k a l a n i c u t

Quick Cleaning My House In 25 Minute Increments

2013-06-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

image via

The past couple of weeks have been outrageously busy and the house has taken the brunt of the storm. So today I was determined to get some things done and tidy things up but I didn't want to spend the entire day cleaning house.

So I decided to set a 25 minute timer for myself several times throughout the day. That was I was working against the clock trying to get done as much as possible before I "had" to stop and do something else when the timer went off.

In my first increment I quick cleaned my bedroom and bathroom. Got most of the way done and boy did it feel a lot better in there. When I had a few spare minutes in a following 25 minute set I jumped in and finished up the bathroom countertop and mirror. I also gave my ring a good cleaning and washed my make up brushes. Something I don't do nearly often enough.

In my second 25 minutes, a couple of hours later, I cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom. I have always hated to clean the kitchen, surely something I developed when I was a kid. But I have learned in recent years, as I am cleaning the kitchen many more times a day than I ever have before, that it only takes a couple of minutes to do most things in the kitchen. Speeding through them with a good attitude surely makes it a more positive experience. It also helps to not have parents looking over your shoulder the entire time, ha-ha.

In the early evening I tackled the living room. Straightened everything, vacuumed and put things away. Another pretty easy chain of small tasks that can happen quickly and easily. And you see quick results when you straighten and fix up pillows on the sofa, clear off the coffee table and clean the floor. Looking good there now.

I got most of the house cleaned today but didn't feel like I spent the entire day cleaning. In fact I even had time for a nap and to watch a little TV and still got lots of things accomplished throughout the day. Sometimes breaking big tasks down into little tasks makes doing big chores much more pleasant and things get done more quickly. It would've been a miserable day if I'd consigned myself to cleaning all day and I likely wouldn't have gotten any more done than I did.

Do you have a system to make housecleaning a more positive experience? I love learning new ideas. Please share in the comments!

Recipes For The Summer Berry Season

2013-06-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

image via

We have a good supply of berries in stores here in California for most of the year. In January and February the strawberry quality goes way down hill for a few weeks but we are so lucky to have easy access to beautiful, locally grown produce all year round. I have been enjoying summer meals which to me becomes very simple.

Lately we've been eating meals like chicken with strawberries, blueberries and grapes, or with a simple salad or fresh corn. Summer meals remind me so much of my childhood eating the bounty of the farm garden - MINUS the mountains of zucchini and yellow squash.

We had way too much squash when I was a kid and that fact that it grew cheap and easy and my Dad loved squash only made the appearance of it on the family dinner table more prevalent, it was almost nightly. Sigh. But I still remember happily waiting each summer for the fresh peas, green beans and corn to ripen and make their first appearances at dinner.

After making blueberry sauce for pancakes and waffles last week and fresh strawberry shortcake for dinner dessert recently, I have my eye on berry recipes and they seem to be everywhere right now. Here are a few favorites I thought I would share with you.

Summer Berry Cake by Liz at Decor8

16 Summer Pie Recipes by Bon Appetit

Puff Pancakes With Blueberries by Kadie at Barefoot and Baking

Red, White and Blue Desserts by Martha Stewart from Delish (I like the trifle recipe)

Do you have a favorite berry recipe or dish you crave every summer? Hope you find something here that will be fun to make for your next gathering or to feed your next craving.

Fashion You Never Want To Throw Out

2013-06-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was looking at a very stylish blog and saw eyeglass frames very similar to a pair I held onto for years. I think I gave them away a couple of years ago. They are so back in style and mine were such a pretty shade of pink and looked cute on me back in the day when I was a wee young thing. I was so bummed that I don't still have those frames. If I did by chance have them still, I probably just piled the box they are into a storage unit 150 miles away.

This all reminded me of the lessons I have learned about things you hang onto and don't give away because they will be so much cooler when the look comes back and you have vintage! I remember hearing Ralph Lauren on Oprah once say that he keeps certain items that will come back in style again and how great it is to have vintage when the style comes back in. Then you have something amazingly stylish that others can't get.

So I thought I would share a short list of things I would keep if they still have good wear to them. My caveat to this conversation is this, items of low quality will generally not last a season or more, so if you're going to save things, buy high quality that will stand the tests of wear and tear and time.

1) Glasses frames. I have a good friend who has collected vintage and new frames for years and he has the best eyeglass wardrobe around. I love the idea of having a pair to fit your mood rather than just one pair for everything. I have been really good about keeping my old frames. I always splurged a little on frames so I have some very high end frames that will definitely come in again and maybe more than once in my lifetime. -- I have to confess that while I was typing this I had to stop and go look through my dresser on the off chance that maybe I DID have those frames and had tucked in my drawer. No luck, but I am going to keep looking because I have a feeling I may still have them.

2) Leather boots, loafers and sandals. I have a box of boots somewhere that I am saving. I also have major regrets about a few pair I did not keep. Shoes, like eye glass frames recycle fairly quickly. A high quality pair of leather shoes will last for decades if taken care of well and are easily repaired to overcome wear. I'm kicking myself for not keeping the cowboy boots I bought in Jackson Hole Wyoming in the 90s. Dumb to give them away.

