A Little Cuteness

Yes, I do have a thing for Russian doll motifs...it goes back to the 2 semesters I spent in St. Petersburg, Russia during college. Someday when we have a little girl, I'll try not to go overboard decorating her room with them, but I might give in to my urge to embroider onesies or pillowcases with such cuteness as this.

Sweet Nostalgia

A rolling pin, some round cake pans, a map of Venice, some kitschy Christmas ornaments, tools from Grandpa's workbench...these are what I chose to take home Grandma and Grandpa's house as remembrances of them. Last week I flew to San Diego to help Auntie and Grandma pack up Grandma's home, in preparation of her moving into an assisted living community in the Bay Area. We spent days sorting, packing, donating.

It was a couple very busy days, and when we'd take a break to sit for a moment (eating the peanut butter, miracle whip, and lettuce sandwiches Grandma had made), that's when I'd get a little teary from nostalgia.

It was hard to pack up and say goodbye to so many memories -- harder for Grandma, I'm sure. (She didn't get too sentimental, though. She seemed more worried about the hassle of packing and moving.) It was so interesting to me the things that evoked such memories, mostly items that she's had since we were kids: the Holly Hobbie tin for storing crayons, the red glass cookie jars (always with graham crackers or Oreos in them), the Christmas decorations.

I'm grateful that Grandma was there to tell us stories behind her mementos. And she said we could keep whatever we wanted -- she's downsizing, and she kept saying, what's she going to do with all this "stuff"? I tried to choose a few things that would remind me of the "essence" of Grandma and Grandpa.

What I didn't save that I've since thought twice about: the little perfume bottle shaped like a deer that I just loved just holding as a little girl. And one of Grandpa's pocket knives. But what would I do with those? I can still keep the memories with me.

What would you keep as a remembrance of your grandparents?

Favourite things...

Oooh! Pretty things...

- I'd love to have these or these as my accessory staples this fall. You know I can rock my earrings.
- Wouldn't this be great for our family? I'd love to have hearts for where we all are.
- I adore this. The artist will custom create it -- yay for adding sleeves! Don't we all need the perfect black dress?

Yay for new job!

As you probably already know, I got a job this past week! Woot, woot!

So, few more details: it's just one day a week, and I'll be staffing a small branch library, as well as running 'bookbug' sessions. Bookbug is a programme organised by the Scottish government to encourage young children (under 5s) to read. It involves song and story sessions at local libraries, as well as handing out several book packages to each child before they start school.

Reasons I'm excited about working:

- Getting a steady paycheck. There's a LOT to be said about that.

- Having some grown-up time. I'm looking forward to wearing cute clothes, and not getting yogurt on them.

- Enjoying my chosen profession. I'm really lucky I've been able to find a part-time job in my field, and with the possibility of future growth.

Full Disclosure

Dear Co-Workers...No, I wasn't late to the meeting this morning because I got stuck in traffic. I was late because it's sometimes really hard to make a 9am meeting when I have mommy duties for my 2 year old.

Sometimes we're ready to go out the door and everything is going as planned and then he spills milk all down the front of him. Or all down the front of me. Sometimes he's had a rough night and he sleeps in later than usual, and I can't bring myself to wake him up. (I admit, I may put my child's sleep needs above work tasks, but not above you, Mr. Director or Mr. VP.)

Or maybe he's extra clingy when I drop him off at day care, wrapping both arms and both legs around mine and only being consoled when I sit and play trains with him for a few minutes. Or maybe it's like today: He was pretty distraught that his surfer shirt was dirty (he's already worn it twice this school week...and it's only Thursday), and I don't think he believed me that it was in the laundry. So he completely pulled out the drawers to his dresser and dumped all of his clothes on the floor, trying to find his favorite shirt. Sorry, Buddy. Let's do laundry tonight and you can wear it tomorrow.

So dear co-workers, I love you and all, but know that I might be a few minutes late to the morning meetings. Yes, I'm fully committed to my job. But don't be jealous -- this little boy and my role as Mommy has a bigger spot in my heart (even with the spilled milk, rough nights, and more).

Recent Charity Shop Finds

You have to love a good charity shop. No offense, but our charity shops beat the pants off of DI.

Some of my recent favourite finds:

- A giant magnetic board with a gorgeous, bright red frame. I threw in a giant chalkboard sticker, and it's now the centre of Molly's creative station.

- Books. A lot of my standby reads, as well as some funky throw-aways. All 50p. Can't beat that.

