Absolute Mayhem... and lovin' it

That kind of sums of parenthood, doesn't it? *insert smirk*

It also sums up our whirlwind 2 weeks! First, I forgot to wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day last week; my apologies. I was actually due on Mother's Day last year but Isabella came out a couple days later. So I counted this year as my first official Mother's Day and it was nice. Roe and I somehow woke up super early (rare for me that is) and ate breakfast together (fresh bread toasted + whipped cream cheese + strawberry preserves by bonne maman = my fave for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack). I totally didn't expect a gift this year (though Roe is always very good about gifts, I asked him not to get me anything and instead, I bought myself a Lacoste shirt dress) but he prepared something anyway: a wad o' cash!! Horrific to some maybe but for me, it was THE BEST GIFT EVER!!! It felt like a free pass to treat myself to whatever I wanted without any strings or guilt attached. I could pay for my massage or latte, buy myself some needed jeans (will comment more on those later), or whatever else I felt like without having to calculate my pennies.

And of course, our Isabella's 1st Birthday party was this past weekend too. It just melts my heart thinking about it. Hopefully our guests enjoyed themselves.. but really, I enjoyed it very much too. Sure, it was definitely mayhem in our house the day before and after.. but aren't the best parties like that anyway? Like the huge hangover you had in college after partyin' like no tomorrow; it wouldn't have been a hangover if you were walled up in your dorm room banging your head on the wall for not studying as much as you should have. I had to do a lot of running around to pick up things here and there but thinking about all of the small details for Isabella was fun--even if no one else would notice.

If you don't know me, I'm not much of a creative person or crafty by any means... but this party, I really stretched myself to TRY to be one. I did things I've never done before: mixed paints to form the right shade of green (to match the perfect shade of pink for our party), planned ahead and bought clearance Easter items--for their colors--to decorate the party, reserved a cotton candy machine, hired a face painter for the kids, brought home a helium tank, along with 2 huge rolls of colored butcher paper--imagine carrying that in Rochester downtown to your car! I may be biased but I have the say, the party was a huge success. I really owe my thanks to my mom and aunt, my head caterer. They really REALLY outdid themselves and I'm eternally grateful for their generosity. And so many other people helped us to make it all possible: MANY THANKS AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE (yes YOU!).

Along with having a GREAT time, I learned a lot about how to throw a huge party (approx. 140 guests in our home). There are a few things you have to consider before throwing such a large soiree and preparing the right amount of food, cake, decorations, and even placement are all a part of the equation. More on that later..

For now, let's just enjoy the aftermath.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISABELLA!

This time last year, I was holding Isabella fresh out o' the womb. Now, a look back at the last 12 months and it's crazy amazing how God has allowed her to thrive and grow. Hallelujah for giving me a truly bootiful bebe!

And here we are now:

Black Tie

It's no secret that Roe and I (wait, I meant just ME) don't really get any outside help so date nights are pretty much ... nonexistent? But I get it. This is my new life and I need to reinvent myself... so I'm trying to think of who I want to be. 8)

Anyway, Roe and I got invited to an APACC event (Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce) the other night. Totally reminded me of those APA events in college. I even ran a workshop once or twice... and I almost ran up on stage to do body worship (GenAPA freshmen year)! The speaker was cool, talked about Transformation through Innovation. The crux of his messge: sometimes we are forced to transform our personal identities as a result of layoffs, name changes, family changes.... anything that forces us to rethink who we are and where are we going.

Well, with all of that, the best part of the night (the food delish and desserts galore) was just feeling pretty again. Roe glued on some fake eyelashes for me (impressive to say the least and I think he could qualify for a career change!), bought some bobby pins to pull my hair out of my face, wore a bridesmaid dress, and instantly.. I just felt pretty and like before (okay, almost. The unsteady walking in heels gave it away but it was pretty darn close.) my life was full of responsibilities [like the REAL kind].

Who knew $7 (eyelash glue + bobby pins from Walgreens) could do so much for my emotional well-being?




And just like Cinderella, everything went back to the way things were at midnight. [But I think I'll put on fake eyelashes during the week sometime too.]

Stay-cation instead of Vacation!

