Creative Jules

2012-01-16T17:51:00.001-08:00

I think there's definitely some truth in this. But also think you have to put in the effort until you realize it's not being returned. That moment can be a hard realization but letting go can also be very freeing.

Thank you to my friends who, even though they are tens of miles or thousands of miles away, still make the effort to connect with me.

I love you!

Christmas Holidays 2011

2012-01-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

We had a really fun and busy holiday season this year! We decided to stay local and not hit the Mexican beaches, which I missed a lot. But we enjoyed a traditional Christmas and I cooked all day long. It was really nice and great food! We kept busy over the holidays with lots of fun stuff.

Probably our most exciting day was when we went to Mt Baker National Forest and went for a hike. We had some info that there is a natural hot spring in the forest so we decided to go for it. With "kind of" directions in hand, we set off and found a "parking area" off the road. This road is not your typical road, it was fairly deep in the forest, gravel, full of potholes. Once we parked, the directions said to take the obvious trailhead. Well, there are no signs so we found one entry to the forest that followed along an abandoned road. We figured this was it. 45 minutes down the road, we figured we had taken the wrong way. So we set back and investigated a little closer back by the car.

We found a small entry to the forest that we had to kind of duck into and saw a small trail. Followed that for a little while and finally came upon the springs. It was one of the neatest things I have seen! I had no idea such a place existed so closeby. There was snow around but the springs were hot. I made it up to my ankles but Dama and the kids went all the way in. We were the only ones in the springs, pretty spoiled!

Even Baxter took a little dip! It was so fun to have him on this adventure. He loved hiking along with us and he was rolling around in the snow.

December 28th brought Maile's 12th birthday! We celebrated as usual with a cake. She was suitably un-impressed as always. But deep down inside, I am sure she can see how loved she is with such a fuss made over her :)

January 1st brought the Polar Bear Plunge at Matthews Beach Park in Seattle. This was a really fun event (probably because I didn't have to go in!!). Dama and Lucas went in, the brave souls that they are. Hardy people!! Lucas loved it and declared it an annual event.

With their "Courage Patches":

The whole family spent a lot of time playing hockey this holiday too. If you know Lucas, he is really good at recruiting folks to play sports with him. He got a bunch of street hockey gear for Christmas so he was using it up!

January 2nd we went to the Tsubaki Shrine in Granite Falls for our annual New Years rituals. We pray for good health and good fortune, walk the beautiful grounds by the Stillaguamish River, and pick an Omikuji (yearly fortune). We came up with "Good Fortune" so hopefully this year will be a great one for us.

Beautiful Ellie preparing to enter the shrine grounds. You wash your hands in this water using the scoops.

Happy New Years to all of you!

Busy

2011-11-17T08:15:00.000-08:00

I never liked hearing that word coming from someone's mouth. A few years ago, I vowed not to utter it to any friend as an explanation for why I couldn't come see them, call them, spend time. I have always felt that it's a big fat excuse :)

What I didn't realize was how busy I wasn't! I still really believe that you can make something a priority if it needs to be, regardless of how busy you are. But when the kids were younger, I was nowhere near as busy as I am now. People often told me that the older they get, the busier you get. I never really believed it. But it's true! I know some stay home moms who planned to go back to work after the kids went to school full time but it hasn't happened. They are too busy to go back to work :)

Recently, a friend who happens to be a neighbor said to me..."your car is never home during the days. What are you doing"? I thought it was kind of funny. After all, I am a stay at home mom!!

But that's really the last thing I do.

The good news is that weekends really feel like weekends now! It used to be that a weekend just blended in with the rest of the week. But now, it's different. It almost feels like MY day off too. Of course, with sports for 2 kids there are many crazy weekends. But that time to not have anything planned is golden.

These are not complaints. In fact, I love all the things I have going on. I love watching the kids play sports. Doing Social Services at the school has been inspiring. Working in the classroom is so much fun...getting to know all the kids. There are days I want to not have a thing on the calendar and the beauty is I can pick a day and protect it.

I still don't ever want to tell someone "I am too busy" but it's certainly getting a lot harder!

Teacher Conference Gift

2011-11-16T14:19:00.000-08:00

I worked on Teacher Conference gifts this week as we are meeting with the kids' teachers this week. I like to go with something small to thank the teachers and to brighten those long days they have meeting with parents one after the other.

These boxes started out white. They were glittered and decorated. One teacher is a beach type and the other is very elegant. I tried to take that into account! Made some pretty fabric flowers, addred some tulle, feathers and bling. Inside will be gift cards to Barnes and Noble and some personalized bottlecap magnets to match the outside.

I think it's important to make sure our teachers feel appreciated throughout the year!

Beautiful Girl

2011-11-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

My friend Liz had a quote on her blog that really reminded me of Ellie:

"The least strained and most natural ways of the soul are the most beautiful." -Michel de Montaigne (French Renaissance Writer)

Her Dad and I often talk about the joy that comes from a little girl who follows her own heart and instincts. I know we have a long way to go, but her choices are always hers at the moment and I really hope it continues! She is not swayed easily by the influences of others. Sometimes this works against me :)

She's not afraid to wear mismatched socks. She doesn't mind if everyone around her is doing one thing and she is doing another. She doesn't get embarrassed by anything about herself. She plays what she wants to at recess.

It is really wonderful to see her choosing her path, following her heart and being such an original girl. We always can tell her choices come from her natural self and from her beautiful soul. She really is unique and knows how to follow her heart.

I'm in Knots!

2011-10-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks, I have been tying a lot of knots! I have completed a couple of craft projects that both involved tying fabric.

The first one is a Halloween tulle wreath for the front door. This one was a huge project! It took 4.5 yards of black tulle. Cut into small strips. Tied one after the other!! But I do love how it turned out.

The next one was a blanket for Lucas' birthday. I made it twin sized for his bed. He really loves it! It didn't take me too long and it turned out really well..

Sharing

2011-10-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

I really love this:

Cub Scouts

2011-10-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Lucas has joined the Cub Scouts. He is a Bear this year and has really loved it so far. He is very motivated by the patches and belt loops so that certainly helps.

His den of 8 has 2 leaders so it's very well organized and really a lot of fun. I had a hard time picking which pack to enroll him in but decided to stick with the one at his school. I am really glad I did and have heard great things about how active they are.

He has done some cool stuff so far and we are only a month in. At the first meeting, they made marshmallow guns using pvc pipe which they cut themselves. It was pretty neat to see how hands on they were. Then they had the marshmallow fight :) Next meeting they made Alka Seltzer rockets which was a huge hit. Then they built a cardboard fort and had a battle with soft balls. Finally, they made a toolbox out of wood. Super fun!

Lucas got his Bobcat Trail badge last night. He also presented the colors at the meeting. They will be doing that at the Veteran's Day assembly at school and he is super excited he gets to wear his uniform to school.

Fall is in Full Swing

2011-10-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

Fall must be here! Back to school, soccer and the pumpkin patch. It has always been a very busy time as we rush from school to the soccer fields, as I fall into my volunteer work at the school.

The kids are growing up so fast. 2nd and 3rd Grade. I am so proud of both of them: they were both elected by their classes for ASB: Associated Student Body. They will help plan the monthly service projects and spirit days at the school, as well as help the special needs kids in their classrooms.

We hit the pumpkin patch last weekend and came home with 85 lbs of pumpkins. Of course Ellie picked a gigantic one!

Soccer is going great! Coaching Ellie's team has been a lot of fun. The growth in the girls has been fantastic to watch! I love that all her friends are on the team and they just love each other. Tia and I worked our magic on their team shirts. They used to be a deep maroon color and look what we did! We are the cutest team on the field!

This year I am heading up Social Services at the school. This means running all the food drives, the toy drive, mitten trees etc. In years past, the school has worked a lot with Hope Link and most of our drives go to benefit them. This year, I have a broader vision for our community outreach projects. I want to reach out to our school community, our local community and our global community. My plan is to cover all 3 with service projects this year. In a school of 900 students, these projects are a lot of co-ordination and my budget is $65 :) So it will be a lot of time but I can't think of a better position for me to really sink my teeth into.

I'm also room parent for Ellie, helping with writing in Ellie's class, Art Docent for Lucas' class, working in the Student Store and running the Sunshine Club at the school (meeting needs of families going through a tough time). I really do love being a presence at the school for the kids, my own and many others.

Me Book

2011-09-29T08:42:00.001-07:00

We had Curriculum Night at the school for Ellie ths week. I love seeing the little surprises they have prepared for us on their desks. Ellie's was a "Me Book" this year, with pages all about her. What better subject?

Her drawing is so cute and so detailed. In some pages, she added little touches like hot air balloons flying in the sky. I love looking at her sweet touches and beautiful drawings. Here are a couple of her pages:

You are right, Ellie. We love you so so so much! I love how we are all matching in purple and orange. Love the "diamonds" sparkling in the sky and around us.

Notice the feathers in her hair! And look below for the little birds she healed in her future as a vet :)

She definitely is creative and has attention to detail in her works of art!

It's Friday Night

2011-09-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hubby is home early and is out playing frisbee with Lucas. El is in the yard with all the little friends playing. Dinner is prepped and ready to fire up. Love it when a Friday night comes together like this!

Skin Stuff

2011-09-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a dermatologist for a precautionary full body check up and to address some issues I have been having. Upon inspection, the Dr decided I would need 2 spots on my body biopsied and some pre-cancerous sun damage removed. He was very optimistic about the issues and well convinced there was nothing to worry about. The biopsies were just precautionary.

So I had everything done today. And I am alive to tell about it! They did a punch biopsy on a spot on my left arm. That required freezing the area, and using a small cookie cutter type instrument to take out a portion of the spot. Then they put in 3 stitches. The second punch biopsy was done on my left leg and required 2 stitches.

Then, they used a freezing agent to freeze the pre-cancerous damage from around my lip line. I have to say, with the numbing of the biopsy areas, that was fine. But the freezing on my lips? That hurt like crazy. It felt like a very intense stinging, or like someone was poking many needles into my lips simultaneously. My eyes watered a lot.

