Picture day??

ummm....went to drop Josie off at preschool.  I usually try and put her in something half-cute and make an attempt to brush her hair, and top it off with a bow or clip. (if momma can't look cute, I can at least project my put-together self of yesteryear onto my daughter, right?)  Well, she wanted to dress herself this am.  White jeans (we don't follow the no white after Labor Day in NB), a green tank top and Havianas.  Umm.
Me: "Josie, honey, it's raining outside" 
(and it NEVER rains, so it's exciting for me to put on boots and sweaters, sad, I know)
J: "no, no more rain"
Me: "you aren't allowed to wear flip flops to school"
J: "no more rain"
BUT she conceded and let me put real shoes on her, but that's it.  No bow, no brush, no nothing else. I didn't feel like arguing and since she always comes home with paint all over her, what does it really matter? Needless to say, brushing her hair didn't happen- and I should mention that she has the cutest curls, but they can get super frizzy- that's kinda how it was.  Sometimes you need to pick your battles.  I was focused on getting her to school, doing a little housework and picking her up all ready to drive south to the parents house for the afternoon/dinner. 
(Don't worry, I was going to bring a change of clothes and a brush). 
I finally get her to her classroom (remember this whole time I'm holding a 2.5 month old) and the teacher says

 "um, you remember it's picture day today?" 


WHAT??? 

My young self was tisk tisking all the way back from 2nd grade when I used to plan out my picture day outfits and practice doing my hair. 
My poor little Josie, she's going to look like a lost little poodle in her first EVER school pic. 
Alas, sigh...well make it up on the spring pics.  I'm talking getting a blow out and a brand new outfit.  maybe a little blush if I can make it look natural.  just kidding, not really.  cheers

Mushroom Soup You and Everyone Else will Actually Like

I love mushrooms, but never really know what to do with them when I buy them except make a veal marsala or put em with onions and lay em on some steak.  I came across this recipe and LOVE the mushroomy taste of it- trust me, I've tried many recipes.  I thought the other recipes were okay, but my husband refused to eat them.  But he LOVES this soup and actually gets excited when I tell him I'm making it.  Oh, and the balsamic at the end sounds weird, but TRY IT!  It makes it, and vinegar is soooo good for us!

Cut one large onioninto slices  and saute with some evoo
Cut 12oz. of mushrooms into slices (I use porcini and Chanterelle)- but get a mix of whatever is available

Once the onion is getting soft (after about 5 mins) add the mushrooms (I add some organic unsalted butter too at this point)
Saute for about 8 mins (until they've realeased their jucies)

Add 2-4 cups on chicken stock and dried or fresh parsley. Bring soup to a very gentle simmer and cook uncovered for about one hour. After an hour (when soup should have reduced by at least 1/4) taste for flavor, and add salt and fresh ground black pepper as needed. If the soup doesn't seem flavorful enough, cook a bit longer to reduce a little more. When soup has a good mushroom flavor, puree. Use an immersion blender in the pot, or carefully remove hot soup to a food processor or or regular blender to puree. (Be very careful if using food processor or blender. Puree in batches, and don't overfill the container.)

Serve hot with 2 T of good quality balsamic on top!  Bon Appetit!

Housekeeping

Here is a schedule I put together to make sure the whole house gets cleaned every week and I don't feel overwhelmed trying to do everything every day.  I don't have a cleaning lady, so it's just me and a whole lot of square footage w/ 2 dogs and 2 kids to clean up after. :)
Hope it helps...if you want me to email it to you, just let me know.  On my document, it's all on one page and I keep it inside my cabinet in the kitchen. :)

