deGuzman party of five

holidays continue into January

2012-01-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Holidays are over, but not at zappos :) Because of the craziness and focus during Q4, the Zappos Holiday party is in January! This year it was at Haze in the Aria and was a masquerade theme

but first dinner at Julian Serrano in the Aria, tapas restaurant...the only one that had decent reviews on yelp besides Lemongrass

salmon roulade and the beef and cheese were my favorite

love brie cheese

as you can see, Caron wins for best dress...she fit the part perfectly in her old prom dress :) Me and Michelle black dresses and a mask
had some cirque going on which was pretty cool

found Michelle and Dee...loved my butterfly mask, but made my teeth stick out like rabbit teeth :)
was actually debating between this one and the one Jay is wearing, since his lit up, but liked the red butterfly too much and he liked the lights too much :)

fun restaurant find

2012-01-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

Friday nights we are usually either at town square, watching a movie at home or looking for somewhere to go or eat. Serendipity or Sugar Factory is always a fun treat for us. We ended up at Caesar's intending to go to Serendipity, but decided Cheesecake Factory, but the wait was too long, and then saw Max Brenner Chocolate shop, which I recognized the name from a Facebook post, so wanted to check it out. Didn't look kid friendly from the outside, so was surprised they had a kids menu when I asked...it was a fun one too, but like it says first food, then chocolate... umm, but let me tell you this girl threw a fit during dinner when she couldn't have dessert before real food, luckily she turned her attitude around before she couldn't have anything :)

I had the brenner burger, which was yum...loved the dip and fries

Jay had the steak quesadillas

the neatest part was the kids grilled cheese bites

came with little paintbrushes to paint the cheese bites and fries with ketchup

of course, they ended up playing

her masterpiece she called it

kids dessert which was called a chocolate mess party...it was okay, the cake at the bottom was kind of hard...it was molten cake, vanilla ice cream, strawberries, whip cream, sprinkles and a vile of caramel and a bowl of chocolate kripsy candies

jay swore by the tiramisu, I thought it was okay, but he's a tiramisu fan, so I guess I will take his word for it

we'll be back here...they have some cute, fun gifts in the chocolate shop and it's just decorated so fun with chocolate everywhere!

Christmas traditions and new goodies

2011-12-09T22:48:00.000-08:00

Cookie party at Michelle's has become a yearly tradition for me and the girls...Jaylin making candy ornaments...Jayme was home sick so she missed it :(

I did rolo turtles and these oreo balls...still trying to get these right, the dipping is so hard! Luckily the paper cups cover the bottom :) otherwise okay to make since just one pack of oreos crushed mixed with 8 oz. pack of cream cheese, rolled, dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled

Ashley made Magnolia's recipe for whoopie pies...amazing!

Moxa did frosted flake wreaths, yummy except for the red hots :)

between Michelle and Caron...butter balls, muddy buddies/chex mix, sugar cookies...always too much, but good to take home to Jay and the kids and the rest of our team...Zappos "Wolf Pack" right here :)

I decided to copy Michelle and did a Goodie party at my house for my team...we made treats for our buying partners, all 55 of them...silly girls making oreo cake pops, which is the same as the balls just with a stick in them...Mayra refridgerated the balls for a while before dipping so that it holds better, so I will do that next time :)

Mayra is much better at making them than me...
as well as obsessed with printing all kinds of fun labels :)
working hard to make snowmen cupcakes
somewhat cute maybe?...it's the thought that counts right :)
discovered they sell huge marshmallows at the store...easiest thing to make now, I'm obsessed...dip half in chocolate, sprinkle and stick in the fridge, poke a stick in them...
I think I love these clear baggies, makes everything look cute :) make cute, quick favors too.
My team is so sweet, got me this gift basket with a bunch of my favorite things :)

including Chocolate Shop Wine, which was pretty funny since they were all leaving with a bottle as well...I love these, these were also my Christmas gifts to cousins, couples, friends...I figure a fun wine that I have tried and like would be a good treat for others too :) tried the chocolate one, still have to try the cocoa and strawberry chocolate one! Try it!

Holiday dinner with the entire team. We went to Holsteins Shakes and Buns at the Cosmo for dinner and Secret Santa
I loved it! I'd say one of the better burgers I have had...kobe beef with potato chips and a thousand island dressing inside! And sweet potato fries!

birthday cake shake...couldn't even taste the alcohol in it :)

did more cookies with the kids before we left for CA...got this idea from a co-worker and wanted to try it. Sugar cookies, chocolate pretzels for ears and m&ms for eyes and a nose...super easy reindeer cookies...you do have to put the ears on fast before the cookie gets hard or use frosting, that was the only tricky part

Club 33 - a day at Disney

2011-12-09T22:47:00.000-08:00

Had a quick girl's getaway mid December. It was a quick trip, less than 48 hours, but so worth it to see some of the girls and get a once in a lifetime chance to dine at Club 33 in Disneyland, thanks to Loan. We stayed over at Loan's sister's house in Huntington Beach. From the minute we got there, we felt like we were on a little retreat since her sister spoiled us with yummy meals and her house was just so beautiful, all decked out for Christmas...seriously like the house from Home Alone...it was just so cozy and perfect...Thanks again Loan!!!

korean beef for dinner...then before the park, pho and Brodard rolls! if you haven't been, should go in SoCal, known for their secret sauce
Full day at Disneyland, so different without the kids, but fun to actually ride a bunch of roller coasters/rides...so many I didn't realize existed for adults! been too long!
the Tower of Terror being one of my favorite... and scariest, free fall dropping always is crazy! and of course Miss Christina knows when all the pictures are taken and looks fabulous while I look like a mess :)
after a full day of riding, ready for our dinner at Club 33
a very exclusive place...members only...you have to ring the bell, knock on the secret door...they come to get you when they are ready for you

then transport you up to the second floor
inside it's pretty traditional looking with the dark colors
fancy plate

food was good, the wine was better :)
and always nice to see the Castle lit up at night...we were there for 13 hrs. 11am to midnight...I really do love Disneyland!

Fa La La La La

2011-12-09T22:14:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year started a few days early for us...first year we weren't going to be with the Pena's so we celebrated at our house early, the Thursday before...kiddos with their fun hats and our very own Santa!

food, presents and Just Dance!

rematch to come with Uncle Marv!
girls attempting to make a gingerbread house
this one just ate graham crackers and frosting

could not get the roof up right so we settled for a flat house :)

Friday was our family day...went to church, which was an awesome service, always amazing music
this year, 3D glasses for part of it. After, we let the kids exchange the gifts they got each other. Christmas eve morning did our stockings before hitting the road to San Jose...excited for these car slippers he had been wanting :)

Christmas eve at Melissa's...just in time, arrived at about 7-8pm
anxious!

with Auntie Tania and Uncle Mark

Christmas Day with my dad's side of the family...Great grandma with all the kids

lovely cousins
spent the rest of Christmas Day with Jay's family...the day after had a field trip to McDonald's...they all got gift cards from Auntie Kat & Uncle Perry, so wanted to let them all go together before cousins had to leave...they went to town with those cards, excited to pay themselves...meals, cookies, apple pies, mcflurrys
spent the rest of the week hanging out, sleeping in, no big plans, which is what Jay wanted...He said we always have an agenda :) so this time we really didn't do much...eat, sleep and hung out at home

the kids got to play with cousins & close family friends they haven't seen in forever
we did some shopping, got a couple's massage, ate lots...

Love Honey Berry...tried an ice-cream waffle sandwich which was good, but still like their Roti Buns better!

what is a Roti Bun? :) my weakness, anything pastry related!

got to celebrate Tyler's 4th birthday at Bounce-O-Rama...Jayson favorite part of the trip, this and going to Starbucks with daddy :)

had dinner with Rosalynn's family...my godson Christian does not like me, would not even say hi to me, even spit out a piece of gum when he found out it was from me :( was so funny, but sad...hee! I have to come around more often!
Melissa's was our home for over a week so had to open up some presents...was supposed to help daddy build it, but daddy pretty much did all the work :)

Ruby was able to get the gang together for a last minute brunch the day before leaving...
What a Welcome! Thanks Nora! Was so nice to get a cheers for coming :)

finally saw some of the new babies...Mari!

