Adding the Sparkles

I have to say that decorating this year is the most fun I've had.  I think cause I have more of a vision on how I want everything to look as opposed to just putting up what I already have and accumulated over the years.  The theme this year is vintage glamour so I decided to use gold and red as my color theme.  My go to store Home Goods has been very good to me this year and found the most amazing stuff.

 Since Lukas is more curious than ever, putting up a tall tree isn't going to happen so instead I found this awesome table gold sparkly tree from Home Goods and I added the red birds that I got from Kmart. 

 I am so proud of my mantle this year and it reminds me of an english country home.

 My all time favorite photo of my husband's grandparents suits very well in the mantle and added that vintage glamour feel that I'm going for.

 Just because we didn't have a real tree this year doesn't mean that I'm gonna miss on the pine tree smell so I went to the local christmas tree yard and asked for scraps of branches and made it into a center piece on my dining table by adding the fake little pine trees that I got from Michaels for 1/2 off discount! 

To add more sparkle and glamour I wrapped the stair bars with red and gold ribbon and added a candle wreath on the safety gate to add a punch to it.

Holiday madness

I know I've been missing in action lately and I'm sure you all you moms find it much harder to have spare time when you have a very active and curious toddler.  So let me see how far I need to go back and give you little updates to what we have been doing.  

For Halloween - we decided to go trick or treating at our local mall since they hand out candies at a time that won't ruin his sleep time.  It was so fun to see him run around in his Darth Vader costume enjoying his freedom and didn't care for candies at all.  Lots of our family joined us which made it even more fun!

Soon after Halloween, I started decorating for fall and getting ready for the big Thanksgiving dinner we are having at our house.  It's always so funny how much work we put ourselves to getting ready for a few hours of gluttony and I always wonder why we do it but then do it all over again the next year.  I guess when it's all said and done it's really about what we should be thankful for and for me it's always health and family.  I'd rather have the stress getting ready the house for the family that I have than the opposite.  Lukas was the star of the night and was very well behave and social.  Of course the night ended with lots of left over and very much comatose from sugar and food.  

 This is the half of the spread.  I wish I took some pics of the desserts because had so much..

 I am very proud of this dish I made.  It's Italian Polenta layered with home made pesto that was added to a bechamel sauce under a layer of home made marinara and served with crostini.. It was so yummy that I regretted giving away left overs :/

My sister who was in charged of the main thanksgiving meal made a turkey roulade wrapped in bacon! and boy was it a HIT! Ugh all this food reminiscing sure it making me so hungry.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the quick update and I'm sorry that I haven't been around lately. Lukas is growing up so fast and added "cats and oh wow!" to his vocabulary.  He's much more of a big boy now than a baby which is an everyday reminder how precious and important every single day is.  I am decorating for Christmas now and will post some pics as soon as they are done!  

Prepping

Now that the chilly weather is setting in and the holidays around the corner I have been testing a lot of recipes and seeing which one is worthy to be served for gatherings.  One of the easiest and wonderful recipes I've tried is how to make marshmallows.  It's such a fun thing to make and nice treat (along w/ hot coco) to send off to your guests after the night is done.

One of Lukas' favorite treats is madeleines that I get from a coffee shop and after a few times of buying some I thought hmmm..why not make it myself? So I invested on a madeleine cake pan and started baking.  It's truly amazing how much you save money on baked goods when you make it yourself. 

I think that one of the best things that you can put on a goody bag is something that your guests can eat the next day and think of your party while having it.  

A cat who loved pepperonis....

This weekend we lost our beloved cat of 17 years Xombii.   He was a gentle loving sweetest cat you could ever meet and dedicated his whole life making us happy, making us feel loved, and tricking us into giving him every food we have in our hands.   It has been a tough few days and the house feels empty without him sitting in the couch looking out the window.  He passed peacefully in our couch Friday morning and from then on we felt a shift in the world.  Although I'm sad I take the lessons he taught me.  He taught me that a long time is never enough time spending with your love one, your family and to make each and everyday special because when the time comes and we don't have experiences with them to look forward to then it's time to look back and we have to make sure that the memories of the past will tie us over until we meet again.  

