Posted in Family & Friends, tagged Bowling on August 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Sunshine loves to bowl. We went this morning with his best gal friend and had a great time. The bowling alley turned on the disco lights and music. The kids danced and bowled! It was a super fun way to spend 2 hours!
Look at that ball go!
Will it be a strike??
Posted in Organizing, tagged aiyi, housekeeping, iRobot Scooba, iRobot Vacuum, The Help on August 27, 2011| 1 Comment »
I just finished watching The Help which was really good. The movie reminded me of my previous life in Shanghai. We lived there for 3 1/2 years and during this time, I was spoiled by our aiyi aka housekeeper. I rarely had to buy groceries, do laundry, clean, or cook. Crazy, when I think about it now!
Yes, I do wonder why we moved back especially on the days when the chores are piled high with no end in sight. Since help is more expensive here, we now have a housekeeper come every two weeks instead of six days a week 😦 But, to help me with the daily chores, I’ve employed a few machines! If it weren’t for these machines, I’m sure I would have gone mad by now. What would I do without the dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, kitchen aid, and vitamix? My absolute favorites are my vacuum and floor washing robots. I let them room my hardwood floors and am so happy to find my floors clean. Sure, they do get stuck and are loud (perhaps, they are complaining!), but they sure help me keep my floors clean. With a young child, I sometimes find myself running the machines at least twice a day. They do work best on hardwood floors so if you have carpet, I don’t recommend them.
What machines or tools do you use to help you survive housekeeping?
iRobot Vacuum
Posted in Family & Friends, Travel, tagged Art Loft, Bubbles, Children Museum of San Jose, Mammoth on August 26, 2011| Leave a Comment »
We love the Children’s Museum of San Jose. The space sparks one’s creativity and allows you to see, play, and learn.
We have visited a few times this past year and I’m still amazed by its permanent and new exhibits which rotate every few months. This month, they are featuring a Mammoth exhibit which is quite extensive and allows children of all ages to learn about this interesting animal.
Mammoth Discovery at CDM features Lupe's actual skull, femur, and pelvis fossils.
Drawing cave drawings using different papers and pencils
One of the best permanent exhibits is their bubbalogna blowing area. It is a truly magical place to see how bubbles are made and how big they can become. There are so many ways to make the bubbles and it is so cool to play with.
I love the place just as much as my Sunshine does. Hope you have a chance to visit when you visit Northern California!
Posted in Family & Friends, tagged Photos on August 25, 2011| 2 Comments »
T-shirt Sunshine made on Sat!
His veggie garden
Interesting shot of his trains!
Pretty good capture of our living room.
Posted in Cooking, tagged Baking, Zucchini Bread Recipe on August 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »
On a recent visit to a friend’s house, she gave me some huge zucchinis from her garden. Her family doesn’t like them! But I knew exactly what to do with them.
Growing up, my mom was a wonderful baker. During the Fall, we would enjoy apple pies, pumpkin bread, and my favorite zucchini bread. The recipe is a little timing consuming because of the grating zucchini but it is worth it.
Thereceipe freezes well after it is baked and cooled. I made muffins so my sunshine could take some to school and get some yummy veg into his body! He thinks it’s a cupcake 🙂
My Mom’s Zucchini Bread Recipe:
3 eggs, at room temperature
3 t. vanilla
1 C. vegetable oil
1 C. sugar
2 C. peeled, grated zucchini, drained
3 C. all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. iodized salt
1 C (4 oz) chopped nuts
1/2 C. raisins
Grease and flour 2 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pans, bake at 325 degree for 1 hour. Allow to stand in pans 10 min., then remove to wire racks to cool.
Lots of grating!
Almost ready to eat!
Posted in Cooking, tagged Home cooking, Post Detox on August 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Hmmm. Friday night was my first meal since my detox and it was so yummy! It was so fun to cook after juicing for a week. Homegrown eggplant, bak choy, and peppers from my old neighbor’s garden were the main ingredients! Nothing fancy but it sure tasted good!
