It's a New Year

Today is February 4--my 29th birthday!

But this post is about my progress with my New Year's resolution. At the end of the year, I decided I really needed to do more of the cooking around here. Fernando has been the primary "chef" of the house for the last few years, but I think I need to help out a bit more since I'm not working as much as I did in previous years. So, with the help of Pinterest (I can write a whole blog post about how Pinterest is really helping me to life-hack!), I've made the goal of cooking at least one new recipe per week in 2013, for a total of at least 52 new dishes I've created/recipes tested for the future.

So, without further ado, here are the results of my first five weeks of 2013:

Recipe #1: Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

These were a winner; Fernando loved them and they reheated beautifully

Recipe #2: Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

Another winner--Fernando loved this recipe

Recipe #3: Kale, Tomato, and White Bean Stew

Super yummy and deeply flavorful. Fernando liked it, but lamented the lack of meat

Recipe #4: Martha Stewart's One Pot Pasta

This was a little bland--I will definitely use less pasta next time for a  more even broccoli to pasta to "sauce" ratio

Recipe #5: Tuxedo Chili

We both liked this recipe for the most part, but will definitely use a lot less cinnamon the next time we make this

~LOVE~

It's a Regular Blizzard in Here

As promised, here is another holiday DIY post, inspired by this little gem from Pinterest:

DIY Christmas card bulletin board

As soon as I saw this picture, I knew this was a project that even I could manage. Once I gathered my materials (one piece of 20" x 30" foam board, one piece of fabric, a length of ribbon, hot glue, and tacks), I was in business. In keeping with my snowflake theme, I chose a piece of fabric from Jo-Ann's that is blue with a white snowflake print. It was 50% off, so the piece I purchased was around $2.00. I forget the exact dimensions--I just told the lady cutting the fabric to give me about 1 1/2 inches of leeway on the ends.

The following is a step-by-step guide to how I created my own Christmas card bulletin board:

Step 1: Iron out any wrinkles or creases from your fabric

Step 2: Lay out your foam board on your fabric to determine how much fabric you'll need. Cut away any excess.

Step 3: Using Scotch tape, fold over your ends and secure them tightly

Step 4: Now use hot glue to more permanently secure your ends in place. You can remove or keep the Scotch tape.

Step 5: Use short tacks to secure the extra fabric that bunches up in the corners

Step 6: Affix your ribbon/twine to the back of the foam board. I used both tacks and hot glue to make my ribbon strong .

Finished product, hanging in our entry/hallway

If you're the type of person who changes your holiday "theme" or color scheme each year, you could easily skip using the hot glue and just use tape and tacks to secure the fabric in place. Considering how little fabric you actually use in this project, you could change the fabric/ribbon each year for just a few dollars. I also imagine you could make wall art for other occasions or even a year-round bulletin board in the same manner.  I can even see something like this at a wedding for a display of escort cards/seating arrangements. So simple and inexpensive!

~LOVE~

A Flurry of Activity

I LOVE decorating for the holidays. Bringing out my Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas boxes from the garage in early October gives me such a thrill. When Fernando and I first got married, we had absolutely zero holiday stuff of our own. In fact, we didn't even get a Christmas the first few years of our marriage. We lived in an apartment and hardly anyone every came over to visit us for the holidays (we usually had to trek out to our families' homes for celebrations), so it just didn't make sense. BUT, I did start shopping for holiday stuff. Our apartment did have a little balcony, and our front door faced many of our neighbors. Since most of the neighbor's were families with kids, I did buy my first couple of strings of Christmas twinkle lights (green and white) and hang them up on our balcony. "It's for the kids," was my excuse.

Since those first few sparsely decorated holidays, I've been keeping my eye out for inexpensive, but nice decorative pieces. I live wreathes, yard signs, and gel clings because our current front door has glass panes. I've found great holiday decor items at places like Ross, Marshall's, Target, Michael's, The Dollar Tree, even at Rite-Aid and CVS. With a little creativity, you can turn simple, inexpensive items into a great winter holiday display. I use a lot of inexpensive tinsel every year to add sparkle to our living room. Gathered together in bunches, with candles nearby--it creates a lovely little glow/reflection of light.

