Our new school year begins on August 22nd and I’m only now just starting to pull out school supply check lists and check school uniform inventory. Great. If you’re anything like me, you’ll need some sort of checklist or it’s guaranteed that you’ll forget to do at least one important thing (I’m being dramatic). Seriously though, this is my current to-do list — please share any tips or important “to-do’s” you may have on your list that aren’t on mine: Continue reading
Don’t panic; there is still almost a full month of summer vacation left. It’s also enough time to plan a glorious end of summer gathering as a way to bid summer farewell and get ready for the new school year. Continue reading
My birthday is during the summer and although I couldn’t change that if I wanted to, I wouldn’t have it any other way. The only theme that’s hard to pull off in sunny 80-degree weather is probably some sort of winter wonderland. Nevermind, you can pull that off indoors! I love, love, love birthdays. So when mine rolls around, I’m extra excited! Continue reading
Summer vacation for the kids is almost half over. If your child was enrolled in summer school, first session is over approximately this week so get ready to be bombarded with questions about how they’ll stay entertained and “not bored.” Video games and TV only hold their attention for so long and it’s not productive to allow them to waste the entire day doing inactive things. Continue reading
Summer is here!! I hope you’re just as excited as I am. This is my favorite season — are you kidding me? Pool parties, summer cocktails, weekend trips, beach days, the adventures are endless. I know it’s not the same as when we were children and we had those three months of vacation to which to look forward, but summer is still such a happy season. I have the best memories of camping trips and family vacations. Continue reading
In case some of you haven’t heard, southern California is currently hosting a massive heatwave. The weather is definitely playing mind games with us this year. A minute ago, the leaves were changing color, the air was getting a little nippy and I was breaking out the scarves and hats. Then Monday came along with a nice round 113 degrees. It was crazy.
Needless to say, no one, anywhere, wanted to even think about turning on the stove or the oven. We had to improvise with dinner and toss up an imitation crab ceviche salad to keep fresh. If you’re in any way curious about last night’s mouth watering extravaganza, you’ll just need the following:
Ingredients:
imitation crab salad
cabbage
carrots
cucumbers
limes (lots)
Directions:
Chop up each item, with the amounts dependent upon how much you’d like to make, and marinate all ingredients in lime juice. Serve with tostadas/corn tortilla chips and hot sauce for a delectable summer lunch and/or dinner.
Tip: The dishwasher isn’t too “cool-friendly” either, so you may want to go the disposable route with our Summer Party Supplies. 
The last couple weeks of summer vacation are upon us. On the one hand, most kids are excited and dreading it at the same time. Sure, a break is nice, but they always miss school days towards the end of their vacation. They need that daily interaction with peers their own age and we, of course, need that 8 hour break from them as well.
It is during these last weeks that we scramble to go shopping for new school uniforms and supplies, and to do a final deep cleaning of the house and the children’s’ bedrooms. It’s stressful and a good night’s rest is imperative in order to keep our sanity. The other day we decided to try creating a feast with a disposable theme in order to avoid the after dinner chore aggravation and hassle. So, all foods must be served on or in disposable paper products. The menu selections must obviously be friendly to the theme so we chose a few of the following examples that we thought might brighten up a busy mother’s schedule:
The possibilities are endless. The main idea is to dine and dispose. Doesn’t it sound magical?
This summer has been abnormally cool. It’s the middle of August and we feel like we were cheated out of a season this year. Today was one of the few warm days we’ve gotten in the past few months and we had a spontaneous cookout to show Mother Earth how much we appreciate it.
While the kids were splashing around in the pool, the rest of us covered the table with a disposable red gingham table cover, and laid out the side dishes and tableware. We invited my siblings over and surprisingly, everyone was able to make it so it was an unexpected pleasant gathering. We were all able to catch up, eat and catch some sun rays.
Isn’t it funny how things don’t turn out as well when you absolutely try to plan every detail? We’ve been trying to plan a family camping trip for ages and of course everyone’s schedules conflict so it’s difficult. I always perceive summer as the time of the year when everyone can make more time to lounge around and bond. Somehow this year seems different. So, thank goodness for warm days and grills that bring families and loved ones together.
The weekend definitely goes by way too quickly. It almost seems like you have to do absolutely nothing for it to appear like it’s taking place in slow motion. God forbid you have big plans for your free time because then you really feel like you didn’t get a chance to rest.
I strongly believe this is why Margarita Monday was invented. Yes, it is a real celebration and I’m sure it only takes place on Mondays throughout the summer. The purpose of this day is to semi-extend the weekend and alleviate any stress brought upon by strong cases of “the Mondays.” My friends and I joined the celebration at a local restaurant this evening and we had a great time catching up and cracking jokes. It almost felt like Friday all over again.
We adults, for the most part, don’t get 3 full months of vacation and lounge poolside and indulge in whole weekdays dedicated to bonding with our beds. We can, however, create our own summer rituals where we can create memories, share laughs and enjoy a quick getaway…even if it’s a one-night-only deal. 
Last week was hectic, to say the least. It was jam packed with end of the year activities, and high school graduations. The feeling is definitely bittersweet. I mean, on the one hand, you’re happy your little ones have grown up and are learning to be independent adults, but on the other hand, you feel like it was only yesterday that you were dropping them off for kindergarten.
Today, the ones getting ready to start junior high have mutated into hormone infested creatures. One minute they’re excited to share the eventful details of their day and the next minute, they’re barking at you to “give them their space.” This behavior generally causes confusion, especially if the only reason you approached them in the first place was to let them know dinner was on the table. Dealing with these teenage creatures can get exhausting, mostly because the majority of us don’t have a psychology background that we can reference. Now that school is out and they’re going to be around more than usual, it’s important to keep calm and pretend we’re not scared for our safety.
In an effort to make their growth development go more smoothly, I suggest planning an end of the year luau/bonfire party. Start by asking them to create a list of their closest friends. The sooner the party is executed, the better, as many students have plans to go to college out of state and this is the perfect excuse to say farewell. Create an e-mail with a list of things needed and ask everyone to sign up for different items. Keep the food list simple with things like sandwiches, salads and summer fruit drinks.
If location allows, have a small party reserve the beach or park area early to ensure a good time. Set up games everyone can participate in (that way they grow tired and have no time to morph through various moods/personalities).
Happy Beginning of Summer, everyone!
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