Beach bums...

We decided to head to the beach on Friday. Marty spent the weekend with us, but then he went back to work early this morning. The kids and I are staying down until July 6th. This should be fun!

We'll get our fill at the pool, beach and boardwalk; thankfully the kids are pretty laid back and easy to entertain. Today has been a relaxing day of painting and movies. We'll probably head out to do some shopping shortly, but its just nice to not have anything planned.

It is so peaceful here. I'm glad that our house is sort of on the outskirts of town. We have the luxery of the beach feel without the beach traffic. I couldn't be happier.

So I guess we're having a lazy week, but I'm really loving having the quality time with the kids...

Time for a change...

Anyone that knows me knows that when I'm stressed I do drastic things to my hair...

Well, even though, I just had a trim and reshaping cut, on Friday, i just couldn't take it anymore and went in to get 9 inches off! So much for growing it out.

I really like it and it is VERY easy to fix. I spent the day by the pool today and let it air dry and it actually looks really cute. Its got a little bit of wave and great body. I'm hoping that its not too trendy, but I definitely feel a little more updated.

We all need a little change every now and then, right?

The Silver Lining

Whenever something bad happens in life, I try my best to see the silver lining. I have to believe that there is a reason. I try and find if there was some life lesson, some hidden blessing, or some other purpose for my misfortune. Some may say that I am naive or that I am in denial; life just isn't fair is what most would argue.

When I look at my life as a whole, without any hesitation I would admit to feeling blessed. Even when life throws me a lemon, I might not be able to make lemonade of it, but at least I know that I have the love and support of my family and friends.

Maybe there aren't silver linings to bad situations, maybe life just sucks sometimes, but I guess the greater lesson is knowing that you'll get through it and that everything will be ok.

Tough Decisions

I have found that any time I am experiencing great personal growth, it usually involves having to make a tough decision. Either with work, marriage, child rearing, friendships, money, life is all about choices and most of the time they aren't easy. I guess if everything were easy, I would not really grow.

So many times you hear those tired quotes and cliches about growth and accomplishment; "mistakes are not failure, but a chance to learn and grow"... What does that mean? Are there really any wrong answers? Are we all just floating around in chaos and occasionally bumping into opportunity and good fortune? Is all this planning and thinking honestly getting me anywhere? Who truly wins in the end?

I feel that I often struggle with what my heart wants and my head knows. I'm sure I'm not the only one that finds myself in that predicament. I'm always battling with internal conflict. I'm either always winning or always losing. Its tiring.

So for today, I'm faced with the questions: Should we plan that trip? Did I do the right thing by having Marissa at horse camp? Do I need to let someone go? Do I really need a housekeeper? Should we hold off on the home renovations? Should I invest in this business opportunity? The list goes on and on! I'm filled with doubt, guilt, hope, anxiety and excitement. I guess sometimes you just have to make a choice and hope for the best. I take comfort in knowing that I'm not alone...

Junior League of Annapolis, Inc Cookbooks!

I love these cookbooks! Not only do these books help fund the Junior League of Annapolis, Inc and all the projects that we do in the community, they are simply just fabulous cookbooks!

Last night we had our committee meeting at my home (I'm co-chairing the cookbook committee the ever-so-wonderful Colleen Wood) Well, we only serve food from the cookbook at our meetings. I have to RAVE about these amazing recipes!

From Of Tide and Thyme:

Pg. 37 Pineapple Cheese Ball

SUPER EASY! I hollowed out a whole pineapple and filled it with the cheese mixture. It was beautiful!

Pg. 336 Fresh Strawberry Pie

Another very easy dish! I forgot to serve it at the meeting, but my daughter brought it to summer camp the next day to give to her teachers; they LOVED it! The pie was so easy to make, but looked like I had worked all day on it. It was so beautiful!

a Thyme to Entertain:

Pg. 77 Jalepeno Cheese Squares

This cooked beautifully. The dish is colorful and light. It has a rich flavor without the heavy feel and can be served either hot or cold. Its great for breakfast too!

Pg. 77 Sweet Vegetable Dip

I think this was my favorite dish of the evening. This is a gorgeous dip that speaks for itself. Its tangy but sweet and brings a pop of color to the table! I suggest serving this in a nice bowl as a centerpiece. Its a real crowd pleaser!

Pg. 79 Cilantro Chicken Sandwiches

Another great hit! The cilantro dressing was just right! I made a few adjustments, added swiss cheese and seasoned the grilled chicken to bring out a little fire! The sandwiches were hearty and full of color. It looked delicious and when you bit into it, you definitely weren't disappointed!

Click on the Title above to go to the JLA website to order your book! These are a MUST have for every chef, and even if you don't cook they are beautiful books that will give you insight to the life and culture of Annapolis!

Its Raining, Its Pouring...

