Happythought(s) of Thanks

The super talented folks at Happythought print shop are at it again. There is yet another adorable, candy hued garland available for PDF download, (said in Oprah voice) for free-eeee! It's a great way to jazz up your thanksgiving dinner. String it on a mantle, over your table, or in your entry to greet your guests.

One of the reasons I love this garland is that no matter your level of "craftiness," you can do it. If your skills top out at cutting along a line and tape, you're good. If you own six different shades of orange glitter, this works for you too. You can take the design and add to it to make it personal as well. I added to mine by printing out extra pennants to have guests write what they're thankful for this year. You could also print out pictures and add them to the garland. The options are as endless as the leftovers! You can get your PDF printout at this link: http://www.printablepaperproducts.com/printable-crafts/thanks-giving-turkey

Enjoy and Happythoughts-giving! :)

Excusercise

Some of my friends will tell you I like to use funny words. Sometimes they are actual words, like wonky, caddywhompus, and noodle. Some I make up. Excusercise is my new favorite made up word.

According to my inner-dictionary, excusercise is a combo of excuse and exercise, the practice of exercising your "excuse" muscles. And example of this would be: I know I should have celery and hummus, BUT the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups are OK because dark chocolate has antioxidants and nuts are protein, so in a way, they're practically health food.

In my new career of SAHM-dom, I have excusercised so much I may have actually burned calories doing it. I would have vacuumed the rugs, but the laundry needed to be done. I would have folded the clothes, but I had to unload the dishwasher so I could get rid of the piles of dishes in my sink. I would have given the dog a bath, but S got ahold of my Sharpies so I had to scrub her down. I would have gone to yoga this morning, but I didn't get enough sleep last night. You get the picture. Luckily most of the excusercise has mostly to do with housework. I will gladly give up laundry and cleaning for some quality time with S. I have caught myself once or twice turning on Yo Gabba Gabba when I should have taken her to the park to play. (BUT, I was so tired because she woke up 17 times the night before!) See how good at excusercise I am?

Please pardon me as I get on my soapbox for a moment. It seems that the world is flexing its excusercise muscles lately. I would have read a book, but I just got my US Weekly and a Kardashian is on the cover. I would have watched the news, but I have Modern Family on the DVR. I would have volunteered for the bake sale, but I needed to go to Target. I have been guilty of all of these and then some. (See the example of the peanut butter cups above.)

Because it is the week before Thanksgiving. I'm really trying to put things into perspective. I am extremely blessed that my biggest problem right now is that I want more coffee, but I already brushed my teeth, and the coffee would taste funny. Three Thanksgivings ago, we had just gotten the call about the IVF failure. It was quite possibly the worst Thanksgiving of my life. This Thanksgiving, I will be spending it with my amazing hubby and the most precious little girl. I'm thankful for the roof over our heads, the food on our table, our family and friends, and the new Muppet Movie.

I am thankful for my blessings. And I'm thankful for the setbacks. The setbacks give you the perspective. And it's with that perspective that I'm going to try to stop sweating the small stuff and excusercising my way out of the things that matter. Although, I will never stop trying to excuse my way out of laundry. So now I am going to excuse myself from writing so I can go play with S.

Have a great weekend friends!

Turn it up

Today is 11.11.11. A day that comes around every hundred years, but still feels very special to me. An added bonus is that today is the day no matter if you list the month or the day first, everyone around the world knows what day you're talking about.

It also happens to be Nigel Tufnel Day. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, add This is Spinal Tap to your Netflix que IMMEDIATELY! Because anyone can rock out at 10, Nigel's amps tapped out at 11. Because 11 is so much better than 10. As Nigel explains in the movie,"Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not 10. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at 10. You're on 10 here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on 10 on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?"

So today, I say live it up to the elevens, my friends. Turn it up today and rock it out hardcore. Have a great 11.11.11.

Muppet Takeover

I can barely contain myself thinking about the new Muppet Movie coming out on November 23. I have loved the Muppets for as long as I can remember. I still have my stuffed Kermit and Scooter (complete with a Muppet Show satin jacket) from when I was a kid. I still squee with delight whenever I see the Muppets, even Sam the Eagle.

As with any good "merchandise-tie-in-appropriate" movie, the merchandise tie-in with the Muppets is ample. It has been enough to almost make me think I need 4 colors of sparkly nail polish from the Muppet/OPI collection. I've compiled a list of some of the Muppet collabos that, in my mind, rank right up there with Puppy Bowl and Super Bowl, DST and caffeine, and sea-salt and caramel.

