Happy Holidays

We got our act together this year and had family photographs taken at Coronado Beach by a talented photography student that my friend Amy knows. (Thank you again, Amy!) Here are my favorite shots, a few of which made it into our Christmas card.Happy holidays to everyone and happy 2010!

More Good Eats

Last week's dinner menu included a real, honest-to-goodness, old-school-steak-house-style, table-side Caesar salad.Check the ingredients.Snook getting in on the raw-egg act.A splash of this and a stir of that.And voila!

Next up was lamb and winter vegetables. You know, I think I might take a turnip over a potato any day.Tis the season to eat!

Family Heirloom

The H made the prettiest and tastiest heirloom tomato salad the other night with homemade bleu cheese dressing. I'm hoping against hope that his passion for cooking runs in the family, as in S 'n' B start whipping up gourmet goodies for us any time now.

Double Take No. 12

These days, with S 'n' B on the cusp of turning 4 and 2, respectively, it feels like my babies are slip-sliding away. And here they actually are. Snook at around 20 months and Bubs at 15 months. At least I have the pictures to remember them by. Boo hoo hoo . . .

You've Come a Long Way, Baby

I haven't picked up this book yet, but it's on my short list of things to read. You know, it wasn't that long ago when girls who were graduating from college with a ring on their fingers were presented with a corsage, while their spinster sisters got a lemon. With the college's blessing, no less. You can listen to the author's enthusiastic synopsis here and read the review here. This picture kind of says it all.

It's the Sauce

What is the frickin' deal!?! I forgot to bring my trusty bottle of Tabasco sauce to work yesterday, the result being my veggies and cheese sandwich was beyond bland and practically inedible. It never used to be like this. Are the taste buds the first things to go? Not that the rest of me is completely intact, but c'mon!

Begging for Boden

Snook is all ready for the 2010 birthday party circuit with this new dress, courtesy of her grammie. But it might be a good idea to have a couple of back-ups, just in case this one should fall victim to a chocolate cupcake, overzealous paintbrush or a tempting mud puddle. In case you were wondering, Mom/Grammie. Love.

Brother See Brother Do

Snook has a shadow these days, and his name is Bubs. Which is great for painting . . . . . . potty training . . . . . . and for generally acting silly. Not so great for playing tea-party-dress-up. But still so cute and gratifying to see how much he adores her.

Mr. Pete Burgers

As fun as our recent trip to the happiest place on earth was, the highlight for me may have been dinner on our way home at Mr. Pete Burgers (the H has been sporting their t-shirt for years). Where the burgers are fresh and flavorful, and the fries strike that perfect balance between crispy and potatoey, with just the right amount of finger-lickin' saltiness. You know the fast food is good when you get in your car the next day and the lingering aroma makes your stomach growl, not turn over. If you ever find yourself craving a burger on that stretch of highway between San Diego and Anaheim, I would highly recommend stopping by.

Good Gumbo

I'm not sure if it was our stroll around New Orleans Square a couple of Sundays ago or the freezing cold nights we've been having (high forties/low fifties is freezing for a SoCal wimp like me), but the H was inspired to make some hot and spicy seafood gumbo the other night. There's nothing like being warmed up from the inside out.

Return to Disneyland

After an almost one-year break from our frequent Disneyland trips of yore, last Sunday we were right back at it.Family jungle cruise ride
Sending the Chargers some love from afar Good boy, Pluto! Awaiting the Princess and the Frog riverboat extravaganza There's Princess Tiana!
Snook got a case of the bashfuls
Until it came time to negotiate, of course. Luckily, we had two brave kids at the Santa Claus meet and greet. Bubs even piped up when asked what he would like for Christmas, "Choo choo train, pees." That place is so much fun!

Happy Taxifus!

Heard of any cool, new holidays lately? How about "Taxifus," invented by my very own Uncle Todd?! It's a combination of Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's (a stretch, admittedly). I doubt if I'll be taking up the tradition any time soon, but I do love a tree with a theme.Can you tell my Uncle Todd used to drive a taxi? So did my dad!

More Melina

Here are some more inspired creations from my glorious cousin Melina's new Etsy shop. Doubtful that you'd find anything remotely close to these items in a mall. Which is exactly what I love about them. And that they're pretty and my cousin made them, of course.

Crème Brulee

Forget about ties, power drills and aftershave. Your guy would probably prefer a helping of Brulee this holiday season. From what I can see, Kiki and Perla have nothing on these newcomer trifles, direct from NYC. Not that those oldies wouldn't be goodies too . . . And in that much-loved category of gifts that keep on giving.

Mommy Cards

None of the mommies I have met over the years at various playgrounds, beaches, shopping malls, etc. has ever handed me her mommy card. But tell me these ones from Pear Tree Greetings aren't sweet and wouldn't be extremely useful for those times when you and another mom totally click but have no pens, paper, free hands, time, etc. to exchange contact info.So why haven't mommy cards taken off? Are they a little dorky? Over the top? More to the point, would you be scared of a mom who handed you one of these? Perhaps. But I do remember brainstorming with my mother-in-law once about how I could go about designing something like this because I truly thought they might come in handy. Looks like my mompreneurial ambitions (such as they are) were thwarted once again!

Dos and Don'ts

Sweet Ballerina - Brunette Stretched Canvas by Karina Bania

Never again will I tell Snook that ballerinas don't wear pigtails. I mean, have you ever?