In a couple weeks we will have been back in So Cal for four years. We moved to the Bay Area in 2005 when Elliott was just 5 months old and called Nor Cal home for three years until we moved to our current location after Jay accepted a job in Woodland Hills.
We love it here. We love the school, the neighborhood, our home. But….we have been “looking” and “in the market” for a home to buy for three years now {our agent is VERY patient!}. When we moved here and decided to rent, I must admit I was a little hesitant. I wanted to own so that we could do what we wanted to and feel like it was HOME. Not to say that our house hasn’t felt like home for the past four years, but I think in my head that this has been a temporary, sort of holding pattern, since we moved in 48 months ago. Of course I have tried to make it ours and put plenty of holes in the walls, but it just hasn’t felt permanent.
The up-side to renting is that if something goes wrong, you just place a call to the management company and they handle it. We have been very fortunate to have great service and in-turn have been great renters. We know how it feels to have someone living in {your} home as we have a house in Nor Cal that we currently rent out. We take pride in our home, but it is time to find a place where we can truly hang our hat until Holden is off to college and Jay and I decide where we want to go next.
We’ve decided to expand our search to other neighborhoods. Neighborhoods with equally great schools, but we have mixed emotions about this because we have formed bonds here in this neighborhood. We have awesome neighbors. We adore the small {California Distinguished} elementary school that is 1/4 of a mile away. The problem is is that there’s little to NO inventory out there. We are ready to buy a home in this neighborhood, but there is nothing to buy. We did make an offer on a place right down the hill, but most likely lost out to someone with a heftier down payment. We’re OK with that because that is a sign that it wasn’t meant to be.
{pin the smile on the skeleton at a monster mash b-day this weekend}
In a way we feel like we’re going into this move blindfolded. Are we making the right decision? Should we just continue renting? Should we take advantage of the low rates and buy? What is the economy going to be like after the election? Should we wait to see if something comes onto the market in our neighborhood or go ahead and move away and eventually have to pull the kids out of their school?
I just have to keep reminding myself that we’ve made three BIG moves in the eight years that we’ve been married and each time we’ve done just fine. Change is scary and comes with a lot of unknown. I know it will not {ruin} the kids to switch schools, but I do know that it will be difficult. That just means that the four years that we’ve spent here have provided many memories and lots of wonderful friends. And that is something no mortgage can buy.
Hoping to remove the blindfold soon and open our eyes to our new HOME….no matter what neighborhood it might be in.
A couple days ago Holden told me he had to go to the office and have his hair checked.
That only meant one thing.
Rhymes with rice.
I guess it’s “going around”.
And it is NOT fun. You can read about our experience a couple years ago when Elliott got it in Kinder here, here & here.
Sucked. Big time.
I did A LOT of Googling and researching. Maybe too much.
I did read in several places that good ‘ol inexpensive Suave coconut shampoo and conditioner is good for PREVENTING lice ~ not killing or treating. Apparently lice do not share my love of all things coconut….something in the scent they do not care for.
Needless to say, we have been using this combo for the past year and a half. Like a buck fifty at Wal-mart or Target. If you’re not a fancy schmancy salon only haircare purchaser, you may want to start using this on your kiddos.
On another note: the school gave me a flier for a lice treatment place in the LA area. I became desperate and thought about spending money to get our household lice-free once and for all {Elliott was the only one that got it, thank you Lord. I was a maniac with washing sheets and blankets and banishing Pillow Pets to the garage in a trash bag} Anyhoo, I decided to call our insurance to see if this would be something that they would cover {flier said that their services were covered by insurance, but I never trust fliers}. Our insurance said that this would NOT be covered since it is not a medical facility. That ended that because I also went to Yelp and found that these places did not have glowing reviews and that they were very expensive. I did not want to spend Jay’s hard earned dinero on getting nits out of our daughter’s hair. So I persevered. I did some more Googling and found that a comb at Walgreen’s came highly recommended. After spending DAYZZZ picking nits, I finally went and purchased this comb…
The minute your child is sent home with lice, get this comb. The one with the super long teeth took the nits out beautifully. I almost had it bronzed. Almost.
I’m not going to go into the lice killing shampoos. You can be the judge if you want to use them or go a more holistic route. I called our pediatrician and he said any of the national brands were OK. I ended up getting the generic Wal-mart brand that was comparable. It definitely murdered the actual lice, but then I started reading about how toxic these shampoos are. I freaked and then used a couple natural remedies as back up to make sure the bugs were kaput. {you can read about them in the links above}
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With Halloween coming and all the dress up play dates our littles partake in, I thought I’d pass along this info. I’m sure somewhere little Johnny will want to try on little Bobby’s scary mask, right? Just something to be aware of because you do not want your Halloween to be full of tricks. Trust me.
In speaking with several mamas at school, they were not aware of the coconut shampoo & conditioner secret.