The above mentioned OPI collection to celebrate the Muppets is sparkle-tastic. With colors like Rainbow Connection, Warm and Fozzie, and Fresh Frog of Bel-Air your fingers will be so fabulous, even Statler and Waldorf will approve. http://www.alllacqueredup.com/2011/05/opi-holiday-2011-muppets-preview.html

Awhile back, I stumbled upon the Star Wars/Muppet figures that are so cute, S started an "action figure" collection. I love these, especially Beeker as C3PO. But I wonder if Miss Piggy/Leia is holding a hairdryer?

Just in time for gift giving season, FAO Schwartz has the Muppet Whatnot Workshop, where you can create your very own Muppet. O, if you're reading this... I want one. You know, umm.....for S. It's a little on the pricey side compared to the $8 nail polish, but for $99 you can put on your very own Muppet Show. http://www.fao.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=11534102

Music and Muppets have gone hand in hand, from the original "Manah-manah" to Weezer's video for "Keep Fishin," which is still on my YouTube favorites. The Green Album is awesome. For someone like me, who struggles to find kid-appropriate music that doesn't make me want to hurl, this is pure gold. I love Andrew Bird's cover of It's Not Easy Being Green. S's face lights up every time we get to the whistle-solo.

Lastly, with the hasty exit of Eddie Murphy as host for the Oscars, there is a major campaign to have the Muppets host the Oscars. I love it. The a facebook page had 10,000 followers within 2 days. Myself included. You can support it here: http://www.facebook.com/MuppetOscars

But why stop Muppet domination at the Oscars? There should be a total Muppet takeover. Give the guy from Muppet News Flash a half hour after Colbert on Comedy Central. NASA can work with Pigs in Space on the next space vehicle program. Let the Swedish Chef work with Jamie Oliver on making our schools menus more healthy. The possibilities are endless.

All that's left to do is "play the music, light the lights, and get excited" for Muppet takeover! See you at the theater on November 23!

"Fall"ing for Soups

Now that the temperature in Central Florida has dipped below 90 degrees, it's starting to finally feel like Fall. It has been lovely to open up the windows, pull out the pumpkin decor, and unearth my sweaters (even though they're light-weight) from the back of my closet.

Fall and Winter have always been my diet-downfall seasons, but this year, I'm determined to keep up my Spring/Summer eating routines. I've been gluten and wheat-free for a little over 3 months, and have been trying to eat from the Paleo diet as much as possible. Basically, that's meats, fruits, veggies, and nuts. It's actually not as restricting as you'd think. And I have to say I feel better than ever, with lots of energy. I've been experimenting with some recipes, and I am totally addicted to this one, so I thought I'd pass it on. It's hearty and healthy, and you can add different proteins to it to make it a more filling meal. Hope you like it too. :)

Thai Coconut Roasted Cauliflower Soup

1 Head of Cauliflower, or you can cheat, like me and buy the already cleaned and cut bag at Whole Foods.
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
32oz. pkg of College Inn Thai Coconut Curry Chicken broth
1 Leek
1/2 lime juiced
Salt, Pepper, and Crushed Red Pepper flakes to taste
Cilantro to garnish
**Protein of choice, if desired** I like really thin sliced chicken that I marinate in a little of the chicken broth and the other half of the lime juice and some red pepper flakes. I usually cook it with a little chili oil and throw it into the soup. It's good with shrimp too.

Serves 4 to 6 people

Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil and roast at 350 degrees for an hour. Make sure you cover with foil or your cauliflower will get too brown. I usually use two bags of the already cut and cleaned cauliflower.
Saute the leek with a little olive oil until they're soft.
After roasted, blend the cauliflower with a 1 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. Add more broth if you don't want your soup too thick.
Pour the blended cauliflower into a soup pan with the sauteed leeks, add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and juice of 1/2 lime. Add more broth to achieve the consistency you like. I like my soup a little thicker, so I don't use too much more than the amount needed to blend it up.
Cook your choice of protein if you like and add it to the soup.

You can customize this soup just by changing the type of broth and some of the spices, so get creative. If you make something yummy, I'd love to hear about it!

Is Being Nice to People Extinct?

What ever happened to common courtesies and customer service? Has being nice and polite to people, whether they're customers, associates, or random strangers gone the way of the dinosaur?


