on to the next

 

i have recently seen the previews to this movie and it looks great. a co-worker of mine said the book is amazing. so now that i have turned into a bookworm, i am now beginning this book tonight. i seriously need to join a book club. i hadn't realized how much i missed reading. i use to always read pre-kid. then, well, there isnt much time to read while raising a baby and working. i love that i can now sit down and read a book. an actual book. its so relaxing and with the way my year has started off, i find that reading is a healthy escape for my mind. even with the day to day life, i managed to get through the last book in only a couple days. 

this book takes place in the 1960's. location is Jackson, Mississippi. it is a tell-all book about what its really like to be a black maid in the white homes of the south. i remember learning about this era in school and thinking how wrong this was. it blows my mind that not too long ago people were so prejudice over a skin color. who cares what color a person is, its the inside that matters most. i couldn't imagine growing up and being mean to the next person just because they were African American. the whole not being able to use the same facilities as whites, is just ridiculous. I'm glad that this country has moved on from this [well almost completely]. when i see/hear about people that still have this mindset that whites are better then others, it makes me sick! i dont care if my best friend is purple... i would love them just the same :)

i have a feeling this book is gonna be a tear jerker.

tissues are on hand.

cant wait to dive in, but one question, is it just me or do other people find that the first 10 pages of a book are the hardest?! meaning the whole "getting into the book" takes more then just the first page. once im past that, i cant stop and when i have to stop, i cant wait to continue on.

always looking for suggestions on new books please :)

ROOM

 

the title says it all. 

i was intrigued by this book and all of the reviews i had read. "astounding" "riveting" "unbearably tense thriller." at first i thought it was about a mother who kept her son, "jack" in a room because she felt as if she was protecting him from "outside." i couldn't understand, being a mother myself, how she could think she was protecting him, when really she was only sheltering him from civilization in an unhealthy way. almost like he was a prisoner of his own room.

 

the book only had five chapters:

PRESENTS

UNLYING

DYING

AFTER

LIVING

 

before reading the book, none of these made sense to me.

but like the title, only one word was needed to describe each chapter.

it starts out with "ma" and "jack" as the only characters. they speak to each other but the story is told from "jack's" point of view. "jack" is only 5 years old. he is a very curious boy. all he knows is ROOM, bed, chair, bath, wardrobe, book, tv and the sun is the golden man he sees through the only light in ROOM, the skylight.

as i started to read. i began to understand that "ma" takes care of "jack" the best she can with what she has in ROOM. a man, "old nick" is introduced and then it all becomes clear. "old nick" has kidnapped "ma". "jack" was created by "ma" and "old nick". he keeps them locked away in this shed for over 5 years. he brings them food, but only comes in the night. once "jack" is old enough [in his moms eyes] she makes a plan to escape. "jack" is scared because all he knows is ROOM, everything outside scares him because he has never experienced it. "ma" pretends that "jack" has become ill and because he didnt seek real medical help, she convinces "old nick" that he has died in the night. 

my heart is beating, as i read page after page. i cant put the book down because im dying to know if she escapes with her son alive. having a son and being a mom, this is like my worst nightmare. being kidnapped and held like a prisoner, especially with your kid is [un]thinkable. there are some sick people out there. you read/hear about these types of stories and hope that you never have to go through something as traumatic as this. 

i don't want to spoil the end, i actually still have one more chapter to go. if you are looking for a book to read, i highly recommend this book. it has changed my life and i probably wont ever forget reading it. 

something like this could happen to anyone, that's what makes it so real.

one birthday party after another...

whenever summer time comes around, i start thinking.. what will Dylan's next birthday party theme be?! since his very 1st birthday he has had a different theme each year. with, of course an awesome cake to go with. we have been blessed with the best next door neighbors [who are like family to us] who have amazed me every year with the most creative cakes I've ever seen. not to mention the way they taste is delish!! they have been nice enough to make cakes for my close friends too :) i don't even have to ask, they just know its that time again! his cakes are the centerpiece to all of his parties.. no bakery and no dollar amount could ever compare to the memories we have from each of these masterpieces. my kid, baker in the making, even thinks ahead of time, what might the next cake be... since he knows the sky's the limit when his aunties get in the kitchen!! 

