10 Years

My husband and I met 10 years ago today.  June 27th, 2008.  This is a picture taken that day.  It was completely random, I did not show up to my friend's birthday party expecting to meet my future husband.  But as it turns out, my friend was dating his friend, who happened to bring his entourage of guy friends along to the party.  We met at this hole-in-the-wall dive bar in a neighborhood I had never gone out in prior to that night.  I guess it was just meant to be.  

It's crazy to think it's been an entire decade.  TEN YEARS.  I remember a time when ten years felt like a lifetime, but now it feels like a short amount of time in hindsight, another reminder of how fleeting life is.  

Cheers to us!  Happy 10 years of knowing you, loving you, and watching you become an amazing dad to our kiddos.  I love you, love you!

2018 Goals

Well this is embarrassing... I realize it's a bit absurd to be posting my goals for 2018 at the HALFWAY POINT OF THE YEAR, but...oh well!  I'm doing it.  No shame here!  Goals are goals, amiright?  (Anyone with me? Anyone?)  Let's just pretend that instead of gathering dust in my blog queue for the better part of the past six months, it went live in January, but we're just reading it on a delay.  Besides, I like to have goals documented to look back on anyways, so better late than never!

This year, inspired by 18 for 2018 the goal setting mode of operation by Gretchen Rubin and Elizabeth Kraft of the podcast, Happier, I've tried to come up with many short and sweet goals (namely 18) as opposed to few lofty goals as I think that will be easier to manage and attain in this season of life.

1. start journaling again

2. get outside as often as possible

3. make cinnamon bread (my daughter has been asking to make this since we read this favorite book)

4. paint my nails more often

5. celebrate the little things

6. work out at least 3-4 days a week

7. make smarter eating choices (avoid the sugar)

8. try and limit checking my email/social media to time before my kids are awake / rest time / after bedtime (i.e. avoid being on my phone in front of my kids)

9. cut myself some slack (underlined three times)

10. get a new instagram account for the blog up and running

11. read 70 books (my current goal on Goodreads)

12. save $--- for my destination travel fund, always inspired by this blog

13. grow my Beautycounter business

14. make montage videos for my kids' birthdays

15. try more savory (international) options for breakfast (getting sick of boring ol' granola over here)

16. make pita bread from scratch for this favorite dinner which we always have in rotation 

17. sub a few times this year (getting back in the swing of teaching, as I miss it so)

18. enjoy every little moment. stop. look. listen. breathe.

Alright, I did it!  It's out there!  Phew... Honestly, I'm pretty proud of myself that I got this up in June and not July.  It's the little things people.

image/bloom

2015 Goals Recap

Following my blog traditions (7 years running!), here is my recap on achieving my 2015 goals...

+ worry less

Hmm...Well I tried.  I don't think I'll ever truly be able to share the worrier in me, but I think I've done a better job at letting go, stepping back, and taking a deep breath when things are beyond my control.  I still worry about lots of things, but I think I'm getting better at being present, enjoying the moment, and letting today be today, and leaving some of that worry behind.

+ read more books

This is true, while I haven't polished off any complete bookshelves, I definitely read more than my paltry 2 books in 2014.  This has spiked significantly since I discovered you can check out ebooks on your kindle!  WHAT!?  How did I not know this before?

+ get outside

We definitely took advantage of our gorgeous summer weather and got outside almost everyday.  We haven't been outside all that much with a newborn these past few weeks - but I think that's excusable, right? 

+ try and shop/spend locally

Um...not so much.  I'm a sucker for Amazon Prime and the convenience of a drive-through (especially with two kids in tow), however, I'm debating doing Starbucks-free in 2016.  If I tally up the amount of money I fork over to that company, it makes me cringe...  Thoughts? 

+ other random goals and ideas

…successfully make a poached egg - nope

…memorize a recipe for homemade pie crust -YES!  I did this and have made 9 pies from scratch

…wait to get to work to check email (i.e. not right when I wake up) - yes, definitely better

…make chocolate babka - not yet...

…drink more water - a definite improvement!

…finish my daughter's baby book - no but finished her 1st year in review video...

What are your goals or resolutions for 2016?

* * *

Past goals for 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009

Baby Bump #2

So...I have some news to share!  We are expecting our 2nd child in mid-October.  I realize that's not too far off and I'm a little behind in getting this news up on the blog, but I'm attributing my delays in posting to traveling and chasing my darling toddler around.  

We are waiting to find out whether the baby is a boy or girl - different than we did the first time around.  As such, deciding on a name is slightly more challenging, and we have yet to officially select names, but we do have a short list for both boy and girl names that we agree upon - most days.

We are very excited and happy to give our daughter a little brother or sister!

image/bloom

Alaska

My husband and I are off to Alaska tomorrow to celebrate the marriage of two of our closest friends, who are both Alaska natives!  We're excited to see the sights and sounds; glaciers, wild game reserves, wilderness, and beyond, and are looking forward to some outdoorsy fun with friends.  

In the meantime, have a wonderful, safe 4th of July weekend!

image/flickr

Birthday

Monday was my birthday.  We were jet setters and spent the long weekend in the Grand Cayman celebrating our close friends' wedding.  My birthday was spent eating fish curry at a roadside shack right on the beach, swimming in the blue waters of 7 Mile Beach, searching for sea glass, and toasting with chilled CayBrews among friends.  Aside from the fact that I was thousands of miles away from my sweet daughter, it was pretty perfect.

While I'm already an ankle deep into my thirties, but this seems like a good quote to have in my back pocket for the rest of the thirty something journey.

"I was once told, when you turn 30, you turn French...  When one hits her 30's, she knows where she's going in life and what looks great on her."  

~ Casey Keasler

image/bloom

Goals for 2015

Following my own traditions, I prefer to make goals for the new year instead of resolutions. 

+ worry less

I worry about everything.  I worry about my daughter, my husband, my parents, my friends.  I worry about illness.  I worry about my students.  I worry about the emails I get from their parents.  I worry about what could happen, did happen, or won't happen.  I've been told I worry more than the average person.  I am so sick of worry.  Time and time again I'm told "don't worry," and I wish it were that simple, that I could just flip a switch and my worries would vanish, or at least be dimmed and muted.  Hence, this my goal for 2015, do whatever I can to worry less.  I would say "don't worry," but I know that's inevitable.  Baby steps.

+ read more books

I used to read all the time. Then I became a mother and my reading quota declined significantly.  Which is expected of course, but I do truly enjoy reading and would like it to become a more frequent activity.  According to my goodreads account, I only read 2 books in 2014.  Gasp!  That is peanuts for me.  The moral of that story is read more in 2015.

+ get outside

With my darling now walking - more like running - I want to take advantage of our fair weather and get outside more often.  Whether that be a stroll around the neighborhood or a hike on a nearby trail, my goal for this year is to spend more time outside as a family than we did in 2014.

+ try and shop/spend locally

I feel like this is a buzz phrase right now, so bear with me.  And one might argue, well in Seattle, Starbucks and Amazon are local…right? But seriously, when I think about my year, I recall way too many frequencies in the drive-thru Starbucks line.  I'd like to change that.  This year, I'd like to strive to buy produce at Farmer's Market during the Spring/Summer months when the pickings are better.  Aim to try and buy coffee and snacks at local establishments rather than always relying on Starbucks to stifle my hunger or thirst with a quick fix.  

+ other random goals and ideas

…successfully make a poached egg

…memorize a recipe for homemade pie crust

…wait to get to work to check email (i.e. not right when I wake up)

…make chocolate babka

…drink more water

…finish baby book 

What are your goals or resolutions for 2015?

