Kaume'alani

Some random photos from Ecuador...

2012-01-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

Delicious cookies at the bread store

The color Plaza de Ponchos

A tiger mural at the mall in Ibarra that Aeva was obsessed with

Katie being weird in an antique store

A weird antique

A human skull

An antique well

A cute mini car

Kia ambulance

Aeva's first toy car ride

A toy hippo

Mom & I in Los Angeles, we survived a month in Ecuador!

On loss...

2012-01-10T22:37:00.000-08:00

A blogger I follow on Tumblr lost her baby today to trisomy-13, a rare birth defect. My heart aches for her, I can't imagine living through that. What struck me out of the situation though was the "outpouring of support". I remember that kind of support. I realize that people feel they need to say something, and they don't know what to say.

How can you unless you've experienced a loss like that?

I thought I knew what loss was before I had my miscarriages, but it was so much more raw then I could have imagined. It still is. Not a day goes by that I don't think about them, and if I let myself think about them long enough, the tears always come. Even now. Even after I had a healthy baby girl who is now 18 months old and the light of my life.

Even now.

Reading about how everyone is so sorry and is so grateful for their children... I just can't. I get it, seeing a loss makes you see the mortality of your own children, but really? It's not support. I'm not judging. I'm saying I've been there. I've talked to dozens of people who have been there as well.

Just say you're sorry. Listen. Love.

Then privately, hug your children closer, but don't say that my loss makes you so much more grateful for your children. Don't you think we wish we could be as grateful?

We didn't have the chance.

Wacoal Bras

2011-10-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

Found! The perfect fit. With Wacoal's superior-fitting bras, exceptional comfort, high quality and great value, you can have it all—and look good doing it all. Find your fave at www.wacoal-america.com. I'm loving the Embrace the Lace bra pictured!

Dior Forever Invisible Retouch Powder Review...

2011-05-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

(Excuse my early morning flash face!)

The lovely Glambassador program sent me this awesome Dior powder to try.

The verdict?

I love it!

It blends really well, it looks like airbrushed skin, and it doesn't build up.

It lasts me well into the day as well with no touch ups!

Get yours here and make sure to use GLAM2 for free shipping.

Sally Hansen Crackle Coat Manicure #1

2011-05-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

I tried out my first Sally Hansen Crackle Coat manicure today! So far, so good. The crackle "shrinks up" and crackles more as it dries, so don't worry if it doesn't look very crackled when you first paint it on. I went for a more subtle look for my first manicure with a gold over yellow.

Spokane Big Cat Zoo

2011-05-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

On our recent trip to Spokane Washington, we visited the Big Cat Zoo. It was so fun! This is a one year old tiger who lives with a one year old lion - they are best friends! So cute.

This jaguar is hungry! He's eyeing the meat that the trainer has.

Aeva had an awesome time! I thought she would be a little young for zoos, but she enjoyed herself and loved looking at the animals, especially when we pointed out her favorite - lions!

This majestic lion was one of the MGM lions! He was so impressive in person.

Even fake cats make Aeva happy!

White tigers are my favorite.

Aeva's general expression the entire visit.

"Look at me! I'm on a lion!"

Aeva's new kittens

2011-05-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

We got kittens! They are so sweet. As you can see, Aeva is pretty jazzed about them. We have to work on not grabbing their tails though, haha.

The darker one on the left is Mila, and her sister Lina is on the right. Our little Russian kitties.

Aeva and her Easter basket

2011-05-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter! Aeva & I went to church in the morning, had a delicious Easter breakfast, and then got to sing a couple songs before Aeva was too tired to continue. We left church and went up to Mom & Dad's for a nap, and then we had a great family lunch when church was over. After lunch, we left for another church service where I was singing. Jake met us there, and we had a great time. When we got home in the evening, the Easter bunny had visited Aeva and left her a lot of nice gifts! She was pretty excited.

Aeva's vocabulary and Easter photos

2011-04-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

First, some pics of Aeva and I in our Easter dresses.

I found that adorable strawberry dress at Baby Gap, it reminds me of my sister, she had a strawberry dress and a strawberry blanket that she loved growing up. I found the little hat at a thrift store, it's white eyelet, too cute to pass up.

I got my dress at Target last year when I was pregnant stupidly thinking I could wear it then - yeah right. I'm glad it fits now!

Ok, now a vocab update, I'm just going to post her list again and then add new stuff in bold:

She says:
Mama
Dada
Na na (meaning 'no' and accompanied by a 'no' head shake)
Num num num (while eating things she likes)
Kih (kitty, and she also hisses like a cat if you talk about kitties)
Nee (her word for nursing)
Bah (her word to convey that she dislikes something)

Nack - snack

Yay!

Bye

Hey (she says 'hi' when you come in and 'hey' to get your attention)

Meow

Hiss (You didn't know I was raising a cat-child, did you?)

Ang (she says this when frustrated or tired)

Done (she just started saying 'done' when we feed her and she's had enough)
Baby

Old Navy Spring Dress Review

2011-04-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

The lovely Crowdtap gave me another opportunity to try an Old Navy item, this time, a spring dress!

Here is the dress I chose:

I love grey, and I wanted a season less dress, even though it's a 'Spring' dress. I've already worn it once with a grey cardigan and purple heels, it looked great! Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the outfit, but I can't wait to wear it again. It's light and airy and the drawstring waist hits me at the right spot. I like how the pintucks look, they are really flattering!

My shopping experience at Old Navy was great! Even though there weren't a lot of dresses in stock in my size, the staff was friendly and helpful and helped me find several options to try. I love how friendly the staff at my local Old Navy is.

Thanks to Old Navy and Crowdtap for my free dress!

I received a free dress from Old Navy, but all viewpoints are my own.

Dior Eyeshadow Pallet Review...

2011-04-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

I got this eyeshadow pallet from the Glambassador program a couple weeks ago. I love it! The eyeshadow has amazing staying power, and it feels so luxurious to say I have Dior on. The colors complement each other well, and the shimmer is just enough. It looks great on, and it came with different eyeshadow 'looks' to try. The smoky eye was fun and a different look than I usually go with.

At $58, it is more than I would normally spend on eyeshadow, but it was a great eyeshadow to try out if it fits in your budget. I would wear it every day.

Get free shipping by using the code GLAM2.

I received this eyeshadow for free from Glamour Magazine, but all viewpoints are my own.

100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know: Engagement Chicken & 99 Other Fabulous Dishes to Get You Everything You Want In Life

2011-04-03T17:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Glamour Magazine for my copy of this book! I'm loving it so far. It has great recipes, and each one is accompanied by funny tips, a little story, or a blurb about how the recipe came to be.

I'm a sucker for a good cookbook. Especially one that I don't have to be A) Julia Child to understand and B) solves a lot of my romance woes (even though I don't have many). Good thing Glamour's 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know does both!

You can purchase your copy here. It goes on sale tomorrow!

What Aeva has been up to lately...

2011-03-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

This is her quizzical face. This little girl has been learning a ton of new things lately. I'm always amazed by the things she can do. I thought I'd document some of her new words and activities.

She says:
Mama
Dada
Na na (meaning 'no' and accompanied by a 'no' head shake)
Num num num (while eating things she likes)
Kih (kitty, and she also hisses like a cat if you talk about kitties)
Nee (her word for nursing)
Bah (her word to convey that she dislikes something)

Activities:
Singing (she will sing along with music or other people singing)
Dancing (bobs up and down, shakes her hips, and steps in rhythm)
Crawling
Standing
Hugging
Picking up things and sharing them with me
Eating using the pincer grasp

A few random things she learned how to do:
My dad taught her how to wave a green exercise band around to make noise
Roll a ball
Pull on the tentacles of a rubber toy to make them snap
Turn off light switches

Simon G Rose Gold Earrings...

2011-03-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

Get your own Mini Editor from Polyvore

I love these rose gold earrings by Simon G Jewelry. Here's how I would style them for both day and night! Create your own set using these earrings on Polyvore for a chance to win some Simon G diamond and white gold hoop earrings.

Ritani Real Moments...

2011-03-10T16:39:00.000-08:00

Share your very own “Ritani Real Moment” at facebook.com/RitaniDesigns for a chance to be featured in Ritani’s next ad campaign!

