Knitting

About seventeen years ago.... wait a minute. I can't believe I am that old!! Well, when I was in junior high school, my Mom thought it was important that I learn how to knit and crochet... and so she paid for me to have knitting lessons. I did pick up on it, but sadly was too young to have taken it seriously. I thought it was only something that grandma's did. ( you know the little old ladies who love cats?).

True story, ( Mom I love you, but I have to make fun of you for just a minute... in a loving way ! )  ;) 

Robbie just adores the book;  "Goodnight Moon". Robbie has pretty much spent the past two years growing-up seeing his Gigi either knitting, crocheting or always working on some sort of craft. So it is only natural, I suppose, that every time we come to; "the quiet old lady who was whispering hush" page in the book, Robbie always proudly points to this picture and says; "like Gigi"!!!  Toot cute right?  haha 

Well, now I am inspired by my best friend Summer and her sweet Mama Judy who are seriously the BEST KNITTERS around!!! Judy has both knit and crocheted many beautiful blankets, toys,  bibs and heirlooms for my little boy.  Last weekend while visiting my parents, I commissioned my Mom to re-teach me how to knit. We started knitting with a very simple stitch. 

Okay, so this is completely unrelated to this post, but if you read my blog often, then you know I love to get off track... 

While Facebook stalking Summer and Judy's photo albums for a photo of them to share on this post, I stumbled upon this ....

Soooooo ... all I have to say is WHAT!!!! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN????

 You met THE PIONEER WOMAN???? 

I am the worst friend ever because I didn't know this... I am completely excited  that you two met her Summer but... a little,   okay a LOT jealous!!! 

Back to my story... Knitting is no longer just for cat loving grandmas!! Just take a look at some of these cool and fabulous knitters...

As with all projects, I often get super pumped about what I'm working on and then somewhere between life, chasing after a two-year old and did I say procrastination? Well, let's just say I get a little preoccupied

 I would love to knit new Christmas stockings for our son my and husband this year, but I'm not going to hold myself to it. 

This morning, my little one and I explored our local yarn shop.( P.S. One of my absolute favorite things to do is visit and rummage around through funky little shops like the this one . I prefer these shops to the big box craft stores). I pretend I am wandering the shops in some small little European town.

This weekend my Mom and I are going to pay a visit to Abuelita's Knit Shop in South Pasadena . I will be sure to give you all my update on the shop. 

I spent the evening cozy in bed, knitting and watching Max and Ruby with my little boy.

Do any of you knit? 

Happy knitting!!

Blessings, 

It's Raining and I'm Pinning!

It's raining outside, we just finished lunch, the house is CLEAN and the baby is napping . . . which means you will find me with my legs kicked-up on the couch surfing Pinterest !!

This little guy helped me make yummy Mac & Cheese for lunch!

 

 

As a complete side note, if you are looking for a way to sneak veggies in your kiddos

favorite Mac & Cheese read on.

 

I prefer to make homemade Mac & Cheese, but when in a rush I always buy Trader Joe's box Mac & Cheese, I use Almond Milk instead of cow's milk.

Then I add finally chopped broccoli, not the entire vegetable just the cut up top portion. 

They will never know! :)

 

We missed our morning walk because of Mr. Rain's visit. Instead we spent the morning working on shapes and numbers! I was so excited, yesterday Robbie counted all the way to 20!!! I hope he has Daddy's math brain. :)

 

I found these cool shape flashcards at The Dollar Tree yesterday.

 

I decided to create an activity using these shape puzzles I purchased from Lakeshore Learning Store.

The object of my lesson was to have Robbie pick up a shape from his shape puzzle above and then walk around our ottoman and place the shape with the corresponding flashcard! He LOVED it!!!

 

 

So Pinterest . . .

 

 Don't you just love how Pinterest is there for you 24 hours a day just waiting to be explored??

 

Today, I'm just having fun looking, but I must say I'm kinda obsessed with these necklaces. They are monogrammed and I adore anything monogrammed!!

 

I'm also having fun looking at different kitchen styles... I will share more about this in a later post!

 

 

Love these old farm house sinks!

Love the idea of taking out cabinets and using shelves instead!

 

Oh and a kitchen hutch in white would be amazing!

 

Well dreams are free! Happy Friday!

Sarah 

# 1 Motherhood is ....

I have decided to copy cat one of my dear friends and fellow Marine Wife's blog post idea of; "Motherhood Is... ".  Brittany has a blog called Daigle Family Happenings .

Brittany, I hope you don't mind me sharing your blog! :)

Miss Brittany and her beautiful babies!

I have appreciated and looked forward to Brittany's blog posts on Motherhood for the past year or so. Each week Brittany shares about what motherhood has taught her throughout the week through one of her pictures.

So here it is, my very first; "Motherhood Is" post...

