First Day of Summer

Only 67 days left...

Today she graduates...

I can say that I beat my graduation deadline here...it's tonight.

We love Miss "M" who always has a smile & I love it when Miss "M" helps me out in the babysitting category too! She knew she wanted some train pics and I have to say they were my favorite of the bunch!!

Congratulations & Good Luck Miss "M" :)

The Mighty QUINN

You ain't seen nothin' like the Mighty Quinn...

We may have to wait a few years but this little guy has mighty big shoes to fill. Following in his papa & uncle's footsteps - he was the first born grandchild/grandson in his male family (although the family has had their share of female additions this past year :)

Now is the perfect time to point out that 2 of my weddings from last spring/summer are sporting beautiful new babies... Obviously I can't take credit for this fact...heh...heh...but I'm just putting my weddings this summer on notice...

Mindful Eating - 1

Totally random tangent here...

My Continuing Education 5 year Cycle for my old "day job" (a.k.a. R.D.) ends on May 31st. I am happy to say that I was able to get all my credits in and earned and passed off BEFORE the deadline...this is huge - really huge. What's also huge is the difference in cost between attending conferences and doing them online. Needless to say I racked up the final 2/3rds credits in the first 2 weeks of May.

Since I've been in a dietetic deluge I felt it only fair that I share some of this oh-so-insightful knowledge with the public. Chances are its stuff you already know but it never hurts to be reminded - and its good for me to reference it as well - so here we go the first of many "Mindful Eating" posts - on how you eat - everyone already knows what they should be eating - and if it's not leafy green vegetables then you're probably already up ** creek without a paddle (I never get tired of using that metaphor).

(I will point out that this blog does refer to all things FOOD & fotos & family etc...)

#1 EAT SLOW = SAVE CALORIES

If you're like me than wolfing through a meal to move on to your next task is commonplace. I loved the mathematical approach that accompanies this idea. Let's assume that each bite in the following meal example has about 10 calories:

2,ooo-calorie Meal #1, eaten at 10 bites per minute:

In 1 minute, 10 bites are eaten = 100 calories.

In 10 minutes, that's 100 bites = 1,000 calories. Person is still hungry.

In 15 minutes, that's 150 bites = 1,500 calories. Person is still hungry.

In 20 minutes, that's 200 bites. all the food is gone. Only now does the person begin to feel full.

Total time: 20 minutes

Calories consumed: 2,000

2,000-calorie Meal #2, eaten at 4 bites per minute.

In (woops! child accidentally posted without me knowing :) 1 minute, 4 bites are eaten = 40 calories.

In 10 minutes, that's 40 bites = 400 calories. Person is still hungry.

In 15 minutes, that's 60 bites = 600 calories. Person is still hungry.

In 20 minutes, that's 80 bites = 800 calories. Now the person begins to feel full AND STOPS EATING!

Total time: 20 minutes

Calories consumed: 800

Calories saved over Meal #1: 1,200

Duh. Eating Slower Can Save Calories.

**Please note that unless you're a major Olympian/Elite Athlete then a 2,000 calorie meal is ill-advised :) we're just rounding out the numbers for mathematical ease here...

**My family members are not allowed to comment at all on these Mindful Eating posts - unless positive - as demonstrated by Tia. I am well aware that I am the resident nut-case/granola freak of the family - even if my husband failed to catch on to this detail.

"Rock the Family" Session

I've had this session waiting to be posted...waiting and waiting...waiting for so long I forgot when I even did it! I know I've fallen off the blog bandwagon when a family has prints in hand and I've completely neglected a session preview.

This "extended" family session was wonderful - they set the bar high...really really high. When you have 7 small kids you go in hoping to get a shot or two...but these kids rocked and their parents (and grandparents) weren't bad either :) I was worried that we would sweat to death in the Yuma heat, but we ended up having beautiful breezes - perfect for all the gorgeous hair they brought with them!

Graduation Show.

A few weeks ago I was able to attend my sister-in-law's graduation ceremony. If you know me then you're probably wondering why I would do such a thing since I've already sworn to bribe my children with anything under the sun if it means we get out of attending a graduation ceremony....

However - this was unlike any graduation I've ever been to before. She graduated from the Woodbury School of Design and she is OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD-INCREDIBLE. I mean who has every issue of VOGUE as their light bathroom reading material? Her talent is in the category of surreal and we all sit in awe of what she is/has been able to accomplish.

For their senior project they have to come up with 4 outfits that make up their "line". They had a little video montage on each senior/designer where the student described their inspiration - I totally understood Rachel's vision and felt that she truly captured what inspired her - that is where the talent lies. (I only say this because do not be fooled - not every senior/designer was able to "nail" their vision like she did. There was one that was similar to a Project Runway disaster in which the model(s) wearing the "automobile inspired" outfits were barely containing their laughter - and in one case I think she mistook the Bugatti for an egg - so please understand that I am in no way biased here - just pointing out true brilliance :)

Before we made it to the Biltmore Hotel in downtown L.A. we had a stroll around a mall where Tia decided to have her make-up done. She refused to listen to her older (& wiser sister)...

...But when I asked her to pose next to her "homegirls" with her new Jerseylicious face she grudgingly obliged and then pulled me into Sephora to clean her face and give her the simple "dewey" spring look she wanted...with readily available samples :)

We then made it downtown and realized we were soooo waayyy out of our league. And fearing that if Tia and I stuck together we would be mistaken for Ellen & her lover...Tia wouldn't walk next to me...

Seriously...how could we resist???

I then snuck backstage - just walked right back acting like I knew what I was doing...and started snapping picture of the crazy chaos.

Here are Rachel's clothes for her final project...

Except for this one...she worked on the final dress right up until the last minute...and it was fabulous!

Then I went and ate...

This was one of her projects for the "Apocalyptic" theme...totally radical.

Her design label

Her collection (which was inspired by dancers dressed in red & blue). As a side note - the students have to purchase all their own material etc... She did an excellent job at designing articles that would work well with "inexpensive" :) materials. And now for her dress (that she just finished sewing :)

And here she is...our very own little designer...

I LOVED Shooting this!!

They get one final walk with their most "fave" project...

Afterwards - Tia (and I) couldn't resist...I love that Tia has no fear to work a runway with her tiny 5'3'' frame.
Then it was on to the "GRAD PAD". My brother is in his first year of Law School. I wanted to take a picture of their form of entertainment...my children won't even know what this is...

BUT I'm happy to say that they do know who this is...

He shaved and cut his hair - not so scary anymore - and I'm not referring to the cat.

That concluded my whirlwind weekend of flight to Salt Lake, Warrior Dash and a less than 23hr. turnaround to L.A. and back.