3) Jackets, blazers and sweaters. A great jacket, sweater or blazer is hard to find. If you loved it once and it was something you wanted to wear all the time, consider keeping it. Jackets and blazers are some of the most loyal wardrobe friends. They pull everything together, style up simple outfits and keep you warm. What's not to love? Like frames and leather boots, jackets and blazers can be expensive. Even if you don't chose to wear one that comes back in style, you can always sell it! When it comes to wool jackets or sweaters be sure to protect them from moths.

iamge via

4) Jewelry. Over the past couple of years I have so wished my mom still had that really cool owl pendant necklace she had in the 70s. It was so cool and I remember she kept it around for a long time. Jewelry doesn't take up much space and it's so easy to revive a seemingly tired piece by pairing it up with fresh new finds. I love combining necklaces which creates a totally unique look. I am guarding and saving my favorite pieces for the future.

What would you add to my little list? Do you have any favorites you've saved to wear again?

pink eyeglasses
cowgirl boots
owl necklace

Updating My Dream Life Chart

2013-06-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Now that we have made it through some really big things the past 18 months, it seems fitting for me to revisit my goals, vision board and dream life chart. Last weekend I took a few minutes to start over with a fresh sheet of paper and create a dream life chart again. I thought it would help guide me towards a new vision board. I have been toying with a new vision board for a while and have mentioned it here quite a few times. But it just hasn't totally come together yet, so I decided to try a different approach. I was inspired by Drew Barrymore's Field of Dreams life philosophies I wrote about last week.

It might help to revisit a couple of past blog posts about dream life charts. Here is the post where I first created a Dream Life Chart. I had an amazing experience with that chart. My second Dream Life Chart taught me even more amazing and valuable lessons in simplicity. I let go of a lot.

So now a few years later, it was fun to attempt to start from scratch and see what I want for my life now. One of the things I decided to change was the title of this little document. Dream Life seems a little too out there, practically impossible. This time I called it MY Life. It is my life, it is what I want, it is possible.

That brought it all a little closer to home for me. Every time I create a life chart I have fewer and fewer elements I feel are critical to having the life I dream of. My 2013 chart only has eight elements. But they are deep, broad, important elements. I think this is the best suited to me right now.

I am craving more and more simplicity in my life. This is probably because being a blended family and with a man who has a crazy work schedule, tossed with the personal health challenges I have had the past couple of years, I am tossed and turned by a lot of outside elements in my life. I want to have a little more quite and a little more control over my schedule. Managing my health and well-being are of highest priority right now. The success of everything else in my life pivots on that axis.

It was great to sit back and take another look at my life, in 2013, and see where I am at and where I want to be. I'm thinking about how I can use my time more intentionally. That includes how I can create a warm home environment for my family and how I can spend more time with friends and extended family. Looking at my life today I see how much it has changed in the past few years and it also gives me a chance to take a more proactive approach to steering my life in the right directions.

Any new directions you are wanting to steer your life in? Are there things you've forgotten were important to you in the rush of every day life? If you try a My Life chart I'd love to hear how it goes. Warmest wishes for a beautiful day.

DIY Projects In Review: What Didn't Work

2013-06-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I posted about DIY projects I've done that I am still totally loving and have really worked for us. Today I thought I'd share a few that never worked quite perfectly.

The Cane Chairs. These chairs took way too much thought, money and work for the amount of "like" I had for them in the end. They've been pieces we use for lack of anything better. I think they look good for the most part but just never have loved them. They aren't too comfortable for tall people. I also killed the ivy plant there. I do love the cane/faux bamboo table. It's currently living in a storage unit until I need it again. It was one of the things I took out of the bedroom last month to open up the space. I'm enjoying open space more than furniture right now.

Ocean Wood Sign. I thought i would love this and guess what I did for a few weeks. Then it started bugging me and I have no idea why. Maybe it's the color combo, the font, I don't know. But I've been itching to change is for a long time. It came down off the wall and went into the closet quite a while ago. But there is a new project in there somewhere. A little sanding and a simple coat of paint and I have something completely different.

Workspace. First I have to qualify this by saying I LOVE my workspace. It still is so practical and so well thought out that I am really happy with the investment I made. Here's what doesn't work for me. This big colorful wall of bubbling energy is at the foot of my bed. It is hard to relax when you are staring at this hub of activity.

Not to mention that living in earthquake country, I am a little afraid of falling objects. Although we have seen a few and not one thing has ever fallen. I did line the upper shelf with a very grippy shelf liner to help hold things in place. I will long love this workspace, I would just rather not have it in the bedroom. I have a strong feeling about a bedroom being a place of calm and respite. But in an apartment you have to find ways to use every inch of space possible. Hopefully in the not so distant future, I can attach this workspace to a wall in a room that isn't a bedroom.

Fall Holiday Pumpkins. This project was a fail because in my infinite wisdom I made these a couple of months early and then stored them somewhere. Some time after Christmas I found them. Ugh! Sometimes working ahead and trying to keep track of stuff is too much. Maybe I'll get to use them next year.

Well, none of these were disastrous endings, but each one of them has given me pause to think and maybe do things differently going forward. It's good to look back and try to learn some lessons from past experiences. I'm itching for some projects but don't really have space for anything new and don't really need anything. I'm living vicariously looking at other blogs and enjoying their DIY projects.

