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How many times do you hit the snooze button? I think at times I can set my alarm like 2 hrs ahead and hit the snooze for the next 120 minutes... Seriously I can be worse than a kid.  So not good when you're trying to teach your kids to wake up and specially be greatful and in a good mood when you wake up. Dang it's hard, they see my every move, so I try to wake up on time and maybe hit the snooze once or twice.  But when it really comes down to it and your kicking your own ass because you're at the red light turning into the park and ride and the beast is coming! Here comes the ----- bus and your stuck!!! Good grief it's crazy!!! You get mad so mad and you can't get mad at the bus. You hit the damn snooze when you should have woken up on freaking time.  Well, well let's not be so easy on the bus, but yes! the bus is at fault (very often) it's late, there's construction going on in certain streets that obstruct the bus route, and I chalk it up to a crapshoot every morning.  EVERY morning is different whether I hit the snooze or not.  Traffic and the bus is just unpredictable.  So I try not to stress anymore and worry myself to death telling myself: had I not hit the snooze, had I not shaved my legs (yes gross I know) I do shave my legs in winter. So bottom line "every minute counts in large amounts" (If this is reminding you of a depeche mode song - you're cooler than you think) back to the post... Should I have done a pony tail on the girls rather than a braid, should I have made my coffee at home and not gone through the drive thru.  Seriously it is what IT IS.  Even when I give myself a big cushion like today: there's this ----> TRAFFIC out of no effing-where! There's traffic everywhere you turn.  Did they give  drivers license to everyone? Every age, literally!!! Seems like every human owns a car and saturates every artery in the city. 

 

Bla bla bla... So I can't control what's out of my control.  All I could do and hope for every morning is that everyone is safe and sound where they are supposed to be, my girls come first and they do need to show up decent to grandmas or school, so if I have to braid their hair and get them spiffy, even if I sometimes look disheveled, well that's nothing a huge makeup bag can't fix on the bus, right?

  

So in a nutshell as much as I try to have a routine every morning and be out at the same time, it's just unpredictable... 

Buying coffee or making my cup of joe at home is always the question, either way - once im on the bus and sit back and enjoy I begin to feel hopeful to take on what the day brings... Cheers to all you commuters and "hit the snooze-button people" out there. 

 

Grid Pattern - Si porfavor

This long cardigan is beyond warm and what can I say it's great for the commute.  Wearing it while riding the bus is perfect.    Keeps my legs warm, and it's stylish too.  They keep the temperature on the bus like it's a damn freezer all the time.  Occasionally I get lucky and get a bus that has their AC broken. Otherwise you better cover up like a mutha up in here.  

Thought this long line cardigan was just the cutest to add to my winter statement pieces.  Goes just about with anything & who can beat the price, right? Oh and it has pockets!!! I love anything with pockets!

The inside looks woven almost like a houndstooth pattern... I bet if I remove all the tags and hanger loops this can be reversible too, just saying... 

Find it Here

Simple + special

The day started off a little slow, we had the day off (insert crowd cheering sound here).  So excited that my oldest even skipped school today and we didn't inform a soul.  I usually call to let them know if she has to miss.  But not today, we slept in.  Life was good. It was weird as we drove around today everywhere we turned there was a crowd, I haven't been keeping up with the sales ads but I'm sure it had to do with it being Veteran's Day.  My husband isn't big on his birthday celebrations so we usually lay low or try to be out of town.  It helps that we get to be off on his Bday/veteransDay.  So the girls and I treated him out to breakfast, with all the ruckus we would have made trying to cook up breakfast there was no suprising him.  In a nutshell today was very low key and simply special. 

Here are some of the highlights: 

We usually travel with lots of crayons and stuff to keep them entertained.  That's a must and usually they want to bring the kitchen sink so it helps that they know what will be entertaining. 

Rule of dining out:

There's no more drawing or messing around as soon as the food arrives.  

I've learned that barbie hair and crayons dipped in ketchup aren't either cute or tasty. 

Who's really counting calories!?  The girls were suprised by our sweet server with this super chewy, moist and most delicious brownie covered in icecream and whip cream.  It wasn't even their birthday.  

While my husband and the girls looked around the entire store, I found a mirror. (Of course) doesn't everyone stop to take a picture in the mirror?   

After breakfast and a little window shopping we went home and they all took a nap... So I was able to use the excuse that I went shopping for a cake but somehow they don't sell cake in here. Haha! 

After I looked everywhere inside Homegoods for a cake I was reminded that they sell cake at the grocery store... Duh! But my trip wasn't in vain... Hello!!! notice this cute cake stand.  I mean, you can't have cake without a cake stand. Right!? 

