Saturday, August 30, 2014

the front tuck & some mommy concerns



I had no idea that "the front-tuck" was so controversial. I understand it's not for everyone. I, on the other hand, do it all day. Dare I say, it's "my thing." I think it helps elongate my legs, gives me the casualness of not tucking, and allows more freedom than a full-tuck. Check, check, and check. Hopefully that's what it actually looks like and I don't just look like an idiot who forgot to tuck their shirt all the way in. Please feel free to let me know if that's what's goin on here.

So anyway, this is me and what I decided to wear for the day. I've been loving short sleeve button ups lately. They just make so much sense and they've been feeling very modern and updated. I'm actually thinking of converting one of my long sleeve chambray shirts into a short sleeve. What I nee/want is a sewing machine so I can just do it myself already.


Btw, Makai is in massive need of a haircut. I'm thinking of an undercut, a la David Beckham, but I wonder if it'll still look as good un-styled. See examples below:


I realize this may make him a total hipster kid, but I think I'm willing to accept that.

Also: I like his crooked smile :] Perhaps I'm biased, being his mom and all, but I think it's so precious and unique! I wonder if he'll grow out of it, or if it'll straighten out. I wonder if other people think it's cute. Actually, I wonder if it'll eventually be a dental concern! These are the random concerns of motherhood. 

I had a conversation with a coworker whose worry was that her daughter would be unattractive due to her very prominent brow ridge at 6 months old. Another coworker spoke about her daughters bulbous nose. What's worse was a completely understood and agreed! I used to wonder if parents ever thought their children weren't cute, or if they would just be blinded by their love as parents and always think their child was cute. Now I realize that it's a little of both. I don't know if everyone thinks Makai's crooked smile is cute, but I love it! I don't love his angry face when he whines, but that might be something separate. It's a funny thing, the things you worry about as a parent. Of course my main concern is if he is happy and healthy, but you also hope that he's accepted by his peers, never teased, never left out, etc. I know it sounds shallow, to worry if your child is attractive enough, but you just find yourself thinking about it sometimes. Yes, what I would really hope is that I could just build Makai's character, teaching him to be confident and love himself, but... let's be real. Kid's can be mean and you can only control so much. I would hate it if someone else told Makai he wasn't cute, even if they were just being mean. 



Alyssa:
Short sleeve button up - Ann Taylor Loft (blue version here)
High rise skinny jeans - Gap
Color block heels - ShoeMint

Thursday, August 28, 2014

dad fashion - denim bow tie, wine pants, &tropical shoes

I know, the combo sounds crazy right? Especially if I had listed his blue striped shirt! 

But yet again, Mark pulls it off. 


So while Mark went to work lookin' all dapper and such, I sat around in yoga pants and did some light reading. 


As much as I'm into fashion, I love me some good mommy magazines. I'll admit it. One of my dreams in life is to be featured in Parenting magazine. Does that not sound too inspirational? Perhaps even lame for someone my age? I feel like that'd validate my awesomeness/coolness as a mom.



Also: how great are cookie chips?! If you've never tried them, do so immediately. No seriously. Go to your closest cookie retailer or to hannahmax.com and buy these. I'm addicted.



Mark:
Denim bow tie - handmade by me! (Etsy here)
Slim fit blue striped woven shirt - Banana Republic
Wine colored chinos - Banana Republic
Tropical print shoes - radii at JackThreads.com

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

"...he who smelt it dealt it racism"



Uhm. Can we all just take a moment and applaud just how amazing this segment was?! Bravo Mr. Daily! Bravo!

I am a person of color. My boyfriend is a person of color. My son is a person of color. 

It is important to understand these things and be aware of ourselves and how we affect others. I want Makai to grow up and understand what privilege is, and how he/others may or may not benefit. He should understand the idea of "other-ness"/exclusion, what is fair/not fair, and in essence what is inherently right/wrong. 

I'm not naive enough to say that "there is no color," "there is no more racism," or that "I don't see color" so it is therefore not my issue. It's there and it's important to understand and identify the problem and issues. THAT is the step in the right direction. Not to sweep it under the rug and pretend it's not around. Yeah, that'd be cool and all - if we all just stopped being racist... but that's just not the current reality. 

