this is a super easy recipe that my pal Darren‘s family has passed down for years. we baked it. and before i even had a chance to return with my spoon, every morsel had been eaten. i guess it’s safe to say we loved it. 4 large apples-peeled, cored and sliced thinly 1/2 cup water […]
swirling about a sand room
February 4 by
i’ve been swirling about a mud room…but in our garage….cuz we really don’t have mud…we’ve got sand. and hats, and shoes, and did i mention sand? here are some inspiration shots…what do you think? i’ve been scouring craigslist for old entertainment centers or book cases that could be repurposed for something like this… but i’m […]
how i hacked an Ikea Tarva dresser :: tutorial
February 2 by
i’ll always have fond memories of Ikea. i used to bring my kids there when they had trouble sleeping…. it always went something like this: “they’ll fall asleep in the stroller while i shop.” yup, i’m THAT mom with stuff stacked in the stroller, balanced on the kids’ heads, crammed into the small storage bin […]
when type A starts to blog :: BlissDom changed my life
February 1 by
woah, this is a heavy topic for me. i’ve been what i call a tangential blogger for a few years now. it started with simple posts about my first son to keep the family around the world updated. then i started to dabble with furniture refinishing before we moved into our new home. i’ve always […]
Restoration Hardware-inspired big boy room reveal
February 1 by
as i listen to Big A trying to ‘soothe’ himself to sleep in his new big boy room, i feel guilty. poor little guy. sometimes he goes down quickly, and sometimes, he’s over-tied, i think…and he fights it. so i’m distracting myself with this post as i obsessively check the monitor… we got him into […]
curb alert :: free plunger
February 1 by
i’m giving away a free plunger. it’s the worst one i’ve ever had. it doesn’t work. i paid too much for it. but it’s yours if you want it. you’ve got to be kidding me…too late. someone’s already taken it. good riddance!
Ikea hack :: using the DIGNITET curtain clips to hang your kids’ artwork
January 30 by
raise your hand if you love ikea. i was wracking my brain on ways to display the kids’ artwork in the loft. they’re always creating new stuff, and with the seasons, taping it to the wall was becoming a bit aggressive. i even bought two quarts of magnetic paint, but then thought there’s no chance […]
spicy asian style eggplant recipe
January 29 by
eggplant is a recent re-discovery for me. i grew it in my backyard garden in LA several years ago, but had sort of forgotten about it when i met my hubby. he hates veggies. yes, i hide pureed veggies in his waffles. don’t tell him. these are super easy. olive oil 1 Japanese eggplant (these […]
big reveal :: vintage door refinished with Annie Sloan chalk paint
January 26 by
the door restoration is DONE! here’s the tutorial post of the first half of this restoration. this is where i started….a stack of FREE doors found on craigslist! here i was sitting on my laptop after the kids were tucked in….la la la….cruising free stuff on craigslist….when i saw a post for 12 FREE vintage […]
Valentine’s Day wreath
January 25 by
saw this Valentine’s Day wreath on Pinterest and made it with my own little twist. grabbed some old school clothes pins, sprayed them white, and pinned them to the clothes hanger with some burlap. get ready! just got my Datevitation in the mail for my love. so excited to share these exciting dates throughout the […]
how to make fried rice
January 25 by
yay! Chinese New Year is around the corner. 2013 is the year of the snake. the Chinese calendar runs on 12 year cycles. the last time we were in the year of the snake, i was running a dot com and didn’t need lululemon. i recently signed up to be room mom for a few months […]
Downloadable daily schedule for your baby and kids
January 24 by
call me a freak. i use Excel for everything. my MBA has certainly come in handy for this project! when lil G was born, i couldn’t remember anything. did i feed the baby? what time? which side did i nurse last? so, i created this daily schedule to keep track of the kids. it started […]
downloadable kids’ reward sticker chart
January 23 by
i’ve gotten a few requests to post the reward sticker chart for download. yup, another nerdy Excel thing i did for the kids. most nights after baths, we review the chart. they get a sticker for each ‘task’ they accomplished. this has been successful to get them to learn behaviors such as brushing teeth, […]
Chinese wontons, Darth Vadar style
January 21 by
Chinese New Year is coming up, so we’re sharing some traditional, yet simple recipes with you! * Wontons are traditionally made with ground pork and shrimp. My mother doesn’t eat pork and so whenever I can substitute out pork, I try to do so – this way Mom can enjoy my cooking as I have […]
networking :: blog style
January 20 by
what an exciting time of year. the bloggers are re-energized after the holidays, blogging conferences abound, and bloggers hosting parties that truly intended for us bloggers to meet each other! i’m participating in a Valentine’s Day blog exchange. what is this you ask? i signed up and was randomly given another blogger as my Valentine. […]