Levis Curve ID Jeans...

2011-03-10T16:17:00.000-08:00

I believe women of all shapes should be able to find a pair of jeans that fit them instead of having to fit into the jeans. And so does Levi’s®. Have you heard about their Levi’s® Curve ID line? It’s a new, line of custom fits based on a woman’s shape, not size. Go get your custom fitting today at any Levi’s® store or levi.com today. Finally, jeans for ALL of us!!!

I would have to get the 'slight curve' ones I think, I have a small butt, especially now that I'm breastfeeding, lol!

My Old Navy Ankle Jeans,,,

2011-03-09T16:42:00.000-08:00

I got selected to try Old Navy's ankle jeans free through Crowdtap!

After trying on a bunch in the store, I went with the relaxed skinny Diva fit jeans in a light wash. The regular skinny ankle jeans were freakishly tight on my legs, and I don't have big legs. It might be because I'm tall so they have to come up higher, I don't know.

This is how they look. I really like the light wash for Spring, and they look really cute with my striped Old Navy top too. They're on sale right now, check them out!

A few recent pics of Aeva...

2011-03-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

Driving the car

Keeping her company while she sleeps

Sometimes, she only wants Mommy

She has always stuck her tongue out like this while she sleeps

A memory foam beanbag chair at Costco, she loved it

Crazy bathtime curls

Decisions, decisions...

2011-03-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

It's funny all of the things I never even thought about when having a baby. One of them is what to do with her hair. She's sporting a serious case of bed head here, but in reality, she looks like this 99% of the time lately. I've tried brushing it, but really? Brushing a baby's hair is pretty much useless. I was talking to my mom about it and wondering if I should get her bangs trimmed soon, and she says, "Well, if you want bangs. You could just let it grow and clip it back, or you can cut bangs, or you can do whatever you want. You just have to decide what you want her hair to look like."

I have to decide?? I never even considered this.

Bangs? A part? Bows? Headbands? What if her hair is curly? What do I do with it??

My hair was straight until I was about 8 years old, and then it got curlier and curlier, and now it's finally settled into thick wave curls. I guess I still have awhile to decide. I can clip back her bangs into bows for now if they get in her eyes. I just wonder what other seemingly small parenthood decisions will come along and make my head spin.

Probably everything.

I realized that the last personal pics I have on here are preggo pics, so here is Aeva's birth announcement...

2011-01-04T15:31:00.000-08:00

As much as I love Tumblr...

2010-12-20T20:45:00.000-08:00

It appears that cattiness has targeted me. Ugh. Why must people on the internet be so nasty sometimes? I honestly think that the whole bullying movement has become much stronger because of the ability to attack people anonymously on the internet. Why not just worry about your own life?

Been awhile...

2010-12-07T16:19:00.000-08:00

I have neglected this blog as of late. My other blog is easier to use with a baby around, and the community aspect is really appealing to me.

I am excited that I finally got all of my Christmas shopping done, and I can't wait to post about what I got my husband and do a review on it once we exchange our gifts. It's something that I saw a demo on, and if it's as good as the demo, he's going to be really excited to have it, (me too!). That's one of the perks of being married, usually you benefit from your spouse's gifts as well.

Baby Registry...

2010-03-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

We're finally all registered at Target. I'm not big on registering, personally, I find it exhausting and overwhelming. I also think there are way too many options, and temptation can take over practicality. Jake and I did our best to register for only the things we need, and just a few fun items. We did this with our wedding registry too, and we were criticized by a few people for not registering for 'enough'. I thought this was a pretty funny criticism, and when our wedding rolled around, we were given everything we needed and plenty of fun items in addition. It was such a blessing and for a 19 year old and 21 year old, it was a reassuring start to our new life together. You can find our registry here.

There was one thing that Target did not have that we would also like, and that is a Sleepy Wrap. We have researched many options for slings and have spoken to numerous parents of infants (Jake has a never ending supply at the airport), and we have decided on this carrier. It is similar to the popular Moby wrap, only it is made from a sturdier fabric and is much safer.

Baby bump is growing...

2010-03-10T23:22:00.000-08:00

I'll be six months pregnant on Friday! (Gasp!)

Speaking of gasp, depending on the baby's position, breathing can be a bit of a strain lately. (Already? Grr...)

Top Time Saving Appliance Picks...

2010-02-28T14:42:00.000-08:00

Besides the standard appliances most people have in their kitchens, (mixer, microwave, etc.), these appliances have saved me a ton of time and money. I encourage you to consider adding them to your kitchen if you are in need of some time savers or need some incentive to cook at home. If you are cooking for two like we are, you may not want to invest a lot of time in making a meal, but these appliances will help you churn out at least three courses in no time!

Bread Machine - What's so great about a bread machine?

1. It makes bread. I know many people that have a bread machine deep in the depths of their cupboards, and they rarely use them. If you have one, try putting it on the counter. Mine sits where I can see it and easily use it, and a quick pamphlet of stand bread recipes sits next to it. I also make sure to keep yeast and bread flour in stock. This ensures that I can make bread in 59 minutes on my rapid rise bread cycle, and there is nothing more welcoming than the smell of fresh baked bread.

2. It makes dough. Sometimes, I get a craving for cinnamon rolls. Or maybe I'm having people over, and I'd like to have dinner rolls with our meal. No problem. My bread machine has a 1:20 cycle for dough, then you shape it into rolls or cinnamon rolls, let them rise for 30 minutes, and then bake for 10-20 minutes. Super easy, and no one will know that you didn't spend 2 hours making them.

3. Easy to clean. The bread pan is non stick and a cinch to wash out.

-You should not have to spend more than $100 on a bread machine. I think mine was around $59, and it does everything an expensive bread machine does.

George Foreman Grills- What's so great about a George Foreman Grill?

1. How many times have you forgotten to defrost the meat or made macaroni and cheese or boxed meals because you just don't have time to cook something substantial? No problem if you have a George Foreman. Stick a frozen piece of meat on the grill, it takes less than 10 minutes, no flipping, no sticking.

2. You can also grill a sandwich like a tasty panini, yum, options.

3. Super easy to clean. Grease drips into a tray that you can rinse out and put in the dishwasher. The grill itself is non stick and easy to wipe down once it cools.

-George Foreman Grills are usually priced based on size. We have a two person one we got for $19. They are often on sale especially around going to college time. Our two person one does two hamburger patties or one large chicken breast easily.

Magic Bullet - What's so great about a Magic Bullet?

1. Magic Bullets will blend just about anything. I haven't tried non-food items, but it hasn't met an edible item it can't blend yet. I use mine all the time to make smoothies, dips, and protein shakes.

2. You can use it as a food processor. I have used mine to turn walnuts into walnut flour, and it worked perfectly.

3. You blend right into the cup you will be drinking out of, or you can blend right into a shaker cup or storage cup. Less dishes!

4. Speaking of dishes, everything goes in the dishwasher! Love it.

- A basic Magic Bullet will run you around $59, or you can get the tricked out version with a blender attachment and juicer for $99ish. Often you can get them online buy one get one free, I did this and gave the other to my cousin as a wedding present.

Crock Pot - What's so great about a crock pot?

1. Set it and forget it. Crock Pots are super easy to use. Throw stuff in, turn it on, come back hours later, and eat. I usually throw in some meat, pour a sauce on it, and then return later to tender, perfectly cooked meat I can put over rice, eat alone, use in a sandwich, etc.

2. You can have the Crock Pot make food for you while you are at work. None of my other appliances will do this. I've thought about using the time bake feature on my oven, but honestly, I'm too nervous it will burn my house down somehow. I often put my Crock Pot on the 10 hour cycle, and it's so nice to come home to a house that smells of fresh cooked food that is ready as soon as I can set the table.

3. Also easy to clean. Sometimes I have to soak the dish, especially on a longer cycle, but after 30 minutes or so it wipes out easily.

-Crock Pots are anywhere from $10 up. I have a 5 quart one I use to make lunches for Jake, and a 16 oz one we use to keep dips warm or for fondue.

Senseo Coffee Maker - What's so great about a Senseo Coffee Maker?