we were thinking of doing a pool party this year at blackberry farm. my parents have brought me here since i was a little baby and now we do the same with dylan. just recently they have completely remodeled the place and it is even nicer then before. so this sparks the idea of a swimming pool cake :) ideas are still in the works though, but he mentioned he wanted a water slide too!! i don't doubt you will eventually see a picture of that.

looking back to the last 6 years and 6 parties we've had for dylan... i got the idea to share a picture or two from each of those days :) i cant believe how big my little boy has become. from his 1st birthday which was sesame street to his 6th birthday which was a totally rad Simpson party... he sure has had some great times:) so many people love him and i know he knows how lucky he is<3 i know i couldn't ask for better people in our lives!

Dylan's 1st Birthday

Sesame Street

Dylan's 2nd Birthday

Disney Cars

Dylan's 3rd Birthday

Baseball

Dylan's 4th Birthday

Star Wars

Dylan's 5th Birthday

SF Giants Baseball

Dylan's 6th Birthday

The Simpsons

stay tuned for birthday party number 7 :)

boo... its sunday already.

i look forward to the weekend, every week. who doesnt?! then friday comes.. i blink and its sunday night. this past weekend was especially busy. wine tasting on saturday and then birthday parties today. i had a lot of fun, but boy am i exhausted. tomorrow morning there will be a HUGE cup of coffee with my name on it when i get to work. 

i think on sundays, im going to reflect on what im thankful for in the past week. first and foremost, im thankful my nonnie has been well taken care of at the hospital. i hope she has a quick recovery and gets to come home soon. she has so much left in her.. i cant see her give up now. she is a fighter and the strongest person i know. im also thankful for my kid. he amazes me everyday with how smart, independent and loving he is. not to mention the stud he's become. im thankful for my husband who always is my voice of reason when i get stressed about certain things. when he says, "it will be alright" i just feel better about things. he is a huge help to me and im thankful that he's my husband. lastly, im thankful for the friends i have, new and old... they are the family i have chosen. its true in any relationship... you must go through the bad to get to the good. soon enough you realize who matters the most and who never did. 

"quality over quantity"

wine tasting in Napa

it was a beautiful day in Napa, California. it was nice to leave the fog behind in pacifica for our mini get-away today. we started our morning off with mimosas and muffins. a limo picked us up and we were on our way. i think we brought along 5 bottles of champagne and of course [the oh so popular] Nuvo. we were gonna make the most of our road trip. i was with a great group of friends and the "older ladies" which they called themselves. it was a fun ride, to say the least. i felt like i was going to prom. thank god for tinted windows, it made drinking at 10 a.m. acceptable in my eyes. 

first stop was V. Sattui Winery. this place was super packed and definitely seemed like a favorite to many people. there were picnic tables and food in such a nice atmosphere. the cobblestones were no good for my 4 inch heals, but i looked cute. we went into the actual wine tasting room which was nice and cool. i have never been wine tasting so i was just going with the flow of things. our limo driver gave us a complimentary tasting at this winery.. no complaints here. i learned a few things and tried some pretty tasty wines. one of which i bought. this winery was fun, but i think our bunch of ladies was a little much for them. some were told to "be quiet" really?! we are drinking and having a good time, not taking a test.. geeze! didnt know wine tasting was so serious. well atleast at this place. 

back in the limo we went to our next spot [my favorite] casa nuestra winery!

