Marina

MARINA/COW HOLLOW

•  We let the kids play at Moscone Playground.
• We let the kids take scooter rides at The Palace of Fine Arts.
• All the great craft and indie fairs at Fort Mason.
• Marina Green for views of boats and the Golden Gate and for the kids to run around.
• House of Air and Planet Granite for cool activites for kids. 
• We get ice cream at Smitten (also in my Hayes Valley guide). 
• We have casual burgers & milkshakes at Super Duper or Roam. YES. 
• We get Italian at three notable Italian places: Delarosa, A16 and Roma Antica. 
•  ... Or for casual, Italian Homemade Company or Lucca's Deli. 
• Tacos at Don Pistos (favorite), Tacolicious, or Flores. 
• Cupcakes at Kara's. 
• We find the best cakes and cookies at Susie Cakes.
• We eat salads and healthy food at Blue Barn. 
• And grab a treat for the road at Loving Cup (coconut rice pudding is my vice/also in Hayes).

Bunks!!

Last night, Brian and I spent four {or five?} hours building bunk beds.

Our girls have talked at length about how fun that this friend or that friend has bunk beds at playdates, and seeing as they share a room in a San Francisco apartment, space-saving options are always a good idea. Last week a friend told me about a place to get great bunk beds at crazy good prices... we weren't entirely adverse to Ikea, but we also live in earthquake country, and have a tiny bit of paranoia. These beds are made SOLID, with thick wood, so we made the purchase {no shipping charges!! that's a huge win!}. 

Before this, the biggest project I've assembled was the girls' play kitchen... believe me, that's a {totally worthwhile} chore, but obviously bunk beds have far more at stake than a play kitchen. We were meticulous direction-followers, but still managed to have to backtrack on a few steps when something was backward or off slightly. We thought it may take two hours and it took double... these sort of things can either make or break a night, right? Thankfully, it actually made the night a really fun one. We had to put the girls to bed in our bed, where they were giggling, squealing, and whispering excitedly as we assembled in their room. Their excitement paired with our bonding over sore thumbs and aching backs {ugh! We're so in our 30's!!} and listening to Beats playlists made it actually a really fun project. I mean, it's so easy to be lazy and call the professional {my dad! he's the best contractor ever!}, but we felt SO accomplished when all was said and done. BEDS! Solid, beautiful white beds! No more of Maggie bumping her head on her tiny toddler bed at 1am and waking us from our blissful slumber. 

Obviously the girls were elated when they awoke this morning. Wait. Let me adjust that sentence: Sophie was elated... she was giggling as she made her bed and exclaiming about how beautiful her room is. Maggie was sleeping her little heart out in her bed, which is about 100x more cozy than her toddler bed was. She didn't even awaken while Sophie got dressed and ready for the day. She slept until 8!! She is not a 8am sleeper, my friends, so clearly we've done good work. 

Brian and I feel thoroughly accomplished. Pardon the fuzzy picture of the pretty new beds, but I was only home about uhhhh- 5 minutes of daylight today {I'm exaggerating, but really, we got the car today and basically did a month's worth of errands and extracurriculars in one day because we could}. Obviously I used my minutes to take a quick pic before Maggie took her nap... proof that it really did happen.

Now that I'm 32, I feel kind of okay saying I want to go to bed now and it's only 9:15. I won't because of the principle of the matter, but I will put my typing to rest, and hopefully 'see' you again soon! GO GIANTS!

xx

Thirty-Two

{stole this pic from my friend... thx Iss) 

This morning I awoke a 32-year-old.

It's always a bit sad when my birthday ends and I'm only left with a number that sounds much higher than the previous. I really like birthdays, but I'm not SO into climbing up in years! Today was a half-holiday... Brian worked a full day, but Sophie was HOME. Messes were bigger, laughter was louder, cartoons were watched, and sleeping in an extra half hour was a reality. Some days call for all of the above, and some days deliver. The girls giggled and created together from start to finish. Melts my sentimental little heart.