* * *

Past goals for 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009

Happy New Year

Happy New Year's Eve to you and yours.  We have a pretty low key New Year's Eve lined up for tonight; a plateful of homemade pierogis (courtesy of yours truly), a chilled bottle of pink champagne, and a sweet baby cozy in her crib.  We have a lot to be thankful for in 2014.

Happy New Year!  Cheers to all the goodness ahead in 2015!

2014 Goals Recap

2014 went by in a blur…My daughter started the year at just 4 months of age, and is now just on the cusp of her 16 month birthday.  In this short expanse of time, she's changed and flourished before our eyes.  Milestone after milestone of laughter, babbling chatter, and messy hair-in-your-face smiles later, here we are at the dawn of a new calendar year.

These were my goals for 2014, here's my own critical review of how I did…

+ Maintain balance

I feel like this will be a goal of mine for the rest of my life, as I think it merits a weekly, if not daily reminder.  Balance is essential, and to "have it all," balance is everything.  Ultimately, I think I've done a pretty good job at balancing my home life, my work, my time with my husband, family, and friends.  Heading back to work in January was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.  I had a bit of a mini-emotional breakdown in the few days before I was slated to return to teaching.   And now, 12 months later, after the start of a new school year, I pride myself on the balance I have established between work and home, being a mother and a 1st grade teacher, because in all honesty, it definitely did not occur overnight.  I think, what I've most importantly learned is that everything in life ebbs and flows, there are times when the schedule is brimming with obligations, when a million little loose ends need tying up, but there are also times of lulling calm. I invest my time much differently now than I ever did prior to life as a parent.  My time is more valuable than it's ever been, but I recognize this now in a way that I couldn't have understood in my previous life.  

+ Explore and discover

We venture to a few destinations in 2014: Bozeman, Montana; Ojai, California; Los Angeles, California; and Kona, Hawaii - all with a baby.  However, what I truly meant by this goal was to see life through my daughter's eyes, and I think we did our very best at that, putting down the camera to enjoy the moment of discovery in actuality.  I want to be able to say I lived my life in the present, not just through a snippet of film I witnessed live behind a screen.

+ Meal Planning

Yes!  Hoo-rah!  I even posted about it here.

+ Be active

Well this goal I admit, I wasn't the best at achieving.  Returning to work full time, with a baby - now toddler - is exhausting, especially when my full time job is corralling, listening to, and teaching 26 eager, curious, and exuberant first graders.  That and a bout of the flu, followed by pneumonia in late October which sidelined me from any activity for a month didn't help.  But now I'm just making excuses.  This will be a goal for 2015, you can bet on it…

+ Unplug, write letters, call friends

I tried on this one. I wish I could say "I tried my best," but frankly, that isn't true.  It is hard to unplug.  While I'd prefer reading blogs to social media such as Twitter or Facebook, I have a strange attraction to instagram, I truly enjoy viewing photos of friends near and far.  As much as I've tried to limit my own "screen time," until after my daughter goes to bed, it is a challenge, and I need to remind myself to unplug often.  Not helping in this department, my work email syncs on my phone, which frequently has me reading a message from a parent, student, or colleague after hours more than I'd like.  However, with written correspondence, I think I have upped my ante, especially with my sister moving to Spain for the year, I have even more reason to write letters.  I've made a conscious effort to send photos and cards to my in-laws and my husband's family in Michigan, updating them with visuals of our daughter's growth. 

So…all in all, not too bad.  What are your goals for 2015?

image/bbb

Recovering from Sickness

After almost two weeks of sickness (yes, two weeks)…first the non-flu virus (that felt and looked exactly like the flu), following by walking pneumonia…I am ready to be healthy again.  I haven't been this sick in a long, long time, and frankly, I'm utterly exhausting.  Here are some things that helped me slowly putter through these long, ill-feeling days.

+ Property Brothers, No Reservations, and Gilmore Girls among others streaming on Netflix, LOVE!

+ My new BFF, lemon-lime Gatorade.  We had a love/hate relationship during middle school track, but I'm now a believer again.