Recently, I have had a string of ridiculously terrible customer service incidents. And I really hope that I don't come off as one of those customers who are jackholes from the beginning, because I promise you that I always treat those who work in a service or retail capacity with the utmost respect because I walked many years in their shoes. Lately, it seems like there is a rash of people roaming around with their faces are permanently stuck in a frown-scowl and/or they are just plain rude. It's as simple as parking your cart on the side of the aisle so everyone else can get through. (I'm talking to you lady in Whole Foods who parks her cart square in the middle of the tiny aisle and then gives me a dirty look for saying 'excuse me' because I need to shop in the produce section as well.) When did smiling at people become annoying? When did being polite and nice to people go away?


As someone who has spent the majority of my work-life working in the retail and customer service world, I know that the pendulum swings both ways. There are some customers out there that will make you say, "Whuck?" And believe me, I understand that some customers can have an attitude that makes you want to lose your schmidt, but please don't take it out on the nice lady who tries to smile and say hello to you (AKA: me). I know my kid is totally over running errands and getting fussy, but I'm just needing to buy my stamps and get on with my day. The scowl and the dirty look at my two year old is really unnecessary.


In this economy, customer loyalty is important. Really, having customers at all is important. People are willing to walk across the street for better prices. So you would think that if you have a customer, trying to be helpful and pleasant would be a given. The fact that over the last few weeks, it seems like we have encountered workers who seemed to think our shopping, eating, banking, ect. at their place of business has been more of an annoyance to them than anything else.


So when I had to call my bank with an issue of a double charge on my account, I was quickly told by the person on the 800 customer service number,that I have to visit my local branch, I was then promptly disconnected before I could even say "thank you" for the information. So I load up the two year old, who is, as I mentioned before, not a fan of errand-running, drive to my local branch and proceed to fill out form after form of paperwork to have a duplicate charge removed off our account. I was advised to contact the local restaurant that posted the duplicate charge as well, and was put on hold for nearly 20 minutes before I was disconnected and had to call back. I was then waived off by the restaurant that it was a bank error and that they only have one charge. Cut to three weeks later, and I have a list of un-returned phone calls to various bank officials and the restaurant manager, a drive across town to retrieve a copy of the receipt, two letters written and to the corporate office and about 4 hours spent of my life on the phone trying to track down the right person to help me. And to top it off, I'm still trying to get the duplicate charge removed. Does it really have to be this difficult? There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however. Two associates from my local branch were very helpful and supportive during the process. Unfortunately, the corporate powers-that-be give them just enough clout to be helpful, but not enough to actually have the power to fix the problem. But it wasn't for lack of trying, and I appreciate their effort.


Energy and attitude are contagious, my friends. And unfortunately, it seems the negative seems to spread a lot faster than the positive. It takes a minor encounter, whether it's with a friend, a co-worker, or a complete stranger for energy to transfer. If you're a customer and you're ticked off, don't take it out on the person trying to help you. And if you're the worker, don't give the customer a hard time because they need help. And if you're the lady at Whole Foods, please don't hate me for needing spinach and your cart is blocking the aisle. We should challenge each other to experiment with kindness and politeness and see how many people you can rub off on. As Ghandi said, "be the change." It takes less muscles to smile than to frown. Let's all be lazy and smile. :)

Did You Just Ask That?

Some people ask inappropriate questions. People you just met, people waiting in line at the grocery store, and even people you know and love...

I was asked about six million times, "When are you having kids?" "You have been married for so long, when will you have a baby?" I would close up, work up the courage to smile and say, "When the time is right." Meanwhile, I would be dying inside wanting to scream, "We've been trying forever!! I would like the answer to that too!!!"

One of the things I remember the most about the Great Infertility Drama of 2006-2008 is the feeling of wanting to curl up in fetal position and throw a blanket over my head. I didn't want to talk about it with ANYONE. Partly because I didn't want to jinx the latest and greatest round of pills, shots, and procedures. And partly because I was ashamed, sad and hurt that we didn't have our baby.
(Thinking back, I probably should have been more open with family and friends, especially because I was a hormone-induced crazy person and not quite myself. Oh well, Bygones...)