Chase wouldn't go to me, but liked Jay
finally saw the Abar girls...big fan of Miss Eden's hair, finally saw it in person :)
New Year's eve I was a happy camper, all I wanted was to be with my husband eating crab...and that's exactly what we did, he picked up boiling crab to go...is it scary I almost ate this whole thing alone :)

Ended our trip with a Crab Feast on New Year's day, a new tradition Uncle Son started...back to back crab days...I was happy!

played with some of them first

the amazing stew it cooked in

ready to eat...I was the last one at our table :)

kids even enjoyed it...well Jaylin and Jayson anyway. Jayme not into seafood, but loves her bread & butter and corn

Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year!!! Many of you have seen this, was trying to be funny with the Spirit Hoods :)

Thanks to everyone who donated to charity water for the kids...they were so excited every time they got a donation :) They raised $615. They are so lucky to still have gotten presents! We are blessed by all of you! 2012 is going to be great!

Thirthy and Flirty and Thriving

2011-11-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

Dee celebrated the big 30 this year! Melissa came down from SJ to celebrate with our little sister, whom we always give a hard time about being the youngest but the tallest! Not fair! Started off the weekend with massages and lunch by the lakes at Marche Bacchus in Summerlin...Cheers to being thirty, flirty & thriving! I do believe you get smarter at 30, told to me by my cousin Tippie and So True!

the girls joined us for manis

and pedis...next time totally getting the deluxe pedi that Melissa got, had hot stones and everything!

ready for GNO

dinner at Sushi Samba...Dee loves their chilean sea bass and corn

was so yummy! The few times Jay and I went we thought it was okay, but the last few times I have gone it has been so much better because of the tasting menu...you get a little bit of all their best dishes...definitely the way to go here!
some other favs...yellowtail taquitos and gyoza
raw fish platter, from left to right...yellowtail jalapeno & lemongrass, tuna w/ jalapeno, yellowtail with ginger & soy, salmon in orange & mustard miso
rolls...the top 2 were yummy, the bottom not so great. The top one was the El Topo, salmon, jalapeño, shiso leaf, fresh melted mozzarella and crispy onion. The jalepeno kept my mouth on fire for a while, so had to pick the rest out. The middle one was my favorite, Carnaval roll, shrimp, avocado, yellowtail tartare, crispy rice paper. The third had a weird taste/after taste, the Yamato, tuna, foie gras, osetra caviar, gold leaf
Surprise birthday dessert...I swear I don't remember telling them the reservation was for a birthday, so was surprised myself when they brought this out. I actually was feeling bad that I didn't mention it, but I guess I did...either way, YAY!
the rest of the night we hung out at Lavo in the Palazzo Hotel
I know, sucky picture, but we saw LA Laker, Ron Artest. We tried to get his picture with Dee, but we didn't want to disturb him during his dinner...he had a super long dinner...was still at the table when we left, Darn!
the next day we had the girls join us again for a tea party at Town Square, English's Quintessentially British Restaurant
wouldn't be a tea party without pinkies up!
we did some shopping and buffet at the Cosmopolitan
so fancy and cute how they do their buffet...little pots, deep fryers, so you get your own individual portion...these were my favorite dishes, the beef with onions & rice and the chicken wings...didn't even need ranch!
dessert was amazing
not only macarons which of course were the highlight, mini candy apples
almond joy ice-cream, apple crisp and a whole bunch of other goodies
and to top it off we got free bloody marys...Cheers again to Dee's 30th birthday! It was such a nice long weekend to spend together with my sissies :) Love you Dee!

Thankfulness

2011-11-26T22:11:00.000-08:00

As always, so much to be Thankful for...everyday is Thanksgiving! It was a beautiful day out! I left it up to Jayson if he wanted to stay in bed or go watch daddy play football, it was football :) I actually really love these guys, zappos family!Then we went home to get ready for Thanksgiving lunch at Tip & Rick's super cute new pad. Tip, Rick and Auntie Rose did the turkey and ham and everyone else helped with the sidesJaylin helped with the turkeysJayme with the cornI did yams and stuffing...took a picture because it just look like a yummy cloud of goodness...hee! And for stuffing, stove top...our all time favorite...me and my sisters like homemade stuffing, but something about stove top we just love :)everything was delicious!Ethan's first Thanksgiving!the Ortiz Family...thanks for hosting...love you guys!cousin picture :)and family picture

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It's been a great year so far. In addition to family, friends, good healthy kids, a loving marriage, I'd have to say the one other thing I am most thankful for this year is the Financial Peace classes that Jay and I took. So eye opening and has put us in a better place today as far as how we think, prioritize and spend. It's crazy! Seriously, changed our lives forever :) Let me know if any of you ever want to talk about it, would love to share.

my buddy and me

2011-11-24T22:49:00.000-08:00

I feel like the boys have been dressing alike lately :) It's all Jay. If he could, he would probably be in one of those catalogs where the whole family is matching. I have to admit, it's cute, I like it. Didn't have too much going on this month, so thought I would gather some twin moments :)

Peace to your mother :)
Thanksgiving
a cold night out after some Black Friday shopping
some of my favorite older twin pics...hmmm, I may have to make an album of these :)
roller-blading
they call each other best buddies...but he's also a total mama's boy :)
I love them to pieces!

N'awlins

2011-10-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

Have been wanting to go to New Orleans for a while, mainly to eat :) but to also check out the city, since you always here so many fun things about it. Since we got invited to a wedding there this year, it worked out perfectly! We took a red eye Thursday night/Friday am, but no time for rest, I wanted to head straight to Cafe Du Monde for coffee & beignets :) as we walked the French Quarter people were out celebrating half way to St. Patrick's Day, so we knew right away what a fun place this was going to be...

the line seemed pretty long, but it actually moved pretty fast...people are in and out pretty quick since the menu is small/basic, beignets and a few beverage choices and they have you pay as soon as they bring out your order, they don't rush you out or anything but you're pretty much there for a quick snack
our first order of beignets and cafe au lait...wasn't sure what to expect...was thinking they would be soft and fluffy, but it's pretty much funnel cake which I love, so good with me! Plus they are doused with powered sugar. The coffee was good, didn't have to add anything extra to it.
we enjoyed it! we went everyday for the 3 days we were there :)
later that night dinner rehearsal was in a balcony suite of the Royal Sonestra Hotel
was a nice surprise as I was expecting it to be in a restaurant...this way we had the perfect view
and got the Mardi Gras experience...they gave out beads and we saw boobs :) thought that was only a Mardi Gras thing, but there were lots of people out on the street flashing for some beads :) I didn't make anyone flash I just threw them down to whoever had their hand out

as we walked back to our hotel, got caught up in the great street music
this band was really good...people dancing in the street, kids tapping with their home-made tap shoes
one of the things Jay wanted to do is ride on the Mississippi River
so we did on the the Natchez, Mississippi's last steam boat...
most exciting part was seeing the big red paddle wheel :)
Jay in awe
was a night wedding...ceremony was perfect
with the beautiful new bride...Mrs. Sarah Vlasic
after the ceremony, the couple led a parade downtown to the reception in a carriage
followed by a band, wedding party and all of us guests...how fun was it to get to parade down Bourbon Street!
so much fun!
the happy new couple...they had cute centerpieces with different New Orleans streets, food stations all around from carving stations to jambalaya, gumbo, pasta bar, hard shell chocolate fondue, plus good music including their favorite Little Wayne :)
we had another whole day to just explore and walk around...love the old streets, mansions, buildings
caught another random parade
stopped at Acme Oyster House for lunch, was a very good recommended from friends...char grilled oysters!
and of course on our last visit to Cafe du Monde, order a bunch to go as well as my coffee in a souvenir mug :)

It was the perfect amount of time, not too short or too long to be away from the kids. We got to be tourists during the day, wedding guest at night. Thanks to Auntie for allowing this to happen. She played single mom for the 3 day weekend :) Such a fun city...the food, people, history, so much culture...no wonder Sarah & Charlie fell in love with it!

Zalloween

2011-10-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

Halloween usually starts early for us because of the kids trick or treating and fall festival Zappos has for the kids...umm Miss Jaylin tried to walk around in her gold high heel dress up shoes, but that didn't last too long, so we found her white socks in the office :)

trick or treating...found a big shoe!
and some fun costumes
the cutest baby trick or treater!
one scary spider jumpy
train ride
forget what this ride is called
who needs a pumpkin patch when there is zappos! Auntie Dee was nice enough to take them while we were gone
some adult Halloween activities...Zappos does an annual charity golf event, so most employees volunteer at the holes or have the option to play with vendors or create their own teams...and you have to dress up to participate/volunteer
volunteering entails being in charge of the activities at a designated hole...our team did simple, a college theme...so I just bought a beer hat :) when players got to our hole they had to do 10 push-ups and a beer bong
Jay played this year...his team was Asian sauces, kikoman, sriracha, mang tomas and the jufran showed up late
angry birds!

