happy friday

it's been a heck of week.

i'm glad it's over.  and looking forward to the weekend. although that is jampacked as well.  but at least we'll be together.

i'm not sure if i've posted this before, but i absolutely love it.

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it really has helped when i am having a difficult time.  things have been very busy and stressful lately.  i'm just trying to stay on top of it all.  you know that feeling? trying to sort it out and get it done.

i'm working on changing the things i can change and accepting the things that i can't change. moving forward and focusing on being happy.

i know that being able to come here and take a breath has really helped.  that and i've taken up knitting.  taught myself on tuesday and am working on a scarf.  i am in love, with the scarf and with knitting.

i'm hoping to have some time next week to post some of the things i've been busy with.

until then i wanted to make sure to wish you a happy friday and a good weekend.

family gatherings

on saturday my cousin had a birthday party for her daughter and a housewarming for their new home.  i love when my family gets together.  lots of catching up, laughter, reminiscing and looking at photos of grand babies.

i should say that i have a lot of cousins, second cousins, aunts, uncles and everything in between.  each of my parents had 13 brothers and sisters, so it's quite the party when we all gather for a celebration.

i have to admit that one of the things i love the most about getting together is the food.  good, family recipes that taste so much better when you are with people you love.

my aunt is a genius in the kitchen.  she made her famous potato salad, rice and two outrageous salsas.

for the party, a friend of theirs cooked ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and chicken. these baked beans were so delicious.  i had to control myself from getting seconds.  they were baked with slices of bacon on top.  i'm telling you, finger lickin' good.

i had to skip the cake that my other aunt made for fear of going into a food coma.

the best part is that we are planning a camping trip in the summer with all of the cousins.  can you imagine the food we will eat?  not that i'm going just because of the food.  it's always about family.

i'll share the green salsa recipe soon.  it was so tasty.

weekly menu:: week 4

avocado and tomatillo salsa

this should be a much quieter week than last week.  looking forward to getting back to my usual routine.

celebrating chinese new year today.  i'll make some chinese food for dinner to ring in the year of the dragon.

i bought a new cookbook last year and found some good recipes to try. it's everyday food light recipes.  i love having them all in one book.

making this week:

monday: sweet and fiery pork tenderloin with mango salsa, rice, dumpling soup

tuesday: chicken enchilada soup

wednesday: baked gnocchi, caesar salad

thursday: baked fish with herbed breadcrumbs and broccoli

friday: turkey meatloaf, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans

saturday: pizza - celebrating jordan's birthday with friends

sunday: eat out

baking this week:

i saw this recipe for chocolate chip buttermilk scones last week and want to give it a try.  i may have just enough buttermilk leftover to make it.  sounds perfect with a cup of coffee, doesn't it?

have a good week!

happy list:: 03

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i really hadn't planned on doing this every week and most likely i won't. but while i am inspired i will keep at it.

the happy list

1. being complimented on my kids

the way they make healthy food choices, how well behaved they are, what good students they are.  i consider it a positive job review.  we must be doing something right, right?

2. being productive

but more than that, being helpful.  getting things done.  things that really matter.  things that make a difference.  i love being able to help in any way i can.

3. being appreciated

along with being helpful is also knowing that what you do is appreciated.  acknowledgment makes me happy.  it's going around right now and i love it.

4. having a party

is there anything more fun than a party.  people joined together in celebration.  looking forward to a family birthday this weekend and next, a belated birthday gathering for jordan, and our school gala next month.

5. people reading this blog
and commenting here, on facebook and in real life.  this blog keeps me accountable ( like someone questioning me at a party about why i'm eating pizza if i'm supposed to be on a detox). or telling me that i made their day or made them laugh or touched them in some way.  or inspiring someone to try something new or write something or buy something ;).  i have to be honest, it feels good.


have a wonderful weekend. 

project life 2012

yes, this is a post about scrapbooking.  well, sort of.
the new term is memory keeping.
it involves capturing a story by taking a picture (or not) and adding words or ephemera to tell the story.
it's the way i tell my story.

even if you aren't crafty, this project is for you.
pictures, words, little scraps of life.
no adhesive and as much "fanciness" as you want to add.

take a look at mine, it's not very fancy at all.
i am using the clementine edition.  i love the colors, patterns and happiness of this kit.  i don't need anything more than this kit to work on this project.
i am also using "design a" page protectors.  but after seeing other spreads i will order a few other designs when they become available to add to the mix.

here's my cover page.

week 1

includes jordan's birthday, going back to school and tags from our new bath towels.

week 2

includes the detox, our trip to disneyland, and a very nice card that i got in the mail from our pto president.  that's something that makes this project so much cooler for me.  i would have held onto that card not knowing what to do with it, but not wanting to throw it away.  now i have a place to keep it and remember his thoughtfulness.
note: after putting last weeks layout together i found that i have more pictures that i want to include from our disneyland trip.  so this weekend i will print those out and add them in another page protector and slip it in between that week.  i purchased these page protectors that would be perfect for that.