So yes, yesterday was my birthday. I received a birthday cake more gorgeous than our wedding cake {HA, no, I loved my wedding cake too!}, and basket full of lumpia {Filipino DELICIOUSNESS for those who have missed out all their lives!}, and a Mexican feast of enchiladas and tamales.  My friends and family have come to realize that food and earrings wrapped in pretty packages are the way to my almost-mid-30's heart. We celebrated Saturday with good food and a trek to watch the Blue Angels perform their air show magic together, and Sunday relaxing with food and family and watching two very sad Giants games. All in all, far too spoiled for such a mid-ranged number, but happily so. 

The year was a good one. Thirty-one will go on the books as the year I began feeling like my own person after full time and energy devoted to my girls in their teeny tiny baby and early toddler years. It's the year that I felt more sure of myself, and had moments of confidence in my parenting {followed quickly by being humbled in my parenting, haha!}. I laughed a lot, I was an assistant tent-maker and coloring book illustrator by day {with tiny employers and payments only in hugs and kisses}, and a chronic couch dozer in the evenings. Brian and I made it a priority to get on regular dates, and have benefitted from that time together. Ups and downs came, as with every year, but I feel my 31st year ended in a clear "up." 

All in all, 31 was good. Now onward to 32!!  

xx

The Juggle Lately

Hello from the least consistent blogger of 2014... I miss this little space! I wish I could say I was off reading books on beaches and taking leisurely strolls to get coffee, but nope! I've just been here, there, and everywhere. I'm not one of those people who enjoys being busy- I'm a total homebody by nature- but I'm also enjoying everything so much, it's been hard to take anything off the plate. 

I started tracking my steps to prove I'm busy {ha!!!}. It worked properly for five days, during which I averaged 3.1 miles of daily walking. It became this competition with myself- like, do I take that second bus, or should I just walk the remainder to get more steps into my walk? I had a 7 mile day where my legs felt like jello by the evening, and it was a strangely satisfying feeling. I don't have to have a gym membership, or subject myself to pilates torture to get a workout! After those five days, my phone's step tracking reset and I stopped paying attention, but I am still mostly making the choice to walk when I can, rather than bus it. I recommend it. Maggie really enjoys her stroller, so we're all happy.

We're in a bit of a groove now that school has been in session for awhile. My time alone with Maggie has been very sweet. We play a lot of candyland, and take a lot of scooter rides. She has extracurricular classes that keep her week varied rather than mundane. I've heard that when kids get home from school, they're wiped out and sleepy... not in our case. Sophie gets home and the two just squeal and play like they haven't seen each other in weeks. It's high-energy fun, and it cracks me up. 

I'd be lying if I said I'm not a bit worn out! I'm worn out but in the happiest way. It's this strange phase where I cannot perhaps sit as much and unwind, but watching my family doing things they love and seeing them thriving is making me so happy. I mean, is treking my child to swim class my favorite part of the week? Not at all... but seeing her successfully swimming {especially when at the beginning of the year the water made her scream} is so thrilling. Is making the perfect lunch every day for my school-kid the most exciting part of my day? Not so much... but seeing her articulate her specific preferences in a mature way as I pack it makes me smile {also! crazy enough, she almost entirely flat-out refuses to buy lunch! I do not get it, but she thinks so much of her lunches in her lunchbox, and I'm a bit flattered about it, haha!}.

There will come a day that I have a consistent blogging schedule and a full blog- {and a full shop, for that matter!} but for now it is taking a bit of a back seat, and that's okay for me. Adjusting focus and schedules is part of life. I will be sneaking posts in as often as I can- if you know me well, you know I always have so much to say and share about. It just cannot be daily as it was before... just for this stage. ;)

xoxo

Flower Crowns and Wedding Weekends

We spent our weekend preparing for and celebrating friends and their beautiful wedding. My husband was the handsomest of groomsmen, and our girls were flower girls, so we were very much immersed in wedding and all its loveliness. We all slept VERY well the last couple nights, I assure you, and the title of National Coffee Day was fitting for yesterday. I drank far more than my fair share. (The "holiday" should fall on a Monday every year!).