I managed to get through it all without passing out :) Yay for me :) I will have the sutures out in 2 weeks. And now to wait for the results...

Scenes of Summer

2011-08-14T09:06:00.001-07:00

Summer Report

2011-08-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that the kids go back to school in 3 weeks! But as I look ahead at the next 3 weeks, I realize that there isn't much left to do to make it a really cool summer for the kids and for us.

We really did pack it in well this summer. The kids have had lots of fun and had the summer you always want them to have. We had our road trip to San Fran, sports camp, Bible school, camping (and 2 more camping trips to come!), countless playdates. It really didn't matter that the weather was not too summerish, the kids didn't seem to notice at all. In fact, I enjoyed the weather, it was easy for me to stay out of the sun, stay cool and save on our energy bill :)

It was my goal to make sure that I had no regrets about what we should have done, what we didn't do this summer. With 3 weeks to go, I'm thinking we achieved it! We will definitely look back and think of all the fun things we did.

Melanoma

2011-08-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Warning: this post is honest and graphic with photos.

I try really hard to protect myself from the sun. I am so fair skinned that I feel like it's just asking for trouble if I don't put a max effort into it. Sometimes the sun beats my efforts and I get a little too much. But it's not for lack of effort! My husband on the other hand has that type of skin that tans like crazy. I always offer him sunscreen because I know what the sun can do. My Mum had skin cancer on her nose years ago and had surgery to remove it. But that was basal cell.

This past week, Mum had melanoma removed. I remember seeing the suspicious mole a few weeks ago and asking her about it. At the time, it looked like a small mole with a black spot on it on the edge. She told me she was getting it checked out soon. Before it was checked, she says it bled and scabbed and that fell off.

She had her appointment and it turned out to be melanoma. According to the American Melanoma Foundation, 1 American dies of melanoma almost every hour (every 61 minutes). How do we get melanoma? From the sun or tanning beds.

You do NOT want to go through this. Trust me. If you don't believe me, look at the pictures below.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

They take a strip out of your skin an inch and a half wide. They dig down an inch. They sew you up and leave you with a large scar. Then you wait. You wait to see if it has spread to your organs, your lymph nodes. Then you find out if you need chemo or not.

Is it worth it for a little tan that is so temporary? Brown skin is not healthy. It's a defense mechanism of your skin. It boggles my mind how much value people put on a tan and how people will use tanning beds in this day and age. I did it too in college. We all have. But there is time to change that. And what better reason than your own life?

Art Class

2011-06-25T08:00:00.001-07:00

Ellie took an art class this year at the school. Her teacher was really wonderful and such a nice lady. She called all the kids "sweetie" and just doted on all of them. She was a great teacher too and taught Ellie a lot. They used many different art forms and materials. The theme of the class was "Flowers and Bugs". Here are Ellie's creations:

Isn't she amazing? :)

Kid Contact Cards

2011-06-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

The kids had a lot of friends they wanted to hang out with this summer so I made them some cards to pass out on the last day of school.

It has my contact info for easy contact and playtime set up.

I used a business card template on Microsoft Works, added a cute picture and voila!

Father's Day 2011: Our Dad

2011-06-19T11:04:00.001-07:00

It's Father's Day and we are celebrating the Dad in our home.

Love seeing and hearing how the kids view Daddy! They sure do love him and think highly of him!

This morning I woke up a little late after a night at Craft Club and within minutes, Dama was out in the cul de sac playing tennis with Lucas. We're talking before 8 am! One of the things we love about him.

I knew he'd be a good dad before we married. I knew he would be a great example to our kids. He is so hardworking, takes important things and small details seriously. He is teaching our kids so much through his example. He doesn't spend time on mindless things, he spends times on things that matter and being adventurous with our kids. He shows them by his example how to be active and curious. I love that he takes them places when I'm not around! He challenges me to be adventurous too.

He is a great cook and I look forward to the weekends when he prepares all the meals for us.

He picks up my slack when I drop the ball, instills in the kids the things I am not so good at.

He says yes to so much, and looks the other way when I whip out the credit card :)

This year, I watched him take many days off work for me and the kids: birthdays, field trips, my sick days, just because, and leaving work early to umpire baseball games.

We are very lucky to have you, Daddy. You have made our lives so easy and so exciting, full of fun and adventure. Thank you for all you do!

Summertime Snacks

2011-06-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

With the kids soon to be home all summer (both a delightful and scary prospect!), I found this list of summertime snacks that provides lots of healthy ideas.

Summertime Snacks

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day was wonderful! Dama cooked all 3 meals, cut the grass. I got a beautiful card, handmade gifts by the kids, a gorgeous bouquet of flowers and nice hefty gift card! Yay for me!

Dama helped me get a spreadsheet going that contains all the titles, quotes and accents all listed out for Studio J. So now I know what every single kit contains! This will make things even faster. So if I am looking for a specific quote or embellishment, I know exactly which kit to use. I managed to input everything in yesterday.

So of course I had to spend some time scrapping! I made it all the way up to......Mother's Day :) So I am totally caught up except for the printed pics I have yet to do. It sure feels amazing to be able to scrap so currently, the memories are so fresh and I can journal with much more detail.

I have my 2010 album all complete and put together and I am absolutely thrilled with the result. It's neat, streamlined, great quality. So colorful, love the pages with mixed sizes of photos. One page even has a 6x12 photo of El and Dama that I just love.

Happy Mother's Day!

Teacher Appreciation Door Decorations

2011-05-03T08:18:00.001-07:00

It's Teacher Appreciation week! Have you done anything special, something above and beyond for your teachers yet?

Yesterday I went in and decorated their doors. I prepped everything at home beforehand so that all I had to do was put up the paper and decorate once I got to the school. I used my Cricut to cut out the letters and shapes. I timed it so that the kids were gone at the time (PE and Music) and it worked out great.

I wanted to tie in each theme with what the kids were doing in class right now. Elli's class is doing plants and flowers. Lucas' is raising caterpillars right now. I am so happy with the connections!

Baseball (or any sport!) Snack Idea

2011-04-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

If you are anything like me, you want to make snack for the kid's sports that aren't just a pack of Goldfish crackers or a granola bar. I like to make something a little creative that the kids will like, with a bit of team spirit thrown in.

I made these for Lucas' baseball team on my snack day last week. I had everything on hand except the M&Ms so it was easy and cost efficient.

The bag toppers were super easy. I just made them the same width as the top of the bags (Wilton treat bags, 4" across), printed the logo and "Go D-Backs" on the BOTTOM part of the tag and stapled closed.

This shows you that you can take an ordinary snack and turn into something cute and fun.

Wedding Wreath

2011-04-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

My brother is getting married this month and my Mum wanted something pretty to decorate her door. I thought if I let her do it, it might be covered in foamie glittered hearts :) So we came up with this idea together and created it together. It was nice crafting with my Mum!

My CTMH Studio J Layouts

2011-04-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

Just sharing some of my digital layouts made with CTMH Studio J!

I also finished scrapping Ellie's party on Monday. The party was Saturday. 2 days later, I am done and have gorgeous layouts. You can't beat that!

Serious Stuff

2011-04-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

Who ever thought baseball was serious stuff at age 8?

We are having so much fun with baseball. It's Lucas' first year playing. He did do t-ball about 3 years ago but it was just a summer program through the Y. But this year, we are in the big leagues! It has been a lot of fun watching him play and practice. The improvement has been terrific and he loves it all.The team is undefeated so far and won handily 9-2 last week. Could we go-all-the-way?? It's a pretty exciting thought.

The boys get out there on the field and stretch together counting "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8" out loud and in unison. They run to warm up together. They communicate on the field..."let's do this guys!", "be ready, 2 outs!!". Lucas is thriving on being a member of the team, just as he did with soccer. He is in his element.

The team has 3 very dedicated and focused coaches. I cannot say enough about them. So positive and encouraging and they really focus on the right skills and form. They put so much into the kids!

An exciting day came last week when Coach told him he was ready to pitch in a game. That? is big time. I loved seeing such a huge smile on his face.

Love this shot of Lucas at bat and Daddy as the umpire :)

Lucas also made it on the swim team and practices start soon. Can you tell I am proud??!

Delicious Steak Marinade

2011-04-17T08:24:00.001-07:00

I tried this marinade from Allrecipes and it was FANTASTIC. All of us loved it. It made the steak very tender and so tasty. If you are grilling steak, this is the way to go. I halved the recipe, this recipe as it is would be good for a party or more than 3 steaks:

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons dried basil (I used fresh)
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)(I did not use this)
1 teaspoon dried minced garlic (optional)(I used fresh)

Directions

Place the soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, basil, parsley, and pepper in a blender. Add hot pepper sauce and garlic, if desired. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds until thoroughly mixed.
Pour marinade over desired type of meat. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Cook meat as desired.

Ellie is 7!

2011-04-14T15:10:00.001-07:00

My baby girl is 7 today! I have spent a lot of time thinking of you today. We woke up early and opened presents. Daddy took the day off work. You got some drawing books and you got right to work making cute creations.

I am amazed every day at what you bring to my life. There is so much fun in our family because of you! Every day is like watching a show of fun, love and happiness.

I love so many things about you. The way you do your "noodle dance" when you want someone to make noodles for you. The way you wiggle one eyebrow up and down. The way you sneak into my bed and I wake up with you snuggled up close. The way you swim like a mermaid.

You are a unique girl! You are so individual and special. You make your own choices and follow your dreams and what your hearts wants. You love yourself!

I love going to the dog park with you and watching you love on the tiny dogs. I love playing Old Maid with you and I see my competitiveness in you! I love listening to you read, sounding out words so carefully. I love watching your little hands work on crafts that we create together. I love snuggling with you.

You are my dream come true. I remember the moment you were born and hearing "it's a girl" from Daddy. My heart flew! I never imagined...you weren't just a girl. You were Ellie. You are MY girl. And I love you more than you'll ever know.