I've struggled with this concept and how to make sure my son understands as he grows older. It's a difficult thing to tackle. I had the experience of my entire family being immigrants in this country. I grew up in a city and school as the ONLY Filipino family. Makai is so far removed from these experiences, so how do I help him understand? It's difficult, and messy, and sensitive, and delicate, and confusing! But I think it's important for my son to be aware of these things.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

I'm a rule breaker.


Being at work all day is exhausting. Worst of all, I miss out on so much awesome Makai time.

Don't get me wrong, I am loving what I get to do now! It feels accomplishing to do the work you've been trying to do for so long. It's just hard not getting all of the quality time with Makai that I used to.  

It's no fun missing out on everything. And yes, I have weekends, but those days are usually filled with errands and chores or the occasional request for Makai to sleep over from Mark's parents. Sometimes all I'm left with is the hour or two between getting home from an exhausting day at work and having to do Makai's whole bedtime routine. It's rough.

I once read in a parenting book, that the best thing about making and enforcing the rules, is that you get to decide to break them sometimes! I whole-heartedly agree. Once and a while, I find that breaking the rules (ever so slightly) is the best way for us to share a special moment. Sometimes we stay up late to watch movies before bed instead of his nightly bedtime story, or we make tents and sleep inside instead of his bed, or we stay up and make cookie milkshakes! 

I will be the first to tell you that consistency is one of the keys to parenting... But I figure, he's only a child for so long. I need to enjoy him this way before I miss it all.  

So, hey! Have fun!

Break the rules!



Best and easiest cookie milkshake ingredients:
Vanilla bean ice cream
Milk
Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies from Trader Joes
(oatmeal is the key. It gives itself better to the consistency.)
-throw everything into a blender and give 'er a whirl

Boom. Delicious.


I didn't measure this one out bc I feel like everyone has their own preference on milkshake consistency. I personally like almost all ice cream and barely any milk. Some prefer it to be drinkable through a straw, meaning more milk. Or if you're a bigger cookie fan...maybe it's all cookies! You get the idea.








My headless body:
Sweater Tee - F21
Necklace - F21
High waisted jeans - Gap

Makai:
Rugby Stripe Sweater - BabyGap



Monday, August 25, 2014

nightlife.

Oh, the joys of an impromptu datenight!

On Thursday afternoon, Mark decided it would be fun to get into the city and enjoy each other's company. GREAT IDEA! Nightlife sounded like the perfect solution.

If your unfamiliar, The California Academy of Science is a Museum here in the city that showcases a lot of natural science exhibits. There's tons of fun exhibits like the Rainforest ecosystem, the Philippine Coral Reef, the science behind Earthquakes, etc. 

Now, "Nightlife" adds in great music, art, and drinks to the mix! Uhm, an underground aquarium, pop up artists, live music, an albino alligator, a Zagat rated cafe, and bars in every wing... OF COURSE you want to go to that! What an amazing idea, right? Exploring natures wonders in the night with several DJs and well poured drinks in hand. Yes, please.

Since I'm already in the city for work, we decided to meet up at a BART station and make our way over. Unfortuately, I wasn't quite dressed for a date night, but Mark, being the incredibly thoughtful man he is, decided to dress down a little to help me feel less... blah. It's hard to find a man that will get dressed with you in consideration. 

So we started the night with some dinner and decided on the cafe's shrimp and pork spring rolls, pork tacos, and mac n cheese. Weird combo, but all very tasty.


Then dessert and drinks! "Pour it up, bar man!" 

(ok, no. I didn't really yell that at him, but it's definitely how I feel on non-kiddo nights.)


The rest of the night was left to explore as we continued to order watermelon mojitos and beer.


It's nice to have at least one of us remember to slow down and enjoy each other's company. It's easy to forget we were a couple before we were parents. 








OK. How cool is the albino alligator and blue starfish?!



For more inf about this event, click here!







Sunday, August 24, 2014

she's up and runnin!

FINALLY:

After months and months of laziness and procrastination, I was able to muster up some sort of determination and got my etsy up and running. It is by no means anything professional or fantastical, but people kept asking me if they could buy my son's/boyfriends bow ties so I figured I could make it legit.

www.etsy.com/shop/thetrikediariesshop


Isn't she just darling?

Welp, feel free to shop around. Now that she's real, I suppose I will be crafting more and adding to the inventory. Just keep an eye out!

Visit my shop here.




