valentines day gift ideas

1:: chocolate dipped strawberries: if your crazy busy like me these days, maybe making chocolate dipped strawberries just doesn't fit on your agenda, but that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy them! thank your lucky stars for the internet because sur la table makes it easy to purchase a dozen straight from their site. this my go to store for pre made type mixes and such, so if their strawberries are anything like their other gourmet desserts, they will not disssapoint! OR if you want to go totally rogue on the whole chocolate dipped business (like i probably will), the skinny confidential has an effortless recipe  that still looks cute here.

2:: heart shaped measuring spoons: if you are going to blow the rest of us out of the water and go all out baking something decadent, you should do so with these adorable measuring spoons that also have a matching measuring cup set. i may just have to get these to use all year because heart shaped anything is always a good idea. 

3:: heart banner: can't leave out the decorations! this dig-looking banner will look adorable draped across a mantel or pinned to a wall. 

4:: heart shaped rug: to step out onto as you get out of the shower or as a reminder to think about someone you  love. the best part about v-day decor is that it's appropriate for the entire month of february (at least in my book it is--don't let the ba humbugs ruin your fun).

5:: heart decorative pillow: (SOLD OUT similar here.) this will be a great addition to your rug and banner. i think there should be at least one heart decoration in each room.

6:: heart teether: if your little one is teething, this wooden teething ring will be perfect & i love that it is gender neutral. boys tend to get left out during valentines day, or should i say wiped out with all the bushy tutus and pink galore, which is why i always try to make sure i include festive items that work for boys too. 

7:: wall art printable: (little pony shop is offering buy 1 get 1 free with this printable!) I was also loving this card from debbie draws funny on etsy, which was featured on the huffington post, because i've yet to have met someone who actually likes those chalky tasting conversation hearts! maybe you do??i don't know, but what i do know is they just aren't for me. what they do have going for them is that they do make for really inexpensive & adorable decorations, so don't write them off entirely!

8:: red high-tops: these are perfect to wear on valentines day or any other day of the year which is why i asked for them for my "cotton" gift for my anniversary.

9:: heart knit mittens: what is not to love about these? and i'm sure they were knitted with love! get it?! haha. ok maybe not, but i was laughing!

10:: i l.o.v.e love this baseball T. luca will definitely be sporting this and maybe i'll get this tee to match him. but then i'll also have to get him red high-tops to match me too. oh dear lord, making these lists can be dangerous.

11:: stance lip socks: if you haven't heard of stance yet, you're late to the party, but don't worry, i was too. i'm bummed about it too because i love them so & my feet love them so & i could have been enjoying them a whole lot sooner. these are the only socks i'll sleep in. & because you've already gone all out, why not finish things off? am i right? spoil yourself a little, you deserve it.

i hope you find this list inspiring and helpful for planning out your valentine's day. what are you planning to do to get in the spirit? i'd love to hear! can you believe were already talking valentines? before you know it, we'll be talking christmas. 

dear 2015, please slow down. i can't keep up. sincerely, me 

xo

I have a dream & I'm not drinking the kool-aid

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, "what are you doing for others?"

-Martin Luther King Jr.

^^this is the face of someone who doesn't care about the frigid cold weather, just ready to embark on a long awaited new journey (my face, not miles', he's actually freezing.) ^^

i know i've been away, but first let me start by saying this...

i recently took a trip to utah & this trip changed my entire life perspective. in a matter of three days i shed my skin and from my branch i grew a bud on the verge of blossoming. my spark became reignited & i for the first time in a long time i felt truly present. i felt a little light inside of me, that had been dim for so long, beaming. i learned so much...more than so much. so much that my brain would be pulsating & tired & screaming at me "i cannot retain anymore today! i'm on the verge of explosion! come back tomorrow." so then i would. i would sleep (oh my, sleep is so magical.) & i would wake, and the cycle would start over again. this went on for three days. how can i feel so different after three days? how can i revert back to the feeling where everything is new and captivating to me? how can i maintain that childlike sense of wonder? why can't i stay home with my son? what is stopping me? why do i feel so worried about what other people think of me? why don't i take my self seriously? why don't i give myself enough credit? why do i undermine my true passions & talents? why don't i feel happy about my current situation? why do i feel an overwhelming sense of guilt about going against my grain? why am i doing what society says i should be doing? why am i not doing what i want to be doing? these are the kind of questions i left with & they don't stop, they just keep coming.

