CHICKEN SOUP in 5 MINUTES!!!

With the cold weather and flu going around, it was inevitable that both babies get sick :( here's a recipe that is perfect for both my 3 year old and 7 month old.
Almost all my daily meals are prepped under 10 minutes. Once in awhile I'll get glamorous and cook a gourmet meal with lots of prep. Thankfully that's like 1-2 times a year. Haha

Prep the chicken soup in 5 minutes!
Total cook time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:
Whole chicken
Chopped Carrots
1/2 White onion, sliced
1-2 Ginger roots, peeled and sliced
4 Garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1. Throw all the ingredients into a pot big enough to fit chicken and fill 2/3 with water. Cover and boil for 45 minutes.

2. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.

3. Put in fridge for few hours or overnight. The fat will harden.

4. Scoop out hardened fat and reheat.

5. Season to your taste with salt and pepper.

Optional: add rice or cooked noodles right before serving.

Voila! Bon apetit!
This chicken soup is perfect because the chicken will slide off the bones, tender enough for my 7 month old and the flavor is simple enough for my toddler.

JFK to LAX DON'TS!!

1. Don't fly VIRGIN AMERICA

• We usually fly JetBlue to Long Beach airport because Rich's family live in North OC... but because this trip was so short, and Virgin America had the best departure and arrival times, we chose to fly VA. That was a mistake!! During the taxi for departure, an oxygen mask had deployed and the airplane had to make its way back to the departure gate so maintenance can come on and fix it. The staff on the airplane (to LA and back) were SO RUDE and NOT CHILD friendly. Did not smile and even gave a little attitude! They didn't even help with carry-ons! The audiovisual system was awful- even after paying for movies or tshows, the audio was spotty and skipped every few minutes.

2. Don't rent a car from THRIFTY

• We waited ~ 10 min for the Thrifty shuttle bus to pick up from LAX to get to the car rental depot. During that time, we saw approx 5 Enterprise buses, 4 Hertz buses, 3 Budget buses, 2 nationals....

3. Avoid LAX if you can!

• Airport is undergoing major renovations right now. Currently, there are NO resturants by the gate/waiting area in Termial 3. There is a Starbucks, Burger king, PEETS coffee and Blue window (premade sandwiches/wraps... NOT good). We wanted to sit and have a drink, but the sitting area by Angel city brewery was so small it couldnt fit a double stroller, and we were not allowed to take beverages past that area :(
• We usually fly in and out of Long Beach airport, which has recently undergone recnovations (and is finished!). Lots of resturants and bars to enjoy while you wait to board your flight!!
• Having to take a shuttle from the rental car site to the airport is a PAIN! At Long Beach airport, you can WALK to the rental car site from the airport. A HUGE BONUS!!!!

 

With this being said, next time we fly to LA, it will be through Long Beach Airport.

 

Yum yum yum!!!

The kids did not get the memo about the 3 hour time difference between NYC and LA and woke up super early (5am!!!). Thankfully Rich had gone to sleep early with them and Was able to wake up early with them as well. I got to sleep in a little!!  And then I woke up to this beautiful box! I haven't had donuts in so long!!

And inside: note the half eaten donut... Henry just kicked the chocolate frosting and sprinkles off the donut and put it back!

Traveling light!

We did it!! Packed everything into 2 carry on bags for the weekend trip to LA!!

What's in the bags?

Henry: 2 tshirts, 1 long sleeve, 2 pants, 3 button downs, 1 necktie, 1 blazer,  1 hoody, 3 pairs of socks and 3 pairs of PJs

Emilia: 2 dresses, 1 short sleeve onesies, 2 long sleeve onesies, 2 pants, 3 sweaters, 3 footed pjs and 1 sleep sack.

Me: 3 nursing tanks, 1 pair of pants, 2 tshirts, 2 button downs, 1 blazer, 2dresses, pair of pumps, 2 pairs of socks, 4 under wears,  2 dresses, 1 pair of black pumps, and 1 pjs.

Rich: 3 shirts, 2 button downs, 1 pair of jeans, 3 pairs of socks, 2 sweaters, 2 button downs, 1 suit, 1 necktie, pair of dress shoes, and 1 set of pjs.

