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Hard to believe it is already January 13! The Dia de Reyes (Three Wise Men Day) party on January 6 usually marks the end of the holiday celebrations in our family. This year it fell on a Tuesday and what seemed closer to the New Year’s Eve weekend, so we celebrated it on January 10, which was the Saturday that followed. It is a fun gathering, with the traditional meal, cutting of rosca, piñata, children running around playing, and our own family tradition of passing out the Christmas stockings. It is a tradition my aunt started a few years ago and has grown to be the highlight of the party! All the grandchildren and great-grandchildren have a personalized stocking with our name which is hung on the wall to form a Christmas tree. Each year the family grows and we add more stockings to the wall. We take turns taking our stocking off the wall, from the eldest grandchild to the youngest, making jokes, bowing or saying a few words, and taking pictures as we collect our stockings. The younger children use a ladder decorated for the holidays to reach their stocking on the top of the tree (wall). We all take the candy filled stocking home & store them until the party next year when we bring them back (some stockings have been replaced over the years). There is a prize for the first grandchild to bring back the stocking during the holidays in preparation for the Dia de Reyes party.
This year, I didn’t take too many pictures because I was enjoying the moment and spending time with family, being present. It is bitter sweet to end the holidays….but other festivities follow in the coming months. With the large size of our family, we always have festivities to look forward to! As I have said many times, one of the biggest blessings in my life is the family I was born into! I am grateful for their unconditional love, it is priceless! Special thanks to my grandmother, the head of our family, who keeps us all united and organizes these gatherings! These family gatherings aren’t just about having fun, they are also about forming traditions and good memories of wonderful moments of happiness with family!
How do you end the Christmas holiday celebrations? Do you celebrate Dia de Reyes and cut a rosca?
Hugs,
Paola
PS – Picture from our Dia de Reyes party and the family holiday tradition I started.
Preparing for the piñata!
My stocking hangs at the bottom of the wall since I am the eldest granddaughter. My older brother is the first one to get a stocking, as he is the eldest grandchild. I have stored my stocking along with our holiday decorations for many years, this way I ensure I don’t misplace it. I bring it back for the Dia de Reyes party every year!
Every year, we receive gifts on our birthday. As the years have passed and I’ve entered different stages of my life, the way I celebrate my birthday has changed. This year, my hubby offered to organize a party for my birthday or take me on a trip. I chose the trip. That was his birthday gift to me – it was a very nice gift. My family and friends also celebrated my birthday with me – on separate occasions. They each gave me very nice and thoughtful gifts. They gave me gifts from my favorite stores and very personalized gifts. It amazed me how they remembered things I had mentioned throughout the year and got me those items as gifts!
Even though my birthday was a few months ago, I had my last celebration recently, with my friend Lizeth. We spent the day together by the beach, and she surprised me by taking me to dinner and giving me my gift. It has been a summer of birthday celebrations for me. First with my hubby. When I returned from the trip, we had a cake at work with my colleagues. A week later, with my sis and family. In July, with Lola and Martha. In August my aunts gave me some beautiful gifts. And, just recently with Lizeth. So, I got to celebrate all summer long! Yay!
People have asked me about the birthday gifts I’ve received. I share pictures of them below. I appreciate the gifts and the thoughtfulness behind each one of them touched me! It was nice to celebrate my birthday with family and my closest friends. I truly feel blessed.
Also, in case I didn’t thank you personally, thank you for the nice birthday wishes and messages! Hope you like the pics!
How did you celebrate your last birthday? Do you have a favorite birthday gift – of all time, including childhood?
Hugs,
Paola
The trip my hubby took me on was to Northern California. We started with a few days in beautiful Mount Shasta. We stayed in a cute cabin.
We even went hiking! It was our first hike together.
From Mount Shasta, drove to Napa and stayed at Calistoga Ranch, an amazing resort! Part of my gift was a spa day!
From Napa, we crossed over to Sonoma and ended the trip with lunch and a day of wine tasting at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery.
Some of the birthday cards were designed based on themes regarding my blog or the newspaper column I write for El Latino, and others had personalized messages for “sister” and “daughter”.
These were the gifts from my sis & nephews/brother-in-law.
Inside the bags were these nice boxes and the card!
A few months earlier I had complimented my sister on her Tory Burch earrings and told her I wanted to get a pair for myself. She remembered and bought them for me! What a nice touch! These have become my favorite earrings, along with the one’s Lola gave me, I wear them a few times each week!
And, of course she knows I love shoes, so she gave me a gift card from DSW!
Mom gave me this beautifully wrapped gift.
Inside was this multi-patterned scarf (mom knows I like wearing scarves), two bracelets, and a silver medallion.
It has been fun to wear the bracelet. I did not have anything similar.
The medallion is something I will wear for many years, it is a unique piece, love it!
Lola remembered I had mentioned I was running out of racks to organize my jewelry and gave me this beautifully crafted white lacquer jewelry box! She also tried to organize a dinner party for me, like she has done in past years, but between my trip and other friends’ vacation schedules, it was challenging to pin down a date. So, we decide go have sushi with Martha, just the girls, no men this year.
It is completely lined, has a mirror, the middle tray is removable for additional storage underneath, and it has an adorable key with a tassle.
Inside she included these Paloma Picasso earrings, which have become my favorite, along with the earrings my sister gave me.
And these one of a kind, hand made earnings, she said “because I know you don’t have any earrings in this style.” She is correct.
Birthday dinner with Lola and Martha (she took the pic).