+ Holiday catalogs.  Hours entertainment perusing the latest holiday decor of Pottery Barn Kids, Restoration Hardware, Crate and Barrel, among others.

+ Urgent care.  Gotta hand to to clinics you can walk in and be serviced right away, no appointment necessary.

+ My amazing husband who has gone above and beyond as Super Dad, assuming every responsibility and more, as I was quarantined to my dungeon (...I mean basement).

+ Yankee Candle "Pantry Spice."  While my strong antibiotics have made me nauseous at every consumption, this is one of the few smells that didn't send me reeling.  

+ Homemade soup and bread from friends - thank you Liv!

+ My mom, who let me spend the night at her house for a night and took care of me like I was back in elementary school.  

Moral of the story: stay healthy out there, pneumonia is no fun!

What's Right In the World

Truth.  It's been a stressful week at work.  Deadlines.  Politics and policy.  Accountability.  Sigh.  We've all been there.  So when I took a moment to watch this amazing time-lapse video I found on a friend's feed, I felt myself exhale audibly.  And I remembered, this is what's right with the world.  That places like this exist.  That beauty like this exists.  After another contented breath, I remind myself that my silly little problems at work are just that - silly little problems.  During the duration of this video, I felt my little stresses slowly float away as I remember what's truly important in my life, and the beauty around me.

P.S. Doesn't this make you want to go to Norway?

A Day of Snuggles

Today I took a sick day.  My little bug was up most of the night, with what turned out to be a double ear infection. Poor thing.  So today, instead of my usual grind of corralling and attempting to inspire 26 first graders, I spent the day at home, snuggling with my baby.  I'll admit I was tired, I didn't get much shut eye last night either, but somehow that didn't matter.  Cuddling her soft little body against my mine, her tired head heavy against my chest, little hands curling around my fingers in our laps.  Today was a day well spent.  A day where I can't get enough of being a mom, of the sweetness and wonderfulness of my little one.  Snuggling on the couch together, listening to her soft breathing beside me, and coaxing out a few "I'm feeling better" smiles.  These are the days I want to remember.  Days where I wore my yoga pants all day long, my hair is in a messy knot atop my head, not a stitch of make-up has been applied.  Days where the sink is full of dishes, and I'm dining on frozen pizza for dinner, but even in spite of this darn ear infection, everything in my life feels perfect.

image/maryruffle

Life Lately

Hello, out there.  Remember me?  It's been weeks since I've even opened feedly, and my latest glance at my own blog revealed a measly 11 posts this year.  Eleven.  Pathetic, I tell you.  My apologies  to the any loyal readers who are still out there.

While going back to work in January hasn't been consistent smooth sailing, I feel like we've finally fallen into a routine that's comfortable.  Needless to say, with only a few limited hours with my sweet girl, blogging has definitely been the short straw in terms of priorities.  However, I do really want to keep blogging, I love knowing that anecdotes of our life at this exact moment exist.  Words to capture the everyday snippets of our daily routine, the growth and sweet milestones of my daughter's life - so I can one day look back on these with warm nostalgia and remember when.

But between teaching 26 first graders all day long, running errands, making a semi-nutritious and/or healthy dinner, quality time with my husband, and of course playing, giggling, and loving up my daughter…sometimes at the end of the day, a heaping glass of red wine - boxed, of course ;) - and kicking my feet up while I indulge in an episode of Scandal is all I can manage.  And don't get me wrong, this is not a complaint in the slightest, as I sincerely love my life, and everything in it.  But truly, I'm curious, how do you find balance?  Somedays, I feel like I'm a master juggler, all the balls are gloriously floating through the air harmoniously in sync, others, it feels like I'm callously dropping balls left and right.  Is there a secret formula I am missing, or does it just take time and practice?  

