Thursday, December 30, 2010

uh. Change

For the most part, I am not a fan of change. Lately though, life events have got me re-wiring my thinking and just jumping into it..the feeling akin to jumping into a cold pool. The best way to acclimate the body is full immersion. So me, being me, that is exactly what I'm doing. These are the top three changes I am currently working on:

1) Weight Watchers.

They have this new program called Points Plus and last night I reviewed my material and today started tracking via this new system and lo and behold it was not as "difficult" as I thought it was going to be. I actually "enjoy" tracking electronically via ipad, latop, or android.

*As an update, I am happy to report that as of this morning's weigh-in I have maintained the weight I've lost through the old system and somehow managed to lose 2 pounds without trying ...That I can attribute to nursing and Gavin's most recent growth spurt.*

hassle free tracking


2) Fix yo-self-up girl!

I thought that I ascribed to the mind set of "look good, feel good" but now mother to two my mantra most resembles "comfy = frumpy." In my everyday-frump-gear, one would not believe that I once upon a time held the title of "Best Dressed" in high school. To be honest, these days I've not even taken the time to figure out  what looks good on me, so I wear whatever. Today, I changed this by putting on my contacts because I hear glasses age you at least 10 years. Then I put on some makeup. Tomorrow, I'm going to schedule a shopping date with my sexy sissy who is the least frumpy person I know (and love)!

hello? who is THAT?


3) Moving more

The word "exercise" to me conjures up negative images of myself getting very tired, very fast. So, I am changing that word to "moving." Dancing, jogging, even walking with Gavin in the bjorn. SOMETHING for a sustained period of time, everyday. Gerald and I were just talking about how we've eased up on our "moving" and how we want to increase our energy levels. He starts Crossfit this Sunday and me well, I'm going to do some dancing while Gavin naps ;D

"change the lightbulb"arms


Cheers all, to Change..and have a Charmed & Blessed 2011!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Gigi Says...

12/22/10: In a sing-songy voice Gigi says, " I peed on myself..I peed on myself..:D"

12/28/10: "Nooooooo mommy!! Don't call the Grinch. Let's go. I go brush my teeth now."

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Out with the old, in with the Droid

I was coming from our Christmas party tonight and made a stop at Target. I got a snack, went to the restroom, did some shopping then BAM! I realized I left my cell phone in the family restroom. Semi-frantic I run back to see if the phone was where I left it but it was no where in sight. F bomb! F bomb! MF bomb! Grrrrrrrrrrr. I checked with guest services and all open service counters and no one turned it in. Mf'ers!!!

I cool off, find my cart, and pay for my stuff. Then I remember Gerald being gifted a brand new Droid. As soon as I get home I call my cell and it goes to voice mail. I quickly get on the phone with Verizon, report the phone lost, and activate the new phone Gerald just HAPPENED to have (crazy synchronicity huh?) All is well with my account and Gerald, the techie, is already discovering exciting new things this wondrous machine can do. The coolest is it's ability to work as a hot spot for my iPad allowing me mobile internet access with it. TIGHT. That and you can watch videos in HD! Whaaaaat!?! Super tight. That's all I know for now because Gerald went to bed with it. Heehee ;)

So, tata my good ole' Omnia, I especially loved your 8.0 megapixel camera. I hope your new owner will make good use of you because as of now it is out with the old and in with the Droid.

Goodnight. I got a new toy to play with :) Peace out.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Eyes gleaming, chin up

I know this blog is about counting my blessings but there have been a number of things that have me carrying a heavy heart lately...(the passing of a mother, the deteriorating health of a loved aunt, missing our little juju...)

Then, I got to thinking...How does one enjoy the holidays while simultaneously dealing with heart-breaking events that sometimes pop up out of nowhere? Or, how do you deal with ongoing challenges and struggles that can be both emotionally and physically draining?..

A picture of Gigi below offers a glimmer on how to begin to answer these tough questions.



...First, the awe and wonder in her eyes makes me feel like everything is going to be alright. I feel comforted and in touch with my own inner child who deep down inside knows this.

Children are human beings that are truly magical to me. I've found that watching and being present with them can be a type of healing all on its own. Gigi's gesture of looking up speaks volumes. Eyes gleaming, chin up, I know that the very best thing to do, in all situations, joyous and not, is to trust in God and live the best way I know how.

Life can be tough. But it can also be magical.

