Run down by Recipes

Those of you who know me well know that not much cooking takes place in my kitchen. I do, however, believe that someday I will get my act together and start preparing delicious, healthy, home cooked meals for my family...and we'll all sit around the table at 6:00 pm with a prayer and perfect manners discussing the fine points of our day...just enjoying this fantasy a little further. RIIIGHT. Until then - thank goodness for my microwave. Even though I don't cook, I love to collect recipes and really do hope to use them more in the future. My problem is that I have no clue how to organize all of them. Some are written, some I've printed from online, some are in various cookbooks and some I've cut from magazines. I need a system - it's driving me crazy not having one. A system that is easy to continue to add recipes to without a lot of hassle. So my question to all of you cooks out there is this: how do you organize your recipes??? What works for you?

p.s. If you're reading this, send a comment my way...I use the term "cooks" pretty loosely!

SeaWorld Summer Nights...adults only!

My friend Angie is the master planner. She came up with a fabulous date night - SeaWorld Summer Nights...without the kids! For a couple of months in the summer SeaWorld is open really late and we took full advantage! It felt so good to be there without strollers and sippy cups. Our first stop was the Atlantis Roller Coaster...not an option with little ones!

We took this picture above while we were waiting in line for the roller coaster. Most of the rides at SeaWorld involve water and we came prepared! Eliot was the only guy who put on his poncho. Kenny and Curtis were giving him a hard time about being a wimp until we got close enough to the ride that they could see what was in store for us! Finally Kenny, ignoring Curtis's sneers about losing his manhood, also threw on his poncho. Of course it's a Charger poncho.

He was glad he did! This was us after the ride...totally dry! We couldn't say the same for Curtis!

This is us getting ready to watch the "Shamu Rocks" show. It was incredible! Of course dinner took longer than we thought and by the time we got to the stadium for the show the only section with open seats was the "soak zone." Again...grateful for the ponchos! After the show we decided to go on one more ride - Shipwreck Rapids. This ride was so much fun and it SOAKED US! Our ponchos couldn't save us this time...you're riding down rapids in a spinning raft and go right under a water fall. We were all laughing so hard by the time it ended that we decided to ride it again...and again and again. There was no line because what idiots are going on soaking wet rides at 11:00 pm!!?? Uh - that would be us. Each time we got better at steering the raft so that Curtis got the brunt of every rapid. Poor guy. We were laughing with you Curtis...not at you!!!

Finally leaving the park...cold and wet and happy. Well...most of us were happy! We bought some cotton candy on the way out for the drive home and called it a night. This was so much fun - thanks again Ang! Definitely one to add to our summer traditions!

Addison's First Hair Cut!

I took Addie in for her first hair cut last week in an attempt to contain her curls! She was so good and sat so still. I didn't even have to break out the fruit snacks. I was so proud!

Saved a little lock of hair...

Fun with mom!

This was such a fun week with my mom here!

Just a few pics of what we've been up to...

My cute friends Shari and Ann wanted to go to dinner when my mom came to visit. Such a fun idea guys! We had a great time...and ate WAY too much pizza. :)

Girls heading to the beach!

The beach is even more fun when you run into friends!

Chillin' with grandma...

Running away from the waves...our favorite thing to do at the beach!

Ellie loves her grandma!

This is Ellie at swimming lessons - she's making major progress! We give each other "thumbs up" when she goes under water. She loved having grandma here to watch!

And my mom was here to capture what I do every week at swimming lessons - calm my little upset Addison. She's crying because... I didn't bring the right red fruit snacks, she can't get in the water with "Lollie", she wanted her purple sippy cup, not the pink one, it's time to wear the Snow White dress and it isn't around, the sky is too blue, the world is so cruel...and who knows what else!!?? Life with a two year old!

Thanks again for coming to visit mom! We loved having you here and are already counting down to your next trip to San Diego!

Total VACATION!

I'm on vacation. No - I haven't traveled anywhere. I'm hanging at home with my girls just like always. The difference? The reason that I'm totally relaxed and feeling foot loose and fancy free? Simple. My mom's in town.

To do list for the week while she's here:

1) See Phantom of the Opera with Kenny {Check!} Loved it.
2) See the new Batman movie with Kenny {Check!} Loved it also.
3) Pedicure (my mom and I take turns watching the girls)
4) Hit the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale {Check!}
5) Take the girls to the beach and/or Seaworld
6) Dinner with mom and friends
7) Go grocery shopping at least twice without kids {Check!} I just went for my first trip ALONE to the grocery store tonight. Pure heaven. First - I turned off Little Mermaid in the car and listened to MY music on the way there - Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill. (Funny how certain songs bring back so many memories. I can almost smell summertime in St. George when I listen to that CD). While at the grocery store, I took my time sauntering up and down the aisles, smiling at everyone and loving that I wasn't frantically chasing my two year old or trying to stuff her with fishy crackers long enough to throw my groceries into the cart. I even stopped in the magazine aisle and flipped through a few. Check out was a breeze! Total bliss.
8) Late night talks and blog stalking with mom {Check!}
9) Take mom to our usual hangouts: Ellie's preschool, dance and swim lessons and plenty of parks!
10) Order PF Changs take out on Kenny (love those lettuce wraps!) {Check!}
11) Relax and enjoy my mom...she is so fun to have around and such a HUGE help to me. Love you mom! Sure you don't want to move in???

p.s. Mom...while you're here and when you have a minute after doing my laundry, would you mind potty training Addison and teaching Ellie to read? Thanks. I owe ya one.

