Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thanking the Lord for opening my eyes
I was debating about whether or not to explain the reason that I had to make my blog private. It's almost too painful to tell. But some of you asked, and I feel compelled to share if only to raise more awareness about this issue...
Yesterday I was playing around with some of the different features of my blog that I never explored before. I noticed that you can view your "stats" and see the audience and traffic sources. I noticed a few things that appeared to be odd. For one, the "search keywords" included phrases like "girls in underwear". That immediately caught my attention. Then, I looked at the "referring sites" and saw that most of them were google image searches. I started to click on them because it will actually take you to the link where the viewers clicked before arriving at the blogpage. I was absolutely horrified to see that all of the views were of one particular picture of Lyla wearing nothing but her underwear when she was about 18 months old (she had just recently been potty trained and we were proudly showing off her new big girl undies). There were many views of that particular picture from viewers all over the world. I felt angry, shocked, and disgusted all at the same time. I was so ashamed that I carelessly left my blog open to the world and naively posted that picture of her. Some of you may think I am a bad mother for not being more careful in the first place, but I wanted to share this in case anyone else, like me, did not even have a glimmer of a thought in their mind that something like this might happen. It does. We live in a dark and twisted world full of people who will look at a picture of something so innocent, beautiful, and pure and turn it into something perverted. Please join me in praying for these sick people and pray for the protection of my sweet children. "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." -Ephesians 6:11-12
Yesterday I was playing around with some of the different features of my blog that I never explored before. I noticed that you can view your "stats" and see the audience and traffic sources. I noticed a few things that appeared to be odd. For one, the "search keywords" included phrases like "girls in underwear". That immediately caught my attention. Then, I looked at the "referring sites" and saw that most of them were google image searches. I started to click on them because it will actually take you to the link where the viewers clicked before arriving at the blogpage. I was absolutely horrified to see that all of the views were of one particular picture of Lyla wearing nothing but her underwear when she was about 18 months old (she had just recently been potty trained and we were proudly showing off her new big girl undies). There were many views of that particular picture from viewers all over the world. I felt angry, shocked, and disgusted all at the same time. I was so ashamed that I carelessly left my blog open to the world and naively posted that picture of her. Some of you may think I am a bad mother for not being more careful in the first place, but I wanted to share this in case anyone else, like me, did not even have a glimmer of a thought in their mind that something like this might happen. It does. We live in a dark and twisted world full of people who will look at a picture of something so innocent, beautiful, and pure and turn it into something perverted. Please join me in praying for these sick people and pray for the protection of my sweet children. "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." -Ephesians 6:11-12
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
anyone else obsessed with etsy?
I have so many artistically talented friends with etsy shops. I feel inspired when I see them using the gifts that God gave them in such beautiful and creative ways. It often comes to mind that I should feature their work here so that everyone can benefit! One of my favorite shops, mukibaba, is owned by my dear friends Kata and Agi (mukibaba is an old family nickname). They sell handmade bookmarks, magnets, home decor and custom baby clothes. They are sisters from Hungary that I met through Nick and Sara and from working at the Conference Center. Their shop motto is, "for the glory of God" and each item is uniquely handcrafted with bible verses on most of them in a really cute hand-written font. Please check out mukibaba on etsy, but here's a preview of a few of my favorites from their shop! Here's charming little matthias in his custom onesie:
Monday, February 20, 2012
house proud
It was about time that we updated the flowers in the front yard. We were hoping our snapdragons would make a comeback. We waited...and waited...while our front yard suffered. Our neighbors were probably ecstatic to see us working outside yesterday. After church, we made a quick stop at lowe's to pick up some calendulas and some poppies to plant around our tree. Cody couldn't resist the urge to pull off a couple of those flowers and smash them in his hands. Boys are not gentle. This picture was taken just moments before the be-heading of this calendula:
He also wanted to watch and see what daddy was doing playing in the dirt. Boys are not clean. Cody gets so much dirtier playing outside than lyla does. I have to change his clothes at least twice a day while lyla can go an entire day with one outfit.