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

September started off with a road trip straight to the beach!

one of our favs, Laguna Beach!

Crazy...first time we've gone and there was an advisory, red flag because the waves were so big, so you couldn't go that far into the water, not that we wanted to, it was freezing!

so mostly running around, away from the waves

working hard

hardly working

the best part of our hotel in Costa Mesa was having Mcdonald's across the street :) Also close to South Coast Plaza...they had these cute displays of cans and capri-sun, you had to adjust your eyes for a sec to realize it
took us a while to see the little mermaid friends

the next day we were up at dawn and went swimming at the hotel pool since it was heated

did some chicken fighting
and relaxing in the jacuzzi
and the kids learned from their daddy what planking was :)
spent the rest of the day walking around...checked out the Santa Monica promenade and Pier

and our trip wouldn't be complete if we didn't stop at Irvine Spectrum on our way home :)

Fashion Week in NYC

2011-09-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

Was fortunate to make it out to New York a second time this year for Fashion Week. Looked at at Spring 2012 and Fall/Holiday opportunities. Always great QT with my buyers, who are so nice to invite me to fashion shows! Not only did I have a great work week, but also tried the 3 food places on my list, Shake Shack, Lauderee and the Halal Food Truck. Thanks Moxa for escorting me to all 3 :)

My first day was the BCBG Fashion Show. I was having anxiety about the whole thing because my flight got in at 6am, had to check in, get ready and be at the Lincoln Theater by 10am, but I made it...a little early even.
first section from the start of the runway about 6 rows back
me and Hope = fashion show virgins :)

BCBG 2012
finale...the show was so quick, wish it was longer :)

check out this paparazzi
met up with Jude
for dinner :)
checked out her cousin's pop shop where he featured his new line, whom she does photography for...David Quinn
then met up with the others for more Fashion Night Out! Streets were crazy packed
Betsey Johnson's dancing models

after tons of walking, tried to get out of the craziness and headed to the meat packing district where we were able to find a place to rest and have a drink
Lee, Karrie, Shyloh and me with my droopy/lopsided boob :) I swear they are the same...hee!

Detour to New England

2011-09-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

After Fashion Night Out, I detoured over the weekend to Connecticut to visit cousin Todd, Lisa and Lucas...they were only about an hour and a half train ride away...pretty brave I must say I was to venture out alone :)

they took good care of me...took me to a super cute Tapas Restaurant called Ibiza
Lisa's favorite goat cheese was pretty tasty
one of my favs was the lamb & chick peas over toast
and one of the cutest desserts ever was a spoonful of joy...chocolate and almond croquettes
more New Englandy stuff they called it :) Lymon Orchards for Apple Picking...so beautiful!

Lucas did a great job!

my first corn maze...you have to answer riddles at each stop to guide yourself out
of this craziness...Thanks for planning a fun day Todd & Lisa!
for dinner had Connecticut pizza, which supposedly is the best in the world, have heard this from several sources, something in the water? A CT classic, white clam pizza and birch beer, which is root beer but white...not a big root beer person, but it tasted good with the pizza
we grubbed as you can see...Eric, La, Jake and Mathew met up with us too...so nice to see the east coast family!
later that night, actually baked a homemade apple pie with the apples we picked...nice job Todd...very impressive!
seriously a yummy apple pie...I mean it was baking in the oven while we were watching Something Borrowed, chick flick & dessert...what more could I ask for :)

NYC continued

2011-09-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

As soon as I got back into the city, did a little shopping and Shake Shack with Moxa...which was perfect timing since I just watched Something Borrowed the night before

got the shackburger, fries and black&white milkshake...looks like a normal burger, but the the bun is like buttery making it so delicious :)
After that meal, was hard to suck in and get ready for the Custo Barcelona Fashion Show!

fun show...they have such crazy, fun colors & patterns....

the models looked like mannequins with their shiny slick hair
finale shot
after the show we had a drink at the rooftop of the Empire Hotel and then had dinner at one of my new favorite restaurants, Ilili...my first time I left uncomfortably full, so I knew to pace myself this time :)
now I know what my favorite dish is, veal & bacon in a pancake, had to explain it to the waiter, "this pancaky thing with meat inside"
after our Monday meetings we had a break so Moxa and I ventured off to find the Halal Food truck, not just any one of them,but specifically the one outside of the Hilton which supposedly is the best!
looks like a mess, but a very yummy mess...I heard it was the white sauce that made it so good, totally true, the sauce with the chicken or lamb and rice...soooo good!
and of course had to have dessert, Moxa's recommendation for banana pudding at Magnolia's, good but not to die for like these little things :)
new macaron shop Lauderee from Paris...Moxa and I walked about 2 miles to get there, but once we tasted the salted caramel, we agreed it was worth the long walk :)

after resting up, headed right back out for a Zappos Family dinner at Sushi Samba

where I was exposed to my first drink tree, not all for me of course
for Courtney's birthday
we seriously had a bizillion course meal, from the appetizers, raw sushi plate, cooked sushi plate, steak, the food didn't stop coming, but the rice mixture in this fish boat was one of my favorites
tried to take a pic of me and Jarett using the hand out facebook shot, but I'm obviously not very good at it, only got him in the picture...how fun is his blazer, never used the word "fierce" til I met Jarett :)
Diesel Black Gold Fashion Show at Pier 94
where we saw Nina Garcia

that night went to a restaurant with a "secret entrance"...I hear there a few fun ones in NYC, so definitely want to come back and check out more of them... this one in Soho looks like an ordinary taco stand from the outside
but then once down the stairs, through the kitchen, was a cute lil place...La Esquina
the corn was the best!
after dinner went to the BCBG after party, where I had another star sighting, Russel Simmons
Last night out in the big city had a yummy dinner with the BCBG team at Stanton Social, everything was so good
yummy tapas...crab cake corndogs
lobster rolls...biased when it comes to seafood :)

french onion soup dumplings

milkshake shot...makers mark and caramel ice cream..was good, but the strawberry shortcake sundae was the winner, but we dug into it so fast I couldn't grab a picture :)
final day in NY was able to grab lunch with lovely La before heading to the airport

best landing, welcome home ever! my little mister! Was the longest I had been away from the family, 8 days...But was a Great trip, if I had to sum it up...

Spring 2012: Lots of Color, Color Blocking, Pleats, Stripes, Cold Shoulders (new term I learned :) Mixed Fabrics...going to be exciting for women on Zappos.com, must save money now!
Food: Shake Shack, Halal Truck, Lauderee Macarons, Ilili Lebanese Restaurant
Star Sightings: Queen Latifah, Russel Simmons, Common, Nina Garcia, Sophia Bush

11 years...

2011-09-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

has gone by so fast! Had a lunch date to celebrate our anniversary on 9/24/11

we went to this place I recently just heard about from co-workers called Marche Bacchus in Summerlin on the lake...it's a little hidden super cute place

it's a wine market in the front and a bistro in the back...we chose to sit by the lake since it was so nice out...it actually turned out to be a crazy weather day...started sunny, then dark and windy with some rain, then back to nice, Florida weather they said
the turtles were so cute...there was a baby one following the mama one
This place you could order wine at the table or go into the market and pick one and they'll serve it for you at your table...Jay went in the market looking for moscato or a good red wine and found a chocolate wine

it was perfect, not too strong like other dessert wines we've tasted, it was a really good red, loved it! we'll be stocking up on this one for home and for Christmas gifts :)

the food was just okay, I had a lobster croissant and Jay had prosciutto sliders, not amazing, just okay...more a place for the wine and atmosphere, took a picture of this because of the "Gateau Basque" or as Jay said jokingly "Ghetto Bask" hee! I thought it was funny!

Anyway funny thing was we ordered the cinnamon bread pudding which takes a half an hour to make, we left the table for a little while to chat with friends we ran into and when we returned the birds had ate some of the top off, so they advised us not to eat it anymore...I was bummed, so we'll have to go back and try it

instead they brought us out the almond cake, the Gateau Basque which was the other dessert I was debating between, so it worked out because it was really good
other funny thing was the surprise appetizer plate where Jay thought he was eating tuna, the round pate to the right of the mustard, but then later learned it was duck, he was pretty disgusted, he doesn't like duck...hee!

my anniversary flowers and better than a box of chocolates...a box of macarons!

