Into 2015...

So, this is weird. I spent the better part of 2014 growing a human in my body, so as I sit down to recap the important moments of 2014, I'm realizing that most of them are going to involve pregnancy... but here goes, eh?

In January, I participated in the January Cure. I was feeling majorly burnt out from the 2013 holidays, but I managed to make a decent dent in my 30x30 goals.

February was pretty mellow. I participated in the #inversionsmakeyouhot instagram challenge. I managed to get a post up every day - even when I got sick at the end of the month.

March was a pretty cool month. Though it was the middle of tax season and I was pretty whelmed, I taught a really fun class at our local Lululemon, showed off a friend of mine's amazing new clothing line, and shared some of my favorite leg workouts you can do at home.

In April I took a staycation.

In May we flew up to Livermore for their Wine Country Festival, and later hubs and I ventured up to the Strawberry Festival in Oxnard.

In June I told you our big news, and not related to that at all, we became an internet television household.

July I got some friends together and we all did yoga at the beach. It was a blast. At the end of the month, I turned 30. That was real. We spent the weekend touristing around San Francisco. I loved every second of it and hubby laughed at me the whole time.

August was pretty mellow. I did manage to replicate a wrap I fell in love with at a local restaurant. So much yum.

In September we celebrated our 3rd anniversary! I can't believe how quickly 3 years went by!

October was when I wrote about changing my yoga practice. At the end of the month, I was lucky enough to be thrown the most adorable baby shower.

In November I put the finishing touches on little dude's room, and started really looking forward to meeting our baby.

This month, we ended the year with the most amazing and exhausting gift of all.

I am so looking forward to everything that 2015 has to offer. I know it is going to be filled with all new challenges. I hope I will have time for you to follow along as I learn how to be a parent and get my butt back into shape!

Happy New Year!

10 Christmas Traditions

*Yet another post I wrote this before our little man arrived. My friend Claire shared her list of Christmas traditions via vlog. I was going to follow her lead and post a video, but I haven't felt much like prettying myself up lately, so no video is happening. :P

1. What is your favorite Christmas movie? 

This one's a tie between White Christmas and Scrooged.

2. What is your favorite Christmas song?

Carol of the Bells. I was talking to my big sis about this one the other day in the car. I think it's one of the only songs I am always in the mood to hear. I particularly love the Transiberian Orchestra version, but it also great performed by pretty much anyone.

3. When do you open presents?

Since we got married, hubs and I have been alternating where we go for Christmas day each year. That's usually when the presents get opened - with whomever's family we're with. We open presents from each other whenever we feel like it - sometimes as early as the 23rd, but usually we open them on Christmas eve, or whatever the night is before we go where we're going.

This year I have no idea what's happening since we're planning to stay home on Christmas day. Since we'll have such a tiny wee one, we're not planning to bring him around to any big family functions. We will be opening some gifts with my immediate family (sisters, parents, bro-in-law) on the 23rd, so that'll probly be our big present opening day.

Mother's Day In Pictures

Just thought I would share some pictures from our little Mother's Day get together at the beach.

The tide was so high. None of us had ever seen it that high there. There was barely enough room to walk around the rocks in some places.

Kitchen Adventures; Alyssa's Favorite Cheesecake

 When I was in elementary school, my big sister and I contributed to the Chaparral Elementary School cookbook to fundraiser. We compiled this book of recipes and sold copies to raise money.

Big sis chose her all time favorite brownie recipe, and I, well, I was a bit of a cheesecake fiend, so my mom put this recipe in on my behalf.

Which I decided to contribute to Easter at the inlaws this year.

Valentine's Loves

1. Chloe + Isabel Stud Earrings

2. Miss Dior Eau De Parfum 

3. Hershey Chocolate Raspberry Hugs

4. Formula X in Mastermind 

5. Cora Cardigan

6.  Seychelles All Smiles Pump

I don't usually do posts like this, but I was inspired. Happy Love Day, y'all!

Our Christmas in Photos

We started the Eve by trying to stay out of the house as much as possible since we were having our house cleaned that day.

Hubs and I got up early and went to the gym. We showered and changed there and then had a lovely breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien.

Kitchen Adventures; Oatmeal Scotchies

Remember how I mentioned that my husband thought it was borderline blasphemy that I put oatmeal in my chocolate chip cookies? For him, oatmeal cookies weren't chocolate chip - they were butterscotch... "scotchies" as he called them. I'd never heard of these "scotchies", but I love butterscotch, so I was willing to give it a go.

He called his mom.

Holiday Happiness; 2013

Whelp! The stockings are hung, the tree is lit and holiday cards are slowly collecting on the entry mirror. As one might expect, our decorations are very similar to last year - when I posted this way way earlier.

Aside from filling my house will sparkly decor - I finally jumped on the chalkboard bandwagon and put "Merry and Bright" on the chalkboard we used in our wedding photo booth, and got us a star for the top of the tree - I pretty much love everything about the holidays...

Just for Fun; Family Photos

Hubs and I were apart on Thanksgiving this year. I would normally enlist a family member to snap a few quick shots of us with the pup outside before dinner, but this year since we were in two different places, that was not an option.

Kitchen Adventures; Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies... with Chili Powder

I feel like I've been away from my kitchen adventures for so long! I've been on a pretty big cookie making kick lately. The last three weekends in a row I've been testing cookie recipes.