Lyla thought it was about time to take a much needed break from observing all of daddy's hard labor to enjoy a snow cone from the ice cream truck. You can tell she wasn't prepared to dig in the dirt herself...just look at that fancy blazer she's wearing. She managed to stay clean, too!
and cody continues to "help" daddy. It was a huge task trying to keep both kids out of the street, out of the dirt, and away from the dangerous yard tools.
Almost done! This photo below does not do justice to Travis. I had to snap this picture before it got dark, but Travis did stay outside to finish the job and clean up. He would never walk away from a project looking like this! However, you get the idea. We finally have a front yard we can be proud of!
He also wanted to watch and see what daddy was doing playing in the dirt. Boys are not clean. Cody gets so much dirtier playing outside than lyla does. I have to change his clothes at least twice a day while lyla can go an entire day with one outfit.
Lyla thought it was about time to take a much needed break from observing all of daddy's hard labor to enjoy a snow cone from the ice cream truck. You can tell she wasn't prepared to dig in the dirt herself...just look at that fancy blazer she's wearing. She managed to stay clean, too!
and cody continues to "help" daddy. It was a huge task trying to keep both kids out of the street, out of the dirt, and away from the dangerous yard tools.
Almost done! This photo below does not do justice to Travis. I had to snap this picture before it got dark, but Travis did stay outside to finish the job and clean up. He would never walk away from a project looking like this! However, you get the idea. We finally have a front yard we can be proud of! 
Friday, February 17, 2012
thank you, nixon! (not the former president)
nixon inc. will always hold a very special place in my heart. nixon is the watch company where travis and i both worked and met. After I graduated from UC Davis in 2002, I needed a real job. I had just received my degree in Textiles and Clothing, so I started applying for a variety of positions in the fashion industry. After little success with some big clothing brands, I decided to expand my search. With my background in repairing watches (my parents have had a watch repair business at the Orange County Swap Meet since before I was born), I decided to apply at nixon as a service technician. At my interview, they decided I was a better fit as an Office Manager, so I accepted the position. On my first day of work, I made the rounds and met a lot of amazing people that I am still friends with to this day. Most importantly, I met the adorable and charming Travis Mitchell. We shook hands and introduced ourselves and became almost instant friends. The rest is history. Here is a recent nixon ad featuring nixon's latest and greatest:
And this is the first watch that I ever purchased from nixon well before I ever thought of working there. The player. I fell in love with the simple and sleek design the first time I laid eyes on it. I am still drawn to this watch even after years of new styles and trends. Thanks to this watch, I met my husband (ok, so God was obviously the One that brought us together, but He used this watch to do it)
And this is the first watch that I ever purchased from nixon well before I ever thought of working there. The player. I fell in love with the simple and sleek design the first time I laid eyes on it. I am still drawn to this watch even after years of new styles and trends. Thanks to this watch, I met my husband (ok, so God was obviously the One that brought us together, but He used this watch to do it)
Thursday, February 16, 2012
pastel dreams
One of the best parts of having children is dressing them up. I am already looking forward to Easter because the kids always look so lovely in their pastel hues. I can hardly stand the wait! I'm already looking out for some cute outfits for Lyla and Cody. How about this adorable ruffle front corsage dress from j.crew in "sweet hyacinth"?
Or this dress shirt paired with these suspendered trouser shorts (both janie and jack) for cody? Love.
Or this dress shirt paired with these suspendered trouser shorts (both janie and jack) for cody? Love.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
my tasty valentine's day
We started Valentine's day morning with presents! Lyla kepts asking, "Is it my birthday?". She wasn't sure why we were getting presents, but she wasn't complaining either.
Here's Lyla with her Valentine's day goodies from daddy.
Kandice blessed us by babysitting the kids for us so we could go on our date night. We had reservations at Lucille's BBQ grill in Temecula. Travis and I love a good BBQ, so this is one of our favorite restaurants in the area.