i plan on printing my pictures from home but will occasionally print a batch at costco if i have time.  i really want to make this as easy as possible to keep up with.  i did this project last year and fell behind a bit.  i think a lot had to do with the fact that i had to pick up the prints at costco, just another step in the process.  i am almost finished putting that album together so i know it can be done.

there is a lot of inspiration online.  some of it can be overwhelming and some of it is truly inspirational.  i've borrowed ideas from different people (check out the weekly wrap up on her layouts) but i plan on keeping this project simple and unique to me.

check out the designers for project life.

some of them use becky's kits and some mix it with stuff they have on hand.  you can be as creative as you want.  just getting your pictures into the page protectors and writing a little something is enough.

the point is this: tell the story of your life.
tell it through your everyday life.
tell it through those magical moments that are gone in an instant.
tell it through the funny things your kids say.
tell it through the everyday details that one day could be forgotten.
tell it through the food you eat.
tell it through the home you live in.
tell it through the craziness that so many of us live with.
tell it through the things you do.
tell it through the places you go.
tell it through the people you love.
tell it through the things that you value.
tell it through your experiences, and feelings.

telling your story doesn't have to involve lots of craftiness.  it can be simple and easy.  you will look back on these moments and be so glad that you took the time to document.

happy thursday!

wordless wednesday:: i love this face

detox diaries

so last week went something like this:

saturday
me: hey b, we need to try this detox? let's start the new year fresh.
b:  sounds great.
me: are you sure you want to do this?
b: absolutely.  we are going to feel so good.

sunday
me: last chance to back out.  i'm going to the store today so we have everything ready for tomorrow.
b: i am 100% in.
i buy 3 days worth of food.  some of the recipes make enough for 2 days so i figure we're set for a while.  i have to go to 3 stores to get what i need.  i don't think i've ever had this many vegetables in the fridge.  i also had to use the garage fridge to keep it all.  but we are ready.

monday
the carrot and grapefruit juice was delicious for breakfast.
kale salad for lunch was good too.
i'm not upset about not getting coffee in the morning.
lots of water throughout the day.
we have roasted cauliflower for snack. it was delicious. 
we can totally do this.

monday afternoon i have a doctor's appointment to check my thyroid. i ask her about the detox.  she says she doesn't think you need to do one if you normally lead a healthy lifestyle.  your body naturally getrs rid of toxins. but it sounds like the food is nutritious.  as long as we are getting enough calories and not feeling lightheaded or faint.  balance is what you need in a diet.

i call bobby and tell him we're off the hook.  let's eat.
but we decide that the food is actually pretty good.  plus i spent money on food for 3 days, we should at least see this through.  we decide that we need to add some protein.  we're both pretty hungry.

we have chicken with our broccoli and squash dinner. ahhh.

tuesday
the kale and romaine lettuce smoothie was...interesting.  the pineapple and mango make it palatable, but just barely.
still no coffee, but i am enjoying hot water with lemon.
for lunch i have the avocado and tomato salad and that was fabulous.
for dinner i'm not sure i can make and enjoy the garlic-beet soup.  but i do it.  we are only supposed to have 1 cup of soup. the soup is surprisingly good.
the kids have tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. 
i make bobby and me sandwiches with whole wheat bread.

wednesday
bobby is hooked on the juice/smoothie for breakfast.
i need more substance.  plus i'm going to a meeting, then to the gym.  i need carbs. 
i have a weight watcher bar.
still no coffee. the headache is really strong today.
bobby has the avocado salad for lunch.  i have 1/2 a tuna sandwich.
for dinner we have roasted cauliflower and peppers.  i make spaghetti and meatballs for the kids.
bobby and i eat a little pasta too.
no wine for us.

thursday
juice for breakfast.
kind of a crazy day for me.  more munching during the day.
we really like the dried fruit and nut balls.
for dinner i make halibut with orzo pasta.
now we are eating more like we used to.
at this point we are still not doing coffee or alcohol.  but we've brought back everything else.

friday
the kids and i go to disneyland.   i know that the detox is over.
at the end of the day i have to have caffeine to make it back home.  i grab a diet coke with dinner.

saturday
i weigh in and lost 1/2 a pound.  ok.
we finally have some coffee.

the rest of the day is almost like we never did the detox.

sunday
i go to brunch with my parents.  menudo, tacos, flan.  yum.
we watch the golden globes with some friends.
appetizers, wine, chocolate fondue.
this feels right.

so what did we learn?
that we have a pretty healthy diet to begin with.  we eat low-fat, whole grain, no red meat.
we could eat more fruits and vegetables.  we actually ate almost everything i bought.
we tried new things; kale, roasted cauliflower, delicata squash (i actually didn't enjoy that), beets.
drinking juice or smoothies for breakfast is easier on your system.
change it up every once in a while.  sometimes that's what your body needs.
don't deprive yourself.  you end up making up for it and then some.

we're glad we tried it.
we don't need to do it again.
detox done.