Cheers! Til death do us part :)

Outdoor Retailer

2011-08-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

First week in August tagged along with the Outdoor team to the Outdoor Retail Show in Salt Lake...started the party early at the airport since our flight got delayed. It was a great show, I left inspired for me & the family to become more Outdoorsy and excited for all the opportunity for Outdoor on Zappos!

happy campers to finally get there...the wheels on the bus go round and round :)

first night was pretty low key, dinner at devil's daughter...wasn't too crazy about the name but they had pretty good wings

some shine & glitter happening in the Outdoor World :)
After a good 1st day of the show, a massive TNF dinner for 32...sandwiched between my outdoor girls Catie and Emily
Marisa, Harry Potter :) and Moxa
after dinner went to club elevate for the Jansport party where Cromeo performed, wasn't clear after hearing lil Romeo or Cromeo was performing :) not sure who he is but we liked him...my first real concert experience that involved not dancing but jumping up and down...I guess that's what people do :)

after the party we were all hungry again for Mcdonald's fries, so I took one for the team and tried to order us food from the drive-thru but strangely enough they don't do that, so we had to find a nice couple with a car to order food for us, which we did and treated them as well for helping us out :)
Dee went too, she does marketing for kids so was pretty cool we got to be roomies on this trip :) we ended up doing dinner together one night at Bambara, restaurant recommended by a rep for their blue cheese chips and silky corn bisque with Crab

then met up with the others...Yhaira and Mike

ended up back at elevate for Teva's 80's party...held in honor for the retirement of the Jansport creator
spazmatics...I like the 80's not a hard core fan like some, but they were really good!

ended the trip on a sweet note, after the last day of the show found a good spot for lunch, discovered a fellow foodie friend in my other outdoor partner Bill, we shared appetizers, ordered different entrees so we could split both and this fruit parfait thing was amazing! told him he was a good eating buddy :)

and even better, I scored and found a cute little shop that had macarons, made the trip that much better :)

waterbugs

2011-08-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

tried to get in as much swimming as possible before the end of summer.. Lowes Lake Las Vegas

sliding...slide looks like it's getting old

umm...those bright yellow glasses are part of her Halloween costume :)

red eyes and all still went for sushi afterwards

then tried crepe shack for dessert, since we've heard good things about it, we'll be going back :)
later that week as I was school shopping with the girls I get an urgent call from Jay to come home because Auntie Amara invited us over for night swimming
they had so much fun cause Auntie Amara has the coolest toys

first time Jayson used his floaties
the day after went to the M Pool for 80's music...Amara and Daisy racing the kids

Jaylin said 80's music is for old people...I love rock n roll was the one song that stuck in her head, I told her "see you like 80's music," she said just that one song

no more swimming, time for school

my baby ready for Kindergarten!

my first Rave

2011-08-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

annual zappos vendor party was a rave theme...this was as close as I could get...glowstick jewelry or as some called me, Japanese anime...never been to a real one so was cool to try and dress up for one :)

before the party had dinner at Comme Ca in the Cosmopolitan
I heard they were known for their bone marrow, so I tried it
was very good with the little toasted bread, the jam they call in the bones on the right were too salty
I normally wouldn't order a burger at a restaurant like this, but heard they were good here...was a good choice, the sauce was yum!
heading to Marquee...rave is tough, almost looks 80's for me and Moxa...Caron made her fun skirt
Erin's lashes and you can't see Michelle's hot pants
was such a nice surprise to run into another Jay
and you can't get any old schooler than this...friends since middle school!

Vegas Visitors

2011-08-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary Christina & Nelson! They spent their 11th anniversary in Vegas and were so sweet to find time to see us and treat the kids for ice-cream...it is because of her that I am obsessed with macarons :)

then for more ice-cream when Uncle Mic and Auntie Sarah came to visit...didn't realize they had a Jean Philippe at Aria, another place I can go for macarons :)
we did have dinner first at least...at Lemongrass
Jaylin with her crab omelette
we got to catch them again before they left with the whole family
for sushi...the great thing about oyishi sushi is that their all you can eat sushi includes other things besides just rolls, all kinds of seafood, even steak and veggie small plates
The Marra's were in town too, so we met up with them for more dessert :)
one of our favorite spots Sugar factory for a monster banana split
so cute...future baby sitter right here :)

SF Food Tour

2011-07-31T23:49:00.000-07:00

spent 10 days in the bay...arrived the first Friday at 7:30am, had a half hour to get ready for the first part of the trip...our annual SF girls food tour!

first stop was Brenda's French Soul Food for cheesy shrimp & grits, beignets, and gumbo...my favorite, eating the beignets with the cheesiness
2nd stop was a to go order for Kim Chi Burritos...I thought okay, a little spicy, I'm sure better right away...I didn't eat it til the next morning
3rd, the old Paulette's, now Chantal Guillon for yummy macarons, my new obsession :)
4th home-made ice cream at Smitten...cool to see, got coconut of course but liked the salted caramel better...I feel like salted caramel is a new trend :)
5th, Anthony's cookies...like their unique cookies & cream cookie
I couldn't have been in the city on a better day...weather was beautiful...so nice to sit outside at our 6th stop Zazie's for mimosas
did a pankcake flight which was good, but my favorite was the dungeness crab eggs benedict

took a break and played dress-up at Christina's...litterally played dress up in her amazing closet...we even left with a few things :)
couldn't play too long, we had to get back out into the city!
first happy hour at Amelie for some wine flights
then met up with more of the gang for dinner at House of Prime Rib
Michelle taught us that steak, yorkshire pudding, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes and some horse radish all in one bite IS the perfect bite
8 stops total, couldn't do it without SF native driver, Christina who always gets good parking wherever we go...thanks for planning and driving!cheers to good times, food and friends!

family time

2011-07-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

our time off was scheduled around my grandma's 90th birthday! they put together a really nice party at the Hilton Hotel in Newark

only great-grandparent the kids got to know

grandma and her 3 kids, dad being the oldest...was so sweet, they all gave a speech about how wonderful grandma was, is to them
diva grandma had a wardrobe change into a 2nd dress...heard there was a 3rd but she didn't end up changing again

cake time

getting down on the dance floor
was nice to hang out with dad, couldn't believe our mom wasn't there...she was off galavanting in the Philippines :) after the party we stayed up late hearing stories from dad about his childhood, how he met my mom, was so fun and funny!

dad left for home the next day but before that we went to Boiling Crab...one of my favorite places on earth :)

I was serious when I posted my trip was complete...hee! must do's were, food tour with friends, grandma's party, crown & crumpet, spend time with family & friends and Boiling Crab :)

poor little guy!

4th of July started out rough since I sprained my ankle in the morning when Jay and I were trying to be good and went for a run...but the rest of the day was nice and laid back...hung out with the family at Melissa's for BBQ
and Boiling Crab part 2

Alex brought something else I have been wanting to try...Sprinkles cupcakes...jumped at the chocolate marshmallow but wasn't a fan, the banana and vanilla were my fav

the rest of the week was nice to just hang out and not have to rush back home...spent time between cousin Tyler's house and cousin Marc, Michael and Maddie's house (my sis and Jay's sis)

got introduced into this crazy rolling ball

Uncle Neil took the kids to chuck e cheese for some hair extensions :)

watched cars 2 and played with sprinklers
kids had so much fun with their cousins

Auntie Melissa introduced us to shaved ice which I had been wondering about since I had been seeing people post about it on fb and was like how good could shaved ice be? now I see, it's turned almost into a froyo craze with all the toppings :) was good, felt like powdery snow
strawberry for me, coffee for Jay, both good...this was at a Korean shopping center on El Camino

another day in SF

2011-07-27T01:23:00.000-07:00

went back to the city with Jay and the kids this time...first we went to check out the zappos office, nice location on 2nd and mission

small office, but still had some culture over there

then found a cute little spot closeby just in time for HH, Umbria...caught another really nice day in the city!

then headed up to Ghiradelli Square, I was on a mission to check out another facebook recommendation...Crown and Crumpet

It's only the cutest little tea place...girls had berry tea

with heart shaped sugars :)
and a marvelous little spread of treats...the girls actually don't care for tea, but I made them drink it, told them that they will like it and when we get home we will go to the library so they can read and learn all about it :) it's too cute not to like it!
even daddy had his pinkies up for tea!

