2019 New Years Resolutions

Happy New Year!! I know some people say, "Don't make resolutions! You don't need that kind of pressure." But I have always been a goal oriented person and I find that setting resolutions at the beginning of the year helps me stay focused and on-course. I don't beat myself up if I don't meet my goals. Remember that one from two years ago about being able to do 5 pull ups? HAHAHAHA. That's never going to happen but I don't feel bad about it. Be happy with where you are and celebrate if you make improvements! 

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My top 9 sums up my year perfectly. Pregnant, more pregnant, even more pregnant, ice cream and a new baby. 😂 Cheers to an incredible 2018! Hope everyone has a good time celebrating tonight. I will be hanging out at home with my babes and probably sleeping by 10 pm. 🥂

A post shared by San Diego Lifestyle Blog (@parkerproject) on Dec 31, 2018 at 4:12pm PST

2018 Resolutions Recap

1. Read 25 books. After last year's NYE drunk reading saga, I was determined not to wait until the last minute to hit my reading goal. At the time of this post, I have read 37 books. Here are some of my faves.

Made me laugh: Born a Crime, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Made me think:  Just Mercy, Where the Crawdads Sing

Made me cry: The Hate U Give

Made me inspired: The Boys in the Boat, Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit


2. Get rid of my cystic acne and acne scars. This is a tough one but I am a woman on a mission!This year I invested in myself and my face and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I've been seeing Amy at Eco Chateau for bi-weekly facials and my skin is better than it was but we had to be careful about what products/treatments we were using due to the pregnancy.


3. Lose 25 pounds and overall be healthier. Welp, this did not happen. Instead of losing weight I became pregnant and gained 30 pounds. I may not be thinner but I have the world's cutest baby!


4. 10,000 steps a day. I was really good about this until the end of my pregnancy when my feet started swelling like crazy and the only footwear that I could wear comfortably were Sanuk sandals.


5. Work on professional growth. I really worked hard on this one and it paid off! I won an Excellence in Marketing award this year at our annual marketing conference. Reading Great at Work changed the way approached my work and inspired me to rethink the processes I used to accomplish projects and work with different teams. I also embraced mentoring some of my younger colleagues which has been fulfilling. **Patting myself on the back**


Alright, now let's get to it. What am I going to do to improve myself in 2019?


2019 Resolutions

1. Read 25 books.

2. Get rid of acne scars with aggressive face peels.

3. Finish 12 weeks of BBG.

4. Go on hot dates with Tuan at least once a month.

Santa Photos at Wee Gather

Holiday Family Photo Shoot at Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve

This magic moment. Me, 3 weeks postpartum trying to be as glamorous as I could muster, my three handsome dudes looking their finest in dapper duds. I love the new us. I love the newness that is baby Harrison and how he completes our family in a way that I didn't even realize we needed. We have a lot to be grateful for this holiday season. Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you have a joyful holiday season filled with love, peace and many many mugs of hot chocolate with extra marshmallows.

Special thanks to my sister Karen for snapping these photos. I owe you one!

Outfit details

On Mary:

Asos dress

Shapewear

On Tuan:

J Crew shirt

Cole Haan boots

On Parker:

J Crew shirt

Zara pants

Zara shoes

On Harrison:

Target shirt and pants

[LOVE]

[My #1]

[Tuan is slowly turning into a silver fox.]

Harrison's 1 Month Celebration at Wee Gather

 

This past weekend we celebrated Harrison's Day Thang (1 month celebration)/Thanksgiving at Wee Gather. Day thang means full month in Vietnamese and it celebrates a newborn completing his/her first lunar month in the world. Since Harrison's one month was so close to Thanksgiving, we decided to serve both traditional Thanksgiving food (turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes, etc) and day thang food (roasted pork, xoi, Vietnamese desserts). Friends and family showered Harrison with gifts and red envelopes.

I have been stalking Wee Gather's IG page since they opened over a year ago and just waiting for the opportunity to host a party here. The space is light, bright, open, extremely kid-friendly, reasonably priced, and flexible (booze and outside catering allowed). The week before the party, I multitasked while breastfeeding and created a mood board for Elizabeth, owner of Wee Gather. Elizabeth and her husband Albin were so accommodating and worked with us from booking to clean up to pull off the perfect event. If you are looking for a party venue, I would recommend you check this space out and support a local small business!

We started hunting for Thanksgiving decor as soon as Halloween was over but in our new baby haze we didn't realized all the stores had already moved on to Christmas. The only things I could find were some unfinished wooden sign on clearance at Michael's which I painted gold and a handful of faux pumpkins at Vons. My sisters incorporated the wooden signs into Wee Gather's existing wreaths and Elizabeth worked the pumpkins into the table decor. 

I purchased two beautiful pumpkins before Halloween that never got carved since Harrison decided to arrive early. Instead of letting them go to waste, I asked my cousin Tuyen to work her magic and write on them for me and we worked them into the decor. I LOVE how they turned out. 

I craved and ate so much pie throughout my pregnancy it was only appropriate to serve it at the party. Guests enjoyed strawberry rhubarb, pumpkin, apple lattice and pecan pies from Betty's Pie Whole. If you have never had Betty's pie, you need to drive to Encinitas ASAP and get yourself a slice.

Harrison is grandbaby #10 for my parents!

A whole roasted pig is served at most important Vietnamese gatherings. It's hard to resist that crispy skin. Yum!