As much as I love to create, I am learning more and more that creative frenzy isn't something I want for my life and creating with no real purpose doesn't inspire me. So I'm learning to follow my creative vibe in my own way, at my own pace and for my own enjoyment. Seems so simple and yet it's full of interesting and sometimes challenging conversations with self.

DIY Projects In Review: What Worked For Us

2013-06-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Over the past week or so I've been looking around the house thinking about different projects I've shared here on the blog. Some of them have had a very long life and really worked for the space and for us. Other's were fairly quickly thrown aside.

I thought it would be fun to share a few of the projects I've done that have worked. I'll do another post soon about project fails or things I've worked on that really didn't work for long. Here are some that we've loved even more once they were done.

The Bug's Headboard. The longer we have this headboard the more I love it and I think we'll keep this around for a good long time. Maybe The Bug will get it when she is grown and moves out on her own. It was a sad, tired little thing when I bought it. I love that The Man, The Bug and I all made very valuable contributions to the success of this project. It was fun to work together and we all loved the results. The headboard cost $15 and we probably put another $30 into with with paint, wood embellishment, new legs for the back, etc.

Beach Inspired Shell Art. I am happy every time I see these two simple pieces. They are so perfect for the space I created for and so easy to make. Total cost for both of these was less than nine dollars I think. Another late night project, grabbing some frames I already had, shells from my collection and paper from my scrap drawer. I used all the rest of my white starfish for this project.

The Orange Bench. The sturdy little five dollar purchased has been used for many things around the house. Right now it's in our front entryway. A little primer and paint made it a fun, colorful addition to any corner.

Kids Play Table. It's hard to believe The Bug has already outgrown this table. How did THAT happen? It's still in her room for now and occasionally she uses it, bit she's too big for the chairs now really. She's a tall little thing so she's better suited to a regular table now. But this is definitely a keeper. Hope we'll have use for it in the future for little visitors, friends, etc.

Are you catching a running orange and brown theme here. Ha. Yes, we seem to have a thing for that color combo. But of course these projects are all two to three years old now.

Framed Family Beach Photos. This is another project that I whipped up in a few minutes that has become a highly prized treasured keepsake. Thrift store frame and photos printed on regular paper in sepia tone. It seems like the projects that happen quickly and come together easily are the ones that last in value for me. I hope there's a lesson there that when there is a lot of uncertainty and I never feel quite right about my decisions that the project is probably going to be a fail.

A lot of people have talked to me about this project. For some reason Dads really like this project. I think they just don't know what to make of the insane number of stuffed animals little girls end up with. The Man really loved this when he got home. It does remove a large amount of clutter and make cleaning little girl's bedroom so much easier. It's also a fun game to go row by row and have to name every creature. The Bug and I have made a game of this some nights when we are lying on her bed. It's a challenge!

So that's my round up for today. Among other projects that have stood the test of time are wood and bamboo trays and my three dressers which I did years and years ago. Tomorrow I'm posting another DIY review talking about a few projects that ended up not working so well. Good lessons learned on these projects. Thanks so much for coming by today. Sending you very best wishes!

Blueberry Waffles On A Sunday Night

2013-06-10T00:00:00.001-07:00

image via

Last Friday I popped into the grocery store for some fresh food for the weekend. I realized our grocery store has some amazing Friday specials that I've been missing out on. So I bought a roast chicken and a big carton of both green grapes and blueberries.

We have a hard time finishing off a small carton of blueberries before they go bad, so I knew I needed to be diligent to use up a big carton of blueberries. With every meal over the weekend I've been putting out a bowl of grapes and blueberries. They go quite well with chicken and with tacos we found. Summer eating at its best. Simple meals, a bounty of flavors and colors.

Sunday night I decided we needed to use up a bunch of blueberries for dinner. I had a great blueberry syrup recipe last year but couldn't find it, so I did an internet search and boy am I glad I did. I found the most incredible blueberry sauce recipe. One of those meals where you swoon with every bite.

I found the recipe for Homemade Blueberry Sauce from Jamie over at My Baking Addiction. I also started following Jamie on Pinterest. I'm going to enjoy looking through her boards.

Anyway, back to that amazing blueberry sauce. I whipped it up and without any cornstarch in the house I didn't thicken it and just used it as a thin sauce over waffles. Then topped them with whipped cream and a handful of fresh blueberries. The Bug and I both were amazed at how good it all tasted.

The lemon juice and lemon zest were the key to this mouthwatering deliciousness. I'm definitely going to get this recipe in my files for keeps asap! I had to pass the link along to this great recipe. If you try it, you will thank me!

Guided Reiki Healing & Meditation

2013-06-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

image via

I am trying out a meditation and Reiki healing I found online today. Thought you might be interested in it too. I have found Reiki and meditation very helpful in aligning and upping my physical energy. I'm quite in need of that after a very action packed last six weeks.

Want to know more about Reiki? Here's the scoop. You can check out the healing meditation and Reiki session right here. If you try it, please leave a comment and let me know what you thought. Let's compare notes!

Now I'm off for a nice relaxing few minutes to really get this day off to a nice start. Sending you good energy, wishes, peace and love.

Overcoming Embarrassing Moments

2013-06-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

image via

Last week I had a very embarrassing moment. It was a situation that I am usually pretty good at handing but felt I totally and completely botched. I was mortified that it happened but even more mortified that I stepped right into it without thinking enough. I'm sharing this only because I think we've all found ourselves in this situation occasionally and that you'll be able to connect with my journey. Maybe I'll feel less lame knowing you've been in my shoes.