My aunts Cynthia and Lorena gave me gifts from Mexicali in incredibly nice wrapped boxes.
My aunt Cynthia have me this one of a kind, hand made necklace from a boutique in Mexicali. This will look nice with a white top & jeans, or a dress! It will be fun to wear in the fall! She reads my blog and knows that I like unique necklaces.
My aunt Lorena remembered a compliment I have her on a small barrette she was wearing. I mentioned that I had a hard time finding small barretes that would stay in my hair, since my hair is fine. She gave me these pretty & small barrettes! Such a nice and personalized gift! I was touched that she remembered my comment.
Lizeth and I spent a casual day in Coronado, and she surprised me by treating me to dinner by the beach at the Hotel Del Coronado as part of my birthday gift! She had planned it all along!
Lizeth also gave me a gift card from Ann Taylor, she knows it is one of my favorite stores.
Hi friends,
For the second part of my birthday trip, we spent two days at Calistoga Ranch – An Auberge Resort, in Napa. It is an amazing Resort! This is where we celebrated my birthday. My hubby really outdid himself with this gift! Every detail was taken care of, it was a very nice & personalized experience!
The resort is set back into the mountains of Napa , with only about 60 lodges on the property, giving guests privacy and tranquility. Each lodge is located on an individual lot and guests are transported throughout the Resort on golf carts.
Here are some pictures from our stay at Calistoga Ranch! If you want to celebrate a special occasion, I recommend this resort! It will be a memorable & unique experience!
Hope you like the pics!
Have you been to Napa? What was a memorable vacation you took?
Hugs,
Paola
PS – I’ll share pics from our visit to the spa in the next blog post.
Arriving at Calistoga Ranch.
This is where guests are greeted upon arrival.
The reception area.
This was our lodge – 138 Lake. It was a little piece of heaven in wine country!
We were greeted with a birthday surprise! Such a treat! My hubby had made the arrangements for this, ahhhh, so romantic!
My hubby had also gotten me a spa package for the next day.
Our room…..heaven!!!
Each lodge comes with it’s customized IPad.
This bathroom is gorgeous! With a bathtub in the middle, shower in the corner, and two separate vanity sections. It has windows looking toward the outdoor shower.
Of course, the women’t vanity is the larger one….that is what our host told us as part of the tour of the lodge.
The outdoor shower….amazing! I showered here that evening. It was nice to look up to see the stars at night!
The walk-in closet.
During our stay, I enjoyed a relaxing bath with these citrus salts.
Our deck. We sat here to enjoy some Calistoga wine in the afternoon.
The weather was in the 90s, which is quite warm for me, so I was wearing a light summer dress with sandals. I had brought another dress & heals to change into for dinner, but it was so warm and the restaurant has an outside deck, that I decided to simply add a light scarf to my outfit and remove my hat. And, I called the restaurant ahead of time to confirm casual attire was appropriate.
Our room was turned down for the evening. Robes & slippers are always a nice touch.
Fresh water was set by our bed for the evening.
I was going to try to take a stroll before dinner….and this rascal surprised me! More like – startled me! He was on the deck located by the entrance of the lodge, I couldn’t leave without crossing his path. I am afraid of large squirrels because once in San Francisco a squirrel (a small one) climbed up my husband’s sweater and almost tried to get into his shirt! So, I stay cautiously away from them. This particular critter was quite big, it looked more like a big cat than a squirrel!
It kept running on our deck and onto the tree. I took these pictures from inside the room.
He kept me hostage for about 15 minutes!
Then, I realized he was thirsty. By that time, we were ready to head out for dinner and my hubby went on the deck to ensure the little critter went back to the canyon side (and off our deck!), before I came out of the room.
This is the walkway toward our lodge.
The wine cellar.
The restaurant. It is only available for guests staying at the Resort.
The restaurant overlooks a lake and canyon area, these deer were just a few steps away from us.
My hubby had the three course menu – with steak as his main entree.
I stuck to one entree – a lamb dish. I rarely eat meat, this dish was tender and quite tasty, with mushrooms and pasta!
My hubby had some sorbet for dessert (sorry, not pictured)….at the end of the dinner, they brought us these little lemon tart treats, so cute! Perfect for the palette!
I went for a walk throughout the Resort in the evening. It was quiet and serene. You can definitely disconnect and relax here.
The pool was open 24 hours and lit up for the evening (but nobody was there).
The next day, we got an early start and enjoyed room service for breakfast. I started this new year right, with fresh fruit and rich coffee! It was a treat to have a relaxing breakfast with my hubby! The perfect way to start my birthday!
After breakfast, I took a yoga class on the deck. I was able to stretch, relax, and reflect. A wonderful start to a relaxing day!
This is Brooke Bunge, the yoga instructor. Her class was excellent! She taught me some relaxation and meditation techniques. I have been using them every night before I go to sleep and they help me clear my mind.
After yoga, I changed into a summer dress and went for a walk.
The restaurant – with the mountains in the background. This view was breath taking! I was glad I ventured over the bridge and got to see this view.
The pool area looked even more beautiful during the day!
Oh yes, there was a gym….an open air gym overlooking the pool. It was a little too warm for me to use the gym. There was also an enclosed section with air conditioning….in case you are wondering, because I did!
The Resort also had bicycles guests could borrow. There are some vineyards close by making for a scenic bicycle ride.
After the walk, I headed back to our lodge to change for my appointment at the spa. I’ll write about my spa experience in my next post. It is a unique & beautiful spa….I’ve never been to a spa quite like this one, it made me feel like I was at a spa located in a tree top!
