Blut will be the red one, and ozzie will be the little blue one :)

now i just have to figure out if i want to make it or buy it. probably buy it, since i have to get going on sillie's costume and ozzie's dol stuff is looming over my head.

ozzie's dol planning

2011-10-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

so i decided... not going to go with the chevron stripes. i didn't like how the invites were coming out, i wanted a more simplified and clean look.

but i do have my color theme, and i still am sticking with the fringe. i saved several jcrew/crewcuts catalogues from last year, because i knew i wanted to incorporate this:

and how convenient that ozzie was born in december because i am going with a christmas theme!

i will be ordering a lot of tissue paper! so excited to get started, and very excited about how i will do ozzie's name!

now that i have the venue booked, time to get everything else going...

lack of posts...

2011-10-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

days go by, and i realize- i haven't posted anything! HAHAHA! not that i haven't in my head, or don't have a million still in draft form....

just been busy with LIFE. the kids have been sick, been packing up the house for a move that is not yet happening (haha!), fought for a new tv (with Sony), and been feeling like a single mom- since the husband is going back and forth between here and chicago.

i so want to babble about all the meals i have to cook, all the fingernails and toenails i need to cut, etc etc...but then i think every person has a lot of *little things* that need to get done, and hold back on the complaining. not that it's really complaining.... more like wishing i had more ME time.

anyway. i'm still on a mission to lose the baby weight. i'm about halfway there...and i get this feeling...that maybe i can lose it. but that the remaining weight will be completely redistributed.

mostly to my butt :( and not in the kim kardashian kind of way either. hahaha!

the three of them

2011-09-27T23:17:00.000-07:00

i rarely try to get a pic of the three of them together...but they were playing on the carpet one afternoon, so goofy... i just had to take a pic :)

happy birthday, blut!

2011-09-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

my baby is not a baby anymore!! :( he's getting big, when i wish he would stay this size and way FOREVER! :) hehehe... the husband and i thoroughly enjoy him, and are thankful for the sweet boy God has given us.

happy birthday, blut!

OCD

2011-09-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

this cracked me up, and can be found here:

Flower Hair Tie (tutorial)

2011-09-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

here's a quick hair tie tutorial, i promise, it takes only a few minutes to make this.

you will need:
fake flowers of your choice
hair tie (rubberband- i like the ouchless kind from Target)
glue gun

pull the flower heads off the stem

trim the remaining stem, so that the flower is as flat as possible

pull the leaves off the stem

peel the fake plastic vein off the back

dab a bit of hot glue onto the back of the flower, lay your hair elastic on the glue

dab another bit of glue on the elastic, and lay the fake leaf down. press down so that it molds into the shape of the elastic and sticks to the flower

Done!

weekend recap

2011-09-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

i had such a nice weekend :) started hot, then thunder-y and rainy, then ended with beautiful. can't complain!

met with my friend, Be, who i've known since kindergarten! she brought her kids over, and lunch from Cream Pan. i HAVE to go back... the bread there is phenomenal. i want to go early in the morning and try EVERYTHING :)

had dinner with my friend, Aggie. we went to high school together, and i can pretty much honestly say, she looks the same. :) (LUCKY!)

celebrated my mom's bday, with a carrot cake from Beverly's Best. (candles from Papyrus)

got in trouble from everyone because the Blut got injured under my *careful* watch. (haha) he climbs out of his bed even with the sleepsack on!

lastly, we went to manhattan beach for pizza (no picture). came home and ordered cpk (yay, for no cooking) and realized that i ate a lot of pizza in one day :)

it was a good weekend :)

a few random things

2011-09-08T23:08:00.000-07:00

a week passes and no posts...

i blame just one thing: i can't find the wire that connects my camera to my laptop! all my posts are driven by pictures (lately) and i have so many that are waiting to get transferred. i even may have a video to share :)

as soon as i find that wire...

random #1, can i tell you how much i absolutely love hot yoga?! it's like getting a massage, that you work for. something so relaxing and detoxing about it- maybe it's the sweat? now i'm debating on investing in this towel

(from yogitoes, although many companies make something like it), because the sweat dripping everywhere is kinda gross.

random #2, the Blut is turning 2 this month, and the husband and i talk about how much he is changing every day!! it's sad- i don't want him to grow up, because we are completely enjoying every second of him, and soon that's all going to change....

