Hello Cold. You Suck.

"Cold weather is creeping in on us and with that, unfortunately, comes the cold and flu season. Besides being a sanitizing warrior, there are other things you can do to stay healthy this winter. Staying active, getting a proper amount of rest, and eating balanced meals are just a few ways to stay in great health. Adding more antioxidants and vitamin C to your diet this winter is also a smart choice."

Ugh. The dreaded winter cold. Mickey just got over his cough and cold. Having children that are sick...well, it's inevitable that the parent will catch whatever ailment they bring home. So thank you, Mathias, for passing along your lovely cold to me. Waah...

I can usually tell when I'm about to get sick because my throat starts to feel scratchy and dry. Never fails.  I was drinking liquids all day to soothe my itchy throat. I hate getting sick. I usually do once or twice a year and with the weird weather we've been having lately, I'm not surprised. To kick this viral infection outta my system asap I've been taking generic cold relief tablets/lozenges and different home remedy cures all day and night. I am a firm believer in the honey/lemon/ginger tea route AND good ol' Vitamin C. Anything else is usually just extra work and often times not needed, but...

I.REFUSE.TO.GET.SICK. So here we go...


Day 1

First thing I popped into my mouth this morning the minute I sat down at my desk. Dissolved quickly but tasted pretty gross.

Drank two cups of hot coffee immediately afterwards which does absolutely nothing for a cold, but dammit it tastes good. I can tackle anything with a good mug of joe first thing in the morning. God bless coffee. :)

Throughout the day I munched on some crystallized ginger candies from Whole Foods. Unfortunately, I only packed a few in a little baggie. Definitely have to get more of this delicious and beneficial confection.

 Vitamin C regimen...fool-proof.

Finally, to end my night...a soothing cup of hot tea...my favorite...

Wish me luck these next several days. Here's to kicking this annoying cold from the get-go before it decides to run its full course!

Gain Control Over Your Thoughts

Happy Sunday! Gotta love Sundays if only Monday wasn't around the corner. Dang Mondays! Another weekend gone by too quickly. C'est la vie...

Tonight is my usual "Mommy-time". Meaning my sweet child is with his father Sunday evenings and I get the night to myself. Usually starts off lonely because I miss my son, but then replaced with relief because I get to actually do something for just myself. Like read a book. Take a long bubble bath. Watch a Lifetime movie...from beginning to end. Or my favorite - blog! :)

I chose to do all of the above. I took a nice hot bath. Then I snuggled up in my robe, pajama pants and slippers. I made a cup of green tea and watched a cheesy chick flick. Afterwards, I made more tea, got comfy in my bed and read some Scripture. It was all very relaxing until I started to get anxiety over Mickey starting school soon. I started to dwell on things outta my control as well as things that were very much in my control. Basically, all that quiet time was making me think. A lot. I am worry-wart much like my mother. It's a disease. Ok not really, but damn near close lol. What's the saying? "An idle mind is the devil's playground." We are told, in 1 Corinthians 15:58 "...Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord", so we should always be BUSY doing what's right. (Ephesians 4:28) "Idle men" were often spoken of as insolent and lawless and were used by God's enemies to form mobs to attack others (Judges 9:4) (Acts 17:5)(Proverbs 15:2). Obviously, that's on the more extreme side of the spectrum, but you get my point. Those who are idle, having no purpose and nothing to do (mentally or physically), can get themselves into trouble. "...and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention." (1Timothy 5:13) Good grief, how many people in this world do we know that gossip out of sheer boredom? I'm raising my hand because I too have fallen victim to idle talk as well. Yikes. Not good.

Sunday is a day of rest, but I was so relaxed from doing next to nil that my mind wandered into the "worry file" of my brain. I started to worry about Mathias and his future and blah blah blah. The usual worry file I dab into some Sunday nights. With all that said, I tried distracting myself with web browsing. And it did work! Feeling the need to do something and be more proactive in my service to God I tried googling random words and phrases to steer me right. Tried to shake that icky feeling...you know the one...that "ugh" feeling. The blah-like zone you get sometimes when perhaps you're not doing enough? I had spent a good chunk of my afternoon being lazy and relaxing after I dropped off Mathias that I felt almost guilty. Hence the mini panic attack I had earlier when I was thinking of Mick's first year of Kindergarten coming up. All the registration steps and picking the right school....then fast forwarding to his high school years and graduation and good grief my mind was all over the place tonight. Ironically, all that relaxation just caused me to work up an anxiety attack. I just don't think I'm built to not do anything for an extended period of time. Or to not spend time with anyone. I enjoy work only because I am being productive. I enjoy raising my son only because I am being used for what I feel God intended me to be...a mother. I enjoy being lazy too, but it doesn't reap the same results I would get had I have been doing something. I love to veg out, but often times it makes me spiritually dull and emotionally unsatisfied. So I prayed for my "free time" to be used a little more wisely next time. Scripture (whether found online or in the actual book) can always help lead you to do God's work or to ponder the Spirit's passages.

