Blog Spring Break?

{best cupcakes sold at the best winery i've ever been to...and I've only been to 4 so that's saying a lot...sort of.}

I'm taking a little break from blogging. Technically I've been on this break since my last post but decided to actually make this a notice to my 9.5 readers and for myself so I can relax. I've been a busy girl and will continue to be for the next week or so. Plus I'm off to China next week and I still don't know what to pack?

But before I'm off to the far east I'm off to dream about these cupcakes and I'll be back soon. Hopefully with more energy and better pictures and a more defined grip on grammar and little wittier! Well...definitely with more energy.

♥always,

Healthy Snack Alert: Greek Yogurt & Fruit

I had this today and and it was delicious. I also had it the day before and it was equally delicious. The best part is that it's easy to make. Also, it's sweet and healthy.

I like things that are easy to make, and since all the effort this requires is some chopped strawberries, i'm all for it. This is all you need:

1. Chopped up Strawberries
2. Blueberries (or any fruit really)
3. Some kinds of granola (i had Kashi Go Lean Cruch)
4. Greek Yogurt (i had Karoun Mediterranean Non Fat)

Oh and I add a bit of organic honey because i'm still new to the flavor of plain Greek yogurt.
If you cut up the strawberries and wash the blueberries you can store them for a few days to keep enjoy this treat effortlessly. 

Now go make it!

♥always,

Tidafors vs. Milo

Never go to IKEA on a Sunday afternoon. Just don't do it. If you value your sanity don't do it. I went with my family to look at some closets for my sisters and came home with a couch. Talk about impulse buying!

I think the disappointment of not being able to fit the one I really loved/wanted (Milo) in my little apartment forced me to feel deflated and I bought one at IKEA. In the As Is section.
 

Here's Milo:

Here's what I got - Ikea Tidafors:

Don't mind the sloppy pillow in the middle there...that was just an extra I had hanging around. Woe is me...not even close to the Milo. Dam you Milo and your largeness!

Here's the thing though, buying IKEA stuff is like buying a Honda. You can ALWAYS sell it again. Seriously. Just check Craigslist for anything you may want from IKEA and guaranteed it's being sold by someone somewhere. Plus I didn't pay full price for this guy and it's perfectly fine, nothing wrong with it. Heck, I can even end up selling it for more than I paid if I wanted to (is that shady?). So I'm OK with the impulse purchase...for now.   

I may also get this chair from Target. Although, when I first saw it I thought it would look cute with Milo not Tidafors...geez even the name of that couch is not that great.

Although paying $340 for Tidafors beats paying $1500 for a Milo sectional! you just wait Milo, you just wait until I buy a house...

 ♥always,

Jugo de Tamarido

Alrigh-t for you non-Spanish speakers, that title up there translates to: Tamarind Juice. This past weekend my mom made this little treat from scratch. While sipping on it, I was suddenly transported to elementary school. Yes, I'm talking to you 2nd grade class at Eucalyptus Elementary School. And no, I wasn't magically transported...more of a mental flashback but it felt really real.

What do a second grade me and and Tamarid Juice possible have in common? An entire class room of laughing at you children, that's what. Let me finally get to the point...

Back in you guessed it, 2nd grade, we had a class party. Every child was in charge of bringing some kind of treat or drink. I volunteered to bring juice. Most normal children would have brought some Kool-Aid or Sunny-D, both perfectly acceptable to the taste buds and visuals of a second grader. However, I requested my mom make my favorite drink, at that time, her home tamarind juice. If you are not familiar with Tamarind, check it out below and then google it for more images:

{source}

Looks pretty weird right? it's actually really tasty. Now, image what these guys look like floating in a juice. You getting a visual yet? As I proudly added my pitcher of tamarind juice to the collection in the back, I couldn't wait 'till the party! Around lunch time all the goods had been spread out and that my friends is when the laughing began. More like cruel mocking really. Some snarky boy in my class yelled out, "EWWWWWW Who brought the Poop Water?"

Let the emotional scarring begin. Good thing nobody saw me bring it in so nobody knew it was mine. I joined in on the laughing and pointing and "ewws" that were spread around while we were looking for a culprit. The teacher finally managed to calm everyone down and distracted everyone with soda and Oreo cookies.

I survived that one!  However I was not so lucky with the 6th grade oatmeal cookie debacle. Who doesn't like oatmeal cookies? My entire 6th grade class, that's who! I finally shared these stories with my mom, we both laughed until we had tears in our eyes and finished our tamarind juice.

Have a great weekend!  

