My Apologies!

After a few conversations, emails, and phone calls today, I feel like I owe my friends an apology for the early arrival of my holiday cards! One of my friends even called me today lamenting the fact that her attempts at a family picture this past weekend were a disaster. Sorry! My perfectionism rears it's head again!! I don't dare tell anyone that our Christmas lights are already up. Oopps!! Seriously though, I love the holidays and it's just my way of kicking things off...early...really early. After all, the kids are already asking how many more days until Christmas. Let the countdown officially begin!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am feeling a little sad for Thanksgiving right now. It seems like we barely finished saying trick-or-treat before Christmas started taking over. What about Thanksgiving? Where does it get to take it's turn in the holiday spotlight? Even though Christmas is my favorite holiday, I want to make sure that I take a few moments for the spirit of Thanksgiving and give thanks for...

* My family
* Wonderful friends
* Good health
* Flannel PJs
* Red velvet cupcakes from Dots
* Abundant sunshine in Southern California
* Thanksgiving dinner from Whole Foods

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Giving Thanks

An impromptu craft to get the kids in the Thanksgiving spirit. The hand prints never quite turned into turkeys, but the important part was writing down what we are thankful for...

Holiday Find

I came across the adorable site Chewing the Cud courtesy of Black Eiffel (thank you!) Friends of mine will definitely be seeing these Cuddle with Cider packets again.


But what I really love are the reusable fabric gift wraps! What a genius idea for someone who is trying to simplify over the holidays (key word for me is trying). It's really two gifts in one and a bonus is 100% organic cotton printed with soy-based ink.

What Happened Along the Way

Today was one of those days where someone would need a map to follow my discombobulated path of cleaning the house. My single-minded, focused goal when I woke up this morning was to clean the house for our weekend visitors. My path to cleanliness started in the bathrooms. While I was waiting for the tub cleaner to work it's magic, I thought I would put a load of laundry in the washer. The problem was that on the way to the washer, I walked through the living room filled with clean laundry in need of folding. Stopped to fold some laundry. Darn! I was going to put some laundry in the washer. I should really do that before I finish folding. On the way to the washer, I walked through the kitchen where breakfast dishes were still sitting on the counter. Stopped to do some dishes. Darn! The laundry! I really need to put the laundry in the washer before finishing the dishes. Finally make it to the garage and the washer. As the washer is filing with water (clothes already in), a cricket decides to jump into the washing machine. It takes me almost 30 minutes to empty the washer of wet clothes and scoop the cricket out and then reload the washer. At this point, I am vaguely remembering something about a bathtub.

My Latest Obsessions

The past two days have seen the return of an old and altogether too familiar foe - clutter. This time it was the playroom. With friends visiting from out-of-town this weekend, I should be concentrating on cleaning up my messes, not making a new one by trying to "organize." But once the obsession sets in, there is no turning back.

This is the playroom before.


After a trip to Home Dept and the Container Store and a late night of sorting. Much better, don't you think?





I am now obsessed with these paint tins from Home Depot. Pencils, markers, and pens. What else?


And what about this acrylic canister designed to hold cotton balls and Q-tips? A tad too Type-A?

So True

I was reminded today of something hilarious my daughter used to say. I suppose I might have, may have, perhaps have uttered the phrase "Hold your horses" a few times to my children. OK, truth be told, I said it so much that my daughter started saying her version of that idiom..."be patient with your horses." This got me thinking of how many familiar phrases, idioms, etc. are actually applicable as a mom...

A watched pot never boils...
And good thing too because who has time to watch the pot? Before the water for the pasta boils, you've got to defrost the chicken breasts, wash the lettuce, slice the tomatoes, and change the laundry.

Birds of a feather flock together...
Is this why the same two moms you keep seeing walking the Rose Bowl Wednesday mornings and at the park Friday mornings, just walked into your music class on the first day? Is it too much to hope for that they both enjoy lattes and the occasional catty comment?

The early bird catches the worm...
With your child's early internal alarm clock, you'd be flush with worms if you were a family of blue jays.

The writing is on the wall...
Along with the purple squiggles, green circles and the blue zig zags.

