Back in sync.

Have you heard of the Voxer app?  I'm not a big "app" person.  I barely have [or use] any, in fact.  But this one's good.  It essentially turns your phone into a walkie-talkie.  Need I say more??  

You press a button, talk~ while it records your voice, and it's immediately "sent" to the recipient.  And not in a loud/intrusive way.  In other words, you don't have to worry about interrupting them in a meeting {or worse- in bed}.
 
Here's why I love it.  I have a friend who lives far away.  For a while we talked on the phone whenever we could... sent emails... texts.  But as the kids have gotten older, and as she switched jobs, our schedules always clashed.  We tried everything to stay in touch.  Long {update} emails.  Scheduled phone conversations.  Neither worked.  It was an endless game of phone tag.  

Then she discovered Voxer.  It has literally rekindled our friendship.  I fully recognize how cheesy-commercially this is sounding.  But it's true.  Of course it doesn't omit the need for real-live / face-to-face conversation. And it might not be necessary for all- or even most friendships, but we could never reach each other!  It wasn't that we were too busy to make time for each other- or that we didn't want to put any effort forth.  It was just that when one of us was available, the other wasn't.  When one had extra time on their hands to send long email updates, the other didn't even have time to read 'em, let alone reply to them.  And we could never seem to get caught up~ or in sync.  

When we want to talk now, we 'send a vox'... When we're free, we listen, and respond.  Sometimes it's just a quick 'good mornin'... sometimes it's an ask for advice... other times it's an oh-my-god-i'm-going-to-lose-my-mind-if-i-don't-talk-to-someone.  {And can I tell you just how therapeutic that last one can be??}
                        

Choice.

the "top"

            
I touched on this topic a little bit last week, and by no means have I "mastered the art of happiness," but I have a little more I'd like to share on the topic :).

In the past few months, I've made a concentrated effort to "weed" through every area of my life- how I spend my time- and with whom I spend it with… activities, friends, obligations, social events, ...even the blogs in which I follow- and how much time I spend on commenting(!), emails that I choose to open- or subscribe to, articles I read, t.v. shows I watch...  At 36 years of age, I feel like I’m [finally] developing an acute sense of what works and does not work.

Wow.  It has made such an incremental difference in all faucets of my life… my writing, creative endeavors, time spent with others, in my health- and overall well-being. 

Little upward steps in the right [for-me] direction… a positive (rather than negative) momentum.  And the days/moments that I start to get down/unmotivated/frustrated (because of course, there are still plenty of those moments), I seem to be able to pull out of them quicker and back in the right direction… rather than just getting sucked into that state of negativity- the “downward spiral.”

  

With the clutter cleared out of the way, it's so much easier to stay- or get back- on track… to get back to the things, people, places that DO work… and even better- to bring more of the "good stuff" into the picture.  Cause isn't that always the case?  When my home- or a room, or a closet- is filled with junk, not only am I unmotivated to clean it… not only am I frustrated by it's current state… but I am totally uninspired to add anything *new into the equation… to do that project that I've intended to do, to try out that new recipe, to purchase new office supplies…

What I do each day, each week, each moment is a matter of choice.  And while I have responsibilities & obligations to contend with, life does not just happen to me. 

So, today, on my very first day of my 36th year, I chose to do something that works.  A grueling hike, with a good friend.  I didn't say "what works" is equivalent to "fun" or "easy" ;)… and even though I never thought we'd get to the top, we did.  And it felt good.

 

Quality of life.

Image via

 

i had the pleasure of hanging out with new & old blogger pals this past week.  

emily was in town for just a day, but she happily extended her return flight just so that she could spend an evening with katrina (who em introduced to me on her last LA visit... & so happy she did) & i.  jenn was here on a family vacation & set a night aside to meet me- and one of her other blogging friends, casie... the more the merrier.

it never ceases to amaze me that- after a few minutes of "initiation"- we jump right in, talking about anything & everything- as if we haven't skipped a beat... laughing, story-telling, listening... talking a bit more in depth about that job interview, or dilemma that they'd referenced in a post- but was a bit too personal to share in full online.  2 lovely evenings in which i walked away a brighter, bolder, better person. 

lately, i've found myself in [social] situations that are underlined with negativity, judgement, criticism, & flat-out-rudeness.  life's just too short for that nonsense.  my well-being is far better suited with real friends, true character... 

& an accompanying cocktail- a jalapeno pepino margarita, let's say- or a basil gimlet- never hurts.
         
{...cause it's been said that trying new things is also good for your well-being :)}
  

I'm {still} in love.

  

This past May (the 24th, to be exact), my little blog reached a milestone.

It turned 1.

A year ago, I would have thought starting a blog would have been insane.  Self indulgent... Narcissistic even.

I obviously didn't get it.

But I do now.

Seriously.  The friendships, the ideas, the recipes, the sharing, the information, the motivation, the vulnerability, the accountability, the commemoration, and the endless inspiration. 