1. Coffee in 1 minute. Good coffee. Frothy coffee.

2. No cleanup, just dump out the coffee pods and put in new ones.

-Senseo Coffee Makers cost aroun $50. The pods are about $4 for 18. More expensive than ground coffee, but much cheaper than Starbucks. Love this. We still use our regular coffee maker, but when I'm in a hurry or too tired to function, one minute coffee is awesome. And personally, I like the taste of Senseo better too.

My number one tip for time saving? Keep your appliances on the counter. I know the streamlined look is preferable, but if I have to get something out, plug it in, etc, I'm much less likely to use it. If I can just walk into the kitchen, throw ingredients in something, and get a quick meal, I will.

Spotlight on Design Sponge...

2010-02-28T12:49:00.000-08:00

Design Sponge is a great resource for inspirations, DIY projects, and general time wasting. Everything is listed in categories for easy viewing, my favorite is 'before & after', because I'm a sucker for instant gratification.

They have recently added a recipes category as well, and the beautiful photos included inspire me to get cooking!

This site has a lot to offer, I encourage you to check it out!

Etsy find of the day...

2010-02-21T15:56:00.001-08:00

Too cute, from Buttercupbloom. Does someone want to buy for my baby? J/K... oai?

Ecuador Experiences: Booking a Hotel...

2010-02-17T12:02:00.001-08:00

We've booked our hotel for the trip, we'll be staying in the Hotel El Indio. It has a restaurant, includes breakfast, and is only $15 a person per night. The rooms come with one or two beds, and they have private bathrooms with hot water. The reviews on travel sites look good, and my sister visited in person and said it looks like a great hotel. She reserved our rooms for us, and they required that she make a 50% deposit up front. The hotel also has free Wifi, so I should be able to update my blog while I'm there! We're very excited about our trip, I can't wait to update about our hotel stay!

Shade Clothing = Excellent Customer Service...

2010-02-16T10:53:00.000-08:00

Mazie Crumly

to customerservice

show details 6:27 PM (16 hours ago)

Hello,

Are new pieces for spring/summer coming to Shade maternity soon? I'm expecting my first,

and I've outgrown my Shade wardrobe :(

Please say yes! I love Shade!

Thanks!

Mazie & baby

Forward

Lauren McGee

to me

show details 9:00 AM (1 hour ago)

Hi Mazie,

Thank you for your interest in our Shade Clothing Maternity line, and congratulations!

We are expecting our first Spring shipment of Maternity to arrive in the next couple of weeks.

We unfortunately do not have an exact date, as we never know what shipping delays might occur.

Please check back to our website every week or so, as they should be available for sale very soon.

If you have any additional questions please let me know.

Thanks again,

Lauren McGee | Customer Service Manager

Breeze for Cats Litter System Review...

2010-02-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

I've been using the Breeze for Cats Litter System for over a year now, and I love it! The basic premise is that the top is filled with Breeze litter pellets, and the drawer holds a pad that soaks up urine. Similar to a puppy house training pad. The urine goes through the pellets onto the pad, and you scoop the poop out and throw it away like a traditional litter box.

Pros:

Very little odor. This litter system is light years ahead of other litters in terms of smell. The pellets are odorless and dustless, and my house never has a urine or litter smell.
Easy to use. With the pellets, there is no messy clumping, and the poop is easy to remove as well.
You only have to change the pad once a week and the pellets once a month. (Confession: we do this less often than that and we're *usually* fine, but our urine drawer did overflow once, icky.)
Our cats adjusted to it easily and love it. As long as you follow the adjustment period directions, your cat should adapt well.

Cons:

You still have to scoop unlike those automated litter boxes.
The pellets and pads can be hard to find sometimes, and they are often sold out.
Prices for pellets and pads vary immensely between different chains. Ex: $6.99 a bag at Target, $14.99 a bag at Petco!

Verdict:

I would recommend that anyone with cats try this system out. I can't say enough about how great it is and how much of a difference is has made in our quality of life with cats. Seriously, NO LITTER OR URINE SMELL - none. The only smell we get now is fresh poop smell, which is unavoidable I think.

Sally Hansen Color Quick Fast Dry Nail Pen Review...

2010-02-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

I don't paint my nails very often, but on a whim yesterday I went to Walgreens in search of some navy blue nail polish. I was disappointed to find out that Walgreens doesn't carry Nic's Sticks, which I love, so I decided to give Sally Hansen's version a try.

Pros:

I love these nail pen applicators. They are pretty much fool proof for a nail painting idiot like me.
Portable
Available in many different shades including chrome colors and fine tipped nail art pens.

Cons:

Colors aren't true to box or description. I bought black, since they did not have navy blue, and it ended up to be navy blue anyway. If I had really wanted black, I would have been disappointed.
Polish goes on thin and required at least two coats in order to not look streaky.
Took a long time to dry, and then remained soft. (There were impressions of my bedding embedded in the polish when I awoke the next morning.) No smooth finish here.
Chips very easily. I've already made several touch ups, and I haven't been doing anything chip worthy.

The verdict:

I would not purchase this product again. The quality is world's away from Nic's Sticks. Next time, I'll just make the trek over to another store.

Ecuador Experiences: Civil Ceremonies and Residency Requirements...

2010-02-11T14:14:00.001-08:00

Before my sister arrived in Ecuador, we did a lot of checking online about the legal requirements of an Ecuadorian marriage. From the info we gained, it looked like there was a 75 day residency requirement before you were allowed to marry. My sister and her fiance didn't really want to wait 75 days after she got there, so we hoped that she could find a loophole once she arrived and was able to meet with the officials in person.

My sister's fiance lives in Otavalo, which is about 1.5 hours outside of Quito. When she arrived in Ecuador, they set up a series of appointments in Quito to see if they could get a residency exception. They had to bring photos and other documentation of their relationship in order to prove that they had known each other for awhile, and not that my sister was some random tourist trying to get a visa. In Ecuador, they found, you have to get married in a civil ceremony (similar to a justice of the peace) before you can have a church wedding. Church weddings are not 'legal' ceremonies. At their last meeting with the officials, they were granted their exception, but the officials wanted them to get married that evening! They hadn't brought anything nice to wear with them, so they asked if they could get married the next day. The civil ceremony was scheduled, and my sister and friends made a mad dash around Quito to find her a pretty dress, some shoes, and a bouquet. About five of their friends were able to join them for the ceremony the next day, and they are now legally married and free to have their church wedding whenever they want.

After several chats on Skype, the wedding has been scheduled for March 20th, and those of us in the States who are attending have purchased our tickets. After several long overseas flights in the past, I'm pleased that our route takes us from Portland to LA to Miami to Ecuador. Our flights will be less than six hours long each leg of the route!

Later on in my series, I will be able to post about traveling to Ecuador with family, Ecuadorian hotels and food, Ecuadorian shopping, traveling out of the country while 6 months pregnant (!), and the reason for this whole series - the Ecuadorian/American wedding!

New Series: Ecuador Experiences...

2010-02-11T14:10:00.000-08:00

I do a lot of my research from reading blogs. I love personal experiences, pictures, etc, much more than about.com type sites and the like. Right now, we are in the process of planning my sister's wedding in Ecuador, and sadly, there is a distinct lack of information ANYWHERE on the web about it, especially on a blog. I know Americans getting married to Ecuadorians in Ecuador are not the most common situation, but we seriously only found ONE blog about the experience. I've decided to add another series, Ecuador Experiences, chronically our story. After all, I can't blame the internet if everyone like me sits around without sharing.

Nursery progress

2010-01-29T18:37:00.000-08:00

Now that we're successfully moved upstairs, I can start working on the nursery. We don't really have anything in it yet except a rocking chair, but today I got out my old baby blankets and set up my Hello Kitty stuff. (Yes, it's going to be a pink Hello Kitty nursery. Groan away.)

Closet

Some Hello Kitty decor

Rocking chair and some baby blankets

More baby blankets. It's so weird to think that in five months, I will snuggle MY daughter in MY baby blankets!

Coconut Curry Chicken with Red Beans and Rice Recipe...