I was responsible for creating three little flower crowns for the three lovely flower girls. I procrastinated on making them because I did not have a car or the time the last couple weeks for getting myself to a craft store, and because the link I found on Pinterest said they're quick and easy to make in 10 minutes or so! Not so, my friends, not so. 

They are NOT quick and easy, but I am proud of the way they turned out. I found tiny fake white and pink flowers, and something slightly resembling baby's breath, which I believe is essential to a successful floral crown. A bit of pretty greenery, and you have your floral mix. Add some nice, sturdy wire, and please, please just use a hot glue gun. Try nothing else because in my experience, nothing else works. Any other glue will make you go slightly crazy as those lovely little flowers fall off as fast as they are glued. 

Here's the last trick for you: remove those stems from your flowers the best your hands can. It's a bit tedious and tricky, but the stems make it all much harder, long term. 

NOW, if I haven't deterred you from creating flower crowns entirely, please realize that if you do use these tips and hot glue, those floral crowns will last PERFECTLY and withstand all tiny hands pulling them on, off, squishing the flowers, etc. These crowns didn't lose a single petal. For that reason alone, if you need flower crowns, DO make them yourself, and DO allow yourself 40 minutes for each. Your daughters will thank you. 

Photo by Manus Chau Photography

It was one of those great weekends that you are so thankful to be a part of, but you wake on Monday morning (and Tuesday, for that matter!) needing far more than just a small cup of coffee. As soon as the kids rested today and yesterday, I dozed right off into dreamland. I haven't napped in months until this week, and I had forgotten how wonderful and addicting an afternoon nap really is.

Cheers to weddings, flower crowns, and daytime naps!

xo

She's a Game-Changer

Recently, LUNA Bar created a celebration for women called LUNAFEST. LUNAFEST is an film festival that is touring around the U.S. to honor amazing and strong women, and to raise money for breast cancer prevention... which I think are both lovely and worthwhile causes- more on that below! PLEASE take a look at their campaign and see if they're coming to a city near you. It will be worth your while. 

LUNA Bar asked me to talk today about a woman in my life who has been a game-changer. It was an easy yes for me. I don't talk enough about the lovely lady who helped to shape who I am today, so this is a perfect excuse. It's... dun dun duuuun... my mom!

When you look my mom, you don't actually think she's my mom. She has bright blue eyes and yellow hair, just like my Maggie {I favor the Mexican side far more!}. She doesn't look her age- lucky lady. She smiles like the sunshine. 

The recurring theme in her life is her giving nature. She gave and still gives her time and energy to us. She devoted herself to us through our childhood... volunteering at our schools, working with our church youth groups, being a listening ear, helping with homework, etc. She got a dream job in design for awhile when we were in school, and willingly quit and became my brother's full-time home nurse when he needed her. She cried with us, laughed with us, sacrificed her needs for our own. She took me to my sporting events, cheered me on, and hugged me when things didn't go right. She managed to be there for my brother, sister, dad, and me through life, and still to this day- with a listening ear and a heart full of kindness. I just adore her. She has shaped who I am, and I am indebted to her for all of her love and patience with me.

I mentioned that the funds raised at the LUNAFEST events benefit Breast Cancer Fund, and I'd really like to talk a bit more about that because it's important to me. The Breast Cancer Fund is a particularly fantastic foundation, because they raise money to target prevention and environmental causes of cancer. I cannot stress how important it is to truly care about taking steps toward cancer prevention.

When my brother got cancer, my parents cleared the home of the toxic chemicals that had been used daily. My mom began buying organic as much as possible, and had a consultation with a nutritionist, who created a plan for keeping our family's health on track. The healthy living transformed the day-to-day for my brother's energy levels, his blood counts, and for our overall family's well being. We all performed better when our environment was cleared of cancer-causing chemicals, and our diets were filled with nutrition. Knowing how to read labels and be aware of what we are exposing ourselves and our families to daily is a huge part of cancer prevention. I would love for you to peruse their site or watch their video and find out more information! 

xoxo.

Thanks LUNA Bar, the whole nutrition bar for women, for sponsoring this post. It was my pleasure to highlight the fabulous work you are doing, and all opinions are my own.