Spaz Attack

Thoughts from a big spaz who has lots to spaz about.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

random thoughts:

1. i was asking a friend what she does when the kids go to sleep and she said she played on her iphone (or ipad). i was like, do you go on the internet? she was like, no, i play with the pictures that i'm in and try to make myself look better in them. i thought this was hilarious! haha... i want to play with pictures and make myself look better in them too! i'm planning on getting rid of my blackberry in may or june and getting my very first iphone! i really want to try instagram and take some cool pics!

2. what is up with the gas prices? oh dear! i saw a gas station that was 4.57/ gallon today. wowza! (one day, the boys will read this and think, man, that is really cheap!)

3. i think we might have found a house that we are seriously thinking of bidding on. it's very modest and old and will need to be worked on before we move in, but it has a grassy area with playgym and a fenced pool in the backyard so i'm hoping the boys will make many great memories in the house. i think i said this before, but buying a house is very tough! i'm too fickle about my purchases to make a decision on a HOUSE! i think all houses should have a return policy or something. what if we move in and i regret it! what? i can't return it? isn't this america?!

4. i'm getting old. i went to work out with some moms at chase's preschool the other day and i'm hurting here. my back is so achy!

5. i want- so badly- for it to rain today so tyler's baseball and hockey are cancelled. please, rain...don't fail me....i'm depending on you!

6. i think i write with too many !!! i know...it's very distracting to read with so many !!! i just write as i talk and i think i talk with many !!!! so sorry and bear with me. :)

7. ok, i think that is all for this morning. i can't wait for the first week of april. we are planning a trip down to OC, i think- nothing is ever set in stone as far as vacations because jason and i never really plan anything until like the night before. it's sad. i swear, we'll be driving down to OC and asking each other, "so what are we going to do when we get there?" haha... i can see it already. that is exactly what will happen.

have a great wednesday. i'm going to stay home today (it's so cold here!) and do a rain dance or something cause i NEED it to rain today!

Monday, February 27, 2012

random thoughts:

1. i am totally addicted to coffee now. i've started my day with a cup of coffee nearly every day since we moved here and now, if i don't get a cup, i am so tired. it's sad to know that you can't really wake up without a cup of caffeine (with TONS of sugar and cream). what a horrible, disgusting habit. urgh, i need to stop.

2. i'm turning into a hypocrondriac. i could be a tiny bit sick and i think absolutely the worst possible scenario. when you're younger, you don't think that bad things can happen to you. you just think that health problems are for old people. then, you become that old person and you know that any of those things can happen to you. if jason wasn't a doctor, i swear would be at the doctor's office at least once a month to rule out possible health scares. i'm lucky he is here to call me crazy every day!

3. we got parakeets for the boys this weekend. they wanted a pet so bad so i told them they could have a bird or a fish. i was hoping they would just say forget it, but they opted for the bird. the boys LOVE their birds! it's cute, actually. did you know that you can take birds out of their cages and play with them?! well, hold them and put them on your shoulders and hope they don't take a shit while you're holding them! the boys love feeding them and petting them and just watching them. i call the cage and all the other stuff that comes with the birds what they really are: clutter! but the boys love their birds so i guess that is all that matters.

4. in my attempt to live a more simpler life, i have actively tried to "shield" myself from things that might make me want to buy more crap! i've unsubscribe myself from mostly 90% of my email (mainly shopping sites), i will not be renewing my subscription to any magazines or newspapers, i do not peruse websites to see what is "in" at the moment, i do not go to the mall to "pass time" or do "recreational shopping." if i think something will tempt me to buy something i don't really need, i don't even "go there!" it's not even about saving money, it's about not buying things that i don't truly need, and we need so little to really live a happy life!

is today monday? have a great week!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

random thoughts:

1. love trader joes. where would i shop if there wasn't one near me? i remember the first time i walked into a traders joes that had just opened up in cerritos and thinking it was about the oddest looking market around. fast forward like 20 years later and now it's my go- to market! i love finding little cute things they have...have you seen the cute little ice cream cones they have there? today, i found this sugar cinnamon grinder. totally wasn't on my list but i got it so the boys could grind it on their bread or something. it looks like a barrel of fun in a tiny plastic container! :)

2. totally losing my interest in costco...yay! finally have kicked my costco addiction. i should celebrate this one!