i think the greatest lesson i took home with me from the conference was to stop wondering when i will feel like i have arrived. i will never feel that way. i heard some amazingly successful people speak, and although they spoke so differently and had different stories to tell in different ways, they were all were saying the same thing. you will never feel like you've arrived. and that's ok. that's not a bad thing, that is a great thing!

the goals i have now will turn into bigger goals and when i attain those, i'll have a new set of goals and so on & so forth. i have to stay hungry, i have to work hard at what i love, and if i believe in myself and i surround myself with people who believe in me, there is nothing or anyone who can stop me from accomplishing what i set out to achieve.

you are now at the stage in reading this where you're wondering if there were some type of drugs in my water source or if this was some peoples temple, jim jones "drink our kook-aid" ploy. nope. i wasn't brainwashed. well, let me reword that. i was brainwashed but only in the good brainwashing way you'd want to be brainwashed. I was brainwashed by things everyone should be brainwashed by such as doing right by yourself, doing good for others, and sharing & loving. then, we should, with all that loving & sharing, learn to take all that you've created & knead, bake, and cut it all into adorable bite sized cookies which are perfectly frosted & the goal is to pass them out & around everywhere you go to as many people around you to try & make their lives better & happier. and when they feel the love & they've been given the goodness, they'll hopefully pay it forward, and want to share it with someone else. and all in all, these concepts will live on & on & overall the world will become a better place. & isn't that what we all want?

 i wasn't brainwashed, i was lost & then i was found. i was surrounded by people who so simply wanted to share & inspire & listen to everyone around them. they wanted to love you for you & they legitimately wanted to hear your story. and whilst you were telling your story, they werent thinking about what it was they wanted to say next, nor did they interject. they would nod, and really hear you. everyone gave hugs, and sometimes they cried, and we all laughed a lot & i loved that because to be able to emote is a wonderful thing. it's a gift. this event was a gift. it was a congregation of creative minds and the power was in the numbers. my wheels began to turn after a long while of sitting at a halt. this was my wd-40, this was my long awaited confirmation to myself that i need to keep writing. i need to keep blogging & creating & doing what i love all the while getting lost and found again & again. i need to keep yearning for my arrival even if i know i'll never get there.

i hope this made your day a little brighter
& i hope you get lost in something so wonderful you pray to god you never get found.
bon voyage,

If I could write a letter to me...

and send it back in time to myself at seventeen...  I'd start like this:

dear chelsie,
first, i'll prove it's me by saying, look between your mattress and box spring. you'll find a stack of cosmopolitan magazines your mother would kill you for reading. did you find them? ok, now throw that trash away and read a real book.
now that that's out of the way...
 what could I possibly tell you, that you don't think you already know, because I know you think you have it all figured out, and you know everything, don't you?

well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you don't know everything, and even at 24 you still will find yourself trying to figure out where the heck in this wild world you belong...

you are very mature for your age, yes, but my oh my do you have so much to learn...

about life.

about relationships.

about forgiveness.

about loss.

about love.

about motherhood.

about happiness.

part of me doesn't want you to know about these things just yet because your naivety and innocence are beautiful and they shield you from so much angst and hurt. The other part of me knows that when you know better you do better, so I'll share with you some things, but not all things so that somehow that very shy, unsure girl can sort some of this out on her own, and in the midst of living all the questions, I promise you...you someday, so suddenly, will stumble upon all the answers.