2010-01-29T18:23:00.000-08:00

Tonight's dinner was super easy, especially if you have a crock pot and a rice maker like I do. It's also one of those dinners that seems time consuming and is not the usual dinner fare, so it's sure to impress guests or just make you feel like you're getting something special for minimal work. Love those dinners.

Coconut Curry Chicken with Red Beans and Rice

3 large chicken breasts
2 cans of red beans
1 cup of coconut curry sauce (you can find this at most any grocery store)
Pot of rice, basmati or jasmine would fit best, but you can use any kind you like.

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker.
Pour sauce over chicken.
Set cooker to 8 hours.
After 6 hours, shred the chicken, and add the beans, stir.
After 8 hour cycle is over (or whenever you're ready to eat) serve over rice.

Serves 6-8, or you can plan for delicious leftovers if there are just 2 in your household like ours.

Enjoy your easy unique meal!

Wierd pregnancy dreams...

2010-01-27T01:16:00.000-08:00

So lately, I've been having these really vivid pregnancy dreams. (The books verify that this will happen.) Sunday night's was particularly funny, thought I'd share.

Me and three other nondescript friends are traveling across the US in a giant red cube made out of ripstop (kite fabric). It looks sort of like a giant cat toy cube which has a flexible plastic window on the front, openings on the sides, and a bench seat across the back. Two friends are pushing the cube, one is pulling it from a harness in the front, and I am sitting inside steering and navigating. The cube is going REALLY fast, which is funny since the friends would have to be running that speed as well, but they are, since it's a dream and everything. We take turns at the different spots, and we're having a ton of fun.

After awhile, we come up to a newly paved road (doesn't have lines painted yet - straight black) that goes through miles and miles of orchards. All you can see in any direction are orchards. There are several signs stating that the road will be permanently closed coming up. I look at the map, and it looks like this is the only road going across this particular area for over 100 miles. The friends and I decide to keep going and see if there are any detours. Soon, the signs get more insistent that we turn around, because there is no way to go through. We keep going, and we get to a road block with police cars. The police tell us that the road is closed and we can't go through. We ask them why, and they say that the road leads through a town that is so evil, you can't even imagine the evils in the town. They have decided to close all roads that lead into the town so that no one will accidentally get in, and no one will come out. We ask them about a detour, and they say we need to go 100 miles back to get to one. We turn around, because we don't want to go through the evil town.

About a mile back, we pass a van with two women going towards the town. The women signal us to stop. They say that they were in a caravan of people and they were the last car in the line. The police let all of their friends go through and then made them the first car of the closure. They were separated from their friends, and they want us to help them circumvent the road block so they can make sure they are okay and catch up with them. "Besides," one of them says, "I've been through that town a hundred times, and it's not that bad." We don't want to go through the town, so we say no. The women argue with us, and then they give up.

That night, we camp in our red cube along the roadside. We awake to the women pushing our cube through the orchard with their van. We can't get out, and one of our friend's is being held in the van. The women yell that we will help them or our friend will be killed. Another friend says that if the town is really evil, there will be a sign. "What will it be?" asks the other friend. "There will be a steaming dead woman in a barrel on the road leading up to the town," the first friend says.

After driving through the orchard for miles, the women push the cube back onto the road past the block and continue towards the town. The friends think that night time is the very worst time to go through the town, but it's almost dawn now, and we can see light. Suddenly, we come up to a barrel in the middle of the road, as we drive around, we can see inside through the sides of the cube. It's a steaming dead woman.

We drive up a hill, and we can see the town down in the valley in the distance. The buildings have corrugated roofs and dilapidated walls. There is smoke rising out of several areas, and the town looks foreboding.

Then, I woke up.

Weird huh?

Sounds like the beginning of a movie.

Del Taco Review...

2010-01-25T20:04:00.000-08:00

So, I know Del Taco is a fast food restaurant, but it is seriously delish. I'm pretty snobby about my food, and I generally hate fast food restaurants, so if I like it, it's legit.

Here are reasons why you should visit a Del Taco near you, and if you don't have one, weep tears of extreme sorrow:

They use good quality chicken that isn't fatty or cheap.
Their red sauce is out of control good.
Their menu has a ton of variety, and everything on it is good.
The interior is super clean.
The employees are friendly and not snobs.
They have fish tacos.
The portions are large, the prices are cheap, the ingredients are real.
The strawberry lemonade is made with tons of real strawberries.

And finally, if that hasn't convinced you to visit, here are some restaurant for restaurant comparisons:

Newport Bay fish taco vs. Del Taco fish taco - Del Taco's is $1.49, made with high quality fish, comes with a lime, and is wrapped in a white corn tortilla. Newport Bay's is the same, only it costs $4.99 at happy hour or $13.99 during regular hours. Taste? About the same.
Taco Bell bean burrito vs. Del Taco bean burrito - Taco Bell's has beans, cheese, onions, and red sauce, is about 1/3 lb, and costs .89. Del Taco's is 1/2 pound, loaded with cheese, beans, and comes with red OR green sauce. And, it tastes WAY better.
Pollo Loco chicken taco carbon vs. Del Taco chicken taco carbon - Del Taco's comes with high quality chicken, cilantro, fresh onions, and red sauce, wrapped in a white corn tortilla. Pollo Loco's comes with medium quality chicken, cilantro, and large chunks of so so onion, NO sauce, and a white corn tortilla.

There you have it folks. Del Taco is the best. Go.

More remodeling...

2010-01-25T19:46:00.001-08:00

We're adding more space to our second floor so that we can move our bedroom upstairs and give the other bedroom to the baby. It will be a project in stages.

First, we're finishing this middle section.

Later on, we'll finish the rest off so the whole upstairs will be usable.

Jake putting on the last panel. Now to brace it, put down the carpet, take down the fan, and put up the railing. And then, of course, move all our stuff upstairs.

Etsy find of the day...

2010-01-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

These ruffle panties/diaper covers are too cute. You know I'm having a baby right? Want.

These are from Sherbetbaby who's shop also houses adorable outfits, bibs, burp cloths, and other baby and girl items.

Seattle highlights...

2010-01-25T18:50:00.001-08:00

Last week, Jake & I took a short trip to Seattle to unwind, do some work, and have fun.

Here are a few of my favorite moments.

Jake and his famous look alike.

Our awesome hotel, the Westin.

Space Needle, Jake had never been.

Windy time at the Needle.

Baby bump and I getting ready to try Capital Grille for dinner. The verdict? Fabulous.

Why isn't there one in Portland? Boo.

Hawaiian Sweet Bread Pudding...

2010-01-22T18:18:00.000-08:00

Jake is constantly reminding me that I need to write down and keep track of all of the recipes I create. Today, I made delicious Hawaiian Sweet Bread Pudding, and since it's on my mind right now and the recipe is fresh, I guess I'll start keeping track of them on my blog. Here goes:

Hawaiian Sweet Bread Pudding

1 loaf of Hawaiian Sweet Bread (another sweet bread will work)
1 can of diced pineapple (2-3 bananas would also work if you don't like pineapple)
1 box of coconut pudding (or vanilla if you don't like coconut)
4 eggs
3 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla

Slice bread into 3/4" thick slices, and then quarter the slices. Layer a greased 13x9 pan with one layer of bread, then 1 can of pineapple or other fruit.
Beat eggs, milk, vanilla, and pudding mix.
Pour 1/2 of pudding mixture of bread and fruit.
Add a final layer of bread, then pour the remaining 1/2 of pudding mixture over the top.
Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour.

Enjoy! I love it. Can't wait to try it with bananas next time.

Some of Jake's favorite realizations that I have had...

2010-01-22T16:56:00.000-08:00

And to even out the scales I guess, and because I don't care how stupid these sounded at the time, here are my 'realizations' that made Jake laugh.

Me - "I hate turtles, they are so gross."

Jake - "Why?"

Me - "Just think of how dirty they must be under their shells because of their pee getting in there and dirt and stuff."

Jake - "They don't pee in their shells."

Me - "And think of how gross they must look when they come out of their shells."

Jake - "Wait, what do you think a turtle is?"

Me - "This gross blobby creature inside a shell."

Jake - "Turtles don't come out of their shells, turtles are attached to their shells."

Me - "What? No they aren't."