After the last failed IVF attempt, we decided on adoption. As we spread the happy news of our decision, it was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I finally had an answer to my hairdresser and the lady who did my nails and to the inappropriate cashier at Publix who would always question my purchase of jars of baby food (It's for the dog, she loves it.). I noticed that as I shared our story, the entire story, people's body language changed. They too became more open and engaged. And because infertility and adoption are so much more common than people realize, they usually share a story of their own or how it's touched their lives. I realized that by being open and a little vulnerable with people, you can make a real connection. About 99% of the time it's received with love and reciprocated. I'm more aware of my body language, let my guard down and really listen to the person I speaking with. You never know when it could really make a difference to someone.

There will always be people asking inappropriate questions. And now, we have a whole new set, like "Are you her real Mom?" While a part of me wanted to answer in a robot voice, "I am a hologram, I am not real." I remembered my new mantra, dropped my guard, smiled and said, "She is my beautiful daughter from South Korea." Now most "real Mom's" are followed with genuine "How long did the process take?" or "What agency did you use?" And more often than not, it turns into a cliff-notes version of Adoption 101 for someone who knows someone or has gone through something similar themselves.

I now consider myself somewhat of an open book. I have nothing to hide. I have some friends that say it's one of their favorite things about me. And that makes me happy because it's a reminder of how far I've come from my head burying days.

(singing) Hello Again, Hello....

Yes, I just evoked Neil Diamond... and I'm not ashamed. Neil Diamond is kinda awesome.
So the last month or so has been quite busy and we have all gotten off the routine. Which means S hasn't been sleeping so well, parlay we haven't been sleeping so well. So I have spent the majority of my free time catching up on the Zzz's and catching up on laundry.
Now that we're back on schedule, I actually have some "free-ME" time and I can start my blogging back up. While I do hope that you all enjoy it, I have to say it's partially a self-medicating thing. A reminder to my brain that I can still use grown-up words and have somewhat decent grammar.
I'm hoping to continue posting with my Adventures in SAHMom-dom, adoption, things I find that might be useful or cool to others, and of course food. I've adopted a gluten-free lifestyle recently, and a friend turned me on to the Paleo diet, to which I've experimented and had some success. So while cupcakes make me happy, they also make me sick. So I'm looking for some gluten free recipes and if any of them are post worthy, I'll pass them on. :)
Thanks for reading, and don't be shy with comments. I'd love to hear your feedback. And if you can work random Neil Diamond lyrics in, all the better my friends.

I wish every week was Shark Week

It's summertime!

It's hot out. People are flocking to the beaches in droves. We were recently at Cocoa Beach and it was packed. A friend of mine casually mentioned that when he was out in the water he spotted a couple of sharks... and it got me thinking. It's almost time for SHARK WEEK!

I know I am a tad premature, as Shark Week starts on July 31, but I totally geek out when it comes to Shark Week. I will sit and watch every shark special with my bowl of popcorn like it's the new Harry Potter flick. (I geek out for Harry Potter, too.) And then I will go to bed and have horrible night terrors about these monsters. You see, I am both awed and terrified at sharks. I was the kid who would check the size of drains and filter returns in pools, just in case. (OK, I still do this.) I never go in the ocean, unless I can see my feet. And even then, I will only go up to my ankles. And don't even ask me to go in fresh water or brackish water... Bull sharks have been known to swim in both salt and fresh water, you know. But yet, I am amazed at sharks... go figure.

In preparation for what I think is the most awesome and anxiety ridden week in July, I have found some shark-tastic things to help make the most of your shark week. Enjoy.

Check out the awesome shark cupcakes from the FreshlyBaked Blog.

http://georgietees.blogspot.com/2009/11/shark-cupcakes-even-spielberg-would.html They are not healthy at all, as there are Twinkies involved, but shark week only comes once a year.

If you're looking for summer reading that will keep you out of the water, Michael Capuzzo's Close to Shore will do the trick. It's based on the shark attacks in New Jersey the summer of 1916. Supposedly Peter Benchley based Jaws on the shark involved in these attacks.

This shark backpack from Beatrix is so adorable, I'm not even afraid of it. http://www.beatrixny.com/products/view/18 The design comes in lunchboxes and water bottles too.

For some fun, check out the free Finger Shark app for iPhone and iPad. A shark of your choosing will chase your finger around your screen. Upon catching it, the shark makes a meal of your finger, fake blood and all.

Don't forget the official Shark Week website http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/shark-week/. You can check out awesome videos of jumping great whites, a world map of unprovoked shark attacks, and even upload your own commercial for Shark Week 2011.

