good deal

 I got the coolest $20 FREE coupon through Shutterfly today.  How awesome!  Maybe they like me?  Maybe they liked my Mom's calendar and wanted me to make something else just as cool?  Yeah, I'll go with that one...

  I've always loved this pic that I snapped a couple of summers ago.

Travel mug

View the entire collection of cards.

...isn't this super cute?  If you hover over the mug you can turn it to see the different sides!!!Chato and I have been drinking EXTRA coffee lately.  It will definitely come in handy! So, it took me all of three minutes to put this together and upload it!  I can't wait to get it!!  Thank you Shutterfly!

iphone euphoria

It has, undoubtedly, made my picture taking desires more controllable. While I still pull out the Nikon for big events, everyday life has been so much mmmmmmore notable since I started using my phone for picture taking. Add in all the filter bearing apps and my heart is content.

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Keeping with my 52 Weeks of Me Challenge I went a bit more serious this week...
This week was pretty solid and rewarding. There is a mix match bunch of things we did:
The kids had to GET OVER the fact that their sleeping in time was GONE and school was back in session.

Brandan had team basketball pictures snapped late Sunday afternoon.

By Tuesday, we were court-side to an outstandingly CRAZY game. I would liken it to one of those you see on the tv news where the opposing coach is wicked bent on winning and will do anything to do so. Even a couple of parents in the crowd were a bit too much for me to handle. HELLO PEOPLE - they are 12/13 year old boys - NOT NBA players!

We took it to overtime, but feel to a three pointer from the opposing team in one those last half second shots.
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I made a calendar through Shutterfly (I had a cool coupon) for my Mom using some old vintage pics, and I love how it turned out!

Upon doing the laundry, I was greeted with this silly smiling face when I opened the door. It took me back a few years, when I used to see this funny Curious George washcloth in the laundry all the time. Someone must have pulled him out from the bottom of the drawer and he got to come out and play. Sure made me smile...

Margie and Bianca came over before break ended, with the intention of having a girls' evening, but we did not scrap a thing!! I'm glad B got to come - its been a while since these two got the chance to monkey around...

Allison came out to play with us, too...

We had fun being super silly!! We went to the bookstore where Brandan can always be found in the sports book section. Today, my scraggly haired looking oldest child was going old school 3D.

By Wednesday, our FIRST big enough to be counted, snowfall fell here in Chicago. I worried about the commute, but the powers that be cleared a path for me and it was not bad at all.

By week's end - it was definitely a wear your hair UP kind of adventure...

I've been letting my hair grow out again. Thinking of doing a digital wave thing...anyone know where I find a good salon that does this???? I'm really thinking it might be a good NEW me.
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As is the life.
iphone well documented.

the start

Somewhere down the road is where this will pop up. If it is me that comes across it, I might have a variety of reactions. Why on earth would I have posed for a picture without make up, without getting my hand out of my face, without my hair combed? This would be my first thought of what I would think today. Years from now, it may not be me that comes across this picture of all of my self imposed imperfections. It could be my kids or possible grand kids. I can't imagine what they will see in it, but today, there is a spot in my heart that calms me...because they will be able to see ME.

There are a ton of avenues I could twist this story into.

I could tell you about the day we were sifting through pictures of my mother-in-law reflecting on the life she left behind and found THIS first picture, so calm and real to life outside of any huge event. Her eyes were intently focused on the camera, but all the while there were no grimaces or effort to look away. You could see her. There were no imperfections, through our eyes...looking back.

I could tell you how I dream of finding a childhood picture of my grandfather. One that is clear. One that shows him as a child. One that gives me a clue to something new that he didn't get the chance to tell me about. Or a picture of my grandmother - there are only two in my possession - just to admire the look on her youthful face.

I could tell you how much I love to take pictures (but you knew that already). And because I love to take pictures, I am always behind the lens. I'm learning to be more adventurous and put the "imperfections" aside when I use the flip lens on my iPhone. I CAN put myself into the picture more. But WILL I?

When I overheard the conversations of "52 weeks of Me" I didn't jump at it like I should have. Thank goodness for encouraging friends and really cool examples out there in the virtual world, I have been pulled in - and not a moment to late! I will FORCE myself to take a picture every week. I will use pictures (like the yucky one above) that note me...not just the ME I want YOU to see. I can do this for a year. I can guarantee that my year long collage will look interesting. I can guarantee that it will get some interesting raised eyebrows too. ;) I can guarantee that if my great grandchildren want to know me - they will SEE me.

the jammie mantra

(I found this on Pinterest here, and knew it was meant for me!)

I said it to myself once. I even mentally made a note of my goal. When the holiday break began right on top of the Christmas weekend, I knew that it was possible. With the festivities over, our first Monday off would be carefree and a day to sleep in late. Since that day, we have been living in our pajamas and sweats. Not a formal piece of clothing was washed in the laundry this week! (okay, there was a pair of jeans or two, but that's casual wear, right?) My mantra was to be as comfortable as possible. Mission accomplished.
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The kids have had NO dispute over this AT ALL. In fact, in their lifetime, they have never been allowed to stay up so late, nor have they made the attempt to sleep past 10am! There have been a few days this week that the clock has passed 11am and I check them to see if they are still breathing...

