A Little Adventure

Me and the monkeys have left for a little adventure!

We'll be back next week.  Happy Summer!

Yummy Summer: Celebrate

I have a Summer birthday.

As a kid I always missed getting cupcakes at school and the big celebration in the classroom,

but my mom always made up for it with super fun birthday parties!

Now I love to throw fun birthday parties for my kids because it's a great creative outlet for me and I get to relive all my fun parties as a child!

But, my children can't really understand why as adults we don't really have birthday parties!

(I kinda don't understand it either!!)

So for my birthday "party," this little dude wanted to set up a hot dog stand!

(I'm in love with his knee highs and cowboy boots!)

"And Daddy, there must be tikki torches."

We brought a table in to our pergola to eat our dinner and it was so much fun until someone screamed, "dead rat!"  Super cool birthday surprise!

(they weren't kidding!)

I love this picture for many reasons, but mostly because I really look 41 in it!

(tired, a few more wrinkles, slouchy)

"WHAT?" you say, "there is no way you could be 41!"

You're too kind.

I am.

My mom always said she hates photos of herself blowing out the candles.

I can't imagine why!

Hurrah!

I made it - another year older!

Summer is a great time to celebrate someone you love.

It doesn't have to be their birthday, it doesn't have to be fancy,

just throw on some knee highs and cowboy boots, light some tikki torches, serve hot dogs and homemade cake (leave out the dead rat) and let someone know how much you love them!

How are you making this Summer Yummy?

Best Uncle in the Universe

We recently got back from Uncle Camp.

My amazing brother does a weekend summer camp at his home for the children each year

 (my husband and I get to come too!!)

This year he took us to Off The Grid

A wonderland of gourmet food trucks, right on the Bay.

From KoJa we enjoyed Korean Short ribs and Kamikaze Fries

AH-MA-ZING!

If I listed all the other food we ate, it would be embarrassing!

But let's just say there were few food trucks we didn't sample.

Wanna try a little Mango Strawberry Cotton Candy?

I do!!

 With full bellies, the kids laid down and looked up at the clouds.

Until the next day's adventure!

Best spot to stop for a snack.

These kids adore their uncle.

"Best Uncle in the Universe," we hear often.

Time to fly some kites, an Uncle Camp tradition.

Thanks Uncle Kenny for another great year at camp!

You truly are the Best Uncle in the Universe!

xoxox

Yummy Summer: Summer Reading

This is a very common scene in our home

My little girls are avid readers!

One of them in particular is rarely seen without a book.  

We call her Brigitta (from Sound of Music!)

I always praise them for their reading and tell them I think it's so cool that they love to read.

For many years I've aspired to be a "reader."  I often joke that I'm illiterate because I never read.

It's really hard for me to find a good book.

I feel like I don't retain anything I read.

I often fall asleep when I start reading.

But I really admire people who read and I want to be one of them!

That is why I affirm my girls so much in their love of reading - book are magical portals into other worlds and ideas.  They ignite the imagination and provoke deeper thoughts.

Books are rad!

Readers are even radder! (yep, that's a word)

These bookmarks were a gift to the girls for their birthday - Mark My Time.

They record how long it takes you to read a book, or you can tell your child to read for 30 minutes and set the count down timer - hands down the coolest gift ever for a kid who love to read!

I had a crazy thought a few months ago that scared me - one day my girls are going to clue into the fact that I never read and say, "why doesn't mommy ever read books?  I guess I won't read anymore either."  And I will be the end of their reading career!

How can I constantly praise them for reading and say it's so cool, yet I don't do it?

I saw on Pintrist the top books you should read before they become movies this year.

One in particular caught my eye

"The Hundred Foot Journey" by Richard Morais

I read the review and thought it sounded pretty good.

I tucked it away in my mind and exited out of Pintrist.

STOP - go back and get it on Amazon NOW!

(I'm pretty good at being lazy and "waiting" to do things later)

I did.

And this has become my favorite summer reading spot - a little sectional my husband built.

I'm almost finished and I don't want it to end!

I think I'm actually becoming a reader!!

Does that mean I'm rad?

**********************************

So help me out - I'm going to need a new book in about 1 day and I need some suggestions!

What is your favorite summer read?

Who is your favorite author?

Please send along your book recommendations and if you haven't read

The Hundred Foot Journey

and you love travel and cooking - read it!

Go grab a book and make it a Yummy Summer of reading!

Chinatown

We recently returned from an adventure in San Francisco.

Today I'm sharing a little Chinatown highlight!

 Check out the view from the top of the parking structure!

I could have just stayed on the roof all day!  It was a spectacular day in SFO!

On our drive up from Los Angeles, I was searching YELP for the best Dim Sum in Chinatown.

Good Mong Kok Bakery was our winner.

Not touristy

Off the main road

No menu

No seating

Perhaps a bit risky!

That's how I like it!

We got in line and were a bit nervous because the place is very tiny and there is a bit of the "soup nazi" feel when you go to order!  It was a little stressful with the line, no menu and language barrier (or was there?!)

Check out those stacks of steaming delights!!

Mouth wide open was exactly how I felt!

Lunch for 5 for $12!

In addition to YELP, I called on my oldest friend Marc (friends since we were 2 years old and still going strong!) to give us his grand tour of Chinatown.  

There is little this guy doesn't know about San Francisco!

We took our lunch to the steps of the Chinese Methodist Church 

and enjoyed the authentic delights.

(I hoped the food would be extra blessed if we ate it at a church and 

God would protect us from any tummy troubles!!)

That chowmein was ridiculous!

Everything was so good, especially the BBQ pork buns!

After lunch the tour began.

Leading us to the most sacred of places, Ross Alley!

Sacred?

Yes, because it's the home of the back door to this place!

The smell is intoxicating and the process fascinating.

Such a treat.

The tour continued

These lanterns are my favorite!

Such a bright, happy display that spurs on celebration.

It was a fabulous day

Thanks Uncle Marc for the interesting facts, laughs and fun in Chinatown!

Happy weekend everyone - go on an adventure and don't be afraid to eat where the locals do!