What Ana Does

We caved and got the girls a trampoline this summer. I was reluctant because of injury. Dave was reluctant because of the cost.  But the neighbors all seem to have one. And Alice promised she's never be "bored" for the rest of her life. So, we ordered one off Amazon.  It took Dave and his friend just over a day to assemble it. And it seems really sturdy. The netting around the tramp makes it "safer" -- or so I'm told.  And ever since, the girls move from the tramp to the basement (where it's freezing) and come up with all kinds of games and activities.  It's a WIN. 

I was in San Diego last week helping out my sister and I met this pink car that says "it's time for yoga and a smoothie" in a very girly voice and "there's so much to see!" and I thought ... hey, that's ME in preschool toy form. So my sweet, iPhone-obsessed niece snapped this picture of me after a yoga class, drinking a berry smoothie, and I just couldn't feel more "seen" by an inanimate object.  I mean, the toy car is actually looking up at me with adoring eyes! And I could I be more SoCal?! Related posts: More very Me posts 

A few years ago, I decided that we would start a new holiday called "Strawberry Day" and while I've not been super-great at observing each year, I still love fresh-picked strawberries any day.  You don't have to observe it on the same day each year, since the strawberry season shifts depending on weather. All you need to do is find a morning and a farm and pick a few buckets of these little gems. Then, when you bring them home and wash them ... eat as many as you can until you get tummy aches. Maybe whip up fresh cream to dip them in. Or some yogurt. Or find a good homemade ice cream recipe. And when you've eaten all that you can, freeze the rest for the best smoothies you'll have all year. This year, we got to the farm to pick strawberries and I was in my glory. The sky was dramatic, the berries were huge and I got pink stains on my shoes and it all made me so happy.  Nothing tastes better than fresh strawberries in July.  Happy Str

I'm looking for some luck. After job hunting for weeks, I've been finding really interesting opportunities, but not getting a lot of responses to my inquiries. And I shouldn't take this as rejection. But I do. Not hearing back on things feels like rejections. And it's tough. I recently discovered this Feng Shui book I've had for many years, and I remembered how well it actually worked. It's really all about moving your stuff around your house, to unstick your chi and allow new opportunities and fortune to enter in. And I'm all about that. So I've identified that my "career" gua is our entryway and maybe a little of the garage. Both areas have been a disaster since we moved back in, so maybe it makes sense that my job hunt hasn't been so smooth. Little by little, I've been moving stuff in and out. And using tips, such as writing down the job I'm looking for ... so the universe knows what to bring me. (Isn't that calle