That is it for my public service announcement! I’m here if you have any further questions. 😉
Can’t believe it was 96 months ago that we tied the knot at St. Francis Chapel and celebrated afterwards at Cafe Pacifica. Truly memorable both for us and for our guests!
Thank you for {putting up} with me and for your steadfast love and devotion to our family. I am so proud of your ethics and integrity which is what caught my eye almost 11 years ago.
Looking forward to what the next 96 months bring and I know, no matter what, that WE will embrace it TOGETHER as a team.
Thank you for being the LOVE in my life!
*****
Where there is love there is life ~ Mahatma Gandhi
The perfect San Diego Fall afternoon for nuptials in Balboa Park followed by an Old Town celebration late into the evening ~ more to come on that tomorrow, but today I wanted to share with you something fitting that I purchased this morning as a little anniversary gift to us. {but only I will wear it! ha!}
I’ve been admiring Leslie’s upcycled, vintage treasures since she opened her shop {Salvage 517} and when she Insta’d that she had some new beauties listed this morning, I took a peek and knew I had to have this little key around my neck to remind me of how lucky I am to have found Jay and start our life together officially almost eight years ago.
I adore it. And I adore Leslie. I had the pleasure of meeting her briefly a year ago at Blog Sugar and from the minute I met her I knew she had a heart of gold ~ a beautiful, vintage gold heart hugged by several gorgeous beads and strung on a bright and vibrant ribbon, of course.
Gah. I NEVER intended to take a two and a half week hiatus…I miss you all and hope to post more frequently since my three year blogiversary is just a couple weeks away!
The truth is, I’m just trying to keep my head above water….not in a bad way, just in a need to commit to less, get my priorities straight, get focused and stay focused kind of way.
Anyone else out there feel like this?
Last week we spent 4 nights and 5 days in beautiful Yosemite while the kids were off for Fall Break. The weather was gorgeous and cool {low 80s!} and we were still able to swim in the little creek that runs through Wawona where my uncle lives and where we stay when we visit.
These two pictures of our little fishies were Jay’s favorites and I couldn’t agree more…
I feel terrible that I have been neglecting this here blog…
I now have 6 free hours, five days a week and I can’t sit down to write a post or do any post-worthy projects!
So, I am just going to throw some thoughts and stuff out there with what we’ve been up to over the past week ~ just off the cuff.
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I can’t stop volunteering…first soccer coach, then yearbook layout, then assistant for PTA gala dinner, co-class momming it for Elliott’s room and picture taker/historian for Holden’s class! No wonder I don’t have time to blog.
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Loving these…
{ginger is almost up there with my love for coconut and reminds me so much of Fall}
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Fall NEEDS to hurry up and get here so I can make these…
I think I’m turning Japanese. I am in LOVE with the bento box!
After posting this, I was inspired to make lunches more fun {for both me and the kids!} so I set out to find some inexpensive bento boxes. First stop was TJ Maxx and I found these…
$5.99 and BPA Free! Win. Win.
Here are a few of the lunches I’ve packed…
{homemade Uncrustable, trail mix, fishes in a cute cupcake liner and fruit snack for dessert}
{Uncrustable, string cheese, leftover mac n cheese and fruit snack for dessert}
{bean & cheese burrito with salsa dipper, raisins, dried snap peas and granola bar for morning snack}
It has been so fun to pick little bits of this and that to fill their boxes with. If I send them to school with little finger foods, I am OK with that since a lot of times Holden will have a sandwich or some mac n cheese and fruit when he gets home. From what I understand, they don’t have a lot of time to eat, so quick little snacks and mini bites are perfect.
From time to time I will post some new bento ideas on my Instagram feed ~ please follow me {@aaspiras} if you, too, are at a loss for how to mix up your kiddos’ lunches! I can say that, for right now, I am excited to fill these two boxes every evening/morning and I hope it keeps up…we still have a long year ahead of us.
This afternoon I baked some mini banana muffins that I will throw in the freezer and stick in their lunches from time to time. Elliott has requested pumpkin muffins so I will certainly throw those into the rotation, too!
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Today is my mama’s birthday! We took her to Legoland over Labor Day weekend…
The happiest of birthdays to you, Mom!
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And while we were having lunch at Legoland, Jay was checking FB and noticed that his cousin from Nor Cal was there too, so he sent her a note and we met up with them ~ hadn’t seen them in 4 years!
{Holden & Elliott with Cara & Zach}
So so great to see you, Gia, Danny and kids! XO
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Tonight we’re trying out a new healthy take on Italian sausage with peppers and onions…can’t wait. Under 300 calories! They look de-lish and I will be sure and share the recipe.
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Hope you had a nice & relaxing or fun & hectic Labor Day Weekend!
I tried to keep the first couple weeks of lunch packing easy on myself.
We were only 4 days into school and already the kids were complaining about their lunches.
Holden hated the Cheez-its and the skin on the pre-sliced apples.
Elliott wanted me to immediately write out a check for $100 for hot lunch to keep in her account.
In our house, buying hot lunch has always been a treat ~ a few times a month. I’d like to keep it that way especially because they are both in school now.
