Results matching “real” from Jeanette Hada's Wellness and Happiness Blog

It's 2:16 a.m. and Aislee is sleeping in my lap.  She's growing amazingly fast and is really active these days.  It's been challenging for her fighting her first real cold.  She'll wake up several times frustrated with her stuffy nose.

I've been thinking how incredibly different life has changed with the baby.   I wouldn't have it any other way.  It's almost frightening how much I love this tiny human.  The funny thing is, before she was born, my dear friend told me that it's important to not neglect the husband when the baby arrived.  It's been non-stop taking care of her that there really is no time to pay attention to Naoki or really myself these past several months.  Taking a shower uninterrupted is a luxury and I'm thankful when papa is able to take Aislee for a walk while I handle a few household chores.  He spends most of his free time caring for the house and garden.  What's interesting and a little funny, is that after you have this cute little one with small everything and inquisitive expressions, anything that was remotely cute or appealing in your partner ceases to be...well, cute.  Suddenly, the baby has taken control of all that is cute.  Not even Lucky, our comedic bird, can compete.

Other observations of life with baby...  Buying new clothes, shoes, makeup is no longer a necessity.  It has been replaced by buying food, toys (for baby), and diapers.  I wear mostly what's comfortable now.  Her comfort and well-being is my top  priority.  So far, I've been blessed with clients who are baby-friendly. She comes with me everywhere -- even to tour properties.

I never thought becoming a mother would incur so many changes.  The pressure cooker Naoki purchased is a lifesaver.  It makes healthy baby food in minutes!  I'll try chubbing Aislee up with avocados, sweet potatos, and bananas.  She loves Japanese pumpkin, kabocha, which cooks beautifully in the pressure cooker.  I add a little cinnamon sometimes.  She seems to enjoy it.

Finding time to eat for myself has been difficult while juggling caring for the baby and working.  Making sandwiches enables me to eat and have a free hand while eating.  My current addiction is Trader Joe's Garlic Cheddar Sourdough toasted and smothered with avocado on one side and thinly sliced cucumbers and cream cheese.  Sometimes I'll slather raspberry jam and a savory speadable cheese on the same bread which is super good as well.

Ok, time for us to move to the Sun Room to sleep.  This is where we now have our bedroom.  The Star Room is our library/office, the Moon Room is also an office (that's in serious need of cleaning).  I work in the Fire Room most of the time and the Sky Room (aka the dining room is used for gatherings.  We'll be hosting Aislee's first birthday in July and hope to see some of you here at our gingerbread house.

As I sit under the warmth of the much appreciated kotatsu (heater table) with my daughter sleeping peacefully in my arms, I can't believe a half year has already passed since living in our home.  For nearly three weeks two months ago, we dealt with uncomfortably cold weather and met with the challenges of staying warm in an older (109 yrs old) home while making an effort to keep the PG&E expenses down.  With all my complaining and grouching, our last two bills came in under $100 dollars!  Even while living in our tiny condo, our electricity bill usually fluctuated around $150.

I've really come to love this house with it's beautifully painted rooms.  Naoki finished the Venetian plaster in the sun room and recently the star room.  He did a wonderful job and they look wonderful and bring a warmer feeling to the house.   

Life has been busy with family and business.  We've been blessed in both areas.  Naoki's mother and sister came for a brief nine day stay. They really enjoyed all the tasty fruit (navel oranges, pummelos, fuji apples, and oro blancos) that are in season from the farmers market in Campbell.  I made a garlicky spinach pasta with fresh Meyer lemons from our yard one night.  It came out very well, though I would have liked it to be spicier...recipe to follow.

In business, I feel very fortunate and again blessed to be working with so many incredible people.  My listing in San Bruno thankfully sold and the seller is buying a lovely place to call home in Sacramento.  Four deals have closed this year so far and with another in escrow, there is much to be appeciative for.  Although the news is always painting a bleak outlook, they are usually behind in reporting how things are looking up.

