happy girl

So what made my smile super big today at Costco???  

Finding Skinnygirl Margarita mix!

Time to get to know me a little bit better: I'm a closet Bethenny Frankel fan and I love her healthy tips.  I've been dying to get my hands on her margarita, too. 

 

Kylee and I decided we had to give it a taste test this afternoon just to make sure it was work the $11.99.  The verdict: two thumbs up!  It wasn't too heavy and had the perfect balance of sweetness.  The best part is it only has 100 calories in it!  

Thank you Costco for brightening my day!

going once, going twice

Sold!  

Last Saturday night was my school's annual Gala.  This is our largest fundraiser and a huge contribution to materials for our school.  Every year parents get all fancied up as well as the teachers, eat some delicious food, drink, and partake in silent and live auctions.  Each teacher is "auctioned" off for a student to spend the day with them.  In the past, we have had to actually go on stage and be auctioned off right in front of everyone.  Umm...can you say embarrassing?!?  So, this year we were very fortunate because our days were part of the silent auction.  Daniel ended up having to work so I took my two favorites: my mom and Andrea!

She pulled a "Daniel" and snuck in a self-portrait when I wasn't looking. 

I'm so blessed to be close with my fellow teachers and love where I work.  Not many can say their coworkers are like family, but I have created such close bonds and I am very lucky!

The following day we celebrated my mom's birthday!  Woot woot!  The day started off with a tea for her Soroptmist organization.  The tea was a celebration for all of their scholarship and award winners, and members brought their families.  This organization is truly amazing.  It is completely centered around women helping others, serving their community, and working on greater needs initiatives.  My mother is amazing and has seemed to balance work and her participation for the past years, selflessly helping other women who have nothing, and showing me what amazing things women are capable of. 

After the Tea we celebrated with a mini-surprise birthday BBQ.  We kept it nice and small, but my brother and Jenn showed up which was a complete surprise to my mom.  He's so busy with work we rarely get to see him :(  I grilled salmon and fresh veggies with the help of my step-dad, made roasted potatoes, salad, and bread.  It was the perfect dinner to celebrate my wonderful mother. 

 

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

best saturday ever

Yesterday was one of the best Saturdays in a very long time.  Most of this was due to the fact that my husband was off work so we got to spend the entire day together!  We started our morning off at Claire's on Cedros.  I went there two weeks ago with my mom so you may think I am obsessed, but I just had to take Daniel there so he could experience how good it is.  We got lucky and the wait wasn't too long.

 

When I was there with my mom I tried their gluten free toast.  Oh My Goodness!  It was so tasty and you couldn't even tell that it was gluten free.  I have tried a couple types of GF bread, but it has to be toasted in order for it to taste good at all.  I found out that they make it fresh right in their restaurant so I called them on Friday and ordered a loaf.  Our breakfast was exquisite, and getting my loaf of fresh bread topped it all off!

 

After our yummy breakfast we went to Costco to pick up a couple of things.  I normally don't get too excited about this giant wearhouse, but our trip yesterday was a great success!  Sadly, our Swiffer broke a couple of weeks ago.  We have hard wood floors and a cat that sheds all over the place, so my Swiffer is my right hand man when cleaning.  Luckily, Costco had their starter kit on coupon so we got it for less than $9!!!  Then, I looked over an aisle and found Larabars!  I know I probably sound like such a dork right now but I LOVE larabars.  They are so simple, unprocessed, GF, and they fill me up perfectly.  Costco hasn't carried them for years, but I always keep my eye out in hopes that one day they will get them back.  Sure enough they did and I'm pretty sure I jumped up when I saw them (my husband was slightly embarrassed at my response).   Costco also supplied some beautiful lilies from my husband. 

 In the early afternoon we headed down to Mission Beach for a graduation celebration for a great friend who graduated for USD School of Law.  Their families rented out a house right on the beach so we got to sit up top on the deck and take it the beautiful views of the ocean.

 Since I grew up in San Diego, the beach always seems the same to me.  However, yesterday's views were breathtaking.  I don't know if it was the lack of sun-tanners amongst the sand making it tranquil or the little bursts of sunshine peaking through the clouds, but it made me appreciate it so much more. 

 We spent the rest of our day and night there playing volleyball, digging in the sand with little ones, barbecuing, mingling, and relaxing. 

This gathering marked the last time we will see Stevin in a while as he is moving up to Reno to start studying for the bar.  His wife Kylee is living with us for a couple weeks until her work transfers her up to Reno to work from home.  It's bittersweet seeing great friends leave, but we have to cherish the moments we get with them.  Yesterday was a perfect day and a great memory to have as we say good bye to yet another close friend.

What We Do Best

We have a cat. (If only she was still this small and tiny).  There are many words that we can use to describe this said cat.  Let's stick to the basics: mischievous, ferocious, bipolar, viscous, and snuggly. 

