project smile

Project Smile – June

Posted on June 30, 2011 Written by Tonya

Proof that my June was magical.

While celebrating Lucas’ second birthday, my 39th and Father’s Day, welcoming three cichlids into our family and breaking in a new pair of sneakers, enjoying a fun overnight in Palm Springs with my girlfriends, I was gently reminded by my sweet son on a walk around our neighborhood how important it is to stop and smell the roses every once in a while.

I’m also proud to share that we got Lucas completely off of bottles in June.

It was a great month!

To see what had me smiling in May, click here and to link up and share your own month of joy, please visit Kristi of Live and Love out Loud.

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Project Smile – May

Posted on May 31, 2011 Written by Tonya

Another month has come and gone and while I found many reasons to grumble, it was also a very smile-worthy month!

This month, instead of listing something for each day, I’m going to share just the highlights and lots of photos.

May 1 – A beautiful day for baseball, Dodger dogs, cold beer and catching up with old friends.May 4 – A delightful afternoon with the Dalai Lama.

May 6 – Beach day!May 8 – Mother’s Day. How did I get so lucky to be this boy’s mommy? May 13 – Spending a perfect day with Lucas.May 14 – Birthday celebrations, margaritas and good friends.May 15 – Lucas meets Mickey Mouse for the first time!May 17 – Date night = a movie in the theater. Thanks, Leah!

May 18 – Pancake day.May 20 – A trip to see grandma and grandpa.May 22 – Cousin love.May 24 – Eight years ago today, Todd and I went on our first date.

May 26 – A mommies only dinner.

May 29 – It’s Memorial Day weekend and we’re happy Daddy’s got the day off.May 30 – I found a bathing suit.

May 31 – Signed Lucas up for more swim lessons, enrolled him in a summer school program, scanned photos, made calls, ran errands, lunched with a friend, sent three overdue e-mails, wrote three blog posts and played a lot of cars and choo choos. It was a very productive day!

What made you happy this month?

To see what had me smiling in April, click here and to link up and share your own month of joy, please visit Kristi of Live and Love out Loud.

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Project Smile – April

Posted on April 30, 2011 Written by Tonya

Don’t count the days, make the days count. ~ Muhammad Ali

It was another month full of many many reasons to smile:

1st – A friend that goes (comes) the distance… literally. Thanks for a lovely play date, Sally.
2nd – Lucas slept in his big boy bed for the first time!
3rd – Family visitors. No, really!
4th – Disneyland fun and a toddler that was on his most excellent behavior.
5th – A relaxing visit to the nail salon with my sister-in-law and nieces.
6th – Lucas turns 22 months… where’s the pause button?
7th – A visit with my dear friend, Suzy who I wish I saw more often.
8th – The sun was out just long enough for some outdoor play.
9th – Pizza. Funny how this favorite ends up on every one of my Project Smile lists!
10th – A nice long walk to clear my head and just breathe.
11th – Legoland – just the two of us.
12th – A couple of hours at the hair salon and a new opportunity!
13th- A sick baby means a day spent in pjs in front of the TV.
14th – Helping out a friend with her children while her husband is away on business.
15th – Mother/son lunch dates, a visit with the Easter Bunny #1 and a slew of new Spring clothes from Gymboree (for once I remembered to use my coupons!!).
16th – A long car ride with a quiet tot. Bliss!
17th – Meeting and riding Thomas the Train followed by an adults only lunch at The Ivy. Thanks, aunt Leah!
18th – Meeting Easter Bunny #2, decorating cookies, an egg hunt and a train ride.
19th – A super productive day that had nothing to do with laundry.
20th – A night out on the town.
21th – I got myself a job (of sorts)! More on this later…
22nd – Bounce house play date in our backyard, 90 minutes on the treadmill, girl’s night out and trying out a new restaurant.
23rd – A toddler-free weekend… lunch with good friends and their babies, a movie in the theater and having the house to myself.
24th – Easter blessings and chocolate yumminess.
25th – Staying in touch with friends from high school and seeing our children play together.
26th – A guest post on Four Plus an Angel that I am very proud of. Thanks, again for having me, Jessica.
27th – Catching up with my husband over margaritas on a date night.
28th – Spending some time alone with my sister.
29th – Housekeepers. Love me the smell of Pine-sol and Windex.
30th – A good old fashioned PB&J with a glass of milk. And no, this wasn’t Lucas’ lunch, it was mine!

What made you happy this month?

To see why I was smiling in March, click here and to link up and share your own month of simple pleasures, please visit Kristi of Live and Love out Loud.

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Project Smile – March

Posted on April 1, 2011 Written by Tonya

Enjoy present pleasures in such a way as to not injure future ones. – Seneca

As usual, March was a topsy turvy month of highs and lows, but I’m grateful for each and every day and love to stop and think about the simple pleasures that bring me joy.

Here’s what had me smiling in March:

1st – I decided that I would like to be paid to write so I submitted a proposal to a couple of online news magazines. After several follow-ups, I have yet to hear anything, but it was a first step and I’m hopeful that something will come my way soon… Stay tuned!
2nd – Lunch with an old friend and an old haunt I used to frequent when I was a working woman.
3rd – Soup Plantation’s grilled cheese bread dippers and creamy tomato soup and sharing them with someone who appreciates them just as much as I do. 🙂
4th – A girl’s night out and discovering jalapeno cucumber margaritas. Yummy!!
5th – A baby shower. There’s nothing like welcoming a new life with pretty little things.
6th – Crayons, Play-Doh, paint, trains, books, bubbles ANYTHING to keep the little guy busy and entertained.
7th – My sister turned 27!
8th – Sitter days…. ah.
9th – Getting in the car and turning on the radio to Dave Matthews. Twice!!
10th – Good news, bad news and more confusion… sometimes it’s what makes the world go round.
11th – Discovering a new kid friendly pizza place.
12th – Five loads of laundry DONE… until the next time.
13th – A visit to LA to celebrate aunt Leah’s birthday.
14th – A very productive day of phone calls, appointment setting and follow ups.
15th – Making it through a lunch without divulging a surprise.
16th – Lucas pushed the kid-sized shopping cart at the super market today and although he nearly plowed over three people and almost knocked over an entire display of potatoes, he loved every minute.
17th – March Madness + friends + cocktails + Blackjack = Winning and 24 hours in Vegas!
18th – 10:00 AM massage appointment.
19th – I attended my first blogging conference, Bloggy Boot Camp. To read all about it, click here.
20th – Being at the finish line waiting for my sister after she ran the LA Marathon.
21st – Exhaustion. Glad that the weekend is OVER and ready to resume the regularly scheduled program.
22nd – Closet cleaning, a nice long walk and sushi.
23rd – A fun day at the petting zoo.
24th – UofA vs. Duke and low and behold, UofA won!!
25th – Housekeeper day. I love me the smell of Pine-sol and Windex.
26th – Date night.
27th – A couple of toddler free hours at the nail salon.
28th – An abrupt ending to music class, which left no one smiling followed by a three hour nap, which was MUCH appreciated.
29th – An overnight visit from Grandpa.
30th – First day of Tootsie Roll class and a visit with friends in town from Idaho.
31st – A shopping trip for me and beautiful 80 degree weather. I believe Spring is in the air!

To see why I was smiling in February, click here and to link up with your own month of simple pleasures, visit Kristi of Live and Love out Loud.

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Project Smile – February

Posted on February 28, 2011 Written by Tonya

It’s hard to believe it’s March 1 already! Where is 2011 going?

Some days are definitely better than others, but I LOVE Alicia (A Beautiful Mess) for putting together this monthly meme so that I challenge myself to smile through my frustration, confusion and whatever other negativity I may be experiencing each and every single day.