- These beautiful plates. Don't they just make you happy? You may not be able to see it well, but they are the loveliest yellow, with a dusted gold rim. Sigh...

It might be hard to define my actual decorating style, but I pretty much refuse to buy anything new. I just love the feel of used -- it always feels to have a story behind it. Even if that story is simply that it sat in some old Granny's loft until she finally kicked, and her family donated it to the local hospice shop. And then it found its way home with me...

Pat, Pat

One of Molly's favourite things to do in the afternoons with me is "Pat, Pat" -- otherwise known as baking. I get on with the hard stuff, and Molly spends ages patting flour around into different shapes, use cookie cutters on spare dough, and sampling things.

She loves it. And despite the mess she causes, I love sharing baking with her and letting her help in small ways.

Oh, and I love this Cath Kidston apron we just got for her in the clearance. I have one in white that is also to die for. I love having a daughter to be matchy, matchy with.

RE: Potty Training?

Funny you should ask. We figured it would be time to start "training" when G started showing more of an awareness -- I wasn't sure he knew what a potty was at all. But today when I picked him up from school, the teacher said that he went #1 in the potty all by himself...standing up no less. I was floored. Really? G? My G?

So what's my strategy now? I think we'll talk about it more at home with him, and it's probably a good time to get a little potty too. He just turned 2 a week ago, and I wasn't planning on tackling this until he was 3, so my expectations are low and I'm in no rush. And I'm in no rush to have him stand up doing it either -- let's start with sitting and avoiding accidents that way, then work on aiming. We'll see!

Thankfully, the 3-day trend from last week of him greeting us in the morning with soiled diaper in hand (while still in his crib) has ceased since Hubby had a man-to-man with him (and since we've been putting him in onesies+pants at night.) {Side note: What do you call pajama pants in the UK? Pajama trousers? That just doesn't sound right. LOL.}

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

My goal for the next month is to simplify our family life. I don't think that our family life needs a complete re-haul; our daily routine runs pretty smooth. But, things like cleaning out our kitchen cupboards, labelling Molly's shoes and coats with her name, will make all the difference in keeping our lives simple and letting us focus on the important things (like playing with Mr. Potato Head.)

One thing I've done this week is create a standard weekly shopping list for our family. It's just a simple word document, but I've formatted it to be listed by section in our grocery store. Each section includes items that we buy regularly, plus spare space for extras. As it's a check-list, all I have to do is tick what we need (included quantity if need be), and off we go. May not seem like much, but it saves me writing 'milk, bread...' out every week. I've also written a list of our favourite meals -- about 30 meals I know that Mike and I both know how to make, take little time to prepare, and are easy to clean-up.

Sometime this week I'm going to make a 'daily chore chart' for us. We won't live and die by the chart, but it will be nice for both of us, when we have time after Molly is in bed, to see what things need to be done around the house to keep things in order. It will also keep me from nagging Mike -- which is definately a perk. If we can do one thing, like vacuum the living room, or wipe down the bathroom counter, I think we'll keep our house in fairly good order.

What about you? What do you do to stay on top of things?

Click here to see the inspiration for the shopping list. What would you put on the Foster weekly list?

Potty Training?

In typical Molly style, Molly announced last week that she wanted to 'wear pants!' Totally out of the blue, considering I hadn't planned on toilet training for a while. But, if she wants to

We're just letting her get used to her little potty, and wearing underwear for short spells during the day. It's going pretty well, and she's very excited. Sometimes it does turn into Molly deciding to wear her underwear as a hat.

What are you going to do with G? Any grand plans?

What we've been up to recently...

Well, the past two weeks have been a whirl-wind. I won't go into too much detail, but we had one of my favourite and bestests visiting (Emily and her Mom Joanna), and we've taken several day trips. We've enjoyed lots of sunshine, and lots of happy times. Here are some of my favourite highlights:

- Molly being soooo excited to ride a carousel (honestly, she nearly died from pure joy)

- Enjoying good food (Mmmm....Mother India)

- Amazing ice cream (Nardini's, the best place to take a kid for ice cream)

- Beatiful Loch Cruise on Loch Lomond

So You Think You Can Pack

Hubby and I once spent two weeks in Italy, only taking carry-on bags. And we just got back from 9 days in NYC, with a toddler, and only carry-ons. Actually, to clarify: G's and my things in one suitcase and 1 small back pack, including 40 diapers; Dan's things for 3 weeks in the other suitcase (he left straight from NYC to Europe for another 2 weeks).

Even if we check our bags, I'm an advocate for packing only what we'll use, and packing light. After all, who wants to schlep around more than they need to?

