Camping with Lucas and Theo

This past weekend we went on a school-wide camp out with Lucas' preschool. Each year parents and kids gear up for one night at Bort Meadow at Anthony Chabot Regional Park. We set up tents, grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, shared a potluck of sides and salads, roasted s'mores over the hot fire, climbed trees, enjoyed a big sing-a-long (Nick rocked it out on his acoustic guitar and played everything from "On the Road Again" to "I've Been Working on the Railroad" to "Carpet of Dreams" by the very talented childrens songwriter Jane Timberlake, to "Let It Go" from Disney's Frozen - you know this one got all the kids dancing and building pretend ice castles), drank hot chocolate, and then went to bed in our sleeping bags and tents under the big starry night sky. The next morning we enjoyed a wonderful pancake breakast with lots of coffee for the grown-ups.

This year I woke up in a tent on my birthday. Lucas came in and gave me about 17 kisses on the lips. Then he said, "Mama, are you an old lady today?" and I immediately smiled and said, "I sure am!" Then he said, "Well, who's going to take care of me?" and I said, "I'm old, but not THAT old. And besides, even when I'm a really old lady, I'll always take care of you." He says the funniest things these days and I'm soaking it all in (and jotting it down here).

I really enjoy camping -- the food, the cozy feeling, the s'mores. And it's getting easier with the kids. We learned our lesson this year and set up two tents -- one for me and Theo, who slept from 7:15 p.m. - 7:15 a.m. straight, and a smaller one for Nick and Lucas. Last year was disastrous as Lucas woke up Theo around 10 p.m. and both kids were wide awake. No thanks!

A few things that made it extra fun for the kids were the Lego table, glow sticks, LED finger lights, a stomp rocket, a constellation night light, and some fun books.

All in all we had so much fun but were exhausted. I came home craving noodles and soup (my total comfort food) so we braved the Ramen Shop that night after we cleaned up. I must say I had a wonderful birthday this year.

Happy Weekend, a Visit From Friends Old and New, and a Birthday

Happy weekend friends! This week seemed to have flown by. I was so happy to have some old friends and new visit us. I have been a long time follower/admirer of Sally Shim (how cool and cute are her boys?), and while she was out here visiting California from Korea, she and her boys came to visit us in Berkeley (go Bears! Sally is an alum like me!). I thoroughly loved chatting with her and seeing J and j interact so sweetly with my Lucas and Theo. We spent 11 hours together, starting with dinner from Noodle Theory, homemade waffles for breakfast (j ate 8 of them! yes, 8!), lunch at Summer Kitchen, a fun visit to the Lawrence Hall of Science, dinner at the Ramen Shop, and finally ice cream at Smitten. We had so much fun, food, and big time laughs! You can follow Sally and her boys on their trip via Instagram. Another special treat was seeing my friend Bonnie and her hilariously cute daughter Venise who drove up from L.A. for the longest-drive-shortest-play date ever. Next time they need to stay longer but I'll take what I can get. Maybe I can catch her again at her visual social media workshop at Poketo on September 20th.

Here are some of my favorite Instagram pics from this week.

And finally, it's my birthday weekend (July 20th to be exact). My boys are getting bigger and I'm getting older. Ha! Lately I've noticed I've been talking to myself. Busier? Older? I'm still in my late 20's, right? Let's be honest, after having kids, I feel like I'm five years older than I really am, but I wouldn't have it any other way and that's the truth. Oh, and last night Nick surprised me with a brand new Vitamix for my birthday! I've always jokingly hinted at it but never thought I would own one - what a splurge! I made him promise not to get me anything for our anniversary or Christmas or Valentine's day, maybe even my birthday next year, seriously. I can't wait to redefine what a blender can do!

I'm starting off my birthday weekend with a much needed in-home massage and having another yummy Munchery dinner delivered to our door.

What are you up to this weekend?

+ Images by me via Instagram (@good_on_paper)

Recipe: Lemon Olive Chicken

This Lemon Olive Chicken dish is one my all time favorite easy dinners to make. I had my first taste of this dish years ago when my friend Carrie made it and I had seconds and wanted thirds. Healthy, hearty, saucy, salty, and forgiving, it is definitely one of my go-to recipes that I make at least every week or two. I make it with quinoa and baby spinach/chard/kale (from TJ's), but feel free to sub in brown rice, couscous, asparagus, or any other greens you have on hand. Enjoy!