Threw in as little toiletries as we could : toothbrush, glasses, face lotion, contact solution, face wash, makeup.  Then shoved in as many diapers as we could fit. We could always buy more in LA if needed. Also had laptop and small backpack of Henrys toys and books.

Our packed bags

On the air train toJFK

Shake shack while waiting to board the flight😁

Flying to LA for a weekend!

Wish us luck!! We are flying to LA tomorrow with both kids for FOUR days!!! I know they will be fine on the flight... But hope the time change doesn't kill them.. Or me!


 We are planning to bring 2 carry-on bags! Stay tuned for my next post: how to fly with  CARRY ON only!

Pic from 2 weeks ago, on the air train to JFK. 

Paw Patrol birthday!

My sweet handsome baby turned 3 this week!! And we are celebrating with a paw patrol party. Ideally, I would love to have thrown this task to a party planner- and just show up! But I'm on a strict budget. After all, he is ONLY 3 and will love any party with cake.

Tips to a successful party:

PLAN AHEAD- I started 2 months before the party date. The party is on the Saturday of MLK weekend, so I decided to send out invites early in case anyone was thinking of leaving the city for the long weekend. This gave me time to shop around for decorations, party goods and cake!

STICK TO BUDGET - so important in throwing a party. You can get lost in the costs when planning a party, and having a budget really keeps you focused.

PARTY CHECKLIST- now the fun stuff! What is on my list and where did I find it??

• ENTERTAINMENT: always the toughest choice! We went to a party over the summer and Henry watched his first magic show and fell in love with it! We decided to hire a magician for his party also! Few months later, his school had a fall fair and they had the most talented childrens magician. Of course, we hired him for our party too!

• CAKE: I kept a strict budget for my paw patrol cake. I was going to go with sheet cake from whole foods with an edible paw patrol picture on it, but that costs ~$80! I figured why not pay a little extra (and just a LITTLE!!) and get a cake I really LOVED. I emailed like 10 different bakers before I found someone I loved! and within budget!! I found my baker off of Instagram! and she IS AMAZING!

• PAW PATROL THEMED GOODS- plates, napkins, banner, tablecloth, candles, cupcake toppers, stickers are all from orientaltrading.com- my favorite place to shop for party goods. Lots of options, good prices and occasional free shipping!

• BALLOONS- preordered and prepaid from party city. I went to the store to pick them out and pay for it, but the prices in the store are higher than they are online. Thankfully they PRICE MATCH! 

• DRINKS- juice box, beer, wine, water bottles, sparkling water, diet coke ALL from FRESH DIRECT. I didn't want to drive around the city picking up these bulk items, so I did what I always do with heavy items...ordered them! I even FOODKICKED some items.

• GOODYBAGS- Our awesome party treat bag includes: paw patrol masks (amazon- although a bit cheaper at party city), stickers (orientaltrading), party size play doh (michaels), fireman hats (amazon) & lollipops.

• FOOD:  pretzels, freshly popped popcorn (love my airpower) cut fruit & ordered 9 pizza pies!

MOST importantly, have fun!!! Things never go as planned with kids. Just loosen the reigns a little and let the kids be kids at the party! If your child eats ONLY cookies and cake, let them, just for one day. Everyone will have so much more fun!

We are set to party!!

Back to Reality!

We are back from our short vacation to the Dominican Republic! It was such a great time and I found it to be so relaxing! Rich said it wasn't as relaxing for him (maybe it was because he didn't sleep one night to play in the casino...?) We stayed at The Reserve at Paradisus Punta Cana Palma Real and LOVED it. The resort was BEAUTIFUL, food was DELICIOUS and the weather was AMAZING 4 out of the 5 days. I loved it so much, I wanted to learn more about the timeshares and condos there! But we didn't... because we hate having to sit through those presentations. I will totally return to the Paradisus in Punta Cana!!

I ate soooo much on this trip, that I am going on a mini diet! Im going to challenge myself and when I crave anything sweet, I will quench that craving with a glass of water! During my maternity leave, I joined a water challenge where you had to drink half your body weight (in lbs) in ounces per day. It was easy back then because I was home AND nursing so I thirsty all the time! When I went back to work and life because more chaotic, my water consumption was dipped A LOT! Im lucky if I get to have a glass of water at work! I felt so much more nourished when I was hydrated and Im hoping to get that feeling back!

