Dirty Mind

When I first glanced at the "Esthetic" sign while traveling in Asakusa today, I thought the Japanese had dirty minds. Apparently, it's me who has a dirty mind. I didn't understand that it was advertising a spa/salon until I saw the rest of building.

Happy Independence Day!

"Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation and freedom in all just pursuits." -Thomas Jefferson

Happy Independence Day from Japan!

Happy Mother's Day to Supermoms Everywhere!

Happy Mother's Day to all you awesome mothers!

I received this email from my MIL today, and I wanted to share this great poem with all of you fabulous moms. Hope you're having a wonderful day!


Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom...
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

Twilight Series

Okay, I must admit, I'm one of the million people that have become addicted to reading the Twilight series. Not because I'm in love of the plot or the characters, and I actually can't explain why I've decided to read all four books. The only time I enjoy reading the book is when the storyline is between Bella and Jacob, and the rest of the time I am completely irritated with the continuing saga. My hubby asks me why I put myself in these situations, really, it's because I kept hoping that the story would have my happy ending--Bella waking up from her trance of being in love with Edward and realizing that Jacob is the one for her.

One thing I must compliment Stephanie Meyer on is being able to mask 5/7 of poor romance with 2/7 of decent adventure at the end. At first, I thought it was because I'm not in this stage in life, but I dislike the characters and the books stress on superficial beauty, wealth, and power.

I rambled enough about my disdain for this series. I brought it up only because I started wondering why such a long time passed since my last blog entry, and it's because I'm such a book worm--no matter what book it is. If you're thinking about reading these books, stop. Really, don't read them. You'll save yourself a lot of personal annoyance from reading these books. Just get the short version from watching the movies (Twilight the book was better than the movie, though, as is usually the case). I'm sure they're going to capitalize on these books by filming Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.

Juicy Couture

I logged onto Nordstrom today to check if I had a balance, and I became distracted with their front page advertisements. A cute green bag caught my eye, and I just had to click on it to find out more! It's Juicy Couture's Key & Shell - China C Satchel. I'm actually not a big fan of JC, but I've been looking for a bag this color and style all season. It's a leather bag, and it has a removable shoulder strap.

And I love how Nordstom always makes suggestions of other items that I may like, because I then found the Marion D Hobo bag in the same color! If U were to choose a bag, it would definitely be this one, only because it fits my style better--it's sophisticated, classic, and a great color--what more could I ask for?

What I really should be looking for is a mommy bag that I can't tell is a mommy bag...

Well Said!

I LOVE Mama Manifesto, and I especially love receiving their Mama Memo every Sunday where I relate with many of their postings and get inspired by their creativity. When I opened my Memo today, the first blog is called "Where Does the Time Go?" and I completely related! Check it out. If you have kids, you'll completely agree, and if you have friends with kids, you understand!

Happy New Year!

It's been quiet here lately, and it's because we've been visiting our families out of town for the holidays. Surf in California and snow in Utah--what more could you ask for? Not to get sick on the plane ride back home, that is. Tristan and I have been battling a cold ever since we got back home on New Year's. It's just been a lot of liquids and sleep for us.

I'm so excited! While I was home, I got another candy wrapper order for a high school graduation! =) And, today, I reconnected with an old friend and am working on something special for her, too! Yay!

I hope 2009 brings everyone health, wealth, and happiness!

Promises

I've always been a lover for fortune cookies. It's the best part of my meal when I eat at Chinese restaurants. There's something magical about cracking that cookie open and reaching for that small piece of paper that predicts your future or shares a bit of wisdom.

I was so happy when I discovered that Dove decided to mix my love for dark chocolate with words of inspiration. Since I've decided to cut back on indulging in my Dove Bars, I treat myself to a piece--sometimes two or three--of Dove Promises practically every night.

