Advent.

After seeing this simple brown-bagged advent calendar on one of my favorite blogs last year, I stored it away in the overflowing "next year" file. Thankfully, a year much less hectic than the past, in which one could find me scrambling to Party City to pick up a boxed chocolate-filled calendar (post December 1st), after finding that Trader Joes' were long gone (as they should be, because who would still be in need of one?).

We've gone through several 'calendars'... rustic & wooden... build-a-lego-a-day... but in the past few years, as life got a bit chaotic, we've resorted to paper-box-+-chocolate (usually generously gifted from grandma). 

And who am I kidding? As long as the kids get candy (their main mission in life, as rightly stated by Jerry Seinfeld... so funny), they could care less where it came from, & how 'Santa' delivered it.  

But this was really fun to shop for & simple to create (simple, as in- Ryan & I quickly painting, filling, & hanging on Sunday morning... thank God the kids sleep in!)... mostly filled with lots of little cheap goodies (not only candy).

Day #1 was Baci chocolate... others are Candy Cane ChapStick, gold coins, striped straws, hot chocolate packs, a red lifesaver... and a green in another bag... jingle bells to hang on their back packs...

But by far, the best part is seeing the huge amount of anticipation & JOY that such a tiny treat can create. 
{even in a teenager :)}.

{day 1~ reading their Baci messages}

{day 2~ very early on a Monday morning, after having been off of school for a week... & very blurry~ but it made me laugh- in the midst of major grogginess... holding up their bells}

{day 3~ this time we waited till after school (Jacob leaves at 6:50am for zero period, when Hailey is still sound asleep!)}

{day 4~ a little bit of cheer, in the midst of a whole lotta' homework}

{day 5~ wanna kiss?}

If you've read my blog for a while, you may notice a theme complaint of wanting-to-do instead of doing. It's my biggest 'area of opportunity' (as they'd say in the corporate world)... an area in which I'm working hard to surpass. So it feels nice to have a 'next year' item moved to 'this year'.
                

Infinite power of words.

"You are a force of nature."

{favorite coffee mug, & a daily dose of infinitely powerful words.}

our weekend was a bit {a lot} hectic and rushed.  the kind of weekend where you feel like you need a do-over.

so i decided to enter my reader in pursuit of a little 'boost'... only a couple of posts in and- i already found it.

karina's thought-provoking sentiments ~ and melissa's powerful affirmations. 

their words have lit up my soul.  in a matter of minutes. 

i'm reminded.  awakened.  empowered.

ready to leave sunday in the dust.

right where it belongs.
                                               

The scenic road.

 

 image via

Last week, an instagram friend {an incredibly successful, creative, kind friend} shared a quote from a [Californian-raised] New York-based artist, Tauba Auerbach {via the AW12 issue of the gentlewoman}.

"I've been moving in a straight line and now I just want to be able to move diagonally."

Living life in a thoughtful, focused- yet free- manner.  Free to question.  Free to explore.  Free to dig deeper.  Free to stay on course, but not to the extent of feeling stuck, forced, bored- or worse, boring.  Free to bend the rules, to step out of bounds, to step back... to step forward.  Much easier said than done for some [me], but somehow, a "diagonal" path sounds far less intimidating... much more doable.  

This year, I have decided to step away from hosting Thanksgiving dinner.  In light of everything written here and here, I decided that we needed a break.  My kids are off for the entire week, and for the first time in years, I'll be able to spend time with them.  Free time to try new recipes from my oldest cookbooks and newest magazines (but never have due to a pure lack of time and/or post-holiday kitchen-burnout)... Time to reflect on what I am thankful for.

We're not flying off to Hawaii- or celebrating solo.  We're not forgoing turkey, or my grandma's coveted stuffing- or pumpkin pie.  Nor are we permanently handing over the 'hosting torch.'  Just veering off the straight n' narrow route.  

Diagonally.

  

Get up & go.

 

Image via

in some areas, routine is back in full gear.  lunches prepped.  grocery list managed.  homework... my kids are killllling it  {total parental bragging, but it's the honest truth}... appointments attended, teeth well-cared for, bedtimes [somewhat] adhered to (for the first time ever)... so yes, some areas run like a well-oiled machine.

and others... not so much.

specifically~ 'the morning ritual' (or lack thereof).

let's just say- i am not one of the "put-together" moms in the carpool line.  and really, it has nothing to do with looking hot at 7am*... but the total lack of getting-myself-together as of late- the lack of the morning ritual (be it working out, reading a book... reading a blog... putting lipstick on...) leaves me running for the rest of the day........... and not in a cutesie "jogging-through-the-city" kinda way.......... running to catch UP.

without intention.  without design.  without a plan.  and not surprisingly~ time always seems to run out before i get to the good stuff... the stuff that never seems to pass through the gate of intention- and onto the bliss of reality.