Jake - "Yes they are, look it up. Their vertebrae are fused to their shell, so if you ever saw one come out, something would be seriously wrong."

Me - "I still hate them."

Jake - "That's fine."

One day Jake and I were driving, and Jake cut off a Trimet bus as it was accelerating.

Me - "Watch out! It's going to hit us with its ramming bar!"

Jake - Laughing hysterically - "Ramming bar?! You think buses have a ramming bar?"

Me - "Yes."

Jake - "And so, what, they just ram into cars and push them out of the way?"

Me - "Umm.... I guess so."

Jake - "That's a bike rack."

Me - "Oh, that makes sense."

Jake couldn't think of any others, but I know there are more.

Some of my favorite realizations that Jake has had...

2010-01-22T00:08:00.000-08:00

Jake sometimes realizes new things out loud. I love that I get to witness them. Here are a few:

Jake - "Oh, I just realized why it's called a birthday! Because it's the day you were born."

Jake - "How far until our exit?"

Me - "We're taking exit 120, and we just passed mile marker 99, so about 11 miles."

Jake - "Wait, the exits coincide with the mile markers?"

Me - "How did you think it worked?"

Jake - "I thought they just started at 1 and numbered them consecutively."

Me - "Then why are some of the numbers missing?"

Jake - "Wow. I never thought about this before, but it makes so much sense."

Jake - "I just realized why it's called a cupcake. Because it's a cake, in a cup. A cup-cake."

Jake - "Now I know why them call them horseshoes! Because it's the shoe a horse wears!"

And so began the death of the Pillsbury Doughboy...

2009-11-14T21:39:00.000-08:00

Thrifting finds...

2009-09-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

After my stupid and disappointing foray to Costco where I had to buy a new set of tires, (grr!), I hit up Goodwill to help fill out my fall wardrobe on the cheap.

This dress is so cute, but the top is huge. My mother in law is going to chop the skirt off so I can wear it as a 60s style flapper dress.

I just love this fabric.

Cute little dress from Gap.

Skirt from Ann Taylor.

Cashmere jacket from Hong Kong. So soft.

Can't wait for cold weather!

Etsy find of the day...

2009-09-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

Super cute bobby pins from Kristin Friesen, only $12 for three. Many more in her store, and also some wonderful jewelry, check her out!

My gun...

2009-09-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering, this is my gun. Taurus 24/7 special. It holds 11 rounds, and I have another clip that holds 15 rounds.

It is an awesome gun, .40 calibur.

It's easy to use, except it's a little strong for me, my hand is sore if I shoot more than two clips.

But, again, it is an awesome gun.

Miche bag...

2009-07-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

I finally bought one of these today. You get a base bag in black or brown, and then you can buy magnetic removable shells to change the look. I have looked at them online and at the mall several times, and I have looked for another new purse, but I decided that this is the one for me. Being able to keep all my stuff in one bag and still be able to look like I have multiple purses is awesome! I bought a black bag which came with long and short handles (short handles are pictured), and then I got a zebra shell, a camel leather shell with a buckel, and a red faux crocodile shell. Yay!

Moving...

2009-07-05T23:43:00.000-07:00

We should be finished moving in a couple of weeks, and then I can start working on Ebay and Etsy stuff. Yay!

#IranElection

2009-06-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

Twitterers, please follow #IranElection, live updates at http://iran.twazzup.com/. Your voice makes a difference, Twitterers delayed Twitter scheduled maintenance to keep Iran's line of communication flowing. It's time for change, it's time to make a difference, it's time to stop turning a blind eye, ignorance and unsupportiveness have no place in our world, people are dying for freedom! You can help even if all you do is tweet in support!

Etsy find of the day...

2009-06-06T16:43:00.001-07:00

I love this hibiscus hair stick from NightBlooming. It looks unique, vintage, and Hawaiian!

Etsy find of the day...

2009-05-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

Do want. From jlblake.

People Google me sometimes...

2009-05-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

I check my keyword search traffic occasionally, and usually there are some people who come to my blog because they Googled my name. I always wonder who these people are and why they Googled me. I just realized that I haven't been paying attention to SVU for about 10 minutes, and now I have no idea what's going on. This is probably a really random post. Oh well. BTW, I love my new tumblr blog, kaumealani.tumblr.com. Now I want people to follow me so I can feel legit, haha.

Check out my tumblr...

2009-05-14T00:45:00.000-07:00

kaumealani.tumblr.com I'm so hip I hop.

Ion channel...

2009-05-14T00:42:00.000-07:00

I'm obsessed with the Ion Life channel, 22.3 on my basic broadcast antenna in the Portland area. The commercials crack me up, they're either about other shows on this channel, other Ion channels, male enhancement products, or stuff geared towards children - weird. The shows are all slightly interesting and slightly boring = perfect for zoning out and getting tired at night or background noise.

Dead at your age...

2009-04-30T22:47:00.001-07:00

Wow, this site is kind of morbid, but it also brings in the reality of how short some famous people's lives were. One week ago, my husband outlived Jimi Hendrix.

Esty find of the day...

2009-04-30T21:58:00.000-07:00

Love this orchid hairclip from Seamingly, and it's only $3! *Swoon*

Econopocalypse...

2009-04-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

Random things that have pleased me lately:

Econopocalypse - love trendy new word combos.

Fail - my favorite trendy geek phrase of the moment.

Rainn Wilson - 'I'm going to buy a pair of crocs so I can melt them down and pour them as molten liquid into the eyes of whoever invented them.' - Hahaha.

Listening to 'Bennie and the Jets' - itunes binge of the moment - 70s music.

Random things that have NOT pleased me lately:

The Blazers - come on now - fail - and, I missed the Office because of it.

Tom Oatmeal makes me laugh so hard...

2009-04-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes NSFW, but I love this entry below:

“No thanks. Just kind of seeing what you have here."
Albert Einstein after being asked by a sales associate if he was looking for anything in particular. (1945?)
From the book, “Quotes Specifically about Browsing”

TV Highlight from the Office

2009-04-16T21:38:00.001-07:00

Check out Andy's hilarious wedding band

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

TV Highlights...

2009-04-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

From Parks and Recreation, Leslie doing a survey, "Would it change your mind if I told you that nine out of ten meth users said the same thing?" Person being surveyed, "What? How would you even know that?" Leslie, "We surveyed meth users."

Leslie, "I think we need to postpone this meeting." Leslie's boss, "Postpone the meeting?" Leslie, "Only for.... one to ninety days."

Leslie's mom, "I want my daughter to be successful. That's why I always tell her, 'There's nothing wrong with being a wife and mother.'"

From The Office, Michael to Dwight, "You respect dibs don't you?" Dwight, "Of course, I'm not a barbarian."

Michael to Charles, "I understand NOTHING."

Phylis to Dwight, "You sound worried." Dwight, "And you have bad skin. Oh look! We're all making observations, blelelelelele!"

Etsy find of the day...

2009-04-14T21:55:00.001-07:00

Loving this purple chrysanthamum ring from Cherbie. It comes in other colors too, but I like how this is sort of like a neutral so you can wear it with almost everything.

New blog...

2009-04-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

My husband (resident geeky guy), liked my new blog series so much, he wanted me to turn it into it's own blog, because geeky guys don't want to read about Etsy and my day to day whatnot, they like their advice on its own. If you're one of those geeky guys, head on over to fromtheprettygirl.blogspot.com

Thanks!

From the pretty girl to the geeky guy...

2009-04-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start a new blog series called 'From the pretty girl to the geeky guy'. I think geeky guys are the best kind around, I did marry one after all, and I'm sure many geeky guys out there want to know how to get the pretty girl. Let me tell you, it is possible.

Dear geeky guy,

I saw you today when I was waiting in line. You were waiting with your younger brother on a bench while your sister was in front of me in the line. You did something funny, and I laughed. Here is where you made your classic geeky guy mistake - you did it again. Now geeky guy, I know that you come from a world where repeating successful discoveries elicits duplicate results, but in the case of the pretty girl, it does not. Pretty girls like geeky guys who don't try to hard, they like it when you be yourself. If they can see you're like a programmed machine, they lose interest. If you did something that made the pretty girl smile, be proud and happy with yourself, and then do something different. It may not be as funny, but the pretty girls don't need to be constantly entertained to like you, pretty girls are used to being the entertaining ones. Now that you've caught her eye, let her entertain you a bit, and show her that you are watching and listening to her - she likes it when you listen.