+ Click here for a printable PDF version

+ Image by me via Instagram (@good_on_paper)

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Long weekend - Happy 4th of July!

Happy long 4th of July weekend friends! I've had a crazy busy week with work so I'm really looking forward to spending some quality family time -- swimming, play dates, tasty food, and a visit from some dear friends. Here are some of my favorite Instagram pics of my boys from this week.

Tomorrow we will be visiting our friends at Sketch. It's a bittersweet visit as they have decided to close the shop for good to focus on family. We will miss them SO much and wish them the best. I totally respect their decision to put family first -- it's always a juggle, but at the end of the day, it's family and love that come out on top.

We are starting off the long weekend tonight with a yummy Munchery dinner delivered to our door so I don't have to cook after a long day at work. If you haven't tried Munchery yet, I highly recommend them -- high quality, affordable, freshly made food conveniently delivered to your door in eco-friendly/compostable packaging. And amazing graphic design/packaging!

What are you up to this weekend?

+ Images by me via Instagram (@good_on_paper)

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+ Image by me via Instagram (@good_on_paper)

Our Home Featured on Houzz

Happy Friday everyone! I couldn't be more excited to share our home tour on Houzz from earlier this week. Work has gotten a little bit crazy for me (in a good busy way) so I barely got a chance to go through the photos and comments from the tour when it first came out. It's funny because most of the comments are really sweet ones from people saying how they love that it's a "real house" with "real people" and how refreshing it is to see such a lived in house. Oh, hello there plastic bins storing blankets stuffed under the couch! Oh, hello there overgrown weeds in the front yard! We like to call it modern clutter. Ha! But in all seriousness, this is real living for us -- we do the best we can with what we have (and don't have..ahem, storage) . But you'll get a chance to see a few updates including Lucas' big boy room which we all love so much.

+ Photos via Houzz
+ Photography and feature by Nanette Wong
+ See our home in Lee Magazine and Sunset Magazine (back when Lucas was 5 months old!)

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Lucas' Superhero 4th Birthday Party

The theme of this year's birthday party for Lucas who turned four on April 26th was super heroes. While he loves all kinds of super heroes -- Captain America, Flash, Spider-Man, etc., I really wanted the party to be about the super powers of Lucas and his friends (I spend enough time getting shot with spiderwebs and saving people in the Batmobile).

The invitations were printed in black and green on heavy white cotton paper with a clean, minimal design highlighting Super Lucas. Each invitation set included custom tattoos and instructions packaged in a small glassine envelope for each guest. The tattoos had the guest's name (i.e. Super Connor) as well as super hero speech bubbles with expressions like "WOW", "OK", "YES", and "COOL" instead of the usual "POW" and "BANG" expressions. The envelopes were lined with a pattern of the same super hero expressions.

It's been our tradition to have Lucas' birthday parties at Tilden Park but this year we had the chance to have it at his preschool's outdoor space. It's an awesome space that's safe and enclosed, with fun play structures and multiple levels for the ultimate in superhero fun. The only downside to having it at the school was that we had a guest limit.

Last year I took Lucas to breakfast at one of our favorite places, Elmwood Cafe. We did it again this year and I think I'll make it a tradition. Since the day was all about Lucas, we had Theo stay home with Po Po (grandma) which he didn't mind one bit because she is the world to him. And side note here - it is WAY easier with just one kid. Just sayin'. We ordered yummy coffee, a latte, orange juice, an egg sandwich, a frittata with organic greens, and a buttermilk waffle with lemon curd and blueberries on top. After breakfast we walked down the block to pick up donut holes for the party -- a Jackson kid party tradition!

Lucas got to open one small surprise gift from us - a Lightening McQueen race car. He hasn't seen the movie Cars yet but somehow it's one of his favorite characters and he talks about him all the time. Needless to say, he was floored when he opened his eyes to find this little red racer in his hands.