this place was so peaceful. the weather was great, it was a more slow paced spot. completely opposite from the other winery. we were pretty much alone here.. so yell all you want! there was another group of girls who were clearly boring! i dont think they even cracked a smile. im sure we were giving them something to talk about! we met the farms new, 8 day old baby goats. they were so cute. they wobbled when they walked and the noises they make are precious. i wanted to take one home to play with charlie. we lucked out with 2 great hosts for the day. they taught us some interesting things and made our visit fun! i enjoyed the barrel room. it was cool to see all the barrels stacked and to actually sample wine straight from the barrel. with our limo package, we also received lunch. so me and the girls sat at the picnic benches and ate. dont think one word was said. we needed food bad to start absorbing all this alcohol. i wish we could have stayed at this winery all day but any more wine and im sure one of us would have ended up in the hay with the goats!! 

well, i am happy to inform you that i am no longer a wine tour virgin. wouldnt have wanted to share this experience with anyone else. hopefully my husband will take me up there again. it was a great day all around. i was in need of a nap for sure. just looking back at all my pictures only confirmed the great time i had. 

CHEERS! 

new book

 

so today as i was leaving the mall, Barnes & Noble caught my eye. i went in, not knowing what i was looking for or what i was even going to find. im not really a book reader. i dont have down time to read. the most reading i do is in magazines or stories on the internet. something about sitting in peace and quiet with a book attracted me. especially after the chaotic week i've had. like i said before, i didnt know where i was headed in this big book store. i looked at some that had been placed on tables with a sign "good reads." i figured i'd start there. there were cook books, drama, biographys, science fiction etc. and then at the very end was this book [ the last one too.] the title totally caught my eye. "everything happens for a reason" i say this all the time. this statement has gotten me through many instances in life. i was curious to know what more it was about. i read reviews about it once i got home, and it seems to be liked among many people. so before i go to sleep each night i plan on dedicating some time to reading it.

it claims, "each pothole along the road of life is actually the universe offering you a gift."

who hasn't hit a pothole in their life?!

a clean house is a happy house?!

today was my first day off during summer with the kids. I'm fortunate enough to only have to work 3 days during the summer so that i can be with the kids! we can spend time together and do fun things. plus it makes for a 4 day weekend :) today though, i know i needed to devote my time to the house. back when money wasnt an issue we had a cleaning lady... boy do i miss her. the days i would come home after she had left were heaven :) the house twinkled and i didnt even have to lift a finger. with funds low, i knew we would have to cut this out of the budget and go back to cleaning on our own.

bathrooms and the kitchen floor are by far the worst jobs! they get the dirtiest and may i remind you i live with all boys =/ plus a damn dog that poops on the carpet EVEN though the back door is wide open!! he must love to hear me yell his name!! my husband was at work and i wanted him to be able to come home to a clean house, so bright and early i start the day. kitchen first so i dont have to look back. i did such a great job, i actually re-organized the cabinets and pantry. it totally calmed my OCD for the day. next, the boys room and lastly my own bedroom and bathroom. all while doing multiple loads of laundry and folding. i can do laundry all day but folding and putting away sucks. what gets me is the amount of laundry i have yet i can never find something to wear... [typical girl]. i only do mine and the boys. my husband does his own. is that weird? my co-worker was shocked. she said that since we are married i should also be doing his laundry. i mean i wouldnt mind, whats a couple more loads, but he never has asked or complained so i think how we do things works... MYOB please ;)

 

so after hours of cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, laundry, scrubbing, wiping, the house is finally clean. [i swear it never took the cleaners this long]. i light my bath and body works candles and sit back and relax just long enough for someone to mess it up. something about a clean house, just makes me feel good!  i don't care so much about a mess, just that the house is clean from dirt and what not. i can deal with a messy house, but a dirty house is different. i believe a used house is a happy house. whats a house that you cant enjoy yourself in?! that's what they make Lysol wipes for :) hopefully my cleaning lady will get worked back into the budget one of these days...

i guess my biggest issue about cleaning is that it wastes time that could have been spent with the kids or doing something fun. some say "a clean house is a sign of a wasted life!" but on the flipside some say "a clean house is a happy house!" which do you agree with?!

short and sweet...

i love my husband.