I'm still pretty new to gluten free baking, and since we cut most carbs out of our diet I have been doing less and less baking in general. It's been tough, but a few weeks ago I was having dinner at my grandparents and my grandma, who was recently diagnosed with Celiac's, brought out a box of gluten free lemon wafer cookies for dessert.
My aunt - a hardcore whole food ally - cringed and jokingly gave her a hard time about buying "processed junk from a box".

Kitchen Adventures; Mulled Apple Cider

Getting into the holiday spirit, this past weekend we had some friends over for wine and pumpkin carving.

I got a little bit excited about the fall. Last time we went to Costco I bought the giant pack of apples SPECIFICALLY to use for cider.

Not to mention I was dying to dip into the mulling spices I picked up at Penzey's the weekend before. They're not paying me. I just have a huge crush on this place.

Celebrate!

Just a quick note to wish you all a very happy and joyous Independence Day! Enjoy the fireworks and barbecues and time with your families! 

Maybe take a few moments and remember what this day is all about. Maybe agree to watching the historically inaccurate Patriot because it's your hubby's favorite movie. Maybe not. ;)

Happy 4th, y'all!!!

Kitchen Adventures; Peach Blueberry Pie

Y'all, this weekend we cleaned out the garage - whole separate post on that coming soon - but for some reason, on Monday - despite my complete and utter exhaustion - I thought it would be a great idea to make a pie to take over to my parent's house for their Memorial Day barbecue.

Into 2013...

I will be ringing in the new year in the 'Bu. My parents own a small beach house out there and are letting my sister and I call dibs on it for the night.

This year has been madness, and I can't really believe some things that happened in January through March were actually this year. 

Since this is probably the last chance I'll have to post before it's 2013, I want to take a second and appreciate some of the more monumental things that happened in 2012, as well as some of the things I'm hoping for in 2013. With plans going the way they are so far, it's looking to be a year full of adventures. 

Let's focus on the amazing, shall we?

Our Christmases 2012

Christmas celebrations started early for our family this year. Big sis and I got ourselves all up and married in the last few years, so we now have to divide our Christmases between our family and our husbands'. We were alternating which Christmas to be home with our parents, so Tim & I haven't seen them on Christmas in 3 years. :(

Starting next year, we have officially changed the schedule and we will both be at our parent's on the same year...

But this year, we got an extra Christmas celebration by gathering on the 21st (after little sis got into town, but before big sis left) so we could exchange gifts, eat dinner together, and decorate a gingerbread house.

Wishing you...

If Christmas were a place, it would be right around the corner. Festivities are picking up, family is heading in and out of town, and I will be in front of my computer (a little) less often. There are people to see, yoga classes to absorb, and treats to bake!

I just wanted to take a second to wish you all the very merriest holiday

Happy Christmas, one and all!

Love, 

Us

And then the holidays were stressful

This week started off on the wrong foot when, on the way to work on Monday, I was in a car accident. I'm not going to go into detail, but it happened and it was rough. I held it together through all the "jive" (as my dad put it). Phone calls to our insurance agent and adjuster, talking to the CHP and tow truck drivers, getting chauffeured by my husband to the tow lot, back home and then to my parents' to borrow a car, and finally driving into work where more phone calls ensued.
When I finished the phone calls, I guess the shock wore off and I sat at my desk thinking about what happens now.
It's Christmas time. It's the most expensive time of the year - on top of gifts, we just paid our property tax (oof). I was overwhelmed by "what ifs", and I sat there staring blankly at my computer screen, trying to let myself relinquish control, but hanging on to my plans as hard as I could.
I swallowed hard, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.

It is what it is, I told myself. Whatever happens is going to happen and I'm not going to make it better by worrying about it.

I treated myself to fried fattening foods, chocolates, wine and cocktails (yes, both) for the rest of the day. Letting go was going to have to be life encompassing for the day.

One "person" who really helped me let go, was this lady.

I hope she makes you smile today too.

In honor of Panda's total spaz out - at one point she actually stepped on my face. ouch. - and letting go of what might be, submitting for the approval of the midnight society, I call this story...

my Be Happy linkup post.

Recap Fall 2012

When does fall officially end? Are the seasons different because I'm in SoCal? Does that kind of cancel out winter?

I'm confusing myself.

Here's my "Fall" aka mid-September through Early December in Instagram...

We started off with a bang. Our anniversary wasn't even over when sickness crept into our house.

I made caramel mocha brownies to make myself feel better. It was mostly spiritual. ;)

My mom trained me to takeover as designated maker of fig pinwheel cookies.

Christmas Wishlist 2012 & a Stocking Stuffer Giveaway

100% serious. I'm a grown up. (Ok, maybe 90% serious)

Husband and I try very hard to be financially responsible, but if I really wanted, I could run around town and blow all my money on things I want this time of year. How-ev-ah, because it's Christmas, I have made a list of fun things I would like to have at my disposal.

My Christmas Wishlist

Kitchen Adventures; Maple Pecan Bars

I finished my juice cleanse on Wednesday night and all I could think about on Thursday were baked goods. I wanted to make everything. I wanted the sounds and smells of the holidays to take over my house. So, when I got home I busted out the wrapping paper, gifts I'd bought, put on Love, Actually, and flipped to the cookies sections in some of my favorite cookbooks.

I needed to find something to make that wouldn't involve a run to the store... until it dawned on me that I didn't have eggs. I wanted to bake and I didn't have any eggs... Seriously?

Movie paused. Grocery list written up. Reusable bag grabbed.