                     

combine the above with major over-analysis/procrastination tendencies... not a good mix for living the live that i want [intend] to live.

so, as of late, i'm constantly drawn to images of doing... creating... going... 

as much as i love a lot bit of reflection... i need to carve out some time at the start of my day- and whichever way i decide to spend it- toss the covers and anxieties aside, to get up, and GO.

{*but i'm sure it couldn't hurt}

 

...on the "art" of pinning {& not *doing}.

 

image via 

 

Over the summer, I took a little break from "information-collecting" of any and all sorts- virtual pinning, magazine tearing/clipping/pinning, blog post 'bookmarking'...
 
Sure I was busy with the kids at home 24-7... vacations... Instagram... life away from the computer... But really- I was just tired of pinning images of "inspiration" up on those boards, without turning a single one into fruition.  Tired of clipping a craft idea that I had no intention or time to create- or bookmarking a recipe that I knew I couldn't eat (due to our temporary diet restrictions).  I couldn't possibly pin another item onto an already overly full board/plate/LIFE.
 
After our major spring purge, I realized that our cabinets & cupboards weren't the only areas that needed sorting, tossing, "refining."
 
Aside from summer's huge reward of spending more time with the kids, & road tripping our way to 'wine country'- it provided a time to take a much needed step away, to put an end to the madness of the piles and piles of magazines, the insane amount of emails [literally] flooding into my inbox each day...
 
To sort my way through the information, the inspiration, the aspiration- until I was left with almost nothing.  Which meant a lot of deleting.  A hell of a lot of unsubscribing.  A lot less sharing, committing, piling, stacking, saving, filing, PINNING... 
 
But as of Thursday, I was ready. 
  
Ready to dive in.  Into magazine reading... article clipping... meal-planning (I can't even begin to express how nice it has felt over the past few days to have a little order when it comes to our meals- to not stand aimlessly in my kitchen at 5:30- or later- each night and wonder WHAT IS FOR DINNER).  Into my long-lost love that is Pinterest.
 
It's funny how intrusive it can all become- all of the craft ideas, surefire cleaning techniques, the surefire parenting techniques, the "how-to" tutorials, the party-planning/picnic-throwing/meal-making ideas,- how overwhelming... how excessive...
 
Yet on the other hand, how incredibly stirring, useful, motivating, uplifting it can also be.
 
As long as there's a little doing action involved.
 
{When it comes to the 'food & recipe category,' I will say- there was plenty of doing going on this weekend.  Those [articles/pins/bookmarks] are usually the fastest to pile up after all.}
       

Back in session.

                                          

hellllo!

i went on vacation, came back, and decided i wasn't quite ready to write anything down just yet... to edit photos, format posts, to think about anything other than savoring those last bits of summer.  those last few days in which the kids can just be kids... and i can just be Mom.  not a drill sergeant.  not a taxi driver.  not a schedule coordinator.

and when august 14th hit, we weren't fully ready (are we ever??), but we were as ready as we were ever going to be.  to step back into it.  into routine.  into schedules.  into paperwork, and homework.  into the [transitional] 4th grade.  into HIGH SCHOOL so help me god.

other than the 'my-son-is-now-in-HIGH-SCHOOL' part, it's all gone fairly smooth.  other than the mound of paperwork to be filled out... the [long] lists of supplies to be purchased, the "surprise!" $110- check to be filled out for an 'orchestra tux'... the $80- yearbook, the $60-  asb card, the school photos, the pta donations, the p.e. clothes.......... yep, it's all gone fairly smooth.

...with a big dose of overwhelming-ness mixed in.

in fact i was just sitting down to try and work my way out of this knot in the back of my neck (wine in hand), when i came across an article shared by the lovely (& i can truly attest to the "lovely" part now that i've met her in person... more on that later :)) melissa~ ‘Slow Parenting’: Why a Mom Is ‘Fed Up with Frenzy’.

i believe in 'slow parenting' with all my heart... but school's only been in session for 2 days, and already our mode has switched from calm & connected to rushed & frenzied. i was that parent who honked at the car stopped in the middle of the street (as opposed to pulling IN to the carpool line).  twice.  yes- twice in one day.  one at her school & one at his.  shameful, i know.  but true.  well, friday is here.  and clearly it is time to take a step back... & slooooooow down. {oh, & come up with "plan B" for tackling that high school pick-up line}

it feels good to be back :).