3. looking for a house to purchase is SOOO hard! we've looked at so many houses since we moved here and EVERY house has its own pros and cons. we haven't found one that has everything we are looking for...that comes with a decent asking price. we find a house that has a wonderful yard but the sq footage of the house is on the smaller side, or we find one that is totally redone and perfect on the inside but has no grass in the backyard. it's so sad! actually, we did find one house that, looking back now, was perfect, but that was when i was going through my, "it's not good/big enough" stage. now, i'm kicking myself in the butt for that one because jason did tell me he thought it was perfect and when i finally came to my senses, the house was already in escrow. :( there is so much to think about when buying a house: school, community, location to freeways, activities for kids, rooms, the layout of the house, yard space, mortgage (15 year or 30 year?), walking distance to stuff?, parking for rv?...just a lot of stuff to think about and it's been much harder than i anticipated. it's not like there are 100s of houses to choose from too! you pick an area that you like and there are like five houses that come up at a time and if you like one, you better act fast! it's such a game and so far, we are losing. :(

3. i have jeremy lin fever! he is so cute and so talented and loves god! tyler and chase love watching him play and so do i!! i HATE sports so i must love a player to sit through any game!

4. i love being a stay at home mom. i finally feel like i have some breathing space now just to be in my own quiet space. yay!

5. i want to get into "freezer meals!" i got the book, "fix, freeze, and feast" (thanks, susan!) and i'm totally inspired.
http://www.amazon.com/Fix-Freeze-Feast-Delicious-Money-Saving/dp/1603427260/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1330022983&sr=8-5

here is an article i read online about a lady who made 46 meals at one time. i want to do that!

http://www.aturtleslifeforme.com/2011/06/freezer-meals-on-cheap.html

that's totally my personality- just torture myself doing something i hate for a LONG time so i could relax the rest of the days. i wish i had some friends to do this with. i would love to have a "party" to make freezer meals with friends. doesn't that sound fun?! i swear i'm going to do this real soon.

gotta run..happy thursday to y'all!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

i asked jenny (my dear dear friend who doesn't read this blog!) for the name of the soy sauce she uses (because it really, really good) and this is the picture she sent me. you know me too well if you are sending me pics like this because this made my day. look at that smile! isn't he so adorable?

just found out that i have reached my photo "quota" on this blog. :( not that i post that many pictures on this site but i will have to purchase some megabytes or something or another. that might take me some time to figure out so no more pics for awhile. :(

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

random thoughts:

1. took a tour of the boys' new school for '12-'13 this morning. what a waste of time! haha...it's not like we're NOT going to send them there and we could have found out all the information online. at least i found the principal to be a rather sweet lady so i'm happy about that.

2. i've been calling the boys "honey boo boo child." if you know where this line comes from, you need to get a life...and so do i.

3. my theme word for 2012...simplify.

4. story about my gold watch. when we first moved here, i was on the hunt for a watch. i knew what i wanted- it HAD to be a gold oversized "boyfriend" watch. so i researched online, ordered one, returned it because it didn't look like the picture online (color was a little off), got another one, waited for the ups guy so someone else wouldn't walk off with it, loved it in the beginning, wore it, worried about it getting scratched up, took it off when i was washing my hands, worried it would get lost or stolen, THEN i realized, "i don't NEED this watch!" think of all the time i spent on this stupid thing i don't need: researching it, purchasing it, putting it on, worrying about it. it wasn't cute anymore- IT had stolen my time, my money, my thoughts, and even my space....all things that could be spent on something else... on something more productive for my family and the world. so i returned the damn thing. (thank god the land of consumerism has such lenient return policies.) i will never consume my thoughts, money, space on trivial things i don't really need. (if you have a watch, i'm not knocking you. it's just something that I didn't need and didn't fit into my lifestyle. i know someone who cannot live without her watch. she feels naked without it and needs it to keep track of her patients throughout the day. i get that some people need their watch!) so here is the story of my poor watch. just trying to become more aware of what i TRULY need in my life.

5. saw jenn and jeannie this weekend. just like college...with wrinkles and kids! :) i'm so glad that we are in norther cal together! yay!

6. jason has been in the phillipines on a "missions" trip for about a week and a half. he'll be back this saturday. the boys have really missed him, especially chase. he says, "let's go to the airport to pick dad up right now." i tell him in a couple more days and he whines, "but i miss him now!" aww, so cute. a lot of people ask me how i can survive without jason being here to help me and i laugh. it's easier! haha...jason really is my third child..didn't you know?!

7. so yesterday was valentine's day and jason wasn't here. was i sad i didn't get chocolate or flowers or a gift? 100%, the answer is NO! I wasn't sad at all! i don't really care about valentine's day AT ALL!!! it doesn't mean anything to me AT ALL!!!! jason shows me he loves me every day. i don't need him to get me NOT ONE THING to prove his love to me. i mean that from the bottom of my heart. i have never asked jason to buy me anything or expected anything that costs money from him. he has, on occasion, given me gifts (which i found very sweet) but it was completely of his own doing and he knows that i don't expect anything from him of monetary value. he also knows that he won't receive any reprecussions in the form of whining or words for not getting me a gift. his love for me and the boys is enough to satistfy me every day, day in and day out.

well, happy valentine's day (a day late) to all those who i love. thanks for being a part of my life. when did i turn into such a sap?! haha.... miss you all.

since i love all of jim brickman's songs... enjoy!
(sorry, had to remove the video! rats!)