How do we do it?

1. Clothing: Take versatile pieces, and plan on wearing everything at least once. And try to find a way to do laundry at your destination, if necessary.

2. Toiletries: Bring travel-size bottles, not the full-size from home. And if you're traveling with your spouse/buddy, share the toiletries that you bring so you can divide it between your suitcases.

3. Use packing cubes. I *love* these things because everything has its place. Makes it easier too if TSA needs to open and search your bag -- then my suitcase doesn't explode everywhere.

4. Get an iPhone. I admit that I was a reluctant adopter of the iPhone (it sat in it's unopened box for about 2 weeks after I got it), but I love how one little device can take the place of my notebook and pencil, scriptures, iPod, book light, alarm clock, camera, book, and movie player. And more? (Too bad it can't be my blow dryer too.)

5. Be honest with yourself. Are you really going to wear all those clothes that you want to bring? Or read all of those books? Do you really need a full-size tube of toothpaste for just a week? After each trip, I take an audit of what I did and didn't use, and hopefully pack better the next time.

Do you have a packing strategy?

Brooklyn, NY - How Sweet It Is

Brooklyn and NYC became our home away from home last week. And we had such an enjoyable time! Most notably: we left our laptops at home, and didn't check any work email (that's a first, really); found the housing swap to be successful; met up with family (Hubby's parents, my aunt and uncle and cousins, my grandparents) and friends (Hubby's childhood friend, freshman college roommate). And we planned our daily itinerary around what we were going to eat. It was certainly a high-calorie trip! But as we like to say, food is our favorite souvenir (and it doesn't take up any space in your suitcase).

And I'm slowing letting myself fall in love with my iPhone. On this trip it was great to use the phone's camera rather than another device (and I'm loving Instagram!). And Google maps and the NY subway apps were invaluable for navigating the city, checking on train times, finding our way when we got lost.

What's your favorite part about traveling?

{We were in search of the best pizza in NY, and Motorino got our vote.}

{At the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. G insisted that I climb in too!}{Cutest thing showing in NYC last week.}

I don't even like children!

I think I had an 'ah-hah!' moment this week. Okay, I'm sure of it. It was a revelatory experience, to be sure.

As I was in the midst of babysitting 4 kids who are "free spirits" (plus my own, but she's not allowed to be a free spirit yet), in a massive house with too many nooks and crannies, I suddenly stopped and thought to myself, "Why am I doing this? I don't even really like kids!"

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Molly, and to a lesser extent, I love Grant, and Nate, and our Marinello girlies. I adore many of friends' kids, and I am amused and tolerate some of the others. But, I think for a long time (possibly always?) I've been trying to convince myself that in order to be a good woman/mormon woman/mother/aunt, I absolutely must LOVE children and be an all-nurturing entity that espouses wisdom and delight and thinks of nothing but craft projects and playtime activities.

After years of living in denial, I think I'm starting to come around to the philosophy of "being a good Mum to my own children does not mean I need to be a good Mum to every child."

As they say in Glasgow -- Ainae gannae happen

No pictures?

We had a fabulous 4th of July BBQ last night. Since it is one of the few times a year I can delight in American food without ridicule, we enjoyed snicker apple salad, pasta salad with ranch dressing (ooh, ranch!) and bacon, and flag cake. But, wouldn't you know it? I was so busy trying to keep Molly from getting burned and making sure everyone was fed and happy, I didn't take any pictures. So, you'll just have to imagine us in our front lawn, with our lovely friends enjoying the cool evening and some American root beer.

But, enjoy this lovely pic of a fancy 4th of July spread. Oh, the vintage joy!

To Do - Friday, July 1

We're just 1 week away from when we head to NYC. And a 1/2 day away from when we head out to Lake Almanor for what might be Grandma's last trip to the lake home. So much to do!

We're doing a housing swap for our NYC trip (a friend's sister's family will be staying in our place), so in addition to packing and planning our own daily itinerary, we've got to make sure our own home is spick-and-span for our guests. Still to do: Clean the oven, wipe down the freezer, wash all the bed linens, wipe down counters and floors (to be done the night before we leave).

And need to pack up the car for today -- it's a 5-hour drive to the lake house and we'll leave early afternoon. But that'll have to wait a few...my little dude is in my lap, wanting to watch Elmo on YouTube. :D

Working Mother

I picked up a book the other day at the library titled Mothers Work! Since I'll be trying to swing being a full-time student this fall, and manage the house and bond with the kid, I thought it would be a helpful read. After about 30 minutes, I gave up. The majority of the book was about how to handle guilt as a working mother. I decided that my time would be better spent actually being with my kid, and resting, rather than suffering through 300 pages on how to tackle guilt.