We have seen better days...
Let's face it, you used to be in shape. You used to be hip. You even used to blow dry your hair and wear make-up. But to see you at morning drop-off or the park, you'd never guess.

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen...
Gladly, but then who would make breakfast, clean up and do dishes? Make lunch, clean up, and do dishes? Make dinner, clean up and do dishes? And then repeat the next day?

A place for everything and everything in its place...
This is a mother's idea of what heaven might look like.

The Magic of Disney

School was out for Veteran's Day and parent-teacher conferences this past week so the kids had a fabulous (for them) 5-day weekend this week, which explains the gap in new posts. We decided to take advantage of our family time together and head to Disneyland on Friday.

The kids rode rides all morning and didn't stop for lunch until 1:30 p.m.! Here is my husband and daughter on Dumbo.


Can you believe I let my son drive?



One of the highlights for me was It's a Small World. The ride was closed during our previous two visits, so it was the first time on the ride for my kids. The holiday decorations were an added bonus!



Before we knew it, it was dark and we happened to be standing along Main Street for the lighting of the tree. And since it was dark, we decided to head back into Fantasyland to look at the lights of It's a Small World. Beautiful!


And, as luck would have it, it started to SNOW! Yes, Disney does make magic happen. The kids were beyond thrilled! When we finally decided to head for the exit, it was time for the holiday parade to start. Frankly, I can't believe we made it to that point. We decided not to bring our stroller to the park and our kids were such troopers - not a complaint of being tired the entire time! Thanks to the generosity of strangers, the kids were ushered right into front row seats for the parade. Here is the toy soldier marching band.


Last but not least, Santa. I must say that for 10 hours on Friday, it really was the happiest place on earth for us!

The Gray Area In Between

As I sit here jotting down my questions for tomorrow's parent-teacher conferences, I can't help but give myself a pat on my back and remark how far I've come when it comes to my children. When my oldest was born it was first child meets Type-A Mom. And, after I stopped working, all my perfectionist energy was focused on my son. I was acutely conscious of all major milestones and the corresponding time lines. I remember one instance where my pediatrician finally told me, "This is just a gray area. It's not black and white." What?! You can imagine how this rocked my world.

Fast forward to my daughter as an infant. Things considered sacred with my son such as consistent naptimes and bedtimes, were sacrificed out of necessity and my own sanity. But along with the relaxing of my perfectionist standards came a certain amount of guilt. Was I doing everything for my daughter that I did for my son? Or on the flip side, was I spending enough time with my son with the arrival of his baby sister? You can imagine what a downward spiral that can become.

Today, I try to focus on what wonderful kids they are and how much I enjoy them each and every day. I try to remind myself that a world of grays is richer than one with only absolutes. That's not to say that there are not moments when I beat myself up for not reading to them enough or not taking them to enough museums or not taking more walks with them. But that is every mom right? And always wanting more and better for our kids is what makes us moms "perfect."

They're Here!

I used to say that I didn't have time to practice patience. Well, that was then, and the now is that I have waited ever so patiently for these gorgeous Penguin Classics with illustrated covers by Coralie Bickford-Smith to arrive. I literally placed the order back in August after reading about them here on Design Sponge. The unfortunate part was that the expected ship date was late October. Really? Yes, really. So I waited and waited and waited, all the while practicing my patience.

Finally, my patience is rewarded. Aren't they beautiful? Can't wait to add them to my bookcase!

Thank Goodness it's Monday!

One 24-hour period this weekend has me feeling thankful the weekend is over!

Ready set go...Pick up out-of-town family arriving for visit. LAX on a Friday night. Need I say more? Clock keeps ticking...Class parent party. It's my chance to see fellow parents outside the frenzy known as drop-off and pick-up. An added bonus is the ability to finish my sentences since small children are not around to interrupt. Tick, tick, tick, hour 3...Ladies Night Out! A few of us leave the parent party to continue the fun. Tell husbands not to wait up.

