friday fun finds: two must-have essentials for the beach or park

living in sunny san diego means that you get *a lot* of visitors in the summer and you make many a trips to the beach. :-) there are two items that i truly don't think that i could survive without and i just have to share with all of you.....

jj cole essentials blanket -- $29.95

this waterproof outdoor blanket is *amazing*. it folds up and is easy to carry. it is big enough for the family to sit on for a picnic and when it gets spilled on or sandy you simply throw it into the wash. i have had mine for over 4 years and it is still in excellent condition despite years of abuse use. :-)

brica handy hook -- $7.99

not only do i use this hook to hold my purse onto the stroller or shopping cart on a regular basis, but it is *fantastic* to hold the buckets full of beach toys! love. love. love this product!

what are *your* favorite products for the beach?

beautifully overwhelmed

today was full of unexpected moments that left me emotionally overwhelmed. i left the house early for a doctor's appointment. i was on my own. i had showered, dried my hair, and wore a dress. i know...do i really need to go on further? i'm almost emotionally overwhelmed just reading those last sentences. 


my appointment was over in five minutes. literally. i spent five minutes at the doctor and then had two hours to kill. again, i'm almost crying with pure joy just reliving that. as my good fortune would have it, a friend of mine delivered a beautiful baby girl two days ago so i took my opportunity and got to hold a five pound little miracle before she left the hospital. there's a song that says, "you're so fresh from heaven there's still angel dust on you." that's what it felt like to hold her. i was enraptured with her and the gift of a new little life to love. 


i left the hospital still basking in the glow of this precious life and headed about 20 minutes down the highway to attend a funeral. can you feel the emotional whiplash? you would think that the two events wouldn't join well together, in a day or in a blog post, but you might be surprised. the funeral was a celebration of an amazing man, married to the same woman for 51 years. he raised his children, saw his grandchildren grow up. he left a legacy of love and faith for his family behind him. his heritage was beautiful. i left the church feeling like my whole morning had been a celebration of life, from our first breath to our last.


then things got better.


you see, i am a california girl by birth. i spent my first 25 years living in both the north bay and southern california. it is all i had known. the only funerals i have attended, with the exception of one, are california funerals. i love my home state but i have to say, in many ways, the south is extraordinary. as i left the church from my grandfather's funeral in california, no one cared. even with my lights on and a sign in my windshield, i was virtually on my own. i got lost in traffic and was late to my grandfather's gravesite service. 


this was my first southern funeral and it was something i will never forget. as we left the church, oncoming traffic completely stopped. it stopped on both sides of the road. it stopped for a good 15 minutes. those driving on the road that day just parked their cars and waited for the entire funeral procession to pass. as we continued to drive, the same thing happened, even on the busiest roads. cars pulled over, even on the opposite side of the road, and waited for us to pass. not only that, but as we drove, police cars came from wherever they were patrolling to usher us through every traffic light. the man who passed away was just a grandfather. this is the treatment that everyone is given and i found it absolutely beautiful. 


it is easy to see the glory in a brand new life. there are few who don't find newborns stunningly beautiful and precious. today, however, i was awed by the people who chose to honor the end of a life...not of someone they knew, but of a complete stranger. drivers of those pulled over cars chose to put their lives and agendas on hold for people they had never met. they chose to esteem those who were mourning and in doing so, i saw something extraordinary. just as a mother will proudly show off her brand new baby to those who see her, the mourning family was able to sit up a little higher and be proud of the man they were celebrating. they were surrounded by respect and honor as they passed those parked cars. something so small made an extremely difficult day for them a tiny bit easier. 


as always, i found myself wondering "what if?". what if this was the norm? what if we all chose to find ways to honor one another instead of finding ways to tear each other down? at the end of today, i found the beauty of a newborn, the beauty of a life well lived, and the beauty of strangers' unselfishness absolutely overwhelming. 

mmmmm, mondays: grandma's famous zucchini bread

i was fortunate enough to grow up in the same town as my grandma (grandmommie, as we used to call her). not only was she an incredible woman, but she was an amazing baker. this week, many of my family are gathered in san diego for a family reunion. grandmommie will be missed and i feel an empty void without her here to enjoy the family all together. in honor of her, i am sharing her *famous* zucchini bread recipe for you all to enjoy. xoxo

ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups pealed and grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon

directions:

beat eggs until light and foamy. add oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. mix lightly but well.

mix four, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. add flour mixture to first mixture and blend. (may add chopped nuts, about 1/2 cup, if desired).

grease two 9x5 loaf pans. divide mixture into pans, bake at 325 degrees for one hour or until it tests done.