How did you spend the 4th of July? Did you go to the beach, a barbecue, and did you go see fireworks? We went to the 4th of July Celebration held at the Olympic Training Center. It is a family friendly event, with music, dancing, children’s activities, food and of course, fireworks.
We brought our own little picnic table and chairs, and set up in the grass area. It was fun to catch up with my sister and spend time with the boys!
Afterwards, we went to my sister’s home for a visit and they gave me my birthday gifts! I hadn’t seen my sister in about two weeks and missed her. We enjoyed a margarita and chatted for a while! It was a fun fourth of July with family!
Here are some pics from our time at the event….in case you want to take a look 🙂
Hope you enjoy your weekend!
What did you do this 4th of July?
Hugs,
Paola
We set up our picnic table & chairs in the grass area. That evening we gave our nephews the animal finger puppets we brought them from Mount Shasta, they played with them all evening!
My nephew was in the front yard of his home waiting to greet us when we arrived! He was waiving the flag & dressed in a red, white, & blue RL Polo shirt, very stylish & appropriate for the 4th! He also had a lei on, too cute!
There was music & dancing!
And food…..I got some tri tip & potato salad for my hubby.
It was nice to see lots of families dancing this year!
Then, the fireworks started!
My favorite part was seeing the amazement in my nephews faces!
There were lots of oohs & aahs!
Margarita time!
ESPAÑOL:
¿Como festejaron el 4 de julio? Fueron a la playa, una carne asada, o a ver los fuegos artificiales? Nosotros fuimos a la Celebración del 4 de Julio organizada por la Asociación de Eastlake, en el Centro de Entrenamiento Olímpico. Es un evento para toda la familia, con música, baile, actividades para niños, comida, y por supuesto fuegos artificiales.
Trajimos nuestra propia mesa y sillas, y nos acomodamos en el area de vacate. ¡Disfrute el tiempo con mi hermana y sobrinos!
Después del evento, fuimos a la casa de mi hermana y me dieron mis regalos de cumpleaños. Tenía casi dos semanas que no veia a mi hermana y la extrañaba. ¡Disfrutamos unas margaritas y platicamos un rato! ¡Fue un 4 de julio divertido, con la familia!
Aquí hay algunas fotos del evento…..por si las quieren ver 🙂
¡Ojala disfrutes tu fin de semana!
¿Qué hiciste el 4 de julio?
Un abrazo,
Paola
Hi friends,
The first day of summer is this Saturday! Can you believe it? It definitely feels like summer in San Diego with the warm weather and beautiful days! We are having longer days and amazing sunsets!
With summer comes colorful and light dresses. I got this dress at Marshalls and knew it would be a good dress for summer. I can wear it casual with sandals and a jean jacket, or dress it up with heels and accessories! It will also make a good dress for travel to a warm location. The color is a bright salmon, ideal for spring and summer!
I wore it recently for an early dinner we had at I’l Fornaio in Coronado to celebrate mom’s birthday. To give it a dressier look, I added the belt, silver necklace, and heels. I had a fedora hat on when we arrived, but took it off inside the restaurant and didn’t put it back on – a hat is a fun option for this outfit!
Hope you like the look!
Have you gotten any new dresses for summertime? Do you have a favorite summer dress? Are you enjoying the warm weather?
Hugs,
Paola
I brought a light jacket because it can get a little breezy in the evenings when the weather cools down.
A pic with mom and my nephew, Andrew – taken inside the restaurant.
With mom, sis, and nephew. It was nice to celebrate mom on her birthday!
Dress: SIB; Jacket: Nike; Shoes: Cathy Jean; Belt: Macy’s; Necklace: Kenneth Cole; Bracelet: Tiffany & Co.; Ring: Macy’s Fine Jewelry
ESPAÑOL:
Vestido Ligero de Verano
Hola amigos,
¡El primer día “oficial” de verano fue el sábado, 21 de junio! ¿Lo pueden creer? ¡Definitivamente se siente como verano en San Diego con el clima cálido y días hermosos! ¡Estamos teniendo días más largos y atardeceres asombrosos!
Aparte del clima cálido, con el verano vienen los vestidos en colores vivos y telas ligeras. Acostumbro hacer compras en una variedad de tiendas. De vez en cuando voy a tiendas donde ofrecen mercancia de marcas de diseñador a precios reducidos, como Marshalls, Nordstrom Rack, o Saks Off 5th. Me toma un poco más de tiempo escoger ropa que me guste, pero cuando encuentro algo, vale la pena el tiempo ya que el precio es razonable. ¡Este vestido fue una de esas compras a buen precio! Lo compre en Marshalls y supe que sería un buen vestido para el verano. Lo puedo usar como atuendo casual con unas sandalias y chamarra de jeans, o un estilo un poco más formal agregandole unos tacones y accesorios. También será una opción práctica para algun viaje a un lugar con clima cálido. ¡El color es un salmón vivo, ideal para el verano!
Me puse el vestido recientemente para una reunión casual en el restaurante Il Fornaio en Coronado donde festejamos en cumpleaños de mi mamá. Le agregue un cinto, collar plateado, y tacones, y fue un atuendo ideal para la ocasión.
¡Ojala les guste el atuendo!
¡Recuerden, la mujer feliz es la más bella! ¡Hagan su estilo relucir con atuendos en los que se sientan cómodas y contentas!
¿Se han comprado algunos vestidos para el verano? ¿Están disfrutando el clima cálido y los días más largos?