Until next time,

The pretty girl

Etsy find of the day...

2009-04-13T20:29:00.001-07:00

The latest Etsy object of my desire from edmdesigns. They specialize in Steampunk jewelry, but I think this bracelet is pretty versitile.

QOTD

2009-04-12T23:16:00.000-07:00

My friend Kyle's status update on FB: There's no way an itunes download should take 13 hours on this computer.... ridiculous.

My friend Nathan: I'm guessing you bought 'This is the song that never ends".

Ha! Best status update reply ever.

KBQOTD

2009-04-12T23:11:00.000-07:00

My boss (to someone else who works with us) - 'I'm just going to forewarn you that I'll be really bossy for the next hour.'

Other guy - 'Actually, you've been a lot easier to work with lately.'

My boss and I make eye contact and try not to look visibly annoyed.

Ha! Who says that to the guy in charge? Lol

Etsy find of the day...

2009-04-11T22:28:00.001-07:00

I'm loving these knitted obi belts from Blooop on Etsy. I think I will be ordering the red circle one. Rocking the plain black tee is definitely my MO.

Best doormat ever...

2009-04-11T22:24:00.001-07:00

Haha

Laugh meter...

2009-04-11T22:08:00.001-07:00

My friend Nate sent this to me awhile back. It still makes me laugh.

KBQOTD...

2009-04-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

Me - 'Um... where is U in the alphabet again, I'm embarassed to even ask this.'
My boss - *absentmindedly as usual* 'A B C D F U... oh wait, don't tell anyone I said that.'

TV highlights...

2009-04-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

TV makes me laugh often. It's my way to decompress and relax, but as my husband pointed out, I never really 'watch' TV, it's just on in the background while I do stuff like blog or research things on the internet. In any case, for those of you who share my sense of humor, I've decided to post my TV highlights. Here is my favorite moment from The Office on Thursday.

The Michael Scott Paper Company makes me laugh so much. I love that plot twist.

I also love Parks and Recreation. This clip made me laugh so hard I watched it 4-5 more times online after the show ended. Hehe

Bliss Bake Shop Review...

2009-04-07T22:01:00.000-07:00

Bliss is my new favorite place to eat. (So healthy, I know.) They are the source of my current obsession, cupcakes! Bliss makes four daily cupcakes (Vanilla, Red Velvet, Mocha, and Triple Chocolate), and then they have special selections each day in addition to that. The cupcakes Their menu is located on their website. The cupcakes are moist, rich, and topped with creamy delicious frosting. So good. I've never been to St. Cupcake, but I imagine Bliss is just as good, and it's much closer to me. They do not have any trans fats or preservatives in their cupcakes, and they use local organic ingredients. All of the frostings, fillings, and batters are made from scratch. They also have cookies, Tillamook ice cream, and Stumptown coffee. They are located in the Bethany shopping area near QFC, 4708 NW Bethany Blvd Suite E-5Portland Oregon 97229. Their hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday 11am-5pm.

Prom memories...

2009-04-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

Here is my husband and I at my prom.
And here I am with our dog Momona today. Too bad I don't have an occasion to wear this to again.

Haagen Dazs Five Review...

2009-03-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

Last week, I had the pleasure of receiving a package of the new Haagen Dazs Five ice cream in the mail. Every flavor was included, and they were packaged in dry ice and came with cute little tasting cups and a tote bag. Don't you wish you lived at my house?

The big about Haagen Dazs Five, is that it only has five ingredients! Bet you didn't see that one coming. It comes in seven flavors: vanilla bean, chocolate, brown sugar, ginger, passionfruit, mint, and coffee. It also has less fat.

The verdict: delicious. We loved all of the flavors. They were rich and creamy and packed with flavor. Brown sugar was my favorite and my mom's too. My grandma loved the ginger flavor and the passionfruit. Passionfruit was almost like a sorbet ice cream. It was really good. I thought that chocolate, vanilla bean, and the coffee were not that much different than other brands, but the mint was a stronger flavor than I'd had before. All in all, they were a huge hit and one of my favorite products to test to date. They would probably be a good option for people with food allergies because of their low ingredient count, but you should still check the labels.

Urban Fondue Review...

2009-03-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

Jake and I ate at Urban Fondue the other day, it's a great place to go if you like the Melting Pot or for anyone that likes fondue. They have a similar 3 course menu like the Melting Pot does, except it's about $98 for 2 people at the Melting Pot, and it's $26.95 a person if you go between 5-6 Monday - Saturday or anytime on Sundays. You get more food at Urban Fondue too, as their 3 course menu also includes a side dish, and they offered us more bread when we got low.

The menu was diverse and fun. Besides the traditional fondue offerings, they had a smoked cheese fondue (which was awesome), or a white cheddar and caraway fondue (definitely getting that next time). The other thing we really liked about Urban Fondue was that each person could choose their own entrees instead of getting a two person entree. That way, Jake could get a chicken/pork/seafood entree, and I could have the salmon/scallops/shrimp entree, yummy! The cooking broths were fun as well, ours was a chicken and clam broth with ginger, lemongrass, and soy sauce in it. It worked really well with both our entree choices. Our favorite part about the dinner was all of the dipping sauces they provided for the entrees, something you definitely don't get at the Melting Pot. They gave us Lime Chili, Wild Mushroom Demi Glace, Bavarian Balsamic Grain Mustard, Au Poivre Peppercorn, Thai Peanut, Blackberry Ketchup, Apple Chiptole Relish, Parsnip Vinaigrette, Meyer Lemon Hollandaise, Yellow Curry Hollandaise, Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli, Plum, and Lemon-Garlic Butter with Parsely and Capers.

Dessert was amazing, we had the peanut butter and chocolate fondue, and I can't wait to try fresh pureed raspberries swirled into chocolate fondue. Urban Fondue also has delicious sides and salads, tasty cocktails, and 'hot pots' - different broth simmering pots filled with an assortment of meats and vegetables for only $16.50 a person. We can't wait to go again.

Urban Fondue is located at 2114 NW Glisan Street Portland, OR 97210, and can be reached at 503.242.1400. Check it out, it's a great place for a date.

Ebay Preview...

2009-03-06T22:46:00.001-08:00

Here is a preview of some of the vintage clothing that will go up on Ebay soon...

Except I decided I'm totally keeping this jacket for me, because I love it. Isn't it fabulous??

Spotlight on Rules of Thumb...

2009-03-05T22:10:00.000-08:00

I haven't done a spotlight in a loooong time, but I really liked this site. Rules of Thumb is a funny way to submit your thoughts on anything that you think should be a rule, such as how to design a city street, market to the elderly, or fix your car. It's based off of a book with the same title that is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other popular sites. Check it out, you might learn something, and you'll probably find something to laugh at as well.

Kaume'alani Designs is up on Etsy...

2009-03-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to announce that I finally got my Etsy shop up and running. Kaume'alani Designs has some of my favorite headband creations online, and I will have more to come soon. Please check it out and tell all your friends! Here is one of my favorite and most complimented headbands.

Blogging absense...

2009-03-02T22:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been gone so much. I know you missed me immensely. I've been caught up in life and work and sleeping and eating cookie dough and fruit roll ups, you know, standard essential stuff.

In other news... I'm going to Argentina in July to visit Katie, yeah! I'll be there for a little over a week, and I'll get to meet David and see her school and who knows what else we'll do. Hopefully we'll be able to get some people to come to Buenos Aires with us, because I'd love to see the sights there.

My mother in law and I are starting a new venture, details will come soon, but we are going to be selling some awesome vintage clothing with modern updates. For those of you that enjoy my fashion sense, these clothes will be a great mix of vintage and my personal style, I hope you love it. I'll also be getting my custom headbands and probably other accessories up on Etsy soon, we might pair some of them with the vintage clothing to cross market. Stay tuned, I'm very excited!

17 reasons why I'm glad I don't live in Phoenix...

