The Making of Mission San Carlos Borromeo

So my 4th Grader, along with his Dad & sometimes his big brother have been on a 3 week journey designing, gathering, and creating Mission San Carlos Borromeo for a Class Project assignment.  For my son and for his Dad, it’s been a very fun experience. Click here for more...

Lenten Goals

We are Catholic, but it’s not about Religion. It’s about striving to be a good person, helping others & not judging, living a meaningful existence.  As a family, we’ve decided to do several things this Lent... Click for more

A Celebration of Life, Service, and Love

This weekend is definitely one for my memory Scrapbook & deserves a special reflection of gratitude for all the Blessings that surround me. Click here for more...

Spreading "Kool" Valentine's Day Cheer

My boys do not sit around and contemplate the “perfect” Valentines to hand out like I would imagine some girls and boys do (as I remember doing at their age).  Last year, my boys wanted something with The Lego Movie on it, so we found a simple printable online and that’s what they gave out. No extra frills or thrills. Certainly makes it easy for me as a Mom especially since I’m not a natural born crafter.  About two weeks ago, I asked them what they wanted to hand out this year and I pretty much got radio silence. So I went on a handy dandy Pinterest search and found a cute Kool-Aid inspired printable. Click to read more...

Maternity Fashion Week at zulily

Attention moms-to-be! Today is the first day of zulily’s Maternity Fashion Week event, where a new maternity clothing brand will be featured every day. What better way to start the week than with Madeleine Maternity, a fantastic brand that is committed to helping soon-to-be-mothers express their true individuality through original, beautiful and energetic apparel. Check out some of the great products that are on sale... Click to view deals

We Plant Trees!

We love our city! And I couldn’t be more proud of Team E–my family– for banding together to join our community beautify our city by planting trees. Trees are valuable & necessary for the environment–they reduce greenhouse gases, provide habitat for wildlife, lessen cooling costs and raise property values.  Planting trees make a difference! Click for more...

Since the link sometimes fails, here's the rest of the post:

This service project took place on February 7, 2015 on 33rd and Pacific in the city of Long Beach, CA.  My 6th Grader will be receiving required service hours from his school–but most importantly, he gained valuable experience and appreciation for the environment.  As he had a shovel in hand digging a hole for the tree, he said, “This is harder than I thought, but it’s fun!”

Love that he can use his growing physical strength to contribute to the planet.

It is a family project.

Packing in the soil.

Our trees: I. Am. Groot. ☺

We planted 3 trees all together! They are located on 33rd and Pacific Avenue with the first tree right where the parking of the Metro Station is located. So, from now on, we will always have a kinship with these 3 trees–even naming them, ready for this–I, Am, & Groot (special shout-out to all the Guardians of the Galaxy fans). I’m looking forward to seeing them grow and bloom–apparently they will have beautiful pink flowers. How special!

As a family, we’ll be participating in more Tree Planting drives in our city. We already have the date of our next one programmed into my calendar.  Maybe your city has some events coming up. I encourage you to find out and participate. The value and experience added to your life–adults & kids alike–is priceless.

Being Kind is Hard!

It’s so easy to talk about being a nice person. I mean, how hard is it? Just be nice, right? Reality check? No, it’s not that easy. In fact, I believe it’s one of the hardest things to do...Please click to read more...

PS I Adore You..Shop for a Cause 

Thank You, Emma Watson!

...Now how about that Emma Watson? She played this adorable, highly intelligent, brave & strong-willed character in the Harry Potter series–the beloved Hermione Granger.  What a cute kid she was! And then she started getting older, turning into a beautiful and poised young lady not only onscreen but off.  But, as childhood actors go, the track record for well adjusted adults, isn’t very positive.  I’m not going to mention names, but there are a slew of kids who just didn’t quite make it into adulthood without a scandal or two under their belt. And some just never seem to rise above their problems. What path did Emma take?... Click to read whole post! 

Sometimes the link doesn't work so here's the text in it's entirety:
 ********************************************************************************
My household is a committed and enthusiastic fan of Harry Potter and the Wizarding World. These include a great reverence & respect for the author of the series of books, J.K. Rowling,  and the actors who portrayed the characters in the movies.  With the the progression of the 8 movies, we have literally seen the actors grow older right before our eyes–some years more awkward than others.  Just the other day, it was announced that one of the actors, Tom Felton, who portrayed the malevolent Draco Malfoy (and famously of the Slytherin House), signed up on the very popular Pottermore website & was assigned into the Gryffindor house. The actor feigned disappointment on his Twitter and claimed a forever kinship with the House he belonged in as his infamous character.  What a cute moment & my boys got a kick out of it–actors and their characters collide–pretty awesome.

Now how about that Emma Watson? She played this adorable, highly intelligent, brave & strong-willed character in the Harry Potter series–the beloved Hermione Granger.  What a cute kid she was! And then she started getting older, turning into a beautiful and poised young lady not only onscreen but off.  But, as childhood actors go, the track record for well adjusted adults, isn’t very positive.  I’m not going to mention names, but there are a slew of kids who just didn’t quite make it into adulthood without a scandal or two under their belt. And some just never seem to rise above their problems. What path did Emma take?  Well, she continued with her acting career, having several movies under her belt and becoming a fashion and style icon in her own right.  She also took a path towards higher education and eventually graduated from Brown University with a B.A. Degree in English Lit.

 And she is a tireless activist for human rights. Please, do yourself a service & listen to Emma’s HeForShe Speech. She eloquently and powerfully represents the fight for gender equality, and as a fellow female, I have to say, I stand with her.  As a fan of her talents and career, I feel pride for the adult she has become.  She is a celebrity I can proudly tell my kids about–and it makes it easier because they are already fans. Emma Watson is a role model that my boys can and should look up to. The fact that she also happens to be female is a delicious icing on the cake.  So, yes, Emma Watson, I’m thankful for you. Keep up the good work on & offscreen.

And along the same lines of Emma’s work towards gender equality, I just want to say I throw my support for the Always #LikeAGirl campaign. Here is the powerful commercial empowering the phrase “Like a Girl”. It is not an insult. It just means what it means.  And girls & boys (I’m proud to say I’ve shown my sons and hope it resonates in their hearts & minds) should see it & if they have one set of preconceived notions, maybe this may positively change it.

 And congratulations to Emma Watson on her latest project (and a highly talked about topic on the internet) as Belle in an upcoming live action Beauty and the Beast movie. Very fitting role–because she is such a beauty–inside and out.

Here is Emma's HeForShe speech:


Here is the #LikeAGirl campaign video: