Happy Friday!!

How to stay organized..

Can you tell me how?  I just can't seem to do it!  My house will be clean and organized one day and completely trashed the next. 
Here are my issues:

• My daughter has too many clothes making laundry and putting away clothes ridiculous
• Every little thing in my house doesn't have a place (the new magazines that came in the mail, the phone chargers, ipod chargers etc)  They are just on the counters.
• I don't like organizing
• I cook a lot and the dishwasher is usually full and then has to be emptied to fill again.  It's a never-ending cycle.

I just need a few tips.  Anyone?  Thanks

Recipe Wednesday

Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetables with Dumplings- Bisquick recipe

2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs


1 pound small red potatoes (about 2 1/2 inches in diameter)

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped ( 3/4 cup)

2 cups baby-cut carrots

5 1/4 cups chicken broth (from two 32-ounce cartons)

2 cups Original Bisquick® mix

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons parsley flakes

1.Place chicken, potatoes, onion and carrots in 6-quart slow cooker. Add broth.

2.Cover and cook on low heat setting 9 to 10 hours.

3.Increase heat setting to high. Stir together Bisquick mix, water and parsley in medium bowl. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto hot chicken mixture. Cover and cook 45 to 50 minutes or until dumplings are dry in center.

I love chicken and dumplings- this recipe is pretty tasty!

Disgusting, ugly, gross dinner

That is what I made for dinner- disgusting, ugly, gross pasta with meat sauce.
The fit went on for an hour- and it ended with her apologizing to me.  I love that girl!  But WOW! she is feisty

Manic Monday

Oh I love that Bangles song "It's just another Manic Monday oh oh I wish it was Sunday oh oh cuz that's my fun day..."
Anyways,  Shutterfly has great websites for sports teams, classrooms etc. that are free.  I even received 30 free 4x6 prints just for setting one up.  I'm using one for my preschool class and I had one for Irelyn's soccer team.  They are so easy to use and put all of the information you need in one place.  Check it out!

Money for Goals

While running down the soccer field with my team, the girls were having fun laughing, kicking, and then scoring!  Our team scored!  On the way back to our side of the field, the girl that scored shouted over to her Mom "You owe me a dollar!"  I looked at her and I said "Your Mom pays you to score?"  And she said "Yep." 
As a coach, it is my "volunteer responsibility" to make sure the kids know skills, how to dribble, throw ins, goal kicks, and sportsmanship.  Sadly, I cannot teach them sportsmanship when the majority of parents think that soccer is an individual sport and think that their kid is the "best in the world" if they score a goal.  On our second day of practice I said to the girls after our scrimmage "That was great that _______ scored.  Did she do that on her own or did you do it as a team."  And a few of the girls answered "On her own"  Now they are 6 and don't really know any better but soccer does not happen with one player.  Of course you can have one really good player on a team, or even two or three. The point is that as parents we need to encourage the players as a team and teach our children to compete against the other team not their own team.  It's not all about the goals... soccer is about teamwork, skills,  building character, defending, supporting, and having fun!

Yay Electric Eels!

Irelyn had a great time playing on the Electric Eels this year.  And I had fun coaching...it started out a little rough but it's all for the kids right?  As long as they are having fun then that is all that matters.

10 things I'm loving in November

10 things I'm loving in November

1. 90210
2. Holiday cups at Starbucks
3. Soup!
4. Modern Family
5. Coach's Oats
6. The fact that I wear a staff shirt to work makes getting ready in the AM soooo easy
7. my clean house
8. the anticipation of the Holidays
9. volunteering in Irelyn's class
10. my new philosophy and bare minerals from QVC

Celebrity Birthdays- November 11

Wow there are quite a few celebs that have a birthday today.
Happy Birthday to:
Kurt Vonnegut
Barbara Boxer
Demi Moore
Calista Flockhart- gf of Harrison Ford :)
Leonardo Di Caprio

I wonder how famous people celebrate?

Recipe Wednesday

Pork Tenderloin in Apple Strudel- Trader Joe's recipe

Season 1 pork tenderloin with salt,pepper and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon
Sear tenderloin in olive oil
Thaw 1 apple strudel (Trader Joe's)
Open strudel and spread apples around
Add tenderloin and reseal around
Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes

Enjoy with potatoes, veggies or a nice salad.