Back to talking about home...  We have nearly 50 fruit plants/trees in our yard now.  The potatoes are sprouting in the crop circle Naoki made.  The blossoms are radiant on Aislee's white peach / white nectarine tree and on the Georgia Peach tree we adopted from a home in Palo Alto.  I'm looking forward to making fruit pies if the fat squirrels don't get to them first.

The old avocado tree that came with this house bears California Diablo avocados.  They're smoother and creamier than Hass and have a thinner skin.  They take two weeks to ripen once picked from the tree.  Hopefully we'll have more growing as I love avocado sandwiches on toasted bread with Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie brand) and slices of cold cucumber! So good!!  I could go off on a tangent when it comes to avocados...  Actually it looks like I did.

Ok, on to the pasta recipe -

Boil your preferred pasta al dente (slightly undercooked) as you'll be adding it to another pan to mix in with the garlic lemon sauce.

1. In a large sauce pan drizzle a tablespoon of grapeseed oil (olive oil is fine too) and a pat of butter, heat on medium flame.
2. Add crushed garlic, approximately 5 - 7 cloves
3. Sprinkle a teaspoon (or more depending on your heat preference) of red pepper flakes
4. Add a few pinches of salt to meld flavors, more can be added later to adjust
5. Careful not to burn the garlic, give your mixture a few pushes around your pan.
6. Once garlic is crisp, add spinach and pasta.
7. Mix everything well til spinach is cooked, adding a touch more oil or butter as needed.
8. Finally add thinly sliced lemon wedges of one lemon or juice lemon and add it's zest.

 

After weeks of loading and unloading, we're finally finished (for the most part) with our move into this gorgeous old gingerbread/Craftsman/Victorian home on the Northside.  It's been challenging this far along in the pregnancy to deal with relocating even at this short distance.  I'm due in 11 days, which feels unreal.

The house is definitely far from organized, but Naoki did an excellent job of refinishing the old pinewood floors and is in the process of applying Venetian plaster to one of the rooms.  When we first viewed this property, I thought it was beautiful (still do), but not for us.  I pictured us moving to some place...newer and more modern, possibly even a townhouse.  Naoki fell in love with the yard and has since planted 19 fruit trees, or was it 20?  I've lost count.  All I know is that those damn squirrels that I thought were the cutest when we moved in, have eaten the white nectarines on my daughter's tree!  Her papa purchased her a grafted white peach with two different white nectarines tree.  I want to plant it as soon as she's born.

The gorgeous floral arrangement you see in this post is from our newlywed friends, Carla and Andre.  They made our dining room smell amazing!  This was our first of many flowers that have entered this home, but the only one that I managed to photograph. 

One of the biggest perks of living close to my mom is having access to her wonderful home cooking! During my first trimester, I experienced a loss in appetite and could barely eat anything that wouldn't make me nauseous. The only dishes I could truly indulge in were prepared by my mother. Garlic and onions would turn me green, which is strange since my mom used both of those ingredients to make her lasagna. My baby is probably made of 80% lasagna / 5% oatmeal cookies / 10% white peach cobbler / 5% pickles. Of course, I've made it a habit to take my vitamins, extra calcium (w/magnesium and D), folic acid, plus a consistent amount of omegas for her development. I falter a few times a week when it comes to eating low-glycemic, and really try to monitor my sugar intake. At nearly eight months, I've gained 18 pounds and will continue to watch the scale and what I eat to insure this little girl is getting proper nutrition and gaining weight in a healthy way. In other news...we finally closed escrow on our home last Friday. It was a challenging experience purchasing a bank owned fixer upper, but the lovely little gingerbread craftsman was well worth the wait and huge pile of paperwork! I've dealt with many REO (real estate owned) properties this past year and am always amazed at what they previously sold for and how much attention or lack of was spent on maintaining the home.

White nectarines are fine too.  Well, maybe they're preferable since they don't have that fuzzy skin which I could do without.

