HAPPY WEEKEND

the weather was chilly today in san francisco so i'm sure it's going to be much cooler this weekend than last. i don't know about you, but i personally like it on the cooler side. anything above 80 degrees is way too hot for me unless i'm on a beach or poolside. i only have two definate plans: (a) is to have dinner with my brother and parents since it was my brother's 28th birthday on thursday and (b) some thesis writing. do you have any exciting plans?

i hope you have a great and relaxing weekend and sleep in like this little rascal.

Have you ever tried kelp noodles?

i'm not much of a cook but i made a slammin' dinner tonight. it was ground turkey stir fry and kelp noodles. it was sooooooo good. i plan to eat the leftovers all weekend. i highly recommend it. i think i like kelp noodles better than shirataki noodles. for those who have tried both, which do you prefer?

here is what my dinner looked like. again, it was delicious, healthy, and really easy to make!

i made the stir fry first

then, i mixed the noodles with the stir fry.
this is what it looks like put together.

here is the package just in case you want to try it.

The blending revolution.

you talk to anyone nowadays, it seems they are either blending or juicing. J and i are blending and loving it. J swears that his "recovery" time from working out is much less now. i believe him because dark green leafy veggies are supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties. nowadays, we actually freak out if our fridge is not stocked with our usuals: kale, spinach, pineapple, acai juice, and pomegranate juice. our freezer typically has frozen strawberries, black berries, raspberries, and blueberries. we'll throw in an occasional carrot, pear, cucumber, or apple if we have it on hand. i personally think its sort of neat how we are both into blending. so cheers to fruits and vegetables because they are oh so good for you!

here's what our kitchen looks like in the morning:

the amazing vitamix. best blender ever.

ingredients minus the acai and pomegranate juice.
thank you costco.

about to get my blend on. notice the ratio between
greens and fruits?

action shot. see the whirlpool?!

cheers!

do you juice or blend? what's your morning drink of choice? i'd love to hear about it...


p.s.
we also drink protein shakes religiously. i use unsweetened almond milk, 3 ice cubes, 1/2 tablespoon of natural peanut butter, and jay robb's vanilla or chocolate flavored protein powder. this brand is all natural and doesn't have anything you cannot pronounce in the ingredients list. plus it is sweetened with stevia and has no sugar. for our protein shakes we use our trusty magic bullet.

Hair Bonanza!

i thought you might be interested in seeing a digital perm and a bob haircut on a "real" person. so here are some pics of my own 'do through the last 2 years.

digital perm

another pic of the perm

hair thinning = chop it off!

shiny, healthy hair.

went really short here because i was trying to save $. when you have
short hair, frequent cuts are a must.

i'll keep you posted on the current hair situation as it grows out. unfortunately, my hair grows insanely slow. so, it may take some time. have you always had the same hairstyle or do you like to change it up like me?

Shopaholics anonymous.

hello all you shop-till-you-drop guys and gals...probably mostly gals...or maybe guys? hmmm, come to think about it, it's up in the air in my marriage, who the bigger shopper is. i'm sure he can attest to that.

here are some items i've been eyeing online:

finds.hellobee.com
saltwater sandals are practically sold out everywhere! i think i'm going to buy the black
and tan ones. if i had a little girl OR boy, i would buy her OR him a pair too.

jcrew
simply the coolest backpack around.
what color would you get?

michael kors gold watch
i know, it's trendy. it's been over a year that i've been fighting the urge,
and i still want it. if that doesn't say "buy it", i don't
know what does.

and there you have it, a few items that i've been obsessing over. i'll keep you posted if i buy any of them. have you been crushin' on any shoes, watches, or bags lately? i'd love to hear about it!

A few introductions are in order.

i live with 3 men and 2 dogs...that are male too! there's a lot of testosterone in the house. so without further ado, let me introduce you to all the men in my life or shall i say, in my household.

first, let me show you what my "pseudo-mudroom" looks like on an everyday basis.

these boys sure like sneakers. i'll admit, i don't put away my shoes sometimes too ;-)

this is my husband, my best friend, my partner in crime, my...everything.  he's actually really strong (not just because he has mus-cles...lol) but mentally too. i'll elaborate on that in another post. he's pretty awesome, so i feel pretty blessed. let's just say my mom and dad LOVE him, which speaks volumes. here he is:

he's not too keen on being blogged about, so his anonymous back
is all i can disclose...right now ;-)

this is my brother. he is a character. this young man has a ton of personality. i swear he can get along and strike up a conversation with ANYONE...from a CEO to a rapper...if that makes sense. i hope he knows it, but skys the limit for this guy. if he stays focused and determined, mark my words ladies, this guy is going to be suc-cess-ful. check it:

this is my other brother (in-law). but i don't consider him to be an "in-law". i've known this kid since he was 2. yea, J and i have known each other that long. this young man is soulful. that's what comes to mind when i think of him. he's more quiet than his brother, but his interests are vast. he's artistic and musical, an old soul if you will. he's smart and disciplined and has a good heart. he's taken ladies...sorry.

and then there are the other 2 loves of my life, my furbabies. since i don't have real babies (yet...but gosh darn it i know i will...someday) these 2 let me fullfil my "mothering" fetish. my life would be just a sad, empty, sack of crap if i didn't have these 2 rugrats to love. here they are in all their cute glory.

Bubba-the-Boss (bro-in-law's friend coind him the boss,
and i took a liking to it)

and last but certainly not least, Mr. Joey Biscuit. He's the sweetest.
BTW, he's blind in both eyes =(

Happy Father's Day Dear 'Ol Pop

that's right, i call my dad, Pop. not sure why or how "Pop" came to be, but it stuck. was it weird that i was sort of embarrassed that i called my dad "Pop" when i was growing up since all my friends called their dads "dad"? but somehow i could never say dad, even though i wanted to so bad. my vocal cords just rejected it. oh tween angst...it just shows how feeling or thinking one is different can put a number on a kid. oh to be 13 again...no thank you.  BTW, now i say "Pop" with conviction =)

back to my Pop. he's the hardest working man i know. and he loves his children like no other. so i'm pretty blessed. he's always thinking of us and would literally, i kid you not, drop anything and everything if we ever needed him. he has his quirks, but that makes him who he is and i wouldn't have it any other way. so to here's to you Pop! luv ya!

here he is walking me down the aisle on my wedding day.
 i love how his back is straight, his shoulders are pulled back,
and his head is held high. i think it's the proudest i've ever seen him.

and this is where he was "giving" me away to my future husband.
doesn't he look so happy? i'm pretty sure he's beaming because there was
no doubt in his mind that i was in good hands.