right now your life revolves around friday night lights, you live for the weekends. you sleep in until noon and pull all nighters (& your future self wants to know how you make tired look so easy?). your main stressors at this point include mr. salvador's history exams, your forehand in tennis, boys (oh lordy, why boys??), college applications & making sure you hair, every strand, is perfectly straight because that's whats in right now & you have to be relevant. you feel like this is your prime, and you are constantly working to fit in, to feel "perfect," and if you can do that, maybe, just maybe, everyone will like you. your hair is curly, and it is beautiful. i wish you would let it down every once in a while. i wish you wouldn't pile on so much make up because your out of the "acne" phase and your skin is flawless. less is more. i wish you wouldn't fight so hard to be like everybody else. i know you want everyone to like you, but you can't please everyone, so please yourself. you'll learn later on that people will like you for being genuine, and if they don't who cares, you won't ever see most of these people again. & i hate to break it to you, but these aren't the best years of your life.

i know your high school friends feel like the most important people in your life, but you'll only maintain a relationship with a few, so don't put too much stress on what group your hanging out with. you are so in love with your wonderful high school sweetheart, quinn. try not to fall too hard because in college you will slowly, overtime realize he isn't "the one," and breaking his heart will be one of the hardest things you'll ever have to do. But, on second note, that innocent love you have is precious, it's honest & true, so continue to love freely and feel loved in return because you're going to need him soon, and you'll realize people come in and out of your life for a purpose.

this summer will be one of the most life changing summers of your entire being. your entire world will be shattered. i want you to know this in advance so you can brace yourself before you're hit (metaphorically), but in hindsight, knowing sooner rather than later won't make any sort of difference. what i will say is this: treasure your mother more. hug her and kiss her and tell her you love her every chance you get. you have so little time with her left. ask her about her childhood, her love life, her pregnancies, her marriage, her demons, her happiness, her favorite life lessons, and ask her if she needs anything. write everything down. when you find out your mom is battling for her life with stage 4 cancer, don't do anything different. don't be so afraid of life as it's happening. cherish all of it. when you move away to college, come home every chance you get and take only a few classes. you'll have forever to graduate, but only a few months left with your mom. when your mom passes away, don't be so hard on yourself. let grief happen naturally and be more expressive to those you can lean on. everyone wants to help you. you aren't a burden & they aren't going to be upset at you for breaking down. you need them right now.

forgive whichever god you believe in right now. don't put so much blame on the universe. no one is at fault, and i know, i know, this is so difficult to believe, but you will be happy again. i promise. this is a season of your life and you are growing. right now you are hurt & angry, a lethal combination. but you'll survive. and one day you'll have a beautiful family of your own. you'll have a wonderful husband and a beautiful baby boy. you won't know how you could love anything more. you'll wonder often how difficult it was for your mom to leave you because you can't imagine ever leaving your son. you don't hurt so much in the future. you are so happy.

help out your little sister. don't try to be her mother, she already has one, she needs a sister. i want you to realize now what a blessing your sister is in your life. you are two peas in a pod and it only gets to be better. your relationship is one in a million. you become best friends, just like sisters are in the movies, but so much better.

  all the relationships leading up to your marriage serve a purpose. you're learning what you do and do not want in a partner, so pay attention and don't waste so much time on the losers. keep a diary. your future self would love to read it. you have a habit of daydreaming. when people tell you this is bad, don't believe them. you do so well in college, don't stress so much. you hate that you are good at english, but that will be your major and soon enough you'll love it. when you receive your acceptance letters in the mail, don't worry, you pick the right one. you are so hardworking and a great juggler. don't worry, none of that changes. you're going to learn about yoga & meditation and this will change your life, so when that happens, run with it. travel as much as you can to everywhere and anywhere and take way too many pictures. even the "bad" ones look good to you in the future. learn to stay organized, learning at 24 turns out to be way more difficult. you say now, you will never be a teacher, you're a teacher. you have so many ideas and you can't figure out which ones are important. they all are. prioritize and pursue them all. your marriage will require a lot of selflessness and good communication. practice these things now. for the billionth time, quit worrying! you're gonna end up just fine.

now, go be 17 because 24 will be here before you know it.
say hello to mom for me
your future self,
you.