Now, I realize that it would be insane not to have a place to share...

 

Summertime.

           

I remember one of our first outings, a few years back- when I decided to stay at home with the kids.  My social circle still consisted of family + old co-workers, & a neighbor or two.  I finally realized that I need to make new friends- which is a story of it's own for another day.  Friends that had kids... that could provide me with a little 'adult-time', Hailey with a little playtime (while Jacob was in school), someone for us to talk to- other than Giada (Remember- I was also attending the 'Food Network Cooking School' during this period)... other than my laundry- the grocery store cashier- the Windex... 

Back to the outing.  The girls had a wonderful time.  I had a wonderful time.  This mom was unlike any other  stay-at-home-mom that I had encountered thus far.  She was a rockstar bargain shopper & extreme 'couponer' (and what made this so fascinating is that she had the means to shop full price- just chose not to), she was fun & energetic & down-to-earth & chic & stylish.  She taught me the ropes of staying at home... along with accessorizing, styling on a budget (I was clearly not used to living on a budget), and overall- being prepared.

I was drastically under-prepared.  Play dates and pool visits at her place quickly made me aware of this.  I just didn't think of things like cover-ups, and having travel toys/crayons/paper/etc. on-hand at all times, and extra baggies to put the wet clothes, and insulated lunch boxes for our spur-of-the-moment picnics.  I was the type that rushed to the store to find a bathing suit- to buy sunscreen & floaties (having discovered on our way out the door that the dog consumed the old ones) just minutes before that first summer pool party.

Well, guess what??

 I've changed.

   

                                                
I may not be fully ready for the incessant fighting the "I'm bored" or "I'm hungry" complaints, the coming heatwave... but the beach trips, the play dates, the picnics- BRING 'EM ON.

{Are you ready??}
  

Well worth the dough.

 

                                                            

We're at the very end of the most unproductive weekend of all time.  It started off on the right track... a night out with Danielle & Carrie.  And they were just as fun & cute & down-to-earth & feisty &... everything that I've grown to love about them through their blogs.  I admit.  I was a little nervous- for like a 1/2 second.  Once we actually met- those nerves were quickly put to rest.  Just like old friends chatting it up, over squash blossoms, chorizo, halibut, tigerlilies & more.  Women who appreciate a full plate and a strong drink (gals after my own heart).  It was a total pleasure to to meet them in person.  Not to mention- kinda nice talking about blogging with bloggers (since I think I've bored Ryan to death about the topic).

The rest of the weekend was pretty quiet and in my kid's opinion- boring.  But after such a full week- we needed it.  Maybe they didn't, but we did.  With a complete lack of energy and inspiration- I had the full intention of not writing a post... just an evening of sangria, beef stew, & Next Food Network star (yes, we're food-obsessed).  

Until I read Kristen's post... Lazy Day.   

As you might remember, we're big fans of homemade pizza.  So, a couple of years ago, my SIL & mom joined forces and gave Ryan a pizza stone.  Not just any pizza stone... a good pizza stone  We. Love. It.  I didn't pay for it, but I have paid for several predecessors, and I can vouch.  This is worth the price.  We've had many $15/20 stones in the past crack after just a few uses.  Not this baby.  And we've used it far more than just a few times- indoor & out.  Plus, it's been an absolute lifesaver for sleepovers & play dates.  Let 'em build their own pizza and your work of 'keeping them entertained' is done.  Entertainment + a delicious child-friendly meal.  Win-win.  

I realize I'm sounding like a commercial at this point, but- we also use it for baking bread.  So... if you're looking for a father's day gift, or you want the man in your life to master the art of homemade pizza, this is your ticket.  And even less than a fancy handbag.
   

Friendship {Listography 2011}.

  

Each Wednesday, Emily, @ Notorious MLE, Danielle, @ Elleinad Spir, and myself are working our way through the lists of Listography 2011.

  

   

 Image via

I thought this week's list would be easy.  Until I sat down to write it.

...List the qualities you look for in a friend.

There's just so many directions that I can take this topic. ~ I have a good friend that is battling breast cancer... A friend that was there for me during morning sickness hell.  Although it was nothing in comparison to what she is experiencing, I appreciate her support during those months more than she will ever know. ~ I have a best friend- that I've been married to for almost 14 years.  One who is non-judgmental, non-competitive, accepting, open-minded, supportive... and willing to help at all times- even if it's something that I slacked on due to writing a blog post, to shopping, spending time with friends... He jumps in and helps without a word of criticism. ~ And I have so many other friends- new and old, IRL and URL, family & non- all who have similar yet distinct qualities that I admire, that I appreciate, that simply make my world bigger, brighter, bolder, and better (yes, I just quoted myself from a past post on "friendship").