Have a charmed and immensely blessed week all = )

Friday, December 17, 2010

Jingle Bell Rock



 



Gigi motions to the iPad and says to Mommy, "I got your favorite.."

*happy sigh* Super Priceless = ) : ) ; D

Thursday, December 16, 2010

An Island Christmas





This Monday we had Part 2 of another Early Christmas get together with our friends May & the Esguerras. Leilani, Marcel, & Mira graciously hosted our dinner at their charming Fremont home. I did not get to take any pictures because I was feeling under-the-weather and having Gavin in the Bjorn was tiring enough. I really loved the "Island themed decor" Lei & Marcel had going. Check out their Island-tree above:

Mira Esguerra

Mira, such an adorable doggie tried to befriend Gigi but our little girl was not very welcoming. Hopefully as she gets older she'll learn to stop jumping all over the place when a cute, non-harmful pooch wants to play with her.
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We had a waist-line-friendly dinner consisting of turkey burgers, mixed salad, and a variety of tropical fruit for dessert. After dinner, we gabbed, and played with the kiddies. May had quite the magic touch with the children making Gavin chuckle loudly and Gigi "cooking & chopping up veggies" on an Iphone app. Gigi happily participated in a game we play at home called "Talent Show" and went on stage and sang "Jingle Bells" for us. 

Gavin chuckling away


Playing "Tita-Boo" with her baby brother (Peek-a-Boo)

We exchanged presents, and Gigi, being Gigi, could not wait 'till Christmas to open her presents. She loved the gift from the Esguerras and proudly exclaimed:

 "I  A  Purple  Princess now! Yaaay!" (Her favorite color.)



We had a great evening and all went to bed and slept happily ever after until Gavin woke up four times that night from a stuffy nose. (A nasty cold-bug hit all of us but thankfully we've been resting at home for the past few days and I'm glad to share we're all feeling much better. We gots more partying to do and need to be in our best singing/dancing condition ;D )

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(UP NEXT: Currently gathering the footage and photos for our next entry: "Mom's Special Surprise")

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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Early Christmas

DePerio Holiday Get Together Part 1
with
Helen, Christina, Paul, & the Kiddies


Above is a picture of Lizzie, Chloe, Ben, and Gigi opening presents (sans Gavin as he was getting a bath with daddy.)

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After dinner the girls busied themselves with various activities and among them was "Coloring in the Coloring Corner." Check out their great smiles. *Priceless* = ) (Ben was playing with blocks and a wooden train and did not want to be bothered.)






Then we played dress-up. Ben did not want to be a princess for obvious reasons. He was, momentarily, a football coach armed with a headset, football, and all. He was not feelin' my paparazzi-ing so I let the boy be :D 


Shortly after the girls did the "Three Princesses Dance" to Beauty and the Beast. This blog for some reason would not upload the video so I You-Tubed it instead. Below is the link:


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My homeboy Ben needed to be represented one way or another even if its a backside view. Here goes:




And my littlest homeboy, Gavin, is chillin' as usual ** fisted tap-tap on the chest ** :



Gigi then said, "Wait mommy, me too. With Gavin!!"


This is the thing with kids, they're sooooo happy one minute, then the next thing you know they're melting down. Gigi was the first domino to go down during bathtime. While Ben, Lizzie, & Chloe were happily splashing in the bath Gigi sat on the potty for 20 straight minutes saying she had to poo but no poo came out. She had already gone #2 two times and I highly doubt she needed to go again. Then after bathtime, Lizzie had a slight meltdown. After the kiddies brushed their teeth Lizzie somehow angered Chloe and Ms. Chloe showed us all how throwing a "Big Girl Meltdown" is done. But hey. Those are kids for ya. They may drive us crazy but they're the only ones who we love like crazy also. All in all, we had a great family time together. And in the end that's what truly matters.   : )  = ) ;D Yay!


-charmed & blessed over & out

Sunday, December 5, 2010

The Sparkling Life

The Sparkling Life
at
Domaine Chandon




Yesterday Gerald and I got to sneak away from the kiddies and joined in on the birthday celebration of a dear friend, Mayrasol. The venue was at Domaine Chandon, a purveyor of sparkling and still wines in the Napa Valley. 


Part 1: Tardy for lunch

Running very late and flustered from dropping off the kids at two different locations (Gigi with Mama & Gavin with Lorna & Mom) we finally met up with our party at Chandon's award winning restaurant Etoile. 

