it's all about me

via Kitchen Corners

A new year. A beginning. A start.

 I love that.

There is nothing like the positive energy from new goals, dreams and resolutions.

I love that if I want to....I can make this month all about me.

And I am.

I want to take care of me. Eat whole foods...see more rainbows on my plate. Go for long walks. Read more books. Take time out to do my nails and get a new hair cut. Sleep more. Take warm baths. Feel special and loved...by me.

What are you doing this month...to make it all about you?!?!


I am in love with Damaris's blog this month....31 days of salad... and rainbows!
(one of my favorite blogs to visit for good food, design, beautiful pictures and a taste of Brazil)

to a beautiful new year!

via Chie Mihara

Today's plans include, a trip to the dog park, taking my mom out to lunch (it's her birthday today!), shopping for a yummy dinner and fancy dessert (I'm thinking chocolate lava cakes with vanilla ice cream) and ringing in the new year with my favorite people and dog ever.

We'll sit on the couch, watch a movie together, and pour the kids sparkling berry cider. Early of coarse...since we will all probably be asleep before midnight. (:

The last couple of day Iv'e been reading all about the 2012 Whole Body Challenge... (after chocolate lava cakes) and plan to start Jan. 2. My body needs it. 

A happy healthy new year year to you!!!

xoxo Marcela

PS. I am in love with every single Chie Mihara pair of shoes!!!

holiday wishes

We spent noche buena wrapping gifts, baking cookies and licking frosting.
Kip and I stayed up late, being waiting for Santa.
In the morning we watched the kids open gifts. Christmas inside us and I just really really happy.

We ate tamales and panes con pavo (Salvadoran turkey sandwiches).

Christmas night I went to work and although I was super sad to leave my family, we had a really good night...most likely from all of the Christmas spirit floating around. 

The warmest of holiday wishes and muchos muchos abrazos <3

Marcela

to Kmart I go at 6 o'clock in the morning ( : (Giveaway)

Kip took the day off from work today. We are all taking off to Legoland for a day of fun. I can't think of anything better right now than hanging out with my family all day, and seeing the kids faces filled with excitement.


I am still not finished with Christmas shopping...truth is, not really stressed about it either. I'm enjoying the season, the music, the decorations, the food, the love, friends, my family.

And somehow, shopping always gets done. Doesn't it? Are you starting to get stressed? Don't. We don't ever remember the gifts, we remember where we were, who was there, what we did, and how we felt.

I will probably get the rest of my shopping done early tomorrow morning. Hoping to wake up early and beat the crowds. Don't you just love stores that have extended hours???

Kmart sent me a gift card to help me finish my holiday shopping and also let me know they open really early at most stores (six am)....they must have known my last minute shopping plans. ( : So thankful for this. Been a shopper of Sears for years (remember going there with my mom as a child) and can't tell you how much I love their children's clothes!

GIVEAWAY

They also sent me a  $100 Kmart/Sears gift card to giveaway to one of you...they want you to feel special, no stress and know that they have extended their hours specially for people like us who are not only shopping but enjoying their families as well. Both Sear and Kmart have tons of stuff, and that right gift for that special someone.

Leave me any topic related comment on this post....tell me if you are done with your shopping. Who you still need to buy for? I will pick one winner on January 1, 2012 (that felt weird...writing the new year) at 11:59pm. US only. Make sure you leave your email if it's not already on your profile so I can contact you. Good luck!

*update: Congrats to Danielle (the Knapps), the winner of the gift card!

grapefruit and honey punch

So many yummy ponche recipes around during the holidays, here is an easy one (because I'm all about easy) courtesy of mixologist (and Salvadoreña) Deysi Álvarez. 

Make sure you check out the rest of her ponche recipes (in Spanish) including a fabulous ponche Salvadoreño.  

Ponche de miel y toronja

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup chamomile and rum infusion (see below)

1 1/2 lemon

1 grapefruit

1 (16oz) bottle of sparkling mineral water 

cinnamon sticks and/or star anise to decorate 

*for the chamomile and rum infusion

1 cup rum

2 tablespoons chamomile tea

To prepare:

In a cup mix rum and chamomile tea and let it sit for 45 min. Once it's ready, strain and pour mix in a pitcher. Juice lemons and grapefruit in a juicer and then add juice to pitcher. Add honey and mix through. Pour in fancy glasses ( : and add sparkling mineral water to each glass. Decorate with cinnamon sticks and star anise.

giveaway winners

Have you seen the Muppet-Human gift guide yet....the pink rain boots...how could you go wrong?

I am so behind on announcing giveaway winners, here you go...

The winners of the Dos Borreguitas giveaway....

 Justice Jonesie and Jackie!!

And the winner of the Crayola giveaway ..... Maricela!

Congrats ladies!

So happy you get to open something special in the mail very very soon ( :

wrapping gifts

Iv'e been wrapping gifts all day (so late, I hope all of them get to their recipients on time!).  The kids have been driving me crazy all day. There have been about ten thousand fights which makes it ten thousand times harder to wrap a gift. It seems the no tv find something else to do was not the best of my ideas. 

I am proud of my wrapping though... every last piece of wrapping, ribbon or tag was recycled, either from gifts we received throughout the year (including last Christmas), magazines, or those fancy Trader Joes bags.( :

I am in love with their holiday bags! I was able to use the back of the TJ bag to wrap the gifts and  then cut out all the decorations from the front to make the gifts look fancy. I had Audrey rub glue stick on the decorations and then glued them on to the gifts. Every gift turned out completely different and unique and with a special touch from Audrey. 

What do you think? 

Are you all done wrapping? Do you recycle all the ribbon, bows, wrapping and bags you encounter throughout the year?

What do your gifts look like?