Category: Bits and Pieces
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Summer
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Spring
1. Easter celebrations 2. School presentations 3. Grandparents day 4. Perfect weather and outdoor time 5. Chalk everywhere 6. Softball team 7. Silly faces
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Fall, Christmas
Christmas pretty much began back on October 31, when, for the first time, James and I became avid Hallmark Christmas movie watchers. We didn’t see it coming, but we didn’t see anything this year coming, so we went with it, and we are hooked. Nothing like a predictable love story a la Lacey Chabert to…
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Summer
Well! Summer of 2020, and here we all are, living through strange, unbelievable days. This year did not have me holding my breath right from the get go, and though I didn’t declare any particularly aspirational goals this year, rest assured I’ve accomplished nothing. I am mostly pleased to get a proper shower, ‘specially one…
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Quarantine Journal
Captain’s log, day 35. I wonder how you all are hanging in there. It’s so funny how we’ve all acquired the same words for this era!—strange, bizarre, odd, are we ‘holding up’ or ‘hanging in’. Well, as much as is possible, we are all of these. It seems like the shelter in place began like…
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Bits and Pieces
We had a very sweet Easter! The kids woke up with James to read the Easter story and then we celebrated, did baskets and enjoyed delicious cinnamon rolls (though, we’ll be doing eggs next year, sugar rush was not something we needed to instigate!). Then we were off to church and it was one of…
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Bits and Pieces
Happy Valentine’s Day!! I’ve been so behind the game this week, our entire family somehow got a terrible stomach flu, within hours of each other and it’s been a mean one. The last 12-24 hours have been a romantic dance of changing sheets, changing clothes, filling waters, emptying buckets, washing towels, disinfecting the car, washing…
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Bits and Pieces
We have had a bit of sickness this week so we’ve spent more days in the house than we’re used to. And extra nights up with Emma. Thankfully, there are some new and wonderfully distracting toys to rifle
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Merry Christmas
My dears on Christmas. Love them so..
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Merry Christmas Eve!
Everything is set out—croissants for morning breakfast sandwiches, warm cookies on the stove, stacked up in plates and tupperware, waiting to be packed up in the morning for the family party. The bike and play kitchen have been assembled, mostly with ease except for my personal low moment, frustrated by my growing belly and shortness…
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Bits and Pieces
This was such a fun day! We ventured out deep into the woods of Soquel (which is neither far nor woody..) to find a tree at a wild tree lot, and to our dismay, we found only the most gargantuan trees possible. So we stopped by another quaint little spot, off the beaten path called…
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Bits and Pieces
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Bits and Pieces
I love September. I love the beginning of a new school year, and not just for the fresh stationery. Every year, I blog the same details about how I dream of returning to class with my bouquet of sharpened pencils, side ponytail and new set of used books, covered carefully with cut up brown paper…
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Bits and Pieces
We’ve kept so busy this summer and as a result, my photography has been so quiet! More kiddo time will do that too 🙂 We’ve has so many beach days, many a strawberry stained lip,
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Summer
I’ve been a little less wordy lately, and no news is good news, or so they say! But in this case it really is.. we are having the best summer break so far!!—taking little trips all over, forgetting what time it is, naps in the car taking, lots of sun and splashing at the water park and…
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Bits and Pieces
[wpvideo bnYKqZVm ] Well, the colder days have brought us inside a bit more in the afternoons. Well, I should add that by cold I mean around 50 degrees (we Californians are embarrassing really). Though, it did drop into the low thirties the last few nights. Most afternoons, we can be found tromping through…
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Bits and Pieces
I promise this won’t be a photo dump. But it sort of is a photo dump. Doh. There’s been much afoot in the lives of the Mastrianna fam! We have had some really amazing memories logged together these last few weeks.
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Bits and Pieces
This Christmas season was filled with so many non material gifts for our family–so much quality time being near the top of the list. We started off break with a great end to James’ school semester and a fog of sickness. Whilst recovering, we did day trips to local spots, an evening at a fun…
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Happy New Year
I hope you had a wonderful New Years! So typically, I find myself at home in jammies with popcorn and a movie, all topped off by a sensibly early bedtime. But this year! This year we spent our evening with friends chatting, trying the occasional sip of moonshine, playing games and rocking my fussy baby…
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Bits and Pieces
On Sunday afternoon, I decided I had my last frustrated attempt at reaching and grabbing the ridiculous amount of toys that had built up under our bed! While the little girl population in our family slept, I shlepped our furniture around and found a new arrangement, cleaned and literally used my entire being and body…
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Hope you enjoy being with loved ones today. I kind of feel that this is my season of thanks, rather than just one day! Either way, I can say one hundred percent that being thankful everyday as a family has flipped our entire family life on its head. When I start my day out with recognizing…
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Bits and Pieces
We are so excited for the Christmas season arriving! And a week early at that since thanksgiving is this week—woop woop! Last year Luke began to understand better but this year Kate will take her turn and I’m so excited for her. We started listening
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Bits and Pieces
Luke told me he dreamt of frogs a few nights ago. I guess there’s not much more to say about it except I thought it was cute. And amazing that he’s beginning to remember his dreams, or at least describe them to us 🙂 Also, his three favorite animals to sleep with are a Swiss…
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Bits and Pieces
It has been so hot! Last week, the leaves began to fall and the other day I had to rake them all away so I could break out the pool. Kate and I have spent a few afternoons playing in the water. She loves it. This girl..
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Bits and Pieces
Septembers in Santa Cruz are usually lovely. It has felt a little too hot still for my bones but the mornings and evenings are becoming the slightest bit cooler and breezier, a sort of haphazard breeze that throws leaves around in our yard as the sunsets
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Bits and Pieces
I used to do “bits and pieces” when I first started blogging (in 2011, where’s my cane?! okay okay that’s not THAT long ago now that I think about it..), but I miss doing that so here’s my 2017 take on it. I should add, I physically—almost painfully—cringe when I read some of my blog entries…
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Spring
After a handful of “storms of the century”, the weather in on the upswing and I can almost squeeze spring out of thin air! We’ve spent a whole lot more time outside–not like it’s such inclement weather, we couldn’t be outside (eyeroll to us Californians)–and it’s warmly welcomed!
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Presently
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Currently
There are quite a few things I could be doing in this moment.. Once the child is down and things settle, it’s easy for me to dive into a spurt of work-related shenanigans (and let’s be honest, get a little lost and come back up for air at 10pm, yikes). But I’ve realized over the…
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Bits and Pieces
September is half-way through and I’m coming to terms that my little boy will be SIX months old soon (YES, a half of a YEAR!). He’s an absolute joy that little one. This picture is a good capture of who he is—full of joy, excitement, easy-going and content. LOVE him. He’s in such a playful…