Uncle Dave was so nice to meet us and drive us around the rest of the day...he took me and the girls to see Monte Carlo while Jay and Jayson went to the baseball game with Uncle Will and family

oh my 2nd mission was to taste Kara's cupcakes...Jay got smores, I got salted caramel, not a huge fan of the salted caramel, liked the smores though

Friend Time

2011-07-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

if we weren't with the fam we were running around town with friends

met Auntie Aubrey for dessert at Santana Row
Auntie Rosalyn for froyo, a playdate and dinner
Auntie Kim for breakfast
Auntie Gail for a GNO, dinner & a movie...Bridesmaids

had lunch and a tour of google with Mark...love their fun bikes
google is like a college campus...Mark told us to save room because he was taking us to 3 of the 18 restaurants they have there
1st lunch which was mix of all kinds of food...tuna roll, taco, indian...all delish
2nd was pizza, pasta and ceviche!
3rd was the pho and sushi place which was also very very delish...Thanks Mark, google is the next best thing after Zappos :)
Auntie Loan invited the girls for a tea date at Santana Row, Lisa's Tea Treasures
super cute inside, a little more traditional...was perfect, we got the fun, more girly tea party at Crown & Crumpet and the older, fancier more traditional version at Lisa's Tea Treasures
kids spread
adult spread

and as if that wasn't enough treats, Kara's cupcakes to take home...Thanks Auntie Loan!

Our last day before heading home we went to Christian and Uncle Will's birthday party...we were trying to stall going home as long as possible, planned on heading out at 2pm, we pushed it to 4:30pm...was nice to see more aunties, uncles and friends!

back again...Alex turns 1

2011-07-18T23:35:00.000-07:00

2 weeks later headed back up to San Jose/Redwood City for the weekend...we originally weren't planning on it since we were just up there, but still hoping we could go for Alex's birthday party...Friday night came and I was bored, teasingly asked Jay if we could go and he said yes...left at 9pm, showed up at Melissa's at 8am, rested and then spent the whole day with cousins at Marv's house...was quick but fun, haven't rolled like that in along time :)

celebrant Alex in her 1st outfit

hangin with the family inside

and out...was a beautiful day, outside deck was decorated so cute

yummy food from Mediterranean Delight

bday cupcakes...I won't say how many I ate...vanilla, snickerdoodle, carrot...

2nd wardrobe change...how cool is Uncle Marv, baby, beer and still has a hand free

and in her 3rd...Yay! Happy 1st Birthday Alex!

Pool Time

2011-07-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

No better way to end the month than by being at the pool...three days straight

first was an afternoon of team building, merch planning and HR at the M hotel
poolside...my feet in the corner :)
felt bad I got to go to the pool, so we took the kids the following day to Green Valley Ranch...Jayme surfing on daddy
I like this pool because they have a sand area for the kids to play in

and we discovered this cool little isle

3rd pool day was a surprise bday party for Amara...waiting in the cabana for her to arrive

was a fun time in the pool
a little too much fun!

Happy Birthday Amara!

not sure what gang signs she is throwing, but cute picture of her and her hubby :)

In New York

2011-06-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

went back to NYC for the womens apparel market with my clothing BFF's...overall a great trip, learned lots, saw lots of beautiful clothing and best of all got really excited about the huge opportunity that zappos and clothing have together :)

first day in the city...zappos tradition, meet up for breakfast before heading out to appointments
chocolate break with some of my favorite foodies Karrie and Jarett at the top floor of Saks where we overdosed on truffles and macaroons :)

the weather couldn't have been better, was so nice out we had to sit outside
after dinner met up with some of the others for a drink and dessert
Day 2 with my tall friends :)

dinner at Da Tomasso for Italian food and some merch planning bonding...food was okay...
dessert was better, flown in from Italy because supposedly they can't get it right in the states?
then for a broadway show, Mary Poppins...was good...I did fall asleep for one tiny little part, but it was the one slow part and I was tired, but otherwise really good and entertaining, best part at the end when Mary Poppins went flying through the sky and hearing "just a spoon full of sugar and "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"

Day 3...it started to get hot and humid out...a vendor had highly recommended a peanut butter banana smoothie at gregory's, so we had to try one and was glad we did, it was delish!

Dinner was at Ilili's Mediterranean Restaurant and I loved it! Was so happy because I hadn't really had anything amazing yet during the trip except for the peanut butter smoothie...this was well worth the wait

I've had kabobs before but these were the best ever and I know
this for me because I am usually a steak person, but this time I actually liked the chicken better, so soft and flavorful and the rice was exceptional, usually a winner for me when I must take Jay back to try :)
so before the kabobs came out, there was about 10 other appetizer dishes like hommus, baba ghannouj, eggplant (tasted like friend bananas, so good), rolls, saugage, but my favorite were these pancake looking things that tasted like meat, pancake, syrup, almost like a mcgriddle...hee! can't remember or find what they are called
Day 4, one big appointment and then headed home
Til next time New York!

San Diego

2011-06-25T17:08:00.001-07:00

got home from New York about 8pm Thursday night and we were up by 3am Friday morning to drive straight to Uncle Rommel's retirement ceremony as a Chief Hospital Medic at Camp Pendleton. So proud of him, he served for 24 years!

we made it just in time, started at 10am, we seriously got there right at 10am, was pretty crazy but we did it, changing and brushing teeth at starbucks isn't so bad :)
with cousin Abby
daddy having a moment...his little girl...getting so big!
Congratulations Rommel!!!

spent the rest of the weekend playing with cousins...fun day at the park
walked around to pick up some food and found a foam fountain
Jaylin and Maddie were trying to save some to show their cousins

we didn't realize Uncle lived so close to the Trolly so we decided we would spend Sunday before we left exploring downtown San Diego
first stop, gaslamp...walked around for a little but spent most of our day at seaport village...Jaylin was throwing a fit cause she was cold
as soon as we got to seaport village, we saw this and the kids begged us to go on it...Jayme said that is all she wanted, we thought it would be fun, so we did it but first some walking around
was so pretty out
cute little area with all the vendors and interesting people
like the rock man, was crazy how he balanced those huge rocks
then the sword man who stuck a sword down his throat for a quick second, bent over to show everyone and then flung it out

and of course the yummy treats, it's bad when I looked up on line the restaurants and saw all these dessert places and we went to all of them :)

these cookies were amazing, all soft and moist, we had 8 between us
Jaylin ate hers in a tree
Frosted Robin cupcakes were fantastic as well, not all of them only a few, the top left was called "milk and cookies" had an orea at the bottom of it, middle right was mango and bottom right peanut butter...the green mint and pink bubble gum weren't that great
and then Jaylin had to have a candle apple at Seaport coffee and fudge

boat time...first on land around downtown and then in the water

sea lions...while we were out we saw 3 military R, M18, something airplanes (something big because everyone was in shock) but they were so fast I couldn't get a pic of it :) we also saw a few dolphins because some of the trainers were out checking on them. Was a fun time, the past times we've gone to San Diego it was for amusement parks, so it was nice to see this downtown area, we'll be back soon, so much more beautifulness to see in San Diego!

Father's Day - Top of the World

2011-06-25T17:07:00.001-07:00

Father's Day Weekend started with the usual Friday night dinner at Town Square...daddy's favorite, Sushi!then Saturday took Dad and Jay to The Top of the World Restaurant at the Stratosphere...have been up before for a party but not to the spinning restaurant

thought the kids would get a kick out of it and they sure did, they couldn't believe we were moving...glued to the windows
finally got them to sit...best part was passing the dessert tray :)
which was really good
the banana bread pudding was our favorite

food was pretty good, I got the Lobster grilled cheese, Dee got the Bahn Mi and we halfed both :) was good just got saltier as you at the grilled cheese and I like salty so this was a little too much...the Dad's did steak
Happy Father's Day Dad!
Lolo got an extra special card from the kids this year, not a singing card but a recording of their voices wishing him a happy father's day

afterwards we headed up higher for more beautiful views...then surprisingly Jayme wanted to ride the Xtreme, which like I said sooo surprising cause she is such a baby when it comes to roller coasters

up high

down low

they did it! we were so scared and proud at the same time of Jayme!
It wouldn't be a Jay Day if we didn't go somewhere with something ridiculously sweet, first he said we wanted to go to both Sugar Factory and Serendipity, but we were good after Sugar Factory :)
had lunch this time, again food is okay more for the fun of it on the dessert side which this time we did fondue
the chocolate taste like any other fondue, but what made it fun was the assortment of dipping choices
especially their home made marshmallows, I'm not a big marshmallow fan, but these were good especially when put with the brownies before dipping :)
kids enjoyed it and of course made a mess

afterward went to the see the water show

the kids each got Jay something small, it was cute...Happy Father's Day Jay!!!