(he likes to "save" certain yummy things. here, he's saving his gummy vitamins. eats them very very slowly)

random #3, i have plantar fasciitis. i wear orthotics, try to not wear flip flops/flat shoes, and pretty much had to get rid of a lot of pointy-toed shoes (for a different foot issue). ummmmm. i'm not a sneakers type of girl, but slowly i guess i'm being forced to? and i don't normally wear shoes in the house, and now i do (sometimes- for the orthotics).

reason i mention this is because i feel like so many women have feet pain (esp after pregnancy) and just hold in the ache, thinking it's normal, or from just being on their feet all day. but having achy feet, and waking up with achy feet is not normal, so if you or anyone you know has this- tell them to go see a podiatrist!! it's a (somewhat) easy fix, doesn't require surgery (if it's not too severe) and doesn't require medicine!! :)

anyway. i'm done with the random news report :) have a great weekend!!

shoes shoes

2011-09-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

like most toddlers, the Blut is VERY into shoes. he loves trying all of his shoes on, his sister's shoes, and all of our shoes.

if i come out wearing shoes he hasn't seen before, he points excitedly at them, and starts jibber jabbering about it.

while all this is cute...it creates a mess all over the house (because the shoes don't magically make their way back)

so i invested in 2 of these shoe racks from Boon:

and LOVE it :) so far...
it means he doesn't get to mess with as many shoes, but at least the ones he does have within his reach are bigger and easier to find!

fabric flower headband (tutorial)

2011-08-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

this headband takes less than 10 minutes to make! and is a variation of the type 1 fabric flower.

things you'll need:
less than a quarter yard of organza
headband (i prefer the fabric wrapped ones from target)
thin ribbon strip or a piece of selvedge
hot glue gun, or other strong adhesive

cut the organza into strips about 2-3" inches wide (depending on how big you want the flowers to be). fold up the strip so that it's a 5 to 6" rectangle

cut the rectangle into a leaf or petal-shaped oval. make sure none of the layers are connected.

they don't have to be perfect or even uniform.

grab a few petals (about 4-5) and twist each petal once. hold the twist with your thumb and index finger, so that you can maneuver other petals with the other fingers.

twist about 3 sets of pets.

layer them so that they are not directly on top of each other

prepare some ribbon (I used the selvedge strip), about 6" long.

tie the ribbon around the petals tightly. arrange the petals so that they curl up (the top layer) or curl a bit downward (bottom layer). don't be afraid to pull here and there to arrange the petals.

view from the top.
tie and hot flue gun the flowers to the headband.

all done! (the blut always tries to get in on EVERYTHING!)

no need to buy the ones from gap or crewcuts :)

a swan

2011-08-22T23:59:00.000-07:00

sillie has already declared that she wants to be a swan for halloween. and i searched for a costume, with no luck...

then i came accross this picture, and she LOVED it.

so i guess i'm making her this dress?? hahaha....a much simplified version of it, at least :)

fabric flowers type 1 (tutorial)

2011-08-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

one of the flowers that i made for the photo booth, came to me as i was desperate for "filler" flowers but low on energy (7 months pregnant and huge!)

i had a bolt of tulle- the fine mesh kind, bought fairly cheaply. i unrolled it and folded it several times, length-wise

i cut the "roll" into 3" to 5" strips (depending on how big you want the flower). Does not have to be straight or perfect.

i took each cut piece and rounded out the corners and trimmed the top and bottom, so that the layers were not connected.

then i took each pile of rounded rectangles and gave it a twist. (making it look like a "bow")

i layered several "bows" (not exactly on top of each other, slightly skewed) and further twisted each one, to start to give it shape.

(you must hold the center tightly)

tightly tie a piece of ribbon/string around the center (where you were holding it). play around with each set of "bows" so that they begin to look like petals, by shaping it, shifting it and twisting into place

lastly, cup the separate chunks of tulle (each of the "bows") so that they curl a bit, to make them look like flower petals.

fasten the flower to anything that may need it!

flowers to come...

2011-08-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

made a quickie headband for sillie the other day...

will post this tutorial along with a few other fabric flowers, coming up next!

tuna tostada

2011-08-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

a friend of mine was talking about this tuna tostada that she couldn't get enough of. how it tasted so "fresh" and she craved it all the time. so i asked her to send me the recipe and i made it.

wow.

she was right!! this is like the perfect meal (maybe lunch?) on a hot day. it feels healthy and is delicious.

seriously. try it. it tastes like a tuna salad sandwich on a corn tortilla. but better!

Tuna salad:
12 oz can of tuna packed in water
2-3 T mayo
1/2 C of corn (or more)
1/2 jalapeno diced (or more)
salt and pepper

the rest:
cabbage, shredded (i buy the bagged kind)
diced tomato
tapatio or other taco sauce (i like La Victoria Medium)
guacamole or slices of avocado
lemon, sliced

mix first 5 ingredients to make the tuna salad.

toast the tortilla in the oven or in a pan (with a little oil) until it's a little stiff. layer on the cabbage, tuna salad, tomatoes, and avocado.

squeeze the lemon juice over the tostado and serve with taco sauce. YUM. i guarantee it! i've made it 3 times and it grows on me more and more. (as in, the addiction grows) enjoy!

ozzie's dol

2011-08-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

so i had an epiphany the other day while watching a bit of a morning show- not sure which one. but i figured out the entire theme for ozzie's party... yay!

I am not doing argyle for ozzie's 1st birthday, but i'm going to do chevron stripes :) in christmas colors, of course. something like this from a beautifulmess

and sadly, those wreaths that i've been so carefully keeping from the Blut's dol.... well i'm only going to be using the green ones. and only for decoration. i have a completely different idea for ozzie's name- will definitely be christmas-y, i just gotta figure out how to make it all come together and still look "clean"

the thing that makes me most excited is that it will all be so much easier to put together than the blut's dol. yay!