Here's an interesting website I found that seemed to help with the direction I was trying to get at tonight. It's amazing how the Lord knows just where to lead me to each and every time. I barely searched the web at all before He brought this link up on my browser. Enjoy!

Can_God_Use_Someone_Like_Me

Eeeny Meeny Miney Moe

I am addicted to candles for their ambiance and I love when a home either smells really clean & fresh or warm & inviting. 

Sugary or citrus/fruity scents for the kitchen (like tarts or baked goods) and clean laundry or soapy scents for the living/bedroom area. I like candles that hold true to their described scent. I'm definitely not a fan of "perfume-y" smells. Basically, any candle scents that smell like perfume or colognes. If I'm playing toys with my son on the living room floor, I don't exactly want to smell the scent of sickly sweet potpourri lingering in the air. Any kind of strong "fake" floral fragrance sorta make me nauseous. Don't get me wrong. I love floral scented perfume on my wrists when it's date night with my guy and I certainly don't mind my man smelling like cologne...but I don't wanna be surrounded by furniture that's drowned in it. There's a big difference between wearing it lightly and breathing it in on a daily basis. With that said, I have tried just about every candle out there and am always on the search for 1) long-lasting scent 2) clean-burning 3) friendly-on-my-wallet candles. The following brands I list below were ones have either bought regularly or have tried a few times. There are thousands of different companies out there that promise the best candles in the world. I have tried many and some I still find delightful, but just until recently I found what I'd like to call...The Perfect Candle. :) Hopefully, you too will find one that meets your needs. There are plenty out there that's for sure! Good luck! xoxoxo



Yankee Candle

 I use to be a fan of Yankee Candles because of their pretty jars and well...their brand. I look back now and realize that YC's are just overpriced for being regular candles with scents you can find just about anywhere. It's all about marketing and their successful branding which is why people continue to buy them. For their name. I was always fond of their Baked Apple Pie and Holiday line, but they would smoke badly and leave soot all around the jar when I put them out. Then their prices were getting ridiculous. The only way to find a good deal was either online (which I don't know about you, but I don't think the online "scent option" has been made available yet) or via their outlet stores. They're not the most environmentally friendly candles either as they contain mostly paraffin, a petroleum by product. Recently, Yankee did come up with a soy candle line called "Beanswax" which is still a bit pricey for my taste and the scents were not strong whatsoever. As a mom on a budget, but still desiring simple pleasures, I browsed elsewhere.

Walmart "Mainstay"

As much I prefer to shop elsewhere, my wallet enjoyed the break from the YC splurging. For awhile there my favorite kitchen candle was Walmart's Mainstay Three-Wick Candle in Mulled Cider for less than $5.00. Oh, does it ever smell good! The price was right too, but sometimes you get what you pay for. These candles burned evenly (sometimes), but smoked far worse than the Yankee ones. These were actually the candles I used in my apartment when I first met Jason. I had them lit in little conspicuous places around the living room and dining area before he came over. Loved it!

"Febreze Home Collection"

I personally love Febreze products as they work wonders on diaper pails, the cushion seats in my Jeep, little boy's bedrooms and clothes, closets, etc... So when I saw that they came out with their candle trio collections, I was thrilled. The scents are not too overwhelming which is good if you're looking for something more subtle, but I personally prefer a stronger candle. They did however burn cleanly which is a plus. Only downfall, the collection only carries limited scents and aren't made with pure soy so the blend is not as "healthy" as some of the more expensive brands out there. Still enjoyed their aromas though and the price was reasonable.