Now that we've been married for 6 years, and are therefore about to celebrate our 6th Christmas together, I've amassed quite a collection. I'm so excited to really get decorating on Friday. I usually have a "one holiday at a time" rule, and try to refrain from putting up Christmas decorations earlier than the day after Thanksgiving. But, I made an exception this year since we've invited some friends over tonight for a little "fancy beer" party. I made something I'm quite proud of. And it all started with Pinterest. If you don't know what Pinterest is--you're missing out. It is this website where you can share ideas visually through virtual "pin boards." I have a board titled "Holidaze." First of all--Pinterest is FILLED with lovely examples of holiday decor, but my board only features ideas that are cheap and easy enough for even me to do. I lack the patience for more delicate DIYs . . .

So, without further ado, I'd like to share my first Pinterest inspired holiday DIY I ACTUALLY DID: It all started with this photo:

I don't know the source of the photo--Pinterest blocked it

Those little snowflakes hanging on the wall are made our of popsicle sticks! I immediately thought: "That's so easy, even I can do that!" Also, it happened to be an extremely affordable DIY project.

I went to my local Michael's craft store and bought a box of 1000 popsicle sticks for $8.99, a bottle of white paint for 59 cents, and I was in business. I already owned a hot glue gun and plenty of paint brushes, so that expense was already part of my standard "crafts box." NOTE: While I easily could have purchased the box of 500 popsicle sticks for $5.99, I went with the box of 1000 because I'm sure I can use the rest for some other DIY. the wheels are already turning . . .

So, using this picture as my inspiration, I got to gluing. I definitely recommend using hot glue (versus Elmer's glue) because it dries almost instantly and gives the whole structure more stability.

Gluing my first snowflake together

One thing I learned about popsicle sticks through this craft project is: they are a lot like snowflakes themselves, no two are alike. Be careful to sort through your sticks to find smooth ones without cracks or ones that are wonky. Some of the sticks in my box had the tip cut off one end, making them shorter than the rest.

First finished product--not bad!

So, snowflakes, by nature are hexagonal. You have to have 6 sticks in the center. The first snowflake I made is "thick" because the center is 6 sticks thick (say that 5 times fast!). One my second go-around, I was able to use just three sticks to start the first spoke of 6.

Three sticks glued together to make the first spoke.

Once you make the "spoke" you can glue 6 sticks onto each end to start your snowflake, as you can see in the picture above.

Second finished snowflake

Then it was time to paint my snowflakes. So, I learned a couple things through this painting process. The first is--if I was a smarter person, I would have painted the sticks BEFORE I started gluing them together. They would have been much easier to paint if they were just all lined up flat with no spaces in between. I think I also would have used less paint. Either way, learn from my mistake if you plan to make these snowflakes for yourself. The only hard part about that is you have to count out how many sticks you'll before hand. I think the largest snowflake I made used 48 sticks and the smaller ones had 30-36 sticks. Remember--they have to be in multiples of 6 (plus 3 if you use my three sticks in the middle technique).

Me, painting my snowflakes "the hard way"

I painted both sides of each snowflake, so this was the most time consuming part of the project. I wanted to make sure none of the original wood color showed through. You could paint your snowflakes any color you want, or even leave them the natural wood color (or stain them!). I liked the look of the natural wood very much--it had a very "homespun" look. These snowflakes kind of remind me of Sweden or something. The natural wood snowflakes might look good tied up with burlap, twine, or red/green yarn for a more rustic look. I debated adding glitter to these (which I think would also look fantastic). Glitter could be added en masse using a spray adhesive and loose glitter. Here's another trick I use when doing painting projects. Use a plastic trash bag as a drop cloth. The projects will stick less to plastic than paper. Plus, once the bag dries, I can still use it as a trashbag.

The finished project

Once the paint dries on both sides, you're ready to hang up your snowflakes. I liked the idea of hanging up the snowflakes with ribbon like the Pinterest picture, but I chose to use some of those reusable mini plastic hooks from 3M. I like that I can place them just about anywhere without damaging my walls. Without the ribbon, I think it also gives my snowflakes the illusion that they really are just floating down my wall. These are hanging above my bar since it is the focal point as soon as you enter my house. I think they will add a touch of winter whimsy to our little party tonight, and will continue to hang there well into the New Year.

