Radio Silence

My posts are going to be a bit sporadic over the next few weeks.  A lot is going on over here and there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.  Don’t worry – everything is ok (really great, actually) and I’ll be back to my regular schedule soon enough but right now, I’ll be popping in and out as time permits.  Of course, there’s always time for Pinterest so don’t forget to follow me there.  You can keep up with me on Instagram, too! Be back soon!

Keeping it Real

Dave Chappelle had a hilarious reoccurring skit on his comedy show called “When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong”. The skits were hysterical examples of the bad things that can sometimes happen when you “keep it real”.

While I have never claimed to be a fashionista and have never been one to obsess over fashion trends, I can’t deny that things have definitely gone down hill lately in the fashion department.  I’ve got these old, tattered jeans with holes in them that I wear way too often.  A typical outfit for me lately has been an oversized t-shirt, those old jeans and pair of athletic shoes. In my defense, the hole in my jeans started off small and I had no idea it would turn into this behemoth gash in my pants.  I try to play it off like they are meant to be that way but I doubt I’m fooling anyone.

Anyway, my clothes don’t define me, right? Who am I trying to impress? I have a two-year-old! What does it matter what I wear to Mommy and Me class or the local park?  It’s going to get dirty by noon. I should be comfortable and as long as my clothes aren’t inappropriate, what’s the harm in not being the most fashionable mom at the park that day?  I’m keeping it real!

These are all of the things that I tell myself.

It’s not as if I don’t appreciate beautiful clothes.  I used to subscribe to tons of fashion magazines and one of my favorite things to do used to be curling up with them on the couch.  I would read them cover-to-cover and marvel at the gorgeous clothing inside. I firmly believe that fashion is a form of art and there is something so special about a beautifully constructed and well-made garment.

And let’s not even talk about Baby Bear’s clothes. My sister-in-law and aunt, both with young girls, have been incredibly kind and generous and have passed down their daughters’ outgrown clothes to Baby Bear. I have numerous bags and bins full of beautiful and well-maintained toddler clothes.  I am so fortunate – it’s indescribable. I love picking out outfits for Baby Bear.  I carefully go through her closet and drawers to pick out each day’s ensemble and I iron or steam anything that’s even remotely wrinkled.

You’d think that I’d apply that same thoughtfulness and care to my clothing but I don’t.  I’d be lying if I blamed it all on busyness or fatigue.  I think it’s just a shift in focus, really. My main concern is Baby Bear. I want to make sure she’s dressed appropriately for the weather, her outfit is cute and she’s comfortable. Anything she thinks is beautiful she says, “looks like a Ballerina!” so I try to make sure she feels like that everyday. I’m not claiming to be some fashion martyr.  I’m just a mom. It’s not about me anymore.

And let’s be honest. My body is different now.  I am blessed to not have issues with weight but after having a daughter, my body is shaped differently. Things aren’t where they used to be and it’s been an adjustment to say the least.

So I’m trying to decide if those jeans with the holes in them are me “keeping it real” or just me giving up. I’m leaning towards the latter.  Even if I could argue that wearing those jeans were just a mom with a toddler “keeping it real”, it would definitely be a prime example of when keeping it real goes wrong.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Our packed fridge

On my birthday, my family brought over a tremendous amount of food.  It was so good. It was also a blessing as it’s saved us money (we haven’t had to make any trips to the grocery store) and it’s saved us time (we haven’t had to make dinner) because the spread was so massive. We’ve been eating like it’s my birthday for days!

But after indulging for some time now, both my husband and I feel like our bodies are begging for some relief.  All of the fried food, cake and sugary drinks are starting to take a toll on us.  We’re not as young as we used to be…

Not that we’re models of healthy eating by any means (Baby Bear is the only one that gets the organic stuff around here) we’re going to lay off the not-so-healthy food for a while.  Our bodies need water, fruit, something that at least somewhat resembles a vegetable.

Have you ever over-indulged for this long? How do you get back on track?

Storytime with Baby Bear: Hello Magazine

Baby Bear got the best gift from my grandmother last Christmas.  She signed her up for a monthly subscription to Highlights.  Do you remember those magazines?  We used to read them in elementary school.  Now they make magazines for babies and toddlers called Hello Magazine.  Each month Baby Bear receives a book in the mail tailor-made for her age group.  She adores them! The “stories” and poems are extremely short and the series has really helped Baby Bear’s language development. So far she has been getting the books for the 0 to 2 age group but now she’s moving on to the next level.  We can’t wait for the new books to arrive!

You can find the other books in the Storytime with Baby Bear series here and here.

Thirty-Five

In honor of my 35^th birthday today, I thought I’d put together a list of random personal facts so you guys could get to know me a little better.  Since it’s Friday and I’m pretty sure everyone has already mentally checked out of work, grab some coffee, sit back and let’s get acquainted.

1. I was born with a dislocated hip.  I had to wear two diapers for 6 months.
2. No matter how hard I try, I can’t whistle.
3. My husband and I first met when we were 12 years old.  We began dating 6 years later.
4. I saw E.T. for the first time about 2 years ago.  I still have never seen any of the Indiana Jones movies, Goonies or Star Wars.
5. I adore cheese.
6. And chocolate.
7. I hate bell peppers.
8. When I was pregnant and before we were told the sex of the baby, I had a dream where in it, my father was holding my child: a little girl with a super curly baby fro.
   

   I love Baby Bear’s golden fro!