Friday, August 22, 2014

burgers.

Mark decided that it would be burger night! I am always on board with burger night. 

So off to the grocery store for some supplies.


Makai decided to roam the aisles to slip and slide on the smooth ground. There was definitely some falling involved. 

But we got what we needed and dinner was served.


Mark makes a pretty mean burger! And by mean, I mean awesome. We've got a little ways to go as far as plating, but either way, it tasted delish :]

Our not-so-special/standard burger:
-1 lb 80/20 ground beef
-4 cloves Fresh minced garlic
-1/4 cup minced onion
-a few dashes of Montreal steak seasoning to taste

Our standard add-ons:
-grilled onions or mushroom
-tomato
-cheese (duh)
-baby spinach
-whole wheat buns
-crunchy dill pickles
  1. Get in there and mix it all up by hand. Gross, but most effective.  
  2. Grab a small hand full of meat. Make a ball and squish flat (the feeling is very reminiscent of play-doh time in kindergarten. but the end result is much tastier) 
  3. Sometimes we get fancy and stuff the patties with whichever cheese sounds tastiest at the moment (feta and blue are my favorite for stuffing). In that case we would add egg to the ground beef earlier in to help keep the patty together.
  4. Then we bust out the George Foreman grill and cook for about 5 minutes to keep a tiny bit of pink on the inside. 
  5.  While that's happening, we usually lightly toast our buns. (I keep feeling like that might be an inappropriate thing to say.)
  6. Place the patty atop the bun and add all of your necessary accoutrement
I personally don't use condiments on my burgers and would rather have tons of veggies. My favorite thing to do/mommy tip is to use baby spinach instead of lettuce. I honestly think it tastes about the same, but it's so much healthier! (Not to mention that I get to pretend I'm Popeye in my head. Also: Makai will never know this reference! Now what cartoon visual can I reference for successful spinach eating??)

Since my pregnancy, spinach has become a staple in our fridge. If it's not already part of the dish, I hide it in almost every meal I can. In general I have found that most people tend to be fruit people, or veggie people. And I don't mean that in some cheesy online-quiz type of way, like so:


I mean it in the very shallow way of personal taste preference. (Also, I think I'm actually more of a Jessie)

Me? I'm definitely a veggie person. I would rather eat a bowl of steamed cauliflower over a fresh mango. When I eat pizza or sandwiches, I love slices of bell pepper on the side like chips. With our burgers, we decided on a side of asparagus instead of potato salad. I'm sorry, vegetable talk isn't that intriguing, is it?

Onto cuter things:


Makai playing baseball!




Makai:
Hat - Old Navy
Plaid shirt - Joe Fresh at JCPenny
Skinny jeans - Old Navy
Grey Slip on shoes - Joe Boxer at KMart








Thursday, August 21, 2014

coffee can + washi tape = cuter coffee can

Are you tired of that old lookin coffee can layin around? Probably not. But just in case you are...

It's nothing a little washi tape can't fix! 


I couldn't decide on wether or not I should make this into Makai's next drum, but I figured I'd get some actual use out of it and keep our sugar packets inside. Since our place is so small, I've been working on hiding things in plain sight without looking messy. This was my more budget friendly version. 

I'll be posting more of my apt upgrades soon :] I promise they'll be a lot more interesting than a coffee can. 

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

sometimes I look like a terrible mom.

Ugh. Why is it that even when Makai is a jerk to me, he somehow manages to look cute and innocent? Then the unsuspecting passers-by think I'm an evil witch-mom that never wants to make my child happy. Or that I'm physically torturing him. Or that I'm some incompetent babysitter that shouldn't have taken this child out/kidnapped him. Or worst of all, that I'm a mom that doesn't know what she's doing.

I'm actually pretty positive that my neighbors think that one of those options are true.  (One time: My downstairs neighbor literally came up and knocked on my door because Makai was crying and screaming so loudly from a time-out. He said he just wanted to make sure everything was ok, but I'm pretty sure he wanted to see if I was physically harming my child. True story.)


But then after a quick time-out for yelling and spitting, we make it to the park and all is right in the world. Sunshine and rainbows, blah, blah, blah.




Makai:
Striped shirt - Old Navy
Red shorts - Target
Slip on shoes - Target

Mommy bag - KidRobot




Tuesday, August 19, 2014

2T

Today, the little kiddo graduated into his new 2T clothes! 