ringing in the new year

 hello my sweet friends! can you believe we're saying goodbye to another year already? didn't we just wrap up last year? its true what they say, time goes by so much faster once you have a baby! so much happened in 2014 for us, it definitely was one of our most monumental & best years yet. watching our baby boy grow into such a handsome young toddler has to be one of the most magical things i've ever experienced. miles and i are just shy of completing our second year of marriage & i grew as an individual in so many ways. i would call 2014 a year of growth all around. here are just a few of the remarkable moments we had this year:

• luca was diagnosed with plagiocephaly. he wore a corrective helmet for four months & he successfully graduated from his helmet in may when the doctor considered his problem "corrected." he looked like a little linebacker and everyone fussed over him in it. i can't say we liked it, but it definitely wasn't near as bad as we thought it would be. there is always a silver lining, sometimes you have to dig around before you see it, am i right?
• we relocated from the coast and renovated a beautiful home in the suburbs. although we dream of going back to san diego all the time, we couldn't be happier with our new home & we love being so close to family. 
• miles and i finally got around to taking our honeymoon in hawaii. it was our first time leaving lu, but we had so much fun and gained some much needed alone time. love was in the air!
• our baby boy had his very first birthday in july & he began walking a week later. i've been chasing him everywhere ever since.
• Luca had his tear duct surgery just before christmas which had to be the scariest moment for us in 2014, but he flew through with flying colors and couldn't be better!
• i began working as a high school english teacher in the fall. i was asked to come back in the spring and i accepted. i'll be teaching 9th and 10th grade english come monday.

miles and i decided to come up with a word to encompass the coming year and at first we chose endeavor because we know how much exploring we'll be doing in the coming year, both personally & professionally. but as we tossed endeavor around while lying in bed this morning, we felt it just didn't quite feel right. so, we in turn decided on embrace. 2015 will be our year to embrace; embrace change, embrace new beginnings, embrace one another, embrace letting go, embrace an overall healthy life in every way possible. 

i've decided i want to put my emphasis on morals and values this year & live with more intention in all that i do. i want to accept what i cannot change, and be more present. i can't wait to see what 2015 will bring, i just know it's going to be good, but it sure has a lot to live up to! thank you to each of you for following along with me this past year, you have made my life all the more beautiful. i'll be seeing you all in the new year!

 oh & lastly, it just wouldn't be a new year without my 3rd annual wood family montage! if you didn't get enough of my poor editing skills the past two years, well,  third times a charm!

happy new year!

our christmas part 2

well, with it being the eve of new years eve i could think of no better time to share with you the rest of our christmas photos. L and i began christmas eve in true california form & shared a coconut. i wasn't sure how lu would feel about it since he is so picky these days, but he more than liked it and gulped it down like water, slurping up every last drop. i practically had to pry it out of his hands.

^^i'm not sure what kind of sugar a coconut comes equipped with, but it was enough to keep luca up far past his nap time & after climbing on pretty much every piece of furniture, including our microwave, he finally crashed ^^

^^we are simply obsessed with the 'black ice' moccasins by freshly picked. they go with absolutely everything and have subtle, yet just enough, detail to add a little bit of pizzazz to any outfit--Not to mention, how easy and practical the moccs are to slip on when we need to get going quick as in right this minute now which is far to often than i'd like to admit.^^

^^while lulu slept, miles did some work on his computer & i began mixing up some pancake batter to make some fun pancakes inspired by the one & only, everybody's favorite, pinterest^^

^^have you ever tried making pancakes with a pancake pen? it's so much fun because you can make fun shapes & it makes cleaning up a cinch. we found ours at world market, but i've seen them at crate & barrel as well, and if you aren't near either of those stores, try amazon^^

^^santa claus is just a classic circular pancake snazzed up with whip cream for his hair and beard, bananas and cherries for his eyes, strawberries cut into halves to make his hat, and a strawberry with the stem cut off for his nose^^