70 years of memories

last month my dad turned 70 years old. he is already one of those people that is a challenge to find a gift for so i was *freaking out* trying to come up with a fantastic, memorable, creative and FUN idea. while browsing other blogs, i found a *brilliant* idea from nothing but bonfires that she had come up with to celebrate her dads 6oth. i quickly borrowed this fabulous idea, made a few changes of my own, enlisted the help of my little sister and we ran with it.


the hardest part was tracking down all of the emails we could (it may or may not have involved hacking into my dad's computer address book). once we had emails the next step was coming up what to say and then getting it out to as many people as possible. here is what we ended up with:


Hello everyone!


If you're receiving this email, you probably know that our dad, xxxxxxxx, is turning 70 next month. To celebrate his birthday on June 20th, we'd like to put together a little surprise to let him know that his nearest and dearest are thinking of him. We're going to try and create "70 Years of Memories" by filling 70 envelopes with a memory his friends and family have of him.
And this is where you come in! 


If you have a spare moment in the next few days, we would be so grateful if you'd jot down a favorite memory you have of our dad and email it or put it in the mail. It doesn't have to be anything fancy -- you can just write it down on a piece of paper and sign your name or send a quick email (we will take care of the formatting and print it out). You can mention anything you like -- although the more nostalgic the better! Please absolutely feel free to send more than one memory (in fact, we welcome it -- we've got 70 envelopes to fill)!


Please email your memories to: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
If you would like to mail memories please send them to: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Thank you so, so, so much for participating -- we know everyone is busy with their own lives, and we do appreciate you taking a few minutes to do this; it will be so worth it when he reads all the memories people have of him! (Please don't forget to keep it a SURPRISE until then, though!) 


Thank you so much again. 


P.S. PLEASE help us by forwarding this e-mail to anyone that you think might have a memory to share of our dad. We have tried to gather as many emails as we could, but know that we have missed some. We would appreciate your help in spreading the word. :-) 


we sent it out and then we waited. a few started coming in right away....but we started *panicking* (70 envelopes was truly a LOT to fill). the emails kept tricking in, some amazing people forwarded the e-mail onto others and we also sent out a couple follow-up reminders that really helped. i must note that it wouldn't have been the same without the help of one AMAZING cousin of my dad's that personally took on the challenge to call each of his elderly aunt and uncles to transcribe their memories of him and get them to us-- (thank you, holly!!)


we gathered all of the memories, stuffed 70 numbered envelopes with them and then tied them together in a neat, tidy stack and made a cute little label.

we took my dad out to a fancy steakhouse to give him the stack of envelopes. he was floored. we laughed, we cried and after a few hours (yes. hours. it may have been the worlds longest birthday dinner). side note: thank you to the amazing people at the steakhouse at azul la jolla for being so generous with letting us occupy a beautiful ocean view table and never making us feel like we were taking too long. if you have never been to azul, you must. not only is the atmosphere beautiful, but the food is among the best that san diego has to offer.

there were lots of laughs and even some tears. the memories that people shared were thoughtful, loving, kind and some were downright hysterical. they came from aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, friends and friends that are like family. each envelope that was opened took us on a journey and led to more stories to be told and memories to unearth from the depths of our minds.  my dad loved reliving all of the memories and said that (in a good way) it was like being able to attend his own memorial service and hear what people would say. 

look at that *giant* stack of letters!

a little boo-hoo-hoo-ing

he may kill me for posting this crying one. :-)

we took turns reading at some point. are my mom and dad not the cutest?!

a special thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone that participated to make this such a special birthday for my dad....he will never forget it and neither will our family. what a very special celebration! 


so, if you are looking for a unique, one-of-a-kind gift i would suggest trying this. not only does it make a fabulous birthday gift, but i think it would be a great anniversary gift too. let us know if you end up trying it yourself! enjoy!

xoxo

mmmmm, mondays: eggplant pasta

(recipe and photo credit: real simple magazine)

it's eggplant season and i don't know about you.....but i just never know what to make with eggplant. i was lucky enough to be served this yummy dish at a friends house and it is truly fabulous. this recipe serves 4, but i have been doubling it for the yummy leftovers. give it a try and let me know what you think. enjoy!

ingredients:

1/2 box penne pasta

1 medium eggplant cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup of grape tomatoes, cut in half

6oz fresh mozzarella cheese cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon each crushed red pepper, sea salt, and pepper