Posted in Charity, tagged Art 4 Healing Cards, Art therapy, Support Network on August 19, 2011| Leave a Comment »
At Deborah’s Palm, I came across these beautiful cards created by children who have suffered or witness domestic violence. The Support Network uses art therapy to help children deal with their fears and anxieties, encourage healing, and provide a voice for them to be heard.
The cards came be purchased at Deborah’s Palm or call Support Network 408-561-6100 ext 122 or order at www.snbw.org. When you buy these cards, you are helping not only women in crisis, but also their children.
I can’t wait to start sending to my friends and sharing these wonderfully designed cards. Have a Great Day!
Set of 8 cards & envelope for $12.
Aren't these designs darling?
Posted in Cooking, Health, tagged Detox, Fat Sick And Nearly Dead on August 18, 2011| 4 Comments »
So, I’m joined 3 other friends on a 5 day detox, my first one! I’m a newbie. The detox was inspired after watching the documentary, Fat, Sick, And Nearly Dead. The movie is about an overweight Australia, Joe Cross, who survives on nothing but fresh fruit and vegetable juice for 60 days in order to change his lifestyle habits and allow his body to naturally heal itself. It is a pretty amazing story of dedication.
Since starting the detox, I have to admit, I saw and smelled food everywhere. Everything looked and still looks really yummy! I did cheat a little … shhh… I have had a few apples, cherries and raisins to supplement the juice 🙂 but I’m hoping that I can drink juice only today!! Luckily, the juice does taste pretty good.
The whole process has been interesting. I’m day 3 of the detox. At times, I am hungry but I also realized that I eat out of habit and emotion. Some benefits are my tummy is slightly flatter, my mind has been clear, and not as many highs and lows during the day. Maybe, it’s because I do not have much sugar in my diet i.e. fruits, candy, and ice cream… those do sound yummy.
Yummy!
Juice Fast Receipe:
If you are thinking of doing the detox, watch the movie, it might inspire you too! And, get a good juicer and drinks lots of water!
Love to hear if you have tried a detox and did it work for you?
Posted in Birthdays, Family & Friends, tagged Birthdays, Mom on August 14, 2011| Leave a Comment »
It was my mom’s birthday last week. We had a lovely lunch at Dan in San Jose then spent the afternoon looking at open houses!
It was a really great day. I’m so lucky to have her in my life. She is unconditional with her love for me. I’m amazed by her knowledge, strength, courage, and persistence. She is one of the most important people to me. Mom, I love you.
Cake for My Mom
Posted in Cooking, School, tagged LunchBot, School lunch, Thermos Foogo on August 14, 2011| Leave a Comment »
With my sunshine going to school soon, I reviewed what we might need to bring lunch to school. There are so many choices out there. Here is a summary of what I ended up going with!
LunchBots:We use this and love it so far. Haven’t tried it for school lunch yet but plan to pack sandwiches, burritos, etcs. Features: Stainless steel, dishwasher safe, non-VOC finish, lead-free. Great size for lunch i.e. sandwhich, burritos. To separate different food, I use paper or silicon cupcake holders.
Thermos Foogo: I love this for keeping food hot or cold. We have had it for over 3 years and it is still working great! Plan to pack soups or hot foods i.e. fried rice or noodles.Features: Dishwasher safe, BPA free, cold keeps for 7 hours, hot keeps for 5 hours, large opening.
Thermos Funtainer Bottle: I love this for keeping milk cold.Great for morning ride to school or for school lunch. Features: Dishwasher safe, BPA free, cold keeps for 12 hours.
Gerber Graduates Utensils Set: These are the perfect size for young to older children.We have been using for the last 3 years and plan to use them for another 3 years at least! Features: Dishwasher safe, BPA free, multiples colors, stainless steel tips, easy grip with longer handles.
Crocodile Creek LunchBox & BackPack: We plan to use these.The backpack seems to be quite roomy and the lunchbox seems easy to clean! Features: Great designs and bright colors, PVC free, Phthalate free, BPA free, Vinyl free.
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