Now I have to say I can get especially mortified about things. I always have taken certain embarrassments way harder than I should. But for the most part I am really good at laughing things off. Like the day I tripped in front of the glass walled gym at my office. Not only did I stumble, but I continued to stumble for the entire length of the glass wall, getting my balance and avoiding falling on my face at the last possible moment. There were people in the gym and all over in the building who saw me. One of the trainers at the gym, to add insult to injury came running out and yelled after me, "Are you okay?!" So then everyone who didn't see it was well aware of my embarrassment. I quickly said, "Oh yeah, I'm fine." and proceeded to walk as fast as I could to the elevators where the doors would close on my humiliation. I was able to laugh that off and even though I was embarrassed, it didn't haunt me.

This embarrassment last week haunted me and it still haunting me even though I'm working my way through it trying to be rational. But I could not control my obsession with it the rest of the the day, then the next day I still had to talk myself down off the ledge of humiliation. I found myself beating myself up about it, reviewing the situation over and over in my mind.

I think sometimes this is one of those things that separates men and women. I think women obsess about these things more than men do. Maybe men are able to let it go with other distractions sooner? It's silly but I haven't spoken to anyone about this experience I had because it's just too humiliating to me. I don't like what it says about me and my personal awareness -- and that is something I've always prided myself in.

So I will have to keep working this out by myself and making this a lesson in getting over it. I have to quit worrying about what the person I was with thinks of me or how they might judge me. So what if they do, I really didn't know that person all that well anyway. I'll either never see this person again OR I will have the chance to rectify the bad first impression I made in future encounters. Either way it's no reason to cause myself so much stress and grief for a week afterwards. Dealing with humiliation and embarrassment seems to be a lesson we continue to have to learn throughout out lives. I suppose it keeps you real, grounded and centered. Whatever the lessons, I'm trying to learn them and move on as fast as possible.

Tuesday Quick Tip: Removing All The Stains

2013-06-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

image via NewCheapBuy.com

When my husband ran to the store the other day I blurted out, can you buy me some stain remover and I listed a specific brand that we usually use. He returned a few minutes later with Tide Boost, which wasn't the brand I requested. Apparently our usual brand was sold out.

I am so glad he did. I have felt a bit half-hearted about the stain remover I had been using for a while and didn't feel like it was doing all I wanted it to. I had a great shirt to test out Tide Boost on. A brand new white linen shirt with bicycle grease and tire marks across the front of it.

I sprayed it on a few minutes before I threw the shirt in the wash. I was impressed that almost immediately I could see the stain releasing from the fabric. The color and density of the stain began changing almost immediately. I was thilled to pull the shirt out of the washer a while later and see absolutely no sign of the stains. Hooray, shirt saved!

I also tried Tide Boost on one of The Bug's shirts. She had spilled orange ice cream treat all over the front of it. It has already been washed once and the stains were still completely visible. Once I covered the stains with Tide Boost I was thrilled to pull it out and see no visible stains at all.

So that's my Tuesday Quick Tip. If you have people who make stains, and who doesn't, you might want to try Tide Boost along with Tide detergents. Real Simple recommends it too. I am very pleased and impressed with results. I love doing laundry and taking care of my clothes so knowing I have a new weapon in my stain removal arsenal is pretty exciting.

Inspiration For Building Your Life

2013-06-03T00:00:00.001-07:00

image via PicsToPin

I heard a little inspiration from Drew Barrymore that got me thinking. She was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey for OWN's Next Chapter series. I loved what Drew said and I was so inspired by what a survivor she is. She's come a long way from being a pre-teen drug addict! If she can survive that and find peace, happiness and success in life it should inspire the rest of us about what we can do too.

She talked about buying a house that she envisioned someday having a family in. This was before she met her husband, they were married or had a child. She said it was kind of a Field of Dreams "If you build it, they will come" moment for her. So she began to build that life she wanted. I love that. I have tried to live that way but perhaps over the past few years have wobbled a bit in my resolve.

So with a few things I really wanted to accomplish in the coming year seeming a little far-fetched at this point, I resolved to plan for them anyway and let them come to me without knowing exactly how or when that will happen. She said you can set up your future without knowing how or when it's coming. But putting yourself in a position to be ready for it is amazing I think.

images via OMG Yahoo

Barrymore began to make lifestyle changes that would be more in accordance with the life she really wanted. She said she wanted a quieter life. So she began to shift her priorities, began to focus on creating a home and being at home more. I love how she expressed it, she said she wanted life to quiet down. She wanted a healthy, safe family environment. It was sweet to see Barrymore with her baby Olive, happily married to a kind man and settled down just as she'd hoped.

Another thing that really inspired me is that she had this very clear idea that "It's not going to be perfect, but it is going to be GOOD." I think that's a fantastic way to look at life. Too often we hang on to these ideas about our future that are pure fantasy without any reality. It will never be the perfect picket fence life we conjure up in our heads. How could it ever be? But no matter what, it can be GOOD!

Great inspiration from Drew Barrymore. You can see video clips of Drew and Oprah here.