Having said that, I'm sure the guilt will hit full-force when school starts this fall. It's something I think every mother suffers with. Even when I'm with her, I feel like I could do more for her, that she should be my single thought and every action should be for her. Then she'll start screaming to play at someone else's house, and the feeling leaves very quickly.

Home Touches

I have a problem. No matter how hard I wish and try, I can't keep any plants alive. I've lost count of the number of times I've bought lovely, whimsical flowers for our patio, only to have them die within a few weeks. Like I keep explaining to Mike, it's not so much about the flowers. To me, flowers make a home. They're a sign to the outside world of "A family lives and flourishes here."

So, since my lovely pink cosmos gave up the ghost this week, I'll have to find some other way to make our apartment feel like a home. Here are some of my recent favourites:

Painted Piano: Even though I can barely tinkle out a hymn, a piano is definately a statement piece for a home -- especially when it's lovely and green.

Log Cabin Quilt in frames: Don't these remind you of Mom's quilts? But in a modern, sleek way?

Pantry Redo: I especially dig the baking trolley with the KitchenAid Mixer! When I eventually have a mixer and pantry, you better believe we'll be rocking the trolley idea.

What little things make your apartment more 'homey'?

How do you do, Summer?

June 21, the longest day of the year, and the first official day of summer. My favorite all-time long summer days were spent in St. Petersburg, Russia, where the 10pm sun was as bright and magical as a 5pm California sun. And when the days are espeically long, locals and tourists alike converge along the Neva River about 2am to watch the bridges go up, the boats and barges pass by, and the bridges go down. It's truly magical, these "White Nights", as the sun stays in a twilight trance for most of the night (and the guitar music from drunken musicians only add to the ambiance.) You can read a little bit more about it here.

{Ahhh...Petersburg}

Hmmm...what could be my Bay Area variation? Maybe next June 21 we can find ourselves sitting on a bench along the Marina in San Francisco, watching the sail boats and barges come under the Golden Gate Bridge. And perhaps we can stop by a Russian bakery on our way, to pick up some authentic treats to enjoy as we celebrate our American version of White Nights.

{The Marina, San Francisco, and the Golden Gate Bridge}

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day! We celebrated our favourite Daddy today by having my amazing chilli (seriously, I'm not tooting my own horn, it's just plain amazing), homemade cornbread, and quasi-homemade cookies and cream ice cream on cones. We were supposed to be making the amazing cookies and cream cake, but I was a numpty and bought single cream instead of double cream. As anyone knows, you can't whip single cream! Silly. Anyways, at the last moment I decided to chuck the cookies in the blender with some store-bought vanilla ice cream, then re-froze the concotion. I think it turned out pretty well. I think our little party enjoyed it as well (it's the only think Molly willingly ate today).

For Mike's present we bought him a special guitar pick -- since he's our rocker boy. He was also treated to a massive toblerone, that said "Dad of the Year" Happy Father's Day!

To Do - Friday, June 17

On my to-do list for today:

1. Ack! It's Father's Day on Sunday. Would be fun (and oh-so appropriate!) to make shirts like this. But time is short. But I really should find a recipe for an awesome chocolate cake.

2. Go to friend's to pick up the air mattress we're borrowing for tonight's camping trip.

3. Oh yah, I have to work today.

4. Dress G up in his swim trunks and "stud muffin" rash guard -- it's water-play day at his school! Hooray for summer!

{Like I was saying about the nut and the tree...these two are HILARIOUS together! (That's tape on their noses.) It's good to have a daddy.}

Re: Childcare?

Hey Mum,

Oh man...this is such a hard topic. I looked at about 6 or 7 day care centers before I settled on the one that G is currently at. This center happens to be a company that contracts with my employer, so he's close to my office, but that was actually the last place we visited.

Fortunately, I feel that G's care providers are an extension of our family, and the center has become an extension of our home, as we partner together to nurture and teach G. (The tricky part is that if I were to leave my current job, we'd have to find alternate childcare, many options of which seem sub par. This a little stiffling from a career perspective. Sigh. That's a topic for another day.)

Here are some things I've learned in the past 1 1/2 years that G's been in daycare:

1 Go with a daycare/nanny where the caregivers look like they're enjoying their job. Some day cares I went to seemed depressing, the staff was underpaid and disgruntled. Not the type of person I want taking care of my baby.