I was about to put stuff away but couldn't help but take a picture of the cake stand I got him for "his" birthday for "his" cake and this cute little creamer dispenser in the shape of a little milk box. (Score!)

Was this a special birthday or what? 

Bean salad recipe:

1 Can of kidney beans

1 Can of garbanzo beans 

1/2 a bunch of chopped parsley

1/4 of a large red onion, thinly sliced

Few spoons of olive oil 

Juice from a large lemon

Salt. & Pepper to taste

Mix everything in a bowl.

So fresh and tasty! 

Peace out! Hope you all had a great Vererans Day. 

-gabriela 

Viola! hair reality

Waking up in the mornings on days when I'm getting my hair done for some reason feel to me like I'm going out of town, that's the kind of excitement that happens here. It's true. It's the little things like a new toothbrush or a hot cup of coffee. Big nerd! So here I am on my way can't contain myself.

So usually these are my request when getting my hair colored or cut or both.

1. I want it low maintenance

2. I want a bit of texture so when it air dries my hair looks like it has something going on, a curl a flip of some sort

3. Very Low maintenance

4. I want to be able to walk out of the shower, towel dry it, comb it and let's get going (I guess that's low maintenance... Right???) 

5. I don't want it to fade quick and loose it's color 

6. And if it fades, I want it to fade into a shade where it looks like it was meant to be like that (God im Picky!) can't stand myself. 

7. I think that's about it.  Reality is: I'm lazy when it comes to curling, ironing, blow drying and especially adding products.  To me, it defeats the purpose of clean hair (so what - that's my opinion) so the less of everything that goes on my hair the better for me.  

One thing to keep in mind is that when you take pictures to your hairdresser, is that everyone has different hair texture, everyone's hair might take color differently too.  I learned this the hard way when I was younger and I got a perm on my bangs only.  I wish I would have had a picture.  To say I looked like a poodle is... Well it's the damn truth.  Although a poodle would have been way cuter.  I had to use tons of hair spray and and gel to keep the beast plastered down.  Never again! So yeah with that said.  Choose a hairdresser that is honest and will let you know what looks good and what doesn't fit your face or hair capabilities.  Wish they would have told me "you don't get a perm just on your bangs". That was back in the early 90's haha! Think I was high on Mountain Dew and heavily into MTV in those days.  You know as you read this you've done something pretty stupid to your hair too. Don't lie! Lol! 

...So fast forward 20 years later and here's my bayalage results! Which I LOVE!!! And this caramel tone I think gives my skin some warmth too.  Happy to have found the sweetest hair stylist who's been a pleasure to sit in her chair and have great conversations and sip on coffee and she's been such a blessing in my life.  

And the day after (pre wash)... 

Do share what are your favorite color-treated hair products? 

...signing out! -peace!

gaby

 

Feeling Blah...?

Ever get the feeling you just want to shop your little heart out?  Yeah I feel you, I get that all the time.  Feels like you need to make a change, buy a new mascara, a new fragrance.  Usually I can solve that shopping anxiety attack by a haircut or new hair color, rather than spending on stuff I might not need or never ever wear.

A quick hair fix gets me feeling relevant again (does that even make sense?) but yeah... I've been looking through lots of pictures to see what I like and will suit my hair type and length and well... 

Been going gaga over these pictures here of these two gorgeous style icons, loving their hair and their impeccable wardrobes.

loving this and of course this too and this beauty too we'll see how my hair turns out tomorrow! 

Maybe there will be a part two of this post, from inspiration to the final result. 

Have a great weekend! 

{images via pinterest, google images}














   

My go to snack -keeping it real

When I was younger I had the privilege of living in a small town called Tangancicuaro, in the state of Michoacán in Mexico... (Best time ever)  I grew up pretty much putting "limón, sal y chile" on everything.  I would love to go to the Plaza (the little town square) and buy fruit with lots of lemon salt and chili from the usual fruit stands. I knew exactly what I liked from each one, which one had the best papaya, the best chili, and well cleanliness was a must. Everyone was pretty decent, I'm no food inspector but you know what I mean... I'm fine I never got any stomach issues from eating in the streets.  My favorite and go to snack when it's late and I'm hungry and I don't want to make a full on guacamole is this, quick, simple and easy. 

 

Haha! Don't laugh at my first food post... I'm cracking up as I even type this. Who knew people need a step by step on my favorite avocado taco. 