And since Hallmark doesn't make a "Happy Shark Week" card, this awesome ecard will have to do. http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/a4d7a51d2e13a5c6a248f48eb7f37747

Happy Shark Week everyone!

The New Balancing Act

Life is full of balances; balanced budgets, balanced diet, work vs. life balance. My old personal teeter totter was like that, and actual balance when I had my favorite 5" stilettos on. Now I feel like I'm on my teeter totter 2.0, with new challenges, some old stuff, and more sensible shoes.

Let me start with the fact that I am a self-diagnosed perfectionist. I am also a self-diagnosed cheese addict, but that is a whole other post. I am by no means saying I am perfect or even in that realm of being. For instance, I have an oily T-zone, an emergency stash of M&M's in my freezer, and I know my punctuation in this blog is atrocious. It's mainly a statement that I am my own worst enemy when it comes to judgement of how well I get the job done. So when I see some of my girlfriends who have kid(s), a grown-up job, and floors you can eat off of, I feel like dropping to my knees Wayne's World-style and yelling, "I'm not worthy!"

I've been a SAHM with S for almost a year now, and I'm still searching for the balance. I sometimes feel like I'm bouncing up and down trying to find harmony between spending quality time with S and my husband, going to child-enrichment activities, keeping our house clean, S's speech therapy, running from appointments to the grocery store to the dry cleaners, play dates, making dinner, family dance parties, to making sure my husband has clean underwear, oh... and the dog has to go to the vet next Tuesday. Now add sleep and making a little time for myself, and the occasional batch of cupcakes into the mix. All the while, doing your best to make sure you raise a healthy, compassionate, smart, productive kid. It's a lot harder than I ever imagined.

When we were trying to have a baby, especially after the IVF-clusterf#*%, I would get so angry when people would complain about their kids. Some of my old co-workers at the blue box can testify I would get all worked up by lunch from some of the things I would hear people say to their kids. The gals at Rants from Mommyland would have been my public enemy number one. Now, I subscribe to their blog and find their musings, both hilarious and so true. I was a judgemental jackhole, suffering from infertility and impatience and hurt that I didn't have my own kid. So now that I have walked almost a year in their shoes, I get it. This Mom-thing is a lot harder than it looks. When I'm having a craptastic day and S won't eat, or listen, or take a nap, I have to vent. It's necessary to preserve my sanity.

I can try to create a perfectly balanced life all day long and twice on Tuesdays. The reality of it is I've been given the gift of today. And to top it off with a cherry, I've been blessed with an amazing family and supportive friends, and the beautiful little girl sleeping in the room next to me. I'm starting to understand that it's OK if the laundry doesn't get done (as long as there is clean underwear for all), and if the dishwasher doesn't get unloaded... it will still be there tomorrow. But there is only one today. And even though the breakfast dishes are still in the sink and living room floor needs cleaned, I choose to spend it reading to S, doing the Disco Roll with her and the Yo Gabba friends, playing pretend in S's kitchen, and even working in a little time for me. I'm writing this as she's taking her nap, and even though it took an hour of reading stories and rocking to get her to sleep, it was time well spent. Now, I'm off to balance the rest of her nap between folding laundry and some me time... I think So You Think You Can Dance is on the DVR.

I Heart Happythought and Free Stuff

I love happy thoughts. And dark chocolate, rainbows, and puppies. I also love Happythought, a super cute print shop I found on Etsy. They have the most adorable cards, custom silhouettes, prints, and vinyl decor. They even have PDF downloads for instant gratification! The colors in their delightful products make me think of sugar candy... so that makes me happy too.

I was disappointed at the lack of Father's Day decor out there, but Happythought has come to the rescue. And better yet, It's (said in an Oprah voice) FREE!! You can get this super cute DIY printable Father's Day garland just by sending an email to the lovely folks at Happythought and asking for it. The email address is: info@happythought.co.uk. Make sure you reference "Father's Day Garland" in the subject. I sent an email and got the PDF within hours, so they're quite speedy. And don't fret if you're not crafty, the garland is super easy to put together. Just cutting, folding, and taping is required.

I encourage you to check out Happythought's Etsy page. And if you like what you see, like them on Facebook. They send out free PDF's from time to time.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/happythought


Happy crafting and Happy Father's Day!

My Red Heart-thread

Anyone who has ever had to "sleep train" a child knows it's no easy task. I read once that it takes 12 months for a tiny, new human's biological clock to register awake-time and sleep-time. So imagine, if you will, a tiny human who has already had their clock set and wisking them away to a time zone exactly the opposite of the one they just mastered. Sleep becomes a luxury... That's my argument for buying the good, expensive eye cream.