Love,
Mummy xoxo

A Lesson

2011-04-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

I think this year I have learned a really great lesson, or at least something has become pretty clear to me through my experiences.

We, as people (and especially women) don't give each other enough of a chance.

Let me explain. Sometimes it takes work to get to know someone. There are those special people who you just connect with right away and I have plenty of those in my life. Then there are the people who you meet and instantly don't connect. So many times this has happened in my life. I even think there are people who I have looked at and felt we'd never be friends.

But in this past year, I have discovered how important and beneficial it is to have to work at a friendship. As the kids get older, I have been meeting more and more people through their school and activities. In several cases, people have rubbed me the wrong way or my attempts at a friendship have been shot down. But one of my personal things I have been working on is not to give up and not to prematurely judge the possibility of connecting with someone.

A couple of examples. I met this one mom at an outside of school activity. It was the first day of the activity and she was really outgoing. We talked for a little bit and she barely let me get a word in edgewise. She seemed like the know-it-all type and seemed to want to share that all with me. I listened. And I listened. And then I went home and though "I think I'll just avoid getting in a conversation in the future"! But there she was again the next week. But I decided to open my mind and try to participate in the conversation, ask her about herself. As it turns out, we had a lot in common.

Time went by and the earthquake in Japan happened. The next time she saw me, she reached out and hugged me. She told me how much we had been in her thoughts. She offered to help in any way she could. In that moment, I realized I was right....to stick with it and work on a friendship.

I have another new-ish friend who took some work :) It has been over a year of work and part of that is she doesn't really speak English (heh heh). I am sure you are saying "no wonder"! I once wrote her a note and had is translated into Spanish to have her daughter to play. She said no because they didn't really speak English. I decided to take my time with her. We e-mail back and forth in Spanish (I use Google translate) and we have established a really nice friendship. I appreciate her desire to work with my bad Spanish! And our girls love each other. It was and is so worth it.

In the past year, I have also been given up on and it taught me how I never want to be that person. The person who, when someone makes a mistake, comes across wrong, says the wrong thing...gives up on a friendship.

If you are reading this, try living it. You will see it pay off. You'll see new friendships form with people you least expect them to. And you'll see a change in yourself that you will love.

Studio J Review

2011-04-09T15:10:00.001-07:00

I have been really whizzing through all my pictures by using Studio J digital scrapbooking program. I bought the membership for 3 months ($30) which gives me access to all of the kits (includes embellishments, digital stickers, paper, quotes, tags, titles, buttons, brads etc etc) and all of the layouts. It also entitles me to 50% off printing and free shipping (it is extremely fast).

In less than 1 month, I have scrapbooked an entire year (2010: 42 two-page layouts).

So, in essence, the use of the program cost me about 10 cents a layout. Each 2 page layout is $6.50 which includes a page protector.

I really wanted to compare the cost of paper vs. digital because people seem to think paper scrapbooking is so much cheaper (me included). Cost is somewhat of an issue for me but anyone who knows me knows that my main mission is not to save money or make my pages as cute as possible, it is to get my pages done and in an album.

So I broke it down like this, for a two page paper layout for the way I usually scrapbook.

2 pages patterned paper= $2
2 pages cardstock: $1
Adhesive= 20 cents
Stickers= let's say a conservative $2
Portion of alphabet stickers= $1
Page protector= 50 cents
Photo prints= (I used on average 8 photos per digital layout, including at least 1 5x7) $1.30 This is from Costco but CTMH quality is night and day above
Buttons, ribbon, brads, flowers or any other embellies: $1

Total is $9.

I'd say this is a really conservative estimate too! Many times I buy a pack of stickers for $4-$5 and don't use the whole thing. I know I waste a lot and don't use a lot of my supplies. With digital, that's not an issue at all.

Studio J is very user friendly. It takes me less than 10 minutes to put together a gorgeous page. You can edit your photos when they are on the page, change them to black and white or sepia, take out the red eye, adjust the color. You have access to digital stickers (the alphabet and numbers, large medium and small accents, tags, borders, quotes). You have a selection of titles or make your own using a large variety of fonts in any of the CTMH colors. You can distress the paper, chalk it, sand it. Many tools at your disposal. Can you tell I love it?

Here is some great news. Before you buy a membership, you can go in and make some pages. You'll have access to the basic functions, membership offers many more layouts and perks. But at least you can make a page and see how it works.

Not to mention (and this is a HUGE plus) I can scrapbook on the couch with NO MESS to clean up! Sometimes I wake up and grab my coffee, put on my favorite show and my cat is on my lap. I just fire up Studio J and scrap til the kids get up! With paper scrapbooking, at the rate I was going I scrapped one or twice a year. I cannot keep up at that rate. I take way more pictures than I scrap.

Many people ask if I miss the paper and stickers. I still have them! I still use that stuff too but I won't be buying much of it anymore. I will have some traditional pages mixed in and some of my old pictures will be traditionally scrapped. But going forward, I am sure most of my work will be digital.

Keep in mind as well....with each layout you purchase, you also get a JPEG of it. That means you can burn an entire year of layouts onto a CD also. This keeps them safe, makes it so you can print extras for Grandparents, and I think in this age of computers it is the future!

Just so you know, I do not sell CTMH, I am just a scrapbooker who was introduced to it by a friend. I just love it that much that it looks like I sell it :) !!

It's Spring Break!

2011-04-05T09:51:00.000-07:00

Spring Break! It's the perfect time to get caught up on organizing all that school work that comes home with the kids. I know I will be working on it this week.

I did a blog post about it a long time ago and received really good feedback from this system. So I am refreshing that post here! Commit yourself to a little organization this week.

Organizing schoolwork

Clever Boy

2011-03-05T15:41:00.001-08:00

YouTube Video

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Lamp Re-do: burlap, the fabric of the day!

2011-03-03T17:28:00.001-08:00

I have this bedside lamp that was looking kind of plain and sorry.

The adhesive on the shade was seeping through the fabric on the shade making it look yucky.

I just felt like the shade was so plain and I wanted something cute. I am very into ruffles right now so I decided to make it ruffly. I recently made a spring rag garland and had some leftover white burlap. I was inspired by a project on Tatertots and Jello.

First, I covered the shade in segments using a glue gun and the burlap. I simply traced with a sharpie one segment onto the burlap and made 6 the same.

Then I cut out 8 strips of burlap, folded in half and ironed them.

The next part isn't really a perfect science. I started by hot gluing the ruffle to the top rim. Then I used dots of glue on either side of middle and pressed it into the shade.

I then added a ruffle around the top and I was done.

I will probably spray the base white or maybe blue.

It took about 90 mins to complete. Be advised: hot glue soaks easily through burlap! Ouch!

Feeling At Home

2011-02-27T09:22:00.000-08:00

We just got back from another trip up to the homeland in Vancouver, Canada. I have to say...it is always hard to leave. I just get this incredible feeling of home and belonging when I am there. Don't get me wrong, I do love my life in the Pacific Northwest. But there is just something about Canada that jives with me.

I feel in many ways, Vancouver is light years ahead. I am always amazed at the transit system up there. You could easily and conveniently live without a car in Vancouver. Buses come at regular intervals, very dependable. Why can't WA have this? It seems that here everyone is either too far away from a bus or too afraid to ride the bus. I certainly would not take a bus here.

I have been "countertop composting" for a couple of years now. I don't think a lot of people do that here. But in Vancouver, there will be a ban placed on kitchen scraps next year.

On the Canadian side of the border, they have installed a traffic light about a half mile from the border crossing. This was done to group cars waiting at the border to prevent unnecessary idling and greenhouse gas emissions.

The local public swimming pool in Vancouver has public swim from 10 am-8pm every day. It seems here you have to plan your whole day around a swim session. It sure is nice to be able to take the kids to the pool at any point during the day.

Garbage cans on the street have a section for recyclables. At the food court, they have a food scraps bin. It just seems that Vancouver is willing to go that extra mile to do what is right.

To top it all off, and I SO agree with this through my travels, Vancouver is The Economist's #1 most Livable City in the World.

Like I said, I love living in WA and I think as far as the US goes, WA is pretty progressive. I think they will catch up here but I have to say I am proud of my hometown for blazing the trail!

Glitter Nails: DIY

2011-02-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, Ellie and I decided to try making glitter nails on our own. They turned out really well!

First, I filed her nails on the top of each nail (helps polish stick better). Then put a coat of clear polish on and before it was dry, sprinkled the glitter on top. Do one nail at a time. Let them dry and repeat. Then, swipe a top coat on top to seal the glitter.

Once you are done and it's all dry, you can rinse your nails under cold water and get the residual glitter off the skin with a nail brush or old toothbrush.

The result was very glittery, pretty nails and a sweet happy girl!

Shopping Day

2011-02-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

Today is my once-every-2-weeks grocery shopping day. I have been in a bit of a rut as far as cooking goes lately. When the husband is out of town, it's pretty bare bones and I miss cooking good food. So I sat down with my Everyday Food magazines and in 2 magazines, I found 5 new recipes to put into this 2 week rotation. The rest of the meals will come from my usual favorites. Here are the new recipes I'll be cooking this next 2 weeks:

Honey Teriyaki Chicken
Linguine with Shrimp and White Wine
Pork Chops with Bacon and Cabbage
Jamaican Chicken Curry
Corn and Butternut Squash Chowder

Hope this inspires you to try something new this week!

I was featured!

2011-02-04T13:38:00.000-08:00

...on a cool craft blog!

Check it out here: Gluesticks

Valentine Water Bottle Label

2011-02-03T17:32:00.000-08:00

I was assigned water bottles for Ellie's Valentine party. Well, I can't just bring regular old water bottles, now can I?? :)
I made some cute labels for Jess' shower so I modified the template to celebrate Valentine's Day.
Send me an e-mail if you'd like the template!

iPod Valentine

2011-01-31T10:35:00.000-08:00

Another cute idea, taken from Family Fun. This is a Sweethearts box with peanut butter cup "earbuds". There are some very creative people in this world!!