And then I remembered a discussion that I recently had with Hailey.  Rather, an ongoing discussion regarding friendship.  Jacob had issues with certain friends.  For a while, he had a hard time even finding friends due to his quiet, reserved nature.  But the topic of friendship was not at the forefront of our day-to-day conversations.  Not like it is with Hailey.  I've been unpleasantly surprised by the amount of drama that occurs- on and off of the playground.  Tears, judgment, control, jealousy, lies, accusations, gossip...  all  of the nasty components of a marriage-gone-south- or even an episode of The Real Housewives.  Her friends are such a central part of her existence- even at this young age, which means that these dilemmas have an impact on her very core.
 
Ridiculous and dramatic as some of the "issues" have been, they've brought to light many discussions of how to choose a friend, and how to be a friend.  After coming home in tears one day, I noticed that she got defensive any time I tried to entertain the option of her choosing to play with new friends.  Although I don't always go there (usually stick with the "how to work it out" approach), I felt that with this particular friend, the time was right.  That would be the end of the world it seemed.  I realize she's young, but I want her to develop the ability to discern who she associates with... not to be exclusive, but at least mindful.  Here's the result of our conversation...

  
Pretty much what my list would look like.  

And you??  Link up your post on friendship below, or share in the comments.  Aside from the fact that I'm extremely interested in this topic, it'll serve as more valuable "lesson material" for my little socialite.

{Next week, on the Listography train, we get to discuss t.v. moms.  Fun.}

           

My sunshine.

                         

Image via

         
Feelin' very grateful today.  Grateful for my surprise guest blogger, for each of you that commented, that I married a man who can cook (I mean, really cook), for my friends & my family (for their unlimited generosity), for my twitter shred {workout} crew... for keeping me motivated, because God knows I'll need it after this week of stuffing my face celebration (because the celebration is not over yet).   

       

I get that guest blogger all to myself for the next week... a stay-cation at its finest.  Spring "cleaning" projects (kinda sad that I mentioned this first), outdoor meals, 80 degree weather, home-work free kids, cocktail experimentation, & not to forget shredding (to even out those cocktails).  Speaking of shredding - I better get to it.
  
Have a colorful weekend... and thank you again for brightening my skies.
    

Ooh la la.

                    

It's Friday, ladies & gentlemen.  5 more days until I'm officially in my "Mid Thirties."  I've always milked embraced my birthweekday... Maybe that'll change as the number gets higher, but for now - it's never too early to let the celebration begin.

                                  

Yesterday, my sister-in-law and I went to a French Macarons Workshop.  We loved it.  Prior to the class I hadn't tried baking these little luxuries myself, but I have heard horror stories... some from my SIL- who had tried.  Despite all of the "perfect macaron" pictures I've seen floating around food blogs, I knew I needed a little more skill under my belt before I joined this particular baking league.                                                                                                  

Mr. Lebovitz was absolutely right when he said, "Les Macarons are all about technique, rather than about just following a recipe... One extra fold, and it’s all over."  We learned the general technique- also the "nevers," the "shoulds" & "should-nots"... and 10 batches later, now armed to attempt on our own.  We're already planning which sugars to create (cardamom? lemon?), and of course which food color powders to toss into the mix.  A perfect Easter project.
                      

In class, we made vanilla bean and pistachio macarons, with ganache, creme brulee, and griottine fillings.

And to top it off, we enjoyed lunch with Rebecca, from The Reluctant Floridian (fortunately- she's no longer living in Florida).  What a pleasure.  She was just as charming, witty, thoughtful, and sophisticated (in a cool, unpretentious way), as I thought she'd be... and she loves to talk coffee... and food.  Can't get much better than that.  She was the one who informed me about the class, but when she tried to sign up (the same day that I did!) it was already full.  So, I was happy that I still got to meet, and get to know her - offline.

{My 2nd blogger meet-up was a success! ... No creepy exchanges or horror stories.  Yet.  Not that I was worried.}

Ooh la la.  It's Friday.   - Or did I already mention that??

BFF's

 

Image via an article from ELLE magazine...

The Importance of Friendship 

 

A good friend is in town, and has offered to take me out to dinner, and stay at her hotel for the evening.  Wait -  Shouldn't it be the other way around?  Shouldn't I be hosting her?  Either way, I am thrilled (on a weeknight!!) to pack my bag and head to Newport Beach for a little shoppin', lots of much-needed-catching-up, and a ritzy meal.

Along with cooking, friendship sadly fell by the wayside for a brief (or maybe not-so-brief) period of my life.  My plate may not have been filled with homemade food (made by me anyway), but it was FULL.  Right after/during college, my life pretty much consisted of... Work. Marriage. Work. Kids. Work.  I had plenty of "friends" - at the 'office', my Mom, the grocery store clerk, my best friend of all, my husband.  What more could I ask find time for?

Slowing down a bit has taught me otherwise.  Simply put and sappy as can be...

Friends make my world bigger, brighter, bolder, and better.