Para más muestras de atuendos y experiencias de la vida diaria, los invito a que también nos conectemos por medio Facebook/Paola-Hernandez-Jiao.
Un abrazo,
Paola
Vestido: SIB; Chamarra: Nike; Cinto: Macy’s; Zapatos: Cathy Jean; Collar: Kenneth Cole; Anillo: Macy’s Joyería Fina; Pulsera: Dress: Tiffany & Co.
Hi friends,
Last Saturday, my sister and brother-in-law had a commitment to attend during the day, and I offered to watch both of my nephews. I love those two little boys so much and enjoy spending time with them! They decided to leave Andrew with us and took their younger son with them.
I was excited to spend the day with my nephew! During the week my hubby and I started to look for options of fun places to take him. My hubby has been wanting to take the boys to Boomers, to play mini-golf, ride the go-carts, and play in the arcade. We had also recently discovered an in-door jungle gym close to our home. So, we decided we’d ask Andrew which he preferred. I had also purchased some juice and snacks, in preparation for his visit.
The day before, I went on a walk to Coronado with Lola and we stopped by The Blue Octopus, a children’s educational toy store at the Hotel Del, because I wanted to buy something for the boys. I bought them some coloring and activity books.
I woke up early on Saturday and started doing things around the house. When they dropped off Andrew, all of my attention was on him! We sat in the family room and colored in his books, and he made a drawing for us. When I offered him food, he told me he had already had breakfast, but asked if we could go to IHOP. To which I chuckled and said yes, of course! I asked my husband if we could go and knew he would say yes because he likes their breakfast, even though we rarely eat there. Andrew and I watched the movie Up, on the Disney Channel. We drew, colored, and he played on the IPad. Later, my hubby came downstairs to spend time with Andrew and I went upstairs to shower and get ready.
On our way to IHOP, my sister called to tell me they were going to be done in about two hours and would pick up Andrew. We realized that wasn’t going to be enough time to go to Boomer’s. Instead, we took Andrew to the San Diego Air Show (formerly Wings Over Gillespie). I knew the event was going on because I had included it on the Community Calendar segments which I host and produce for Azteca at work.
Andrew enjoyed looking at the planes and I enjoyed spending time with him and my hubby! I wasn’t planning on going to the Air Show, so I didn’t have a hat or my parasol. I had sunblock on because I apply it daily on my face and neck, and use a moisturizer with sunblock on my arms. Luckily, my hubby had a hat in the car, which I ended up wearing to try to get some protection from the sun. It was a warm and beautiful day, and we had fun!
After the Air Show, we met my sister at the house and they stayed to visit for a little while. They stayed enough for me to share some of the snacks with them and heat some soft pretzels for the boys.
I am not a mother yet, but the day I do become a mother, I hope my son or daughter are as good of a child as Andrew is! He is a normal boy, playful, smart, and curious, but he is also well behaved and sweet! I may seem biased because he is my nephew, but others who have had an opportunity to interact with him have said that he is a sweet boy, who has a special welcoming, kind, and warm spirit!
Do you have any favorite places to go on weekends with your children or nephews? Do you have a favorite breakfast restaurant? Have you been to the Wings Over Gillespie Air Show?
Hugs,
Paola
Here’s Andrew’s play section in our television room, with a small fold-out table, coloring books, drawing paper, colors, I-Pad, and Disney Channel.
These are the coloring and activity books I bought for Andrew. I gave my younger nephew his coloring book when they dropped off Andrew in the morning.
Andrew brought his Build-A-Bear penguin, Pancho, to brunch with us. My hubby asked why he was a penguin and not a bear? My hubby has never been to Build-A-Bear store, I have. Andrew explained to his uncle how he selected and made Pancho 🙂
This was next to the flight line displays.
This is the area with the static displays.
Another person observing this small plane started to explain to us how it works. There was a brochure holder with information sheets next to the plane and Andrew got some info.
Andrew is such a sweetheart, you see the papers in his hands? He got two, one for his mom and one for my hubby, so he could explain how the small plane worked and give each one of the the sheet! Too cute!
That’s my husband’s cap I am wearing! At least it kind of matched with my outfit, haha!
After viewing all the planes, we decided this one was our favorite. Impressive!
We got to see this plane start up, drive right in front of us, and take-off! Pretty cool for an impromptu Saturday outing!
Hi friends,
As we become adults many things change in our lives. One of them, is how we make friends. I am fortunate to have a few close friends. These are the friends that I speak to often, we both make an effort to spend time together, and to stay involved in each other’s lives! I also have some friends I don’t stay in touch with that often, but still consider “friends.” The rest of the people are more of acquaintances or “professional friends.”
Last Sunday, I took my nephew, Andrew, to a children’s birthday party, a “piñata” and noticed how easily he made a new friend. We were one of the first guests to arrive and there were few children his age. When he was in the bounce house, I noticed another little boy and introduced them, suggesting they play together. Before he memorized his new little friends name, he was calling him “amigo,” which means friend in Spanish. The little boy’s name is Santiago. They played together at the party and had fun! My friend Lizeth, the host of the party, told me Santiago was talking about Andrew on the drive home, saying how excited he was to have met a new friend and how much fun they had together! So cute!
When I saw them playing on the slide, it made me think of how easily children make new friends and how as adults, we sometimes have a harder time making new friends. It is for multiple reasons, as adults we have so many commitments that sometimes, at least for me, it is hard enough to make time to see my current friends. Also, when we are younger, we meet friends in school and at our extra curricular activities, such as team sports. As adults, we have less free time, between work, family, a spouse, and a household to run, we barely have time for ourselves, let alone to see our friends.