The party was loud and Harrison was passed from one person to the next. He slept through the whole thing.

I can't wait for Harrison to be old enough to play with his cousins.

Kids tables were set up outside with coloring pages and crayons. 

Parker is currently addicted to Roblox and cannot be bothered.

Hosting a gathering for our closest family and friends is always a huge undertaking. If you have read any of my previous party posts, you know the head count is always around 80-100. A huge thank you to everyone who volunteered or was voluntold to help out with the party. Even as an experienced event planner, I could not have pulled this off without you! 

Venue: Wee Gather
Invitations: Tania
Pumpkin Calligraphy: Letterie Post
Catering: Sieu Sieu BBQ (roasted pork), Betty's Pie Whole, all other food made with love by us and family & friends
Lawn games: Sassy Little Bee
Table rentals: Raphael's Party Rentals

Hello, Gourd-geous: 2018 Visit to Bates Nut Farm

Happy first day of October, Readers! I've been looking forward to this month all year and am planning to immerse myself in all things pumpkin + Halloween until I bleed orange. October this year means the final countdown to baby Harrison's arrival, Pokemon costume making, spookifying our house and the start of some intense trash talking with my family as we prepare for our annual pumpkin carving contest.  

Yesterday, we drove out to Valley Center for our annual visit to Bates Nut Farm. The fields of Big Macs were much more impressive and plentiful this year and we did something different. Contrary to the advice I have been giving you for years, we visited at the end of the day, right before closing, and it was fantastic! 1. No parking fee 2. Less crowded 3. Better lighting for photos! This time next year, Parker will be posing with his baby brother and I am so ready for it. If you are looking some fun Fall activities to do around town, check out my Fall bucket list! Happy Fall, ya'll.

Outfit details:

Tee: Old Navy

Flannel: H&M 

Jeans: H&M

Shoes: Zara Kids

[1 more month until I pop!]

San Diego Fall Bucket List 2018

We may not have a dramatic changing of seasons here in San Diego but there is plenty to do to celebrate Fall! Whether you are local or visiting, here's my list of must-do events and places to visit to celebrate Fall in SoCal. Considering we have to fit in having baby, checking off the entire list may be a bit ambitious for us this year. What are you most looking forward to this season? 

1. Visit Bates Nut Farm pumpkin patch
Visiting the field of Big Macs at Bates is an annual tradition for us. The pumpkin patches are the main attraction but every year the celebration seems to get bigger and better. We love visiting and feeding the goats, the pony rides and hayrides and straw maze. Go early in the season when the patches are still full of pumpkins for the best photo opportunities. Go early in the day because the traffic to get to the farm gets crazy backed up.You can see photos and my mom tips from last year's visit here.

[Every year the Big Macs look smaller next to my growing kid]

2. Julian Apple Season
Drive just an hour from the city and you will be in a whole other world/time. Julian offers all the rustic, leaf-crunching Fall fun that you can't find anywhere else in the county. Starting early September, you can go and do alllll the apple things: apple picking, apple cider drinking (SO GOOD), apple pie eating. We love visiting the Julian Mining Company, Mom's Pies and browsing the shops on main street. Apple picking season varies year to year so be sure to call ahead if you are planning to visit a particular orchard.

[Itty bitty baby Parker at Volcan Valley Apple Farm]

3. Celebrate Dia De Los Muertos in around town
Culturally immerse yourself and honor lost loved ones in one of Mexico's most important holidays, Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). There are many celebrations around town but the biggest can be found in Old Town where you can find entertainment, authentic food, activities for all ages including a catrina and catrin costume contest, arts & crafts and skeleton displays. If your kiddo is a fan of Coco, they will love celebrating Day of the Dead.

4. Legoland Halloween Brick-or-Treat
You love Legos? You love Halloween? Every October, the theme park hosts Brick-or-Treat, a special ticketed event that gives guests access to Halloween exclusives and special goodies throughout the park. We've never been but it looks like a great event and we are planning to attend this year.

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Hey Pass Members! You can purchase special rate tickets for Brick-or-Treat Party Nights on MyLEGOLAND.com. Merlin Annual Pass Premium and Ambassador Pass Members receive FREE admission.

A post shared by LEGOLAND California (@legolandcalifornia) on Aug 26, 2018 at 7:02pm PDT

5. Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
The Mid-Autumn moon festival was one of my favorite holidays to celebrate as a kid. My parents would let us stay up late, parade our lanterns around and eat decadent moon cakes. My favorite moon cake is the one with the double yoke but I have been wanting to learn how to make snow skin mooncakes for a few years. Maybe this will be the year! Here is a list of ideas on how to celebrate the Moon Festival with kids.

6. Kids free in October
The huge summer crowds are gone and now is perfect the time to visit San Diego's top attractions, hotels and restaurants. The list of locations offering free admission to kids is massive (100+) and includes some of our favorites like the Birch Aquarium, New Children's Museum, Fleet Science Center and the Living Coast Discovery Center. 

7. Stuff your face with seasonal pies from some of the best local bakeries.
This may be a pregnancy thing but I'm really really into pies right now. Fall is the best because every bakery is stocked with pumpkin, apple and berry pies. My personal favorite places to get pie are Pop Pie Co. and Moms Pies where they make everything from scratch. Don't forget the scoop of ice cream!

Comment below if there are any local events that you think should be on this list!