Tuesday, January 29, 2013

nest notes {roasted brussels sprouts with garlic aioli}


WE HAVE A NEW FAVE!
 
i made this for dinner & it was sooo fantastic!!!
 
the brownsugars love love love brussels sprouts & this garlic aioli was a great dip (we spread it on our french onion turkey meatloaf even). i used fresh raw garlic & lemons from our grove. i also used olive oil instead & let it sit a couple of hours before serving.
 
a quick, easy & SUPER tasty way to get your veggies in! it will def be one of our fave snacks. i will experiment with other veggies... but the girlies are already asking for more!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

nest notes {weekending}




cute new iPad cover & a hot mug of green tea.

i have a grey kinda boring screen cover flap thing but excited i found this super cute iPad carrying case. It's cushy, has compartments inside for all the little accessories i always worry about losing, a ring for keys & is already the color of dirt. LOVE & just in time for a little road trip test. hubby & the brownsugars are in a wedding this weekend & we are hitting the road. i'm happy my little iPad will be traveling in style as well as being doubly protected.

i've been super fatigued the last few weeks & thought i must be coming down with something. then i dawned on me that with this cold weather i was drinking more coffee than usual. which for me was only one small cup (not huge mug) but the problem was it became daily. coffee & me are an odd pair. sometimes & i never know when but it makes me instantaneously feel like i have taken a sleeping pill. weird.

i used to only drink green tea, but now sometimes i just really like the taste of coffee & usually only drink it during the winter. but the taste is really about it...i don't NEED it. i still love tea the most though. tea makes me feel so much better & doesn't have any of the crazy affects that coffee has on me. so, two days later coffee free & some extra self care, just in case & i'm getting back to good.

ok so...yes goodbye to coffee & yes i am rambling when i should be packing.
ok bye.

HAPPY WEDDING!!! HAPPY EARLY WEEKEND!!!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

weekending. north park & the big bay.



 
1.12.2013. North Park SD & The Big Bay.
 
"let's get a coffee...but in North Park!"
on Saturday we felt like exploring & taking a little day trip 45 mins away in San Diego. it's so nice to be able to just hop in the car & go with minimal prep! we hung out in North Park with a little bit of Hillcrest mixed in. after cruising around & grabbing a coffee shop treat (coffee for me & hubby & blended caramels for the brownsugars) we drove around areas of Balboa Park we were not familiar with to people watch & looking at the fab houses in our fave neighborhood behind it.
 
afterwards we wandered around The Big Bay. it was late by the time we got there & all of the attractions were closing. it was so windy & FREEZING by the water, the brownsugars were getting uncomfortable (brrr!!!) & starting to meltdown. but still i loved that it was a beautifully brisk winter-y day by the water which we don't get here very often. we enjoyed it overall & cannot wait to go back to the museums. as we were walking back to our car a lobster fisherman was weighing in his catch & he was so excited to give the girlies a little lobster lesson..he was such a character!
 
we moved to Southern California about 6 years ago. the 1st few years we spent the same amount of time living in both our new home here & our old home (6 hours away). hubby was also working long hours & weekends between both places. we've done some local exploring, but haven't really done enough in my book. now we have more time & the brownsugars are older also which makes exploring easier.
 
there is so much to do & see here even just with in 30 minutes to an hour & tons we have yet to see, so we will be doing plenty day trips. i love traveling & with less planning, packing, driving, etc...i think living here as a tourist will be an easy, economical & exciting way to explore new things & have lots of family fun!
 
ps late post...pix took 3 days to upload?!?! grrr!




Friday, January 11, 2013

hello 2013...more unplugging & more enjoying.


warning: this post is a little long so grab a cup of tea, make yourself comfie  & enjoy!
 
this was last Friday.
the girlies happy little zombie faces were glued to their brand new handheld video games all day every day since they got them.
i was on the internet on various screens for hours doing my yearly bargain stock up shopping online along with trying to keep up with everything & everyone else online. bleh.
 
after breakfast the Saturday morning of our unplugged gadget/technology detox i lit a candle, poured some tea & sat in front of my kitchen window with a years worth of magazines i was always too busy to get too & began purging. peace.
 
i was EXTREMELY giddy when i came across this article about the Unplugging Lifestyle in Sunset Mag, January 2013 issue. YES! i didn't realize this unplugged-ness i was craving was an actual thing, like an actual movement! as much as i would love my entire household to be this unplugged, it's a dream. but as for myself i have no problems with & look forward to powering down.
love this quote "i think TV and internet and phones become such a time suck that people feel that they don't have time for anything else..." Corliss.
 