Biggity, Big Days

2013-05-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

image via

Goodness there has been a lot of big stuff going on in my little world the past four weeks. And none of it I can talk about here unfortunately. That makes it hard to talk at all, you know. I dislike talking with vagueness to you. What fun it would be to sit and have a cup of tea with you and be able to really talk. Everything is going well, we've been making very surprising decisions and having some monumental days. There's been lots of happiness, tiredness and adaptation to change. I'm happy to see everyone growing and learning.

I am looking forward to sharing new adventures with you soon. Our little family has been on quite the adventurous path and we will see a lot of change coming in the next few weeks. The Man and I have been having some pretty incredible and impactful conversations about where we want to go as a family in the coming year and beyond.

It is amazing the hours and hours and hours we have spent going back and forth discussing things. One hour we would feel our decisions were made, then as soon as we attempted to move the chess piece forward we would feel a sense of hesitation and reopen the debate yet again. This went on for a couple of days. I had no idea we were capable of carrying something on like that for so long. I guess this was actually the first time in our life together that we've had that luxury - and we've probably never had to make such big decisions so quickly about our family life yet.

Pros and Cons conversations where both sides are arguably valid and emotionally charged are not easy. I was totally exhausted once we finalized our decisions and made the resulting commitments. But best of all as time went on I felt better and better about our decision. The very best part was looking at The Man and with big smiles on our faces saying we were ready to make the decisions, as a team, totally unified. It felt so good to come to that realization and promise each other that as we move forward we'll do it united, at peace and with courage together. Very inspiring, so energizing. It got me excited about the future.

Now that we've made our decisions, my mind has started wandering towards all the creative opportunities that will be a part of new changes. I'm looking forward to new adventures and relationships that will come too. I'm feeling inspired by these things and learning to let go of things that need to be let go of. Sounds so easy and yet is not so easy. But I think once we're able to look back we see it was never as hard as we expected. Looking forward to summer 2013.

How about you? What kind of summer do you have ahead of you? Lots of travel? Busy-ness? Vacations? Weddings? Camp?

A Greater Appreciation For Memorial Day

2013-05-27T11:41:00.001-07:00

image via

This Memorial Day Weekend I have a very special and somewhat unique appreciation for the sacrifices made by those who have paid the ultimate price for my and every American's freedom. They have also died attempting to establish and preserve the freedom of many millions of people all around the world. They do not fight to make the world into America, they fight to give every man the chance to choose his own life and how he will live it without oppression and tyranny.

I have become well acquainted this year with military families who have sent their loved ones to war. And I have watched loved ones return from war. To send someone you love to war and have them return safely to you brings great reverence. My heart breaks for those who were lost and did not come home and the families who suffer that loss. I will be forever grateful for their sacrifices and prayerful for blessings upon them. I will do everything I can to support those families and show thanks and tribute to their lives.

Favorite Things To Do Around The World

2013-05-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

image via

Yesterday on Facebook there was a conversation about favorite things to do in Denmark, which is of course one of my favorite places on earth. I lived there, I love it there and I speak Danish. That got me thinking about favorite things to do in places I've been around the world and I thought I would share some here today.

Denmark: Karen Blixen Museum. Watch Out of Africa first. Skagen is a lovely city to visit as well. Bike riding in Scandinavia is a must.

Norway: Bergen. The Funicular takes you to an amazing forest and view of the city. Old Town there is fantastic as well. The train ride from Oslo to Bergen is unbelievably beautiful.

Sweden: Downtown Stockholm is incredibly gorgeous. Walking there is heavenly. Seeing the many small islands near Stockholm is lovely from the water as well.

Bangkok: The street markets and tour of the waterways.

England: In London I loved going to a concert at St. Martin-of-the-Field church. Bread pudding served downstairs during intermission.

Scotland: Take a walk up in the hills of Holyrood Park. One of the most amazingly, refreshing days of my life. The tall grasses, the ocean winds and views of Edinburgh are fantastic.

Wales: St. Fagens National History Museum was a lovely day in the sun. Everywhere I turned was an amazing opportunity to take a gorgeous photo. The wandering was lovely too.

Baja Mexico: Todos Santos, Hotel California. So many gorgeous details to take in.

The Netherlands: Amsterdam walking is amazing. So much to see and take in. Bring your camera.

Tahiti: Papeete downtown market. Great place to buy beautiful handmade items and sweet smelling scents. And...I never saw a bad beach view in French Polynesia. Best tan I've ever had in my life. Lasted me all summer and into fall.

These are a few of my favorite experiences and sites around the world. How about you? A favorite day in a favorite place far away you can share with us?

Treats From Victoria's Secret

2013-05-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

images via Victoria's Secret

As part of my Spring Sabrina project, I wanted to find a new self-tanner and related skin products and really wanted to find some girly cute sleepwear. Wondering what a Sabrina project is? You can read about it here and here.

I found everything I needed at Victoria's Secret. Now it's no secret to anyone I've ever discussed lingerie with that I have never been able to find one bra at Victoria's Secret that fit me right. I just gave up on the place for the most part. So I decided to venture in again to find some fun sleepwear and then at about the same time a military associate mentioned Victoria's Secret's self-tanner was great too. So I decided to check it out.