2 Do they have their policies written/printed/posted online that they can easily share and articulate?

3 How clean is the facility? What condition is the equipment in? Some places I visited, the toys and play structures seemed to be falling apart, the crib rail was held up with a plastic tie. Not good.

4 What is the ratio of caregiver to child? (1:4 seems to be average around here for babies and toddlers. Once they hit age 2, it's higher than that. I don't have the numbers on hand, but there are federal regulations here mandating what the ratios should be.)

5 What kind of training have the caregivers had? I think that in Calif that 12 hours of training are required...but I assumed that was 12 hours of college courses (maybe 3-4 courses?) but at one place I went to, it seemed like they had literally just 12 hours of training, like a crash course in CPR and infant/toddler care. Obviously, there's a difference between 12-college course hours and 12 hours of a crash course in child care.

6 What kind of turnover has there been for the teachers?

7 What is their policy for keeping things sanitized? Again, some day cares seemed better about this than others. Children are certainly going to put toys in their mouths. How do they prevent spreading germs? Are parents and kids asked to wash their hands before entering the room? Do we remove our shoes or put on booties before entering? Do the teachers wear plastic gloves when changing diapers?

8 Food? What do you need to bring from home? How do they require things to be labeled so that your child is not accidentally given another's bottle/food?

9 Can the day care articulate what they do with the children during the day? Do they have a curriculum, or is it mostly chaperoned play time? Some places I visited kind of said, "Ummm..." when I asked what my 6-mos old would be doing. Others had activities and curriculum and songs and weekly themes. Even though, at the time, G could only sit and roll over, I still expected that they interact with him and he wouldn't just be sitting there all day.

10 Sleeping arrangements -- will your child have her own crib at the center? Who provides the bedding? How often is it changed?

11 What is their sick policy? How do they define "sick"? Is the sick child removed from the others so as to not spread the infection until they're picked up? Do they notify the parents of the other children when a child is sick? Do they have to stay home for 24 hours symptom free?

12 If you need to cancel the day care service, what is their policy? 30 days notice in writing?

13 Are you able to stop in and see your child at any time?

14 Does the center provide a written report at the end of the day, outlining what your child ate, diapers (wet and BM), naps? (I find this info vital and review it carefully at the end of each day, looking for trends or things that seem different.)

15 What is the center's approach to discipline? If your child were to be bullied, how would they address it? Or what if your child were the bully, how would they address it?

16 How can parents work with the teachers and administration when they have a concern? What is the center's policy for how they'll respond?

17 Go for a day care option closer to your work? Or closer to home?

18 Do the caregivers speak English well? Some people near us are really proud of their center that has native Mandarin, Spanish, Russian, etc. teachers who teach in a language-immersion type setting. That sounds really great, but because I don't speak those languages, I want to make sure that their English is also good enough that we can discuss concerns. There was one center I looked at where we had a hard time getting past, "My son's name is G...". Hmmm...

19 I've heard that some day cares will negotiate on price, considering this economy and that enrollment at some centers has been down (I have a co-worker who negotiated). Definitely worth asking about.

20 Are there any reviews of the daycare online? Are there other parents you could ask re: their experiences there?

21 Does it seem like the other children at the center enjoy being there?

22 Does it seem like the center wants your business? Hopefully when you do a tour, they're trying to make a good first impression.

23 How do they report accidents?

24 Have background checks been performed on the center staff?

25 Has the staff been trained in CPR and first aid?


This is a lot of info! I hope this helps as you're evaluating different centers, and I'm sure you'll have additional questions to add to your list as well. Keep me posted about what you decide, and I'm always happy to act as a sounding wall as well.

xoxo!

Childcare?

So, Mom, I know you use your nursery at work, but what did you look for when choosing childcare? I'm at nearly my rope's end trying to find a suitable place for Molly. Here's my list:

- I want the staff to be presentable (have most of their teeth, no tongue rings, good hygiene)

- I want the nursery to be reasonably clean -- if I can smell the disinfectant from the car park, fantastic

- I don't want there to be a million kids. Molly isn't shy, but she could get lost in the crowd!

Here's where I'd like to send her, but it would be stretching our budget a bit. I toured it a few weeks ago. It's brand-new, has chandeliers, designer wallpaper, all oak furniture imported from Sweden -- yes, I am that shallow. But I also love the staff and the curriculum they've set up. They even bake with the children in their classroom using a special kitchen. Maybe when Molly's 30 we'll be able to afford it.

Holiday?

