Disney Cruisin’ Part 2: Adult Time
The nice thing about going on a Disney Cruise is that with the help of on board activities & camps for kids, you're able to sneak in some adult time! The camp that Cooper went to ran from 9am-midnight with open drop-in hours. During nap time and at night, Casey and I traded Cooper duty so we could both be apart of some memorable ADULT TIME activities.
So in those brief moments of adult time, this is what happened:
Disney Cruisin’ Part 1: The Food
The day after Christmas we went on a Disney Mexican Riviera Cruise for 7 days with Casey's family (22 of us total!). My in-laws decided to take EVERYONE on the cruise. I never imagined that I would go on a Disney cruise! (thank you thank you Linda & Phil!). It was a blast!
Rather than inundate you with TONS of photos, I'm going to break it up into a few parts. Today I'll be showing you the FOOD!
Can I tell you that I was a little scared about the food situation on the boat? I read reviews online that the food wasn't that great. Someone said that it was like eating at Sizzler for a week. While I do like their cheesy toast, I have my standards! I feared I would miss my kitchen terribly. I kinda did but overall there were some great options.
Homefries U Recap!
Things you learn when you cook/bake/teach for a 30 person retreat in Palm Springs:
The Gaige House
Last weekend Casey & I went on a much needed vacation; we were totally due! My parents watched Cooper (thank you, parents!) and we were able to indulge in some great wine as well as some crazy good food. This was our first vacation away together in a little over 2 years, so were able to save up and splurge!
This is our second time staying at the Gaige House in Glen Ellen. We absolutely fell in love the first time we went in 2009 and we've made it our destination when we want to get away. I like that it's a little less than a two hour drive from our home. Though people come from all over the country to stay there and I can totally see why. It's truly a ZEN oasis.
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A day in the city
Stars aligned yesterday and I was FINALLY able to meet one of my favorite people online- Miss James of Bleubird Vintage! She was out visiting from TX, so my favorite gal pal, Alex (from Modern Kiddo!) and I spent the WHOLE day with her yesterday. We all had SUCH a blast!
Here's what our day looked like:
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Jam Making 101 @ Blue Chair Fruit
On Sunday I took the Jam Making 101 class at Blue Chair Fruit Company in Oakland! I had a delicious time learning from Rachel Saunders, the woman behind Blue Chair Fruit Company! I've had her cookbook for awhile and I've wanted to make my own jam, but I lacked the confidence & drive to get going. This class definitely gave me the jump start I needed. I can't wait to go to the farmer's market this weekend to pick up some fruit. Also, I should note that I completed another item from my 31 comes before 32 list ! #16. Learn how to do canning!
The goal of the class was not to just follow a recipe and make jam, but to understand the elements of jam, how to test for balance prior to cooking and how to preserve a fruit's flavor integrity while making a jam. In the class, we made 4 different variations of a Strawberry Raspberry Jam. Two of the jams were original recipes and the other two were based on what we, as a class wanted in a jam. I can't wait to taste the final results (which should show up in my mailbox soon!).
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Our Sunday Adventure!
We wanted to do something different today...something that would take up a large chunk of the day and take advantage of the beautiful weather we've been having in the Bay Area. Casey suggested we go to Roaring Camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The last time he went was on a field trip as a kid! Cooper and I were totally down to ride a steam engine train! Here's what we saw:
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Joy Retreat: Part 2
When I was preparing for the Joy Retreat, I waffled with the idea of skipping the painting session because I thought I needed time to prepare for my workshop. Honestly, I've never really enjoyed painting. I love mixing paint and playing with colors but when it comes to painting, I've always been unhappy with my results. Coming up with something on my own in the medium has always been a challenge for me. When things don't look right, I can only see mistakes! It's hard for me to get past that.
The night before I left for my trip, something pulled my car towards the art supply store on the way home from work. Suddenly I was leaving with a huge bag of painting supplies. Something inside me said that if I'm embark on this journey, I really have to force myself to go out of my comfort zone. DIVE IN HEAD FIRST, TRACY! I think this proved to be the biggest lesson on my trip away. Who better to guide me through my painting struggles than Mati Rose! She's a true spark! Her zeal for creating and her enthusiasm for creative play & experimentation changed my perspective of painting. I truly had fun and I was relaxed in a way that I never thought was possible. Thank you Mati for getting me out of my comfort zone. You helped me tap into a side of my creative spirit that was dormant for over a decade. For that, I am soo grateful.
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