"But, isn't Makai already 3?" 

Why, yes. Yes, he is. 

Ever since Makai was born at 5lb 12 oz, he's been on the smaller end of the curve. Actually, I lied. He hasn't been on the curve at all.

When he was born at 38 weeks (which is full term) I would constantly get asked by the nurses if he was a preemie. Since then, he's been floating around the .3 percentile on his own curve. Mark was always pretty small for his age until his Junior year of high school where he grew 6" in one summer. I'm hoping Makai ends up somewhere there, but for now, I'm just appreciating how much wear we get out of his clothes :]


I've gotten into the habit of stockpiling future sized clothes for Makai. Most of it comes from gifts or hand me downs, but if I find great deals, I'll buy clothes and shoes it in multiple sizes or whatever bigger sizes are available. I store them all in vacuum seal bags under our bed until he grows into them.

I absolutely LOVE the day I get to open up these bags! It's kind of like opening presents at Christmas! I get all the satisfaction and excitement of shopping without having to spend the money! 

Awesome.




Pile of clothes: (top left to bottom right)
Green Elbow Patch Jacket - Target
Giants Jersey Tee - Giants Dugout
Plaid shirt - Joe Fresh at JCPenny
Navy tee with Neon Speckle and patch pocket - JCPenny
Marled Cardigan - Joe Fresh at JCPenny
Marled shawl collar Sweater - Target

Saturday, August 16, 2014

life lessons for my son.


I like trying to teach Makai important life lessons and skills that will help him succeed as an adult in the real world. 

Some of these lessons include sweet, sweet dance moves. I mean, he may find himself in a jam someday and need to know this kind of stuff! 

Lesson 1: raising the roof.

 

Lessons 2: the running man.


I think he'll thank me some day. Maybe not now... But someday. I'm sure of it.
(If future Makai reads this, I swear I had your best interests at heart.)


Then at the break, Makai thought it'd be good for a shoes change... Because... Neon green galoshes are the ish. Luckily he's already good at accessorizing all on his own.


Clean up time!




Makai:
White thermal - Old Navy
Giants jersey - Giants Dugout
Skinny jeans - Old Navy (available here)
Fast shoes - Nike Free 5.0
Green Galoshes - Joe Boxer at Kmart (available here)





Friday, August 15, 2014

the first beer I've ever bottled.

So I've mentioned that Mark brews beer, right?

I think so. 

Well anyway, he does! Mark has decided to pursue a small business in craft brewing! I won't get into too much beer detail, but basically it's pretty good and I think it can go places. So every couple of weeks, Mark has to work and brew here at the house with our friend Mark (yes, Mark's friend Mark). It's fun! The other night, Mark let had to do some beer related things on his own and decided to let me help. Hence, the first beer I've ever bottled. 

Ain't she a beaut?






Thursday, August 14, 2014

#tbt - DIY dragon party supplies

I know that I had posted about Makai's third birthday party recently, but I found a few photos that I've never posted of some of the fun things I've made!

(Please pardon the terrible quality of these photos. That's probably why I never posted these before.)

Lately, I've been on a DIY crown kick. I'm not quite sure why, but I'm rollin with it. I tend to look at crafts and think "I could totally do that!" Wether or not that's true is another matter. So I've been pretty inspired by some Etsy shops (like here and here) and thought I'd try my luck at a bday crown for the birthday boy! (except i had to make it sans sewing machine. this is still on my christmas wishlist) So I came up with this ol' taco inspired thing. The tortilla chip confetti pieces were my fave. Then I just hand-sewed in a few pieces of elastic in the back for a snug fit. Voila! (Unfortunately, he lost it around the park before I got a good picture of him in it :[ the woes of a busy-party-mom


And every birthday dragon needs some foam dragon wings! I had searched for some to buy, but they were all very Halloween-y and less child's birthday party so I came to the conclusion that I'd have to do it myself. I stumbled on this blog entry with a quick how-to and tried my luck. I was pretty proud! I ended up making this pair for Makai, and a red pair for me :]

And felt tacos! Because... Well... It was a TACO party! 


And this I technically didn't make myself, but had found the idea here and asked my sister to execute. Cute, though, right? 

We used these to help weigh down the table clothes.



Funsies!




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