May Birthdays

2011-05-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

Jaylin agreed to share another birthday with Jayson, but she told me "I promise you, I will not share another birthday!" sheesh...so we had a joint bday party at pump it up...but first all the real bday stuff :)

first Jaylin's on the 17th which started with breakfast in bed
dinner at Cici's pizza
followed by cold stone at home :)
another bday dinner at chuck e cheeses...it was bday week
and another with Lola...she asked Jaylin what she wants to eat for her bday...seafood buffet :)

round 1 of cupcake prep the night before for school...my chocaholic :)
they did good...she chose marble flavor
round 2 for Jayson's bday exactly a week after
getting ready for pump it up, watching the safety video...umm there is one fairly large big kid that stands out :)
the whole gang! thanks for coming kiddies!
40 mins in the first room...Jayson gets crazy, sometimes he slides normal but the majority of the time it's jumping up high right before sliding down
then another 40 mins in the 2nd jump room
adults had some fun sliding time too
Jay tried to take an action shot, could kind of see it :)
then pizza and cake time
for cake I attempted to make ice-cream looking cupcakes for Jaylin
cars cookie cake for Jayson
first Jaylin
then Jayson
wouldn't be a party without a cousin shot...hee!
or without the D's
and the Chan Clan...even baby Ethan came out to celebrate!
beautiful Peake girls...Jaylin and Jaycee hit it off from the 1st day they met at zappos
kiddos left with skittle favors

and cars goodie bags or long candies
Thanks again everyone! Always nice to see and spend time with family and friends!

Mom Stuff

2011-05-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day wanted to try the new Sugar Factory at the Paris Hotel...overall a fun experience, more for dessert and fun drinks and candy, food is just okay

walked through the candy factory first and were greeted by a very nice man who let the kids pick out a free candy...so many choices!
then for breakfast in their restaurant area
lots of fun entrees, I got waffles with berries, toffee & chocolate...it was okay, not as good as I thought it would be because of the waffles, they weren't soft and fluffy, more on the drier side
however, Jay's crepes with a bunch of junk on it was pretty good!

with the kids...can't believe how big they are, feel like their childhood went by so fast it's almost a blur :(

girls wine tasting night for co-worker/supermom Lindsay's birthday...it was a beautiful night out in her backyard for us all to relax!

the sweetest part was her husband served all of us, paired the wines with yummy cheeses, meats, bread, fruit, nuts and chocolate...all which he learned by sitting with a sommelier beforehand

was a good time with the girls and we all requested that her husband Graham do this for us monthly :)

lunch with mom and dee...which the kids reaction this time was, "why you always go somewhere, why can't we eat with Lola too"...we made up for it by bringing them back treats from the bakery

I finally got to taste pan roast, always heard my mom and family talk about it but never got to try...so according to mom the best one is at Orleans at their Oyster Bar

cooked right in front of you...yummy seafood stew

new mommy tips Baby-Q for little Ethan

Big Grad

2011-05-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

My big boy!

his pre-school had a cute little ceremony...in the beginning they were all dressed up as different characters/occupations, did their pledges, sang songs and the teacher read a poem about how they can be anybody they want to be when they grow up...not sure what he was at first...they said a musician :)
treats for the graduates

Kentucky Derby

2011-05-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

K, not the Derby, but the week after...Every year Zappos holds a vendor fair in Kentucky...gives some of the vendors a chance to tour our warehouse and of course have some fun...

it was a quick trip, left on a Wednesday, back on Friday, stayed in downtown Louisville...first night dinner outside
followed by a welcome reception for the vendors and bowling and some dancing...Moods of Norway guys, checkout zappos.com for some fun blazers by them :)
next day was an experience since we got to go to Churchill Downs to do some horse racing...made the hats the night before to get into theme :)
without the ridiculous hats...was so convenient and nice that we got seats in millionaires row, inside banquet tables to eat and drink then go watch the races out on the balacony when the sirens/horns went off

I bet once but didn't win :(
afterwards had a very long 3 hr yummy, fun dinner with our IT friends...found a SCU alumni
the steak and sides were all excellent!
and dessert was a production
and pretty fancy...Caron loves her tea and when she got to pick from this special box...she was won over...turned crazy actually :)
we were all full and tired, but made it out, got our second wind to spend our last night with the vendors at the zappos downtown pub crawl

04.07.11

2011-04-07T18:42:00.000-07:00

started off the day surprised by my decorated chamber...

jumped over Michelle's desk trying not to ruin the masterpiece...found balloons, presents, treats all around my desk, was really feeling the love from my zappos family :)

got mini nothing bundt cakes from a real zappos family member...Dee brought these over for us to enjoy...sooo yummy!

then Tip's team happen to be going to Excalibur's Tournament of Kings dinner that night and came to work dressed in character for the day, so knowing that I love Renaissance times, they came over to sing to me...how cute are they!!!

The Performance/Athletic team had planned a pub run which just happen to fall on the day of my bday too, so I turned it into my little mini bday party :) We ran a total of 3.0 miles and stopped at 4 bars...rule was we had to have my favorite drinks at the stops :)

getting ready at work trying to look skinny...hee!

group shot out side of the office where the run started...

first stop was Al's Garage, split a beer with Mayra and got a surprise round of lemon drops from the K's, thanks Katie, Kim and Kelly, so sweet of you guys!

2nd stop Quinn's for a Soco Lime and Washington Apple's...thanks everyone for all by bday drinks!

3rd stop, Balboa pizza where some of the other team members that didn't run met up with us...

4th and final stop was Claim Jumper

where we had one of my favorite drinks, Apple Martini's
Was lots of fun! Was just glad I was able to run it the whole time...had the support of my wonderful husband that had to push my back sometimes and held my wristlet :)

After the run, a few of us wiped down and got ready in the Zappos bathroom...ewww :) and went to Blue Martini for food and drinks

we love the steak and rice plate they have

found a new plate...Brie inside of the puff pastry, love love loved it!

The girls were so sweet to get me a bday dessert...it was Latin night, so we dance the night away til midnight...tried a dirty martini for the first time and have a new love for blue cheese olives :)

Was a great birthday day!

Easter

2011-04-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

Easter was a beautiful day, my favorite holiday. Started the day off with church, which was set up so cute. A few months back they asked us to start saving lids for Easter. I assumed for some kind of craft project, but had no idea it would turn out like this. The huge flowers were made of all the lids

flower close up

as we left, we planted some seeds of our own

after church we went to the clubhouse for breakfast with Lola, Lolo and Auntie Dee

always a good breakfast when they have my favorite, belgian waffle with strawberries and whip cream

later that afternoon we took the kids on a bike ride to our favorite Thai restaurant Pin Kaow to get our usual bbq spare ribs for the kids, beef masaman and pork larb for me and Jay

then went back home to do an easter egg hunt and egg coloring

this year did simple and only put quarters, some dollars in their eggs

Jayme ended up with the most money

then told them they could use that money to get dessert
so after coloring eggs we went to mickey d's

they chose chocolate chip cookies and sundaes

Zappos events

2011-04-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

lots of things going on in April at Zappos...first fun one was not a wine tasting but a glass tasting...to learn about how the right glass can make all the difference in the taste of your wine

pouring into the "joker" glass to compare the difference

learning about decanters which I really never knew what they were for...outcome...we are a big fans of Riedel glasses sold on Zappos.com :)

kids always look forward to the 2 big zappos events in April, the Zappos picnic and Take Your Kids to work day...the picnic theme was hippie
had to find a fun way to wear these tie dye shirts...dee went off the shoulder, I went one side off the shoulder :)
2nd time hoola hoop winner...I wish there were scholarships for hoola hooping, she is so good at it, doesn't even phase her

lots of junk, funnel cake sticks
cotton candy of course was their favorite

our first time to try chip stix...they set them up, deep fry them and then you choose from the many seasonings...they were quite delicious

they played games

rode rides, played frisbee, painted on the hippie bus

probably the most exciting part was taking the shuttle bus over :)

for TYDTWD the kids got breakfast, a tour of the office, some projects and crafts to do, followed by a BBQ...then they spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out with the team..they went to our weekly team meeting and blew bubbles down the row
that same night was our team event, so the kids went home with Jay and I went 80's rolling skating