... ahhh, so the jammie mantra has been fulfilled. We are in hibernation mode.

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And there are plenty of things that can be accomplished while wearing jammies. I made up a batch of tamales on New Year's Eve...

We packed away the Christmas stuff, too. (See you next year greens, red, and shiny holiday cheer!)

I cleaned my scraproom (only to mess it up again and play!)

I unpacked my brand new HP ENVY (air print) printer...that instantaneously prints my photos from my phone or iPad...

SO techie cool!
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I did (shhhh!) slip out of jammies long enough to have dinner with friends at Tapas Valencia.

...and also to enjoy breakfast with friends this morning...

I am so very thankful that this break has given us so much downtime to touch base and enjoy one another. Chato and I have Redboxed all kinds of movies and I feel like I am making a dent in catching up with all the things I wanted to see!
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Aly put my brain to work when I helped her and her friends put their science project together. Their initial attempt was to make a LEMON BATTERY, and I am SO NOT the science person to talk to. Needless to say, we couldn't get the circuit to close. I threw my hands up. We started over the next day. Come to find out static electricity is a much more VIABLE fifth grade project for THIS mommy to handle.

And somewhere in it all, I have found time to scrap a page here and there. My 2011 progress was the worst ever since starting this addicting hobby back in 2006. I am hoping that 2012 lets me find my creative bug again. To build my initial scrappiness, I pulled out my latest Studio Calico kit and started searching for pics and embellies to tell some stories...

...and these have given me a start.

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I have not used my Nikon since Christmas.
I have used my iPhone everyday, plenty times across the day to snap pictures left and right. The ease and the filters and the apps are just SO appealing to me right now. I know I have not abandoned my SLR, but right now, the convenience helps me gain a bit more of time, and that ALWAYS makes my heart happy.
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Soon enough, it will be time to get serious again. I'll have to lose the comfort of the jammies and face the real world, but until THEN --- LONG LIVE the JAMMIE MANTRA!!

revolutionizing the resolution

Maybe one of the hardest struggles for most people is developing that one HUGE resolution that will set the tone for the new year. I've always gotten by with refusing to make one. I've always enjoyed the television programs that glance back at the year that WAS and the HAPPENINGS that occurred. It's the vintage in me, I guess. Always looking back and celebrating the accomplishments makes me happy. And even though we did not take any big trips this year, nor did we celebrate any milestones, 2011 was a good year. We lived life everyday, planning, doing, eating, enjoying. I didn't need a resolution for that.

I try not to think too much about the "what is to come" part of the world, and resolutions seem to be wrapped up in that. All the while, I am an organizer; a planner. And I contradict myself. Maybe it is the solid things that I have faith in most that allow me to make reservations for a vacation and design a layout for scrapbooking, but it is the fear of the unknown that keeps me from making a resolution?!

Then I think resolutions need not be so tremendous like losing 20 lbs. or running a marathon. Maybe resolutions can be as sweet as kiss my kids goodnight EVERYNIGHT or refuse to take for granted the time I can sit across from Chato, even though we are both working on separate projects, and appreciate that we CAN work side by side in anything. These are REAL RESOLUTIONS to me. And while not everyone will agree with me, I do believe everyone must do what is best for them.

So, all the while, I have expectations for another beautiful new year, I refuse to label it. And maybe I contradicted myself again. Last year I followed through with Ali Edwards' "one word" idea. It surely set a tone to my actions. If you remember THIS blog post - I chose the word UNDERSTAND. This was such a good choice for this year. Whether it is taking the time to take a deep breath when Brandan is having a "moment" or stepping back when good friends struggle with life altering decisions. Understanding has helped me to push forward, research more, and put definition to things that I see everyday. I think I UNDERSTAND that tremendous things happen in small increments. AND MAYBE, just maybe, that is my key to the resolution world...mini resolutions, expectations that are shorter in term and sweet like a check off list that offers a true sense of accomplishment!!

Hmmm...I'm on to something here....for me. Well, maybe I can convince Chato and the kids to do it with me! AND I think it just might be possible to pull off a two birds with a stone kind of thing here: mini resolutions and a new "one word" for twenty twelve - LIMITLESS.

There are no boundaries to what we CAN accomplish. Chato got it into his head this past year that he wanted to try something new and he did - he is now wrapping up just over two months at his new job. I know that we can all do the same. I believe that with that ever present spiritual guidance and tons of courage and perseverance, anything is possible. I will continue to reflect, UNDERSTAND, and move forward, but our actions are LIMITLESS as long as we do it all with the intention of positivity and good faith.