2009-02-09T22:17:00.000-08:00

1. No one can drive in the rain. They were sliding all over the place like it was ice. I've seen less accidents in 2 feet of snow. The drainless roads don't help either. And haven't they heard of siping your tires?

2. No one can drive in the sun either apparantly. I guess it's the norm to run red lights, cut people off, tail gate, and weave around like a drunk. And if you think pedestrians have the right of way, think again.

3. Customer service is almost non existant. Come on people, can't you at least smile? I actually witnessed an employee scream at a lady, "You don't want my help?! Is it because I'm black?!" Get over yourself dude.

4. There are hardly any grocery stores. I went to a couple that were near my hotel, gross. There was one Whole Foods Market about 30 minutes away, and that was it other than Walmart and some weird looking place called Food King or something like that.

5. There are hardly any healthy restaurants. Or there aren't any. I didn't see any, but maybe they exist.

6. Where the heck are all the smoothie places? It gets 115 degrees in the summer, haven't you ever heard of Jamba Juice?

7. It's boring.

8. I saw a guy snorting crack in front of me on the sidewalk on Mill Ave like he was as innocent as a kid with an ice cream cone.

9. Creepy guys seemed to emerge from the earth after dark to roam the streets and harass people.

10. Public transportation is limited at best.

11. Cacti get boring to look at after about 5 minutes. I'd miss all the different trees and plants in Oregon.

12. Those things they call mountains? Not so much. By their definition there would be almost a hundred 'mountains' in the greater Portland metro.

13. Phoenix ladies, I have a common fashion tip you seem to have never heard... legging are not pants. Ever.

14. I've never seen so many slouchy looking people in dirty oversized pajamas or sweats or people that poured themselves into outdated track suits in my life. Seriously... how about a little pride in your appearance.

15. In contrast, my everyday casual got outright stares and plenty of comments like, "WOW! Why are you so dressed up?" or "Who do you think you are looking so good?"

16. Men in Portland at least look away and blush if I catch them checking me out. Men in Phoenix... keep looking with a dirty grin. Ew.

17. It's not Portland, enough said.

More custom headbands...

2009-01-30T11:48:00.000-08:00

Here's another one of my awesome headbands. I'm going to put some on Etsy as soon as I stop making ones that I can't bear to part with! This picture looks kind of weird because I'm on a slant.

Funny cat video...

2009-01-29T22:12:00.000-08:00

No longer accident free...

2009-01-28T23:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was one of those weird random snow days in Oregon where it quickly covers the ground but it slushy and slick, and then melts at like 2 PM. Unfortunately, I left for work at 9:30 AM. I've never had trouble in the snow before, and there was only a couple of inches, so I figured I would be fine. My road is all downhill for about 2 miles until you get to the highway, and the last few hundred feet are the steepest and curviest. It is at this point, that my car started to slide, and I could not regain control of it. It picked up a lot of speed before spinning around at least twice and crashing into the well manicured lawn and cute little tree of my high school choir teacher's in-law's house. Their lawn is pretty sloped, and my car was facing uphill jammed against the tree.

Dazed, but I did not feel hurt, and was not able to open my door from the tree, so I crawled across to the passenger side and walked over to the house. When she came to the door, she was super nice to me and invited me in. I told her I had a phone and that I could wait in my car, and she said that she was so sorry I had crashed. (What a sweet lady). I told her that I felt bad about her lawn, and she assured me it was fine. She then asked if I lived nearby, and when I told her who I was, she excited said that she had heard all about me from my choir teacher and felt like she already knew me. "Great, and then I killed your cute little tree," I thought. I went back to my car and called my dad, but he was not available, so I called my husband, who suggested that his dad could come and pull me out. While he called his dad, my dad called back, and I told him that all was ok.

After I got off the phone, a car with two Mexican guys pulled up. They walked over to me, so I got out. They began to speak to me in Spanish about my car, but I didn't know the verbs they were using (probably things like crash and spin and tree killer), so I couldn't really understand them. I told them that I was fine and that my dad was coming, but they didn't leave. They began to examine my car, the tree, walk around in the yard, and look at my chains. One guy suggested that I back my car a couple hundred feet through the yard and out onto a side road. I told him that I didn't think I could drive it that well and would wait to see what my dad thought. Then the other guy got a jack out of his car and started to jack up my car to put the chains on. The guys told me that they had just gotten sent home from trimming the trees in the orchard due to the snow. Just then, another couple of guys in a car slid off the road into the orchard up the hill, and a truck with a couple of other guys stopped behind them. Another carload of guys and another truck drove around them down to where I was. The first truck pulled the car out of the orchard, and then they came down to where I was as well. Now there were about 15 guys. They decided to take the chains off, then they hooked my car up to the biggest truck, discussed which way to pull it would be best, and then motioned to me of which way to turn my tires when I got in. I got in the car, and the truck driver walked over to my window and said to me, "You, SPEED, help me." He got in the truck and then motioned to me to go. The rest of the guys helped direct and push my car. A couple guys held back the little tree so that it wasn't jammed into the side. Then, they even helped push back the dirt around the tree and trimmed the broken limbs so it would have a chance at not dying. The truck pulled me up to a patch of road that was dry from tree cover, and then stopped. They unhooked me and then put my chains of for me, and then Jake's dad showed up. I thanked all the guys, but they wanted to watch me to make sure I made it up the hill. After I got up the hill, most of them left, but the truck followed me back to my driveway and then waved cheerily and left. Nice guys. I see them almost every day on my way to town, and now the sight makes me feel happy and safe instead of, "There sure are a bunch of strange guys working within a couple miles of my house." Hopefully I'll never need their assistance again, but it's nice to know that they're nearby.

Weird facts about my cat Tobber...

2009-01-24T00:18:00.000-08:00

For those of you that have not had the pleasure of meeting my cat Tobber, here twelve interesting facts about him that set him apart from the average cat and make him worth getting to know:

1. Tobber hates feet. He can tell the difference between feet petting him or hands petting him even with his eyes closed. If you dare to try to pet him or anything else with your foot, be prepared for a hearty slap of disapproval.

2. Tobber has been known to chase dogs off of our property, even a German Shepherd, and yet, he is terrified of lint. Go figure.

3. Tobber will eat almost anything, especially vegetables. His greatest joy in life is to sit in an empty chair at the table and watch us eat in hopes that we will feed him something or accidentally drop something on the floor (my dad does this often). If you happen to be preparing a food that Tobber loves, such as chopping vegetables, he comes running at the sound and purrs loudly by your feet hoping you will give him some vegetables to eat.

4. His favorite vegetables are sauteed peppers, but he also loves lettuce, celery, parsley, broccoli, strawberry tops, raw peppers, swiss chard, and spinach.

5. His favorite toy is a piece of suede lacing with a knot tied in the middle. If you throw it on the ground near him, he will play with it maniacally no matter what mood he is in, even from a dead sleep.

6. Tobber comes running to greet you when you get home like a dog. He follows you around the house when you come home and loves to race you down the stairs.

7. At random moments, Tobber will run through the house and up and down the stairs for no apparent reason, even going so fast that he will smash into walls and slide around corners.

8. Even though he was the meanest kitten I have ever seen when we adopted him, he grew into one of the most nurturing cats there is. He raised an abandoned four week old kitten (Senator), even cleaning his bottom, bathing him several times a day, carrying him around the house in his mouth, and running to his aid the minute he cried. He even bit me when I tried to give the Senator a bath because Senator cried so much. When Senator grew up, Tobber maintained more of a love/hate relationship with him, but one time when Senator got outside and hid in the blackberry bushes because the dogs chased him, Tobber tried to carry Senator into the house by his neck like he had done so often when Senator was a baby. He couldn't lift him, so he licked him on the head reassuringly and walked with him in small increments until they both reached the house, all the while growling menancingly at the dogs, who never mess with Tobber. It was the sweetest thing I have ever witnessed an animal do. When Senator disappeared, Tobber looked for him for days. They had a specific meow they would use with each other, and I would hear Tobber outside meowing for Senator using their little call, then he would come inside and dejectedly lay down in Senator's favorite spot. Whoever said animals don't have feelings has never had a cat like Tobber, and anyone who thinks cats don't really care about anything other than themselves could learn a lot by watching him.