I sent out an SOS on Facebook for lunch ideas and compiled them to help other mamas that may be in the same lunch boat.
Here are over 80 lunchbox fillers…
{Snacks}
Mini bagel with cream cheese
Granola bar/CLIF Z-bar/Nutri-grain bar
Nuts ~ peanuts, almonds, walnuts {unless you are a nut free school, of course}
Frozen Gogurts
Fruit roll
Mini rice cakes
String cheese, Babybel or Laughing Cow cheese wedges
Danimal Smoothie
Pirate’s Booty
Dried fruit
Banana chips
{“Main Dish”}
English Muffin Pizza
Leftovers from the night before
Hot dog or corn dog heated and wrapped in foil
Hummus and pita
Cheese and crackers
Salami, turkey or ham and cheese roll up
Strawberry and cream cheese sandwich
Cream cheese and cucumber sandwich
Lettuce wraps with diced chicken
Hard boiled or deviled eggs
Frozen Taquitos
Grilled cheese
Hot Pocket
{wrap warmed foods in foil to help keep in the heat}
Tuna Salad on crackers
Frozen waffles {toasted} with peanut butter
Tortellini Kebabs {thread tortellini, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls on a skewer} from the magazine parenting.com September 2012
Asian Chicken Pita {toss shredded chicken, carrots and crunchy noodles with peanut dressing and spoon into a pita} from parenting.com September 2012
{Thermos Options}
Pot stickers
Soup
Chili and cornbread
Spaghetti
Pizza rolls
Bagel Bites
Piggies in a blanket
Chicken nuggets
Fried Rice
Ramen noodles
Mini egg frittatas baked in cupcake pans
Mac n cheese with ham and peas
Orange chicken or teriyaki chicken and rice
{Fruit & Veggies}
Cantaloupe chunks
Sugar snap peas
Red or bell pepper slices
Ants on a log {celery, peanut butter and raisins}
Applesauce cup
Mandarin orange cup
Apple slices with peanut butter
Baby carrots with Ranch
Cuties {mini seedless oranges}
Kiwi slices
Raisins
Salad
Cucumber slices
{“Side Dishes”}
Shelled edamame
Trail Mix
Pickles
Popcorn
Cottage cheese
Veggie sticks
Dried peas
Black beans {beans}
Fishing poles and fish {pretzel sticks and goldfish crackers}
Tortilla chips and guac
Pasta salad
PB & Banana S’mores {stack graham crackers with peanut butter and banana slices} from parenting.com September 2012
Pop chips or Sun Chips
{Sweet Treats}
Fig Newtons
Fruit Snacks {I like Motts Medleys}
Kettle Corn
Mini Oreos or Nutter Butters
S’mores mix ~ Mini marshmallows, Teddy Grahams and mini chocolate chips
Mini muffins
Rice crispy {or other homemade} cereal bar
Banana pops {cut bananas in half and insert popsicle stick into each piece. Dip in melted chocolate and roll in sliced almonds. Freeze on waxed paper for 15 minutes then wrap in plastic wrap until ready to send to school} from parenting.com September 2012
{In A Pinch}
Lunchables
Smuckers Uncrustables
Buy school hot lunch
{Drinks}
Capri Sun
Roarin’ Waters flavored water {Capri Sun}
Juicy Juice juice boxes
Horizon Organic Milk {doesn’t need to be refrigerated}
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{Tips from other mamas and teachers}
When hungry, kids will eat anything cold or room temperature.
Kids throw away a lot of food, so the best thing to do is feed them a good, healthy breakfast and a big dinner and send them to school with little snacky foods.
Give them a sandwich when they get home instead of packing one in their lunch box ~ keep it simple.
They don’t have a lot of time to eat so quick, easy bites are best.
Have them finish anything left in their lunch box as a snack when they get home.
I don’t do it often enough, but I do like to tuck a little note written in a napkin or cute paper once in awhile. I found these little cards at Target in the dollar section which are blank on the back for a personal note…
I hope this list is helpful. I tried to include kid-friendly, somewhat easily obtainable and easy-to-prepare options which is what I think all busy moms are looking for.
Please, please feel free to comment with your lunch box favorites as we can NEVER have too many suggestions!
If you realllly want to be inspired, go to Pinterest and type {“kids lunch ideas” and “bento lunches”} into the search box. You know….if you have some extra time on your hands.
My plan is to share some lunch ideas via Instagram as I test them with my kiddos. Please follow me {@aaspiras} on IG if you’re interested not only for happy lunch box ideas, but other daily goings on in my life. I’d love to hear from you and see what you’re up to, too.
THANK YOU to all my FB mamas that commented and shared their ideas, those who forwarded links and tore out articles from magazines. I appreciate the input and I know other mamas will as well!
So………let’s do lunch ~ best of luck brown baggin’ it this school year!
XO
Linking up with April over at {The GINGERBREAD Blog} for Sweet Saturday!