Daily

Make bed               

Tidy Bathroom counter                     

Quick VacuumDownstairs                   

Tidy Bedroom                                    

Wipe kitchen counter

Empty Dishwasher/sink                         

 Tidy Powder Room

Week #1

Monday

Wash Sheets

Laundry

Vacuum Downstairs

Mop Downstairs

Clean Powder Room

Tuesday

Master Bath

Dust Master furniture

Laundry

Wednesday

Vacuum Upstairs

Mop Bath & Laundry

Clean Girls’ Bathrooms

Thursday

Vacuum Downstairs

Mop

Clean Powder Room

Wipe all kitchen Counters

Friday

Dust Downstairs

Wipe all Stainless Steel

Clean Stove

Clean Outside Table

Week #2

Monday

Wash Girls’ Sheets

Wash Sheets

Laundry

Vacuum Downstairs

Mop Downstairs

Clean Powder Room

Tuesday

Master Bath

Dust Master furniture

Clean side tables

Laundry

Wednesday

Clean Laundry Room

Clean Kitchen- Deep

Vacuum Upstairs

Mop Bath & Laundry

Thursday

Vacuum Downstairs

Mop

Clean Powder Room

Wipe all kitchen Counters

Window sills & Blinds

Dust all shelves

Friday

Dust Downstairs

Wipe all Stainless Steel

Clean Stove

Clean Outside Table

Clean Telephones

Sweep Patios

Week #3

Monday

Wash Sheets

Laundry

Vacuum Downstairs

Mop Downstairs

Clean Powder Room

Tuesday

Master Bath

Dust Master furniture

Clean side tables

Laundry

Wednesday

Clean Laundry Room

Vacuum Upstairs

Mop Bath & Laundry

Dust Upstairs Windows/Fans

Thursday

Vacuum Downstairs

Mop

Clean Powder Room

Wipe all kitchen Counters

Friday

Dust Downstairs

Wipe all Stainless Steel

Clean Stove

Clean Outside Table

Clean Refrigerator

Week #4

Monday

Wash Sheets

Laundry

Vacuum Downstairs

Mop Downstairs

Clean Powder Room

Switchplates-wipe

Tuesday

Master Bath

Dust Master furniture

Clean side tables

Laundry

Wednesday

Clean Laundry Room

Vacuum Upstairs

Mop Bath & Laundry

Dust Upstairs Windows/Fans

Door Windows

Thursday

Vacuum Downstairs

Mop

Clean Powder Room

Wipe all kitchen Counters

Friday

Dust Downstairs

Wipe all Stainless Steel

Clean Stove

Clean Outside Table

Clean Refrigerator

Sweep Patios

Seared Ahi

Our friend Benny went fishing this week and caught a bunch of tuna...lucky for us, he was willing to part with some of it....  it was seriously like butter....

SEPTEMBER

My little Gia is already a month old and I'm starting to fall back into a schedule and feel a little normal.  Still sore on the C-section front, but able to sit up and move around without pain. :) yay!  Here are some pics of the girls..

My first blog, EVER

So, hi there.  Not sure. where.to.start.  I started looking for blogs last week about motherhood and all the funness that comes with it.  I mean, you just have to laugh at some of this stuff.  And then I started thinking that I should write one...like I have an extra second in my day. :)   Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I'm a SAHM with two little girls-- all I really have to do is keep the house clean and make some dinner, right?  But some days, I'm just not sure what happened or how it's possible that so much dust can accumulate...when did I dust last?  Anyway, so ever since I started thinking that I should start a blog, I've been thinking in "blog".  Like when my MIL made that weird comment "I should do a blog on that" or when the lady at Traders tried to cut in line for the bathroom (really?) "I should blog about that too".  So here I sit, with so many good ideas.  hmmmm.


I think I should give some more background about myself.  I grew up in a small (and I mean small) town in San Diego.  I am the oldest of seven children and so when I went away for college, I only went to San Diego -a decision I partly regret- but that's abfat (another blog for another time).  I mean, my youngest sister was only five when I packed up my little Chevy Cavalier and drove 45 mins south.  I told myself I would visit a lot so I wouldn't miss out on her growing up, but then college was too fun and I really only came home for the holidays, so I might've well have been going to college in New York (where I wish I'd gone- or somewhere back east).  Back to the family, so there's me- big, bad, bossy, Big Sis and then my sister, followed by four boys and finished off with a little girl.

After college (instead of moving to a big city) I moved with a college friend up to her hometown, Newport Beach.  By this time, I was already dating my husband, but we weren't super serious (as I wasn't/hadn't been super serious with anyone) but then we got super serious...and five years later, we got married in Kauai.

Since then we had Josie and now Gianna. (more about the Italian names later).  I'll be posting cute pics of my girls, I can't help it--so darn adorable and look back at some funny, some serious things that've happened.  I'm not afraid to write about how marriage can be hard sometimes or how sometimes the time away from my girls is THE BEST.  Everyone needs a break now and then.  I  believe we should enjoy life and laugh as much as possible and not waste time worrying about what other people think- even if that means having one too many glasses of wine occassionally (or as often as possible).  I'm excited to write about so many things...this blog is going to be my free therapy..enjoy. So, cheers for now...