Brief break in the festivities until hour 13...8:30 a.m. soccer game. As luck would have it, our earliest game all season happens to be this morning. However, I still manage to bring coffee for myself and a few others. Was that too Type A? Clock reaches hour 15...Our post-game team breakfast. As clock ticks closer to hour 16, a slight change in plans...After waiting for almost 30 minutes for our party of 40 to be seated (who knew IHOP would be so crowded?) we decide to abandon the wait and head to the park for open spaces and Sausage McMuffins.

Tick, tick, hour 20...Off to a wedding! My husband and I dust off our fancy clothes and head out to see a dear friend from grad school get married. She looks radiant and it is a beautiful outdoor sunset ceremony. Hours 21, 22, and 23 go by...My husband and I have a wonderful time catching up with friends we haven't seen in too long and enjoy our time on the dance floor. Finally, as we reach hour 24...I am pretty sure we are still wondering how Neil Diamond can bring more people to the dance floor than Justin Timberlake.

I've Had a Relapse!

Some of you may already know this, but the name for this blog comes from a nickname given to me by my husband: A+ Alice. According to him, everything I do has to be an A+, no matter how big or small. But as you fellow moms well know, life after kids is all about prioritization and compromises, not being an A+. At least if you want to keep your sanity. I hope my husband and those around me will agree that I have made great strides in trying to shed my perfectionist ways, but still have a very long way to go.

Well, this past weekend, I had a serious relapse. I ordered my Holiday cards!! I just approved the digital proof last night and they should arrive sometime in the next two weeks. I know, I need serious help, right? The A+, hyper-organized, list maker in me derives such an euphoric rush when I can check that item off my list. It isn't all a lost cause though, as I did venture out of my comfort zone and order from a new vendor this year: minted. And, for the A+ in you, they are offering free shipping now through Nov. 9!

More Than Just "Moms"

One of my son's nicknames is "Question Boy" as in he who asks many questions across many various subjects or many questions about a single subject. One of his question sessions the other day ended with him asking, "Well, do we know any meteorologists we can ask?" This got me thinking about the many roles we assume as moms.

Being a mom today involves roles I used to think people had to go to school for many years or undergo endless hours of on-the-job training to do. Or maybe to do well. For instance, I am fairly certain my good friend the pediatrician probably had to do a little more than birth a baby to earn her degree. Yet I find myself diagnosing, performing triage, and doing my best Florence Nightingale imitation on an almost daily basis. And, like a true medical professional, during the course of illness or an overdose of Doritos, I have thrown my body in the path of erupting vomit.

Another role that I have assumed without the prerequisite schooling or even nomination process is that of judge. I have developed strong viewpoints on fairness and equality (such as buying two of everything) and learned to form many opinions on the fly. Moreover, each decision I hand down is subjected to much scrutiny (and whining) and almost none are accepted without appeal (louder whining). And, without the benefit of a loud gavel, I settle for the ability to speak in a voice that implies total authority.

While the aforementioned roles require mainly mental dexterity, this next one is much more physical: acrobatic driver. Those without children may be unfamiliar with this role which requires the ability to keep both eyes alert and on the road while contorting one arm to hand various items to the backseat or retrieve fallen items from the floor.

The role of chef is one that I actually enjoy. Usually chefs who prepare food for the most discerning palettes hone their skill at schools such as the Culinary Institute of America. I myself, who also prepare food on a daily basis for two very persnickety eaters, must instead rely on guides such as the Food Network and Cooking Light. Not to be deterred, I still try to attempt one new recipe per week and if it gets the golden seal of approval (meaning my kids ask for seconds), the recipe goes into the regular rotation.

But, perhaps the most difficult role of all is the role of "mother." This daunting role requires making sure that love, discipline and guidance are given in all the correct quantities to ensure that your children turn out to be wonderful human beings. Too bad there isn't a class for that.

Letter Perfect

After each of my kids were born, I ordered one of these alphabet charms with the first letter of their name to wear.

One day my husband asked, "Did the S (his initial) get lost in the mail?"

Well, it may be a few (or four) years later, but the S finally arrived in the mail! I made sure to order a different design, so I could tell him it was extra-special. Seriously though, I love it! See this fabulous store's other designs here.