9. My senior year in high school, I was in our school’s theater company with the bassist from Maroon 5.  Obviously I have not seen him or spoken to him since our high school theater days but I remember him being one of the nicest people at our school.
10. I love to travel (in fact, love is an understatement) but I hate to fly. I have actually cried on planes when the turbulence was too rough.  Once, a stranger had to hold my hand and pray as we landed.
11. I’m terribly shy. I’m kind of awful in social situations where I don’t know anyone. I’m too shy to even put my picture on my own blog.
12. The day before Baby Bear was born I didn’t even know I was in labor. I spent the day taking pregnancy pictures with my husband and even though the photographer urged me to call my doctor, I kept dismissing my contractions as cramps because they didn’t hurt that badly.  Trust me, I wised up hours later…
13. I like my water ice cold.  As cold as it can get before freezing.  I also firmly believe that New York City has the best tap water in the country.  I discovered this fact at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and my husband, then boyfriend, had to pry me away from the water fountains that day.  I still don’t understand why Los Angeles can’t have tap water that delicious.
14. When my brother left for college, I missed him terribly. He went to a military academy so he couldn’t come home to visit and we couldn’t visit him very often. I wasn’t prepared for the loss so when he sent me a teddy bear on my 16^th birthday, I never left home without it.  Many at school thought it was strange but I didn’t care.  When my grandfather died unexpectedly when I was 12, I wore a jacket he gave me everyday.  A big, puffy jacket in forever summertime Los Angeles, California.  I just wanted to feel close to him. I find myself doing the same sort of thing now whenever I have to leave Baby Bear. I wear a beautiful bracelet with her name on it that my sister-in-law gave her.  It’s too big for her wrist now so I wear it when we’re apart (even though the longest we’ve ever been apart is a few hours at most).
    

    My 16th birthday present

15. My husband and sister hate the way I eat chicken. I eat everything but the bone.  I mean everything…
16. I was obsessed with Saved by the Bell and The Mickey Mouse Club when I was younger.  I taped every episode on my VCR and adored Zach Morris and JC Chasez.  Then I got a little older and dumped them both for LL Cool J.
17. I love fruit. Grapes are my favorite. I was addicted to watermelon when I was pregnant. I’m scared my father had to tap into his retirement savings to fund my obsession.
18. I was an extra on the TV show Las Vegas after I graduated from law school.  I played a “hot sorority chick” and there are actually a good amount of shots where you can see me on camera.  They even asked me and two other girls to stay and shoot one final scene after they dismissed all of the other “chicks”.  Sadly (and shockingly) I did not win an Emmy for my performance.
19. I’m afraid to swim in the ocean.  I’m scared the tide will pull me out too far and I won’t be strong enough to swim back.
20. I’m also afraid of tsunamis.  Every time we go to or near the beach (which is often) I say a silent prayer that one doesn’t hit while we’re there.
21. I am freakishly good at sports-related arcade games.  I’m a cross between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan at that basketball jump shot arcade game and two Saturdays ago at a carnival in Culver City, I reluctantly played a soccer-related carnival game and discovered I’m also Mia Hamm.
22. I love to drink juice.  My all-time favorite is grape. As for beverages in general, my mom’s sweet tea is a close second and as you read here, Dr. Pepper mixed with Root Beer rounds out the top three. All of these must be ice cold, of course.
23. I don’t like to get professional pedicures so I always do my own at home.
24. I sucked my thumb as a child and had to have oral surgery to remove a tooth I had inadvertently pushed back into my gums. You could sail an aircraft carrier though the gap I had in my teeth.
25. Other than Los Angeles, if I were to live anywhere else in the world, it would be France. If I were to stay in the US, it would be New York City.
    

    I would live here in a heartbeat

26. The very first thing I do when I come home, without fail, is wash my hands. I make sure Baby Bear does, too.
27. I’m not a fan of red wine.
28. I think tequila is poison.
29. My two favorite types of music: Electronic Dance Music (with the occasional Dubstep) and Standards.
30. My favorite TV show of all time: Sex and the City
31. I collect rosaries from my travels.  My amazing friends pick them up for me when they travel internationally as well.
32. I have never dyed my hair and I’ve worn these same 3 hairstyles my entire adult life: in a bun; in a ponytail; or if it’s straightened, parted to the side with the ends bumped under.  I was able to achieve hair nirvana one day back in November 2006 (fullness, bounce, perfect cascading curls) but sadly have never been able to recreate it since.
33. I kind of have a hotel toiletry obsession.  I have a very big bag at home filled with tiny little soaps and shampoos and lotions.  I don’t know why but I just love those little things.
34. I hoard gift cards.  I have about a gazillion dollars in gift cards to Anthropologie.  I’m saving them for when we buy our first home.
35. I love tacos.  I could eat them everyday.

So there they are.  35 little tidbits about me.  Riveting stuff, huh.  Ok – maybe not.  So tell me about yourself.  Do we have anything in common?

Buffalo Chicken Dip with Homemade Tortilla Chips

I come from a sports loving family and our favorite, by far, is football.  My dad is a die-hard Oakland Raiders fan and my siblings and I were raised to cheer for the Silver and Black every season.  I remember my father gathering us all in the family car and driving out to the middle of nowhere in order to pick up a signal on a small portable TV/radio for games we couldn’t get in our area. Every year we look forward to football season and this year is no exception.

In honor of tomorrow night’s opening game, I made the absolute most delicious Buffalo Chicken Dip using leftovers from this meal.  It’s creamy, cheesy and just plain amazing. Serve it with homemade tortilla chips and I dare you not to eat the whole thing yourself.

What makes my recipe different from the ton of other versions is first, the others all include either ranch or blue cheese dressing (neither of which I like) and second, I found the other recipes didn’t include enough cheese. I promise you are going to love this dip.  You can find the recipe here. Next time I might experiment with plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream. What are you making to celebrate football season?

Happy Labor Day!

Baby Bear watching boats leave from the Marina

Have a wonderful and relaxing Labor Day!