Well, it all started yesterday when Rich, Robbie and I were coming home from our evening walk around the Harbor. We are currently living in a town home community,( the importance of this will come into view as my story unravels). While walking to our house, I happened to see our neighbors ( another Marine Captain and his wife), sitting out on their patio enjoying a lovely candlelit dinner with fresh flowers on the table and a bottle of wine. I couldn't help but notice their romantic dinner for two, the Captain still in his uniform from a day at work and his pretty wife dressed lovely for dinner (complete, wearing pearls). I sighed, and for no real apparent reason burst into tears later that evening before bed. Rich looked at me as if I were completely insane! He quickly said, "what's wrong" ?
I told him that I felt like a bad wife and so inferior to that lovely and so well put together Captain's wife.

I went on to tell my dear husband, (who at this point must have completely thought his wife had truly cracked), that I remember the early days in our marriage, (before babies), when I put more effort into looking nice when he came home from work and always had the house sparkling with fresh flowers on the table and some sort of cool new meal prepared that I had picked-up off Food Network! ( huge run on sentence, I know).  He hugged me and reassured me by saying that was a season in our life and this is our new season. I looked around the room to the sight of folded clean laundry on the couch, dirty, post-vacation laundry piles on the floor, a sippy cup on the night stand and Elmo in the bed and realized, he was right!

The days of having a perfectly clean house and a gourmet meal served at supper doesn't make for the "perfect life". This is not at all to discount having romance in a marriage, I am simply trying to bring attention to being content and realize that the mundane day to day tasks and life are TRULY a blessing!! Our children are only little once! Each day that you tuck your child into bed at night is a day you can never get back, so MAKE IT COUNT!!   That is the lesson I have learned this week! I am thankful for my child, (the greatest blessing in life). I love my hard working husband, who always stands by me and appreciates me.


On our way home from the grocery store this morning. Messy car and sippy cup spilling in car seat.

So this is my life, it isn't always glamorous, it isn't always clean, but it's ours and I love it!

This is the verse I have chosen to work on applying to my life for the week.

Blessings,

A Day In San Juan

 

Well hello there ... welcome back! I woke up this morning and could smell adventure in the air... I just knew it was going to be one of those days where Robbie and I set foot out the door and didn't return home until nap time!!

So... I laced-up my tennies, grabbed a sippy-cup for my little partner in crime and we set-off for our morning run on the beach trail. I have grown to really love these early morning runs/walks on the beach trail. The scenery is picturesque and serene. I love to listen to the sound of the crashing waves and feel the cool, salty breeze upon my face...

Some of us however, are not so thrilled about the early morning run. Hello sleepy head! :)

At the end of our run, we always stop off at the park to play.

This park has the most gorgeous views!

 

 I have to admit, I am so proud of my little guy... Robbie has never been a big; "I want" type of kid.
I really do believe less is more when it comes to clothing and toys for children. The past few weeks Robbie has been asking for two big purchases, a dog and a bicycle, (which really means a tricycle). Rich told him he could get both when he is a little older. Robbie asked him when and Rich said when you are three... haha. So every time Robbie stops to admire a passing dog on our walk, he says in a loud excited voice; "Mommy look at that little doggie, he's sooooo cute." " I can get doggie when I Treeee( Three)." :)

After our morning at the beach, we came home, showered up and headed about 3 miles away to downtown San Juan Capistrano. For those of you who aren't locals to South Orange County,, you simply MUST make time for a visit to San Juan Capistrano if ever in the L.A/ San Diego area.

 

 

 

The whole city of San Juan Capistrano was created around Mission San Juan Capistrano. Known for the Mission and tons of fun, funky little antique shops, restaurants, wineries and more!

 

 

One of our favorite kid-friendly stops in San Juan( as the locals call it), is ZooMars Petting Zoo.

 

 

ZooMars is located in the Los Rios Historic District of San Juan, just next to the train depot.

 

 

ZooMars truly does have anything and everything to make a child's petting zoo paradise!

From feeding bunnies carrots, to taking a ride on a toy train!

 

We purchased our admission along with a basket of carrots, lettuce and apples to feed the animals and headed straight for the bunny yard. Have you ever seen so many bunnies in your life??

 

So here are a bunch of random bunny feeding photos...

 

Here is my little farmer ready to feed some bunnies!

 

 

Lots of carrots!

 

Here we found a nice Guinea Pig, perhaps he is hungry?

 

He looks a little plump already.

Part of what makes this whole bunny feeding experience so fun is watching the little critters reaction to 10,584 children all climbing over one another shoving carrots, apples, lettuce and random sticks of straw in their face... I definitely think these little critters want for nothing.... except maybe some solitude.

 

 Robbie just cracks-up every time the bunny takes the food from his hand! So Funny!

 

Kinda blurry, but I love his expression in this photo.

 

Here I am with a new friend.

 

 

Then, we headed over to the train ride...

 

 

 

 

I think the following photos pretty much sums up the way Robbie feels about the train ride!

 

 

Waiving at me!

 

We said goodbye to our friends at the petting zoo and said hello to lunch at Ruby's Diner!

 

 

 

Grilled cheese sandwiches, fries and a chocolate shake!!

 

 

I had a blast with my little man today! I am so thankful for this precious time we have together!

 

 

 

Blessings,