To Xombii - the most loyal cat.  You are sorely missed but I know we will all meet again and by then you'll show me where the secret stack of pepperonis are in heaven.  We love you buddy and hope that you have the best time to your next adventure. 

Another Introduction

This past few days I realized that I have to make something real quick for Lukas that isn't pasta so I rummaged through my pantry and saw that I have unopened whole wheat couscous that I wanted to introduce to Lukas some few weeks ago.  I didn't realize how easy it is to make and how quick!  I cut up few veggies I had in the fridge that I boiled and added in.  Lukas practically inhaled the entire thing which made me even happier.  My favorite part is that I can enjoy this too!

A Big Surprise

Last week is possibly the best planned surprise we did for my mother in law.  For months now we have been keeping a secret from her and have been telling her that we weren't going to attend Mark's cousins wedding but little did she knows we booked our tickets long long ago and plotting an awesome surprise for her and boy was it worth it!  After traveling 3,000 miles we rang the front door doorbell and left Lukas in the front porch and yelled SURPRISE!! and she was so shocked.  Just amazing!!

The wedding turned out so good and sweet and the best part of it is to see Lukas interact with his italian side of the family who made him feel like the star of the family.

After the wedding we got a chance to visit some relatives at Niagara Falls and walked along the Niagara River.  We also enjoyed some time with Lukas' godfather and his entire family at the pumpkin patch over at Clarence, NY.  Overall, the trip was relaxing, fun, and sweet.

Not always a party in the tummy..

It seems to me that Lukas' food preference changes up everyday along with his personality.  One day he'll love broccoli the next day he'll pick it up and directly throws it on the floor so making different kinds of food seems to be one of the many challenges I have recently and I have to admit that it's a frustrating stage because I am constantly worried if he's eating enough.  Yes, I read that children will eat what they need but I can't help myself to worry about it.   Thankfully, his palate doesn't prefer bland food like puffs and baby cookies because I am always so concerned with giving him food that has zero nutritional value so I switch it up a bit and just make sure that I don't make a huge batch of it so I don't waste anything.  I am also beginning to let loose on the fact that Lukas will be making a mess and that by letting him feed himself with my close guidance is a way for him to feel independent.   I guess what I'm learning through the way of early stage of parenthood is that its unpredictable and that I have to ALWAYS look at the bright side.  My friend Sarah told me one time when I was visiting her in Boston that "it's just a survival skill" and that open my eyes a lot more wider than in the beginning so if he likes pasta with tomato sauce for 4 days straight then that's what I give him or doesn't eat all of his food then I chose not to fight it anymore and just make sure I reintroduce the food later on, it makes a more peaceful setting and less stressful for both of us.

California Boardwalk

I have been MIA for a couple of weeks now.  I have been tending to at first a grouchy teething baby then a baby with a cold then a horrible cold/allergies/asthma for me.  Needless to say, it has been a challenging and tiring some 14 days now and I'm just glad that that was over.  Despite of being sick we were able to go visit the Santa Cruz Boardwalk last week and relax by the beach and eat some junk food.

Mommy the hair stylist

I was quite nervous cutting Lukas' hair by myself but I really wanted to try and do it myself and I am very happy with the result.  Lukas sat still enough for me to be able to cut his hair and I had to do it in 2 separate session because he got a little antsy in the beginning.  Now that I know I can do it I am glad that I'll be saving money on hair cuts!

Palette Additions

Once a month Lukas goes through his "picky" times with food and it truly stresses me out when he doesn't want to eat.  So instead of just giving him puffs I use this time to introduce new food to him and I recently introduce hummus and eggplant to him.  I made him roasted Parmesan eggplant with hummus over pita bread and I couldn't be any happier with the result because this is what he's been eating all of last week.   So what I did is just roasted the eggplant with olive oil, Parmesan, and parsley and added good hummus with it once it was chopped and cooked.  Spread in a pita bread and voila! Lukas gobbled it up like it was the best thing.  The good thing also is that I can eat it!  It's seriously worth a try!

