They're baaaccckkkkkk

Cuties are in season! Picked up my first sack last night; enjoying one as we speak.

Happy snacking!

Paper Dolls

Last week while babysitting the cutest kids in Piedmont, I had the pleasure of making paper dolls. Not just ordinary paper dolls, but Paper Source paper dolls!

Per our usual routine, once I put E (3 yr old boy) to bed, R (almost 7 yr old) and I have about 45 mins of girl time. We usually play a game, read books or I braid her hair. This time she said, "I have an idea!" I'm thinking...checkers? Monopoly? A book I won't pronounce the character names correctly?

And then she busts out this awesome paper dolls kit...

I was beyond excited as she showed me the dolls she'd already made, the variety of fun paper you can use to create the perfect outfit and accessories, and finally the easy to use stencils.

R and I made twin dolls. It was so fun to see her in creativity in action. She even suggested we use pencil to trace instead of pen, easier to erase. Girl after my own perfectionist heart!


If you are looking for an interactive gift for a young girl in your life, check these out. It's a gift that's fun for everyone! Orrr maybe just paper lovers/kids-at-heart like myself :)

*photos from Paper Source website

Goals are Good

I'm following in the foot steps of my bestie who inspired me by setting monthly goals on her blog. I always have a running list of goals in my head for the day, week and month. Most of the time the daily and weekly goals are accomplished. Monthly goals, not as easily. Since I've been in a bit of a blogging slump, this feels like a good step to getting back into it. Hoping this will help me be accountable to these goals since, you know, it's out here in the blogosphere :)

Here goes, November Goals:

1. Be a bargain hunter - Research and find a good deal on: holiday plan ticket, new tires for car and ski helmets. I'm cheating a tiny bit on this first one because its almost complete. But we are 8 days into the month so maybe I'm right on target. Phew! However, being the start of the holiday season I'm continuing to remind myself to search for a bargain, not just make impulse purchases.

2. Run Like a Girl - Sign-up for a half marathon and begin training. It's been a while since I've trained for something. I miss it, a lot. Since moving to CA I've run a few 5Ks, even a few all by myself. I'm dedicated to working out at the gym. Well, it's time to set the bar higher. Every Super Bowl Sunday Kaiser holds the KP Half Marathon and 5K. What a perfect way to spend a Sunday - run 13.1 miles and then celebrate with food, drink and fun commercials. I'm one week into "training" and so far, so good. My long term goal is to run the San Francisco Nike Women's Half Marathon. Their theme is "Run Like a Girl." I can soo do that!

3. Be professional - update resume and LinkedIn profile. Ok, so I am totally professional. However, I recently took a look at my resume and found it was in desperate need of updating and revamping. Never know when a great opportunity could come my way. I'd hate to be stressed about updating my resume AND crafting the perfect cover letter.
I've heard from reputable sources (friends who work for Career Builder ) that LinkedIn is the latest and greatest in professional networking. My profile leaves a lot to be desired. Like a photo for starters and also my professional experience, education and all that jazz.

4. Floss - Everyday for one month. I'm reminded of this every time I visit the dentist. It's been noted. On my bathroom mirror to be exact. Hoping that one month straight will get me in the habit of doing it on a regular basis throughout the year.

Its what’s for dinner

I rarely buy beef (no pun intended). You’ll most often find chicken or ground turkey in my freezer as sources of protein. Lately I’ve been making quite a few vegetarian meals, mostly for easy and affordability, which has challenged me to find other forms of protein such as nuts, beans and quinoa. But every now and then I enjoy a healthy serving of beef.

I recently flipped through my recipes for some inspiration and found two recipes for Beef Stir Fry. Oddly they are from the same magazine, same month even, with a few differences. I pulled the best parts of each recipe to create my own version of Beef Stir Fry. I really liked the simplicity and flavor of the marinade. There was just enough vegetables to make it good and healthy. And like a true carnivore, I enjoyed the beef!


Beef Stir Fry
Prep/cook time: 45 mins Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 pound flank steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons oil
¾ pound broccoli, cut into florets.
1 large red bell pepper, halved, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
½ cup matchstick carrots
1 (8 ounce) package fresh sugar snap peas
4 cups cooked brown rice

Directions:
1. Combine beef, soy sauce, garlic and black pepper; toss well. Cover and refrigerate 30 means.
2. Meanwhile, cook rice according to package instructions.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef mixture to skillet; cook 3 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Transfer beef mixture to a bowl.
4. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon on in pan over medium-high heat. Add broccoli; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add bell peppers; cook 2 mins, stirring constantly. Add carrots and sugar snap peas; cook 2 mins. Return beef mixture to pan and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Cook until thoroughly heated. Serve over rice.

Enjoy!