This cat causes quite a raucous yesterday morning when this girl was woken up at 4am because her adoring husband couldn't find his keys.  Yes, you read that right...4am!  Poor Daniel had to do inventory at 4:30 in the morning.  I felt bad enough for him, but never thought it would cause me to loose an extra hour of sleep.This cat likes to play with things left on tables and counter tops, eventually pushing them off onto the floor.  If your wife has bags under the table piled with items for work the next day, your keys may just end up there.   

I'll do my best to make a long story short.  This girl had to drive loving husband to work at 4:15am in the morning before work, come home, forget her lunch, and put together a fabulous breakfast for Mother's Day in my classroom.    You might think that such a dysfunctional morning would make for a complete miserable day, but it surprisingly wasn't too bad.  I have an amazing sermon on Sunday to thank for that.  Memorizing encourage verses definitely gets me through anything and everything.

So, last night we LaFuze's did what we do best- make pizza!  We have it down to a tee!  I can still remember the first time I made Daniel a homemade pizza.  They always say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!  We have since perfected it and love getting creative.  Last night's dinner was what my husband would call "Epic"!

Start with some pre-made whole wheat dough from Trader Joe's.  Have the professional pizza maker roll it out nicely on a pan sprinkled with cornmeal. 

Meanwhile, roast some of your favorite veggies.  Mine included bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and red onion.  We also cooked up some chicken sausage from Trader Joe's.  (Sun dried tomato is our fav.)

Once the veggies are done and the dough is prepped, we spread pizza sauce evenly on the crust.  Then, we added ricotta and a small amount of mozzarella on top.  Our veggies came next along with the sausage.  This pizza was definitely split between Daniel and I.  Can you tell which side is which?  Top it all off with freshly grated parmesan. 

Bake and enjoy the amazing smell from the oven. 

Voila!  I enjoyed my slice with some steamed broccoli. 

Moral of the story: listen to your sermons and if all else fails make some epic pizza!

My Mom(s)

Without a doubt, my mom is my best friend.  Not many people are fortunate enough to have that relationship, and I thank my lucky stars each day because of it.  We have been through thick and thin together, and through it all she has always shown me what true joy and wisdom are.  All of her "Becky"isms are hilarious, yet truthful.  She has shown me unwavering love that is utterly unconditional. 

She puts the biggest smile on my face and can always pull me up when I'm feeling down. No matter how miserable or upset I am, all she has to say is "Jamie...don't laugh or your face will crack!"  Don't ask.  It works. 

I'm so blessed to not only have an amazing mother, but an equally loving and wise mother-in-law who has raised the love of my life. 

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful mother, mother-in-law, and to all other mothers out there.  (That means you too, sister!)

May!

Oh May...you are sure doing a number on me!  Let's just say that May started off busy and there is no sight of it lightening up anytime soon.

Good news:  We finally bought a new SD card for our camera!
Bad News:  This didn't happen until Thursday evening, so there are so many things that have happened but are not documented.

May started with a bridal shower for my friend Lindsay.  I attempted to make cake pops, and they didn't turn out too bad.  Everyone loved them, so that is what matters..right?!  My mom is in NC for the weekend so we celebrated Mother's Day last Sunday.  Our day started off with breakfast at Claire's on Cedros.  I'm not going to lie, I LOVE this place!  It may have been my first time, but the food and atmosphere was beautiful.  I already warned Daniel that a breakfast is in order there very soon.  It is located in Solana Beach so the drive there was breathtaking.
After breakfast, we ended up doing what we do best-SHOPPING!  I found some amazing deals at the Loft, including a dress for $10.  Yes, you read that right-$10!!!  After doing plenty of window shopping and browsing we headed over to Bernardo Winery and enjoyed a few tastes while listening to a jazz band playing on the patio.  It was the perfect day!
This week I submitted my final paper for a class that has torn me apart this semester.  All of my hard work paid off because I got 100%.  My professor is one of the hardest I have ever had, comments on everything, and just reeks insanity.  It definitely boosted my self-esteem.  One more paper to go and then I am officially done with my first year of grad school!
Last night we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week and Charter School night at Petco by attending a Padres game.  Before the game they had a beer garden set up.  We joined a couple of my follow co-workers and their significant others for a relaxing evening and great game!

The Teeps!

I was looking at the pictures from lats night and realized I am holding a beer in all of them.  That beer was the one beer I nursed all night, so please don't get the wrong impression.  Having the beer gardens in the park was most enjoyable.  It was pretty crowded, but it was a gorgeous day so just standing and talking with friends in the middle of downtown SD was well worth it.  Padres won!!!  But, Friday nights are rough for us teachers.  By the bottom of the 7th inning, we were all yawning and using all our strength to keep our eyes open.

Here's what else I have to look forward to in May:

Jill's babyshow

Heather and Josh's going away party :(

Hair cut with my fav hair dresser

Mother's day barbeque with Mama LaFuze

Finishing my first year of grad school

Steven and Krystal's law school graduation

Graduation parties

Taking in a roommate 

Mom's birthday

My school's spring gala fundraiser

A ladie's tea with mom

Whew...and those are all just the big things.  Wish me luck!