Friday's Five

5 things I loved this week:

1. Laughter & libations in the Bay Area - a fabulous long weekend visiting family.

2. Unplugged time with the kiddo - 4 straight hours of Monopoly, anyone? She loved that I went to jail a dozen times.

3. Delish dinner of Louisiana-style crawfish from Rockin' Crawfish in Oakland - if you like spicy, get their rockin' combo sauce. 

4. Finding a cute pair of shoes for my gargantuan feet in my hard to find size - thank you, Nordstrom Rack!

5. Uncontrollable laughing with my husband - awwww, I'm such a sap.

Have a great weekend! 

The 4 O'clock Panic

It's been said that if 4 o'clock rolls around and you are wondering what to have for dinner, you've already lost the battle. That just about sums up most weeknights for me! I can usually figure something out, pick up the kiddo from school, make the hour-long commute home, pop into the grocery store if need be, then frantically prep and cook. Sure, this gets dinner on the table... but this way of doing things unnecessarily adds to my stress level. Why do I do this to myself? Plan, woman!

Meal planning is going to be an essential part of my Back to Better commitment. So I'll have to start making menu plans and shop accordingly. Now back to dinner tonight - what can I make with ingredients that I already have at home?

Update: We had boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded thin & lightly breaded with panko breadcrumbs. Sauteed in a wee amount of olive oil until cooked through. Plus pan-roasted asparagus & red onions. Dessert: strawberries & mango. Tasty, quick, & easy!

And Called It Macaroni

I splurged on a little me time by getting feather hair extensions. Yup, feathers. As in tweet tweet. 10 minutes in the salon & it was done. They can easily be hidden or fully exposed to reveal all their feathery coolness. 

An uberstylish young friend led the way. Of course, she's rockin' those feathers as an age appropriate 20-something. But one has to live a little, right? If you haven't seen these before, head over to your favorite search engine and do an image search for feather extensions.

Doing this has made me feel like I'm in a permanent state of the giggles. Definitely successful me time. Love it!

Back to Better

As I make the climb to the big 4-0, I'm determined to get back to better. "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." Mark Twain's words couldn't be more true. I don't want to complain anymore. I don't want to claim that I'll try. I just want to do.

I wrote in my first blog entry that pretty paper can instantly lift my mood. I don't know about pretty, but this journal's happy organs sure are cute! Come on, kidneys playing badminton? Gotta love it.

By committing to eat healthier, move more, and take time for myself, soon my own organs will be just as happy as these little guys. The first entry in my "back to better" journal reads:

I am in good health.
I am at a healthy weight.
My blood pressure is at a normal level.
I have great energy.
I am rested and get enough sleep.
I enjoy exercise and being active.
I take time for myself.
I am living a long, healthy, happy life filled with love and peace.

Stay tuned for updates...

Ciao, ragazzi!



A sampling of hoarded letters from the Italians

My grandma used to tell me about her decades-long "pen friendship" with a woman from a land far, far away. It fascinated me that she considered this woman a friend even though they had never met.



In college, I saw a flyer for a penpal service and decided to give it a whirl. Soon my mailbox was bursting with a jumble of letters from around the world. What a wonderful time I had peeking into daily life in England, Portugal, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Egypt, & the West Indies. Most of these penpals fell to the wayside after a year or so. But not those Italians! I had a real connection with both of my Italian penpals.

Through only ink & paper for years, we revealed much about our lives to each other. I found that writing to someone half a world away allowed me to open up more than I might have in person. Almost 20 years later, I call them "sister" and "brother". I've been in one friend's wedding, visited Italy twice, & hosted visits by "the Italians" (as my family affectionately calls them). I'm delighted that our children get along like best buddies - language barrier be damned! This summer, we'll share a new experience together - vacationing in Hawaii.

Investing a book of stamps & a little of my time has allowed me to reap the rewards of these two very special friendships. To my grandma who inspired me to reach out to strangers across the sea... grazie mille!

Valentine's Day Lollipop Photo Cards

On Valentine’s Day, my daughter will be… wait for it… handing out lollipop photo cards. Ha! See what I did there? Anyone, anyone? Is this thing on? Oooooweeee, sometimes I crack myself up. I stumbled across an unbelievably cute Valentine's Day card how-to while perusing blogland last year. Thanks to a creative mom (click here) for this clever idea.

Photo taken with my phone turns into...

this utterly cute 3-D effect lollipop photo card!

We headed out the door this morning with the kiddo in yet another non-Valentine-y outfit. I grabbed a red trench coat, she added her dimply smile, & I snapped a picture with my phone. A quick upload to CVS' one hour service and I had a set of photos by lunchtime. 

No photo editing needed. Just take photo with child's arm outstretched toward the camera. To make these cards sturdier, we will tape the photos onto heavy paper. That way, the kid can write a Valentine's Day message on the back. Then simply cut two small slits at the top and bottom of the fist, in goes the lollipop, and you're done.

Easy peasy Valentine's Day cuteness!

Staying Connected

When the kiddo was in pre-school, I began including daily notes with her lunch. Not only did this serve as a reminder that I was thinking about her, it also provided an opportunity to strengthen her reading skills.

Fast forward to 3rd grade. I continue to pack lunch notes a few times each week. I've told her that on days when she doesn't find a note, I've blown kisses into her lunchbox. Sappy, but it works for us. On lunch note days, one of the first things she says when I pick her up is, "I liked the note today!"

I want the extra special people in my life to know that they are always on my mind. So I also keep in touch daily with my...

Hubs: texting little love darts a few times a day,

Baby Bro: snarky random emails to make each other laugh,

BFF: hilarious no-holds barred online chats or phone calls,

Parentals: nightly phone calls that give me & the kiddo a chance to recount the day's adventures with them.

A few minutes each day is all it takes to keep us feeling connected. After moving from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles 5 years ago, I initially felt quite isolated. I was angry at the heat, angry at the traffic, and angry at my homesickness. Developing these daily check-ins kept me going through that rough patch. What's better than sharing a daily dose of laughter & good wishes with your family and friends?

Bright, Sunshiny Days

I love people who exude lightness and joy. Thank goodness for these bright, sunshiny people who make being happy seem so effortless. They don't allow others' negativity to stick to them and weigh them down. Why shouldn't it be that way for everyone? The world has too many crazy-makers and drama-lovers. While I may not be one of those lucky sunshine people (can you tell I lived in Berkeley for awhile?), I strive to become more like them and I am lucky to have many people in my life who are this way.

Besides bright, sunshiny people, what things instantly lift your mood? Here's my first-5-things-that-come-to-mind list:
1) meyer lemons from my in-laws' tree
2) a brisk walk in not-too-warm weather
3) ice cold water
4) pretty paper
5) happy music

After visiting my in-laws yesterday, I have pounds & pounds of freshly-picked lemony goodness waiting to be transformed into minty lemonade & mini lemon-ricotta cakes. Last night they brightened up our guacamole and marinade. Bonus: they look so pretty in a big white bowl on my kitchen counter!