^^i also made a snowman (not pictured) & this christmas tree with bananas, whipped cream, and strawberries. the pancakes were so sweet and yummy with the fruit and whipped cream they didn't even need syrup, although i'm sure they would be all the more delicious that way. I was feeling way too fat from pigging out everywhere else so i opted out, but don't let me be the one make you feel guilty,..you lather those puppies up, it's christmas!!!^^

^^this was one of the most fun  things i did this season, sewed up a baby apron for luca. i didn't follow a pattern & i didn't measure him either (although i would have liked to, but he wasn't in any mood to let me) i just guesstimated, and as the best projects go, i just went for it! and i was so pleased with the turnout!^^

 ^^after breakfast we got around to making sugar cookies for santa with lu's godmother "auntie em," and lu was in hog heaven getting to lend a helping hand^^

 ^^it's a good thing his toys weren't on the counter or he would have thrown those in too^^

 ^^the stand up mixer is so essential for big baking projects. i am by no means sponsored by kitchen-aide, but i love mine. I do know a few different brands make them and they come in all different colors, so if you are going to invest in one, shop around. mine was a hand me down from my grandmother who didn't use it enough, so i was lucky in that sense, but really, i would have bought one myself because they are that good^^

 ^^and then out came my extensive collection of cookie cutters. slightly embarrassed, slightly proud...^^

 ^^miles insisted we take this photo with our heart cutouts. of course, mine's the bigger one!^^

i'm part hispanic, so we celebrate christmas on that side of my family on christmas eve at my aunt's house. mile's dad, greg, came out to join us, and even stayed the night. he helped me put together the basketball hoop santa brought lu for christmas. in our household, santa doesn't wrap his gifts and rarely does he put them together. so greg was a huge help and of course we love his company. wait...is santa ikea?! 

 ^^i made homemade monkey bread (pull-apart cinnamon rolls) which was broken out on christmas morning after hours of slaving away to the homemade dough in the kitchen (next time, i'll plan things out in terms of timeliness a little better, but they were a hit & no one complained about the wait)^^

my family & i hope you had a joyous christmas and a have an even more wonderful new year. i can't believe how fast the time is flying by & even more than that I cannot wait to see what this year will bring. 

happy holidays from my family to yours, the wood family
Miles, Chelsie & Luca
xo

our christmas part 1 & a snow globe tutorial

another christmas come and gone. i still cannot believe how fast this holiday season flew by, and although i say that year after year, this one went particularly fast. here is a recap of our christmas & as promised, the famous snow globe tutorial.

^^ we received a plethora of goodies including this fabulous kitty blanket miles won at his work's white elephant party. as you can tell from my expression, it's the cat's meow!^^

^^we made tamales & my grandma came up with the greatest idea to put butter in the masa because butter makes everything better, no? it may have been was our best batch to date^^

^^L learned early on how to make a lady happy with a foot massage & his cousin bella loved his gentle touch^^

now if you want to make the fun & festive snow globes i posted on my instagram here is the how to:

^^you'll need jars in a multitude of sizes and shapes^^

^^your choice of holiday floral stems (i found mine at joann's)^^

^^mini trees (i found mine in the holiday collector's section at michael's)^^

^^wire cutters & a hot glue gun. also (not pictured) you'll need some fake snow)^^

^^step one: hot glue a mini tree to the base of the mason jar cap (if you have bigger lids feel free to glue two trees & any other fun holiday staples. i found a mini clock tower and used that in one of my bigger jars^^

^^next, you'll want to take the floral stems and clip them down into small pieces and glue those around the bottom of the tree like this (don't worry, it doesn't have to be perfect. once in the jar, little  flaws or gaps won't be noticeable)^^

^^now pour your fake snow into the jar itself. there is technique in having a good medium here. you don't want too much snow and you also don't want too little. if you have too much you'll drown out your decor around the tree & if you have too little your snow will be buried by the lid & won't be visible^^

^^now with the jar upright, you want to screw the lid on. the tree will be upside down in the jar at this point & the snow will be resting at the bottom of the jar. now flip the jar upside down & using your palm gently tap the sides of the jar to get the snow to distribute evenly at the bottom of the jar & voila you are done!^^