♥always,

I Love: Celestial Green Tea

Whoa..I haven't been writing much. But I have been consuming a lot of Tea. A lot of Green Tea. A lot of Celestial Seasonings Green Tea. This is what happens when you can't drink coffee anymore. Why yes, coffee makes me sick even though I used to drink it every Sunday when I was 10 years old...might also explain my height. That and genetics. I have a cup as soon as I get in the office and one more in the afternoon. Sometimes a third cup if I'm working late. Which is pretty much every day anyway. I'm also officially obsessed with glass mugs.   

But not only do I have to have my green tea, I have to have Celestial Seasonings brand. I don't know why. It just tastes better to me. Then I realized I always buy this brand. Sleepy Time tea...Chamomile tea...fruit teas...all Celestial. So I took a look at their website and was blown away by all the flavors that I have yet to try. I picked up the Honey Vanilla Chamomile and the Decaf Sweet Coconut Thai Chai recently. Both really yummy and if I just add some milk and honey to the chai one,  it's like I'm in heaven! And by heaven I mean thoroughly enjoying my other addiction...chai latte's. As much as this is starting to sound like I'm pushing a product here, I'm not. I just really believe this is great tea that you can purchase at your grocery store.

Anyways that's pretty much all I've been up to. Working late, still fixing the apartment, working late, not preparing for my trip to China, eating and drinking lots of tea. 

Oh yeah, have I mentioned I'm going to China? No, well, guess what... I'm going to China next month. So if you have been there, let me know about your experience. Oh and see what I did there... with the green tea and the notice about China?? No? Oh well, that's because I'm a dork and you are much cooler than I. If you did get it...you are totally awesome and are much cooler than those that di not get it. 

 

♥always,

Oh Chunky Red Infinity Scarf...

It was warm yesterday. It's not today. And it was hot on Sunday. Like bust out the tank tops and short shorts hot. Not that I even wear short shorts so I busted out a dress but then realized I haven't shaved. Ewe...sorry. So out came the tank and jeans.

But this post is not about a dress or jeans or unshaven legs. It's about my chunky, red, infinity scarf. It's more of a brick red than a bright red like the photo below. Winter is pretty much over and it never really got started here in L.A. There was maybe a solid week's worth of really cold weather this winter but nothing to to make you punt on a thick coat AND a scarf. But I'm obsessed with this one so much i wore it like 3 times a week. I think it's due for a wash.

This picture is not from today either. It's from a perfect winter/not really winter day last week. Where it was sunny/warm enough to not wear a jacket but windy/cool enough that you need a little something to keep you warm. It's amazing how one little item like a scarf can keep you warm.

Why yes that is a sparkly, sequined shirt peaking out of my denim shirt. 

As we transition into Spring, I will miss you red scarf. Until fall, when I pull you from my drawer and wrinkle my nose at your funky smell and wash you immediately and finally wear you again. Or until tomorrow when it will be 60 and for me, that's pretty much freezing.  

♥always,

Conversations With My Neighbors

I don't think I will be a very neighborly person once I own my own home some day. I wont know the people that live on my block maybe not even my next door neighbors. The Smith's? The Rodriguez's? (These are my imaginary future neighbors.) 

Right now though, my neighbors are my parents. So at the moment I very much KNOW my neighbors. And they know me. They also know I don't have a functioning kitchen...yet.

current state of my kitchen....

 Last night about an hour after I got home, I had the following exchange:

MOM: Hi Mija, how are you, are you hungry??

ME: HI Mom, no I'm good right now, had a long day and I'm tired. 

MOM: Are you sure, I made some (forgot name of food offered) want me to heat some up for you? Or how about a sanwich?

ME: No, I'm not that hungry, just really tired. 

MOM: OK, do you want some cereal?

ME: (dam it now I want cereal, my late nigh weakness) Um...OK, I'll have some cereal. 

MOM: OK, it's cold outside so I'll send your Dad. 

ME: Yeah it's cold.....What?

MOM: (yelling at dad across the room) Honey, take her some cereal.

ME: Mom, it's....(interrupted)

MOM: OK your dad is taking you some cereal. Have a good night mija.

2 minutes later..knock at the door, Dad walks in.

DAD: Hi Mija, where are you?

ME: Laying down, I'm tired.

DAD: (hands me a bowl of milk) Here you go.

ME: Oh, thank you, but where's the cereal?

DAD: (Walks back into living room)

ME: (I should have asked for a banana...)

DAD: (Comes back in with box and a banana)

ME: Yay! How'd you know I wanted a banana?

DAD: I know my daughters.

ME: (Aww...)

3 minutes later Mom's at the Door. 30 minutes later my neighbors finally left parents went home, they may or may not have tried to tuck me in. (awkward).

I love having my own place and still be close to home and a free kitchen. However, they know my every move day and night and drop by when they like....just like nosy neighbors would I suppose. But I can stand it, for now,  since they are my parents.

♥always,