Tag Archives: 2011

One A Month ~ 2011 In Review

Last year I challenged myself to review the year with just one photo from each month. It was hard because there were so many picture perfect moments.

2011 was no different, but I was able to relive all beautiful memories month by month with just one picture….gotta play by the rules!

: January ~ Snow in Valencia! :

: February ~ Holden celebrated {4} with a trip to the local fire station :

: March ~ Elliott goes to cheer camp :

: April ~ Jay after mud run @ Lake Castaic :

: May ~ Elliott & friends hunting tadpoles at her 6th birthday party @ Placerita Canyon State Park :

: June ~ Last day of kindergarten :

: July ~ Summer vacation in Myrtle Beach with Lolo & Lola :

: August ~ HOT back-to-school days :

: September ~ First Padres game at Petco Park over Labor Day weekend :

: October ~ Annual Yosemite visit :

: November ~ Welcoming in the holiday season @ Disneyland :

: December ~ Chocolate overload @ m&m World in Vegas :

*****

Twelve moments frozen in time.

Looking forward to many more of these happy times in {twenty twelve} whether they be digitally captured or just simple memories of the everyday.

Season’s Greetings

{Thank you to the random woman in Toon Town that offered to take our picture for this here Christmas card!}

*****

Santa has come and gone.

Gifts have been wrapped and unwrapped.

Elliott has been face timing me all afternoon on her new iPod Touch.

Holden has mastered his Batman Lego Wii game.

Turkey is out of the brine and on the Weber.

Side dishes are prepped and ready to go in the oven.

Paula Deen’s old fashioned sweet potato pie is cooling on the counter.

It’s sunny and 70* here today ~ the kids both dressed themselves in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.

Another typical, yet oh so special, Christmas Day.

I am already {sad} that the season is coming to a close…looking forward to 2012, though, and all that it has to offer.

Twelve months to mold into whatever we want them to be.

There will be busy days and lazy days, laughter and tears, ups and downs, meeting new friends and spending time with the {old} ones, trying to remember to live each day to the fullest and with conviction & purpose.

THANK YOU to all who come here daily, weekly or monthly and flop around with me. I truly appreciate each and every one of you!

The merriest of Christmases to you and yours.

XO

Vampire Teeth

Another Halloween down in the books.

I really wish Halloween would ALWAYS fall on a Saturday night. This Monday evening business is no fun. Even though Elliott didn’t have school today {smart school district!}, I still felt like we had to turbo trick-or-treat and get home at a decent hour.

We had a little Halloween Happy Hour before doing the rounds in our neighborhood…a fun new tradition, I think!

My little mummy opted for some bloodshot eyes and vampire teeth over my fabulous make-up artistry as seen on my {zombie cheerleader}.

Thanks again TJ Maxx for hookin’ this non-sewin’ mama up with some fun costumes this year!

Now to get the Kit Kats, Almond Joys, Snickers, Butterfingers, Skittles, Tootsie Rolls, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, m&m’s, etc. OUT OF THE HOUSE! I am pleased to report that I have not have one piece today {a record} and I don’t plan on having any tomorrow or the following day.

I am training myself to believe that Sunsweet Ones {prunes} are just as good as a fun size Halloween treat.

We’ll get there.

Jillian and I are hooking up again. I’ve missed her so.

Gotta cut back for the next few weeks before Mr. Turkey and his side dish friends come to visit.

Happy November!

Summer To-Do List ~ 2011

Memorial Day is a couple weeks away and that only means one thing…Summer is just around the corner.

Only 3 weeks left of school ~ yikes!

Last summer I drew up a little to-do list and we had fun completing the {tasks} and crossing them off.

Here is what I came up with for the warm, summer months this year…

1. Maiden voyage to the aquatic center

2. Game night with friends/neighbors {Taboo, Catch Phrase, Scattergories}

3. Family game nights {Candyland, Go Fish, dominoes}

4. Informal block party

5. BBQ at the pool

6. Evening bike ride to Rite-Aid for ice cream {chocolate malted crunch for me, please!}

{via}

7. Homemade lemonade w/ choice of add-in {strawberries, cherries or raspberries}

{via}

8. Rent “Soul Surfer”

9. Do a 5K by the beach

10. Friends over for pancakes in our pajamas

11. Make cake pops

{via}

12. Getty Villa

{via}

13. Order pizza delivery at the pool for dinner

14. Visit local animal shelter

15. Go to a baseball game {this one was left over from last summer}

Along with a trip to the Carolinas and summer camps, this list is pretty lofty, but we’re going to do our best to fit these little bits of fun into our June, July & August!

What are you going to be checking off your list this summer?

 

Sailing Along

Seriously.

Where has this year gone?

I was just marking some things on the calendar and realized that we have all sorts of good stuff already lined up for the rest of 2011.

T-ball starting tomorrow. Easter. Birthday parties. Baby showers. End-of-the-school-year celebrations. Dance recital. Summer camps. A trip east to Myrtle Beach. Yosemite. Back-to-school. Blog Sugar. Fall goodness. And then the holidays all over again.

As  much as I love having lots of things on the calendar, I love to be home almost as much. I really do love my Mondays & Wednesdays around the house getting caught up so that we can have fun on the weekends. Laundry, cleaning, organizing, sitting out in the patio having breakfast and lunch with Holden. I am happier when the house is in order and I am caught up on the laundry ~ yes, I am that mom. I know that chores and cleaning can wait ’til tomorrow, but I just cannot let our little nest get too out of control. That is when I get irritable and all around unhappy.

It’s daily that I try to find the balance between {having fun} and {taking care of business}.

A busy calendar vs. productive days at home.

I am content with both, but one cannot take place without the other.