^^you can also do an inversion method which i find much easier & will show you how to do here^^

[i think it is fun to do half and half with both methods to add some diversity to your jars]

^^so in this method, you'll want to stuff the snow into the jar and then add any sprig assortment into the snow. then, all that is left to do is to screw the cap on. yep, it's that simple which is why i like this method the most (no glue, not too much arranging, and it's effortless, but it looks like it took a ton of time. the best, am i right?!)^^

^^and here are the two variations of your beautiful jars completed!^^

^^here were my globe arrangements. you see how adorable they look when you use different sized jars?!^^

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you did please comment with an honest review below. you can also comment with any questions you might have! also, don't feel like this is something you can only do for christmas, all the different holidays can be made into fun "snow" globes, just get creative, and get crafting! 

I hope your holiday was merry, bright, and filled with family, friends and all those you love the most.

merry christmas from my family to yours,

post-op

first off, i'd like to say thank you to everyone who wished us well after my last post. your words and gestures of kidness meant the world to me & my family. 

with that being said...

i am elated to announce L flew through the surgery & recovery with flying colors! before we could even think or worry about the procedure, it was over. luca was difficult to put down (because of how scared and upset he was), but i was told he woke up like an angel, which of course didn't surprise me one bit. i only broke down once as they wheeled lu away to the operating room, but luckily miles was by my side and we were able to be of support to one another.

  side story: on the paperwork they gave us to fill out, for some odd reason, i was listed as not being the legal guardian of luca, which in turn evoked a ton of jokes from miles & me feeling bitter towards the person responsible for this. no one ever really believes lu is my biological child. i am constantly asked whether i'm his nanny, adoptive parent, or step-mother (yes, people have the nerve to ask these types of questions). this insanity completely drives me insane. i get it, i am dark, with dark hair, dark eyes, and have few, if any, recessive traits--L on the other hand has strawberry blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and china doll pale white skin. we don't look related, but WE ARE. I PAINFULLY BIRTHED HIM, give me a little cred here, throw me a bone, sheesh. 

anyway, aside from all that madness, we took our little boy home that same day and slowly introduced liquids & then food back into his diet. since he couldn't eat or drink from midnight the night before, eating slowly seemed like a torturous chore much like me trying to give L the eye drops the doctor prescribed him. I almost had to call in for a refill as i lost many droplets in all places but his eye. we had no complications and the healing process was as if nothing had ever happened.  L was really loopy and sleepy the rest of the day & i happily took some time off work to be with him. we both took a long nap and then it seemed like everything just returned to normal. children are so resilient, it's incredible. i also know a large part of this had to do with the amazing pediatric specialist, dr. ortiz, we were so fortunate to have. he took such good care of luca and kept us extremely informed throughout the entire process (which you just know makes a mama happy). we simply loved him. i know this is a really common issue in infants, blocked tear ducts, so i hope i put those of you in our same position at ease about having the procedure done. and of course if you have any questions, i'd be happy to fill you in the best to my ability. 

 i  am so thankful to each and every one of you who kept me and my family in your thoughts. although a totally simple procedure, the anesthesia was upping my anxiety to uncharted territory & naturally, i was a wreck. but after everything, we have already seen amazing results, we are just so lucky. i love you all & because I just cannot say it enough...

thank you, thank you, thank you.

xx

Our Thanksgiving

i know. i am so incredibly late, but i have photos to share from our thanksgiving & i figured i'd get them out before christmas. how does the old saying go, "better late than never?" 

^^pie, glorious pumpkin pie. non-regretfully enjoyed with more than a dollops worth of cool whip^^

^^tea time with rock candy sugar stirring sticks. you can call me fancy pants^^

^^almost too pretty to sit down & eat, almost^^

^^did i mention we flew to france for thanksgiving? totally kidding, but totally wishing i weren't^^

^^champagne toasts^^

^^sweet reminders^^

i am grateful daily for all i have been blessed with & with christmas just moments around the corner, i'm even more grateful i have these two to spend it with. what are you most grateful for this season? xo