It did (just) get better but S just didn't want to sleep in her crib. So right after she turned two, we decided on a toddler bed to see if that would help. It has,(Woo woo) and we now have a brand new routine at bed time that includes reading bedtime books. Let me preface this with saying that I started S's book collection about six years ago. I have always loved books and I have no shame in admitting that I wanted to my kid to as well. I had been looking forward to the day that I could cuddle up and read The Giving Tree, Goodnight Moon, and Oh,The Places You'll Go to my little one. Turns out she has no interest in anything but The Very Hungry Catapillar. I have, on occasion, managed to introduce some new books to S. Among them, The Red Thread, An Adoption Fairy Tale, by Grace Lin.

The Red Thread is based on an ancient Chinese belief that an invisible, unbreakable red thread connects all those who are destined to be together. A King and Queen have a perfectly magnificent kingdom, a fancy castle, and a pretty good social life, but something was missing. They finally figure out that they are tangled up in a never ending red thread that is pulling at their heart. So they follow the string to the source, all the way over the ocean, and find a little baby waiting for them at the other end of the strings. Cue the happily every after. This synapsis does the book no justice, as it's beautifuly written and I can't get through it without pausing to give S a big hug.

I never thought that we would adopt, and now I can't imagine a world where we didn't have S. Going through the process has opened up the amazing new world to me. Not just the beautiful and wonderful world of incorporating the Korean culture into our family, a world where I can say I have experienced that instant and insane and impossible love for a little human I just met, and a world where I have the priviledge of being S's Mom. Sure, it's exhausting. Yes, it's a hard job with never ending hours. And although I can't pay the bills with hugs and kisses and "I love you Mommy's," it is the best compensation I have ever received.

The process of going through S's adoption taught me a few things, among them learning to let go of the need to control everything. I will tell you that going through the IUI's and IVF trying to have a baby started this process. You do everything the Doctor tells you to do, you take all the pills and get all the shots (even though they literally make you a hormonal whackjob), and then you still have no say over the outcome. It's heartbreaking and infuriating. With the international adoption process you know the outcome (YAY!!) but you have no control over how fast you can get there. A little less heartbreaking, a lot more infuriating. No matter what, though, you keep chugging along because of that red string pulling at your heart.

We're coming up on the first year anniversary of our trip to Korea to bring S home. I've been reflecting on the journey we've been on, from start to finish. And the journey S has been on. I think about her birthmom and foster family and all of the amazing people who cared for her for the first year of her life. I know that they love her just as much as we do. I worry when I hear about anything bad going on in Korea and hope they're ok. My heart aches for them that they don't get to see her sweet signature smile, or hear her laugh every day like we do, or get hugs and kisses. The day we got S from the agency in Korea, we had to say goodbye to her foster family. They were people we had literally just met, yet I felt a very strong bond. Saying goodbye to her foster mom was so beyond emotional, I don't know how to describe it. There were no words, just a look, that only we understood. It's weird to think that you have this bond with virtual strangers all the way on the other side of the world. And then I remember the red thread.

Oh Canada!

Epcot has always been the educational Disney park. Now that it's been updated to reflect the technology of today (I'm talking to you Spaceship Earth.) it has become one of my top favorite places to go in Orlando. My favorite part of Epcot is the World Showcase, where all the different countries offer a taste of what it's like to visit without having to go through TSA screening. Exploring the different countries, sampling the food and drink is a much loved tradition by many, myself included. I've had pastries and champagne in France, beer and brats in Germany, and mint tea and falafel in Morocco. But my absolute favorite is Canada.

It can be 100 degrees outside and I will still get a craving for the delicious Cheddar and Beer soup they serve at Le Cellier in the Canadian pavilion at Epcot. It is a hot, steamy bowl of heaven. So when my husband suggested we head over to Epcot for an early dinner at Le Cellier it wasn't as if he had to twist my arm.

Who knew our neighbors to the far north were such culinary geniuses? From the soft, warm pretzel bread stick (way better than the pretzel at the German pavilion BTW), to the garlic-y mussells, to the fillet so tender you don't need a knife. Everything there is taste bud friendly. We usually go during lunch, the menu is just as yummy, but not quite as expensive. This time we were there for dinner, so the menu was a bit different. The perennial favorites are still there, and most important the cheese soup was there, but my usual salmon burger was missing. So we ask for recommendations from our friendly, authentic Canadian server who tells us about my new tasty obsession... Poutine Fries.