For party favors, we made custom (no sew!) capes for each of the kids so they could wear them on the day of the party. It was a huge hit with the kids and so fun to see them running, jumping, flying around with them. Some of the kids even wore them to school the next day and beyond. A huge thanks to my mom for pretty much doing all of the hard work -- from measuring, cutting, and washing the material, to helping me paint each of the letters on late at night. We also made paper masks (simply cut out the mask shape onto colored card stock and then staple a piece of elastic on both ends) that kids could decorate with markers and star stickers.

My husband Nick also crafted a building scene out of old cardboard boxes, tape, and spray paint as a backdrop for a photo booth. Each guest was encouraged to strike their best superhero pose in front of the buildings using an instant Fuji Instax camera. The guests could stick the photos into a memory book and jot down something for Lucas to read later.

For lunch we catered mini bean and cheese burritos for the kids from a favorite local Mexican restaurant. For the grown ups we catered Vietnamese banh-mi sandwiches and spring rolls. And for dessert I made a yummy chocolate cake (Lucas' favorite) and cupcakes with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. And lastly, our parties wouldn't be complete without our traditional donut holes wrapped in paper cones.

Everyone had a blast, even Super Theo who came to the party with Po Po and Nana right after his nap.

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate. Lucas had the best time and is now talking about how he's going to be five!

+ See the party featured on 100 Layer Cakelet and the invitations on Oh So Beautiful Paper.

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Favorites: Instagram Finds No. 2

I Iove photography and I love food so these Instagram finds are all about gorgeous food photography. There are so many more I want to share with you but I'll have to save that for another post. Who are some of your favorite food photographers on Instagram?

// 1. Super talented photographer/friend who shoots everything brilliantly. Following Eva is a MUST. I was lucky enough to be shot by her in this series @evakolenko
// 2. Plenty of gorgeous food and travel shots @dicanelo
// 3. Beautiful wooden spoons, bowls, and food @nikoleherriott
// 4. Los Angeles photographer takes gorgeous food pics from his phone and shares his photo tips here @rick_poon
// 5. A fairly recent discovery, Molly Yeh is a baker and a musician who takes beautiful food photos on her blog and has the most creative recipes @mollyyeh
// 6. Beautiful editorial and commercial photography focusing on food. Also coming out with Wild Apple magazine dedicated to gluten-free cuisine @taradonnephoto
// 7. Natural foods that are healthy, tasty, and beautifully shot @jodiwhatscookin
// 8. A long time favorite of mine. Plus all gluten-free recipes! @canellevanille
// 9. One of my very favorite Instagrammers for food porn. So well styled, moody, perfectly imperfect @linda_lomelino

+ See my Instagram Finds No. 1
+ You can see more of my pics on the VSCO Grid.

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Lucas and the Temescal Alley Barbershop

Lucas usually gets his hair cut by my amazing stylist/friend Lizzy at Veer & Wander. She's so awesome that she's always booked! Too busy for a last minute cut, I had to find an alternative as Lucas' hair was getting longer by the hour.

I decided to try the Temescal Alley Barbershop in Oakland. Okay, this place is just rad. It's a modern barbershop that offers traditional services including straight razor shaves and kids haircuts (score!). They are cash only and don't accept appointments (walk-ins only). With both kids in tow, I was a little hesitant when they told me the wait would be about an hour to an hour and a half. But between the huge cookie I got the kids from The CRO Cafe next door, the strawberries/blueberries I brought (my secret weapon for Theo), the long alley, the benches with cool dudes waiting for cuts (thanks for entertaining my kids!), the bocce ball court at Pizzaiolo, the dirty puddles, and the flying pigeons, they were pretty busy for a while.

You know how relieved I was when they called Lucas' name? Rob was Lucas' stylist and he could not have been more kid friendly -- chatted it up with Lucas about superheroes and cars, his two current obsessions.

I was so proud of Lucas who sat super still the entire time after patiently waiting for his turn.

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Happy Father's Day Weekend

Hope you all have a happy father's day weekend. Nick will get a fun break this weekend with his friends. We celebrated a little early with a tasty Munchery dinner delivered to our door, a hand made necklace and card from Lucas, a wet berry kiss from Theo, and an Artifact Uprising Instagram Friendly Soft Cover Photo Book from me (plus one more gift on its way).

Happy Father's Day to my sweet, silly, kind, smart, talented, and loving husband, Nick.

+ Images by me via Instagram (@good_on_paper)

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