"Believe in yourself." -Dove Promises Message

Oh, boy, was this something I needed to unwrap and believe. It's been quite some time now that I've been saying I'll probably start up Sweet Posy Designs, but I've been hesitating and it's mostly because I'm not as confident in my work as I would like to be. I tend to compare my designs and ideas to other artists and think that their work is better or that I won't end up selling any of my work. My friend had to remind me that every one has their own style and that I do have great designs. So when I unwrapped this chocolate candy, I thought it was life giving me a message. As I shared earlier, I finally decided to take the plunge this past weekend and set up shop on Etsy. Even though I only have two designs up right now, I'll get there, I just have to believe in myself.

And on the topic of Dove Promise, you can send an e-promise to a friend! There are many different themes: friendship, love, hope, inspiration, confidence, indulge, attitude, and life. You can even create your own message! Plus, Dove partnered with Susan G. Komen to capture the strength, compassion, and voice of women who have overcome the battle in their own lives. Breast cancer survivors can log on and enter their own words of hope and inspiration, and these emotional messages will be transferred onto the Dove chocolate wrappers in an effort to spread breast cancer awareness. Spread the word--the program lasts only until November 30, 2008. Hopefully they extend it or just make it an ongoing program!

I'm It!

Shawna, creative genius and founder of Styleberry Home, tagged me, and I always loved playing Tag as a child! Get ready, it's a mix of her 5 & 7 tags...

5 Years Ago:

1. I lived 1100 miles away my then boyfriend turned hubby.
2. I was the Treasurer for Delta Phi Gamma during my junior year at UC Irvine.
3. I planned out my class schedule so that I wouldn't have classes on Fridays--weekends started Thursday nights!
4. I lived with 3 awesome roommates in a tiny apartment across the street from campus.
5. I went to work in jeans, a sweatshirt, and flip flops (not all at the same time) at Beachhouse.com in between classes.

5 Things on My List Today:

1. Sleep & nap while Tristan sleeps (yes, I have to tell myself to do this everyday!)
2. Update my address with everyone
3. Purchase flight tickets to go home for the Holidays
   
4. Create listings on my Etsy seller account, Sweet Posy Designs
   
5. Figure out how to code my domain name so that when I type www.sweetposydesigns.com in the URL, it says "Sweet Posy Designs" and NOT "Untitled Document"

5 Snacks I Enjoy:

1. Jamba Juice's Aloha Pineapple
   
2. Trader Joe's Orange Flavored Cranberries
3. Chips with Salsa or Guacomole
   
4. Pinkberry's Original Frozen Yogurt with Raspberries & Blueberries
5. Special K Bar Strawberry

5 Things I Would Do if I were a Millionaire

1. Pay off all debt
2. Buy a retirement house either in California or Colorado
3. Buy a house for my mom in Redondo Beach, CA with an extra room for us to stay in when we visit her!
   
4. Invest in mutual funds, stocks, bonds, etc (best time to buy is when the market is low!)
5. Save for Tristan's college fund

5 Places I Have Lived:

1. Carson, CA
2. Irvine, CA
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. Milton, FL
5. Corpus Christi, TX

5 Jobs I Have Had:

1. Executive Assistant
2. Operations Assistant
3. Customer Support Manager
4. Associate Financial Representative
5. Public Relations Specialist

7 Random/Weird Facts About Me:

1. At work, I am a neat freak and have everything completely organized, but at home, it's the exact opposite, and I'm a complete mess (for the most part).
2. I have NEVER colored my hair.
3. I randomly sing the same verse & chorus of this song that we used to sing at my high school's masses around the house, especially when I'm in the shower. I've tried googling the lyrics, but still can't find the name of the song.
4. I used to run "fashionably late" to every event, but ever since I had Tristan, I've actually became better about arriving on time!
5. In search for answers, I google everything.
6. The only dessert I can successfully bake is Chocolate Lava Cake. mmm...yummy!
7. Whenever I see something I like and don't want to pay for the price, I make it a DIY project from planning my wedding to painting Tristan's letters for his nursery. I just wish I could find more time to work on projects!

7 Random People I Tag:

1. Laura Miller Photography
2. Events by Jem
3. Serah's Soap
4. Caroline Bertani's Just Because Jewelry
5. Esculon Says
6. She Just Got Married
7. Christine

Mommy Wish List

Lately, I've been coming across many cute diapering accessories that I want, and I thought that I'd share! They're chic, stylish, and, most of all, functional--at least that's what the reviews and companies tell me. I'll just have to find out for myself!

1) Shopping at Bellini one afternoon, I found the cutest Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag, an "Afternoon in Katmandu!" I keep telling myself that if I had this tote, I would save myself from lugging around a diaper bag and my purse. It's surprisingly spacious inside with several pockets for just about any accessory for the baby and me and includes a changing pad and wipes case. I held off from purchasing it so that I can find out if there are other cute prints to choose from on their website. While Katmandu is still my favorite, I now can't decide between the touring tote, boxy backpack, or shoulder bag! Choices, choices, choices.

I HATE the small and thin diaper changing pads that came along with my diaper bags. Does every diaper bag manufacturer add these awful type of pads to their bags? First, they are so tiny--Tristan is only 4-months old, and he's been the size of the pad since he was 2 months. Secondly, they're so thin, and I hate it when I have to change him at public restrooms because a) they only have those hard plastic changing stations, b) they have a flat hard wooden table without a cushion, or c) they don't have a changing table at all, so I have to try to find a place to change him--either the restaurant booth, my car seat, the dressing room, a bench, etc. (I've never had to resort to the bathroom floor, but I've heard others have!). Tristan is always uncomfortable, and it's probably due to the lack of cushion. Lastly, Tristan is wiggling and turning around making it difficult to keep him on the pad. From these annoyances, I thought about creating a better diaper changing pad that would solve my solutions. After trying to do some research online, I found out that others have already beat me to the punch! Ah, well, at least I can try them out and see if they work like a charm!

2) This is the Patemm pad, a round diaper changing pad. Grace Welch, the inventor, was a genius! You can stick your accessories inside the pad, and it folds nicely so you can fit it in your bag. How awesome is that? Plus, they come in the cutest prints--my favorite is "The Jack Martin." Not only that, but it was great to look at her products online and realize that she's Filipino, too. She incorporated our culture into her products by naming her collections in Bicol or Tagalog, regional dialects.

3) Just when I thought I was going to design something unique from the Patemm pad, I came across the Plush Pad by Ah Goo Baby in "Vintage in Blue." Even though it has a memory foam cushion, it's supposed to be easily rolled up and tucked away in your bag.

I must get my hands on these and try them out! Soon!

Nursing Curtain at Work

With all of the benefits of breastfeeding, I, naturally, want to give my son the best nutrition. Luckily, I have a supportive boss (it always helps when she just recently had a baby as well) and my own office where I can conveniently and privately pump.

Of course, things aren't always that simple; all of our office doors are classroom style, so I have a long vertical window. I didn't want to stick papers or a piece of fabric to cover the window because, in my own opinion, that just looks plain tacky.

Stores around the area didn't have any curtains that would fit my window, so I decided to research online. After numerous researches trying to find a company that already sells curtains for classroom doors, I found none. Zip, nada. Should I just resort to covering it up with papers? Of course not!

I decided that I was going to make my own fashionable and functional curtain. Granted, I should have decided to do this earlier--like in my third trimester--when I didn't have a 7-week baby needing me every second while still exhausted from a long day of work.

With my window measurements in hand, I went to Hobby Lobby and picked out my fabric. There were a few pieces of cute fabric to choose from, and I decided to purchase two different pattern prints and make a reversible curtain.

It took a few evenings for me to complete my project--squeezing a few minutes of hand sewing in between taking care of Tristan, cleaning, making dinner, and sleeping--but I finally finished it!

I must say that it was well worth the time and effort! I was thinking today that maybe I could make a business out of this project. I wonder how many other breastfeeding moms found themselves in the same predicament. What do you think?