10 reasons why:

1. he treats me like a queen.
2. he never says no.
3. he is patient.
4. he loves kids.
5. he is a hard worker.
6. he never complains.
7. he looks cute in a baseball hat.
8. he loves shoes.
9. he always has to match.
10. he completes me.

a daily struggle

 

see that picture up there?! that is me to a T. anxiety is my biggest issue. i use to have a fear of flying [so much that i turned down a trip to Hawaii with my fellow cheerleaders because i didn't want to get on a plane]. that passed as i continued to fly and get use to the idea of it. thank goodness too, because how else would i get to Vegas all those millions of times?! [ I'm not a fan of  that longgg road trip]. 

so from what i remember as a kid, i was pretty worry-free. aren't we all?! as I've grown older, i tend to worry about EVERYTHING. no really, EVERYTHING. i cant help it. i use to take anxiety medicine, but when i became pregnant with dylan i couldn't so i realized my anxiety was just in my head and i could eventually talk myself out of an "attack." i was doing pretty good for over six years, when one morning i witnessed a traumatic accident involving my really good friend. you could never prepare yourself for what i saw, i have no choice but to deal with it. i didn't want to be on medication, but i was officially diagnosed with PTSS [post-traumatic stress syndrome] and let me tell you... meds WERE in order. i am feeling a lot better these days but i still have episodes where my brain seems to wander and i always think my body is doing something wrong, which then leads me to the conclusion that I'm probably dying. i cant even watch the Dr. Oz show, because he automatically makes me think i have that disease he is talking about. I'm crazy i know. google search is the enemy. sometimes too much information isn't the best thing for me. i know that some form of anxiety is healthy, but when it consumes me, i just cant function.

now working in the medical field, I'm around every germ invented. I've never thought twice about anything I've ever been exposed to. i think my immune system is PRETTY mighty and I'm a healthy person., but you can never be too careful. one day you may have no control over what happens to you or your body. i try to tell myself, what happens happens whether i worry about it or not. i know I'm eventually going to die [we all are], but looks like today wasn't that day... thumbs up to my guardian angel!!

p.s. they don't call me AG for nothin'

**anxious girl**

Rough Night

last night was by far the worst night we've had under our roof in a long time. i couldnt sleep so i tried catching up on my sixteen and pregnant [where was this show when i was a teenager?!] my hubby was exhausted so im sure i was bugging him with the TV still on. so i attempted to close my eyes, but on top of not being able to sleep it was so hot in our room. the upstairs is like a sauna on warm days so we keep our slider open to get some air. that leads to the dog [and myself] hearing EVERY noise outside. i swear just when i would start to fall asleep he would BARK!

i thought my night was bad already?! i had no idea what was about to happen next...

dylan at my bed side covered in... BARF.

poor little guy was half asleep, i was half asleep..we both didnt know what was going on. i took him into the bathroom and when i turned on the light i realized it was EVERYWHERE. the smell is awful, enough to make you wanna barf yourself, yuck! so at 1am i am giving him a bath, changing sheets, remaking his bed [all while thinking in my head, "i will never have another kid again!"] i love my sleep too much. eventually we are back in bed, well im in his bed cause he cant go back to sleep. charlie and bobby are sleeping like starfish together and just when i think im finally dreaming, the alarm goes off. i have to get up, get ready for work and frost cupcakes for a party. FML. was last night being forreal?! i am so tired, not even the worlds biggest cup of coffee could save me right now.

oh the joys of motherhood :)

flashback June 21st, 2010

rewind one year ago to the day and i was only 2 short months away from the most special day of my life thus far. i was in countdown mode, the invitations had been sent, the favors ordered, the centerpieces picked out, the cake flavors decided and the dress altered. i just had two amazing bridal showers [one with my girls] and [one with my family] "the old lady shower" i called it. the gifts just kept on coming. poor grooms, they get nothing. well except for their bachelor party but in our case, we put a twist on things and celebrated ours as a joint event in our favorite place, Las Vegas!!