So, here, once again...
HAPPY NEW YEAR BLESSINGS to one and all. May Twenty Twelve enlightened your hearts and journey you onwards to great expectations, outrageous adventures, and spontaneous happiness!

HOLLY Jolly...

Every holiday season starts off with the hanging of ornaments (my Mom's tree is my favorite-must be due to sentimental childhood traditions)......and the writing of Christmas cards...
(this year was the latest I have sent them out by far!)

... and the stuffing of the candy into our advent house.It was somewhere at the snapping of this picture (above) that I realized just how fast the holiday season was zooming by. It made me so sad that so many of our days were packed with work and chores. The kids felt it too, always getting behind on taking their treat out for the day. (This year Aly chose a mint chocolate and Brandan went with the traditional Peanut Butter cup to stuff into each day.)
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We went a bit rustic with kraft paper wrapping and hand punched holly for name tags. Aly and I (she really did most of it!) stamped out each recipient's name right onto the paper and strung each with festive wired ribbon.

As the prep was wrapped up (so to speak), I adjusted my holiday spirit and got out my Santa and reindeer socks...

...for our Christmas celebration to end 2011 at school.
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I can't say we didn't enjoy ourselves in the days leading up to Christmas. I learned to make ponche (a hot Mexican holiday punch) that I had tasted years ago on my first trip to Mexico during the Christmas season. It really is a treat. Chato says it's better when you invite Don Pedro to join you. ;)

There are a gazillion recipes for Ponche Navideno here, but WE decided to concoct our own with guavas, piloncillo, sugar cane, pears, apples, oranges, and cinnamon sticks. Boiling it all together between 30 minutes to an hour makes for a nice warming punch.

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We also participated in my friend Michelle's annual cookie swap just like we did last year at this time. Only I was working down to the wire and needed a simple recipe so I could whip up 6 dozen cookies to share with 12 cookie munching people! I found this Strawberry Angel cookie over on Pinterest that seemed perfect! I changed it up with some Raspberry Jam instead and baked up a batch...

They were definitely big, fluffy cookies, but not quite as pink as the picture showed. Only, the next morning before packaging them up - they shrunk! I'm imagining that it had something to do with the texture of the angel food cake mix and no water?! Hmmm... Sorry guys, I will do better next year.

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In my downtime (yeah, right) I have been playing with all of my photo apps...

There are soooooo many and they are all soooooo cool. I am not sure just which one is my favorite. I'll have to do a post just on them so you can help me decide.

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So, when the EVE was upon us...

...we headed over to Mom and Dad's house to spend the night and await the ringing of sleigh bells. The kids have always opened up "christmas jammies" on this night. (It thwarts the begging of opening more daintily wrapped gifts before the morning!)

Aly got some new fuzzy fleece, while Brandan happily found some BRIGHT orange U of I jammies.

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We used Pam's shared royal icing recipe for our cutouts, but I forgot the sprinkles and tubes at home :(

We researched our choices of a holiday movie (while Aly continuously ran back and forth to track Santa's whereabouts). A Christmas Carol was the winner, only because we couldn't find our copy of the Polar Express!

The kids took HUGE marshmallows to the fireplace. They were so BIG and sweet, one was enough to eat!

Aly tracked Santa all the way to Indianapolis and then freaked out ushering everyone off to bed.

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We were yanked out of bed by 6am and the deep amber glow of Christmas lights lit the unwrapping of gifts...

Brandan and Aly both requested skates (which a day has not gone by yet that these blades have not been on their feet) and some good old-fashioned board games. My babies are definitely growing up...because the acquisition of clothing was a happy event.

They both received a "video" chair, too. Santa was so smart. Now they no longer have to steal chairs from the dining set to sit THISCLOSE while playing Wii games.

Chato got a few new sweaters and the new King book (appropriately themed with JFK), along with a sweet gift from Aly's Secret Santa Shoppe at school: a Golf tee CADDY - now, the funniest thing about this gift is that Aly thought she was buying him CANDY - not something to hang on his golf bag to hold his tees in!! It worked out to be pretty practical and nice, Aly!!

I, too, got the goods in slippers and sweaters and a new COFFEE MAKER.

With the arrival of my grant $$, I did purchase an iPad2 - and picked out the HP ENVY printer so that I can now print from ANYWHERE from the iPad or the iPhone. Me Happy.

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After breakfast and a lazy afternoon, we headed back home to prepare for celebration #2. I somehow convinced Aly to let me try this neat Pinterest/Youtube 'do on her. Needless to say...

...I'm in love with how easy and elegant it is!!

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By the second and third days after Christmas, the kids were still sharing and unwrappin g gifts, so they got a bit more creative in opening them...

All said and done, this holiday is by no means over.

We are still baking and cooking.

We are looking for dinners out with friends and sleepovers with cousins. I am planning on making up some tamales for the New Year. Lots to do, i guess. But the best part is there is NO SCHOOL in sight for a while! WOO HOO!