Current fruit obsession - muscat grapes (available for a limited time at Nijiya Markets, Bristol Farms, and Whole Foods), oranges from Twin Girl Farms (available at our local farmers markets), and strawberries.

I'm sorry, nothing really new to report other than my food cravings.  I won't look for and include photos as that would just cause me to go out unwrap my truck, which takes 20 minutes to get the buckles, lock, and cover taken off, and drive through the Cinco de Mayo traffic on my street to battle rush hour traffic to buy fruit.

I came across this wonderful organization that supplies discounted groceries to families and seniors. They do not require meeting any particular criteria; however, they are still working on nationwide deliveries. According to the organization, the food provided is of restaurant and high grade quality.

The cost of groceries has risen significantly since last year due to the economy. Below is a short news clip on how you can reduce how much you spend at the stores (though I believe most people know these tips already...).

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States.

Blessings by the box

Angel Food's groceries are sold in a quantity that can fit into a medium-sized box at $30 per unit. Each month's menu is different than the previous month and consists of both fresh and frozen items with an average retail value of approximately $50. Comparison shopping has been done across the country in various communities using a wide range of retail grocery stores and has resulted in the same food items costing from between $42 and $78.

Generally, one unit of food assists in feeding a family of four for about one week or a single senior citizen for almost a month. The food is all the same high quality one would purchase at a grocery store. There are no second-hand items, no damaged or out-dated goods, no dented cans without labels, no day-old breads and no produce that is almost too ripe. Also offered are specialty boxes such as steaks, chicken and pork. Many participants in this bonus program appreciate the expanded choices. Additionally, there is no limit to the number of units or bonus foods an individual can purchase, and there are no applications to complete or qualifications to which participants must adhere. Angel Food Ministries, like most all other retail grocery stores, also participates in the U.S. Food Stamp program, using the Off-Line Food Stamp Voucher system.

It's both a Bargain and a Blessing!

This isn't usually the stuff I usually write/blog about, but this tiny bottle of citrus scented magic is truly something I wish I invented!  I came across this product at the hospital giftshop before my exam.  At first, I thought it was a joke and funny enough to purchase as a gag gift for a friend I was planning to meet later for lunch.  If it did work, I wanted to buy one for myself as well.  So I bought two of the smaller bottles and spent a little over $21 for both.

I'll spare everyone on the details, but this stuff works!  3 - 5 squirts/pumps into the bowl prior to handling business and no one is the wiser.  Seriously, I was really impressed and I have a pretty darn good sense of smell.   Using or sharing the bathroom with your colleagues, family, and/or roommates is challenging enough. Traditional air fresheners don't always do the job and sometimes have the worst scent (don't get me started on "garden fresh" sprays), not to mention that a lot of those chemicals that we end up inhaling aren't the best for our health. 

Remember, this is not meant to be sprayed in the air.  The company does make an air freshener call "Royal Flush", but I haven't tried it.  They also have another bowl spray with a different scent (Mandarin, Orange, and Bergamot with hints of Peach and Berry) called "No.2...hilarious.  Poo-pourri is made of a blend of essential oils and comes with a 30 day money back guarantee.

I'm not affiliated with the company in any way, just a happy consumer.

to eat...

1. An egg salad sandwich on croissant with a dill pickle spear and avocado on the side
2. Tofu from the San Jose Tofu factory (delicious recipes here - http://www.theppk.com/)
3. My mother's spinach, cheese, and mushroom quiche - hot from the oven
4. Apple crisp with a blueberry crumble topping - also hot from the oven, ala mode!
5. Fruit salad made of cantelope, honeydew, watermelon, berries, and red flame grapes

Afterwards, I would like to...

1. Finish my crochet project before summertime
2. Curl up with a good book and hot chocolate (stirred with a cinnamon stick)
3. Surf the 'net for gifts for my friend's son's 100 day ceremony/celebration
4. ...darn, I really want that fruit salad...
5. Pay my bills, organize my tax receipts, and prepare items for donating

I'm either...