Cousins

                                  Lauren(6.5) and Irelyn(6)

MONDAY

Happy Monday!  I'm trying to get excited about Monday but I can't.  Did you ever have one of those days where nothing went right, but in a funny way?  That has been my day.  At least I can laugh about it, right?  All I can say is I am happy I put something in the crockpot before I left for work today. 

My parents and 5 grandchildren

Thanks to Becca Hayes for taking this picture

SCIENCE

Steve Spangler Science Experiment

Fill a plate with milk, put several drops of different color food coloring in the middle, put dish soap on a Q-tip and place it right in the center, hold it down and watch the colors spray.  This was such a cool experiment to do.  Irelyn could do the whole thing herself and was so interested in what was going to happen.  After this, she wondered what would happen if she used water instead of milk.  We tried it and although it wasn't as interesting, she was being creative and using her mind.  Have fun if you try it.

NAEYC conference

I spent the past 2 days at the NAEYC conference in Anaheim, CA with all of my wonderful co-workers.  We laughed, went out to dinner, enjoyed wine, laughed some more...oh, and we learned too! 
We heard some wonderful speakers, received free supplies and went shopping in the huge Galleria. 
My favorite speaker was Steve Spangler.  He was full of energy, excitement and had some fun ideas!   I bought his book and will be putting it to good use this week.  I even came home with 2 experiments for Irelyn to try.  Although it was for work, I thought of it as a vacation.  No dishes, nice hotel, all of my meals handled, no cleaning...I can't wait to go again :)

New computer

I have a new laptop!  My "other laptop" was a college graduation present and has been useless for years.  I am sooooo happy about his computer- it is awesome!  My new favorite is...
Windows Live Photo Gallery. 
The face recognition is so useful!  I already feel more organized :) 

Recipe Wednesday

Rustic Chicken Pasta

Debone and chop one market roasted chicken
1 bag baby spinach
1 lb. cooked penne pasta
1/4 c. roasted pine nuts

Dressing: mix and toss w/ above ingredients
1 c. olive oil
1/3 - 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/3 c. dijon mustard
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tp. pepper

Serve immediately after tossing salad. 

This is so delicious for a light lunch with friends served with some wine or champagne.  Enjoy!

Teavana

Teavana is a wonderful tea store located in The Shops at Mission Viejo.  You can buy loose tea there or have a hot or iced made for you to enjoy.  You can smell/sample all of the teas and they will also help you choose a flavor based on your preferences.   
Here are some of my favorite teas-

• Youthberry
• Wild Orange Blossom
• Snow Geisha

Go check it out!

NaBloPoMo

It is National Blog Posting Month again!  I'm going to try to do it again this year.  Posting every day for a month...
Here we go! :)

Happy Halloween

We had a great Halloween this year.  Irelyn finally decided on a costume- she fell in love with this Sweetheart Bat as soon as she saw it.  She won the fangs and added those last minute :) 

Irelyn and Kanaya

Whoa it's been a while!

Where have I been? 
I'll tell you-  at the end of August I decided to go back to work teaching.  I teach MWF and it has been so great.  I'm also coaching Irelyn's Electric Eels soccer team this year.  But where was I in July and August- vacation!  We had the best summer.  We didn't go on any big trips but it was wonderful not having a schedule :)
July activities-
Irelyn went to soccer camp- we even got to have a house guest for the week which Irelyn loved
Art class
VBS at church
we didn't really get to the beach because the weather was cool
San Diego for the weekend to visit my brother's family
Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach
the OC fair
Disneyland a lot
August activities-
the beach- lots of bonfires
tons of swimming
San Diego for 3 days- just us.  It was great :)

And here we are now...in October.  Time flies!  The weather here has been amazing lately.  Hot, and I mean 100 degrees hot.  And then we had 3 days of rain.  Love it!

So, around here we are getting ready for Halloween...Irelyn's ideas for a costume: a witch, the solar system, a fashionista, or ?  I can't keep up with this girl!  Every year she changes her mind over and over...it must have something to do with the fact that she changed clothes 4 times today. after school. after the party. before dinner. before going to the neighbors.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Happy 6th Birthday Irelyn!

This year we had Irelyn's birthday party a few weeks before her birthday.  At first she wanted a Care Bear birthday party.  After we watched the Care Bears movie she changed her mind to Hello Kitty!  Ha!  It turned out super cute, she had a great time hanging with her friends and the cupcakes were delish.  Happy 6th Birthday Irelyn

Hello Kitty Birthday Party!

YUM!