Poutine Fries, the way Le Cellier makes them, are delicious fries, tossed in truffle oil and truffle salt, covered with yummy Canadian cheddar curds and then a volute-type sauce of veal stock and red wine reduction is poured over it. It may sound a little un-pretty but the taste makes me think of puppies and kittens and sunshine and rainbows. So now my new cooking obsession will be trying to re-create the OMG, my taste buds are doing a happy dance moment I tasted Poutine Fries. Please let me know if any of you out there have any recipes! :)

It's a hot one...

It's a scorcher out there. And it's not just in Florida. Here is one of my favorite drinks to serve at summer BBQ's and showers. It's refreshing and kid friendly, but I'm sure some of my more resourceful friends can probably add some adult ingredients to make it a cocktail.

One of my favorite places to find fun and yummy things is http://www.donnahay.com.au/. The magazine is great too, but can be a bit pricey because it's from Australia. I found this recipe a couple years ago through the website and it's always hit the spot. Enjoy!

Strawberry and Ginger Punch
1 cup strawberries, cleaned, trimmed, and halved
2 liter bottle of Ginger Ale (I like Vernors the best)
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
crushed ice to serve
Extra strawberries for garnish, if desired

Place the strawberries and mint leaves in a serving jug and pour just enough of the ginger ale to completely cover. Put in the fridge for 1 hour. When you take it out, pour the rest of the ginger ale into the serving jug. That way it stays fizzy. If you want less fizz, put all the ginger ale with the strawberries and mint in fridge for an hour. Serve over the crushed ice and garnish with a strawberry half.

The Ultimate Collabo?

http://http://holykaw.alltop.com/star-wars-muppets-omg-awesomeness
So there is this site I've recently found, www.alltop.com. The holy kaw link rocks hardcore. I've found everything from "should I have a cookie" flow charts, to articles about modern philanthropy, to videos of spaz-tastic lightning storms.

In what may be the most amazing collaboration of all time, there is Star Wars Muppets. Rivaled only by the Paul Frank/Muppet T shirt collabo of years ago, the Star Wars/Muppet collabo may be the new chocolate/peanut butter.

Living the Dream...

Hello out there. I used to have a boss that every morning when you would ask how he was, he would say, "Living the dream." I feel that way most days... sort of. Anyone who knows me, knows that I had been crying and whining for six years about wanting a baby. Now, most of me that wants to kick my own ass for being anything less than grateful for my life. I have the privilege of being home with my beautiful daughter, an amazing husband, a roof over my head, and the fridge has food and wine in it... Who could ask for more, right? But there is a tiny part of me feels like being a stay at home mom is like being an air traffic controller at the world's busiest airport and my radar screen went out. I have no idea what I'm doing, I just hope I don't screw up my kid.

Whether you are a SAHM or a Working Mom, the key is balance. If you're a WM, you balance a career with family. If you're a SAHM your career is your family. And no matter what side of the Mom fence you stand on, you have to fit being yourself into that mix or you will go crazy. (Read: Some days, I feel a bit crazy.) That being said, I've felt that lately my head has been swimming with the lyrics to Yo Gabba Gabba songs, the words of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and schedules of various child-enrichment activities. So, in order to squeeze some of being myself into the mix of madness, I've decided to start a blog.

I'm not exactly sure what I will be blogging about. Most likely it will be about finding my way through life trying to be a good mom, a good wife, and a good person. I like to cook, I like art, I like books and music. I'll probably sprinkle some of that in for good measure. I like to find cool stuff and pass it on, so there will be some of that too. I've always loved writing and when we were in Seoul to pick up S, I blogged about our adventures and most people seemed to like it. So, there you go. I call it "Heart and Seoul" because I'll be posting about things I "heart," and Seoul because that's where it all began. The adventure of a lifetime... Motherhood.

On our way home from dinner tonight we were listening to 90's on 9 in the car. Nothing but a G thang by Dr. Dre and Snoop came on. I was pleasantly surprised that I could rap along to all the words. It's nice to know that among the Yo Gabba Gabba songs, schedules, and words to S's favorite books, there is still some gangsta rap floating around in my brain. :) So there you go, I hope you like the blog and that you come back for more.