Ohhh...so I'm curious! Where are popular places for Brits to take a holiday? For us West Coasters, the hot spots are Hawaii and Mexico (or was Mexico...before the drugs and violence gave it a bad rap). For East Coasters, it's the Bahamas and Caribbean. Europe's popular too, but obviously more of a jaunt.

Life List Entries

1. Go on a cattle drive (like the movie City Slickers!)
2. Live in a foreign country for a year (Hmmm...France, Italy, England)
3. Own a lake house
4. Be really awesome at making pie crust from scratch (my delicioso strawberry-rhubarb pie last weekend is a step toward earning me the "pie lady" title!)
5. Visit Cape Cod
6. Do one of those morning boot camp exercise classes
7. See U2 in concert (They're playing tonight in Oakland...Hubster has tickets, but we couldn't find a babysitter. I'll have to catch them next time.)

{This lake house will do. ;) Check out additional dreamy photos here.}

Holiday?

I think I need a holiday. Everyone in the UK is starting to talk about where they are going, and it seems most of our friends are destined for sunny countries with nice beaches.

Not us. I'm beginning to seriously wonder if we'll ever get a holiday again. Everyone takes a holiday in the UK -- especially since most people have at least 30 days of annual leave.

So, today when the babysitter didn't show up, and our shower is still leaking, and I'm struggling to finish x, y, and z, I'm dreaming of going here...

Garscube Playrooms

One of our favourite places to visit is the Garscube Playrooms. The Playrooms are run by the local community and include an art room, toy/imagination room, and a soft-play. Molly loves going to play for the morning, having a lunch break, and then playing for a bit more before nap-time. She was in a 'blue mood' at the Playrooms in the photo on the left.


I'm excited to be holding a fundraiser for Garscube Playrooms. I'll be offering a baby and a toddler music class on 9 June. Tickets will be £1, and all profits will go directly to help fund a new soft play.

Contact me for details!

Garscube Playrooms details here

Molly in a 'blue mood' at the Playrooms.

Garscube Playrooms information

Word of the Day: Blow Dryer

As in, G's favorite thing these days. Seriously. He asks for it first thing in the morning, and he asks for it while we're on our way back home at the end of the day. Good thing we have an extra one, that's broken anyway. He pretends to do his own hair, or mine, but he also puts it in the cab of his cement mixer truck, playing with it like any other toy. Awesomeness.

{A typical morning these days.}

Bank Holiday

While you are celebrating Memorial Day, we'll be having a bank holiday over here. Schools, banks, and business will be closed, but we aren't officially celebrating anything. The Brits don't fuss about having an excuse for a holiday! We'll be thinking of both British and American soldiers on the day.

Uncle David and Miss Jennifer (David's girlfriend --oooh!) will be visiting for the day. We're planning a picnic to Pollok Park and Burrell Collection. Hopefully we'll see a few Highland Cows or "Eeland Coos."

Dinner will be home-made Thai Green Curry, with an Orange Chocolate Cake for dessert. Just finished making the cake, and it is divine! Reminds me of a warm Jaffa Cake. We'll serve it warm with cream. The cake recipe is from Nigella Lawson. She makes my heart sing. Her book How to be a Domestic Goddess is essential reading over here.

Recipe for Chocolate Orange Cake -- Love Nigella's beautiful website

What's a Jaffa Cake? Click here to find out!

On the top of my playlist these days

Oh man. Excuse me while I get up and dance. I suggested to Hubby that he and his band do a cover of this. Now THAT would be cool.

This Monday is Memorial Day in the US, which unofficially kicks off the start of summer here. Hooray! And that means it's time to put aside my signature red toe nail polish for something more raspberry-ish. Oh boy, oh boy. Enjoy your weekend, whether on this side of the pond or the other.

Word of the Day: Smile

And related word of the day: Cheese. G and I were reading the book "Goodnight Gorilla", and at the part where Mrs. Zookeeper discovers the gorilla in her bed, the gorilla has what I think is the funniest smile on his face -- definitely a super cheesy grin.What was even funnier is that G was trying to imitate that smile, with his lips stretched out in a straight line, slightly parted, showing a long row of teeth. He'd make that grin, then we'd both collapse on the floor laughing. I tried to get a picture of his "gorilla smile", but no luck. But I did get some other snapshots of us laughing hysterically after he'd make his gorilla smile, and other shots of him saying "cheese."

In the UK, do people say "cheese" when they're having their photo taken, like we do in the US? And do Brits use the term "cheesy" as an adjective to describe something that's absurd, silly, or campy?