I went to one of the biggie department stores first and tried on a bunch of sleepwear with no success. Then I headed to Victoria's Secret and found these darling pajamas. I love a pair of 100% cotton pajamas and they had so many cute, feminine styles that fit me well. Finally, something there that fits me. I snagged this white with black polka dot pair. I like the little girly details, the leopard print trim and the white & pink buttons. Super cute and they are so comfortable.

Then I checked out the Beach Sexy Self-tanning Tinted Lotion. Lucky for me one of the girls that works there had been experimenting with it that day so I could see what it looked like on. I picked up a bottle but also picked up a travel kit that had a smaller tube of the self-tanner plus Beach Wave Hair Spray and Instant Bronzing Shimmer Dry Oil.

I haven't had much chance to actually use the tanner and bronzing oil yet. It seemed like every time I wanted to try it I was a couple of hours away from taking a shower, getting all sweaty or was wearing a new white shirt or something. I'm looking forward to checking it out more this coming week. I did fall in love with the Beach Wave Hair Spray. It worked great. I loved it. I had amazing wavy hair that lasted a couple of days. I just put it up in a messy bun at night and in the morning it would look great again with a few spritzes of the BWHS. Good stuff.

Here are the links to all the products I purchased:

The Cotton Mayfair Pajama

Beach Sexy Must Have Travel Kit

Beach Sexy Self-tanning Tinted Lotion

Do you have a self-tanner you love? A "go to" spot for great pajamas? Do you have a favorite sea salt beach hair product? I'd love to hear about them. Passing on recommendations has been an extremely successful way for me to find products that I really like. I'd love to hear what you're using or what you're looking for.

The Makings of A Good Week

2013-05-17T10:19:00.001-07:00

It's been an action packed week to say the least. This week has been about crazy house cleaning, receiving lots of boxes, dealing with cars, lots of communications with friends and family and happily a good amount of time outdoors. It's also gone unbelievably fast. I'm actually quite sad it Friday already.

I'm happy to have a little sun on my cheeks and to have spent time with my feet in the ocean a couple of times this week. It's the time of year to start taking full advantage of summer and start making the most of it now. I am looking forward to this summer for bike rides, picnics, hikes, walks on the beach, collecting shells, naps on the sand and hopefully a little camping with the family.

I am feeling so grateful for all our blessings this summer and all the nice things we have to look forward to. It's a time to count of all the things we have to be thankful for from life itself, every moment we get to spend with people we love and treasure and everything beyond that. The blessings we take most for granted it seems.

The major life lesson I've learned this week is the value of communication within our families. When we really take the time to talk to each other we sure understand each other a lot better and can alleviate hurt feelings, frustrations and the little things that break down our relationships. It's been fun to watch and participate in little bits of communications this week that have benefited my relationships. I like seeing us work through things and being kinder and gentler with each other.

Old Navy Summer 2013

2013-05-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

image 1 and image 2 via Old Navy

My theory that you find the best clothes when you aren't really looking and don't want to spend money continues to be true. Last week I ran to the bookstore to pick up a new journal and decided to just pop into Old Navy next door to see if they had any good shirts for The Bug who has suddenly gone through another growth spurt. I a found three cute shirts for her and then I made the "mistake" of venturing into the women's department.

I walked out with two new tunics, a swim cover-up and a new fedora. I picked up this tunic, a navy blue and white one too. Then I chose this cover-up in Navy blue, but I am showing you the white one because you just can't see the detail in the navy blue image. I thought all of the things I found would be so cute for beach days in San Diego this summer. I have never really owned a swim cover up before. I guess I've always just worn shorts and a tee shirt but I thought it would be fun to have a more girly look this summer.

I was pretty impressed with what I saw at Old Navy for Summer 2013. The collection definitely had a BoHo feel to it but there were colors and styles that would work for every personality and body type. You never know what you'll find when you pop into a shop with no intent to buy. It's always a jackpot when you're not seriously looking for clothes. This tells me that if I want to continue to upgrade my wardrobe I should start shopping with no intention to buy more often. Haha.

Home Reorganization Project Week #12 - The End

2013-05-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

images via

Great progress this past week in the Home Reorganization Project, even though I was on light duty only. It was technically the last week of the project and I have to move on to other things for a while. Of course the need to continue to reorganize and tidy up will never end, but the major Spring 2013 push needs to end.

We were able to get into a storage unit last week. That was a huge success. It was amazing how tidily everything fit in because it was well packed in bins, boxes and bags. It looks pristine and perfect, everything is well marked and easy to find and there is still room for more. Next trip we will take a few very small pieces of furniture, some art and a couple more boxes. But for the most part, everything is there now and my dining room actually has space to use the other half of the table now. Quite exciting.

Because of all the craziness of the past couple of weeks, the house looked a bit like a tornado had hit it by Friday. So the weekend was dedicated to whipping things back into shape. Lots more work than I wanted it to be, but that's life.

As I wrap up this big project, that has lasted exactly three months, I am so glad I did it. It evolved a lot through the process and that is something I am learning to be okay with. Progress rather than perfection is the name of the game. You can read about how it all got started here. The other big lesson I learned it to pace myself. You can read more about that here.

I am looking forward to enjoying a quieter, more peaceful home now that there will be less chaos and more open space and room for everyone. That was the goal of the project, so I'm pleased to say it was a success.