"i miss him"

2011-08-08T15:07:00.000-07:00

i used to teach youth kids at the church i attended up north. one of the students, J, lost her brother the same year that i had lost mine. and i remember so clearly- one night she came in with a video camera and showed me a video of her brother and said, "i miss him."

J said these words so freely that i was taken aback. i couldn't even think of uttering those words, just the thought would get my tears flowing. i didn't say anything to her, i could only hug her because i felt her pain.

i guess it took me 7 years to get to that point where i can say it out loud. say it out loud and not cry, yet mean it. the first few years...i couldn't comprehend missing my brother. i was beyond missing him. you don't miss your right arm if it's been chopped off. total understatement. you re-adjust your life, and learn to live again. and then you begin to see all the endless ways that God has blessed you, and are humbled by the entire experience.

now, i can see how much i've healed. i can see how much my family has grown (after feeling like it was chopped in half). and i can say it out loud..."i miss him" because i have healed that much. i am so thankful for the tight hold of God's gracious hand around my life and around my mom's life- because we have both come so far.

i realize time heals all wounds- but i've met many people who have experienced deep grief but have a hard time healing from it. so it's not only time, but really- Hope that can only be given by Him.

and i don't mean to sound so preachy preachy, but some day my kids will read this blog (i think?!) and i want them to know exactly how their mom overcame one of the hardest times, and also- why she won't let them have toy motorcycles to play with :)

my favorite this week

2011-08-04T02:35:00.000-07:00

i'm so appreciating my sillie this week and can't get enough of her!!

also, the Blut is entering his terrible two's...

sausages

2011-08-02T21:09:00.000-07:00

if you know me, you know i love sausages :) lately, i decided i like italian sausages (non-spicy) because the kids can eat it too.

there are 2 recipes i've been making a lot of, and don't seem to get tired of.

Sausage and Kale Pasta (from Week of Menus). the husband likes this. it seems healthy, since the kale is in there, and i use barilla plus pasta. the kids eat it with rice pasta, and i think it's the only way i can get them to eat kale!

and

Hearty Tortellini Soup (from Allrecipes). everyone who eats this loves it. i received it as a meal post-partum from a friend and craved it so much that i asked her for the recipe!! (so yes, it makes a good gift) it's filling (one pot meal) and seems somewhat healthy since it has all the veggies in it. it's a very quick soup to make.

sausage. the italian kind (uncooked) from costco. i froze several of the packs. i'm down to just one pack left in my freezer, already!

mornings

2011-08-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

our mornings typically look like this:

the kids all climb into ozzie's crib and they play together.

well, sillie plays with ozzie and the blut tries to get in on the action.

twins?

2011-07-29T00:32:00.000-07:00

at least 2-3 people a week ask me if the boys are twins.

sometimes, an especially observant person will ask me if they are identical.

happy friday!! :)

signs of LA

2011-07-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

driving around LA (particularly the Valley, since that's where I live) you will often see these yellow signs with an arrow

it took me awhile to figure out what the signs were for. actually, the husband figured it out.

someone once guessed they were for a big party?

but one day, they were filming a movie at his office, and the drive up to the office had signs leading up to where they were filming, with the name of the movie.

also, similar signs will differentiate by writing"trucks" underneath or "talent"

i see about 2-3 a week, which is a lot, since i go to the same 5 places all the time.

even though we live near a lot of celebrities, we don't see many often. we're both not that good at spotting them :)

the few that we have seen, it's always at our local grocery store. in the middle of the night.

sharing day

2011-07-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

every friday is sharing day at sillie's school. for a shy girl, she's ALWAYS excited to bring something to share, whether it's a toy, a stuffed animal, a book, etc etc.

today it's a butterfly in a jar. you tap it and it flies around.

happy friday!

cold brewed coffee

2011-07-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

i love coffee. like LOVE love it. like, i would marry it if i could :)

that being said, i heard about cold brewed coffee a few years ago and tried to do it unsuccessfully. now that i'm finally able to freely drink coffee (as in, drink as much as i want) i did a little research about cold brewing coffee and found this gem:

THE TODDY COFFEE MAKER

it makes a rich coffee concentrate, low in acidity (important) and just makes a super delicious coffee!!

so here's the catch:
it takes about 7 minutes to make, and then it takes 12 hours of brewing. but after you make a batch, it keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge. you don't have to make coffee for 2 weeks! (if one batch lasts you that long)

take the concentrate and add milk, water, cream- whatever you wish.

totally great investment :)

adding this (i even got the little pump!) and now i'm my own barista. and apparently the husband's. and also, i'm not tempted by breakfast meal #3 at mcdonald's or the petite vanilla scones at starbucks :)

if you love LOVE coffee, then i'd suggest you do a little research about the Toddy. it can turn you into a coffee snob :)

bug eyes

2011-07-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

got these from the dollar bin, for our plane ride to hawaii last month. they make you see the world through the eyes of a bug.

and yes, our living room looks like a tornado hit it. but that would be the blut's doing.

a fun day

2011-07-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

we spent the weekend locally, because of carmageddon. i wish traffic would always be like this!!