What we've been up to...

So you know all of those bikers flying around the roads of San Diego in their skinny tight bike lanes and in their skinny tight spandex pants and hideous neon shirts? (They've always driven me nuts because I feel like I'm going to run them over!) Well my husband is now one of them! Kenny took a Saturday morning biking class with some friends a few months ago and LOVED IT! He and his friends are now biking 30-40 miles every Saturday all over North County on various bike paths. Kenny really enjoys the exercise, time with friends, and just flying around on his bike. I love it because now I can take the kids to the gym Saturday mornings and hit my favorite aerobics class. Then my husband comes home in a great mood and is ready to do whatever I want because he has had some time for himself. Win win situation. So for you San Diego drivers - please don't run over my husband! I am now a lot more cautious when passing the bikers and suddenly those neon shirts aren't so ugly...they are merely a safety precaution...one I am extremely grateful for!

Kenny with his friend Elliot after a ride...matching shirts not intentional!

The girls are enjoying...

plenty of time at various pools, parks, and the beach!

As for me - if you see me walking around like a sleep deprived zombie with bags under my eyes now you'll know why... Kenny and I have been staying up all hours of the night watching our new obsession - 24. We never watched the series on TV and everyone seems to love it, so we decided to start watching the DVDs this summer while nothing else is on. They are reminding me a lot of my other TV love - Prison Break. The end of each episode leaves you hanging enough that you have to watch JUST ONE MORE! (Very dangerous when you have that "one more" episode at your fingertips!) Aside from my usual organizing, I've also been taking an on-line digital scrapbooking class and am finally learning how to use my Adobe Elements program. LOVING that!

One last pic that melts my heart...

sleep after a day of sunshine and summer play!

The apple doesn't fall too far...

I absolutely LOVE to organize! I like things neat and tidy, I like order, I like to have a place for everything and I like everything to be in its place. I love little containers and dividers and any type of gadget that has to do with organization. My favorite store is The Container Store and I get giddy just pulling into the parking lot of this hallowed place. It's great therapy for me to pull apart a closet or drawer and organize everything inside. On days when I feel low or am feeling too much chaos from life with my little ones, all I have to do is start organizing something and suddenly I'm whole again! It's my therapy and it always takes me to a happy place.

My latest project...

I got this tip off of a website: color coordinate your clothes to make your closet look more organized. Maybe so...but all its done for me is point out that I have way too many green and blue shirts and NOTHING fun and patterned...
(something my sister has been pointing out for years!)

Kenny is usually pretty good about my obsession with organizing and he smiles and nods and pretends to be interested when he gets home from work and I proudly show him the cleaned out pantry or the organized filing cabinet. But...when he came home and as part of my newly organized garage I had organized all of the nails, screws and anchor hooks - labeled - in alphabetical order - he decided that I'd gone off the deep end! Maybe so, but in my garage there's no rummaging when it's time to hang a picture!

So last night when I went to tuck Ellie in I found this...

Her little "friends" all lined up in a neat and tidy row. Made me so proud!

(p.s. I found the coolest blog! If you're an organizer like me you'll love this! She's been doing "31 Days To Clean" and each day does a post on something to clean out and get in order in your house/life. She has some great tips!)

http://www.likeawarmcupofcoffee.blogspot.com

Fabulous Fourth!

This was such a fun 4th of July! I have the best news! My little brother Austin came for a visit with his girlfriend Dayna and....(drum roll please!).........

He proposed!!!!! He got on one knee at a beautiful spot on the beach, told her how much he loves her and gave her a beautiful rock! Doesn't get much better than that! :) They are such a darling and happy couple - so in love - and we are simply thrilled for them!

We had such a fun weekend having Austin and Dayna here! While we did several activities together, our favorite times were spent hanging around the house talking and laughing. These are some pictures of us at Point Loma (one of the fun things we did) and it was so foggy! We could hardly see the tide pools. Kind of cool looking though!

We also had a fun date night (dinner and a movie without kiddos), had a BBQ in the backyard, and on another night took pizza to the park.

Dayna had a little shadow the whole time she was here! Addison LOVES Dayna and had so much fun with her. Every morning she'd wake up in her crib shouting "Daya Austie...Daya Austie...Daya Austie!!!!" Then she'd run to Dayna as soon as she was out of bed and wouldn't leave her side!

Dayna was darling with both of my girls...and so was Uncle Austie!

Austin and Dayna - congratulations again on your engagement! You make a darling couple and we are so thrilled for you both. You will have a wonderful life together! Thanks for sharing your engagement with us and for the fabulous weekend. We love you guys!