*Original recipes from Cooking Light magazine, July 2009.

two years

today is my anniversary of moving to california. two years ago i packed up my car and left the only home i'd ever known to try life on the west coast. my wonderful friend ashlee was kind enough to fly to denver and make the roadtrip with me. she even loaded up her i-pod with fun music so we could sing and dance along the way. unfortunately on that fateful day i was sick as a dog. we didn't even make it to ft collins and i already had to pull over. nerves? possibly. 24 hour bug? definitely! thank goodness for ashlee or i might have never made it here. i feel like the road trip to california was a precursor for my first year living here - an adventure no doubt, fighting (home) sickness and learning to enjoy the journey not matter what the conditions.

i told myself to try living here for one year. just 365 days. some days that felt easy and others were a struggle. my one year anniversary was a big accomplishment. i'm so proud to say that i made it not only one year but TWO. in honor of my two year anniversary i decided to take time to write down some of my accomplishments and adventures.

Personally...
Best drivers license photo EVER. i even look tan!

Planned 3 weddings in the bay area, all for people I did not know before moving here.

Learned to rely on public transportation.

Survived 9 months living with complete strangers.

Moved into my own place for the first time. I feel so fortunate to live in such a beautiful neighborhood next to an awesome family. Its the best of both worlds - living alone but knowing there is someone close by, just in case.

Maintained a solid long distance (90 miles) relationship! Learned to live weekends to the fullest and appreciate solo time during the weeks. Also learned that you can talk to a lot of people on the phone when suck in traffic on a Friday afternoon.

Realized I am so incredibly lucky to have the love and support of my friends and family. From the mail, phone calls and lots of fun visits, there is no doubt in my mind that I am very loved!

Become more environmentally friendly. Recycle everything i can and even have my own compost bin!

Professionally...
Learned way more than I ever thought I wanted to know about grant making.

Know that people aren't joking when they call our area 'downtown Kaiser'.

Continued to volunteer, through work, for organizations that I'm passionate about.

Have a deeper understanding and appreciation for my company.

Adventures...

Participated in Bay to Breakers. Played in Golden Gate Park.

Rode the ferry from Oakland - San Francisco and Sausalito - San Francisco, several times.

Skied in Lake Tahoe.* Visited Yosemite and hike Half Dome.
*AND skied down this double black run, Gunbarrel, attempting to be an expert.

Attended several baseball games. Ran the bases at Giant's stadium. Attended Oktoberfest, California Beer Fest and Tour de Fat.

Celebrated New Years, birthdays, happy hours and Wine Wednesdays* all while trying new bars and restaurants.
*tradition created by Ashlee, Rachel and I in an effort to 'celebrate life' by getting together weekly to gossip, drink wine and often talk about our home sweet home, Colorado.

Visited Point Reyes and saw a whale swimming off the coast! Found this GREAT place in Crissy Fields to view the bridge. Horrible view, isn't it?

Drove from San Fran to San Luis Obisbo on Highway 1. They are not joking when they say 60 miles of curvy road ahead...

Visited wine country - Napa, Sonoma, Amador County and Paso Robles.
Can throw out buzz words like a true wino, but don't think I really taste the difference in micro climates.

Watched the sunset on the Pacific Ocean. Swam in the freezing Pacific Ocean.

Visited Monterrey Bay Aquarium, did the 17 mile drive and even saw a sea otter in real life!

Drove Ashlee's scooter. Got my first road bike. Rode all through San Francisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge. Also learned to use clip-in pedals!

Enjoyed every single beautiful view and had fun doing so.

Paper Iris

While browsing (dreaming about) new bedding on the Amy Butler website, I stumbled upon several free craft patterns. Among sewing patterns and ideas, I found a 'paper crafts' section. I thought the Paper Iris was fun and would make a pretty shabby-chic card.

Here are two that I made...

Although the pink one didn't photo well, it was my favorite!

Chicken Pot Pie

I received a variation of this recipe from a co-worker over a year ago. Since then I've made it a dozen or more times, each time tweaking it a tad. I've made it for myself to enjoy for dinner and lunch leftovers. I've made it for friends. Took it to a co-worker after she had a baby. Every time it gets rave reviews. I always have to chuckle to myself a little bit because it is so easy and requires little-to-no cooking skills. Since it was shared with me, I'd like to continue sharing....here is my version of Chicken Pot Pie. Enjoy!

Chelle's Chicken Pot Pie

prep/cook time: 45 mins serves 4

Ingredients:

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of potato soup

1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 (9 inch) frozen prepared pie crusts, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

2. In medium bowl, combine potato soup, mixed vegetables, chicken, milk, thyme and black pepper. Mix well.

3. Spoon filling into bottom pie crust. Cover with top crust, and crimp edges to seal. Slit top crust.

4. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.