1. Dealing with severe insomnia or slept too much today
2. Getting old or well...getting older
3. Pregnant having horrible food cravings and have messed up my sleep schedule or ?
4. Delirious from lack of sleep or spending too much mind numbing time at the computer
5. Finding an excuse to write something on my blog or killing time.

Wouldn't it be lovely to have a 24 hour delivery service that caters to people's late night cravings?  They'd have access to books, movies (though we can practically find everything online these days), healthy midnight snacks or other food items, clothing/shoes/accessories (just in case),  etc.

It would cost a low monthly fee to use different levels of the service...and well, I just wish I could order an egg salad sandwich right now.

just mix all ingredients and bake it at 350 F for 45 minutes.

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I hadn't seen my friend in two years, so this get-together was a very special one.  It was our first time meeting her absolutely charming, talented and interesting husband.  It was a blessing to meet a couple that pair together so well.  Both are musically inclined, share a passion for traveling and fine food, as well as seem to be very in love with each other (after being together for 10 years).


~ pictures to follow at http://jeanette.hada.us

I did not write the following, but do share the same sentiment and thought it was brilliantly written... enjoy.


The holidays are upon us once again, and once again it is time to be grateful.  With all the negative media these days, I wanted to remind you that many wonderful things are happening despite what you may hear in the news.

 

A Silver Lining in the Housing Market

 

     The media always loves to focus on the negative, and it may get you doing so as well-well, don't.  The book and DVD called The Secret show pretty conclusively that whatever you focus on becomes your experience, i.e., whatever your worry about ends up happening. You know me, I always focus on the positive-well, here it goes:

 

POSITIVE #1:  Since the housing market has slowed down, more people are saving.  More savings provide more funds for banks to loan to homebuyers.

 

POSITIVE #2:  Since the increase in gas prices, people are driving less, buying more energy-efficient cars, and starting to install more solar features in their  homes-all good for the environment. People also are starting to move to the inner city, great for revitalizing downtown areas and giving families more time to spend at home with one another.

 

POSITIVE #3:  The fall in the dollar is helping our economy because foreign consumers are buying more of our products, taking more vacations here, and helping our trade imbalance.

 

POSITIVE #4:  The subprime lenders had sold homes to people who could not afford them anyway.  Now those less-expensive foreclosures are being bought by people who otherwise could not have afforded a home.

 

POSITIVE #5:   The slowdown in the housing market is confined to those areas that went up too fast, anyway-i.e., Florida; Washington, DC; New York; California; Las Vegas; and Arizona.  Now the locals there once again can afford to buy a home.  

 

     So savings are up, we are using less gas and moving back to the inner city, more people are concerned about conserving energy, our trade deficit is improving, and more deserving Americans are able to afford a home.  We also live in the best place in the world-what could be better? 

 

     Be grateful and enjoy your Thanksgiving.   God bless you all.

 

SOURCE:  "Housing Prices are Down, Oil is Up, and That's Not Really So Bad,"  New York Times, November 14, pp. A1 and A20.

Meet the newest member of the Kim family.  I'll add his stats (dob, weight, name, etc.) once his family has made a formal announcement.  Often newborns are not the cutest, and I'm not sure if it's because this tiny guy is part of one of my nearest and dearest friends, but I am really overwhelmed by how cute he is.

Ever since returning from Taiwan in 2005, I've really enjoyed the ritual of having a cup of tea after dinner. There was a particular mulberry tea from there that I loved, but finished off within the first few weeks after our return. If I have the chance to visit again, I will make a special trip to purchase the same brand again. Other mulberry teas just don't seem to have that same deep flavor. Mulberry leaf tea is known to be good for lowering blood pressure and maintaining blood sugar levels.