Here’s February:

1st – Nail appointment! I live for these…
2nd – Fun with aunt Leah on the Santa Monica Pier.
3rd – A walk with a friend.
4th – Play date at the beach and Lucas meets a new friend with lots of “choo choos”. Learning to share is hard work.
5th – Date night!
6th – Recovery and Super Bowl commercials.
7th – A nice long dinner with my dear friend, Lindsey.
8th – Jerk chicken salad at ZTeja’s.
9th – First day of Ritual Cleanse juice detox! Read all about my experience here.
10th – Made it through Day 1 and discovered my new favorite beverage, green tea.
11th – Bouncy house play date with Jackson and Cody and last day of cleanse!
12th – Nothing but blue skies, sunshine and real food.
13th – Family bike ride followed by massages at Pelican Hill. Read my Thoughts From The Massage Table.
14th – Valentine’s Day and play date with Emma and Annie.
15th – First meeting with my new women’s group… more on this in a later post.
16th – Date night!
17th – A weekend visit from Grandma.
18th – A dinner out that was maybe 35 minutes long. You just have to laugh.
19th – 80’s Prom Birthday Party! See then and now photos here.
20th – Deli sandwiches.
21st – A walk along the beach with friends after music class.
22nd – This was a rough week with the entire household coming down with a nasty cold. Lucas has been hit the worst. 23rd – Jammy day, pediatrician appointment and an unforgettable trip to the drug store.
24th – Babysitters, that are hopefully immune to the flu.
25th – One hour in Babies R Us and three baby gifts purchased. Nice to get out of the house.
26th – A visit to LA to see aunt Leah with no traffic coming or going. Shocking!!
27th – Finally starting to feel better and you know what that means? Back on the treadmill.
28th – Headaches that go away, fevers that break, humidifiers that help babies sleep and taking a chance!

Be sure to share your reasons to smile in February by visiting Alicia at A Beautiful Mess, or just stop by to check out her fancy new blog design and smile with some other lists.

See what had me grinning from ear to ear in January here.

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Project Smile – January

Posted on January 31, 2011 Written by Tonya

Count your smiles instead of your tears; count your courage instead of your fears. – Unknown

January was full of ups and downs for us; a new year, a new home, good news, followed by bad, but I’m grateful that I found something to smile about every day:

1st – The first day of a new year full of possibilities.
2nd – Work out routine resumed after three weeks off. Ouch!
3rd – Getting out of the house despite the rain.
4th – Pretty in pink nail polish.
5th – Believing that miracles can happen.
6th – A new path to walk.
7th – There is nothing better than a PB&J to put a smile on my face.
8th – Four loads of laundry, grocery store AND Target, washed and dried my hair, started a new book. It was a VERY productive day.
9th – Lunch and movie with a girlfriend.
10th – Gorgeous walk along Newport Beach strand.
11th – I bought my domain name.
12th – A visit with an old friend and a wonderful compliment.
13th – Today, we have lived in our new house for one month and slowly but surely are making it a home.
14th – Taking time to stop and smell the flowers.
15th – We hung our first picture!
16th – Golden Globes and Thai food with a fellow movie lover.
17th – We rode Becky the elephant!
18th – Today was not a great day, but snuggles with my son always make me feel better.
19th – The wonder of nature.
20th – My sister.
21st – A visit to an old neighborhood I used to once frequent a lot and delicious quiche.
22nd – Champagne brunch with my sister, Aston Kutcher (in the movie No Strings Attached) and shopping for shoes!
23rd – A bowl of cereal makes a great dinner.
24th – Play date at our house.
25th – Covering up the grays, finishing one book and starting another.
26th – Meeting a newborn, visiting our old neighborhood and wine time.
27th – A beautiful walk along the coast and lunch.
28th – A fun day at the Irvine Ranch Park with friends and spend a lot of time thinking of my dad today with love, he would have been 64 today.
29th – Blowing bubbles in the backyard with Lucas.
30th – Dinner with friends and all our kids! Pure comedy.
31st – The first day of a new round of music class.