1/2 tablespoon of crushed garlic
optional: cut basil leaves to garnish

directions:

cook pasta according to directions on the box.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, drain pasta, and return to pot.

at the same time the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet or pan and cook eggplant until tender and brown(ish)-about 8-10 minutes

add tomatoes, garlic, red pepper, salt and pepper to the eggplant, continue cooking until tomatoes soften, about 2-3 more minutes.

combine pasta with eggplant mixture, add reserved water and mozzarella, toss and serve.  

simple solutions: laundry soap dispensers

sometimes i see something so amazingly simple and brilliant that i just have to share. these last couple of weeks, i've been visiting family. my mom had this simple solution that is absolutely genius. i couldn't help but share. if you have a simply genius idea to share, please pass it on so we can all benefit. together we can rule the world!

okay, so if you have a huge bottle of laundry detergent, you know how messy it can get when you use the little dispenser cup and then have to put it away. who wants to rinse it out each time? so, here's the solution.

normal laundry soap dispenser...normal high efficiency washing machine...

pour in your laundry soap like normal. 

when you are finished putting in the detergent, just place the cup into the space for the detergent.

close the lid to the washer and run the machine like normal.

when the load is finished washing, your cup will be clean and ready for the next load. 

simple genius.

mmmmm: lemon basil potato salad

i am not a mayonnaise fan...never have been. the only time i like it is when it's mixed with pesto sauce. so, when i saw this fabulous recipe for a no-mayo potato salad, i was all over it. this is delicious. it's cool and refreshing on a hot summer day. enjoy!

lemon-basil potato salad

10 medium potatoes

1/2 large red onion, chopped

fresh basil, stems removed, chopped

salt and pepper

dressing:

4-5 cloves of minced garlic

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

juice of two lemons (or about 1/4 cup lemon juice)

2/3 cup olive oil

wash the potatoes. leave the skins on and slice about 1/4 inch think. boil the sliced potatoes in salted water approximately 12 minutes. drain and let cool. mix garlic, mustard and lemon juice in a large bowl. whisk in the olive oil. season with salt and pepper. add potatoes, basil and onion and mix well. enjoy!

friday fun finds: chopped salads

summer is the perfect season for salads.....my current favorites are the chopped variety. do you have a favorite chopped salad recipe to share and enable my obsession?

chopped salad from espresso and cream

chopped greek salad with shallot vinaigrette from food and wine

chopped mexican salad from greatist

chopped chicken salad from how sweet eats

california pizza kitchen chopped salad from food.com

chipotle chopped salad from veranda interiors

classic chopped salad from better homes and gardens

southwestern chopped chicken salad from greens n chocolate

men and their tools

my sister, hubby and i went on a walk tonight. my man was telling one of his cool stories and talked about "humping" his way up a mountain in the jungle. well, my sister and i, having the juvenile humor that we do, couldn't contain our giggles. seriously, which male decided that the term "humping" should have a double meaning?

that led me and my sister on a good, long, laughable tangent that landed us imagining a trip to our local home improvement store. i love home improvement. i love projects. i love shopping. i love good customer service. however, thanks to men everywhere, i hate going into a home improvement store. without question, some helpful man in an orange vest will come up to me and my five children and will ask what i am looking for and how he can help me. 

here is where men everywhere have messed with women. i don't think there is a product in the home improvement stores that don't have a double meaning. seriously, hammer, nail, screw, and my least favorite of all: caulk...how am i supposed to get through home depot with a straight face? i had to find a dark brown tube of caulking to match the baseboards around my flooring. how do you ask where that is located without creating an awkward customer service moment? 

maybe we should just own it. maybe we should make men everywhere as uncomfortable as we are in those situations. maybe someone should just walk in to a home improvement store and ask as many questions about caulk as she can think of, just to see what happens. if you have the guts to do that, please let me know. i'll be searching the aisles aimlessly so i don't have to use the words brown or white and caulk in a sentence together.

mmmmm: lime-pear jello salad

i love jello in the summers. something about it is reminiscent of my childhood. this recipe is cool, smooth and delicious. it tastes like a dessert and has become one of my favorite summer treats. enjoy!

lime-pear jello salad

1 large package lime jello

1 large can pears

1 8-oz package cream cheese

8 oz cool whip

drain the pear juice in a pan and bring to a boil. stir in the lime jello to dissolve. pour the mixture into a blender and whirl. add the cream cheese; whirl. add pears to the blender mixture; whirl. add the cool whip to the blender mixture a small portion at a time, whirling between additions. pour the entire mixture into a jello mold, bowl or a rectangular dish. refrigerate until firm.