What's your secret to balancing everything in your life?

image/bloom

Dinner Last Night: Pork Fried Rice

Hey there, remember me?  I used to blog?  Well in case you're wondering why I've been so M.I.A., I went back to work full time on January 6th.  Yep, I'm a working mom, and man, is it tough!  Time has now become my most precious commodity, and I now more than ever, I am determined to make every second count!  Mad props to all you out there who juggle a career, child, and more.  

As such, I've had to sacrifice a few things for the sake of spare time; blogging being one of them.  My home is to crank out a bunch of posts one weekend when I'm feeling energized and relaxed…we'll see. In the meantime, one thing I am excited about is our new plan for advanced meal planning.  I wish I could outline the entire program today, but it's a Wednesday, and I'm utilizing this narrow window between a cat nap, cooking dinner, and a bed time routine to crank out this post.

One of our solutions is finding relatively simple, yet nutritional dinners, including this fab find via Dinner: A Love Story - pork fried rice.  After an internet search of "quick weeknight dinners" this post was near the top of the list.  Initially I thought, "pork fried rice," are you kidding me?  How is that easy?  OMG…it is!  Trader Joe's frozen rice will save your life - I am a convert!  Plus, it reheats well for leftovers.  CHA-CHING!  

More quick and easy dinners + my awesome new meal plan routine to follow.  Stay tuned…

image & recipe/dinneralovestory

Happy Weekend

Happy weekend!  It's going to be another hot one here in Seattle.  We've been blessed with glorious sunny weather for pretty much the entire month of July, it's been excellent!  You won't find this pregnant girl complaining too much about the heat, I'd rather have sun than downpour any day, and luckily I've been fortunate enough to feel cool and mostly comfortable in spite of the climbing temps.

Tomorrow marks 1-month from our due date!!  I can hardly believe it, our last few months and weeks of pregnancy have flown by.  The nursery is pretty much ready (sans a little cleaning to organize some clutter), we're over halfway through our 6-week childbirth class series, and today we toured the hospital where I'll be delivering.  Aside from adding a few odds and ends to our hospital bag, I'd say we're ready to go.  CRAZY!?!  

Also - tomorrow is our big family baby shower.  My sisters, cousin and her family, aunt and uncle all flew up from Southern California to celebrate with us, and join in the baby festivities.  It should be a good time soaking up the summer sun with family and close friends.  

Have yourself a sweet weekend - stay cool!

image/bbb 

Cooking Class

Last night my mom and I attended a private cooking class with a group of her friends.  It was a warm summer night, and we dined alfresco on fried baby artichokes with lemon aioli, buttermilk and fresh herb marinated chicken, romesco sauce, and grilled summer squash salad with dill + feta.  The meal was delicious, except between chatting and prep, we didn't eat until 9:00, which was quite a late dinner hour for this pregnant gal!  We pretty much devoured our plates in minutes, and I'm certain I could've eaten another meal once I got home.

I've been fortunate to take quite a few cooking classes; from Persian cuisine to paella, Indian, Ethiopian, Thai, even croissant making.  What are your favorite cooking classes to take?  Do you prefer hands-on cooking class or just watching and listening?

image/bloom

Sonoma Bachelorette Recap

Fourth of July weekend was an epic girls getaway to gorgeous Sonoma, California.  My best friend Jody is getting married in September, and 10 of us girls from across the country congregated in wine country to celebrate our beautiful bride.  We arrived on the fourth of July for dinner at Girl and the Fig, toured Sonoma's finest wineries all day Friday, laid by the pool soaking up the California sunshine on Saturday, and headed home after brunch on Sunday.  With a few bachelorette activities thrown in here and there, of course!  Here are some snapshots from our girlfriends getaway!

images/myphotos

Heartfelt Thanks

"... what we have enjoyed, we can never lose ... all that we love deeply becomes a part of us." ~Helen Keller

Dear blog friends,

Thank you for all the sweet, heartfelt comments about my cat.  