{Not the "gorilla smile," but definitely cheesy as G is saying "cheese."}

{Isn't it awesome how laughing can be so contagious?}

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

We made it! It was a long journey home, but our adventures to the UK were certainly worth it. Included in those jaunts were visiting The Mum and her brood in Glasgow. XOXO to you, sweet Mum, husband, and cousin M!

(And dreaming tonight about the best Indian food ON THE PLANET, which you can sample in Glasgow itself, the mythical birthplace of chicken tikka masala.)

Now back to the grind. (I should get to bed before jet-lagged G wakes up, ready to roll in the middle of the night.)

{G, Big Ben, and alittle double-decker bus}

{Cousins!}

Buschemel

I made lasagne for dinner on Friday night. Mike's parents were up, and they enjoy traditional, comfort food -- what better than lasagne? The only problem is that there is a marked difference between British lasagne, and American lasagne. In all honesty the British version is probably closer to being Italian...but still! I like MY American lasagne! So what's the big difference? Buschemel. Instead of using Ricotta cheese (or, heaven forbid Cottage cheese), the Brits make a special white sauce called Buschemel. It consists of milk, butter and flour, whisked together over a simmer for about 5 minutes. Add some grated nutmeg, and it should be beautiful. And it is...but it's not ricotta cheese! I think I'll just have to give into this one and go with the Buschemel. It is cheaper, but oh...I ache for the cheese. Give me the cheese! For the recipe I used go here: Buschemel (from Hell!) Fab, cheap, and makes two -- freeze one for later!

Lunch Break Thoughts: What the World Needs Now, Is ...

"My plea is that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life, we 'accentuate the positive.' I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment and endorse virtue and effort." Thanks President Hinckley, for that reminder.

Sometimes (like today), it seems that in Corporate America, tempers and timelines are too short, we're over budget, under-slept, people on the defensive, blah, blah, blah. So...what is my strategy today? I ate my salami and swiss sandwich in the car, deep breath in, deep breath out, chin up, look for the sunshine (figurative sunshine - it's raining here as if it were a spring day in Glasgow), and scatter sunshine.

Who can use a kind word or a smile from me today? How can I "cheer and bless and brighten"? And ohhh...thanks to my cubicle neighbor, who just offered me some Jelly Bellies (coconut and black licorice are my favorites. She fishes those out of her jar just for me.) A little bit of sunshine sent my way too.

Pastries for Lunch

Mmmm...I love days like this, when we have pastries for lunch. Wish we could justify that more often! If you ever happen to make it here, I recommend a slice of the Chocolate Royal cake, a pain au chocolat, and the hot chocolate alone is worth the trip. Their quiche is yummy too, though Hubster says he likes mine better (awww...100 points for Gryffindor).

What this really means is that our a mini day trip today + our bi-weekly lunch date yesterday = I'm one lucky gal.

{At Fleur de Cocoa, and G stuffing
a huge piece of baguette into his mouth}

On My Mind...

My daydream du jour: New York City. We're doing a housing swap this summer. (Is that gutsy? or no big deal? We'll see!) A friend's sibling wants to come to the Bay Area for a week-long vacay, and we raised our hands to swap our humble abode for their Brooklyn condo.

The other party and I have been exchanging emails, sharing our favorite day trip ideas and local eateries (and everyone knows I love a good day trip, and that Hubster can't pass up a good eatery). Add to the list also: Grom, our favorite gelato place from Italy that now has storefronts in The City.

Stay tuned as this adventure (and others), unfold.

Peanut Butter, Chinese, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Covered Brownies -- Flavours of V-Day

Mikey-moo surprised me today with peanut-butter flavoured chapstick for my Valentine's day present. Peanut Butter has been a small source of contention between us for years. I consider it a household staple -- I think peanut butter plays a part in every American child's childhood, and I think our children should enjoy PB&J. Mike loves the taste of peanut butter, but insists that it is a death-defeating act everytime it is eaten. I cannot mention peanut butter without a discussion of fat and calories being ensued. So, now he gets to enjoy the taste of peanut butter, without any of the guilt or worry that his heart will stop beating with the first bite. My V-Day card stated that the chapstick was to help prevent damage from 'excessive kissing,' and the directions 'apply as needed' were circled on the back of the package. Yum, yum.

We ordered an amazing chinese take-away from Home Wok. Yummy, yummy. I officially declare that I love their Beef Satoy with creamy coconut and peanut (yes, peanut!). Combined with our candle-lit ambience, it was smashing. http://homewok.co.uk/

To wrap it up, we had planned to have these amazing Brownie Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies. We were too stuffed from Chinese, but I think the brownies will make an appearance after dinner tonight. http://picky-palate.com/2011/02/07/brownie-stuffed-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Hopefully Not a Typical Day in the Life...