I think Ellie really loves this idea for her friends, and it matches her since she is so into music. Easy to make and the website has the template for the screen and wheel :)

Photo Valentines

2011-01-28T14:04:00.000-08:00

Want a cheap, easy and unique idea for Valentine's cards? Well...take a gander:

This is very, very simple.

-Take a photo of your child with their fist outstretched.
-Do a little photoshop by adding text on the photo.
-get your photos printed
-once you get the pics, cut a small slit at the top and bottom of the fist and slide in a lollipop
-a little tape on the back and VOILA!

A little creativity+photo paper+sweetness= 23 cents per Valentine.

inspired by 7/24/365

Valentine's Mantel

2011-01-27T16:10:00.001-08:00

My Valentine mantel is up for this year!

-Fabric scrap wreath, instructions from last year here
-I glittered an X and O, I mounted them on small wood plaques to stay put
-red candle holders, 49 cents and 99cents at Bed Bath and Beyond
-made the LOVED banner today from my scrap stash, added feathers, fabric and flowers.

Repurposed Old Chairs

2011-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is a pretty easy project to do. I bought the bench but it was super cheap otherwise I would have made one.

It's basically 2 old chairs, tops taken off, placed side by side, and a wood top screwed in to the top of the chairs to create a bench. The lady that made this also had benches with 3 seats. Super cute!

I have painted this a couple of times, and today I painted it red for my entryway. It's Colonial Red matte spray paint. I also added on the barn stars to jazz it up a bit!

Growing up

2011-01-26T06:45:00.001-08:00

He looks so grown up *sigh*.

Regular

2011-01-25T17:38:00.000-08:00

One thing I really miss about living in Japan is that when I went to my favorite places, I was treated extra special, as a regular. And it never took me long to become a regular because I stood out. Basically, by the second time there, I was officially a regular. My favorite places where I knew the staff were mostly restaurants. A bakery where I would get my morning pastry, 2 restaurants owned by the same person: Okoge and Spice Ya, and the local Japanese style pub named Murasaki (Purple).

I used to joke with Dama that he became famous in our small town and became a regular because he was dating me :) Now he tries to reverse that and say that we are regulars at some places here because of him :) Not so!

Here are a couple places I/we are regulars and get treated extra nice:

1) my local Jamba Juice: I probably get one once a week. The gal behind the counter and I always have a nice chat and she'll offer me samples.

2) Peking Restaurant: We have been coming here for years. Dama used to bring Lucas here when he was an only child and I was off scrapbooking. Then he added Ellie. Now we all go and the ladies there love the kids.

3) Best Teriyaki: our local Teriyaki shop. The owner is THE nicest guy ever and he and I have great conversations about Asian culture. He too loves the kids and gives them lollipops when we go in.

It's harder to get to know people up here. We had a lot of places we were regulars at when we lived in Renton and in Japan. It's much smaller there. It just seems like there are more places to go around here and more people. I really miss that.

KFC coleslaw knockoff and simple ribs

2011-01-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

I have a couple of recipes to share which I made last week.

Do you love KFC Coleslaw as much as I do? Well, I found a knockoff recipe for it and it was just like it. You can find it here.

I paired that up with some easy ribs. This is really just my own recipe that I learned years ago (don't even remember where?).

All you need is:

Pork ribs of your choice. You can use boneless or bone in for this recipe.
1 tbs salt
1/2 tbs garlic powder
1/2 tbs ground pepper
1 bottle of bbq sauce (reserve a small bowl for extra sauce after cooking)

I cut the rack of ribs into quarters.
Boil a large pot of water with salt, garlic and pepper.
Add ribs to the seasoned water and simmer for about 45 mins.
Transfer the ribs to a glass pan (or aluminum for quick clean up) and por bbq sauce over top.
Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 325 degrees for about 90 mins.

As I said, you can then quick grill them on the bbq for that extra flavor but they are also really good as is out of the oven.

Rough Start 2011

2011-01-07T09:51:00.000-08:00

My New Year did not start out smoothly. For 5 days, I was knocked out with some kind of bug. It wasn't the "flu", but probably a stomach flu or virus. I don't think I've ever had it stick around that long.

Being in bed for 5 days was pretty surreal. It's not something I ever remember having to do. Thankfully my husband was off for 4 of those days and took care of everything. The house, me, the kids. There were times where I just lay in bed and listened to the conversation in the living room about what they were going to have for dinner, or what they would do that day. It was pretty strange to be out of the loop for so long! We also had houseguests during this time! Our friends stayed overnight one night and Dama did the airport pickup and drop off too.

Baxter held vigil on my bed. He definitely knew something was wrong. He stayed close and would bark when someone entered the room. Love the little guy!

The kids were so sweet. They did everything they could to help. They did many things to cheer me up. I missed them a lot!

I tell you, we really have nothing if we don't have our health. Everything else can be worked on. But being healthy is something we often take for granted. I am really so grateful that we all are healthy on a regular basis (knock on wood).

So I feel like my New Year is just starting! Happy New Year to you all!

Girlfriend Glitter Cups

2010-12-30T11:40:00.001-08:00

Pretty over the top, aren't they? But super cute and a great way to let a girlfriend know how special and unique they are.

Here is the scoop! You will need:

Modge Podge (I used Gloss)
Foam brush
Glitter (I used Martha Stewart)
Insulated cold or hot cup
hot glue gun and glue
eyelets
eyelet setter
strong hole punch (ie: Cropadile)
acrylic sealant
coffee sleeve (or use this template with cardstock)
fabric to cover coffee sleeve
ribbon to tie on the sleeve
embellishments of your choice: the blingier the better!

1. With a foam brush, paint modge podge all over cup in an even layer. Sprinkle glitter to cover the modge podge (do this over a paper plate to re-use glitter). Shake off excess glitter.

2. Allow to dry (I let mine sit about an hour near the heater) and repeat 2 more times.

3. Once it is completely dry (maybe leave several hours or overnight), spray with an acrylic sealant. I used DecoArt Triple Thick Brilliant Gloss Glaze. This sets the glitter. Make sure you handwash only!

4. Next, make the sleeve. Unglue the coffee sleeve and cover with fabric using modge podge or a glue gun. Make sure that the areas where the eyelets will be (on the ends) are not too bulky so you can get the hole punch through it.

5. Punch 3 holes on each end and set the eyelets. String through some cute ribbon like a corset. This allows the sleeve to be removable for cleaning of the cup.

6.Next, bling it up using glitter picks (from Michael's), feathers, flowers, initials, beads, ribbon...whatever you like! Make it personal and over-the-top! These are meant to be fantastic. Adhere all of the bling with LOTS of hot glue.

Imagine these for your friend as a Birthday gift, a fun New Years cup, Girl's Night Out, Secret Santa.

Have fun!

First Crop

2010-12-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Last night, I took Elise to her first crop. I decide to just be her support while I was there and teach her the basics of scrapbooking. I had her pick out all the photos she wanted to scrap from our Mexico trip last year and we picked them up at Costco.

At the crop, I had her plan her first page out, picking the pictures that would go on that page. Then we selected the paper (she did this herself out of papers I had on hand). Mostly, she scrapped by color which is what I do too! I emphasized the importance of journaling on each page, trying to get her started on the right foot! She did a great job and scrapped all the photos we printed. I am very proud. She loved it too!

I took a peek at the Creative Memories digital software while I was there. I think I may take the plunge. It was very cool and easy to use.

I am so looking forward to a lifetime of scrapbooking with my sweetheart!

Inspiration Everywhere

2010-11-30T17:59:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to dip my toes into the ocean of digital scrapbooking for a while and I am getting closer to doing that. This week, I am taking an online class that includes digital elements. It's a free class that will produce 5 different projects led by Jessica Sprague, digital goddess.

I think this will jump start my creativity!

Join me if you like! Click here to join!

Easy Giftwrap

2010-11-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

Here is a gift I wrapped today for a birthday. I used the techniques we learned at our recent flower making craft club. Who wouldn't want to get a gift like this? :)

Black Friday 2010

2010-11-27T09:12:00.000-08:00

I braved the sales yesterday! I was in position where I had to! Ellie's #1 toy request was pretty well sold out online except fro inflated prices at Amazon and Ebay. So off I went, at 10:30 pm. I waited in line outside at Toys R Us for 30 mins and then grabbed one inside (3 left on the shelf!!) and proceeded to wait in line to pay for 2 hours! I got home at 2:30 am and them back up at 5:30 for more sales!

Needless to say, I napped most of the afternoon. It brought me back to going to the after Christmas sales when Lucas was a newborn. I got up early but then had to be back within a certain time to pump and feed him. Then no nap for me! Grateful for Daddy yesterday and the kids for going downstairs while I slept.

I was in hell waiting in that line but now that I am rested, it was worth it. You just have to go with the flow!

Teacher Gift: altered tins for gift cards

2010-11-18T19:11:00.001-08:00

These are some altered tins I made today. I bought some Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels and decided to play around.

These tins are for the kids' teachers. Ellie has 2 teachers. We had conferences today and I don't like to go empty handed :) So I altered these tins ($1.99 ea at Michael's) and tucked in Starbuck's cards.

I think it's nice to do something personalized for the teachers, something different and not just your average apple themed gift. Take something along for your teachers!

Medium

2010-11-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

I found out a few weeks ago that a friend from college is a Medium. That means she can communicate with people who have passed away and facilitate communication between the living and the dead.

I had a session with her today and I wanted to blog about it.