We have rain on the forecast for the next 10 days... We're not going to let it "rain on our parade" though! The kids and I are planning out some great activities that we can do as a family. Here are some of them:

1. Build a Fort: We've turned our living room into a fort using bedsheets and attaching them to all the furniture! The kids play, have snacks and read books. It takes up a great amount of time and energy! We also pull all the cushions and pillows off the furniture to set up walls and barriers! Its so much fun!

2. Kids in the Kitchen: My kids LOVE to cook and they love to EAT even more! I've got some awesome, kid friendly cookbooks (Snack Attack and Kid Favorites Made Healthy from Better Homes and Gardens and Disney's the Magic Kitchen Cookbook to name a few) This is a wonderful way to get kids involved in meal planning, excited about eating healthy and it also provides some great math and science lessons!

3. Making Movies: Marissa is quite the drama queen and Christian is a pretty good supporting actor. We have lots of fun making home videos. They will act out a story, perform songs and dance for the camera. Then we make popcorn, set up on the couch and enjoy the shows on the big screen! They laugh until they drop! Its a silly and creative way to teach children about self-expression!

4. Dancing in the Rain: If its warm enough, we put on our swimsuits and play in the rain! Who says you can't play outside when its raining? Its like having sprinklers on all around you! They don't even need toys, they just love to run around and play in the puddles. Throw some towels in the dryer so that they are nice and toasty when you come inside! The kids will have expended a ton of energy and they'll probably want a nap afterwards!

5. Playing Hide and Seek: Both my kids love to play Hide and Seek. I usually do the "seeking" and I make it really silly by pretending to be tickle crazy! This game can go for a good hour or more, and I usually have to be the one to stop it.

6. Books: For some quiet time, we snuggle down with a big blanket and a stack of books. Thankfully, both my kids could listen and read books for hours. Make sure you have a bottle of water, reading a lot can make your voice tired. Sometimes, I use puppets or flannel boards!

7. Arts and Crafts: We love to create gifts for grandparents and friends. Get out the crayons, paint, glue and scissors and spend some time being creative. These projects don't last very long so be sure and have PLENTY of supplies! This week, we'll be making tote bags and decorating them with fabric paint. Then the kids will also make cards decorated with various sparkles, stickers and colors!

8. Bubble Baths: Kids love to play in the bathtub! Bubbles, body paint, toys and fun towels can make this activity so much fun! I also get a bubble maker and have it on in the bathroom so that they can float all around the room. It really creates a "bubbly" atmosphere filled with giggles!

9. Make Musical Instruments: Kids love to make music. So we take "junk" from around the house, empty paper towel tubes, rice, strings, tape, rubber bands, etc and we make instruments. Then we put on some fun kid music and pretent to be the band! This takes up a lot of time and give the kids a fun way to be creative and move!

10. Exercise: There are some awesome kid exercise videos. We love Kid Yoga too! The kids get on their "exercise gear" and we exercise together. We talk about our muscles and being healthy! Be sure adn exercise with them so that they build confidence in their own physical abilities!

Enjoy! "Rain, Rain, its ok, You can't spoil our fun today!"

Date Night

While I was pregnant with our daughter, Marty and I made a commitment to each other that we would not allow ourselves to get sucked into losing our identity as individuals and bury ourselves in the life of parenthood. We decided that we needed to find something that we could do together, without baby, that would keep us communicating and participating in nurturing our relationship with one another.

What we found was the theater. I have always had a love for fine arts, specifically, performing arts. I love musicals and plays, symphonies, etc. Marty's family had raised him to appreciate the arts as well and luckily, being so close to Washington D.C. and Baltimore, we have access to great venues. We frequently caught shows at the Kennedy Center of Permforing Arts, The Mechanic Theatre, and the Meyerhoff.

We eventually became season ticket holders for Broadway Across America at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center (http://www.france-merrickpac.com/home.html) also known as The Hippodrome. We see about 9 shows a season. We've seen shows from the classic, Phantom of the Opera, to the recent, Avenue Q. Our final show of our 5th season, is Spring Awakening.

The shows are typically once a month, September-June. What this has done is give us something that we do together. Its not our only "date night", but its something that is steady and that we can always look forward to. We usually dine at Ruth's Chris Steak House or Babablu's Grill because they offer a car service from the restaurants to the theater. We have four tickets so we usually invite another couple. That has been great because it allows us to socialize with other people. The whole evening is just a delight and it has been something that has really strengthen our marriage and our friendship!

I think that making time to be a "couple" is important in a marriage. You have to make the commitment every day to your significant other, so its important that you continue to nurture and grow with one another. For us, this has really kept us connected. We have the time to ourselves to dress up and "date" each other, we engage in great conversation at dinner with other adults, and the shows create great discussions! I've learned a lot about my husband; his humor and things that he appreciates.

The theater might not be the thing that clicks for your marriage, but whatever it is, be sure and make time for each other! You can't go wrong in any relationship when you find something that you enjoy doing together and helps you appreciate the company.