:: ventura blvd :: empty!

:: sherman oaks galleria :: free parking

:: Sherman oaks farmers market :: how we fit 3 in a 2-seater

:: the 101 :: free and clear

the best part of the weekend was at the end of the day, i overheard sillie talking (to her dolls?) that "today was a fun day!" that girl really appreciates when the 5 of us are all together :)

it's here...

2011-07-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

and we're so not looking forward to being trapped at home.

carmageddon. all the streets around our home are predicted to be very congested, so we'll be hunkering down at home, and only going to places within walking distance (luckily, there's a lot). making a fort here and there (i will be, not the husband- because we know what his forts look like!). and trying to stay busy without having to drive anywhere.

we had wanted to go to OC, but since i have to teach the blut's class on sunday, i couldn't find a sub. darn!

alrighty! have a great weekend :)

not baking

2011-07-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

part of my plan to improve myself is to eat healthier and exercise. but on the condition that i also improve myself on the inside...and spend more time in meditation and learning about what's really important in this life.

i tried pilates and got injured. so no more.
next up is yoga, because i need some strengthening. esp my weak back!

but can i tell you? i lost 4 pounds (of the 25 that i need to lose) by not baking. i lost it in a few weeks. last time i tried doing this (a few months ago) i lost 4 pounds and decided that eating and baking every other day was WORTH the 4 pounds :) but my friends told me that 4 pounds is a lot, and to just keep going.

so i am. so all my baking stuff has been put into storage (storage = mom's garage). and my freezer seems so much emptier since it's not housing so many nuts, blocks of butter, and logs of frozen cookie dough.

21 pounds to go...

beets

2011-07-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

i have been loving beets lately. i think even more than the beet, i'm loving the greens, too! you get 2 very different dishes with one veggie :)

i tried 2 different salad recipes, but prefer the lighter taste of the modified allrceipes one (below). we eat this at least 2-3 times a week. love it!

Beet and Arugula Salad
4 cups young arugula leaves, rinsed and dried
1/2 cup of sliced beets (or more)
1 cup dried cranberries (or less)
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil or olive oil
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (i use shredded)
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

place all ingredients in a large plastic container (except the avocado). cover with a lid and shake to mix. top with fresh avocado slices.

since there's very little dressing it's very important that this salad is shaken, not tossed.

the other recipe i tried was the giada one, which i feel like is more work. the dressing is also much stronger and sweeter in flavor.

to prepare the greens i just wash, chop and saute with garlic, salt and pepper. LOVE it.

but when i don't have much time, the husband found these at trader joe's- in the refrigerated section.

we've been eating a lot of these as well. (saves me from having to roast them, and deal with less mess. but no greens come with it. darn)

and um, it should be worth mentioning that beets come out the way they look going in. very interesting to the husband. and that's all i will leave you with :)

re-org: the kitchen

2011-07-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

hardly any counter space in my kitchen was driving me nuts so i spent 3 full days planning on what i wanted to donate, chuck or move around.

after getting rid of several bags of "stuff" i was able to shift everything into our cabinets and clear more counter space. yay!

within the cabinets i replaced my utensils holder for a larger one, like this expandable one from organize.com (i wanted a mesh one, but couldn't find one with big enough compartments)

gathered my extra cooking tools into a bigger bin, stored in my cabinet. (from target)

organized my spices and cooking condiments using a shelf and lazy susan

pulled all my knives out of the block and put them in a drawer with this (with a childproof latch)

and put a lot of my bakeware into storage (aka mom's garage). this is part of my self improvement plan :)

next up is putting all my spices into uniform little containers.

feeling un-creative

2011-07-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

lately, i've been feeling a bit un-creative. i think it's because i don't have time/energy to make anything on my to-do list. i think :)

this also explains why my posts have slowed down a lot ... i do have a backlog of posts, but many are missing pictures- i just haven't had the chance to sit and edit them. normally i like to mix it up, share a little bit of what's going on, and share a few things that i've been working on.

i think the next few months of posts will be more "what's going on"... and less "what i've been working on" :)

my life lately, summed up in 3 points:
- purging and reorganizing
- cooking/trying out new recipes
- improving myself (inside and out)

and this is what you'll be hearing about, whether you like it or not! :)

cars, too

2011-07-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

growing up around a lot of ponies, fairies and princess stuff... i feel a bit of a *phew* when i see him playing with cars.