i also love this post Do You Ever Think About Breaking Up With Your iPhone. as much as i LOVE my iPhone, the novelty of my cool new iPhone has worn off (Phaby my phone baby as i named "her" when i 1st got her) & i've been having these EXACT same thoughts. realistically going back to a non-smart phone is also a dream. aside from being a phone (if you even dare call it that, i rarely use it as an actual phone), it has been a handy & sometimes necessary device ex: fab educational apps, paperless organizer (list maker, calendar, alarm, reminders), being able to look up directions or recipes immediately, answer questions or important messages immediately, take photos & work sample etc...esp all on the go.
 
BUT i limit the amt of apps, games, etc & as a result i have the most boring iPhone ever. i have become disciplined with the amount of time i spend on it & about putting it on the charger in the closet, in the gadget basket during the day & checking it only a few times.
 
& i also love this post Does Your Life Need A Good Edit? (timely as i have spent the last month purging, cleaning & getting tons more done in general, but i applied it to technology too).  
 
don't get me wrong, i think technology is fascinating, very useful & even necessary at times, but i HATE having a lot of it, depending on it (except my GPS!) always being connected, accessible, or having a electronic device or screen of some sort in front of my face or in my hand (my poor wrist).
 
i also love connecting with, keeping in touch & seeing what's going on with everyone online all in one place, especially since i live so far away. BUT i've learned that i just cannot keep up with every single status update, tweet, IG pic (& liking them all), each pin on pinterest, blog posts, etc. & for me just TRY is super anxiety producing let alone time sucking. nor do i feel the need to share each of my life's details or thoughts etc with everyone...so i don't anymore. & also i now don't allow myself to feel guilty about being a bad friend (cyber or real life)...it's just impossible & its ok.
 
a few days before i started the hello...2013 posts i considered shutting this blog down for good. i'm too busy, there are sooo many other ways to share, i had bloggie writers block blah blah blah...maybe i was just done.
 
but then i came to a few conclusions:
 
*i'm just not a consistent blogger & never will be. that's that & that's ok (no pressure).
 
*i will no longer doing super long detailed homeschooling work sample posts. they take forever & i never looked forward to them. it's much faster to print out a pic & do a handwritten write up. easy.
 
*this is just going to be my little space to share whatever. i love this the most. posting whenever i want, whatever i want & not what i don't.
 
*i'm just gonna enjoy my little bloggie with my few followers & my few regular readers that drop in from time to time (according to the stats)...& I THANK YOU ALL!
 
hello...2013.
here's to more unplugging & to more enjoying.
if that makes any sense.

Friday, January 4, 2013

hello 2013...run. ride. rock.






in August i got running shoes for my anniversary.
FINALLY time to get back to it after over 2 1/2 years off due to a knee injury. this time i had the shoes & insoles custom fitted. i've always been a New Balance girl but i am a Mizuno convert!
what a difference with the custom fitting & new brand, they are heaven...not to mention gorgeous!

i've slowly worked my way back to it, making sure i baby my knee!being a runner had become my identity & i'm so happy to be back to my passion. i am pleasantly surprised that my cardio is still way better than i expected & my knee is tolerating a fair amount of impact & distance, but im trying not to push too much too fast! 

i even joined an indoor soccer league, played my 1st game, scored a goal with my bad self & LOVED it. immediately after i came down with nasty chest yucks that also felt like i had the flu everyday & it lasted 3 months! sidelined & bummed again for a bit...

still hubby & i ran a 5k Turkey Trot in November that we had planned with friends months in advance. it was his 1st race ever, my 1st since my knee injury & our 1st race together! it was sooo awesome to do it together! i struggled thru it with my chest yucks (sparing the details) but ending up finishing way better than i expected. around the same finishing time as when i was fit & training & ran my 1st TT a few years before & only 2 places below in my age group ranking...not that it matters, i'm just saying... 
not too shabby & a good confidence booster! 

ok so i got 1 bike ride in. 
as in 1 ride in for the entire year of 2012.
ok wait maybe 2 actually but still terrible.
i miss my bike! i really need the cross training for my knee.
but i never get to ride grrr!
  
during the girls soccer season my time is completely sucked up .
this year we coached 2 teams & with practices, games on weekends (Saturdays are ride days), homeschooling, & other life activities (horseback lessons, church, etc)...no time.
& of course when soccer season ended the rainy season began & the rides cancelled.