The tea I had this evening was made with ginseng and dried pink rose hips. I was a little put off when I first opened the teabag as it smelled like potpourri, but after brewing it for a few minutes it made the prettiest and most aromatic cup of tea. Rose hips are high in vitamin C and can also be eaten. The ginseng teabag that you add separately has a flavor that takes getting used to. It's definitely an earthy tasting brew.

Sunday was an interesting and relaxing day. I had the pleasure of catching the last day of Camille Rose Garcia's exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Art. Her stunning art is a vibrant display of sparkles and intense color.

One of my dearest and oldest friends will soon be a mother. To celebrate her lucky golden piggie, we held a celebration with her closest friends and family at the beautiful Ritz Carlton in San Francisco. The food was pretty and delicious, but what really made it special was the impeccable and absolutely wonderful service the staff at the hotel provided. The baby shower was held on the second floor in the Promenade Room. I noticed each of the banquet rooms there had a peep hole in the door that let you see who was inside. One of the staff people noticed I was peering through the wrong side of our opened door and allowed me to take a peek in the other rooms. (None that were occupied...because that would be weird, right >_o )

We sat in the middle of two firework shows. One side rapidly shot off many smaller fireworks while the other side shot off larger ones. Half way through, we were hit with a thundershower that left everyone drenched and two inches of water collected on the pavement. It was definitely a memorable event!

Since our business meeting was rescheduled for Saturday, we set out to visit some local shrines in Ise, which is approximately an hour and a half away. All together we went to three different places and walked through lush green gardens that have over a thousand years of history. The crown prince of Japan was set to visit the following day so the shrines were exceptionally clean and in order.

The first place was hidden within the city and appeared to be well kept. Naoki informed me that they move and rebuild the shrines at the particular place every 20 years as the gods tend to get bored of staying in one place. To me, I guess any change after two decades in one place would be good.

The second location we went to next was my favorite. It was so vast and had a river running through it. To enter, a long wide wooden bridge needs to be crossed and lengthy pebbled walkways surrounded by trees and foliage of various hues of green shaded lead you to each god's shrine. When you approach, you make an offering (a coin or paper money will do), bow two times, clap twice, then give your thanks. Oh, I almost forgot. Every entrance to a shrine has a well or fountain with ladles to cleanse your hands (some people also use the water to rinse their mouths) before entering. Aside from the amazing scenery, I loved that this place was next to a shopping area. We had a delicious lunch (see photo) of marinated tuna over rice, a smoky flavored miso, cold noodle w/ half cooked egg (somen), pickled daikon, and a tiny seasoned tofu patty, scallop, and what appeared to be a small purse of tofu stuffed with mushrooms and vegetables. Yes, all of it was super delicious!

Our third place to visit was a shrine for a moon god. I'm not sure what that exactly means, but this was a very hidden location. Due to the overcast weather conditions, it was really dark and difficult to see. Four shrines in a row were set up. After Naoki and my in-laws attended each one, we left for home.

A friend of mine sent a "Funky Sock Exchange" letter to me a few weeks ago. It was reminscent of the "Dish Towel Exchange" many of our mothers did during the 70's and 80's. Similar to a chain letter without the threat of bad luck, death, or involving money of any sort, this exchange, should someone decide to participate (optional, of course) would yield 36 pairs of funky socks from all over the place within a few weeks.

So far I've received two pairs of socks - one from San Antonio, Texas and another from San Ramon, California. This is the first time I've ever participated in one of these and it's been surprisingly fun!

If you'd like to participate, please send me an email at jeanette337 at gmail.com. Please keep in mind that funky is meant to mean "cool" or "stylish", not foul in odor.

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funky

adjective
1. offensively malodorous; "a foul odor"; "the kitchen smelled really funky" [syn: fetid]
2. (of jazz) having the soulful feeling of early blues
3. stylish and modern in an unconventional way; "she likes funky clothes"; "we did it all in black and white in a very funky sixties style"
4. in a state of cowardly fright

For the past few months there have been numerous (but not new) reports on the benefits of drinking tea, especially the green kind! Naoki's family has a beautiful green tea farm in Mie, Japan and they are ready to ship 2007 spring leaves. The cut off date to order will be this Thursday, May 10.