So, I did some research and found a good and enlightening article in Experience Life Magazine about Making Friends As An Adult. If you have moved to a new city or want to make a new friend, the article has some good tips! Hope you like it!
Here are some pictures of my nephew playing with Santiago, the new friend he made at the birthday party! They are so cute!!
Who was the last friend you met? Do you find it harder to meet friends as an adult? Do you have any suggestions on how to make new friends as an adult?
Hugs,
Paola
Santiago is younger than Andrew and asked if Andrew would hold his hand when they went down the slide. How adorable is this? Cuties!
They kept running back to slide down again and again! After a few times down the slide, Santiago was more comfortable and no longer asked Andrew to hold his hand.
They stood in line together during the games and cheered each other on!
They stood next to each other during the group picture with the birthday boy, Mauricio, next to the cake!
This was during the breaking of the piñata, it seems Andrew is explaining to the boys how they should hold the stick as they hit the piñata (in the white t-shirt is his younger brother, Josh).
They stood next to each other during the group picture next to one of the piñatas.
Hi friends,
The past two weeks have been a whirlwind. June is a fun month because it filled with family and friends’ birthdays, plus my birthday. This year, the start of June also included three graduations and many fun events! It has been fun, but also a bit exhausting. I am also going through the process of dental surgery, which has required multiple dentist appointments (I am thankful for having a good dentist and that this has a solution).
I am happy to finally have a Sunday at home, to sip my cup of coffee and relax, write a blog post, and catch up on things around the house.
This blog, is a hobby for me, something I do on my free time, but also something I enjoy and am committed to. It is my way of sharing life experiences, things I learn, thoughts, and a positive platform. I appreciate your support greatly! It touched my heart recently when Lola told me that one of her friends, who reads my blog often, asked if I was doing ok since I hadn’t posted in a few days. It takes time to write each blog post and choose the pictures. So, sometimes I have to decide if I have time to write a blog post today….and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes, after a long day at work and an outing that evening, going to sleep wins over writing a blog post, ha! These past two weeks, I had a commitment every single day, and I had fun, it is part of enjoying my life, and time with family and friends. My busy social schedule left me without time to write blog posts. Thank you for understanding and for your support! Your words encourage me to continue writing this blog!
Here are a few pictures from the past two weeks….hope you like them!
What were you up to this past week? Did you go to any graduations, birthdays, or parties?
Best wishes for a great week – and let’s stay in touch!
Hugs,
Paola
The outings started with a night at the theatre. After seeing a great performance, my hubby wanted a hamburger, so we stopped for a late dinner. He had a hamburger, I had a few of his fries.
Thursday night, we discovered a new Indian restaurant. The art at the restaurant is beautiful!
Friday night, Lola joined me for the San Diego County Fair’s Media Party. It is held a week prior to the Fair’s opening and one of my favorite parties of the year! We didn’t stay too late this year because the next day I had to get up very early for a 5K walk.
I got up bright and early on Saturday to give a welcome & participate in the Live Well San Diego 5K Walk/Run! Lola was in town, so she joined me. It was a wonderful event, we had fun and we got some exercise!
The Little Italy Mercato (farmer’s market) is held downtown on Saturday mornings. I’d wanted to visit it for a while, but Lola is usually out of town on weekends and I usually don’t go downtown on weekends. So, since she was in town and the Walk was held close to downtown, we headed to Little Italy after the Walk. We stopped to say hi to my brother at his booth, he sells plants there – that’s his hobby. So proud of him! We bought some fruit, it was juicy and sweet, and a silver necklace. I’ll be going back!
Sunday, my sis & nephew joined me for Mauricio’s #1 Birthday Party (my friend Lizeth’s son). He’s a cutie! It was nice to spend time with Lizeth & her family – and my sis and nephew as well!
On Monday, my niece turned 15 and we got together to celebrate with a cake! She will have her Quinceañera party later this year! We are all looking forward to it!
On Tuesday, I went to an election night party downtown – and left in time to vote on my way home before the polls closed!
A family friend’s daughter graduated from high school and invited us to her graduation on Wednesday evening. We had a delicious Cuban dinner at their home after the ceremony.
Thursday, my adorable nephew Andrew graduated from kindergarten! We went to the Ceremony at his school, then my family went to lunch together and I went back to work. Later that afternoon, we had cake at his home to celebrate!
Thursday evening, my friend Elsa and I went for a walk at Lake Murray. It is beautiful and relaxing! I found a new place to exercise & maybe even go for a bike ride.
I have been wanting to go to Coronado for a while. So Friday after work, Lola and I met in Coronado and went for a walk! It was the perfect way to end a long week! We did some exercise and afterwards, went browsed through a few shops on Orange Avenue and did some shopping at the Hotel Del’s stores. I bought some coloring books for my nephews and discovered a great little jewelry store. We live in an amazing County that has so many areas to explore and Coronado is a beautiful city in the region! We saw this large and cuddly dog during our walk, just had to get his picture!
Saturday, I had fun watching my nephew! This visit deserves its own post, I’ll write about it later on.
Saturday night, we got together with my comadre to celebrate her birthday! It was nice to see her and her family! I enjoyed spending time with my goddaughter, she’s a beautiful and sweet little girl!
Hi friends,
As you may know by now, my sis and I are very close. We are each others best friend! We speak on the phone almost every day and see each other often. She is probably the person that knows me the best, plus she’s known me her entire life, ha! You may relate, if you have a sister or girlfriend you are close to.