	It was pretty awesome. I will talk about the most interesting parts because it was 90 mins long. At the very beginning, my Dad came through first. Karen told me that he showed her a stuffed animal to identify himself. I have a stuffed animal he hand sewed on my nightstand. Then he showed a photo of me sitting on his lap. The only 2 things I have out in the open in my house are the stuffed animal and a photo of him on the fridge. So I pretty much take that as meaning it was him coming through. Here are some of the notes that Karen sent me after the session: He loves being in your kitchen for your kitchen is full of life, love and energy. He loves watching you make dinner, for he likes the energy in the room. He loves seeing you happy, which your family often is when they are in the kitchen. He says you are such a great cook! When your eyes go toward the photo of you sitting on your dad's lap know that he is with you and thinking about you at that moment as well. He is with you often and loves you!!! He was talking about how he is sorry that he was not there to help raise you. He could have taught you more about men and help lead you in the right direction. He also said that he is happy with the man you married. He was not always happy with your other boy friends. He said that you picked a good guy. He was also saying that he would have had great "engineering" conversations with your husband. For fun he was laughing at how much your husband can eat. (Dama has an insane appetite) He showed me how he was sad when he was saying his goodbyes. He knew he would not be there to raise you and see you grow up and that made him sad. He showed me that your mom and brother were holding hands and standing by his hospital bed and showed me that you were on the bed and he was petting your hair. However, he was still able to watch you grow up while he was in heaven. He is happiest when you are happy. That is why he likes your kitchen. Both my Grandpa's came through as did my Gran but they were all quiet. My Grandpa (who was a Dr) walked in and put a stethescope on my heart and said that I have a very strong head and a huge heart and all of my loved ones know that.

Soccer 2010

2010-10-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

It has been a really busy and fun 8 weeks in our house! Both kids
started soccer this year and I had no idea how much we all would love
it.

We have been putting it off for a year because we were not
ready to "give up our weekends". Little did we know how much it would
enhance our weekends! Both kids had terrific teams and it was amazing to
see how putting them into a team environment really fostered their
friendships.

I was assistant coaching Ellie's team and that was a
lot of fun. It truly can be a lot of work at times too. There is a lot
of organizing behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. Ellie's
team ended their season yesterday with 7 wins and one loss. These girls
were such a fun group. Lucas has one more game and I believe they will
probably be close to a split season (half wins and half losses). Lucas
really excelled from the get go and Ellie came into her own over the
season. She turned into a fierce defender! Her self confidence on the field blossomed.
Lucas was a goal scoring guy. I saw his loyalty to his team come shining through.

Here are some photos of the season:

Howdy! and good feelings

2010-08-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

It's me!

So, I am on the cusp of a day that I have both longed for but more recently dreaded in some ways. Come September, both kids will be in school all day. {insert fist pump}

I remember when I used to long for this day. When I could "scrap all day"! Now I know that won't be happening. More accurately, I will be at the school a lot, shuttling kids to activities, teaching swimming, maintaining the house and running of the family! It will be busy but will also be peppered with a lot more time for myself.

But recently, I have looked at the kids (especially Ellie) and felt kinda sad that they won't be around much. The thought of my little girl being gone all day makes me sad. I had last year to adjust with Lucas and thankfully he had a teacher that allowed me to drop in whenever to help out, read with the kids or just give my baby a kiss in the middle of the day. But Ellie was my sidekick last year in the afternoons. We had lots of peaceful and fun times together. It's going to feel a little empty.

It's bittersweet but I look at how far I have come with 2 kids who are so close in age. It's just a new stage for us. I have new responsibilities now. No longer do I have to deal with the "baby stuff" like diapers, fits, teaching to share. Now I will be educating, instilling values, and helping them reach their potential. I think after I adjust, this will be exactly what I want to do.

Sharing

2010-05-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Tia had a warm and fuzzy blog post, just wanted to share it with you:

Sharing Laundry

Kid Report

2010-05-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have not subjected you to bragging about my kids in a while so I will now!

Let's start with Lucas. Right now he is very passionate about reading and read 100 pages of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" in 2 evenings before bed. He has a voracious want to read and is planning all the books he is ready to conquer. He has just taken off in the last few weeks. He has even entered a challenge with the best reader in the class to see who finishes the book first! Very ambitious. He is doing really well in all areas at school...math, reading, writing. I love all of his work and the teacher told me he is a very emotionally intelligent kid (surprise) and is very in tune with the feelings of others, almost too much at times! He definitely has his moments at home and a lot of that has to do with the flip side of being an emotional kid. I'll keep him though :)

Elise had her Kindergarten performance last night. Cuteness overload! She did a great job of singing and dancing. She too is doing great in school, improving in reading and her math is excellent. Elise is a very funny kid, has a great and natural sense of humor. Dama and I were just talking this morning about how much we laugh with our kids. Both of them are very happy and funny but Elise really is a natural. She says and does really quirky things. Her swimming is going really well! She is most definitely a water bug. Loves diving down to the bottom of the deep end to retrieve her swim teacher's glasses when they fall off :) She is the teacher's go-to gal for that.

As summer is approaching, we are looking forward to keeping up with reading. We will do the Summer Reading Program with the KCLS again. Also on the books is a road trip, camping, VBS, sport camps....it's filling up!

Pop Arty

2010-05-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

I think Ellie may have thought she was in heaven when I brought home a bucket of Pop Arty today.

I love it when I find something cool that the kids have never seen, even on commercials, and they get fixed on it. Pop Arty are beads that just pop together, so kids her age and even younger can make their own necklaces, rings, bracelets etc with ease. It comes with 500 beads as well as bracelet starters and ring starters. Only $15 at Target!

I am all about things that are fun, cute and keep the kids occupied. Oh....and the hug I got was well worth it too!

If you have any gifts to give for a girl coming up, consider this!

What's for Dinner?

2010-05-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

I've been really enjoying cooking these days!

Monday: Sausage and Mozzarella Calzones, coleslaw

Tuesday: Steak on the bbq, broccoli and strawberry salad, steamed rice

Wednesday: Japanese Curry and rice with carrots and potatoes

Thursday: Salmon wrapped with lemon and dill on the bbq, corn on the cob, green salad, rice

Friday: Eat out

Saturday: Dama usually cooks!

Sunday: garlic and gruyere brats, quick make sauerkraut, roasted potatoes, maybe grilled butternut squash?

What's for dinner at your place?

Teacher Apprecation 2010

2010-05-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

It's Teacher Appreciation week! I'd love to hear what all you crafty ladies have done for your special teachers this week.

Here is an idea that we are doing this year. Our starts have been doing wonderfully so I thought I would share the wealth and give the teachers something that will really produce!

inexpensive planter + veggie starts lovingly grown by me = cute gift!

Add in a card that reads "thanks for helping me grow" and it's ready to give.

Money Matters

2010-04-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

It really does. I've never been one to care too much about money, material stuff is just not that important to me and doesn't impress me all that much. But ever since we have been working aggressively on finances, I have become well aware that money matters much more than I had hoped.

I am really happy with the work we have done and the fact that hubby and I have not killed each other in the process! Not even close. I am grateful that finances is one thing that we agree upon and as we all know, that's huge in the realm of marriage.

Yesterday I sent off what I feel is a gigantic cashiers check to purchase years of college for the kids. The bank teller told me "you are doing the right thing, Mom" as she saw the anxiety written on my face. I wish I had a video camera to document all of this and the long discussions with hubby, trusted friends that brought us to the decision of college funds.

We also worked on our 401k so monthly income is trimmed back . But there is a certain peace in knowing we will have that security later in life and that we are "doing it right".

Home Improvement

2010-04-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

I love to work on home projects when the hubby is away. This time I picked a large one that involved hiring someone to help. I am so excited to see his reaction when he gets back.

As I type, the tilers are putting in our new tile in the entryway. It's called "black grotto" but it's kind of a dark gray with some brown accents. It looks fabulous so far! They will also be replacing all the trim (which was 1970's original) and they took out the entire door jam leading from the entryway to the downstairs hallway and are replacing it with an open entry type doorway, no door. Nice and neat. They are also doing all the trim in the downstairs hallway.

I have been working in the yard and on getting ready for growing season. I built a 6 foot by 3 foot raised bed for tomatoes and lettuce, filled it all up with soil. Ready for my starts which are looking hardy and strong! I also thatched the yards and re-seeded. It's going to look great!

Look at me!

2010-04-21T08:53:00.001-07:00

I have a new blog design! It's custom made...oooooo, ahhhhh! Do you love it? Give me some feedback!

Easter Menu

2010-04-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

My final Easter menu is in the works. Here are the ones that definitely made the cut:

Costco Ham
Mashed Potatoes with a little cream cheese and chives
Scalloped Pineapple
Steamed Green Beans (fresh and plain)
Apple Pie
Julie's Famous Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberry Topping

And some others that I will choose from once I get to the grocery store:

Bourbon Pecan Smashed Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Raisins

Homemade Tortilla Chips

2010-03-31T07:19:00.000-07:00

These are so quick and easy, plus they are a much healthier alternative to store bought chips.

You can do this with corn tortillas, flour tortillas, pita bread. I used corn tortillas for mine that were just hanging around after we had tacos.

Cut them into chip sized triangles and arrange on a baking sheet. Spray with Pam and sprinkle with any seasoning you wish. Garlic, seasoned salt, onion powder, kosher salt. Then you pop them into the oven which you have pre-heated to 350 or 400.

I baked mine for about 7 mins at 350 and turned them for an extra couple minutes. Be sure to not let them turn brown too much, then they will taste burnt. These are just so good and fresh when you pull them out of the over. I made some homemade guacamole while they were cooking.

If you do this with pita bread, you can use them for dips like spinach dip, hot artichoke, or my famous buffalo chicken dip!

Closing in on 11

2010-03-29T18:36:00.000-07:00

We've been married almost 11 years. And it's funny because it has taken me about 10 1/2 years to figure something out about how my husband works.

Things have not always been rosy. I am not embarrassed or shy about saying that and my friends whom I trust all know it. I am one of those people that wears my emotions on my sleeve so trying to hide my feelings or pretend is not my strong suit. I am also a strong believer in not secret keeping with those I trust. It stresses me out. My friends are my friends for a reason...because I trust them and want them to be part of my life, good or bad.

Anyways, this year really has been great for us and it has been especially good recently. It's that little secret I figured out that has been great. What is it? Well, I figured out that if I don't take everything on myself and actually ASK for help, I get it.

AMAZING!