Carmageddon is coming

2011-06-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

carmageddon is all over the news.. and the name of it really cracks me up!! there's even countdown clocks on certain websites. hahaha! in a nutshell, the crazies in LA are closing the 405 freeway between the 101 and 10 freeway.

but the dilemma is, since this is practically our backyard and all the streets that will be affected are right infront of us. I think that weekend we will have to :

a. escape to orange county
b. stay inside ALL WEEKEND LONG
c. possibly walk to wherever we need to go
d. freakin' move already

*sigh*
i can't even begin to imagine what kind of crazy traffic there will be. we literally live within one mile of this closure...

corn on the chopstick

2011-06-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

loving corn season!

fabric flowers: photo booth

2011-06-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

remember the photo booth i worked on in november? well, i finally have a chance to post a pic of it, and then follow up with some tutorials on how to make the different flowers. yay! :)

:: teamwork :: me, 8 months pregnant + Jim, the groom's best buddy that made the actual frame

birthday shirt

2011-06-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

here's Sillie's "4" shirt from her birthday (yes, back in april. i'm still catching up on old posts!)

i have to admit, she was very proud to wear that shirt, and still is. i think it's because it announces to the world that she is no longer 3 :)

very easy to make, inspired by Dana from Made.

:: work in progress :: very fun and easy to make. no sewing machine required!

oxo tots

2011-06-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

did you know that OXO makes stuff for kids?
and the blut is in love with his new fork and spoon set :)

yes, i still have my fetish for baby/toddler utensils, and have my eye on this for ozzie:

i like the clean design of their stuff... might have to be my new go-to gift for second-time-around mom's :)
(because you must always stick to the registry for first time moms!)

check out more of their stuff at oxo

Frugal part 6 (of many)

2011-06-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

it's been awhile since i've written about the husband's frugalness. (he doesn't like these posts) probably because his company hasn't sent him on as many business trips lately(so less freedom to write these).

but while in maui, a few things stood out- as well as a change towards UN-frugalness :)

not sure if you read this post on hotel goodies- but i can proudly report that the husband no longer makes me hide all the toiletries so that the cleaning crew can refill our supply (and therefore maximize the amount we bring home) yay!

also- i can proudly report that the husband is ok with me straight up buying him facial products. he no longer survives on samples. nor does he make me go to the kiehl's counter and get Facial Fuel for him (because they "know me there" hahaha) every time we are at nordstroms. another yay!

BUT, the Westin (where we stayed) offered the husband a deal. for every day that we decline housekeeping, they will give us a voucher for their breakfast buffet. in the husband's eyes??? cha-ching! every time he declined housekeeping he would very happily report it to me and show me the voucher (and then tell me not to lose it)

we went without housekeeping several days. some days i had to beg for the housekeeping (did i mention we went to hawaii with 9 kids?? altogether? and do you know that sand gets everywhere?)

also, if there was valet that we had to pay for, you better believe that we parked somewhere else (free). and walked to our destination. lugging 2 babies and a toddler in hot, humid weather :)

you can say i'm "learning to be responsible with my money" because that's what he says :)

baby gloves, baby mittens: a review

2011-06-15T01:28:00.000-07:00

** this post was written a few months ago. i've since been good about cutting ozzie's nails, only because he really loves being glove-free so that he can suck his 2 fingers and play with his feet**

ozzie is a scratcher. so he's also a glove wearer...(until i can get my act together and cut his nails on a regular basis)

he wears the regular cotton mittens (hand-me-downs or from carters/target)

and i am trying out these woven baby gloves, because they seem breathable. (since he sucks his fingers) and i like that the size is larger than the typical cotton glove.

lastly, his boxing gloves. the idea of these are cool, if he were a thumb-sucker like his brother. but he prefers his 2 fingers, and it doesn't allow easy access as much you would think (but better than the other kinds of mittens) i liked these because it allowed him to grab things. and it made it just a little harder for him to scratch his face. but the gloves kind of twist to the side, so he was still able to get a few good scratches.

close to 100% of his wardrobe is hand-me-downs, which is why i decided to splurge a little bit on some new gloves :) plus the few pairs that he had, he cycled through very quickly (spit up and saliva just don't smell good)

kelocote for a keloid

2011-06-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

so yes, if you haven't figured it out yet, i'm a little obsessed with skin. specifically, my skin. the skin on my face. my SIL wrote me the other day, asking me about a microdermabrasion product, and i referred her to some other peel (that i currently LOVE). i tried a microdermabrasion cream before, and wasn't impressed- although it wasn't the one she asked about.

i digress.

i can go on and on about the many many products that i've tried, and my opinions of them. and pretty much next up is sunscreen. i mean, sunscreenSssss. for the face. of course. (you're probably wondering why i don't just log-on to sephora/drugstore.com and write a review, right? too lazy/busy)

ANYWAY. ozzie was born early, and born not entirely the "natural" way. (emergency c section). and i didn't think my skin is the type to scar and turn into a keloid. but it did. and it is so disgusting.

so my dr recommended kelocote and of course, i got it. because my scar is THAT nasty. (trust me, don't make me post a pic!) and does it work? i can't tell. i can't tell because i wonder what it would look like if i didn't use it. i have nothing to compare it to!

but when i inspect my scar, i don't know what bothers me more. the keloid-ness of it, or that it's slightly crooked.

maui and back

2011-06-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

yes, we're stinkin crazy. we hauled 3 kids (and all their stuff) on a 5.5 hr plane ride to maui. specifically, ka'anapali.

it was beautiful, we went with family and friends and i can say this with (almost) no bitterness and much thankfulness that we had a GREAT time :) especially the kids.

mostly, it was a good bonding experience, for the 5 of us. and for the 17 of us. :)

bald and balding

2011-06-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

did i mention that i shaved ozzie too? they all get shaved after their 100 days.

did i mention that i'm balding, too? again. and it's so not pretty. (therefore no pictures!)