My sister gives me great advice and I have learned lots from her over the years. It is nice to see that my litter sister has grown to be such an amazing woman and good mom. In some ways, we are very different and in other ways we are very similar. We vent with each other, often! We are also honest with each other. We are supportive of each other, but don’t always tell the other what she may want to hear. We all need this type of person in our lives!
Recently we were talking about how our lives have changed since we got married and her life even more since she had children. We both feel very blessed with our families! She told me something she has learned to do is ask herself “what can I get done today?” And do just that – and that is already a very full day since she works full-time as a teacher, has two children, a husband, and runs her household. All moms out there can probably relate. She told me over the years, particularly after she had her second son, she has learned that somethings will just not get done on weekdays. For example, she will wait until the weekend to wash laundry. Before, she’d wash laundry on weeknights, no issue, but now, she prefers to spend time with her boys in the evenings. She has an evening routine to make dinner, help her son with homework, bathe them, clean the kitchen, and prepare for the next day (lunches, clothes, son’s backpack, etc). And, she still finds time to spend time with her husband and pack his lunch for the next day. Amazing, right?
Over the years, I have learned to say no and not take on too much, because then I end up exhausted! Particularly now that I am married, I look forward to coming home every evening to spend time with my hubby. I have also taken on less weeknight and weekend outings or speaking engagements, because I need some “me time” and like to spend weekends at home, and with my hubby.
The words my sister said have stuck in my head the last few days and I can relate. Just last week, I had very long days at work because we were covering the fires and organized a phone bank with the Red Cross to help the fire victims. I was working 12 – 16 hours a day and getting home very late. When I arrived at home, I barely had energy to talk to my hubby, but did manage to ask him about his day. So, something had to give, and what gave was exercise and my blog. I wasn’t able to exercise last week or write a blog post for a few days. I was exhausted every night and ready to go to sleep as soon as I arrived home. The good thing is I knew it was temporary due to the urgency the fires caused. I felt so bad for all the families that lost their homes or businesses, and people that had to be evacuated from their homes. My eyes got watery a few times just seeing the coverage of the terrible fires and homes being lost to the flames. So much was happening so fast! How was it possible for so many fires to start in one day? Terrible! I was glad I was able to provide information to viewers through the work we do, and I was able to help raise funds for the Red Cross. That made the long hours worth it.
We all have responsibilities and lots of demands on our time, but are there things that we added to our day that could have waited or just simply were really not that urgent?
So, next time you are feeling overwhelmed or tired, ask yourself, “realistically, what can I accomplish and get done today….and not end up exhausted?” And, do just that. The laundry can wait 🙂
Are you close to your sister or a girlfriend? What is the best advice they have given you?
Hugs,
Paola
Hi friends,
Hope you had a great week….and weekend! This past week, was extraordinarily busy for me….and very fun! There was lots going on! I know I haven’t written a Week In Photos post in a while, but I’ll try to get back to posting these since some of you commented that you liking seeing them, thanks!
What did you do this past week….and weekend?
Hope you like the post & have a great start to your week….May starts in a few weeks! Unbelievable how fast time goes by. I wish you an amazing, productive, and HAPPY week!
Hugs,
Paola
My week started with meetings for Live Well San Diego, a partnership the stations have with the County of San Diego for this program. I manage the stations partnership and this is a very exciting project for me! I am motivated & inspired to work on this initiative! I also hosted an interview for Azteca San Diego regarding Live Well San Diego, called Vive Bien San Diego in Spanish!
This week was full of festivities at the station, one my colleagues in the department had a birthday and we celebrated with this delicious tres leches caramel cake (from Costco). I had never had the caramel version, it was different & yummy!
This was my boss’ last week at the station and the department staff went out to celebrate his farewell lunch. The lemonade glasses were cute and I had a Pellegrino, for some odd reason these are the only two pics I have from the lunch. We were all reminiscing and chatting, maybe that is why I didn’t take too many pics. We also had cake for him at the station.
Someone very kind left Thursday’s Union Tribune newspaper on my desk at the station….Lola and I are in it! Thanks for this anonymous act of kindness 🙂 I showed it to Lola, she always gets a kick out of pictures of us in publications. Also, thanks to the photographer for taking our picture! We met him last week at FWSD’s Flaunt Your Fashion event.
Lola and I went to the movies at Westfield Mission Valley, we saw The Other Woman….and she took my outfit of the day pics before the movie. I changed my shoes and took off my jacket, and we managed to take a 30 minute walk outside the mall before the movie started. She also motivated me NOT to buy See’s chocolates before the movie. I love See’s chocolates and there is a store at the mall. We each had a See’s chocolate lollipop instead, it has less calories and fat. I’ll post those outfit pictures soon!
My goddaughter had a play at her school and we visited her classroom afterwards. They called it the “After Party with the Cast!” She showed me around her classroom & shared her school work with me. She is such a sweet girl, beautiful, and smart! Just like her mom, my comadre.
I went to San Diego Magazine’s Best of North County event on Friday evening, it was fun! One of the best events I’ve been to in San Diego! We spent time with Catherine Arambula (far right), from Mana de San Diego, and Karen Mullen (second from right), from San Diego Magazine. Lola is the one in the light green jacket.
Bright and early on Saturday, I participated at the March for Babies at Balboa Park. It was nice to spend time with my 10News and Azteca San Diego colleagues and friends. The weather was windy and cold, and it started to rain just as the walk portion started, look at the banners on the stage….the wind broke them off! We were still there, with thousands of San Diegans, supporting the March of Dimes, a great organization that helps moms and babies!