I recently told hubby that the laundry was taking me over like a bad monster and laundry is not something I cherish. I said "Honey, the laundry is consuming me. Can you help me fold on weekends?". BAM!

So I tried it again. "Honey, the kitchen clean up after dinner, it comes at the point of my day where I am just kind of done." BAM!

You should try it.

Smart Puppy

2010-03-24T07:58:00.000-07:00

I was speaking with a fellow puppy owner about the wonderful parts of having a smart puppy. She has a shiba inu cross. Shibas are the national dog of Japan so I am particularly in love with them. They are very smart, very cute and active dogs.

Boston Terriers are also known for being smart and clever and Baxter is no exception. I was thinking about all the stuff he knows, all the commands and he really does understand much of what we say. Here are some of the cute, clever and funny things he does:

-when I say "Go to your room" he goes into his crate

-I can ask him to "go kiss Ellie" and he will hunt her down and kiss her. Same with any member of the family, even the cat! If I say "go kiss Cooper" he will look for him and kiss him on the face.

-He just learned how to "drop it", a feat I'd never thought he would learn.

-He can "shake" but usually he just swats my hand. But if I tell him "nice shake!", he will rest his paw on my hand gently. This one is so cute!

-If I say "Do you want some lovin'?" he will stand on his hind legs so I can pick him up and snuggle. Awwwwww!

-If I say "so you wanna play like that, huh!!!" he will run and grab his rope toy so we can play tug

-he can cat wrangle. If I tell him to "go get Cooper" when Cooper has escaped, he will chase him down and herd him back into the house.

-when he has done something naughty like chewing on something, we simply have to show it to him with no words at all and he gets the look of guilt. The ears go back and he slinks over and sits at my feet. Then I ask "did you do this?" and he looks even more guilty. After I scold him, I tell him to say sorry and he gets up on his hind legs to "hug" and kiss me. If I show him the same item hours later, his ears will go back again and the guilt shows. He is so funny!

The thing I love most about him is that he really does see the kids as his "pack". Not just our kids but the kids of the neighborhood. When they are in the backyard, he must be out there playing too. When we go to the dog park, he runs ahead with them. I really think he views himself as one of our children. And we love him like he is.

Made By Me Monday

2010-03-22T10:40:00.001-07:00

We had Craft Club this past weekend at Kim's. Thanks so much for the fun time and great food!

We made banners, which are all the rage. I decided to do mine for the mantle upstairs. I don't decorate too much for the seasons but I always do my mantle. This year, I did it all in green and white for spring so I made a coordinating banner.

I also learned how to make this adorable flowers that can be used to embellish many things. They look great on the banner!

Go Summer

2010-03-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

Ordered and shipped! Starting small and see how it goes!

He Got It Right

2010-03-09T19:19:00.001-08:00

Overheard this evening:

Lots of kid noise

"Kids, the last thing you should do right now for Mummy is to horse around and be noisy. She is sick and it will make her tired".

Jangling of the leash. Sound of little footsteps out the front door.

Taking the dog and kids out for a walk.

He got it right. I love it when that happens.

One Dinner, Two Versions

2010-03-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

I do this from time to time. Make one dinner but with an adult and kid version. Last night, I made homemade chicken nuggets. Well, it's called Karaage Chicken in Japan but it's basically nuggets :) I feel a lot better serving this than the bagged, frozen chicken yukkets (though there is a time and place for those)!

I made the kid version: plain with rice and furikake, apples on the side:

And the adult version with a simple sauce added (recipes below). Also served with tsukemono (Japanese pickled veggies):

Chicken karaage

2-4 boneless chicken thighs or breasts, depending on how big they are
A piece of fresh ginger about the size of your thumb, grated
3 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs sake or sherry
cornstarch
oil for deep frying (I use vegetable oil but I have heard peanut is good)

Cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces. I use skinless breasts that I have pounded with a tenderizer.

Put the chicken pieces in a bowl. Add the grated ginger, soy sauce and sake, and mix well. Let marinate for a minimum of 1/2 hour, and up to about 1 hour (not too long or the salt in the soy sauce will toughen up the chicken.)

Heat the oil. Toss in enough cornstarch into the marinated chicken so that each piece is completely coated. Fry the chicken pieces a few at a time until a deep golden brown.

Drain well.

Simple Karaage Sauce

Mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbs vinegar, 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp sesame oil with cut up green onion. Drizzle over chicken.

Green Month

2010-03-06T08:06:00.001-08:00

With March being St Patrick's Day and all the plants and trees renewing their lives, it just begs to be dubbed the Green Month in our house. My mantle is decorated for spring, all in green and white. So our thoughts are with how to GO GREEN this month.

What are we up to? Well, I have started doing the countertop composting thing. I keep a container on the counter and all food scraps and compostables go in there. Getting the kids involved....they take it out to the yard waste every evening. I am a little concerned about this for the summer, preventing fruit flies etc.

Talking to kids about the earth and what it means for the earth if we don't do these things has been easy. They genuinely want to do the right thing. Lucas has started keeping his nightlight off. His reason being "I want the earth to always be green". (Julie J, I think the Cars light has seen it's last day!)

We have also been scrutinizing the stuff we put into the garbage. Is it recyclable? Is it compostable? Stopping to think before anything goes in the trash.

Getting ready to put the garden in for this year. It will be an expanded one, and will try out a potato cage . Garden plans include tons of green onion, cherry tomatoes, purple heirloom tomatoes, lettuce, herbs.

Just want to challenge everyone to make March your Green Month too!

Fun Idea

2010-03-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

The kids are bike crazy! All 3 girls in the cul de sac are now on 2 wheels so I am sure this will be a summer of biking fun.

One of the Dads came up with a great idea that the kids are loving. He made a "bike path" with chalk that weaves all around the cul de sac. It goes all over and up driveways and the girls have been following it all over. They just go 'round and 'round and barely stop! In fact, one of the girls was out there at 9 this morning!

Lucky me

2010-03-01T11:07:00.000-08:00

Lookie what I won! A personalized table runner handmade by a sweet gal and tremendous mom.

Head over and check out Liz's blog.

Thanks Liz! I love it!

Hanging Photo Collage

2010-03-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's Made By You Monday!

It's amazing when, from some small and simple item, comes sweet inspiration. Beautiful Tia inspired this cute project from an item she spied at Ikea.

It was just a set of 5 clear plexi squares meant to frame photos.

We transformed it into a hanging photo collage with embellishments and fun!

You can embellish on the outside of the plexi too. In fact it adds dimension and interest.

I just kept it very simple. I didn't even print my photos on photo paper, I simply printed them off on regular printer paper. It was more important to me to finish the project rather than make sure I had perfect everything ready. Simplify things for yourself! Sometimes I over prepare or take way too much time gathering. Don't take your crafting too seriously.

Our Last Day!

2010-02-23T19:21:00.000-08:00

More pictures! Went to our curling match today.

Waiting for the bus to get to the Vancouver Olympic Centre.

NHK (a major Japanese network) interviewed Dama!

Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010: Part 2

2010-02-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

Grandma took the kids for the day so that Dama and I could really explore the city. Without too many words, here are some pictures we took to share with you! Some from both days.

Robson Street: Shopping and closed to traffic:

Lots of amazing food in Canada. Here are some chocolate covered apples, Olympic style!

And this is the famous Japadog! Terimayo and Okonomi flavors:

While we were there, they were getting ready to serve a Gold Medallist!

Here comes the gold Cadillac!

It's Alex Bilodeau!

Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010: Part 1

2010-02-19T17:06:00.000-08:00

We finally made it up to Canada after what seemed like such a long wait! The spirit had been building in our house so it was great to finally get here!

We arrived yesterday to a sea of Canadian flags all over the city. Homes have them in the windows. Cars are flying them. People are carrying them. It seems like everyone is truly in the spirit and loving being Canadian.

Today, we went into the heart of it all in downtown Vancouver. The bus driver let us on for free, I am sure he could see our excitement and the kids all decked out with their stuffed mascots and he let us walk right on. The generous spirit of Canada.

We got off at the main intersection downtown and spent the day exploring. They've done a phenomenal job of the downtown core, changing previously unused portions into magical streets full of Canadian spirit. Some of the more crowded and popular streets are off limits to cars so it is a sea of red, touring around. You can stop here and there to watch the live action on huge tv screens. Live! Imagine that. So you just don't miss anything at all.

Our usual hot dog vendors on the streets are slammed. 5 block waits to get a hot dog. But people wait. And they are happy.

Look above and you'll see people flying overhead on zip lines. This is a cool city!

We wandered into Robson Square and...look! It's Scott Hamilton! The rink down there has snowflake lights surrounded by people dressed in their Canadian best waiting to take to the ice.

The kids hopped on a medal podium, a snowboard, and stood next to a native art eagle. Lots of pictures to remember this special time. They will remember it!

Shopping on Robson. Tiny souvenir stores you have to navigate through. Aisles that normally accomodate 1 wide are bustling and everyone is waiting, saying "excuse me". People trading pins on the street corners, strangers smiling at the kids with all their mascots.

Popped into Roots, the mecca of Canadiana. Jam packed from wall to wall, merchandise everywhere but everyone with a smile. Registers open all over the store. No wait for a Canadian team hat!

Picked up our tickts for the event. We have them in our hot little hands. More days of fun to come!

Keeping Summer Alive

2010-02-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about summer is the fresh produce available and grown in the garden. The tomatoes, the green onion, and especially the fresh basil that I use in so many dishes. I finally got around to preserving some of that. Fresh basil is one of those things I wish I had on hand all the time so I bought a bunch of organic basil specifically to freeze it.

It's so easy and has been wonderful to have! I just cleaned the basil, took the stalks off and put it in the food processor with olive oil. Chop it all up.

Some instructions call to put it in ice cube trays but we don't have one so I packed it in small snack baggies to freeze in individual portions.

Yes, I know this looks kind of suspicious but I SWEAR it's basil ;P

So far I've used it in pasta sauce, tomato salad and it tastes just as good as fresh!