I was about to delete the picture of Gerald below because of his unhappy-looking-face (we were a little stressed and argued about an upcoming big event) but needing to be true to my craft, I feel compelled to document accurately. **You will, however, see the progression of  =( to =)  as the day goes on as only happy endings are allowed in this blog :D**

I had the Rosé and really enjoyed that. Unfortunately we did not get to have lunch because of our tardiness. We did get to participate in the Guided Tour/Tasting and man did we have a smashing good time!! Before leaving the dining area of Etoile, I began my barrage of photo-ops. Here are some faves ;D


Above is a beautifully decorated wine cabinet that served as one of our photo-op-backdrops. This was located in the immediate vicinity of our dining area. Pictured above are May and Dom happily posing for me :)


Yay! Me and the birthday girl :)


May's cousin Jenn and her husband Mel. Such a warm and friendly couple they are :)


May's very dear (and newly engaged) friend Claire and Adam..CONGRATULATIONS GUYS!


Dom and his long time friend Coke strike up manly poses. Thanks for the stogies Coke =) 





Deepa and May having just crossed the bridge to terabithia, j/k ;D



The photo above included all attendants thanks to Dom & Gerald rigging up our cameras to operate on auto-pilot.

(**Someone please send me a pic of May & Deepa**)

Part 3: Lounging in the lounge

We left the restaurant and chilled at the Wine Lounge. We had more wine, oysters, and a bread and cheese plate. Jenn and I had a great conversation about our kids, motherhood, babymaking techniques to achieve the desired sex of a child, and even shared photos of our children on our phones ;)

Part 4: Art everywhere

Stunning photographs, aesthetically pleasing photo montages, beautifully decorated tables, and wonderful art pieces filled the Chandon property.


Wind sculptures by Lyman Whitaker. "Lyman's sculptures are hand made of copper, steel and stainless steel-metals chosen for their beauty and durability. An applied patina encourages the natural verdigris of weathered copper. The wind sculptures range in height from 5 to 28 feet and can be installed alone or in groupings.

Photographs by Vi Botarro. "Born in Vietnam, Vi Botarro came to the United States in 1970 to attend college. Moving to the Napa Valley to pursue her love of nature and photography she has been capturing the pulse of Chandon's vineyard life." Botarro's passion is using various photographic techniques to express her unique perspective and emotions on one of her favorite subjects: the Napa Valley Wine Country.

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Something about the seating area below kept calling me back to take photo after photo of this area. The space itself was inviting, comfortable, and simply beautiful. I felt as though I was in a museum and not a winery : ) Below are three of my favorite photos of this lovely museum-ish seating area. 







Part 5: The wine tour, tasting, and our charming-Brit-guide, Georgia

Gerald and I visited Domain Chandon a few years ago and though it was quite romantic  (pre-wedding & pre-kids) we had such so much fun on this tour for two reasons: 1) we were part of a nicely-sized group 2) our tour guide Georgia, a native of Ipswich, England was phenomenal. Charming, engaging, extremely knowledgeable, and quite affable, all of us were quite smitten with her..especially when she talked with that great accent of hers. At the end of our tour I spotted another tour starting up so I quickly checked it out. I found the group not paying attention and the guide narrating boringly and thought to myself  "Dang, our guide is waaaaaaay better than yours! Lol."


The guide started out at my favorite seating area. Here Georgia is talking about Etoile's award winning 
27-year old chef and his great genes and ties to French Laundry. As a side note Etoile is the only fine dining restaurant in the Napa Valley with a prestigious Michelin star.


See? We're mesmerized. 


Let's get this show on the road ya'll....


Gerald face-booking.."Babe, Yvette had her baby!" CONGRATULATIONS YVETTE & LOU!


Moving on the working winery tour...


Pouring our first taste of a 2007 Pinot Noir straight out of the oak barrel. Very nice.


A great group pic from above taken by Gerald.



Right before we start horsing around : )
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Let the silliness commence! = D



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A sweet pic of Mr. & Mrs. Alvarez : )

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Toward the end of our tour...




I giggled to myself because everyone thought I was taking a picture and not a video but no one knew I messed up :D hee hee

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More art and stuff...











Oh, ya and one more...Our happy ending :)


We enjoyed the 2007 Carneros Pinot Noir and 2008 Carneros Pinot Meunier and purchased a bottle of each (both solely distributed at Chandon and the only winery that makes an excellent Meunier in the area.)

CHEERS! :) = ) ;D