So I've been begging pleading Roe (my dear husband) for a vacation. Somewhere where we can relax, enjoy some sun (that requires serious SPF) and dresses, walk around and enjoy good food... you get the picture. But in this economy, you not only have to watch your pennies (and seriously, my mutual fund is becoming pennies after my financial advisor promised a few $100,000) but you also have to watch your back at work. You've got to make yourself indispensible and worth your stay. But fear not, you can totally make your Staycation BETTER than a vacation!

I mean, you get PAID to take vacation days... TAKE THEM, YOU WORKAHOLICS! You can plan a day around your town/city/state: go to museums, amusement parks, carnivals, attractions, etc. Eat out at every meal or make meals together at home. (note: only do this if it will NOT be stressful for you. if you have a husband like mine that likes to supervise in the kitchen, keep him busy with something else! I like to keep him busy at the grill while I prepare everything else in the kitchen.) Go out for coffee with your spouse or do date night during the evening while you get a house sitter--go out AFTER your little one goes to sleep! Do things you enjoyed before kids: for us, we loved grocery shopping or running errands together. But whatever it is, you just have to commit to no nagging and no stress. Lounge in a bikini on your deck if you have to or make some Sangria and wear sunglasses indoors--whatever it takes!

And the BIGGEST plus is that you don't have to pack/take a huge suit case JUST for Isabella, go through airport security huffing and puffing, carry a stroller and monstrous (and seriously, it's a $300 monster) carseat, rent a crib, clean that crib, go through sleepless nights, and worry about nap times.

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On a side note: Isabella has officially taken steps without assitance since Tuesday. Only 2-4 currently but the look on her face is priceless! She looks so proud of herself and she'll speed crawl to you or fall in your lap with a huge look of toothy accomplishment.

Side note II: Isabella attends a private preschool near our house 2x/week. I went to pick her up today and was met with the cutest soon-to-be-big toddler sporting the same leggings I put on her this morning but with a tie-dyed onesie she made that said, "i love mom" and "happy mother's day!". Afterwards, I HAD to go to the grocery store (or anywhere public) just to show it off.

I'm officially a very proud mama.

Need a Pick-Me-Up?

You know those days where your lids barely stay open and it's only... ahem, 10:30am. And going to Starbucks frequently just isn't wallet-friendly. Plus, in order to leave the house appropriately (not like you've come from the dead), it would take at least another 20-30 minutes + 20 minutes to get Isabella ready... all of that just doesn't seem practical for a cup o' latte that I can't even finish.

The perfect solution: bodum french press! It makes greeaaattttt coffee--as light or strong as you want. AND it doesn't produce that bitter taste. Coffee shouldn't taste bitter but pleasant.

I grind up a few spoonfuls of beans until it looks like sand (not pebbles), then put into the press and add boiling/hot-hot water. I let it sit for awhile push the "press" part down and voila! A perfect cup.

Add sugar and creme to taste.

Nursery Decor

Ok, a real post:

Want to decorate your nursery with fun things on the wall but afraid to commit? I know how you feel. We painted Isabella's room (creme on top, stripes below the chair rail) but I couldn't get myself to do anything else fun to liven up her room until.....



I found these at Target! They're sticker decals that peel off when you're done with them and they're available in all sorts of fun shapes. Best of all, they're only $14.99. I've seen these online before but for more like $60+ but that just seems like highway robbery.


Now, I just need to add the small shelves and little frames to complete the "look". Well over a year in making... this is probably as creative as I get.

I Like Big Butts and I Cannot Lie...

**enter Big Booty dancers**

One of the best by-products of breastfeeding (besides the bonding with your baby, blah blah blah), is the effortless weight-loss! I could eat like a cow, more like EAT a whole cow, and I had no booty to show for it. But now that it's been a few months since we've weaned, my body is slowly coming back to its normal state. I don't mind though because I kind of missed the jiggle with each step.

So, this is just an announcement to let you know my booty is back and it's better than ever!

[ok, bad BAD experience just now... i tried to find a funny picture to insert from the web and all i got were HORRIBLE pornographic images. YUCK... i think i have throw up in my mouth now]