This green tea tastes different and has a sweeter and fresher flavor than what is available in most stores here. It can be cold brewed as well as served hot. Please allow boiled water to cool for a few minutes before adding the delicate tea leaves to prevent burning, which can alter the taste. Hadaseicha's tea is dark green in color, has a bold taste and was carefully harvested by Naoki's parents. Orders are available only once a year and large orders can be stored in the freezer to preserve freshness. My mother likes to order the teabags in bulk and repackage them to give as gifts to her health-conscious clients.

Truly stunning and breathtaking! Some pieces really stood out amongst the others and I wish I could have taken photos. I spotted at least two suits, five dresses, and a handful of corsets that I would love to own to admire.

My favorites in particular were her Barbarella corset and tutu, Armour outfit (Time Machine Collection 1988), Love Suit (Harris Tweed Collection - Autumn/Winter 1987), Boulle print dress (Portrait Collection - Autumn/Winter 1990) <= Inspired by The Wallace Collection/London Museum, Applicator Jacket (Anglophilia Collection 2003).


"You have a much better life if you were impressive clothes."
-- Vivienne Westwood

Next on the list to visit: Masterpieces of French Jewelry at the Legion of Honor

Top 10 tips for new speakers and presenters
Posted by Allen Stern 02/05/2007

As you grow your web application and become successful, conferences and other venues might ask you to speak about yourself, your site and your success to their audiences. As I have sat through thousands of presentations both at work and at events, I thought I would share 10 tips for presentation effectiveness. This is not an exhaustive list but by doing these 10 things, you will absolutely increase your effectiveness of giving presentations. Some of this comes from listening/watching CEO presentations where they have only mere minutes (5-7) to get their audience engaged and excited.

Tip 1: Leave out the PowerPoint effects
This is probably the most important tip of all. Why? Because each of these effects take time and can provide severe distraction for your audience. The most recent example I have of this is at AlwaysOn in NYC when the CEO of Payperpost presented. He had 6 minutes for his presentation and clocking the effects, he lost 81 seconds waiting for the next screen to load. Are the effects cool? Sure, but leave them at home.

Tip 2: Verify your presentation works
When I give presentations, whether they are to my team, or to a large conference, I always have my presentation on multiple media formats. I am a bit over the edge but you can never be prepared enough. Just providing it to the conference planner is not enough. I usually store the presentation on a remote file server, and a usb stick drive as well. So total of 3 places including my laptop makes certain that I will always be ready. You should be ready too. Remember someone might want to ask you later about your presentation so having it locally will help afterwards.

Tip 3: Be relevant
Make sure the presentation fits the audience. If you are speaking to a group of young women entrepreneurs, tailor your presentation so they get excited. If you are speaking to young kids, don't bore them with a speech showing your service working with elderly folks. Remember that it is all about tip 4... engagement!

Tip 4: Engage the audience immediately
Two presentations at AlwaysOn did a good job of immediate engagement. Unfortunately I was unable to get the company name of the first but they used the ding-dong sound from the TV show 24 to get attendees to pay attention. Great job because when they showed the clock like on the TV show, they kept the clock accurate. 3-4 times overall for 10-15 seconds but the audience laughed and was engaged. The other presentation was from ClipSync's CEO. He brought in a story from his days playing basketball in Israel which drew in the audience. Once he moved to the discussion of his service, the person sitting next to me asked, "why did he talk about basketball, I don't get it?" So I am assuming more than just this one person didn't get it. Make sure they get it.

Tip 5: Provide multiple means for contact
Offer attendees multiple ways to contact you. Where possible stay after the presentation for on-site questions. Offer a phone number and an email address for other contacts.