Scentsy

Wick-free so more expensive than regular candles, but safer. However, I wasn't impressed with their line of scents. The "cleanest" scent I was going for was more powdery than anything. Also, not a big fan of any business that's over saturated with reps. I live in a city where a Scentsy rep on every other street is pretty common. Ok, I'm exaggerating, but if the price was right and the scent selection had a larger variety, I'd have probably had a better review for them. My first impression was not a favorable one so unfortunately the search continued...

And the winner is...

 

Pure Integrity Candles

http://www.pureintegrity.com/

Soy candles burn longer, cleaner and are made from a renewable resource. They're reasonably priced and smell good even when they aren't lit! Best of all (which I only discovered after the fact), the owners are Christians and their kindness is reflected in their very customer-friendly business. I support small businesses like that 100%! I've only purchased one scent from them so far,  Fresh Linen Soy Candle,  and I L-O-V-E. :) Can't wait to try some of their other ones!

Viva Las Vegas



My sweet boyfriend had shipped me a souvenir from Las Vegas last week while he was there for his school. He is incredibly thoughtful! This one is also musical and the snow flakes are so dainty and magical. What a delightful surprise to get in the mail. Slowly, but surely my snow globe collection is growing. :)

Zzzzzzz...

I've been slacking all week since my last post. I've had to the urge to blog every day, but I've been so flippin tired every evening I get home that I end up crawling into bed and I'm asleep by 9 the latest...ok maybe 10, but you get the idea. All work and no play makes Lisa a dull girl. So I decided to have some drinks with my work peeps for a few on one of the nights I didn't have munchkin. The remainder of the week however, my brain and body decided that early bedtimes were in order. I've been so drained from working all day and entertaining my child when I get home that I end up passing out with a book or laptop on my bed. Must be something in the air. For me not to blog when I get the spare time is very unlike me.

Anyway, after a long day at the office, happy hour was calling my name. Our Monday was your stereotypical Monday. Sprinkle in some random nuisances and by the the time 5:00 came, beer sounded pretty damn good!

 Sweet gals

Hmmm...alcohol and laughter certainly brings out the Asian in me. Can anyone guess if my eyes are open? Guess correctly and you get a cookie!



Say Kimchi!

Kimchi is not for the faint of heart: It reeks of raw garlic and hot chilies. Think fermented cabbage or onions or even cucumbers. Think heavily seasoned sauerkraut, but very spicy. My father can't stand the smell hence why my mother has to keep a separate refrigerator in the garage for the jars and tupperware of Korean food. But I tell you what, he'll still eat it like the best of 'em alongside a hot plate of delicious Korean barbecue. I personally think there are far worst smells in the world of food (like canned tuna or swiss cheese) but I am half Korean so I may be a little biased. :) Anyway, the reason for this post is that I'm thrilled to share that my mom and I made a date next month for a mini kimchi extravaganza in the kitchen. I am going to help her step by step in the process of making it fresh (which tastes amazing just like that already) then fermenting them. I can't wait. I haven't decided if I want pear or apple slices in my kimchi yet, but I've tried them both and mmm-mmm delish! The varieties are endless...so my mom and I will most likely just settle with three different kinds. Anyone who has ever observed their parent or grandparent cook an old family recipe knows the love, appreciation and history that comes behind the mastery. With that said, I promise to keep you all posted when our kimchi making day arrives.

The Simple Things

Music and brew always seem to go hand in hand.

Reminiscing on one of my favorite nights with a very wonderful man. Cold beers, classic rock on vinyl, and some good laughs...doesn't get any better. :) We actually enjoyed the music and crackling of the records so much that we ended up buying my parents a record player and gave them these vintage records for Christmas. Very nostalgic!

One of the classic tunes we listened to that night...loved it!

My Gun is Bigger Than Yours

Mathias decides he wants to have a Laser Gun War with me. He grabs his giant blocks and tells me he needs to make our guns right away. I was excited to see his creation. Of course he had to build his first.

Here's Mathias' awesome space gun...

Here's mine...

Is there something wrong with this picture or is it just me?? My "gun" is so tiny I can barely hold it. Thanks, son.





A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

"Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others."

~ Jonathan Swift

Saturdays...my favorite day of the week. This Saturday I had planned to take munchkin to the Denver Aquarium. My coworker and dear friend suggested we take our little ones to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo instead to save some money. I thought that was a fantastic idea.

