What Ana Does

A few weeks ago my husband volunteered our house for a corporate video shoot. His company wanted to film a couple in a house-setting but using studios was going to be expensive for such a short video. So, on that Wednesday morning, a fleet of Honda Elements (apparently, the vehicle of choice for a production company) arrived at 7:30am and spent the day rearranging furniture, setting up lights and huge cameras -- and letting us watch them make their magic.  It was fun being around and watching the processes from start to finish. And to have about 10 people milling around my house when it's usually just me all day. They were very gracious guests and complimented our house a few times. So, yeah, they're totally welcome to come back.  The girls were at school all day, so they missed all the excitement. I took a bunch of pictures to show them where everything was set up.  There Was Even a Hair and Makeup Stylist!  Filming! Quiet on the Set!  Check Out Those Cam

I think I post this every year, but I'm just so happy to see that SPRING is finally gracing us with its presence. I know... I shouldn't complain because winter was "mild." But my definition of "mild" is in the 60s, not 30s. So there. As is custom, I'm starting to think about spring cleaning projects and various tasks to spruce up the house and, more importantly, the yard. Everything is in need of a new coat of paint or at the very list a power wash. And who doesn't love a good power wash?! More to follow!

Ever since quitting my job, I've been restructuring my life. It's taken time (a lot of time) to figure out how a day without going into an office works. How to focus on what exactly I need to do on my computer (ie. job hunting and writing) instead of going down a twitter or blog wormhole and getting nothing done. And balancing that time with the small everyday household tasks (laundry, dishes, dishes and dishes) with the larger stuff I want to accomplish. My To-Do lists (minor and major) are miles long. It's all so overwhelming and I find myself at a standstill; where do I even begin? I've tried some strategies to get myself on a daily schedule or even a weekly one but they don't last more than a few days. My weeks differ so much. We travel, Dave travels, I was sick, the girls are home from school, the weather isn't cooperating, etc. I'm finding that each week is so much different than the last, and that's really unexpected. I figured a schedul

What do you call people that you follow on Instagram or read their blogs but they're not really your friends or celebs or actors? They provide great ideas, inspiration and food for thought. And they feel like sorta-friends but they don't know you. And it becomes kind of awkward when you talk about them in real life. For example, I'll watch Emily Henderson's instastory and Alice will ask "who's that?" from over my shoulder and I'll answer "oh that's Emily and her son Charlie." And she'll ask "do you know them?" and I don't. But kinda I do because I get snippets of her work and family and see inside her house and read about her lives daily. And not in a weird stalker way, she's creating this content on purpose. I mean, it's like reality TV but in teeny doses. So the term in Influencers . That's what I'm told. They are Influencers because they have a lot of followers/fans and are experts in some field. A

I'm going to come clean about something ... I am no cake maker. I try, but I stink at it. Big time. I try to make a cake for each of my kids' birthday parties every year. And every year it's a mixed bag of results. This weekend, I made an Angel Food Cake for Leah's 11th and it came out pretty good. It's a simple cake to begin with, so tough for me to mess up. Though, I forgot some kind of (chocolate) frosting. Fortunately we had whipped cream and chocolate ice cream at the ready so this year was a win. Last year she requested whale-shaped brownies, and that was a disaster. You should also know I have an on-going feud with icing, that's were it usually goes wrong. I've never been able to get it right. In the early days, I just used store-bought but have you SEEN what's in that?! It's chemicals in a plastic cup. No bueno. But it's still the go-to when the homemade attempt turns into cement/soup. And that's 90% of the time. Each birthday

I started working out again ... which means I'll be sore every day for the foreseeable future. Sweet. This time I'm starting with a combination of a Fit36 gym and yoga classes. Which is funny because Fit36 is loud music and instructors shouting affirmation; "YOU CAN DO IT. ALMOST THERE!" While yoga is quiet reflection and softly-spoken instructions; "Now breath into downward dog. Ahh." Anyway, I have a goal. It's a number and I want it. I'm pumped. (And now that I've printed it into this post, there's no going back.) And once I hit that number I have a shirt goal. It has to do with the buttons. 'Nuff said. And once I hit that, I may have a new number goal but I also have an ultimate goal which is an activity: I want to run again. In high school I ran long distance and I loved it. I remember the feeling of freedom and clarity. It was such a drug. Then I hurt my knee and running was never the same. Then I had babies and even atte

This was my third trip to London and it's a brilliant place to spend a week. Here are a few reasons I love London... - The Tube is incredibly efficient. I don't think we waited for more than two minutes for a train. If we just missed a train, there was always another one just behind it. New York, Paris, Chicago ... not even close to that good. And we bought tickets at a station with an agent who walked us through the Oyster card. Seriously, THE BEST experience. - Food and garden is a THING here. There are garden and home shows on primetime TV. Jamie Oliver is a national treasure with his own magazine and chain of restaurants that stress proper eating. Good whole food is everywhere. - All the national museums are free, big and easy to guide yourself through with a lot of signage. There's no "we have to stay longer to get our money's worth) stress, especially with the kids. - There are bunches of distinct neighborhoods that are endlessly charming to wal

A week in London isn't enough time. Maybe a month to see it all. We had a phenomenal week walking the neighborhoods, shopping and seeing the sights. I tried to lecture a little about the history but I didn't have many willing listeners. No matter, it was still a brilliant adventure with my favorite people. First stop was Hoboken (we had a 6 hour layover in Newark). We saw our old apartment and ate at Tony Baloney's, a pizza shop owned by a family friend. This Is Where We Used to Live! With Nieces and Brother-In-Law Our first day in London was spent walking and fighting jet lag. Luckily, the Mae Deli was just around the corner, so we had an excellent first meal. Then a walk across the Mayfair neighborhood to Liberty department store (paradise) and Carnaby Street. The next day it was time to hit Tower of London ... and it was still open!! We spent hours on the well-marked self tour and loved oohing and ahhing over the crown jewels. Ooh! Sunny Day at th

We all had a great time in London and I have lots to share about it. But for now, here's Leah's little movie trailer she made with iMovie. It's a good summary. And I'd honestly want to see this full movie, if it actually existed.