I started Lukas with Oatmeal pretty early on but I took it to the next level last week and I made him steel cut oatmeal and put it in the fridge to serve it to him every morning.  Along with it I pureed some blueberries and raspberries to mix in to the oatmeal.  A splash of milk and a drizzle of honey and it was good to go.   Easy and Healthy!

Play Tools

I've been baking lately and I'm really bummed out when my phone failed on me and I had to go to the store and get it replaced before downloading the pictures I've taken.  I've been focusing on being active lately which is good because I've been making all this baked goods and tasting it alone I swear could add inches to my waist!  I visited Sur La Table to get some gadgets I'm lacking around the kitchen and it's pretty funny how giddy I get just getting tiny little tools.  Seriously going to Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma makes me feel like a kid in candy store, except the candies are too pricy..

Anniversary

It ended up being a quiet and relaxing day to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary.  We went to Walt Disney Family Museum during the day with Lukas.  Lukas did so well being in the museum and interacted with the staff and got lots of high praises from them about him being so good.   The day was gorgeous in San Francisco and the Museum was very interesting and informative.  After that we went to have a fabulous dinner at Fleur De Lys.  I wasn't up for a dress up night after walking all day so I was in a foul mood on our drive to the restaurant but Fleur De Lys had an appetizer called Baekeoffe.  It's truffles and fingerling potatoes with duck and foie gras "burger" so perfectly savory that it instantly put in an awesome mood.  I took pictures of the food but I'm still deciding whether it's good enough for a blog post as you know restaurants are often "romantically" lit therefore the photos always comes out dark.

"I will lift you up when you want to fly and shelter you when you want to hide"

Today marks our fifth wedding anniversary and we are going to celebrate it with Lukas during the day and a date dinner at Fleur De Lys.  It's kind of crazy when I look back on how I was when I got married and I laugh because all has happened since then has been everything I didn't expect.  In fact I didn't have any expectations at all! so all of this has been a happy surprise.

So what did I learn after 5 years?  I learned that Mark and I have the capability to make the most out of any challenges we face and that at the end of the day we take comfort that even though everything outside of our marriage is chaos we manage to keep US the center of calm and that we make sure that the good stuff always, always out weighs the bad stuff.

We remind ourselves to laugh and most importantly never loose our child like "it is the most important thing in the world".

Children Space

I don't know if I just now became aware of all the cool things that are available for kids today but the more I look the more I feel like they are all so lucky to have all of this stuff available.  From the gadgets to strollers to toys to room decor to organic kosher gluten free food blah blah blah!  I really think that this time is for mommies and kids.  Anyway, I am constantly in the look out for inspirations whether its for toddler cooking or for room decor and Elle Decor featured cool rooms for children.  I can't help but to laugh a little looking at this rooms and think how much work it actually takes for it to be this organize in real life.  :)

 I love a room in the attic cause it feels tucked away, hidden and mysterious.  A place to go wild with your imagination.  Loving the blue room and wood floors. 

 Ultimate girlie room! Check out that orange bed!  

 I used to dream of having a bunk bed and this all white with touches of color makes me want to have it for myself!

 I love the safari themed room and I like that it's not "kiddy" colors.  

This is my favorite and will attempt to emulate this room for Lukas when he's a little bigger.  I think this room inspires travel and adventure and exactly what I would want Lukas to have.

All photos are from: Elledecor.com

"Your child was born with about 100 billion brain cells.  That's amazing enough, but what's happening now that he's a toddler is almost more so.  Each of those brain cells is sending out and receiving electrical signals, creating connections among brain cells that, through repetition, turn into networks. The networks (often called wiring or circuitry) allow him to think and learn.  By his third birthday your toddler's brain will have formed about 1,000 trillion connections." - Quote on how to raise an imaginative child

Fishy Fishy Fishy

This week has been slow in the home front and nothing much exciting stuff going on therefore nothing to blog about.  This weekend we visited Monterey Bay Aquarium again, Lukas reaction to the fishes are much much cuter this time around.  He was more interactive and much more aware.  The only challenge now is that he refuses to sit in his stroller and wants to touch everything so it's much more work for us that by the end of the day I was so exhausted I fell asleep on our drive back home until Lukas reminded me that I don't get that luxury anymore.  He was pretty beat by the time we got back home and went to sleep earlier than his normal bed time, I wonder if he dreams about the stuff he got to see during the day?