Stay tuned for more Pinterst-inspired holiday craft projects and decorating ideas!

~LOVE~

Sunday RUNday

This past weekend, I ran my 4th half-marathon. The fun part about this particular race was I got to run with two of my best friends, Mark and Amanda. Mark and I have run a race together before (last year's SCV Half-Marathon), but adding Amanda to our little crew was a treat. This was her first half-marathon, so Mark and I were with her through all her training. For the last few months, we've been running all together as much as possible on the weekends to complete our "long runs."

As we were always training together, I suggested that we wear matching outfits or matching shirts for the day of the race. Mark and Amanda agreed, but we didn't know exactly what to wear. Then, a few weeks ago when I was waking up at 6am on a Sunday to go train with them, I muttered to myself, "So much for Sunday Funday. Today is a Sunday Runday." With that one thought, I knew I had a good enough idea for a T-shirt. My suggestion was met with approval, so the following week, the three of us took a little field trip to Michael's (with a 40% off coupon) where we bought some Day-Glo colored T-shirts and some black puffy paint.

Making the shirts was an interesting process. I wish I had pictures to show you of the shirts in process, but I don't. I started by opening up Word and typing the words "SUN DAY RUN DAY" and blowing them up to a large font (Bauhaus 93, 200pt). Once printed, we arranged them to stack up in 4 lines of text. Using a pen, I traced the font onto the three shirts. Before painting in the words, we put pieces of cardboard inside the shirts to make a smooth surface and to prevent any bleeding through of the paint. I used the puffy paint like a normal paint, and filled in the letters with brush strokes so the paint was "flat" not puffy. Once it dried--it almost looked like a screen transfer--exactly the effect I was looking for. Mark and I also decided to add our Greek numbers (56 for me, 58 for him) and our nicknames to the back (Twinkle for me, Motorboat for him).

It was a fun craft project and the end result was great. Many people complimented us on our shirts before, during, and after the race, and seemed impressed that we had made them ourselves.

Us before the race kicked off

Overall, we had a successful race. Amanda did really well, considering it was her first half-marathon. We had been running a bit slow during training. but I guess the adrenaline of the day and all the other runners around us made us a run a pretty nice pace. Our first 6 miles were steady at about 10:55 per mile. we slowed down a bit at the end, but we beat our goal of finishing is 2:30 or less. Amanda actually beat me by a second because she decided to sprint to the finish line. My final time was 2:29:43. Definitely not my best time, but then again, I wasn't training as hard for this race as for my previous races. My goals with this race were making sure Amanda was in good enough shape to finish and just having fun. Those goals, I definitely reached. Plus, we got a sweet medal at the end.

My bib number and medal

I haven't signed up for another half-marathon yet--but I am contemplating running the SLO Half-Marathon again, and I'm going to try to get into the Nike Women's Half-Marathon again this year. But, I am not quitting running anytime soon. I've already registered for the LA Color Run on February 2. What a fun birthday gift to myself!

~LOVE~

Since I Was Gone

Thinking back on what else I've been up to since my extended break from blogging, I realized I forgot to mention that I started running and training for half-marathons. Well--it actually started as training for ONE half-marathon: The San Diego Rock 'N' Roll Half-Marathon to be exact. A few months before I graduated from CLU, I decided I wanted to run that half-marathon in memory of my cousin, Vincent. The proceeds made by the SD Rock 'N' Roll marathon goes to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, so I felt it would be a perfect tribute. I went ahead and paid the entry fee, and I felt compelled then to begin training. It was right after my 27th birthday that I started lacing up my worn-out Sauconys, and started running a few nights a week.

When I first started, my first goal was to run 20 minutes without stopping. I remember the first day I ran--I could barely run 4 minutes without stopping to walk. But, I persisted, and kept run/walking until I completed a 20 minute workout. After a couple weeks, I met my first goal of being able to run 20 minutes without stopping. Once I met that goal, I started adding time. 25, 30, 35 minutes. When I got to that point, I started measuring my runs by distance. It was very helpful that around this same time, I got an iPhone and downloaded the Nike+ app. The app uses GPS to measure your distance, times you, and lets you know your pace. It also allows you to set goals by time, distance, or calories burned. Having that tangible information so close at hand, and being able to watch my running skills get better was a nice push.