May Birthday Fun

2013-05-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

image via

One of my favorite things about having a May birthday is that it kicks off the summer season just before Memorial Day. Some years my birthday is attached to Memorial Day weekend so it's fun to get an extended holiday for celebrating. Even though getting a year older every twelve months can be a little depressing, I've decided to not waste a moment being unhappy about a birthday. Instead I have tried to make my birthday the most fun day of the year for me and fill it with lots of things I enjoy, thoughtful activities, time with my favorite people, in my favorite places and in complete happiness.

It's always fun to start getting little birthday treats in the mail from some of my favorite retailers whose mailing lists I have joined. Each year I get a free "create your own perfume" mailer from one company where you can go in and have a sensory experience with an associate and create your own special scent. Today I got another little mailer for some free makeup samples from another favorite retailer. Others send special discounts or offer a free meal at a favorite cafe on my birthday.

This year I am making a special effort to make a list of all these little ways to celebrate and I'm calendaring them all in. It seems like if I wait until after my birthday I forget and lose out, so this year I'm planning it all out with intention to take advantage of every fun little opportunity to celebrate I have. It gives me the chance to spread little celebrations over several days or to set aside one or two grand days to do them all.

I'm already looking forward to breakfast at a favorite cafe. I might even go by myself with a book or magazine or my laptop for a while. Sounds heavenly. I could totally use some new perfume so I'll do that too. I'm already getting excited for my birthday and it's still a few days off. One of the best parts of getting older is learning to appreciate all the good moments in life. I'm looking forward to quite a lot of those in the next few weeks. Yay!

Inspiring Posts In Other Places

2013-05-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

image via

I thought I would share some posts that I have written which have appeared on other blogs. These posts are about life-changing lessons in peace, happiness and even anger. It's so interesting to go back and read them and see how many of the same issues I continue to think about, see the places where I have grown and how my life has changed over the years. Maybe there is something here that will inspire you too for your heart and home.

I Am Enough. I loved this project from the moment I first heard about it. Created by photographer and all around gracious and fun woman Tracey Clark, it is a collection of writings by women seeking to remember that they are enough just as they are. Here's the link to the piece I wrote about learning to speak kindly to myself.

Finding Your Joy. I wrote this post for the blog Re:find Joy. You can find a lot of inspiration at Re:find Joy for weddings, design and daily living. There are lots of posts on finding joy in life which I love. My post is all about actualizing your dream life now and living in joy every day. My heart still warms when I read this post. Good memories and good reminders to myself. It also makes me grateful for homegrown tomatoes. I don't like tomatoes but my people LOVE them, which makes me so happy.

Ten Steps To More Happiness. Seven Cherubs is a blog from Australia written by Naomi, mom of seven. She has quite an adventurous life. I wrote for her blog about ways to bring more happiness to life. I think I really write most of my posts for me because they are things I need to learn but they seem to resonate with others too. That gives me a chance to learn amazing lessons from others too.

Getting To Know Agitated Me. Writing this post gave me a chance to strike up a new friendship with Creative Soul In Motion blog founder Erin. I am looking forward to talking to her about Reiki soon. This post is about learning what your anger and frustration are telling you are how to act more quickly to resolve the things that are causing them.

I 'll share some creative projects of mine that have appeared on other blogs sometime soon. Hope you find something inspiring here. Warmest wishes.

The Summer of Red, White & Blue

2013-05-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

bottom left image via Reuters, all other by kalanicut

I took down the few Spring decorations we had up a couple of weeks ago then decided that now that it's early May it's the prefect time to decorate for a full summer of patriotic living. We have a lot to wave the flag about this summer including homecoming in the next few weeks. Hooray!

Then there's Memorial Day weekend, Flag Day, Independence Day, Pioneer Day if you grew up in Utah like me and lastly Labor Day. I have always been so glad that our city does patriotic fireworks the week before July 4th so we can celebrate here at home and then again July 4th at home with my family. My parents will also be leaving their 18-month stint here in California to return to Utah that same week. There will be a lot going on for the family.

So I pulled out all the festive decorations and have started fixing up the mantle for the summer. Nothing too crazy, just a few little cheery red white and blue touches. I decided I can also leave up our big wood star for Stars and Stripes season. I also want to make a homecoming bunting of some sort to hang up to welcome our Daddy home. We definitely need some yellow ribbons somewhere. Maybe on the tree on our front entryway.

This week is really the last quiet week I will have for a while and it's not really quiet, it's more of a panicked scramble to get lots done, especially since nothing got down last week. Boy am I glad I started organizing projects in February, especially since I'm not supposed to do any heavy lifting right now. Ergh. But I'm going to get all I can done this week and then just let things ride and try not to be too busy. Life will be busy enough.

How is your summer shaping up? Is it already action packed or are you still thinking about what you want to do this year?

A Pin Test #13: Paper Butterflies

2013-05-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

I found a great Pin Test I could do while resting in bed this weekend. I needed a mandatory rest weekend based on last week. So I decided to try making these Paper Craft Butterflies from Bastel Blog. I thought they would look really cute hanging in front of the window in The Bug's room. She has white curtains and I thought these would look charming floating in front of them.

It was fun to try to check out the instructions in German. At first no translation option appeared. I wouldn't have made it in German, that's for sure. But once the instructions were in English things moved along pretty quickly.