my first shower was a tea party theme. my bridesmaids erika, andrea and nicole came up with such a sweet idea. everything was themed out perfect, right down to my teapot cake and tea bag angel favors! there were waffles, finger sandwiches and of course tea, but it was a lovely day in pacifica so we stuck to the champagne and lemonade. the day was captured by my personal photographer, tracey. she makes wonderful memories last forever in her pictures. my friends all came to celebrate with me and i must say i got some pretty unforgettable gifts [some which i have yet to use]. **we are postponing any baby making until my calendar is empty. i had a tiara that matched my cute pink dress, but too bad the wash ate it. [good ol' forever21]. i should have known it was a "one-time-use" dress. it was a great day for me and i left with a trunk full of goodies. even some of my friends who i dont see as often as i'd like came for me that day which meant a lot.

my second shower was at my moms house and it was hosted by my nonnie and mom with the help of my bridesmaids. this was a shower to get all the ladies together from all sides of my family and soon to be family. again it was a beautiful day and the perfect location. i love my parents house, inside and out. the gifts were more then i could imagine, the food was overwhelming and of course black and white cupcakes from jan and shelly were there by the dozen to satisfy everyones sweet tooth! we played games, ate great food, courtesy of my mom and mother in-law. i will never starve as long as they are in my life! it was a nice relaxing party aside from making playdoh penis' at my previous shower. i opened gift after gift and i couldnt wait to show my [then fiance] how much great stuff we received.

i am blessed with so many great friends and family members... even my [then] soon to be in-law family treated me as if i were already their daughter too. you dream about planning your wedding, having your showers and opening gifts that help start a life with you and your other half, but when the time actually comes its like you're a real life princess for a day. i look back on it now and wish that time stood still so i could actually enjoy that moment even more. it came and went too fast!

so with the showers behind me, all our goodies tucked away it was now crunch time. my BM's will vouch for me, i was FAR from a bridezilla! i may have had some OCD moments but that is because im a freak about details. you know the saying, "if you want it done right, then do it yourself"?! well that is what i live by. not that i dont think anyone could have helped me and done a good job, but because i like things done the way i like them done, i kept a lot of the tasks to myself. i did crack a few times and ask my mom for help, but she birthed me so i think everything she does is right :)

now all i had left to do was tan, pack for vegas and make the seating chart... ugh! the seating chart.. we will NOT re-live that. thank god for martha stewart being as anal as me. i loved her online seating chart tool. i would recommend it to any bride!

so i guess the point of this post is that i cant believe how quick a year goes by. planning my wedding and enjoying my showers, did not seem like a year ago. people weren't lying when they said, "enjoy everything about planning and all the days up until the wedding!" because you never get that time back. nor will i ever be re-living that because marriage is a one time thing for me... till death do us part.

definition of a blog

in short:

a blog [a blend of the term web-log] is a type of website that is usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, description of events or other content such as graphics or video. Some function as a personal online diary. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. The personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual, is the traditional, most common blog. Personal "bloggers" usually take pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life, or works of art.

so with this in mind i start my journey into the world of blogging. i don't know what i will get from this, but i'm hoping to have a place where i can always refer back to when i want to re-live certain moments in my life. when i lay my head down to rest at night i feel as if my body is exhausted but my mind is just getting started. lately i haven't been able to shut down and this was my motivation to start a blog. maybe there is so much in my head that i need another form of release for all my thoughts?! some people may think, what i have going on is nothing special, but to me every moment is important. i want to be able to say what i think and still be respected. the thought of anyone being able to read my thoughts is a little unsettling, but i'm willing to take that risk. the most important rule i must remember and live by while maintaining a blog is: don't say anything online that you wouldn't say in person.

please tell me the first post is always the hardest?!

xoxo