After the walk, I went to the baptism of my friend Lizeth’s baby boy. It was a nice ceremony at St. Pius X (I went to grade school at St.Pius, it was nice to visit the church again). The baby looked adorable & Lizeth was beautiful! Her dress was perfect for the occasion and the headband looked wonderful on her – a nice touch, loved the look! After the ceremony, she had an intimate luncheon with family. I was honored to have been invited to share in this very special moment! Lizeth is one of my closest friends, like a sister to me. It was nice to catch up with her and her family, her mom is an aunt to me. She is a very wise woman! I visited Lizeth the day her baby was born…. and look forward to seeing him grow up! Many more celebrations to come as he grows up!
She had keepsakes & so many cute details for the baptism….and for dessert, multiple types of cheesecakes, delicious! I had a piece of the key lime pie!
Lola and I went to FWSD’s Spring Into Fashion Showcase at Harrah’s. We had fun, as always….ran into some of the designers I know and some new one’s as well. It was nice to see a few Hispanic designers at the Show! I took lots of pictures and will write a blog post about the event this coming week.
Finally, Sunday arrived…..as much fun as I had during the week, I needed a day to rest and re-charge at home. I even took a nap in the middle of the afternoon, because I was feeling sleepy, it was a Sunday, and I needed it. I had been invited to attend two events held today, but knew I would have a full week, so I had declined. I know my limits and have learned to say no, and dedicate some R&R to myself. I have another full week ahead of me, it would have been too much to work seven days straight. I also wanted to give my skin a break, when I have shoots and work events, I wear pretty heavy make-up. I like to give my face at least one day to breathe…I call it no make-up Sunday! I’ll write a blog post soon about learning to say no and allow yourself some down time.
Sunday afternoon, I was looking at pictures on the March of Dimes California Facebook page and saw that they posted this picture of me from the March for Babies walk in Oceanside two weeks ago. I shared it on my Facebook page.
They had also posted this for the March for Babies held Saturday at Balboa Park, this was the caption: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Kimberly Hunt 10News and Paola Hernandez of 10News – ABC San Diego KGTV and Azteca América San Diego: AztecaSD.com as our March for Babies hosts and media sponsors for our San Diego event in Balboa Park Saturday, April 26. Be sure to say hello and thank them for their incredible support!”
As you can see….I had a full and HAPPY week! Feeling blessed and looking forward to having another awesome week! Be HAPPY!
Hi friends,
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of lent. This weekend we will change our clocks and set them an hour ahead for daylight savings. Spring will soon begin and in a few weeks it will be Easter Sunday. It is amazing how fast the first two months of the year have passed.
I had not gone to mass on Ash Wednesday in a few years. Yesterday, I visited my sister and nephews, and we went to mass together. We also saw my brother and his family at the church. It was a treat to see them all! Since I got married and moved away from the south bay area of San Diego, I do not see my siblings and nephews as often as I used to. I also don’t go to mass as often. It was nice to go to mass yesterday, to feel a sense of tradition, family, as well as beliefs and faith.
Some of us believe in a higher being and have faith. Over the years, I have learned to rest in my faith and to trust that whatever outcome occurs, it is for a reason. A reason I may not understand today, but eventually I will. It is not always easy, but praying and having faith help me relax and let go of my worries. I am also thankful for the many blessings in my life and my family’s life, many times I pray not to ask for things, but to be thankful.
Lent is also a period in which I reflect – on life, on how fast time goes by, on family unity and the love it brings, and on traditions. I am looking forward to the spring and Easter. Most of all, I am looking forward to spending time with family and friends, as we celebrate the tradition of Easter – to seeing the flowers bloom as gardens are transformed into beautiful, colorful works of art!
No matter how busy our lives get, it is always nice to stop and appreciate it, take it in, relax a bit, and realize time goes by way too fast. Enjoy today, because you will only live it once! Enjoy the present, as the saying goes, it is a “present” (a gift)!
I took the picture of the flowers above while I was on walk recently. It was a random, colorful bunch of flowers that was just blooming in the middle of pebbles on the edge of a parking lot. It wasn’t part of a garden or planned landscaping, it was just a few flowers blooming! It made me smile and stop to appreciate them, and take a picture. It made me realize spring is just around the corner. Hope you enjoy the coming of spring and the blooming flowers that come along with it!
Do you have plans for Easter? Do you follow any traditions this time of the year? Can you believe how fast the first two months of the year already passed?
Hugs,
Paola
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Hi friends,
Appreciation and gratitude are something I am always trying to be aware of. It was taught to me early on by my family, to be thankful for our blessings. Even when things aren’t going well, I try to look at the positive side and to be appreciative for the good things, or think, it could have been worse, or to see the lesson learned from the experience (even unpleasant experiences since these may later be “aha” moments, or as they say “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”).
This past week has been one where I have been truly appreciative. My husband had knee surgery. Being the wise, assertive, and independent man that he is (love him for these qualities), he didn’t seem too overly concerned with the surgery, or at least he didn’t relay it to me. I, on the other hand, being a woman, was trying to plan things beforehand, to read about it, so we would be prepared and know what to expect. I was concerned mostly for his health and well being, but also about trying to adjust my schedule for the surgery date he selected, so I would be available to take care of him. He had already postponed the surgery once due to work commitments. His work schedule is even more demanding than mine, so I adjusted as much as I could once he selected the new surgery date.