Newest family member

2011-04-04T22:31:00.000-07:00

Baby Ethan surprised us and arrived early

love him!

he actually arrived before his shower, but the family still got together to welcome him home...the kids had so much fun making him a build a bear baby

got to play with cousin Alex

Congrats again Tip and Rick!!! Looking forward to spending more time with Ethan!

lovely ending to my bday month

2011-04-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

April ended perfectly...march/april and sept/oct are the best month's in Vegas, so had some really nice weather...the last Friday, Jay and I went on a lunch date to check out the new outdoor mall, Tivoli...we get very excited when new things open up here :)

it's a cute place...in the street they have jugglers, face painters, random guys giving flowers
and one of our favorite restaurants Brio...love their carpaccio
tried something new that I liked...penne with a spicy tomato cream sauce and green onions
Saturday we were up early to do a walk with the mayor which was part of the Zappos Corporate Challenge events...was pretty cool, but ended up being very windy out
thankfully warmed up so the kids could still go swimming...we had a mom and kids day at Shyloh's house, I just took the girls, Jayson would be too much :)
the moms

Jayme's Baptism

2011-03-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

March was a very special month for us because Jayme decided to get baptized. She was dedicated as a baby and baptism would come when she was old enough to understand and decide for herself that she accepts God into her life. Shortly after the new year she started asking about it as they were learning more about it in Sunday School, so she attended the classes and decided to do it!

The church had a very cute ceremony just for kids, Baptism Bash

Was so cool that Jay got to help dunk her
"be buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness in life"...crazy how big her eyes look, just like the day she was born :)
cake time
her LV aunties were there to support her
then to celebrate, she got to choose whatever she wanted to eat and it was garlic noodles at yard house
and Auntie Anne's pretzels
the day turned into a deguzman "Bad" day which means junk food all day!
so we went to Sammy's for the gigantic cotton candy
and donuts
was a very blessed day! one day two more to go :)

Daddy's Birthday

2011-03-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

didn't do much for Jay's birthday, just EAT...he chose Hash House A go go, his only request was a window seat :)

didn't know what to get this time, last time we tried the cornbeef hash, so wanted to get something different...since we couldn't decided we did the Man vs Food option, Andy's sage fried chicken w/ fresh spinach, hardwood smoked bacon, market tomato, griddled mozzarella, chipotle cream and scrambled eggs on a biscuit with mash potatoes...didn't think I would like fried chicken for breakfast, but this was so good and way more than enough for both of us to share, we still had leftovers to take home

the kids had ridiculously big chocolate chip pancakes, next time will order one for all three since we had a ton of leftovers, one will feed all three, that's a steal :)

after that filling breakfast went for a nap and then back out walking on the strip to see the water show, never gets old with us

then to Serendipity's for dessert

brownie sundae for the kids, frozen mocha hot chocolate for us
the day of daddy's real bday the kids surprised him with his favorite cake, a small one since he's pretty much the only one that eats it, Ube cake...he even had the top of our wedding cake this flavor just for him...I don't really care for it, Jaylin ended up liking it though

so excited for daddy's birthday

Then Jay and I were able to celebrate on our own with a dinner date at Texas de Brazil

always enjoy coming here for their yummy steak and sides and always leave uncomfortably stuffed

this is how I eat it...steak, beans & rice, plantains and mash potatoes...all in one bite that is :)

I didn't even request a bday candle, they were so sweet to bring one out with his banana fosters dessert

Happy Birthday Jay! Love you!

Zappos fun

2011-03-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

monthly we are encouraged to get our teams out of the office environment to bond over lunch, coffee, whatever...so this month we did pazookies, which we were all surprised that they made this super huge one...I love pazookies so have had one before, but this time ordered a sampling of four which we thought would come out as 4 regular sized ones but they put it all together

it was so good...winning flavor was the oreo! my very lovely work party of 5, I heart them all and think of them as daughters, they call me mom...hee!

another team dinner with a different group of gals at work, the Western team...we went to a place I enjoy going to, Brio...fun group of girls I tell you!

tried all new things this time...biggest Carpaccio ever, was very good too...I had it for breakfast the next day :)

had the medallions which just melted in your mouth

Zappos is sponsoring the Corporate Challenge in Vegas this year so they had a bbq for the opening ceremonies

the kids joined us after school, ate bbq and got to check out Tony's happiness bus...they told us they want to live in a trailer now ;)

Was able to catch a DJ concert at my favorite hotel the Cosmopolitan to watch "girl talk," didn't realize they had concerts for DJ's?

It was outside in the pool area, so it was like a big outdoor party
We had a blast dancing, hanging out, I mean what party isn't fun if there is confetti :)

then ended the month with burgers and bowling...had red robin with the Ryka rep, Aaron, Kim and their significant others...we're quite the triple date lately

not a big bowler, horrible actually, but for some weird reason I scored a few strikes, so it was a big day :)

other special celebrations

2011-03-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

celebrated a special wedding this month, my co-worker Yevan...I think of her as my spiritual mother, she has great stories of faith and is the most generous person I know...I hope to be like her when I grow up :)

he weather was beautiful in Las Vegas that day

with one of her other spiritual children, Jarett...he walked her down the isle

practically lived at pump it up this month :) 3 bday parties

first Jayme's friend Andrea

then the DJ's star wars party

birthday boy loving his cupcake...Happy Birthday DJ

then one of Jayson's classmates

took the kids to their first LV Wrangler hockey game...Jayme is the only one we have taken before to see the Sharks :)

dancing to try and get the camera on them and to catch some falling tickets

trying to take a picture was hard since he was focused on the zamboni
and then trying new eats is always a celebration :) Finally tried bachi burger, which is an asian fusion burger place, something a little different, the burger I had was a bahn mi, so like the Vietnamese sandwiches but in a burger
and then the first time I had fries with an egg, oxtail fries...was pretty yummy

Then one Friday Jay and I walked around the corner for Lunch at a restaurant called the Lodge and were surprised to see deep fried twinkies on their dessert menu. Was our first time to try, it was pretty tasty, especially after Jay add vanilla ice-cream to it :) At least now we know if we want a deep fried something we can just walk around the corner to have one and not have to go downtown

superbowl girls weekend

2011-02-28T21:14:00.000-08:00

started off the month with another girls weekend, this time with some SF BFF's...early birthday celebration for Christina

thought we would do one day at the new Cosmpolitan hotel in City Center...dinner at Jaleo for Spanish Tapas, loved it and highly recommend it
got some suggestions from a co-worker and they were all good, the favorites that stood out...chicken fritters, kinda fun served in a shoe?
empanadas...we ordered seconds
endives

salmon tartar

and my favoritest, lobster paella... so good, salty, but I like salty so I loved it!

birthday girl

this hazelnut cake was so good, we were all in awe :) I liked it so much I think I am going to take Jay here for his birthday!
after dinner had a drink at the Chandelier bar...very pretty inside the Cosmopolitan, the huge chandelier is in the center of the place
then we headed upstairs to Marquee, was lots of fun...the music, service and atmosphere, all good
ended the night sleep eating, we really didn't need to eat, but I ate this whole box plus chili cheese fries :) Thanks Christina for bringing me these delightful treats, I absolutely love them!
next morning took the girls to the Cracked Egg for some omelets, burritos but mainly for the delicious coffee cake, we shoved all of our carbs to Johannah since Christina and I were trying to be good, since we were so bad the night before
during the day the girls had a spa day while I went to hang with the family...met up later in the evening for dinner at Bouchon at the Venetian
duck confit was delish, was so good with the spinach and berries
had my first traditional french salad, frisee
tried the girls escargot, topped with a mini cream puff...hadn't had it since middle school while on a cruise with my parents, so couldn't remember...I liked it, was pretty good but probably not something I would crave, part of me just can't get over what they are

XS, we ended up more people watching the 2nd night as it was an interesting crowd. The highlight of the night was we got mistaken for 23 year olds, yay :) Was a fun girls weekend, glad we got to celebrate early with Christina!
then came back home Sunday and spent Superbowl with Jay and the kids...Tip, Nin and Dee came over and we had a junk fest...pizza, nachos, chicken wings...and deep fried oreos

and ceviche, which I was excited about and never thought to make at home, they showed how to make it at church (they started a series on Jonah so they have these cute opening clips called "Man vs Fish) , didn't do exactly how they did, but good enough, :) didn't realize you can make it with just lime, it was yummy, will be making more often

