dear diary: graphic design program

this week is birthday week. get excited. to shake things up i'll be sharing pieces of my work, pages from my diary (the growing pains and all) and reflections on my past to properly celebrate thirty-one years (and reveal things you might not know about me yet!). 

in april 2004, i was in college, getting the hang of being a wife and desperately wanting to get accepted to a prestigious graphic design program. i figured it was the pathway to the career i hoped for.



spoiler alert: after i wrote this diary entry i found out i was not accepted. instead i received a letter about my promising portfolio, urging me to continue my art education and apply the following year. i was crushed and wondered if i was cut out for this. wondered if i was fooling myself, wondered what was in store for me, wondered if i should find a new major / a new passion. little did i know, i would not be applying again. something completely new would create a fork in our road.

turns out, slowly but surely we discovered what we'd be doing instead:
dan wanted to be a lawyer! we were moving to california for law school!
and the next question was... how did i intend to put him through school?
and where would we find affordable housing in so. cal!?

p.s. i find it ironic / amazing that the happiness quotes i wrote down (above left) were just the words of advice i needed to hear!

Birthday Wish for Marta

This is whit here. Don't you love this picture of Marta and her little boy. Marta's eyes always had that pop of color and beauty. She is one of a kind little lady who turns 30 today!

So I'm hacking into her blog today because:

A. at this very moment she is moving into her cute, awesome, totally Marta house. I can just see her making list (on the fridge) of things to do first, and what to buy or she is putting her cute anthro bowls or collection of pitchers in her hutch

B. she doesn't have her internet hooked up at the moment, I can't wait to see her office all put together but as of last night her desk was surround by boxes

C. It's her 30th birthday and she is being spoiled and pampered by that hubby of hers and playing with that adorable little Benj

So at the moment you are stuck with me, her cousin who completely adores Marta. Those of you who know this little lady loves everything about her, she is one talented little writer and one creative little mama. She has always been artistic with that handwriting of hers, that drawing class that she rocked at and her letter pressing skills. She has always had the ability to brighten up the room and your day with her sense of humor and dancing skills. Marta is the girl to go to when you're having one of those days because she always looks for the best in any situation and gives the best advice in the world. She is a great listener, never complains or is negative. She's awesome at card games, story telling and can make you laugh at any moment. Marta truly is one of a kind, a breath of fresh air and blue skies.

Yesterday we packed and unloaded all of her boxes, cute furniture, toys and dishes into her home. Marta was there with doughnuts, juice, made sure we had water, turned up some music and was always thanking her helpers. She doesn't take anything for granted and appreciates her family, her friends, her new home, her blog, her readers and everything in her life. She truly is one of a kind.

Happy Happy Birthday to my favorite girl!

Now it's your turn to wish Marta a happy birthday.

true life story: mealtime rescue mission

this is used to be the typical scene in our house when benji helps with dinner. yikes. (i love that innocent little face, as if he were just a spectator of this kitchen disaster area. do you see that he's standing on top of the griddle?!) he empties his 'unbreakables cupboard' with gusto while i hurry and fix something for supper. this particular day he wildly emptied out our collection of cookie cutters too. most days i roll with it because i'm attempting to frost sugar cookies, shape sticky bread dough, deal with raw meats or chop vegetables. we sing some tunes and make our messes simultneously. he's happily entertained and i'm providing a meal for the family. it's a survival technique.

i was chatting with another young mom the other day and we both agreed that our husbands are either greeted with a clean house or a hot meal at the end of the day; never both.

then i got to thinking, there must be a better way. (a better way that doesn't involve sitting benji in front of the tv.) i browsed some blogs and found this article by the sister's cafe. that's when i decided to take a whole new lease on my meal making, to take most of the work out of my five o'clock hour. there are so many wonderful foodie websites, i don't know why i haven't been doing this all along!

i made a list of completely new and fun recipes to try (most of them freezer friendly) and marched to the grocery store for the ingredients. a lot of freezer meals are heavy on cheese, sour cream and pasta, so i loaded up on fresh produce for salads, soups and smoothies to help balance out our months's entrees (and calorie intake)! i purchased a handful of extra square pans for freezing meals too. the next two days while my little boy had his nap, i devoted my time to prepping meals. it took some effort, but was well worth it. i got a whole slew of delicious dinners made for the weeks ahead!

a few freezer friendly recipes 
chicken enchiladas
spinach stuffed pasta shells
buttermilk whole wheat bread
creamy chicken noodle soup
pioneer woman's baked mac & cheese
pancakes / baked french toast
breadsticks and lasagna
spinach quiche

here are a few tips i learned while preparing freezer meals
start with a clean kitchen; plenty of space, an empty sink and dishwasher.
pull your hair up, put on an apron and some music and make it fun!
unload your freezer and make sure you have plenty of space.
stock your fridge beforehand with all the ingredients you'll need.
choose meals with similar ingredients, so you can get the most out of your mozarella.
start boiling your water for lasagna noodles while you unload the groceries.
(if you're making lasagna for square pans, break noodles in half before boiling!)
make sure your spice rack is stocked and ready for use. benji recently helped me re-organize mine!
have a wooden spoon, cutting boards, knives, a can opener and garbage can readily available.
have two towels handy; one for wiping hands and one for wiping up spills.
make sure you have a sharpie pen, tinfoil, ziplock freezer bags, labels and pans on hand.
chop all the vegetables for your recipes at once to save time.

these days i simply let the meal thaw and toss it in the oven. when five o'clock hits, benji and i put our aprons on and toss a salad or slice some fruit. i know this is not a revolutionary idea by any means, but it has helped me feed my family and keep a cheerful attitude and a somewhat tidy house. nowadays i can read him stories before dad comes home and we usually have leftovers for lunches too. hip hooray for planning ahead and ending disaster-cleanup-kitchen efforts at mealtime! i hope i can keep this up.

what are your favorite prep-ahead meals? crockpot favorites?