Being A Foodie

 That's right, I love food. Besides the fact that I've struggled with it in the past and probably still will to some extent, I still love food. I love to eat, I love to cook, I love it all. Food is life. So whenever I go someplace new, I like to taste all there is to taste. 

My trip to Boston was no different. Whenever I get a chance to go visit family, I like to take that opportunity to eat all the things. Especially my family's home cooking. But a girl will gladly accept takeout and dine in meals too.

         My mom's super delicious birthday cake

 Traders Joe's fried rice and orange chicken with                                   Birds Eye Chicken pasta 

My brother's amazingly delicious seafood dinner

And of course, as soon as I got back home hubby and I had a breakfast date cuz food!

Loving The Straight Hair

 I got my hair straightened, again. I wanted something different and the last time I had my hair straight, was back in 2020. I got it straightened for our December 2019 trip to Boston and kept it straight for almost two months. 

I love my natural hair but I rarely have fun with it. Besides the occasional braid out, my hair stays the same 99 percent of the time. Boring and in braids.  So I took advantage of my short time in Boston, as well as using the two upcoming events as an excuse to straighten my hair.

Now, it was a process. Over three hours of washing, treating, a semi painful blowout and finally the flatiton to get my kinky curly type 4 locks almost bone straight. But I am obsessed with the results.

Oh What A Time!!

 My trip to Boston was so much fun. First up  my sister's graduation. 

Being able to attend my baby sister's graduation from college actually meant more to me than I thought it would. It was a momentous occasion and a wonderful achievement for her and I am so glad I was there to not only witness it but to share in her special moment as well.

Next up, mom's 60th birthday party.  I never thought this day would come but it did. A day to celebrate my mom, to show her just how wonderful and special she is and how much she means to us.

It was the first time ever that my mom had all six of her children in the same place for her birthday. It was truly a spectacular event for such a special occasion. 

To say I had a time of my life is putting it simply.  I enjoyed myself immensely. All the planning and travel was worth it. Happy birthday mommy, we love you.

Kids lunches

My kids love when I pack their lunches.  I love packing my kids lunches.  It's a win win situation.  I get to control what they eat, while making sure to pack a mixture of healthy and fun treats. I know what my kids like and so I like to cater to their taste buds.  And over the years, I've accidentally made all their classmates jealous, so I must be doing something right.  My kids have the most sought after lunches in their grades and that feels good.  

My mom never packed my lunch, I bought lunch.  Or, as was the case in middle school, I received free school lunch.  I never knew what it was like to bring a homemade lunch to school.  I definitely would not have packed the fun and cool lunch my kids get to to bring to school today.  

It brings me so much joy to get up each morning with a plan of what I want to pack my kids for school that day.  It's fun and it can also be creative. And with it being such a trend now, there are a ton of cool new lunch ideas online to get those creative juices flowing. My middle kids are in high school so who knows how much longer they'll want me to pack their lunch.  For now I'll just enjoy the moment.
 

Another Trip To Boston

 I'm going to Boston! This is a very last minute spontaneous trip, as I was not planning on going to Boston any time soon. However, my little sister is throwing our mother a 60th birthday party and asked for my help, which I was more than happy to offer. But she needed me in Boston for some last minute prep details that she was too busy to handle on her own. 

My mom also wanted me in Boston to celebrate with her too. Her party just would not be complete if all her kids weren't there to share her moment.

 Another celebration I will be attending is my sister's college graduation. She really wanted me there to share this milestone with her. So I will be in Boston for about 6 days to  be apart of two momentous occasions and I am thankful for that. 

A Very Different Kind Of Quinceañera

 On the 23rd of April, hubby and I hosted our very first quinceañera for our 15 year old daughter. As she is our only girl, this would also be our last quinceañera as well.

I, of course, wanted the best of the best because when it comes to parties, I like to go all out. I really do live by the phrase, go big or go home. But my daughter had a very different idea.  She wanted something small and less formal. With a little compromise and a combination of both our styles, we were able to pull off a quinceañera that was very unique. 

Most would probably say it was just your average sweet 15 birthday party with a few special touches. I would say it was an original take on an age old tradition. 

With a few games added in for entertainment, it made for a pretty fun quinceañera that all my daughter's friends enjoyed.