You need some good tortillas (corn preferably) I just recently came across these awesome tortillas that are slightly bigger than the usual one I get and they stay soooo soft! (Thank you Judy -if you're reading this) 

- corn tortillas 

-chile de polvo (chili powder) homemade is the best

-avocado sliced/diced however you like it sometimes I smash it it keeps the lemon juice in there 

-oh yeah lemon or lime juice (whatever you have) 

-salt -to taste (Sal de grano is best) but any will do (that was sea salt btw)

Warm up the tortillas and add the avocado, squeeze some lemon onto it.  Then sprinkle the salt and chili and Baaaam! In yo' face! you get this awesome quick taco de aguacate.  Lol! Hardest taco you'll ever make right?! LMAO! 

Yummy! I can eat this forever... The best avocado in my opinion is the Haas avocado. It just has a richer flavor.  Not to mention it's a good fat and I will not get into how great avocado is for you. Once I read that it promotes uterus health... See how it's shaped and how there's a seed. Think of that as a baby. Yikes this post got weird... Oops... Gross: TMI! Look it up, I'm not kidding. 

Promises, promises + red cups

Been Keeping promises, since I could remember but these little promises of Starbucks runs and making time for my oldest are truly important to her and to me.  What does it involve? Waking up even earlier than usual.  They're really her idea, So means she's got to wake up earlier, and no fussing about it or we just can't go... The promises go both ways, she promises to wake up in a good mood, to brush her teeth, and no whining.  Because she gets her vanilla steamer and keeping the eye on the prize is what's important here.  she wants to be a big girl so bad and I want her to stop saying that, wish I could keep her this little forever, after each starbucks date she says "you're the best mommy ever, now you had coffee mami you're ready for work too" awwww I just melt.  She walks in like she owns the place, the baristas think she's super cool. She spells her name for them So they get it right... With A at the end not an E.  She makes sure they write her name on the cup. No doubt about that... 

I let her order and she makes small talk with folks. "Are you going to work too? How's your drink?" Omg! Cracks me up because she so wants to be in the conversations.  One saturday morning while justin and GC asleep we snuck out to get coffee, we sat there as this father and son played chess and she watched them very carefully, the father said "come sit with us" so we sat closer, he explained the game to her.  Super proud of the little lady she is.  If everything I work for and everything I stand for is creating this little active mind, showing her how stuff works, manners, social skills, showing respect and appreciation for little things, then I'm not doing so bad.  Wish I could be in that little mind to see the world through her eyes.  So inquisitive and smart. So caring and funny.  Wish we could enjoy these days forever, waking up early and having little conversations.  They really make her whole week and she feels so big and accomplished.  Love it.  

Sparkle & Shine: mondays

Mondays are always hard.  Lots of prepping happens on Sunday nights, outfits, lunches, filling up on gas, do I have my bus pass? etc... Just a few of the many things, but come Monday morning we forget (I forget) half of what I was supposed to do.  It happens! I have good intentions of getting the week started on the right track & shit happens, cranky self, cranky kids, cranky family sometimes.  Everyone is going to different places, different lunch needs, little testing personalities: My fave! Argh! & well I must say being a mom on the go, yep! I didn't get any instructions on that. But life happens and sometimes you can feel like you fall short from doing a decent job.  So I try to give myself a pat on the back and keep going: Running to catch the bus, rushing to make a meal, bath time, story time, somehow it gets done & really every day is different and the week must go on.  (Today I packed my lunch and the sucker is sitting pretty in the fridge).  We modify as we go.  So don't forget to give yourself credit for what you did, didn't do and were planning to do.  At the end of the day does it matter that my girls don't have matching socks? That my pants were wrinkled? That I almost ran out of gas (cause I didn't fill Sunday night) yup what matters is that my little family and I ate something, got from point A to point B safe and sound. So go on Sparkle & Shine! It's Monday, and glad it's almost over. 

Halloween shenanigans

So for the first time in a long time I have to admit Halloween was pretty fun.  I'm not into dressing up but having kids and trying to make stuff fun for them, well it's a given that I have to partake too.  I'm pretty cheap when it comes to costumes.  I can be a hippie every year if I could or Frida Kahlo too since I own a lot of stuff that would come useful for those two costumes... #cheapisanunderstatement so this year I would say I was about 30% looking forward to Halloween (that's a big percentage) I decorated the house a bit, just a little. The girls thought it was cool.

The draped spider webs across the mirror didn't make an appearance in this picture.  Quick homemade boo banner: trace, cut, paste, space out, hang and viola!

Successful costume here... Owned the leather gloves the striped top, the black liner and shadows for the mask, the only expensive thing we had to dish out was the .99 cent store beanie the hubby picked up for me. Goals for next year... Cut it to about .75 cents. (LOL!!!)

Elsa and Anna picked up a very special treat today, then we were off to a party.

Hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween out there! 

~note to self... Schedule a family visit to the dentist soon. 

-Gaby