9. Tobber knows when people are sad or sick and tries to cheer them up. If I cry, Tobber comes running and lays with me and purrs. If I don't feel good, he lays at my feet and stays with me for hours. One time, I had a bad asthma attack and collapsed in the living room of our house in Aloha. I couldn't stop coughing, and the coughing took so much out of me that I could barely move. Jake was asleep with the bedroom door shut across the house, and Tobber raced through the house and slammed into the door as hard as he could. Then, he sat and meowed very loudly (his usual meow is very soft), and Jake came out of the room. Tobber then took off through the house meowing, and Jake got me and took me to the hospital. A few weeks ago, my mom was in intense pain from a kidney stone, and Tobber was visibly upset, rubbing his head affectionately on her foot (and he hates feet!) and looking at the rest of us like, "Do something!"

10. Tobber is very nice to kids. He seems to have this ability to know the difference between kids and adults. For adults, if you even pet him the wrong way you may get a slap or a bite, but I have seen kids pull his whiskers and ears, slap him in the face, yank his tail, and pet him roughly or backwards, and all he does is purr and wait for a chance to quietly slip away. I have never even seen him hiss at a child.

11. Tobber has the cutest kitten face I have ever seen. He is so expressive, you always know what he's thinking. He is super fun to play with, because his eyes widen to the size of saucers and his paws almost blur they move so fast.

12. Tobber likes to watch TV. He especially likes basketball games. I would think he would like shows about animals, but he has sat through an entire Blazer game before without taking his eyes off the screen except for commercials. What an awesome cat.

If you actually read all of these things about Tobber, I'm really impressed and thank you for taking the time to learn a little about him. He is a very special cat.

Shopping wish lists...

2009-01-16T20:49:00.000-08:00

I'm loving Forever 21 right now. Here are my current wish lists.

Forever 21 Check by Kaumealani

Casual Tokyo by Kaumealani

Forever 21 Reds by Kaumealani

Forever 21 Blue by Kaumealani

Forever 21 Purple by Kaumealani

Updates...

2009-01-09T22:23:00.000-08:00

It's bittersweet to admit that a gluten free Mazie is an extremely healthy feeling one. Bitter because it might mean the end of gluten, which would mean the end of tasty yeast rolls, buffet eating with reckless abandon, and Australian toaster biscuits until suitable substitutes are developed. Sweet, because I would give up those things in a heartbeat if my health continues to improve. 2009 will be the year of moving forward for me in many ways. Many of my medical conundrums are stymied in my own inability to cope with what needs to be done to move forward, but I think I'm over that. It's time for some answers, no matter what they may be.

In other news, I found some new material for making headbands out of that I will post as soon as I make them, and I also found some new clothes (finally!) at XXI and Kohls today. Pics coming soon...

New gluten free blog...

2009-01-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

Well, Jake and I are going on a six week gluten free fast to see if it will make a difference in our health. I've decided to review the many foods we're sure to try on a separate blog, Gluten Free Mazie. It probably won't be my typical hilarious and poignant posts, but you never know, a tiger can't change its stripes...

2008 recap...

2009-01-01T00:53:00.000-08:00

In 2008 I...
...punched a good friend's husband in the face.

...saw a meteor.

...was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

...celebrated my fifth anniversary.

...had sinus surgery.

...became obsessed with the TV show Dexter.

...got to hold a baby lion.

...turned 25.

...had an awesome time at CityFest.

...got heatstroke.

...had my first experience with a warehouse sale.

...had some hilarious experiences on Ambien before my doctor took me off of it.

...gave my cat a silly haircut.

...worked as an editor, a merchandiser, a staffing recruiter, a marketing coordinator, a quality assurance coordinator, a freelance worship leader, and an administrative assistant. No, I'm not a job hopper, most of these were either simultaneous or contract temp positions.

...taught Tahitian dancing.

...helped start a foundation to benefit my halau. Hello, Vice President Kaume'alani.

...helped start our awesome halau band, Naleoakalani.

...went to Hawai'i!

...made some awesome new friends.

...had to say goodbye to my kitty who disappeared.

...got cute new puppy, Mona!

...said, 'In your face!' to my fear of heights and climbed up and down creepy ladders and around on the catwalk at my church.

...went to Spokane, Seattle, and Chico.

...found new favorite clothing companies, Shade Clothing and Buxom, Inc.

...gained a brother in law!

...lost 50lbs!

...had a mean creepy stalker.

...had fun in over 2 feet of snow, Hoeft style.

Because I can...

2008-12-30T18:43:00.000-08:00

My sister and I loved this movie when we were younger. If you have a couple hours to kill, you can watch it too, courtesy of me and my awesome blog. Muahahaha!

Christmas Cats...

2008-12-27T21:47:00.000-08:00

My cats hate me sometimes...

Some of my favorite snow pics...

2008-12-25T16:54:00.001-08:00

Two of my custom headbands...

2008-12-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

How Hoefts do snow...

2008-12-21T11:19:00.000-08:00

Pea and MonaFake it till you make it.... nope... still cold.Snow angelsNext years Christmas card??
Back to the hot tub!

Custom headbands...

2008-12-17T22:17:00.000-08:00

BEFORE
AFTER
Custom headbands for me that fit my wardrobe and style. Yeah!

Skled wheeling...

2008-12-15T23:02:00.001-08:00

That's what I'm going to call our latest passtime up here on the hill. As you can see, we tied a rope to the back of one of our three wheelers and pulled each other around on the sled. We didn't take many pictures, mostly videos. Here is the classic skled wheeling position, seated and holding the rope. Another variation would be kneeling and holding the rope. A third position would be standing and holding the rope. A fourth would be two sleds side by side, each rider holding a rope. My sister and I spent most of our time in this tandem skled wheeling position. These are all positions we attempted yesterday and had a lot of fun doing it.

Today, we perfected our skled wheeling technique by lacing the rope through our sled handles so we didn't have to hold on to it. We then knelt for more tandem skled wheeling with the added benefit of being able to lean into turns and manuever more, enabling us to go much faster and on tighter turns. There was more snow today and yesterday's snow pack had frozen, so the ground was even slicker and better for skled wheeling. We skled wheeled around in the park tandem for about an hour and then went up to the house where Jake and I unleased one sled and used the free rope as a handle to skled wheel standing around the driveway. (We have a huge driveway.) Standing skled wheeling wasn't as fun, so we decided to kneel on the leased sled and hold the free rope for even FASTER skled wheeling in tight circles around the driveway, and manuevering the three wheeler to fling us over a small snow covered hill and launch us into the air. Two fun wipeouts later, I have a bruised knee, shin, and hip. Rock on. Can't wait to go skled wheeling tomorrow. Bring on the winter.

That's how The Hoeft does snow.

I'm the girl in the size 7 skinny jeans...

2008-12-14T22:58:00.000-08:00

When you have a lot of grr moments in your life, you've got to celebrate the woohoo moments. That's what I always say. Ps. I'm obsessed with Ed Hardy tiger stuff. Woohoo.

Strange animals...

2008-12-02T22:50:00.000-08:00

But all animals are cute to me.

(except snakes - icky)

Tobber...

2008-11-30T23:11:00.000-08:00

Tobber loves the sun. He doesn't see it much this time of year. He didn't appreciate me interrupting him to take a picture. What a blob.

Don't buy me these...

2008-11-30T22:54:00.000-08:00

I was at Target the other day and saw these dumb looking holiday gifts.

In case it's hard to read, this lip gloss is called 'Sexy Motherpucker". How clever. Did Paris Hilton help you come up with that one? Seriously. I hate stuff like this, because it ends up in the hands of impressionable 12 year old girls who have more attitude than Lil Kim and are willing to waste $20 just for the name. It's not even designer.

After the 12 year old girls are taken care of, you can cross everyone else of your list with this Pail O' People Chow and Pail O' Potato Chips. Yeah, a $10 tin of chips. Just what everyone wants. This is the most absurd gift I've ever seen. If you are really going to buy someone chips for Christmas, you could buy 3 bags of delicious tortilla chips for $10 instead. Much better. You can buy me tortilla chips for Christmas if you want. (Not you Jake)