Irelyn's birthday was on a Sunday this year and George was still in New Mexico so we planned to go to breakfast with my parents, my sister and Irelyn's cousin Kanaya.  Then we went to...

Jump n Jammin

Daddy came home from New Mexico on her birthday.  She was very happy :)  And we went to Panera for dinner

I'm starting another blog

After 6 years of cooking almost completely Dairy Free, I decided to start a blog.  And the address is...drumroll please...
www.cowsboo.blogspot.com

I'm hoping to post recipes, ideas, good/bad products to buy and all of my experiences.  Check it out when you have a chance and pass it along to anyone you know with a Dairy allergy or anyone you think might be interested.

Thanks
Devon

And this is where we live...

...jealous??

Aliso and Wood Canyons

We have some amazing trails around here.  Biking, hiking, easy, difficult...all within Aliso and Wood Canyon.  We have hiked here many times but have never made it to Cave Rock and today that was our MISSION!  And we made it- round trip 3 miles.  It was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon and we made it back in time for a BBQ dinner. Along the way we saw a little garder snake slithering across the path, 32 black beetles and we searched for flowers and other unusual nature things :)

Mothers Day

On Mothers Day we usually have brunch and then either go shopping or just hang out.  This year we changed it- we went to Disneyland!  It was fabulous.  We are "early Disney people" and we try to get there when it opens..See how great it is?!

then we had dinner at China Moon

Happy Birthday Dad

My Dad turned 68 today.   He is a great Dad, amazing Papa and just an all around fun person to be around.  Love you Dad!

They're home!

Roxy and Snuggles

De-lish!

Sno on the Go

Mission Viejo

It's like fresh fallen snow... with yummy toppings, stuft with soft serve, or just the sno with sweet flavors.  I can't even describe how yummy it is.  We tried Carrot Cake (an April flavor), Caramel Smore and Cotton Candy.

Spring Break

Spring break this year was so wonderful and much needed.  We went Miniature golfing, went to Disneyland, bought a new couch, went to the beach and played lots of soccer.  It was so nice to have some time together as a family during the day.  We almost went out of town but I'm so glad we decided to "staycation" instead.  I hope you enjoyed your week!

10 Things I'm loving in April

1.  Chopped apples, greek yogurt, peanut butter, and raisins all mixed up
2.  my new couch
3.  the way the sunshine comes through window and I immediately see Irelyn running down the hall for a big morning hug
4.  Panera Power Breakfast Sandwich on an everything bagel
5.  The California Poppies that are blooming down Pacific Park
6.  Walks down at Dana Point Harbor
7.  Teavana iced teas
8.  Coaching Irelyn's Pink Cupcakes soccer team
9.  the beautiful weather we have been having here in So Cal

and my most favorite thing this month...

10.  my new Shark floor cleaner.  Two friends told me it didn't work but it actually does!

Happy Easter

See that bunny on the left?  According to my husband and daughter...she is coming home with us in about 4 weeks.  And 1 of her brothers or sisters.  Now, we all love animals and have been debating the whole pet thing for a while.  George is severely allergic to cats (Irelyn asked me last year why I married a husband that was allergic to cats!  Her favorite animal. HAHA), I am allergic to most dogs (poodles are OK, some terriers etc. and the thought of picking up poop just irritates me, and the lack of a good yard for a dog) sooooooo where do we go from there?  Bunnies!!  Little baby bunnies born from a rescued Mama and Papa bunny.  Oh aren't they precious?

So proud of my man!

Daily Pilot article:  BY DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA

Updated: Monday, March 1, 2010 10:21 PM PST

Since George Larsen left his first high school coaching job on top 12 years ago, some of the best soccer programs in Orange County have offered him a job about every year.

But Larsen, who twice coached the Mission Viejo High girls to a CIF Southern Section championship and also won a CIF crown as a player for the Diablos, turned down every offer.

Larsen never saw himself coaching on the high school level again. It didn’t fit with his schedule, his family. Larsen also enjoyed far more success guiding the Newport Beach-based Slammers Futbol Club.

Mater Dei, where Larsen’s mom, Diane, has been a teacher for a quarter of a century, failed to lure him in.

So, why is Larsen at Corona del Mar? Who convinced him to return to the high school ranks?

Larsen’s ties with the Slammers helped. A handful of the boys who play for the Sea Kings once suited up for Larsen on the club level.

Despite the familiarity, Larsen still had no idea if CdM could make history in his first season at the helm. It can today.