I wanted to be prepared, so I set-up the guest room downstairs for him in case he couldn’t go up the stairs to our bedroom, bought his favorite snacks and drinks, some easy to make meals, had some magazines ready and prepared his ice machine (for the knee). He also did some pre-surgery preparations, such as buy the ice machine, crutches, and setting up his mini-office in the bedroom since he had to have bed rest the first day. He had his laptop, iPhone, Blackberry, tablet and iPad mini on his nightstand. He set-up our computer table (looks like the trays used at hospitals, the wheels slide under the bed and the tray fits over your lap) on his side of the bed. He was already working a few hours after we got home from his surgery. By the next day he was on phone conferences and working from home. His home office is just across the hallway from our bedroom, but he did not use his office for three days. I think it is the longest he has gone without using his office. By the fourth day, he went into his office, so I knew he must be feeling better.
Having helped a friend who had knee surgery, I knew the recuperation process can be challenging. My husband’s knee surgery was to fix a torn meniscus and some injuries to the bone. So, it wasn’t as serious as a knee replacement surgery, but it does require care and therapy. The surgery also required general anesthesia, which is always nerve wrecking for me, particularly because I have an uncle who went into a coma and is now handicapped after having complications with anesthesia from a simple, routine surgery. My husband thought he would be driving and back in the office after three days, because the doctor told him he would be up and moving in three days. Which really meant, minimal activity and barely walking on crutches.
I enjoy taking care of my husband, this week has just been a different type of care. I have gone up and down the stairs so many times every day, it is almost funny. I have brought him his meals on trays, ice and more ice, his phone, his clothes, drinks, if he needed something, I got it for him. I started to remember stories my sister and friends – who are moms – have told me about how exhausted they are at the end of the day because they just don’t stop. They joke that they would fall asleep anywhere at the end of the day, they are just that tired. That is how I felt. I have very long days and have been exhausted many times before, but this was different. My sister laughed when I told her about my week and how in a way it reminded me of how tired she tells me she feels at night. I was so tired, I don’t even remember dreaming. The night’s sleep felt like a blink, literally, like I had just closed my eyes and laid down for a few minutes. But, this is just temporary – on Saturday, I got to sleep in a few hours, my baby (hubby) is an adult after all and managed ok without me for a few hours that morning 🙂
This week, I am thankful for many things – in particular our health, that his surgery went well, we have medical insurance, live in a country with advanced medical procedures and excellent surgeons and hospitals, that my boss and colleagues were understanding and supportive, for the good wishes and prayers from family and friends…that my hubby and I have each other to take care of the other when one of us is in need.
Have you taken care of a family member after surgery or an illness? Have you been taken care of by a loved one when you had surgery or were sick?
Good night….I am starting to reach that point of exhaustion and still have to fill the ice machine one more time and remove my make-up before I can go to sleep tonight.
Hugs,
Paola
This is the electric ice machine, it is pretty amazing, it circulates the cold water under the pad which wraps around the knee.
Pictured above are my hubby’s crutches.
Hi friends! The holidays have past and I am back in full gear at work! I had already started planning the stations’ community outreach projects for 2014 last year and the first week of January was busy with interviews, lots of meetings and production work, as well as scheduling. I am looking forward to the projects we are going to work on – they involve lots of support for the local community & San Diegans, so excited!
The highlight of my week was the birth of my nephew, Joel! He is a cutie! My brothers family did not live in San Diego when my sister-in-law was pregnant with my nieces, so I did not get to see her pass through the stages of pregnancy. It was wonderful to see her body change as the baby grew and to see the baby development in the ultrasounds! This baby is such a blessing! The entire family was excited and we were anticipating the birth with much joy! The baby was born on a Friday afternoon and the lobby area at the hospital started filling up fast as we all headed to see my sister-in-law and meet the baby! We had to take turns to enter the room, you could tell we are a big Mexican family, ha (it’s wonderful)! I have been spending more time (more than usual) with family these past few weeks, to offer support with the new baby & my nieces, as well as visiting my sister and nephews before they all go back to school (my sis is a teacher). My sister-in-law sends me messages with pics of the baby, so cute, they brighten my day! I look forward to seeing Joel grow up & to loving him!
Hope your first week of January was good! What have you been up to? Any exciting plans for January…or 2014? Do share!
Hugs,
Paola
Meet Joel! I am a proud aunt!
Claudia Llausas, Azteca San Diego anchor/reporter, and I enjoyed meeting viewers at the 10News Experience & Azteca booth at the San Diego International Auto Show.
Interviewed YMCA representatives, Michael Brunker and Luciano Villela, regarding the upcoming YMCA Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Dignity Awards Breakfast. I am looking forward to attending the event on January 17.
With Luciano Villela, YMCA Board Member.
Celebrated Dia de Reyes – Three Kings Day. Did you have rosca?
I interviewed Rafael Sigler, spokesperson for Freeway Insurance – it is always a pleasure to work with him, he’s a pro & always prepared!
Lola and I went to see the new Hercules movie, in 3D! It was great, full of action, and good special effects! Every time I would look over at Lola to make a comment, I would laugh because we looked so funny in the 3D glasses. We took a pic as we were leaving, ha! Lola thought we looked dorky in the pic, but I think it is a fun pic….since it was a 3D movie (maybe we do look a bit silly). It still made me laugh when I posted it here, ha!
Went to see Disney’s Beauty and The Beast musical – amazing & beautiful! It’s become one of my favorite Broadway shows!