Packing tips!! #2: your CARRY-ON

Trying to limit your bags and carry-ons is HUGE because you will ALSO end up carrying one if not both of your children at one point. Bags with a shoulder or cross body strap or backpacks are a MUST!

So we pack a his and hers bag & henrys backpack.

HIS BAG:
diapers, wipes, extra set of kids clothes, snacks, laptop, headsets, chargers.
*note this is top open!



We used to pack extra set of adult clothes too, because you never know what could happen (i.e. vomit, poo, pee, spilled drinks)-  but now, we just LAYER and LAYER! tank top, t-shirt, button down then sweater. It works!


HER BAG:
ergo, nursing cover, hand sanitizer x 2, wallet, water, thermos of milk, rose balm, miscellaneous toys wrapped in foil and saran wrap, charger, selfie stick :)
not pictured: emilias teething toys, babyfood, spoons, bib, henry pasta with butter

How I managed to shove all that in this small bag is beyond me... but once you take the ergo out in the airplane, easy to find things in this bag.  I love that this style has a cross body strap now!

BONUS TIP:
wrap a few small toys in foil and you can surprise your toddler over the course of few days



HENRY's BAG:
I picked his smallest backpack, which also happened to be a PAW PATROL backpack (he's obsessed) and filled it with several of his paw patrol toys. I picked a small bag because:
 1. it limits the number of toys we can bring
 2.  he would be able to carry it when it is full.

If I gave him the option, he would pack ALL his toys- and then the bag would be so heavy, he couldn't carry it and Rich would probably end up carrying ANOTHER bag.

Packing tips!! #1: your CHECKED LUGGAGE

When you travel with babies, you end up packing a LOT of stuff!! when you travel with 2 kids, you don't just multiply it by 2. Its exponential! We have been to many places near and far with our babies, and over time I have learned to decrease the amount of STUFF in our suitcase! Our first trip with our first baby, we checked 3 bags AND a carseat AND a stroller! After that trip, we swore NEVER to check more than 2 bags (one person will roll the suitcases and one person pushes the stroller).

Things we ALWAYS travel with: umbrella stroller (double stroller now), ergo, diaper backpack (for husband), handbag (for me), Henrys backpack (for easy access to his toys). I highly highly recommend a stroller bag! you can shove last minute things into it at the gate, like everyones winter coats, so you don't have to carry it onto the plane!! One less thing to take onto the plane!

Here are my packing tips:

1. Make a list!! 

2. Get travel cubes!! Keeps the packing organized and so easy to unpack the suitcase during vacation. ALSO helps limit your packing to things you really need. 

3. Find a quiet time to pack- usually before the kids go to sleep. With a list, you can even do it the night before (like I always end up doing!!) Otherwise, they will INSIST on helping you....... 

Good luck and safe travels!!! 

Happy first Friday of 2017!

Happy new year!!! How was everyone's new year? Ours was pretty low key, yet exhausting!! We didn't stay up late partying but we did stay up late to ring in the new year with a movie (Jason Bourne!). With all the family gatherings, I need a break and  our vacation to punta Cana will be a much needed break!!! I am hoping for sunny days and relaxing moments by the beach (haha)!

New year, new project!

I have completely given into my guilty pleasure. I've been following several mommy bloggers and I've been wanting to start my own for awhile now, but never put aside the time to do it!  I have so many ideas for posts swimming around and I finally get to put it all in a blog!

2016 really flew by! Especially since the birth of my daughter in June. Half the year passed in a blink of an eye. One day she was a newborn and the next thing I know, she's 6 months! Eating solids, sitting, babbling, smiling and developing her own personality. After 3 months of maternity, I went back to a no call position at my job which has really changed my life. I am loving my job even more now that I know I can spend every night, weekend and holiday with my family. I was in a call position with my son until he was 2 years and 5 months old. It was tough and I was only able to do so with  the support of a great father/husband and loving grandparents nearby. Life is much more chaotic  with 2 kids- and here I am, starting a blog like I really have time for another project! But I really really wanted to start blogging... So finally, my first blog post!

Future posts will include: packing for travel with 2 kids  ( in January, we are going to DR for a week and LA for a log. Weekend!), planning a paw patrol birthday party, bachelorette party in your 30s, my experience with eastern medicine, physician mom guilt, importance of stretching, pumping in private practice, residency with babies... And much more!

Sweet dreams for now!