So...I almost ran over my laptop today. And I feel like I'm about to hyperventilate just thinking about it hours later! My arms were full (computer/work bag, lunch bag, extra diapers for daycare) and G wiggled out of my arms as I opened the garage door. Put my laptop bag on the ground (which I never do...for fear of my forgetting that it's there). Buckled G in. Put other bags in the car. Checked rear view mirror and backed out. THUD. Thankfully, my bag was only dragged under my car, and not run over. Glad that disaster was averted!

Hahahaha...and today, we were expecting to pick G up later than usual from daycare, so I packed some eggplant parmesan for him for dinner (one of his favorites), only to learn that they wouldn't be able to heat it up for him. Plan B: I'd make him a PB&J sandwich from the work cafe (and I ate the eggplant for my lunch. Score!). So I'm in the sandwich buffet line, slathering on the peanut butter and strawberry jam, cutting the sandwich into triangles, and the gentleman behind me asks, with a laugh: "With ALL of these options, you choose peanut butter? And are you going to cut the crusts off?" Too funny.

Love Carries All

Hi Katers, I'm super-excited about the Valentine's day present I'm getting Mike. It's a print from Etsy titled Love Carries All. Not only is it adorable, but it will be a little private joke between us. We were watching one of our favourite shows last week -- Outnumbered -- about a family with three kids, and the day-to-day chaos they cause. Anyways, the family has a large paper mache elephant in their kitchen. Finally, after three seasons, another character (a crazy aunt) says to the father "I don't get it. Why do you have this in here." And the father replies, "It's our elephant in the room. We never talk about it," and without hesitation moves onto a different subject.



Mike and I had a hearty laugh, and decided that we need an elephant in the room. I'm not so keen on having a giant paper mache one hanging above our dining room table -- I'll only go so far for a joke, and I'm not into the whole African decorating theme. But, I think this one from Etsy will fit in with our decor and provide a good chuckle for us. I'm having it printed on normal paper, since I think the dictionary page might friek Mike a bit -- he is a traditionalist.



Do you have any ideas for what you're doing with/for Dan?







PS, you can find the print at this etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/RococcoCo?ga_search_query=love%2Bcarries%2Ball&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_shopname=RococcoCo

We interupt this typical Wednesday work day...

...with a little blogosphere distraction. Just a little nibble of a distraction (while I'm dining al desko). Which took me here. Don't these Cream Cheese Pecan Cookies look tempting?

{Via simplyrecipes.com}

And maybe a corner should be dipped in chocolate too (if you can say that a round cookie has a "corner"). I'll let you know how they turn out...when I get around to make them. (I won't be taking that long of a break from work. In fact, toggling back over to my inbox now...)

Waiting for the bell for nap time (then snack time)

One of those days. The type of Monday that gets a bad rap. G had a rough morning (perhaps b/c he was up 1 1/2 hours past his bedtime entertaining our guests with his latest tricks...animal noises and how many brownies he could stuff in his mouth at once, among other fun.) Hubby had a rough night -- up until 2ish or something prepping for an insane day. Which means I had a rough morning.

And work is unrelenting for me today. But if I was a SAHM today, I can't say the day would have been any easier, either.

In any case, here's where I'd like to be right now, and for the next few hours until it's dinner time, and someone else has prepared the meal for me. :) (Pardon me while I'm unproductive for a minute, watching G sleeping peacefully on the daycare web cam.)

A Hot Date (over lunch)!

When I started back at work a year ago (after taking 6 mos off for maternity leave), Hubby and I had the idea that we could have lunch dates on Fridays. Brilliant! Not every Friday per se, but every other Friday, or at LEAST once a month. We have a babysitter (aka, daycare) for Gster and Hubby's office is about 20 minutes from mine, but we meet at some yummy place in the middle, or take turns eating near the other's office.

So how many times did we actually do this in the past year? Umm...maybe four. Failure! But it's a new year, right? And we'll give it a try again.

Today's lunch date: Pluto's! Love it. Bring on the mixed green salad with green apples, bleu cheese, cranberries, walnuts, mandarins, and whatever else strikes my fancy. And it's right near Anthropologie (I want to check out their coat hooks for a project I have in mind). And it's across the street from Old Navy (I have something to return).

And I'm excited for a little post-lunch smoochie during the workday. ;) Shhhh...

- Mom