Unfortunately, our date was postponed for another weekend as the weather forcasted High Wind Warnings throughout Colorado all day. Mathias is currently getting over a cold/cough so I didn't think it would be wise to walk around outside in 70+ mph winds to look at animals. As much as he'd disagree with me, I had to reschedule our zoo date for another time. Luckily, his attention span is short so quickly he forgot about the zoo.

So our "snow day" forced us to come up with things to do indoors. I grabbed a big stack of computer paper (courtesy of Jason who gave me a box of it), two paintbrushes, my colored pencils and Mickey's watercolor set. We layed out the clean white paper on a table and spread out our art supplies around us. Mr. Potato Head and Lego Jack Sparrow were there to supervise us. :) I could hear the wind howling outside the window behind us and could see the blue spruce and pine trees whipping in the wind. Snow still covered parts of the ground where the sun did not hit. It definitely looked cold outside and I was glad I decided for us to stay home.

Mickey's imagination ran wild and he immediately knew what he wanted to paint.

Mathias: I'm going to paint a drawing

Me: What kind of drawing?

Mathias: A drawing of Mathias. And a dinosaur. A dinosaur in the rain.

Me: Wow. That's great honey. Don't you need a mirror to see what you look like?

Mathias: Noooo. I'm Mathias. I know what I look like! I'm a boy.

Me: Yes you are. Ok then, let's start!

Mathias: What are you gonna paint Mommy?

Me: Hmmm (my eyes drift towards Mr. Potato Head who stood on the table)...I'm going to paint a replica of Mr. Potato Head.

Mathias: A reck-klo-kuh?

Me: Yes, a replica. Something that looks the same as something else. My painting will hopefully look the same as your toy.

Mathias: Oooooooh....a reck-klo-kuh Mr. Potato Head. Yeah, I like that. I'm drawing a reck-klo-kuh Mathias.

Me: *in shock that my son might have actually understood the word I was describing*

Mathias: And I want a reck-klo-kuh apple juice please. And reck-klo-kuh snack.
Me: *nevermind*

How Bittersweet This Is To Me...

Lounging in bed playing video games together.

Brushed his little teeth all by himself. Changed into his pajamas all by himself. When it is time to read a bedtime story, he insists on "reading" it himself because he now has it memorized. He says his prayers almost perfectly without my help. Then he leans over and shuts off the lamp on his nightstand all by himself. I tuck him in and kiss him goodnight. As I get up from his bed and head for the door, my eyes are damp. My baby isn't a baby anymore. :( 

Tonight I am reminiscing on how quickly the past four and a half years have flown by. Mathias starts *gasp* Kindergarten in September and I can honestly say that YES, I will most likely cry when I drop him off on his first day. I wish I could slow down the time I spend with him. He'll be five before I know it and I'm not too thrilled about that. Call me selfish. I wish I had many more babies so I wouldn't feel this bittersweet about my only child slowly slipping from my grasp day by day, second by second. I am proud of Mick and all his accomplishments thus far, but I tell you...it puts a little frog in my throat every now and then when he say's, "Mommy, I can do it myself." Yeah, I know you can, I think to myself. But can you make your shadow puppets look better than mine?? Didn't think so. As long as his hands are too little for shadow puppets - he'll still be my little baby boy. :)

 My attempt at making a dog. Woof! Woof!

Dare You To Move

One Door Closes, 100 More Open

God has funny timing. Got an email this week from two different employers that I had interviewed for about a year ago, but I had pursued another opp'ty. Coincidentally, both employers have available positions that have come up again and asked if I was still interested. The first email was sent a few months ago, and then again yesterday. The second email was sent to me today. I respectfully declined each of the employers as I'm currently happy with where I'm at, but darn it! One is listed on Forbes list and Fortune 100. The other is a very reputable company serving the Colorado Front Range. Both are professional managerial positions in a corporate environment. Basically, I'd be surrounded by suits. I'm beginning to wonder if these opportunities that keep arising lately are for good reason. Am I suppose to turn them down? God only knows and I hope that I am where I am today because it's where He wants me to be. Otherwise, I'll pay a little closer attention next time to that door that opens for me. *sigh* I'm always outweighing the pros and cons in my life. I'm content with what God has blessed me with, but spiritually I need to Improve, Improve, Improve!

Pros: For the most part I am surrounded by good and loving people. Blessed with a child that I can mold into another servant of the Lord, our Father. True to my faith in God. Coffee and chocolate are accessible to me anywhere I go (for those that know me well, this is VERY important)!