Celebrating Gold

2010-02-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

GO CANADA! Finally a gold medal on home soil! A great reason to craft something, right? ;)

How cute is this? There's a cookie in there!

You will need:

Nice big cookies
aluminum foil
gold paper cut into squares and circles (to cover the back of cookie after wrapping)
scotch tape
ribbon
hot glue gun

First, we helped the kids wrap up the cookies with foil. You can make this project even easier by buying gold foil or just making "silver" medals. I was just too cheap to pay the $9 for the gold foil :)

Next, place the cookie face down on a square cut from gold paper and gently wrap it up making sure to keep the edges nice and round. Don't worry about gaps in the paper as it will all be covered in the end.

Finally, we took the lengths of ribbon and hot glue gunned them onto the back, then cover the back with a gold circle to cover everything.

We had a little fanfare and "medal presentaion" and the kids loved them. This would be a great favor for parties too or sports events!

Inspired by Skiptomylou

Thoughts

2010-02-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

My passion is ...

crafting, photos, my family

I know too much about ...

the prison system (nooooo, never been in one as an inmate!)

My parents always told me ...

do your best. It's not so much what she told me but what she showed me...patience and unending love

My childhood ambition ...

it changed every week! I just remember wanting to be a mum

My favorite memory ...

a happy childhood filled with fun, and hearing "It's a girl!"

Why I blog ...

to share my gifts, to preserve memories

My first job ...

did lots of babysitting but first formal job was at a frozen yogurt store

My best moment ...

lots of small ones...when I shine as a mum

My inspiration ...

my Mum...she is creative, kind, strong, loving, inspiring and the mother I hope to be someday

Olympic Spirit!

2010-02-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

We have been bitten by the Olympic bug!

Dama and I went to the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998 when we were engaged and had a wonderful time. Now it's in my hometown and we are heading up to watch some exciting curling action :)

We are making the most of this time before we go to get into the spirit and share the excitement with friends.
Of course, we get to annoy our American neighbors with loud displays of Canadian pride!

Had a lot of fun at the kids' school this week too when I went in to read to 3 classes about the Olympic mascots, what they are and how they were chosen. Brought all of my Canada stuff, the book about the mascots and the mascots themselves. Printed out some coloring pages for the kids too!

We've even been playing curling on the Wii in preparation! It's all about making the most of your experiences!

Stay tuned for an adorable Olympic project tomorrow.

Cute Valentines

2010-02-11T09:17:00.000-08:00

We decided to forgo the traditional boxed Valentines this year and get creative. We made ice cream cone treats! They turned out very cute and the kids had a lot of fun helping me make them.

Stuff cotton candy into and ice cream cone. We used the colorful ones. You can stuff about 8 cones per package of Fluffy Stuff ($1 store or Target dollar bins).

Put the cones into individual cellophane bags.

Then we printed out cute sayings like "Here's the scoop: you are cool!" onto cardstock, cut them into tags, hole punch.

The kids wrote their names on the back of the tags.

Finally, tie the tags onto the bag with some cute ribbon.

Spread the Love: Heart Attack!

2010-02-09T10:25:00.001-08:00

What a fun way to spread the love this Valentine's Day! It has hit our neighborhood and we are next to carry it on.

Cut out a bunch of hearts, write some heartfelt messages for your "victims". Get the whole family in on it! Creep out in the darkness and Heart Attack your friends and neighbors.

Setsubun

2010-02-04T08:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Setsubun. February 3rd, which is one day before Risshun (the first day of spring according to the lunar calendar), is called Setsubun in Japan. It's not a national holiday, but mame maki (bean throwing) ceremonies are performed on Setsubun.

Traditionally, people throw roasted soy beans at home, shouting "oni wa so to" (get out demons) and "fu ku wa uchi" (come in happiness.) These beans are called fuku mame (fortune beans.) It is believed that people can be healthy and happy if they follow this custom and eat the number of soybeans of their age plus one.

We celebrated at our Japanese school. It has become so much more than a place to learn the language for our kids but also the customs and culture of Japan.

Our teacher does an amazing job. She built the entire lesson around Setsubun themes. The kids had to find demons of certain colors she called out to practice their colors. So many fun things and all the while learning about their culture and language.

She even commissioned some kids from other classes to come and act as the demons for our kids to throw beans at. Of course they thought this was a blast!

Pamplemousse French Toast

2010-02-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

I am kind of in love with grapefruits. I remember my Mum cutting them up for us with the wooden handled grapefruit knife and scooping the juicy pieces out for breakfast.

It's the height of grapefruit season and I have been eating one every day. I made a delicious and easy breakfast the other day. This would be a fun thing to surprise your sweetheart with on Valentine's Day!

1 pink or Red Rio grapefruit
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1/4 cup plus one tablespoon maple syrup, divided
3 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 slices Challah or country-style bread (about 3/4-inch thick) I didn't have any on hand so I used regular 12 grain.

Cut a small slice off each end of the grapefruit and stand it upright on a cutting surface. With a knife, remove the peel from the grapefruit in strips, maintaining the curved shape. This is a great way to cut up/peel citrus of any kind.

Holding the grapefruit in one hand, cut out the segments of fruit between the membranes.

When you are done, squeeze the remaining juices from the skeleton of the grapefruit into the bowl, and put aside.

In a small sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add the almonds, 1/4 cup of the maple syrup, and the reserved juice. Bring to a simmer and cook until the consistency of light syrup, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Toss in the grapefruit sections. Stir very gently to coat the sections and set aside.

Beat the eggs with the milk, the remaining 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Dip 3 or 4 slices of bread into the egg batter and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove to a heated platter or keep warm in a low oven. Repeat.

To serve, place 2 slices on each plate and top with the grapefruit.

While You Were Out

2010-01-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

I am gathering stuff to re-do Ellie's room in a "while you were out" style. I want to ambush her with a complete room re-decoration so I'm starting to design in my mind.

I picked a paint color today: Pixie Violet (see below):

I may go with the shade darker "pristine Petal" but that would be a big leap in the depth of the color.

I was inundated with samples of ghastly, obnoxious purples but this one stood out as "the one".

Will keep you updated on the process.

Valentine Wreath

2010-01-25T10:13:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure if I am looking in the wrong places but the first year I decide to actually decorate for Valentine's Day, I can't find anything I like! So, I have been looking for ideas on things that are easy and cute to make. I love how this wreath turned out!

You need:
-about 1 1/2 yards of fabric
-pencil
-glue (I used Tombow)
-styrofoam heart wreath

Start by cutting your fabric into squares of about 2x2 inches. Use pinking shears to avoid the fabric fraying.

Put the point of your pencil in the center of the square and wrap it up. Dip the tip into some glue:

Poke the tip of the pencil with the glued fabric into the foam heart:

Keep working your way around the heart, avoiding the back so it will lay flat on a surface.

Beautiful!

Made By You Mondays

2010-01-19T13:01:00.000-08:00

I've decided to start participating in a blog link up called "Made by you Mondays". Each Monday, I will showcase a hand made craft, new or a past one, to show to new visitors to my blog! Check out the cute projects others' have made by clicking on the banner below. Lots of inspiration!

Valentine Banner

2010-01-15T10:57:00.001-08:00

I made a cute Valentine banner for my hallway table yesterday. Very easy and affordable!

You need:

1 roll of crepe paper streamers (I used white)
2 colors of cardstock
ribbon
glitter
glue
chipboard letters

First, we will make the crepe paper rosettes. I cut about 40 cm (16") of crape paper and folded it fan style. Fasten with a staple as close to the edge as you can.

Pull the ends together and fasten at the top on the backside with a little tape.

Make as many as you need for whichever phrase you decide to use.

Glitter the edges. I used Martha's Glitter Glue and Martha's glitter.

Layer on 2 circles. Base is a 4 1/2 inch circle, then the rosette, then a 3" circle, followed by your glittered letters.

String it onto some co-ordinating ribbon. The method I used for this was to use an exacto knife and cut 2 slits close the the top of the circle and thread it through.

Happy decorating!

New Year, New Word

2010-01-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about which word would define my year this 2010 on New Years Eve. Yes, leaving it until the last minute! The husband announced to me that typically in Japan on NYE, everyone gets organized for a fresh start for the new year. So, we took the entire day to de-clutter, clean, and organize.

Spent the evening with friends and woke up the next morning and it was absolutely lovely!

So, my word for 2010 is Organize.

I'm not just talking about stuff. I'm talking about time, finances, priorities. There are so many ways in which I want to organize my life and our family and my attention will be in doing so this year.

What is your word for this year?

Mexico 2009

2009-12-31T07:40:00.001-08:00

One simple word really captures our recent trip to Mexico for Christmas: FUN! Cabo is definitely a great place to go for a fun and laid back atmosphere. A perfect location for families (don't go during spring break, or so I have been told)!

We enjoyed so much of it, and so much of it we unexpectedly loved. The food was amazing, even not being huge fans of what they call Mexican food here in the PNW. We ate real Mexican which was fresh, mild, delicious. The big offering is shrimp and I ate a ton of it.

We spent most days going back and forth between the hotel pool at the Rose and the beach in front of the resort. It was all day outside, every day. We were usually the first ones in the pool in the morning!

In between, we did a few water activities like glass bottom boat, parasailing and jet skiing.

A wonderful surprise came right before our departure from Seattle. We found out that our dear friends would be coincidentally at the same resort as us. We spent a lot of time with them and re-connected after a few years. They are part of our family and the trip would not have been the same without them (and their frequent periods of babysitting) xoxox

Best of all was the time that we just spent together, without the usual bustle of the holidays. It was nice to avoid the crowds of Christmas, the dreary weather, the cooking. Just to have one another and 2 gifts for the kids on Christmas day. It really makes you appreciate the holidays more with what really matters.

The trip also had some moments for me that I will never forget. Due to my shopping habit :), I had the chance to talk with some of the local vendors who work on the beach. I didn't just buy from them, I asked them about their lives and their families. It was not rosy. They work very hard and long hours, and deal with many rude and cheap tourists all day long.