We started off with fried dill pickles that were amazing! The only problem is that the breading falls off when you take a bite, so you kind of have to piece it back together with the dip...but totally worth the work! I love pickles and I love fried food, so this was just a match made in heaven for me!
I ordered the half rack of baby back ribs with sweet potato fries and Trav got the tri-tip sandwich with mac and cheese. This dinner was so delicious. I can't wait to go back to Lucille's for more.
Then we went to the movies and stood in a long line to watch "The Vow". It was a sweet movie. It pales in comparison to "The Notebook", which is probably my favorite love story movie of all time (also starring Rachel McAdams). "The Vow" was a good, sad, love story nonetheless. A romantic ending to a day filled with love. I hope you all felt the love yesterday!
Here's Lyla with her Valentine's day goodies from daddy.
Kandice blessed us by babysitting the kids for us so we could go on our date night. We had reservations at Lucille's BBQ grill in Temecula. Travis and I love a good BBQ, so this is one of our favorite restaurants in the area.
We started off with fried dill pickles that were amazing! The only problem is that the breading falls off when you take a bite, so you kind of have to piece it back together with the dip...but totally worth the work! I love pickles and I love fried food, so this was just a match made in heaven for me!
I ordered the half rack of baby back ribs with sweet potato fries and Trav got the tri-tip sandwich with mac and cheese. This dinner was so delicious. I can't wait to go back to Lucille's for more.
Then we went to the movies and stood in a long line to watch "The Vow". It was a sweet movie. It pales in comparison to "The Notebook", which is probably my favorite love story movie of all time (also starring Rachel McAdams). "The Vow" was a good, sad, love story nonetheless. A romantic ending to a day filled with love. I hope you all felt the love yesterday!"And now abide, faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13
Monday, February 13, 2012
love is in the air
I love Valentine's day. It's a day that we can spread a little love to everyone around us, an excuse to show people that we care about them with little cards or chocolates. Travis got Lyla a few candies even though I frowned upon it (the girl does NOT need sugar)...but I realized it's not just about spoiling her with sweet treats. It's important for Lyla to know that her daddy is the first man in her life to love her. His love for her and how he shows it to her will set the bar for how she expects any other man to treat her. Not just on Valentine's day, but every day.
I adore this simple idea for a valentine's day treat for the kiddos. It's a peanut butter sandwich with rainbow sprinkles and a heart cut-out! I found it on this post about valentine's day lunchbox ideas on coolmompicks.com. It's sweet without giving the kids a sugar-high (and ultimate crash).
I adore this simple idea for a valentine's day treat for the kiddos. It's a peanut butter sandwich with rainbow sprinkles and a heart cut-out! I found it on this post about valentine's day lunchbox ideas on coolmompicks.com. It's sweet without giving the kids a sugar-high (and ultimate crash).
And of course there is the romantic side of Valentine's day that Travis and I will be celebrating. We are going to go out for dinner and a movie. It's your typical date night outing, but we haven't had a real date in a long time. We are so excited to share a few hours with eachother that are free from our little disctractions, as adorable as they may be. I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's day tomorrow! Spread the love!
Friday, February 10, 2012
new years resolution
Sometimes I find myself blaming my kids for me not looking cute anymore. Bad mom! There are plenty of adorable/fashionable/trendy moms out there who have more kids or more going on than I do. So, I have resolved to not allow myself to fall into the bad habit of "letting myself go". Five weeks ago, I joined a "New Year's Challenge" to eat healthy and excercise regularly with some co-workers. Here is the pledge we signed:
"I pledge to begin a new lifestyle by being diligent to exercise and make healthy meal choices. I’m going to lose the weight I’ve committed to in this contract, by wise and healthy means. I understand that intentionally skipping meals, cleanses, purging supplements, etc. are not only against the rules, but are not healthy means of attaining my goal. I am part of this group to not only achieve better health, but to also encourage the others in healthy lifestyles as well."