Here's the link to the original tutorial along with the instructions and photos from their projects. I made mine quite a bit larger than described in the original post I just tried to keep the sizes in the same proportions as the original measurements and it worked out quite well.

Made very small these would be pretty framed in a collection, like you would see real butterflies framed in a museum. In large sizes they are fun decorations for a nursery or little girl's room,or as decorations for a baby shower or birthday party hanging from the ceiling. They would also be pretty strewn down the center of a table runner with candles for a lovely centerpiece. Darling strung together as a garland too. There are definitely lots of pretty options and these don't cost a cent if you already have thread and old magazines.

My one tip for you would be chose pages with lots of big bold color and not a lot of small text. My favorites are the ones with the most intense color contrasts and darker colors since they will pop up against white curtains and a white wall. But you can experiment and see what you like best.

So that was a great Pin Test for me. Only took about an hour, no cost and success at the end. If you try them, let me know how it goes.

images by kalanicut

Home Reorganization Project: Week 11

2013-05-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

image via

I almost have to laugh at how perfectly this image explains what happened with the Home Reorganization Project last week. Stopped, flat on my back. I was hurt last week which left me sore from the top of my head on down. Looks like it's all just soreness and everything will be on the mend soon but last week the only time I was even mildly pain-free was lying on a bed of ice packs. So absolutely nothing was accomplished last week except a ton of phone calls, keeping us fed with take out and taking care of the little one (getting her up, to school, home from school, fed, homework, etc. -- a full time job in itself).

So here is my lesson for the week regarding this project. Always, always plan in more time than you anticipate for out of the blue situations that come up. The more you plan, it seems, the more likely things are to happen to mess up your plan. But it's still great to plan because you make way more progress that way than by just letting things roll.

I need to have my home in tip top shape by the beginning of next week for sure. I lost a full week just before my deadline. Thank goodness I started in February and have slowly but surely been accomplishing things! I still have quite a few things to do to wrap it all up this week, including doing a quick last clean of each room. Always plan more time than you would normally expect for any project. That's my reminder lesson this week.

Learning To Thrive on Life's Roller Coaster

2013-05-03T06:19:00.000-07:00

image via

I knew this month was going to be a roller coaster ride just from looking at our calendar. But I had no idea that life would throw us some big surprises in too. The surprises have not been good ones, but we're just going to count our blessings that things aren't worse. (She says with a smile.)

This is where I feel like I'm supposed to play the good little blogger and pretend that life is always a bowl of cherries, we have all the money in the world and never have a moment of discord in our relationships. We smile, treat others well and nothing bad ever dares enter our perfect little sphere. Oh, if only life were so. If only I could will only good things to our life by the sheer energy of having a positive attitude, counting my blessings and smiling.

But alas it is not so. Roller coasters have amazingly intense ups and terrifying downs. Bad stuff happens and it happened this week and it's terrible timing for it. (Now I'm imaging anyone reading this feeling like they must write an obligatory "I'm so sorry you're going through a hard time, sending you XOXOs that things get better soon." comment below. I promise you I'm not pressuring you into that either.)

Despite a junky week to say the least, I'm happy, have had moments of joy, have enjoyed my few moments of resting and have not freaked out too much considering the circumstances. This, my friends, appears to be life as it's intended. We get tried with hard, frustrating, painful and sometimes devastating things and our test is to find or return to our peace, to see the good, and find and love the daily bits of joy that come to us.

That's life. Work through the bad and find and devour every bit of good. When I look at some of my best mentors this was not only their survival tool, but their tool to THRIVE! This is one of the qualities that makes them amazing and inspiring. This is what seems to have made them such happy, blessed people. That's my life goal, not to merely SURVIVE but to THRIVE. So on I go to thriving.

Hope you find some moments of THRIVE in your coming days. I'm praying for it for you.

Their Called Uggs But I Call Them Fabulous!

2013-05-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

I love these sandals so much that I can barely look at this photo without gushing. And happily they are mine and for $75 below retail price. Yay! I think it's pretty well established that I love clogs and wood soled shoes. If there were any question about that I think we could refer to posts titled Dansko Clogs, Swedish Hasbeens, Dinosaur Clogs, Uggs Clogs, Cape Clogs, Green Sanita Clogs, and Sundance Catalog Embroidered Clogs. I'm still wearing a pair of black professional clogs I picked up in a thrift store in 1998 in New York City. Sometimes The Man even wears them. I'm sure they're unisex clogs. Did you know that when I lived in Denmark, all the workmen wore clogs. They are truly a shoe for every day and lots of standing up.

These are the Uggs Nadia and the leather is absolutely gorgeous and I love the nailheads around the base. Natural wood soles are just dreamy to me and these pretty ladies will be great with a dress, skirt or pants for summer 2013. And still after writing this entire post, just looking at these shoes makes me giddy. It's good to feel silly enthusiasm for things in life isn't it. It sure feels good to me. It's great to have something fun to be happy about.

Anything making you silly giddy these days? I love hearing about those things. Have you found any killer sandals that have you totally excited for summer 2013? I am seeing some fun stuff out there including some awesome Espadrilles - check out this pretty post from Camille Styles. Espadrilles are another favorite shoe of mine -- again that comes with very fond memories from my childhood! I do love shoes.