One in particular pulled on my heartstrings. 4 children who live in a small city far away and he works from 7 am to 3 am the next day for 3 months. Goes home with what he makes. Comes back again. We spoke several times, I shopped from him, and then he stopped opening his jewelry case when we would meet. We just talked about life for him and he would say "it's ok!" as he could see my sadness.

Dama snapped this picture on our last day in the rain:

Maybe I am just a sucker or a bleeding heart (I know I am the latter) but to see some of the tourists there overindulging in food on the beach, alcohol, the gigantic cruise ships coming in, fighting over beach chairs, haggling over pennies with these vendors....it was disheartening at times. You certainly do gain perspective if you speak with some of the locals.

It was a beautiful trip and had a deeper meaning after we had left. I think the kids took something away from it as well...we talked about the fun and the reality from time to time.

Hopefully they will remember both forever.

Tell us how you feel

2009-12-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to raise compassionate and loving kids, I have been working on encouraging them to tell people how they feel about them without reservation. To make sure this did not backfire on me, I have been coaching them about "if you don't have anything nice, don't say it" as well. I could so totally see them telling someone they smell and then blaming me for it!

So, the pep talks have consisted of me telling them that if they love someone, or if someone is kind to them, to make sure they express how they feel to that person. Not to feel shy or embarrassed. That life is too short not to tell someone you care or appreciate them for who they are.

It all came to fruition in the supermarket, of all places. We make our bi-monthy trip there to get groceries and they have often asked to go to the same checker who has been their captive audience for quite some time. I tell this lady that the kids know she can't leave so they are in prime performance mode every time we see her. She humors them and chats with them and they soak it up. Here's how it went the last time we were there:

Checker: Hi guys! Great to see you again!
Elise: You know what? You are our favorite checker EVER!
Lucas: Yeah! We really like you!
Checker: Aw! that is so sweet! You made my day!

It was a proud mommy moment and one of those times you think you just may be doing it right.

Feelin' Hot Hot Hot!

2009-12-04T17:09:00.000-08:00

I finally decided to try hot yoga as the studio near me was having a special I could not pass up. I went on Thursday morning while the kids were in school. I really was not sure what to expect but I couldn't get away from feeling like it might kill me. If the yoga didn't, then the heat might. But I followed all the preparation directions (hydrate before class, no food 2 hours beforehand).

The class I took was Bikram yoga which is a series of 26 set postures and 2 breathing exercises. It was hot in there, about 100 degrees or more, and the class lasted 90 minutes.

I really thought the heat would be an issue but it wasn't. Yes, I was hot and sweaty but it did feel good and a necessary environment for the exercise I was doing. I managed to do most of the postures, a couple of them I struggled with but didn't need to "rest". I am pretty sure that anyone can do this. I think a lot of people are fearful of trying because you might die, suffer, look like a dork etc. I used to feel the same way. But I am here to tell the story!

The positives: I liked the heat, loved the fact that there really is no room to think of anything else besides what you are doing at that moment. You really MUST focus and there is no room for negative thoughts. I also feel like it is the kind of exercise I can do in the morning. Rather than starting the day out pounding the pavement or heavy aerobic activity, it's nice to be in that warm room with the lights low.

The Negatives: Hot yoga isn't cheap. I got a great intro deal but the drop in fee is $17 and it's $99 a month unlimited. So it's not something I will be doing long term. I am also not sure it's enough for me. I will see how it goes but I am suspecting I would have to supplement with cardio as well.

I went back again this morning. It took some convincing of myself to get out of bed early but I knew I needed to go. I just want to encourage everyone to try it once! Most studios have good deals for newcomers.

Picture and Ephemera Wall Hanging

2009-12-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

...to make a creative project for a loved one this holiday season! let me walk you through something way easy and cool. Let's call it a "Creative Jules Canvas" :)

Start out with a large canvas of your size choosing. The one pictured above is a 12x24", perfect for the space I was using it. I got this one on sale for $7. Paint the base canvas with your choice of acrylic paint. Mine only needed one coat, and it dried quickly! Love it when things are easy.

You will also need various more canvases of your choice. Mine range from 2"x2" to 5x5 inch.
These were about $2 each, again on sale.

I decided to do mine all in black and white so I printed up pics in b/w. It would be stunning in color too!

Print a few sizes, and even some in wallet sizes for those small canvases.

Next you will adhere those pictures on the canvases. Some I painted, some I left white. Some canvases have photos and some did not.

I wanted lots of dimension on my canvas so I stacked little ones onto corners of the bigger ones. I used Tombow adhesive, let it dry a bit before sticking it together and prop it up with another canvas while it dries. Hot glue gun would be great too!

You'll want to embellish or "cutify" it, as I like to say. I cut things out using my Cricut. Words, flowers, initials. I used glitter paper and cut out shapes. Your imagination is yours to explore!

Total time? About 2.5 hours.

Currently Crafting

2009-11-30T09:18:00.000-08:00

Lots of projects on the books this week, including a fun rag garland:

Also an advent calendar and a wall hanging in the works. Tutorials to come!

This and That

2009-11-29T08:57:00.000-08:00

Popping in to update you all on life in the homestead!

E: She lost her first tooth yesterday! She was over the moon excited. We were standing in line at Sbux and she noticed it was really hanging by a thread and she reached in to pull it out. She skipped all the way to Daddy to tell him the big news!

Teacher conference went well with for her. Her teacher enjoys having her and said "she knows the answer before anyone else in the class". Any concerns that I had about her and one of her best friends being in the same class were erased. It seems they have both branched out and made lots of friends but are still very close and work well together.

L: We've been working on "responsibility" and being less careless after he dropped something on the screen of Daddy's laptop and destroyed it (accidentally). Then the same day, played soccer in the entryway and broke the glass on one of my frames! He is a bit of a klutz!

His teacher conference also went well! He is doing well in all subjects and excelling in PE :) Just like his Mum! His teacher mentioned his great writing and the fact that she has had to stop him from stylizing his printing. I jokingly mentioned my dismay, as an artistic person, and she apologized for stifling him ;) He has even been attempting to write in cursive now as well.

Ok, enough bragging :)

Teacher Gift

2009-11-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

Teacher conferences are coming up next week. I am going to take a little something to each teacher because I am a major suck up like that. Just kidding....because I appreciate the teachers!

Here is a quick and easy gift that I am giving to one teacher because she never has supplies like elastics at the ready.

I found this box at Ben Franklin. Any little box will do, but one with sections works best. Paint all over in chosen color. Keep in mind you will want to co-ordinate it with the paper you choose.

Cut out paper to cover front and back. I just traced around it and cut it inside the line just a touch.

Glue both pieces on. Make sure you cover the paper in glue or you will deal with lifting and bubbles. Use a brayer if you need to make it flat.

Next, I distressed the edges with some sandpaper and inked it with brown ink. A little distressing goes a long way!

Finally, embellish as you wish! I used the trifecta: ribbon, flowers and bling!

Fill it up with elastic bands, assorted clips and staple. Wrap with cello and VOILA!

Increase Your Cooking Skills

2009-11-13T16:25:00.000-08:00

I had an impromptu dinner guest last week and was so happy to have her stay! It was really the first time in my life that I had already started cooking and someone was going to stay and eat what I was preparing without any planning ahead on my part. Ack! Makes me sweat just thinking about it.

It made me even more nervous because this was the night I had decided to just kind of throw something together. I had no recipe and was feeling ambitious. I had all the right elements and I just wanted to try and throw them together using skills I have learned over the past couple of years. I have been subscribing to Everyday Food magazine for about that amount of time and it really has increased my knowledge and skill when it comes to cooking. I highly recommend it if you want to learn some basic skills that will help you create healthy and delicious meals.

Don't be afraid that it's Martha. Trust me. Most of the recipes are on one page, 4-6 steps, 6-12 ingredients. Lots of fresh and seasonal items. It will help you to eat outside the box and not use boxed stuff to cook. You will quickly learn how to make your own dressings, sauces to put on top of meat and poultry, what to do with different vegetables you have seen at the grocery store.

One section I particularly like is where they give you a recipe for something basic (like grilled veggies) and then show you 3-4 ways to use those (in a salad, to top a pizza, side dish). Everything I have ever cooked has been very tasty and healthy, not to mention easy!

Japan Job Update

2009-11-07T07:32:00.001-08:00

Just thought I would update everyone on the Japan job situation.

D did not get the job. Just before the interview, he was made aware that should he get the job, he would be working with a company that is in direct competition with the company he worked for in Japan. Being the typical loyal Japanese worker that he is, this was very conflicting.

When he left his company in Japan to pursue our lives here in the US, he told me he would always remain loyal to that company as they had put a lot into developing him and his career. So, during the interview, he mentioned he would not work with this other company.

We found out yesterday that they hired someone else and were told that they wanted to hire him but could not find a way to make it work because of the statement he made.

He isn't disappointed. I think he feels pretty at peace with it and I am darn happy :)

War

2009-10-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

This morning on the news, they showed President Obama at Dover Airforce Base in the middle of the night where he attended the return of 18 servicemen killed in the war.

I mentioned how much I admire the President and the kids watched the footage. Of course, this led to questions.

These days I have to be pretty careful with them watching the news. They used to be pretty oblivious and didn't pay attention but now they catch things and ask lots of questions. I don't want them seeing too much. I don't want them to see all the killing, the abductions and things that they don't need to know about.

But I have felt for quite some time that I want them to know about the war so I have slowly been telling them things here and there.

Let me tell you, this is not an easy discussion! We spoke about freedom and how most countries in the world are free but that some are not. We spoke about the different beliefs and lifestyles that people have around the world. I explained that not all countries understand each other and that causes fear. Which causes some countries to react with fear and try to protect themselves.

So I got through Part 1 of the discussion. The rest gets so complicated! I want them to know that there are other alternatives to war. I want them to respect the sacrifices that the military make regardless of my disagreement with the war.

Sensitive territory!