BUT there is plenty of time before next soccer season, it can't rain every Saturday & no more excuses!

hello 2013.
i have some fitness goals set for myself & these are a few of them.
i plan on rocking them so i really hope we can work together.
(no announcements yet, but i'm pretty excited for myself!)
 
ps i guess i should also mention that yes i extended my gym membership again & yes have yet to used it. blah. i absolutely HATE HATE HATE working out indoors. kills me especially when where i live is in such abundance of natural beauty, fab weather & clean air! BUT i need to add weights & vary the impact of running on my knee with the elliptical trainer (which is my fave).
so i'm going to trying to make myself go, but am making no promises & there will probably be some pouting. boo.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

hello 2013...i hear you friend!


i never make New Year's resolutions.
yes, i have certain goals in mind for the upcoming new year, but i try to be flexible & patient as i try to wait on the direction in which God guides me & then work in accord with it.
He's is much better at directing my life than i am.

besides how can i possibly know what life has in store for me before the year even begins right?

ok so this is what i mean:
it has only been 3 days into 2013 & so far each night of this new year i have been awake for hours in the middle of the night of course, meditating on the same topic...FORGIVENESS!
& i'm sure that it is not by coincidence that yesterday my good friend posted the reminder above.
[just for me i'm sure! thank you M.J.]

yes forgiveness again *sigh*. 
2012 presented plenty of opportunities for me to practice & perfect my rusty forgiveness skills. i went thru it last year & i thought with all that practice i became pretty good at it all...ok i thought i was done & had forgiveness down actually!

um no. this was not a goal i had chosen for myself for this year but clearly these early morning sessions of self evaluation & meditation are letting me know i am FAR from done & 2013 is here to finish in me what 2012 started.

interestingly, what has surprised me most is that each of these nights the same exact situations keep resurfacing that i thought or better yet tried to fool myself into thinking i had completely let go of (but knowing good & well i'm actually holding onto just a teeny tiny stubborn little bit).

so maybe that is part of the work ahead of me in 2013, to continue not just humbling myself, turning the other cheek & keep on SAYING "i forgive you" but really MEANING it...& the completely letting go part.

hello 2013.
I HEAR YOU FRIEND.
i am accepting my assignment! 
now may i please please please sleep thru the night soon ?!?!

ps i get lots of practice giving & asking forgiveness from my sweet girlies constantly & consistently on a daily basis because it is both easy & necessary for me to forgive my own children's cute faces. just as i hope & need it to be easy for them to forgive their own far from perfect mama who does the best she can.
 
BUT for some reason...i have this sneaking suspicion that this is all some kind of foreshadowing & training prepping me for the rest of these years with one teen (eased in gently so far...not too bad) BUT even more so the upcoming years with a household of 3 teenaged GIRLS! Lord knows i need to start now & need all the help i can get...YIKES!

continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely if anyone has a cause for complaint against another . even as God FREELY FORGAVE you, so do you also. Colossians 3:13

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

under mighty oaks






























Mighty Oak
Stand tall oh mighty oak, for all the world to see,
your strength and undying beauty forever amazes me.
Though storm clouds hover above you,
your branches span the sky,
in search of the radiant sunlight you
count on to survive.
When the winds are high and restless and
you lose a limb or two,
it only makes you stronger, we
could learn so much from you.
Though generations have come and gone
and brought about such change,
quietly you've watched them all yet still
remained the same.
I only pray God give to me the strength he's
given you,
to face each day with hope, whether
skies are black or blue,
Life on earth is truly a gift
every moment we must treasure,
it's the simple things we take for granted
that become our ultimate pleasures.
Kathy J Parenteau source

this poem is such an inspiration to me.
oaks are an important part of our towns natural history.
i'll be copying it & posting it where it can encourage me daily.

today was spent with friends.
under mighty oaks.
in the warm sun & clean fresh air.
it was such a good day.

our winter break is winding down.
we've been checking lots of fun things off our winter to do list.
we've been working hard cleaning, purging & reorganizing.
we've also been enjoying lazy days just kicking back by the fireplace, reading, crafting & being home doing all sorts of slow happy to be staying home & having nowhere to be kinds of things.

it's been a nice, quiet way to say good bye 2012 & hello 2013.