*those aren't boxing gloves*

shoe rack

2011-06-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

from Rakku Designs
i'm thinking it looks prettier than it is practical, because they don't stack. but they do roll around :)

ballerina's backpack

2011-06-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

too cute!
from crewcuts
i think i love it more than Sillie, though.

happy Weekend! :)

found it!

2011-06-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

sillie (triumphantly) found the yellow angry bird :)

angry birds game

2011-05-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

sillie specifically requested Angry Birds as the game at her (classroom) birthday party.

i made a set of angry birds and the piggies (?) out of felt and dressed up some old cartons in faux bois paper.

the birds were weighted with rice, and each kid got a chance to knock down the piggies by tossing the birds.

couldn't find the yellow bird and was wishing that i took a picture before a bunch of 4 year olds threw them around!

funniest thing: when i took out the game to be played, all the kids started exclaiming that their mom has this game on her phone!!

the weekend so far

2011-05-30T00:04:00.000-07:00

:: pasadena :: beautiful weather

:: excited :: chance to run run run

:: sweet :: just woke up from their nap

hope everyone is having a nice long weekend as well.

my marbles (losing them)

2011-05-26T23:33:00.000-07:00

random, but i've been thinking about it recently, what is harder? to be a stay at home mom, or a working mom??

since i've done both now, i think i can be a fair judge to that answer...kind of. so in this situation, i'm talking about kids under 3, because if you have kids over 3 and in school- let's face it. being at home is CAKE since you're alone and can do whatever the heck you want!! (my dream)

anyway, i've come up with this:
it's more stressful to be a working mom. period. esp if you have to send your kid(s) somewhere. because you have to pack their stuff up (diapers/food). rush to drop off. rush to pick up. come home and throw dinner together. clean up. bathe them. put them to bed. eat. and find time for yourself.

and when they get sick? who gets to miss work?? usually the mom. and how stressful is it when kids get sick back to back, and then the sickness hits you last? hard to explain all that to your boss, right? it's usually not a good reason for not having things done by their deadline either. especially if your boss has no kids! sympathy only goes so far.

and if you're pumping? just another thing to add to the mix!

cleaning?!

so stress level-wise.... working moms have it harder. waaaaay harder. BUT, since there is dual income, i think having hired help to clean and eating out is justified :) unless your husband is tight about the $$$. haha.

now let me talk about sanity. that's a different thing that deserves to get mentioned and measured. being a stay at home mom VERY MUCH stretches your sanity. as in, stretches it so that you may not have much sanity left....

without sanity, you feel overwhelmed. or underwhelmed. it's easy to not be in touch with reality. or for your reality to be through the eyes of your 20 month old or 4 year old. or 5 month old. (take your pick)

without sanity, you feel like you are losing your grip. losing your marbles. losing your identity.

now, i'm not complaining. i'm just making some observations, about myself. i'm not judging other people, or their decisions or feelings. this is just what i've observed with me and my situation. and there are definitely things you can do to make you less stressed or have sanity (hire a housecleaner. or hire a nanny. put your kids in preschool asap, even if part time. eat out more. don't expect perfection. have less than 3 kids. or if you opt for more than 2, don't have them back to back. and please, oh please! don't let you kids have allergies! HAHA!)

so i wonder.... would i rather be stressed out? or have no sanity? :) tough call.

i so want to end this post with this pic of my 3 kids. cute as they are (to me), i can't easily type out that it's all worth it... hahahaha!! really depends on the day of the week. or maybe the hour of the day?

ask me again tomorrow :)

like crack

2011-05-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

i have to have one every day. literally, EVERY DAY.

at first i didn't like it, but by the 3rd time, it grew on me and stuck!

my relationship with this particular snack started a few months ago, and sadly- i think i can count on one hand how many times i didn't have one.

and now? i'm giving up soy and dairy for a little bit, to see how ozzie does without it. or wean him completely and put him on neocate (like his sister) whichever comes first.

what does this have to do with the oatmeal? there's cream in it!!

i hope i don't have weird withdrawal symptoms, as i drive past the multiple mcd's near my house.

forty-one

2011-05-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

no, i'm not writing about the husband's age (although i do have a few posts about my observations about this topic- saved for later) but it is actually the number of unfinished posts i have for this blog.

a lot, right? so my goal is to finish some of them and post. i have quite a few posts about flowers- because i was planning on May being the month of flowers (april showers bring may flowers) but since there's only a week left in May I'm thinking a I'm a little late :)

so the goal for the next couple months is simple. catch up.