I have a casual morning jogging routine now...which means that I go for a run every other day or so and it lasts about 15-20 minutes. I also quit drinking soda and have stuck to just drinking lots of water. Other than that, there are no drastic changes to my diet. I consciously make choices to eat healthier. For example, I now choose brown rice instead of white and I forego most sweet treats. I don't have much of a sweet tooth anyways. So far I have lost 3 pounds and I am just 7 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. I would love to get back to the "starting point" before I get pregnant again. I realize that my body has changed after having two kids, but I also don't think it's necessary to just accept a certain amount of weight gain after having babies either.
I also decided to spruce things up in the make-up department. I took a trip to Sephora (love that place!) with a gift card my mom got for my birthday (thank you, mom!!!). Here are a few of the wonderful goodies that I bought to help me beautify myself:
I have never used foundation before in my life, so I walked into Sephora having no clue what to look for. I asked for help and the nice girls led me to the Make Up For Ever aisle. I am forever grateful to them for introducing me to this wonderful foundation. I love how weightless it is.
I have been using Erase Paste from Benefit for years now. It is perfect for covering up under-eye circles. The pinkish tone really helps to counter-act the ugly blue circles that are the bane of my existence. Now you would never know that I was up 18 times the night before with a crying baby!
I love this Laura Mercier eye shadow. I use the color "coffee ground", but I am looking for something a little lighter - like an ashy taupe. The problem is that things always turn out more orange-y on my face, so I have a hard time picking colors. Suggestions are welcome!
My mom turned me on to Lancome mascara years ago. She says it is the best. I have to say that this Hypnose Drama mascara is pretty amazing!
And finally, I am really liking this lip pencil in the shade of "sex machine" by NARS. I know, the name of the color is funny, but it's a really soft pink (not the color pictured above). After years of wearing lip gloss, it's a refreshing change to wear something matte on my lips. I feel like a new woman!
"I pledge to begin a new lifestyle by being diligent to exercise and make healthy meal choices. I’m going to lose the weight I’ve committed to in this contract, by wise and healthy means. I understand that intentionally skipping meals, cleanses, purging supplements, etc. are not only against the rules, but are not healthy means of attaining my goal. I am part of this group to not only achieve better health, but to also encourage the others in healthy lifestyles as well."
I have a casual morning jogging routine now...which means that I go for a run every other day or so and it lasts about 15-20 minutes. I also quit drinking soda and have stuck to just drinking lots of water. Other than that, there are no drastic changes to my diet. I consciously make choices to eat healthier. For example, I now choose brown rice instead of white and I forego most sweet treats. I don't have much of a sweet tooth anyways. So far I have lost 3 pounds and I am just 7 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight. I would love to get back to the "starting point" before I get pregnant again. I realize that my body has changed after having two kids, but I also don't think it's necessary to just accept a certain amount of weight gain after having babies either.
I also decided to spruce things up in the make-up department. I took a trip to Sephora (love that place!) with a gift card my mom got for my birthday (thank you, mom!!!). Here are a few of the wonderful goodies that I bought to help me beautify myself:
I have never used foundation before in my life, so I walked into Sephora having no clue what to look for. I asked for help and the nice girls led me to the Make Up For Ever aisle. I am forever grateful to them for introducing me to this wonderful foundation. I love how weightless it is.
I have been using Erase Paste from Benefit for years now. It is perfect for covering up under-eye circles. The pinkish tone really helps to counter-act the ugly blue circles that are the bane of my existence. Now you would never know that I was up 18 times the night before with a crying baby! 
I love this Laura Mercier eye shadow. I use the color "coffee ground", but I am looking for something a little lighter - like an ashy taupe. The problem is that things always turn out more orange-y on my face, so I have a hard time picking colors. Suggestions are welcome!My mom turned me on to Lancome mascara years ago. She says it is the best. I have to say that this Hypnose Drama mascara is pretty amazing!
And finally, I am really liking this lip pencil in the shade of "sex machine" by NARS. I know, the name of the color is funny, but it's a really soft pink (not the color pictured above). After years of wearing lip gloss, it's a refreshing change to wear something matte on my lips. I feel like a new woman!
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