It was also nice to watch my body change. Pounds began to melt off me. As I began to train by running really long distances (8, 9, 10+ miles at a time), I really began to look at the food that I was eating in a different way. I saw it more as fuel for my running rather than just something that tasted good. As a result, my habits changed. I sought more balance between carbs, fats, and protein. I went for smaller portions more frequently throughout the day versus big meals 2 or 3 times a day. This caused me to lose even more weight. With a lighter body, I felt more energized. In addition to running, I also started hiking and walking more. It really was a little, personal revolution.

By the time the San Diego Rock 'N' Roll Half-Marathon came around in June 2011, I was pretty well prepared. I was lucky enough to have my sorority Big Sis, Evelyn, run with me during my first half-marathon. My parents and Fernando also came down to San Diego that weekend to cheer me on at the finish line. Crossing the finish line was super emotional--I managed to not cry, but it was really a very heart-warming feeling to manage this big physical feat and also do it in memory of my cousin. The medal I received at the finish line was never mine--I had always planned to give it to my aunt, Yolanda, to show her that I ran in Vincent's memory.

Evelyn and I at the SD Rock 'N' Roll Half-Marathon finish line

Since that day, I've run two other half-marathons (The Santa Clarita Half-Marathon in November of 2011 and the San Luis Obispo Half-Marathon in April 2012), and am less than a month away from running my 4th (the SCV Half-Marathon again). I've also run in a couple smaller events, including a 6-mile mud run and a St. Patrick's Day 5K. I never thought that I would love running, but I really do. It allows me to feel like I have complete control and mastery over my body. The last time I went to the doctor, my doctor listened to my heart and lungs and asked, "Are you a runner?" When I said yes, he said he could tell based on my low heart rate and high lung capacity. He also said all my blood work showed that I was a healthy individual for my age. All told, from my starting weight to my lowest weight over the last year and a half, I'd lost 30+ pounds. I've gained a little of that back due to less intense training over the summer months due to the extreme heat and less strict diet, but overall, I'm much better than I was when I first started.

As long as my body can handle it, I hope to continue training for half-marathons. Each time I pay the entrance fee for a race, I again feel compelled to train and do my best.

~LOVE~

Back on the Wagon

I can't believe it's been more than a year since my last post--I'm not exactly sure why I stopped posting-- perhaps I was just feeling a lot of pressure with the end of grad school and the prospect of trying to get a job? Either way, over the past year and half, many things have happened that I'd love to write down so I don't forget.

The biggest events, of course, included my graduation from California Lutheran University with my Master's degree in Counseling & Guidance for College Students. I received the highest score possible on my Comprehensive Exam, which is something I am incredibly proud of.

It is unfortunate that I graduated with this degree during one of the worst times for public education in California. I've applied to many jobs--whenever I see a posting for anything even remotely local, I apply, but I haven't had much luck finding full-time employment.

Last year, I was fortunate enough to be hired for a VERY part-time (4 hours a week) counseling position with the Honors Program at Pierce Community College. This was the same program and supervisor I had worked with as an intern in the Fall of 2010. I really enjoyed my job--the Honors Program at Pierce prepared students for UCLA and similar undergraduate programs. Not only was I using my counseling skills, but I often got to use my English skills when helping my students write their Personal Statements or applications for scholarships. I was told by some students that I was the "best counselor" they'd ever worked with at Pierce. We sent over 70% of graduating program participants to UCLA this year!

Sadly, by the end of the school year, my supervisor had to deliver some bad news. Due to budget cuts, not only was she going to be removed as the Director of the program (which meant she no longer would be paid for working for the program 16 hours a week), but they no longer could afford to pay me for my 4 hours of work a week.