Food made fast

Don't you just love Trader Joe's?  Very budget friendly for good quality products.  We often do our food shopping there and their packaged products are amazing especially if I'm needing of baby food I can quickly put together for Lukas that is also good enough for us grown ups.  Although I'm a big believer of baby meals made from scratch it's not always possible for us, so I am happy that I can buy something at Trader Joe's that is good enough to open and serve even it's from a package.

 Polenta with shredded chicken and basil pesto (all store bought except for the chicken)

 Polenta with marinara sauce and provolone cheese (I didn't have mozzarella so I cut up sliced provolone cheese)

Whole wheat gnocchi with home made spinach pesto (spinach pesto is so easy to make and packed with nutrients - I squeezed in some lemon juice to make the flavor even more vibrant)

All this cooking is nothing if Lukas didn't eat it that is why I am so happy that he has an adventurous palate. 

The Anthropologie lover

Anthropologie is one of those awesome company that gives me a very inspiring place to go to whenever I feel dull and bored.   Lately, I've been drawn to the naked and romantic  decor impression of minimalism.  Maybe because I have to keep my house organized and clean to make it a baby friendly environment for Lukas.  The clean lines of these items just makes me covet it even more. 

I recently ran into the website the Anthropologist "an online space that supports the work of inspiring individuals, brought to you by the people of Anthropologie".  The videos featured are so breathtaking and will keep you at awe.  Things like this makes me love the company even more.

Fresh and Easy

I noticed a sudden change of personality with Lukas when he turned 1.  One of the changes is that he's been picky with food and refuses to eat the normal meals I serve him so I've been changing it up with what I make for him.  At first I just instantly made him the comfort foods that I am used to like grilled cheese sandwiches and mac and cheese.  Then I realized, hey I can introduce him new food with healthy choices.  So I've been experimenting with new things.  I gave him polenta (which I'm going to have a separate post of) and last night I made him baked salmon over quinoa with edamame and tomatoes.  I am happy that he liked it cause I know that this is a healthy balanced meal that is full of fiber and proteins.

Baked Salmon over quinoa with edamame and tomatoes
For the Salmon:
About 1/4 - 1/2 of a pound of salmon cut lengthwise
1 lemon zest and juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 garlic grated
2-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp of mustard

For Quinoa
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
2 cups of low sodium organic chicken stock
1/2 of cooked peeled edamame chopped (I chopped round edge food to make it a little less of a choking hazard)
2 medium size tomatoes chopped or you can use 1/4 of a cup of cherry tomatoes cut in halves


Combine lemon zest, juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil.  Once all incorporated, place salmon in a small dish and pour the marinate over the salmon cover it and let it sit for an hour or so.

While salmon is marinating cook quinoa.  Pour quinoa and chicken stock into a saucepan.  Bring it up to boil cover the saucepan then let it simmer for 15 minutes.  Once cooked, fluff it up with a fork and add the edamame and tomatoes.  Cover again till served.

Bake the salmon for 20 to 25 minutes at 375 degree oven.

Busy Busy Weekend!

I finally built up the courage to get back to ballet and try out this new school in our area.  I had a good time but I didn't like the class as much as the last school I attended 2 years ago.  It's nice to dance again though and I am really thinking about continuing it.  I think it'll be nice to get back in shape too!

Made some yummy cinnamon rolls late friday night 

Took some mommy time off and attended San Francisco Outside Lands Festival.  I had a great time with my friend Marg and finally got to see Muse and Black Keys play.  (photo taken by Marg) 

I am so excited about my herb box that I planted this Sunday.  I'm planning to make pretty labels for them.  I can't wait to not have to pay money for herbs!