happy monday!

quickie cupcakes

2011-05-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

sillie and i are last minute going over to her favorite buddy's house to wish him a happy belated birthday :)

we wanted to be able to sing to him, and blow out a candle so i made some cupcakes to bring over. the toppers took a quick 5 minutes to make!

cut out some felt diamonds (shorter on one side)

attach them to coffee stirers with glue

(the backside, i think they're kinda cute this way, too)

enjoy!

cute idea: wynn buffet

2011-05-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

so we went to the wynn buffet our first full night in vegas, and it really is my FAVORITE buffet. but this time around, i was so disappointed! long list of things that just were disappointing...that i won't bore you with.

but the dessert bar was still great :) and they had these little marshmallow pops, the cutest idea!

the one we had was a marshmallow dipped in good chocolate and topped with graham cracker dust.

smores!

vegas, baby

2011-05-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

we spent a few days in vegas, sans kids- and had so much fun! it's been a long long while since the husband and i went to vegas together, so we tried to make the most of it (and stay out late)

i didn't take too many pics, but on our last day, we had lunch at Tableau (Wynn). the food was pretty good, but what made me laugh was that there were these little chairs tucked under the table as we walked in.

apparently, they were little chairs for my purse.

i even got a second chair for my camera bag! hahahaha.

it really is the little things that make me happy.

easier

2011-05-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

things are starting to settle... get into a routine... and get a little easier. a little bit :)

i've been purging like crazy, using this book (bought on clearance years ago) as inspiration along with Goodwill and Craigslist.

but just wanted to update on my camera.

i freakin LOVE it!! it's not quite a dslr, but the picture quality makes me happy.

once i read the manual, i think i'll love it more :)

same treatment

2011-05-09T00:26:00.000-07:00

so i finally ordered and sent out ozzie's birth announcement :) late, but at least i did it!! (my mom forced me to) i love love love paper culture. and i love that i bought a mamapedia deal to get these announcements made.

we ordered very few so if you didn't get one, don't be offended... you pretty much had to be blood related to me to get one!

while i love making my own birth announcements, it was nice to just order it too. i think that's all i can handle at the moment :)

mother's day corsage

2011-05-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's out there! i seriously think there are some mothers who deserve a week to celebrate them!! (yes, my mom would be one of them) but we all only get a single day :) i'm going to try to milk it as much as possible!

:: corsage ::
made for me by Sillie...am so very proud, that i had to have her make some more for my mom and aunt. will post her instructions soon :)

silhouette sd

2011-05-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

i want one.

i know i could do a lot with it too!

does having 3 kids mean that i get 3 presents???

bunting/banner

2011-05-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

a quick how-to if you need some extra help :)

here's the template for the triangles, depending on what size paper you use.

using the above template, trace and cut out triangles from decorative/scrapbooking paper.

string the triangles together one of three ways:

sew them together using bias tape binding or ribbon:

punch small holes in the corners and string it through:

you can either show the ribbon

or not show the ribbon

or you can tie each triangle together with wide ribbon:

1. punch small holes in the corners
2. tie the triangles together, leaving a little slack (so there's space between the triangles)
3. double knot
4. trim the ribbon
5. done!

an investment for BOTH of us

2011-05-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

i want this for mother's day:

the husband is complaining that i keep asking for "weird" things for mother's day, but i tell him that this is an investment for the BOTH of us, since i know he's gonna use it too!!

and if building some muscle (where there is none) isn't a good enough motivation then let me tell you that Montel Williams endorses this product! hahaha :)

the ab Coaster. (not the other one i had previously asked for.)

key finder

2011-05-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

i think i need this. an alarm that you attach to your keys!

my kids like to walk around with my keys without me knowing. or sometimes i place it somewhere and forget as i drag 3 kids through the front door.

i think this would help keep me sane :)

and i'd also like to attach it to the remote controls. if possible :)

power of thought and smell

2011-04-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

while pregnant with the blut, i thought a lot of my brother. sometimes i wonder if that's why the blut bears a resemblance to his uncle.

then, while pregnant with ozzie, i thought of my dad a lot. i miss him. and just as the blut somewhat resembles his uncle, ozzie is starting to look more and more like my dad.

which leads me to wonder about the power of thought or emotions. with each pregnancy, my mom warned me to not hate/be angry/hold a grudge against anyone, because than my unborn child will look like them. (and yes, i think there's truth in that) but not only is it negative feelings that seem to affect looks, but so does a feeling of longing and missing.

this past Easter, we had dinner with my dad's side of the family. a wonderful time of catching up with dear family over a very important holiday.

my extended family met ozzie for the first time and was all proudly exclaiming how he looked like "our side of the family" (my dad) and was a "happy baby." my cousins gave me and the husband a big break by playing with our kids almost the entire time.

as i was hugging my uncle good-bye (my dad's younger brother) i breathed in and was taken aback- he smelled like my own dad! a smell i haven't smelled in almost 5 years. a smell that i missed. and the whole way home, i allowed my dad's smell to linger in my mind, like i had just seen him. i drove the whole way home with a big smile on my face and a very thankful heart.