Cons: Sometimes my environment isn't always Christian-oriented which makes it hard to remain a good servant to Christ. Coffee and chocolate are accessible to me anywhere I go (yes, I also listed this as a pro, but lets be honest, having the constant availability to these two things are sooo bad)!

I am trying so hard to do good. To be good. To remain good. But people and outside sources tend to make that hard. I know people mean well for the most part, but often times when they are not thinking of others and react selfishly or are mean-spirited; I in turn lose my patience and react in the same way. I strongly believe that if I surround myself with like-minded people then the chance to falter diminishes. Which leads me to reflect on my own life. Do I need to change certain parts of my life to strengthen my character? To make it better? Or is this it? Am I to maintain my faith and beliefs in the current environment I am in? Whether it be work, home or social lifestyle - I really need to reflect on where I am and where I strive to be. I am contemplating on making the appropriate changes where changes need to be made to make my "con" non-existent. Should I continue to "close the door" when it swings open for me? Or do I stick my foot in the doorway and allow whatever new opportunity to enter into my life?? Decisions, decisions. As I mentioned before, only God knows.

What about you? Are you where you want to be in life? As a a child of Christ, are you living the only life He has granted you to the absolute fullest? Are you what God wants you to be? Perhaps there are changes that you feel you need to make in your own life. If so...what are they? New home? New friends? New job? New relationship? New school? I highly recommend taking a quiet moment in your busy day or evening to reflect on all those aspects of your life. Surround yourself with kindness and good people. Bring yourself to those that are also strong in their faith and love for Christ. If you aren't where you would like to be, then perhaps it's time for a change...

Locks-R-Us

I have to be honest. I love when little boys grow out their hair long. It's cute, it's innocent and it expresses their youth. So when I came across this old link while I was looking for pictures, I was immediately dumbfounded. Remind me to never go to Texas. No wait, I have friends in TX so that's not really fair. Lemme rephrase. Remind me to never enroll my son in an ass-backward place like this. Seriously.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/17/taylor-pugh-4yearold-texa_n_395550.html

Whenever I see a little boy with a crew cut, or yikes...a shaved head, I think of the military or the 1950's era. Basically Leave It To Beaver Days. Just my humble opinion. No offense to the rest of the world who prefer their boys to keep it high and tight, but I think that long locks are handsome. I figure these little tykes can cut their hair however short they want when they're older. Granted, I'm not looking to have my son's hair past his shoulders or anything, but again, that's just my opinion. At one point, I did have Mathias sport a short spiky mohawk last year during the summer. It was super cute, but a pain in the ass to style in the morning cuz he would never sit still. Longer hair was easier to maintain and he looked younger when it was long.

“Hair is vitally personal to children. They weep vigorously when it is cut for the first time; no matter how it grows, bushy, straight or curly, they feel they are being shorn of a part of their personality.” Charlie Chaplin

Mickey was actually blessed with a full head of hair the moment he was born. They say the thickness of a child's hair comes from the mother's father. So fortunately for Mathias, he'll always have a full head of thick hair thanks to his Papa. :) However, his bangs weren't quite long enough to go behind his ears and would fall at his eyes. So I made the executive decision to get my boy a trim...just a little at the bangs, around the ears and of course the neck. I still wanted to keep the top somewhat long though. Unfortuantely, Mickey's hair stylist cut his hair much shorter than I expected this time around. Needless to say, I was slightly irked. But it is just hair and grows pretty fast. So here we go again with my attempt to grow it out a little more.

All done!

Is it Bedtime Yet??

"Sometimes imagination pounces; mostly it sleeps soundly in the corner, purring." ~Terri Guillemets

Holy mother Mick is finally asleep in his bed. Little booger. Once again I managed to end up inside Mathias' pirate play tent again. I was held captive alongside Mr. Potato Head and Slinky the Dog. We were given strict orders to remain inside until Captain Jack Sparrow fell asleep. Thank goodness for my Blackberry that's all I gotta say. My fellow inmates weren't much for conversation and I was getting tired of staring at Iron Man and the lineup of little green soldiers who heavily guarded our exit.

Now I hear the wonderful sound of a little boy snoring so guess what that means? PEACE OUT TOYS! This mama's escaping and headed to her room.