   

{thank you to my mom for gently reminding me that my blog has remained "dark" for a bit too long.  

& thanks melissa for the knocking that writer's block right out of the park}

         

il dolce far niente.

{the sweetness of doing nothing.}

 

while the boys were off bein' over-achievers, and hiking that little mountain called "half dome" (actually, it was a huge achievement and i'm so very proud of them... more on that later), us girls stayed home, and pretty much did nothing.

for 4 days.

thought about dressing fancy and goin' out on a mother-daughter date... about taking on a major garden project, or baking up a storm... but i know my daughter.  i know what she needs.  not wants, needs. 

 

the other stuff will happen.  but for now, for this reason, nothing was everything.

   

now, let the party-planning begin for this soon-to-be 9 yr. old. 

{{sigh}}

I can see clearly now.

Since our recent health scare, we've made some pretty big changes in our lives, particularly in our diet.  Some temporary, and some not... but all for the better nonetheless.  Since Ryan was the unexpected catalyst for this change, I thought he'd be the best one to share our experience.  So without further ado, here's Ryan! 

  

No sugar.  No dairy.  No gluten.  Yep, that is what our next sixty days looks like.  It all started with a trip to the doctor to find out I had an infection in my blood.  Antibiotics knocked it out, but we had to wonder how it got there and why my body could not fight it off.  I hardly ever get sick, so it made me realize that I need to take some sort of action to get back on track in regards to my health.  On a friend’s recommendation, we had our blood analyzed by a microscopist.  It's amazing what two drops of blood can reveal.  Apparently, I'm living in a persistent hypoglycemic state, which pretty much explains how I've been feeling the past few years… no energy & always waiting for the second wind that never seems to come.  My blood was riddled with all sorts of not-so-good things (I’ll spare you the details). 

The good news is that it is all fixable.  It's time for us to get the cells in our bodies functioning as they should.  If you think about it, why not start with your blood, since it runs through every organ of your body, including your brain?  First step was to drink more water.  We’re talking over a gallon a day, as opposed to the two or three cups of coffee to start the day and a glass or two of wine to end it… and maybe a glass of water in between.  Second, we had to change our diet.  We knew it would be challenging, but doable.  She sent us home with a book of recipes, a few natural supplements, a Trader Joe’s shopping list for alkaline rich foods, and a ‘prescription’ for 9000 mg of omega-3 per day.  Oh, and Torrie was told she would have to sit in the sun for at least ten minutes a day- and that she'd have the ‘unfortunate’ side effect of losing weight (funny- she didn’t seem too concerned about me losing too much weight).

It's been almost a week and the changes have been remarkable.  I have more energy than I've had in years and have more mental clarity, like I am coming out of a fog.  I actually feel like exercising, and would like to think I've been in a better mood… maybe you should ask Torrie.  The diet has been surprisingly easy.  I have to admit, I miss cheese and bread, but giving up sugar (natural & refined) was easier than I thought.  We're encouraged to eat plenty of avocados and to use olive oil liberally, which [almost] makes up for the sacrifices.  The food is good and there is plenty of it.

With Cinco de Mayo coming up this weekend, there will be no sacrificing (okay, maybe that isn’t entirely true - a margarita would be nice).  Fish tacos with plenty of accoutrements and heirloom beans are something to look forward to, especially if I know that it will help bring me back into balance, out of the fog, and on the road to optimal health.

{Sorta cheating on this week's 'tried & true' recipe post.  We haven't actually tried the recipe yet, but thought it was *necessary to share our Cinco de Mayo menu- in case you're in search of a festive- yet healthy recipe.  In the book, she gives a healthier option... Marinate the fish in olive oil, lots of lime juice, salt, pepper, and roughly chopped cilantro for at least an hour and up to overnight.  Grill the fish for a few minutes per side, depending on the thickness... We'll be taking this route (along with brown rice tortillas)~ of course :).}

             

  Image via

 

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 :)}
  

The entitlement factor.

                             
The day I started working out (spinning) again (Friday, January 27th, to be exact), was concluded by a night out with friends, a "hearty" meal (you know you're in for it @ a place called "slaw dogs"), a couple a' glasses of wine, & several bites of ice cream (since we *had to try almost every. single. flavor.).  The following day, my grandma came to stay… & we proceed to eat our way through the weekend.  Monday mornin' came… another grueling spin class.  That night, we all went out for another "hearty" meal.
                    

The next day, I was googling "average spin cost" to justify [to my grandma] my membership cost.

Somehow, I stumbled upon an article entitled:

Bethenny Frankel Says Spinning Classes Make You Fat! Really??

First of all, I am not a 'Real Housewife' fan, so believe it or not- I had no clue who Bethenny is.  But WHAT??  How does working my ass off (literally) make you fat??  So, of course I had to read further.

And although her statement is pretty ridiculous & far-fetched, it actually woke me up- from my mindless-eating-stupor.  The basic premise is this...

High calorie-burning cardio workout = increased appetite = eat whatever you want (post workout) to satisfy said appetite (because you worked out, after all) = more calories inhaled than burned = no weight loss, & potential gain.

If I actually wanted to lose weight, I needed to be conscious of what/how much I was eating... not entitled.  And although it isn't a new concept by any means, it's one that I apparently needed to "re-visit"... & I'm sure glad I did.

Since both of those meals in which I scarfed down post workout involved french fries, I decided to arm myself with a new version- more suitable to ass-burning.  So, without further ado~ this week's tried & true recipe {& a great tip!}...

{this week's recipe isn't actually a new recipe- since we've baked "fries" several times before.  Jillian's version is new [to us] but similar to the ones we usually make... just a little less olive oil, & a higher oven temp.  BUT, the **big tip/secret to getting perfectly crispy fries actually comes from Tyler's oven fries... see below for more...}

roasted russet fries

*adapted from the master your metabolism cookbook {& tyler's ultimate} 

serves 8

4 large russet potatoes

3 tbsp olive oil

a "bit" of salt (kosher or sea salt) & pepper

Preheat the oven to 475.

**Preheat a large baking sheet in the oven for at least 5 minutes.

Cut 1 potato lengthwise into quarters. Cut each quarter lengthwise into 2 to 3 wedges. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.  Place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl, along with the olive oil, s&p and toss gently until thoroughly coated.

Dump them onto the hot baking sheet, spreading them into a single layer.

Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping once midway through, until the potatoes are cooked through, brown and crispy. 

                       

*COOK'S NOTES

• When you check the fries and flip them midway through, get a feel for how fast they are cooking and finish accordingly (depends on your oven & the size of the potato/cut).
• The ones in the photo above were peeled- & cooked at a lower temp... I had to return Jillian's book to the library and went by memory!
• In case you're wondering, I did end up ordering the book (borrowing it & using it for a few weeks showed us that it was in fact worth yet another cookbook purchase).

                    

We're all entitled to a little healthy indulgence :).

                     

The morning after.

ahhhhhhhh.

the weekend is FINALLY here.

happy to report- the book was read in it's entirety (which is not always the case... such a good one, and definitely not just for the younger crowd- i'd highly recommend)... & as for the dinner- i decided to go the maintain-my-sanity route... all purchased from my favorite lil' italian market... lasagna, garlic bread, caesar salad (from tj's), spumoni ice cream, wine cake, & a simple appetizer platter of greek olives, and rosemary marcona almonds, salami, provolone, & crackers... next best thing to homemade (& although it was not easy for me to go that route- which sounds ridiculous, but true- it was the best decision i've made all week).

but my real reason for writing this post is to say this.  you see those lovely napkins up there?  they were created by my friend, estelle.  she is one talented lady.  she's extremely creative and has such a way with words.  she wrote a post earlier this week, titled,  Are we unknowable to our mothers?- that i can't seem to shake (she warned us)- nor do i really want to shake.  it was fairly short... but incredibly powerful.  it touched me in a big way.  i get to spend an entire weekend with hailey, & i so look forward to getting to know her a little better, in a way that has yet to be seen- or that i have yet to allow myself to see.

i hope you take a minute to read it as well... that is, if you dare to be shaken up a little.
               

Up on the rooftop... Click, click click... {Listography 2011}.

   

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

    

                                                             

"List your wishlist."
  

Shopping is finally done.  Santa has done "his" very best to accommodate without caving in to every request- because some of their wants don't exactly match up with our wants- or at the very least- with the limited amount of available SPACE.  It's a mind-wracking process, this gift-giving.  Not to mention, answering the "what should I get your kids... and/or you?" questions... trying to make sure that the santa list remains separate from our list... from their list...  Whew... I'm beat.  At this point in the game, there is no wishlist.  Well, there's always a wishlist.  But nothing that compares to what I really, truly want- need. 
 

I simply want to create space to enjoy it all.  ...to dig in to the cookbooks... to play the heck out of the boardgames... to fill the frames... tackle the crafts... to get out of "busy-mode" for days-weeks-months on end, and appreciate what we have, to relish it... before adding more to the plate, or the place I should say.

  
  
{visit Danielle & Emily to see their list, & if you have one of your own, please share the link, or leave a comment :)}