The Sea Kings are one win away from reaching the section title game for the first time in the program’s history. Top-seeded CdM (22-1-1) plays host to North Torrance (16-5-5) in the semifinals of the Division IV playoffs at 3 p.m.

“I didn’t take [over] this program because I knew we were going to be good this year,” Larsen said in early in January, before the Sea Kings made waves nationally (now ranked No. 11 by ESPN RISE). “Before I took the job, one of the [players] I talked to was Reed [Williams]. I asked him, ‘Is this high school thing important to you?’ He almost teared up. He said, ‘Yeah, it’s very important to me.’

“That was one of the things that pushed me over the edge. When I saw the sincerity of how important this was, I said, ‘This is something I want to invest in. I could see that these kids were going to work hard for me.’ ”

The Sea Kings have outworked practically everyone on the field. They’ve outscored opponents, 70-11.

The two times CdM didn’t prevail, Williams was out with an injured right hamstring. The UCLA-bound senior striker is more than all right now.

Williams scored his 28th goal of the season in the Sea Kings’ 2-0 quarterfinal victory at Cathedral of Los Angeles on Thursday. Williams and CdM haven’t come this far to settle for anything but a section crown.

North Torrance is trying to qualify for its first section championship game as well.

The Saxons reached the semis for the second straight season by knocking off fourth-seeded Norwalk, 2-1, in the quarterfinals. In order to upset another top seed, the Pioneer League champion can’t afford to fall behind the way it did at home Thursday.

The Sea Kings’ defense is stingy. Since suffering its lone loss of the season on Jan. 15, CdM has allowed two goals during its current 10-game winning streak. One of the goals came in a 4-1 first-round playoff win over Wilson of Hacienda Heights.

As much as players like Williams, Jack McBean and Brian Ford receive a lot of praise for their abilities, guys like Jack Gorab, Greg Allen and goalkeeper Connor Gaal slow down the opposition. The Pacific Coast League champion Sea Kings are primed to move on to the title game, where they may possibly meet a league foe in Laguna Hills.

The Hawks play host to La Mirada in the other semifinal today. Larsen, as he said earlier in the season, isn’t one to overlook any team, even though his Sea Kings are the heavy favorites.

“Those rankings don’t help you win titles,” said Larsen, who in three seasons led Mission Viejo to Division I girls’ titles in 1995-96 and 1997-98, and won a Division 3-A title as a Mission Viejo boys’ player in 1988-89. “They’re nice. They’re flattering. They’re fun for the kids. I’ve been an unranked team and I’ve been a top-ranked team and won it.

“I’m having a blast. It’s not like a first-year coach getting acclimated. It’s just kind of me helping the community like I have been doing with the Slammers all these years.”

The article online

Baby Bunnies!!!

Aren't they the cutest?!?!

George's Mom and sister rescued several rabbits from the park a few weeks ago.... they already had 18 at the house so what is a few more, right?(all rescue bunnies)   2 days later, one of them had babies.  The bunnies are now 2 weeks old and absolutely precious.  Irelyn is in love and visits them and helps care for them every few days.

Butterflies

If you have never watched caterpillars turn into butterflies you must do it.  Your kids will love it.
Irelyn received a butterfly kit from my parents for Christmas and a few weeks later 2 containers of caterpillars arrived in the mail. 

Here are the caterpillars after they formed chrysalids(don't ask me why it's not cocoon). See them hanging on the right side?

Ready to release

I saw a kit at Lakeshore the other day for $30 and you only received 5 caterpillars.  This kit was from Costco, bigger and cheaper, and Irelyn received 10 caterpillars.  Try Insect Lore and see if you can get a better deal.

Daddy Daughter Dinner Date 2010

Happy 6th Birthday Lauren

My sister in law Julie is so creative!!  She always plans the best birthday parties for her kids and Laurens 6th party was super fun

It was an everything but sleeping slumber party. 

jammies, crafts, movies, food...a bunch of girls having fun :)

Happy New Year! 2010

We started New Years Eve with an extremely exciting soccer game.  George is coaching Boys Soccer at CDMHS and the team was in the finals against our Alma Mater-MVHS.  We were at the fields that George and I met at over 14 years ago.  Man... I feel old!

I'm so proud of George for excelling as a coach and for his dedication to the players on his teams.

OC Register article

They won and George(and Irelyn) were congratulated with Champagne and cider.

Party in the Hood followed.  Good times with good friends. 

I hope 2010 brings you much love and joy