Then, in June I was contacted by Pierce again to ask if I would be willing to teach a course called "College Success Seminar" to a group of Summer Bridge students. Summer Bridge is an 8-week program that helps low-income/first generation students make the transition from high school to college. In cohorts, the students are enrolled in two classes (English and the College Success Seminar), and attend class from 8am-12:30pm four days a week. I was given a copy of the textbook and told to come up with my own curriculum. So, for 8 weeks this summer, I was working like crazy. Writing my own curriculum, teaching, grading, etc--it all adds up to a lot of hours. It was a lot of work, but I was so happy to get the experience. Most full-time counselors at community colleges are required to teach similar courses as part of their job, so this will be a great thing to put on my resume. It also allowed me to get into the hiring pool at Pierce College should they need an instructor for this class again during the school year or another Summer Bridge program.

Considering how little "work" I get to do within my chosen profession, I've had to take on some other part-time jobs to help make ends meet here on the home front. About a year ago, I found out through a friend that her pet-sitter was looking to hire a new employee. I sent out a resume right away and she called me right back. Since then, I've been working several hours a week either as a dog walker or a pet-sitter (some clients are regular 5 days a week jobs, others are just for a week at a time while clients are on vacation). It is a surprisingly lucrative job--and I get paid in cash. Together with the tutoring I've been doing for years now, I've pieced together a nice little schedule.

Fernando is still working at Pacific Sales corporate in Torrance, but he is actively looking for other employment. The long commute is definitely wearing on him. Again, the job market is not really working in either of our favors, but we just have to be persistent. With any luck--a year from now we'll both be employed full-time. At that point, I think we'll be in a much better place--financially--to start thinking about starting a family. Until then--we're staying busy being "parents" to August and Chipotle.

~LOVE~

My Graduation Annoucement

Classic Purple Graduation

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Vacations To Take

List #28: Vacations To Take

I have a few vacations "on-deck." They include:

• Las Vegas for the weekend of August 19-21, 2011. This is a bachelorette getaway, but is different because we are renting a vacation home (as opposed to splitting the partiers up into random hotel rooms).
• Hollister, CA for the weekend of September 16-18, 2011. This trip is to attend the wedding of one of my sorority sisters. I'm also a bridesmaid in the wedding
• Seattle, WA/Portland, OR/Tillamook, OR/Medford, OR/San Francisco, CA from October 12-19, 2011. This is our "five year anniversary trip." We plan to fly up to Seattle, spend a couple days there, then rent a car and road-trip back home with stops in Portland, a day-trip to Tillamook, a night in Medford, and a couple days in San Francisco.

Other vacations I would like to take sometime in my life:

• Washington, D.C.
• Austin, TX (to see the bats come out from under the bridge)
• Boston
• Chicago
• Alaska
• Atlanta
• Prague
• Oktoberfest in Germany
• London
• Paris
• Gastronomic tour of Italy
• Croatia
• Romania
• Thailand
• Tokyo
• Peru
• Brazil
• Argentina

And a couple of "encore" vacations I'd love to re-do with my husband/children/friends:

• The Grand Canyon
• Yellowstone
• Yosemite
• New York City
• Hawaii
• Cancun
• Orlando/Disneyworld
• Miami
• New Orleans

~LOVE~

Lessons Learned

List #27: Lessons Learned

I'll try to keep this one brief, because it's late (once again).

• Everything is okay to eat/drink, as long as you do it in moderation
• Honesty is the best policy
• Family is #1
• If you and your partner aren't "on the same team," you're in trouble
• Wash your hands often
• It's okay to be selfish every once in awhile
• Stretch before exercising
• Nothing worth achieving comes easily
• Friends who don't positively contribute to your life are not worth keeping around
• Be polite--people are not used to it and it makes a big difference
• Sadly, it's often not what you know, but who you know

~LOVE~

Books I'd Like To Read This Year

List #26: Books I'd Like To Read This Year

Oh man, I have big plans for all the books I want to read once I'm done with grad school (on May 13)!! Here is a short list, based on what I can think of right now (quarter to midnight).

• Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card (Currently reading this one)
• Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card
• Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro
• Night by Elie Wiesel
• Life of Pi by Yann Martel
• The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
• The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain
• Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain
• The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
• Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me by Chelsea Handler (Due out May 10)
• Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris (Due out May 3)

Special Note: I own all of these books except the two that aren't out yet. They are both on my Amazon Wishlist, but if I don't get them by graduation, I'll probably just buy them myself.

~LOVE~