i don't see my family often enough :)

Gifting food: Moroccan Chicken Rub

2011-04-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

A quick gift to put together is this rub for Moroccan Spiced Chicken Wings, from Week of Menus.
I tweaked the recipe so that it all fits in a little jar, and all the recipient has to do is add lemon juice, olive oil and chicken!

it's a nice little gift to give, because it basically will make a quick meal for anyone who may need one :)

here's what you need:

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

empty spice jar
ribbon or paper
tape
funnel (optional and helpful)

soak the empty spice jar for a few minutes so that the label can be easily scratched off

put all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix. using a funnel (or paper rolled into a cone) pour into clean and dry jar.

wrap a small amount of ribbon or decorative paper around the jar, making sure the seam is in the back

print the instructions

cut out the instructions as small as possible
and punch a small hole in the corner

attach the instructions like a card, so that they stay together and the recipient can remember how to use the rub

if you want a cuter spice jar, there are some available here for a pretty good price. these would make a unique favor if hosting a dinner party of some sort :)

i think my jar held less than 2 oz, and the rub filled it almost to the top.

Gifting food: vanilla extract

2011-04-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

if you bake a lot, you know that the cost of vanilla extract can add up quick. which is why i started making my own :)

it's very very simple. there are several recipes out there- since there seems to be a science about it. but how i do it is not for quantity, but quality. (so i don't necessarily max out each bean)

what you need:
vanilla beans (bought extract beans from Amadeus)
Vodka (we usually have the giant kirkland bottle on hand)
different types of sterile bottles (bought from Specialty Bottle) i prefer swing top or sauce bottles

1. split each bean and cut into halves or thirds (depending on the size of your bottle)
2. insert a minimum of 3 beans (the cut up equivalent) into each container. i usually stick 5 or 6 beans.
3. fill to the top with vodka
4. let sit in a cool, dark place for several months. shake every so often.
5. create a label and attach

if the extract runs low, i pour in a little more vodka and let it sit for a while (i do this a few more times before retiring the beans inside) i generally make 4 to 5 bottles of extract a year. i gift a couple and use the rest!

"retiring the beans" = next project :)

super sillie

2011-04-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

i made the cape to match the eye mask and cuffs bought from Power Capes.

checking out her superhero cuffs :)

Gifting food: bread

2011-04-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

i love banana bread. LOVE it. been making the same recipe for 8 years now, and it yields 2 beautiful loaves!

i also love pumpkin bread. and zucchini bread. and carrot cake. well, you get the drift...

i try to give away any extra loaves that i bake. or maybe half a loaf, if i'm having extra problems parting with it.

can be wrapped two ways:
with decorative tape/paper (maybe it's time to invest in some cute washi tape now!)

or with some pretty ribbon (as pictured here)

either way, 2 words. FREEZER PAPER! :) you can paint with it and wrap baked goods to gift!

i plan on trying a new banana recipe from WOM this week, since i have overripe bananas galore!

camera update

2011-04-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

the new camera is going back, just was not happy with the images! i tried to love it, but it was only loveable because of the zoom.

so a new one is on its way. and i'm excited!!

this one came highly recommended :)

Gifting food: care package

2011-04-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

a friend just had a baby so i decided to make Orzo (from WOM) to take to her. along with some sweets. :) very important for new moms!

i packed the orzo in one of the many plastic containers i have (we use these to store frozen soups, bought from smart & final)

i dressed it up by using some decorative paper. i cut out a circle to fit the lid, and used double-sided tape to attach it.

using the same decorating paper, i cut a long strip to cover the ziploc part of a bag. (with the rice crispy treats inside)

just staple the paper into place

also included in the care package is a half loaf of banana bread. wrapped in freezer paper (waxed side in, paper side out)

sealed with double-sided tape and some strips of the same decorative paper.

finally, i packed it all in a white bag, with a bit of the same decorative paper to make it all tie together. (recycled shopping bag, covering the logo)

very matchy matchy, hahaha, but just a quick way to put things together for a last minute food gift!

** can i say.. the orzo is DELICIOUS!! i didn't think i would like the feta, but wow. made it twice now. very addictive **

F O U R ! !

2011-04-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

happy birthday, my lovely daughter, sillie!!

we love you very much and can't believe you've been blessing us for 4 years now!!

you will thank me later, that i didn't let appah name you violet :)

busy brain

2011-04-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

as if juggling 3 kids is not enough...but the husband's company is relocating to chicago- and has asked him to come along.

my brain has been so busy lately. we knew we wanted to move for the last 2 years- but we never thought into a new time zone! i thought for sure we would never move out of california but now i'm being told to not dismiss it but to really consider it.

"consider" = STRESS

so i am very much looking forward to this weekend of beautiful weather and spending time with the family and giving myself a mental break from "considering" it all :)

hoping to take some pics/video with my new camera :) hehehe

happy friday!