Love and Sushi

2011-02-10T21:16:00.001-08:00

Valentines Day fell on the first day of Magic, and Jay had a vendor dinner and because it was Valentines they were so nice to invite the wives. We had a wonderful wonderful dinner at Nobu at the Hard Rock. They decided to do it differently and instead of ordering, they just had the waiter bring out all their best dishes so you know we got the good stuff! First time I went to a sushi place and didn't have any rolls or rice!

the other couple , we love Aaron and B, we share similar stories...both boys fell in love so much they trapped us :)

signature dish, yellowtail with jalapeno

cod wraps...I have a new thing for cod, it's so good...I'd have to say this was one of my favorites of the night

this and the crab and rock shrimp

first time to try baracuda

meat dishes were delicious as well, but the potatoes even better!

got a taste of regular and sweet

they even put together a dessert spread for us, a little bit of everything, mochi, chocolate cake, donuts

was a very nice time, the chef even came out to greet us and chat for a minute, something fun one of the reps set up for us...they are a fun crowd, our next time together will consists of a bowling match and old downtown Las Vegas! the only thing I didn't get to get was a cute picture of Jay and I :)

we have a 10 yr old

2011-02-10T21:15:00.001-08:00

Jayme turned another year of fabulous and had her first slumber party for her 10th birthday!

Didn't realize how much junk I fed these kids...started off with pizza...didn't know they would have cotton candy with their pizza :)

cheers with the "Jayme" cups

then we decorated cupcakes, which was to be put in a box for them to take home, didn't think they would end up eating those too, but they were eating them as they were decorating, was trying to tell them to save room for cake

some did get decorated and were sent home as their favors

Jayme didn't want cake, she wanted a cookie cake

they ran around, played tag and lots of Wii, Just Dance

was cute how while it is 2 player, they all danced along

then they had popcorn with their movie and not just regular popcorn or cheese popcorn, it had to be regular popcorn with the cheddar powder that you sprinkle on top...she got a taste of this at zappos one day...in the lobby they have a popcorn machine with a bunch of different powders

presents...

tradition her and her friends have had, tissue fight after all the presents are opened

finished off the night with smores...one my best investments

8 girls came, 3 slept over...the others stayed til 10-11pm...they went to bed at about 1am

daddy made the girls breakfast...Jayme's favorite, pancakes, eggs and sausage, she has to eat them all in one bite

Britney didn't sleep over but was able to come back for breakfast and play for a few hours

the rest of the morning they tossed balloons, played outside and more Wii

and did smores one more time...the last 2 girls left at 3pm
poor birthday girl passed out shortly afterwards while writing in her diary

then on that Sunday her real birthday, we went to Famous Daves...she wanted to eat somewhere that had ribs

and where they sing to you on your birthday

our first time to go, was good, big basket full of meat and sides...Jay, Tip, Dee and I shared this and still had leftovers

Aunties...where she gets he sass from and super cute Justice outfits :)

and baby Ethan whom Jayme will be babysitting soon :)

after being stuffed and taking a nap, Uncle Dale took us to dinner at Sammys

and Auntie Loan surprised Jayme with a cookie cake

we spent the rest of the night hanging out at the D's house...we made monkey bread especially for Loan :)

then while the kids played, adults played jenga and liars dice, was so much fun, especially watching Loan's shaky hands every time :) you did good Loan! Jay was the one that made it fall but the deguzmans won the 3 rounds of liars dice :) Thanks Dale, Darlene, Dave and Loan for making Jayme's birthday extra special!

Happy Birthday to our little lady! Can't believe she is 10 already. Auntie Tip and Auntie Dee were almost in tears reminiscing about her as a baby staring with her big eyes

starting off the New Year right!

2011-01-31T22:29:00.000-08:00

Holidays are over...back to work...was busy, but sure had some fun things going on this month. First Friday was a "manager offsite," most of us thought we would do some work, some fun...but was surprised with all fun :) Mani and Pedi's at Green Valley Ranch

Lunch at Brio, lots of reminiscing and laughing about how crazy we all are :)

then had my first High Tea experience at the Madarin Oriental Hotel in City Center, was so nice and fancy...had a range of teas and marteanis...thought it would be more like a tasting of teas, but we all tried each others
and lovely little desserts...it was delightful :) fun girls day out, we're lucky to have a management team of all girls

was fortunate to have another outing at City Center, this time at the Cosmopolitan, both our first time to go...very pretty hotel...new hot spot I would say...this time for dinner with one of Jay's favorite reps Brad from k-swiss and one of our not so favorite buyers Aaron :)

Blue Ribbon Sushi...what stood out about this place was not just the food but the atmosphere, the music wasn't too loud, just mellow still fun
all appetizers were amazing, didn't get a picture of the black cod but that was the best, 2nd was the tartar with my quail egg

sushi spread...all was good but that white one in front, I didn't try it cause it didn't look good and I was right ;)
and the best bread pudding ever, ginger bread pudding! The other dessert was a chocolate bruno, also good but not as good as the pudding
after dinner we were able to catch aloe blacc perform, liked him

One Crazy Weekend

2011-01-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

Zappos Holiday Party is always in January...this years theme roaring twenties...started with a team dinner at Battista's Hole in the Wall...girl pic

always fun for us girls to dress up

fab 5 right here :)

with the hubby

then party time at Pure in Ceasars
had our first toast with Tony

then up early, raced to Disneyland for Tyler's bday...were there for 12 hours, 11-11
breakfast at Goofy's kitchen...how cute are they in their mickey shirts!
Tyler enjoying his breakfast
we love character dining
bday cake time, so excited...mostly for the treasure chest, not so much the cake
tyler and his favorite aunties :)
we even got good bags...some Disney essentials, water, snacks, advil :)

rocket ships were a must for Jayson
rode the cars like 3 times
caught some jazz
some pop
and fantasmic...waited for front row viewing
Happy Birthday Tyler!

that wasn't it...we were so excited new cousin Abigail decided to arrive while we were closeby so we went to see her
she's a cutie, caught her yawning
after visiting, we drove up to Newport to have lunch and hang out before heading home
was a quick but long but fun trip

friends & family

2011-01-05T23:38:00.000-08:00

got some friend time in with Loan, Dave and the Flores family...went to LBS at Red Rock

so funny, Dale set up arranged seating so us girls can sit together and catch up at the end

boys in the middle...probably didn't want to hear all our girl talk...was a sweet idea Dale

and kids on the other end

checked out another burger joint, Steak and Shake at the Southpoint Hotel...like our Cheeburger Cheeburger or Johny Rockets...was pretty good, very good prices especially for the kids meals and kids size shakes
silly boys
Lolo's birthday, bright but cute pic...kids love their lolo

ended the month pretty low key...2 family movie nights, friday night "Secretariat" loved it, Saturday night, "Despicable Me"...actually slept in til 10:45am one day...and some bike riding, still in our PJ's

the new year is starting off great, God is good, so blessed! Family, friends and work are all good. Jay and I just started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, will have to give updates on that when we're done :)

Great Eats

2010-12-31T22:35:00.000-08:00

the month started out with some yummy eats...dinner at Olives Restaurant in the Bellagio with co-workers

seriously the best olives I ever had :)
beef carpaccio was very good

as was our chillean seabass, us girls ordered the same thing
I would definitely want to come back here again and sit where you can see the water show, so romantic...Thanks Triche and Kim for the invite, always a fun time...even though we got talked to!

Jay finally took us to Hash House for breakfast...have been hearing about it but never been...loved it
not only did the girls get waffles...but waffles stuffed with bacon...must try this at home :)
Jayson stuck to original pancakes and was also pleasantly surprised :)
cornbeef hash for Jay and I
and the best was the espresso with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream :) sooo good, will definitely be going there more often

Annual buyers dinner was also at a place I've been wanting to try, Italian restaurant Gaetano's...not only did we have a yummy dinner, but played white elephant. Theme was gag office supplies where Michelle and I strategically got each others gift so we could trade and end up with our own because we liked them so much...shh! we are too smart :)

I really need to try different things...stuck with my seafood! was a little too spicy for me, so Carla switched with me since hers wasn't spicy enough for her

and then this cappuccino was a different kind of a treat, not with ice cream but with a pinch of alcohol, supposedly the must try...it was pretty tasty. Actually...the month started, ended and included good food throughout the whole month...December is great month :) Good thing Biggest Loser starts in the New Year!