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

i couldn't go to sleep so i came online to listen to some of whitney houston's old music. i grew up listening to all her songs. i even sang "the greatest love of all" at a talent show in third grade while claudia played it on the piano....claudia, remember that?! i can only imagine how terrible i sang it.

while i was looking at houston's old videos, i came across one of my favorites from jr high and high school. "that's what friends are for" by dionne warwick. it's such a simple and sweet song. the harmonica in the beginning of the song is awesome. loved this song back then and still love it today. this line especially touches my heart: "well, you came and opened me and now there's so much more I see and so by the way I thank you"

happy valentine's day, everyone! keep smilin....keep shinin!



And I never thought I'd feel this way
And as far as I'm concerned
I'm glad I got the chance to say
That I do believe I love you

And if I should ever go away
Well, then close your eyes and try to feel
The way we do today
And then if you can remember

Keep smilin', keep shinin'
Knowin' you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
For good times and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for

Well, you came and opened me
And now there's so much more I see
And so by the way I thank you

Whoa, and then for the times when we're apart
Well, then close your eyes and know
These words are comin' from my heart
And then if you can remember, oh

Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
In good times, in bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
Oh, that's what friends are for

Whoa... oh... oh... keep smilin', keep shinin'
Knowin' you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
For good times and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for

Keep smilin', keep shinin'
Knowin' you can always count on me, oh, for sure
'Cause I tell you that's what friends are for
For good times and for bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for (That's what friends are for)

On me, for sure
That's what friends are for
Keep smilin', keep shinin'

Friday, February 03, 2012

hello everyone! yes, all four of you...hellos! :)

in many decluttering sites and books, they all state that you must get rid of your "fantasy self." we all have "fantasy self clutter." for example, the lazy ass who sits in front of the TV every night who WANTS to be an athlete so bad so he has acquired ALL the equipment that an true athlete might have, or the stay at home mom who buys business attire because, in her fantasy world, she is high powered business woman, even though she would never have any places to go to wearing such clothes.

that got me thinking, "what is my fantasy self?"sadly, i have more than one fantasy selves, but one that sticks out at the moment: my fantasy self is a BAKER. i have everything a baker would need to open up a store: enough baking pans to last me a lifetime, over 50 cake decorating tips, muffin (regular and mini) pans that i have never touched, a bundt cake pan that i have never touched, every kind of sprinkles that i could put on cupcakes and cookies. i even have a cupcake holder and a cake holder IN CASE i would ever have to transport my imaginary baked goods. (also things that i have never used.)

when the hell would i ever need to bake a cupcake or a cake? to take to the boys' school? ummm, not happening! did you know that both tyler and chase's schools have rules that you can only bring store bought items to share with the class?

and even if there wasn't a rule like that, wouldn't it be so much easier just to buy them at the local market or bakery (or COSTCO!?) and take them to school or any other party?

i mean, really, cristina? like really?

i guess i could baked for my family, but why the hell would i have all those baked goods (nasty high fat and calories) around me, tempting me to eat it! also, tyler and jason don't even like to eat stuff like this so that would mean that chase and i could share a whole cake or 12 muffins? not happening!

it's really time to be more honest with myself and be grounded in my own REALITY and live in the truth, sista! (yes, i'm preaching to myself. haha.)

(jess, if you are reading this, do you want some of my baking stuff?)

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

this morning, i went to get my usual coffee at starbucks. i drove up to the drive thru window and was about give the barista my gift card (thanks christine!) when she said, "oh, the person in front of you paid for your drink." what a wonderful surprise! that's happened before- twice at toll booths in college (remember when oprah started the "pay it forward" campaign? paying for someone else at the toll booth was a very popular way to "pay it forward."), and then once after college at an in and out, but today's surprise was, for reason, even more totally unexpected and it was so sweet.

there is something about receiving something, however small, and knowing that that person didn't want anything back in return. i mean, i didn't even have a a chance to say thank you.

in my quest to live a more minimalist lifestyle, i've been thinking a lot about my possessions lately. A LOT. why do i have things? is it useful in my life? can i live with less. and the nagging thought that i keep having is: yes, cristina, you can live with so much less and you can give so much more.

and there is this one quote from a philosopher that has been haunting me: "i threw away my cup when i saw a child drinking with his hands."

and for some reason, that warm cup of coffee reminded me of how good it feels to receive and how i should be giving that feeling to more people.

cup of coffee. perfect timing.