I'm sure to all the people out there who aren't pet people, I must seem like a ninny grieving over the sudden loss of my beloved cat, but I can't spend my time worrying about these people.  I have truly taken comfort in the heartfelt condolences and kind words shared with me on this blog, your sympathy has been much appreciated.  Thank you also to my friends who called or texted me this week.  During our pre-marriage classes, I learned that "Words of Affirmation" is definitely my love language, thus, these small expressions of kindness through words are the gestures that mean the most to me.  I even showed my husband the roll of blog comments Jenga's post received, to which he also felt touched.  

We miss her deeply, it's been most hard to drive up to our home and see the empty windowsill where she once sat, ready to leap up upon our arrival. Or crawl into bed, and wait for the click-click of her little clawed feet dashing through the hall, heading toward us to jump onto the foot of the bed. 

I've been spending the last few days pulling some hilarious photos and videos of her off my iphone, which has been comforting, seeing her spry and lively in her glory.  

Here's a few personal favorites to leave you with for the day...

{She always did love to sit up like a human, supporting herself by resting on her large tummy}

{I love this one...she sought out the heating pad the second I left the couch, we called her the "heater whore," a nickname I say with the deepest affection.}

Saying Goodbye

It breaks my heart to tell you that conditions did not improve, and we sent our sweet, beautiful cat and friend Jenga up to heaven today.  This was something we thought might happen, but the idea versus the reality of the situation weighs heavy on my heart.  It was a difficult decision, but after several weeks of steroids, multiple vet check-ups, and a regiment of 5 pills a day with no improvement, loss of appetite, and worsening of her condition, we recognized her suffering and pain was only growing, as well as the significant decline in her quality of life.  Needless to say, it's been an emotional day.

I know many out there are not cat people.  Cats often get the bad rap, labeled reclusive, anti-social, and standoffish, but these characteristics Jenga was not.  She was always frisky, vocal, and affectionate until her final few weeks; evidenced by her meowing conversations with me the minute I'd walk in the front door, her high-volume motorboat purr, and unwavering enthusiasm to leap onto our laps every evening where she'd recline, stretch out lazily, and fall asleep.  We'll miss so many things; her playful tendency to swat at doorstops and fascination with the metallic "boing" that followed, her ability to spear and devour a stray fly in 10 seconds flat, and the pacing-in-the-window-while-crooning routine she'd display for neighborhood orange tabby we affectionately named "boyfriend."  The list goes on...

Jenga was a part of our family, and her absence is devastating, especially since we thought she'd be there to greet us when we bring our baby home from the hospital.  The hardest part to reconcile is understanding why this happened to her, she was such a young, lively cat until a month ago, and only 5 years old at that.

A request to you pet owners and lovers out there, cuddle your pet a little tighter tonight.  You never know how much longer you'll have with them.  I picture her in heaven, lounging contentedly in a window sill somewhere, happily meowing at the passing squirrels and birds.
We love you Jeng, and miss you so much already.

Rest in peace. xoxo.

{one of my favorite pictures of hers, sleeping with both paws curled up underneath her chin}

June 27th

June 27th is a special day for us.  It is the day we met. 5 years ago today.  

It started off like any ordinary day. Being on summer vacation, I ran my errands as per usual, sat in bumper to bumper Capitol Hill traffic, and finagled my way into a minor fender bender on my way home.  Traffic accidents are not my norm, and my blunder definitely clouded my mood for the day (and almost kept me from going out to a celebrate a friend's birthday), but luckily I changed my mind and ended up venturing out in spite of my traffic faux pas.  And I can't even imagine how life would be had I not gone out.  That dive bar birthday turned into one memorable evening - because I met you.  Who knew that this was the night I'd meet my future husband.  

This June 27th is extra special this year because it also marks the 2-month countdown until our baby's due date.  What a journey these past 5 years just the two of us, and now we're bringing a new life into our little world, which will be a new adventure to take on together.  It has been the best 5 years, living, laughing, and loving you.  I can't wait for many, many more to come.

I love you to the moon.