I hope every day of January gave you something to smile about and that your 2011 is off to a great start!

Alicia is the beautiful brain child behind this wonderful monthly meme. Be sure to link up at her blog, A Beautiful Mess or check out other people’s reasons to smile.

You can see my December reasons to smile here.

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Project Smile – December

Posted on December 31, 2010 Written by Tonya

It’s the most wonderful time of the year
It’s the hap-happiest season of all.
– Andy Williams

1st – A photo shoot that I won’t soon forget. Thank goodness I can smile about it now.
2nd – Finally ordered holiday cards after much fretting.
3rd – Spent the night in our new home just for the fun of it.
4th – A long overdue visit with a friend and the discovery that we now only live 8 miles apart!
5th – A much needed trip to the nail salon.
6th – Lucas turned 18 months!
7th – An overnight visit from Grandpa.
8th – A farewell dinner with my Mommy & Me friends.
9th – Looking around at all the boxes laughing and wondering how we will ever get it all done.
10th – Pizza. Enough said.
11th – Date night with neighbors.
12th – Our bittersweet last night in our home.
13th – Moving Day!!
14th – Falling into bed after a very long, very stressful day. Oh, and my sister organizing my closet.
15th – Christmastime at the Happiest Place on Earth! Lucas’ first time at Disneyland.
16th – Front row seats to the annual Newport Beach Boat Parade.
17th – A new library. A new library card.
18th – Unpacking. Organizing. Settling in.
19th – Chickmas, an annual tradition my girlfriends and I have to celebrate the holidays.
20th – Finished Christmas shopping and wrapping presents just in the nick of time…
21st – Bags packed and made it to our flight on time. Whew!
22nd – Seeing Lucas follow his cousins around in complete and utter awe.
23rd – Husband and sister arrive at in-laws for the holiday.
24th – Spending the holiday with family.
25th – Lucas’ face when he discovered what Santa left him under the tree.
26th – A long car ride home with a very happy toddler makes all the difference in the world. That and zero going home holiday traffic.
27th – Getting back to reality.
28th – New nanny’s first day!!
29th – Celebrating Todd’s birthday with cupcakes, bowling and beer.
30th – Sick in bed. All. day. long. Not much smiling going on here until I see Lucas’ face.
31st – An old year to learn from and remember and a new year to ring in and embrace.

I hope every day of December found all of you smiling as well!

Alicia is the beautiful brain child behind this wonderful monthly meme. Be sure to link up at her blog, A Beautiful Mess or check out other people’s reasons to smile.

You can see my November reasons to smile here.

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Project Smile – November

Posted on November 30, 2010 Written by Tonya

A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you’re at home. – Author Unknown

Another month of reasons to smile!

1st – Last day of our Kindermusik class. This was our fourth session
2nd – I voted!
3rd – A glorious walk along our beautiful ocean with my beautiful friend, Jenn.
4th – A happy little traveler.
5th – Officially in escrow!
6th – Enjoyed a nice long lunch with a dear friend and Lucas turned 17 months!
7th – Celebrated my niece’s golden birthday.
8th – I got to hold my girlfriend’s newborn baby boy and remember back to when Lucas was so tiny.
9th – Took a peaceful walk along the beach and saw dolphins. A walk is always better with dolphins.
10th – Remembered my mother with love. She would have been 62 today.
11th – Finally got my hair cut and colored. It had been almost THREE months. So long, grays!
12th – Daydreaming about a brilliant future.
13th – Lucas found a mud puddle and he was happy as a clam to play in it.
14th – My best friend’s birthday and a fun day date with my husband complete with movie popcorn.
15th – Exercising my freedom of speech.
16th – Epic carrot cake.
17th – Dinner, wine and good conversation with a dear friend.
18th – Children that take three hour naps.
19th – Family.
20th – I threw a little shindig and brought some of the coolest bloggers together that I know: Kludgy Mom, Surfer Wife, Mommy of a Monster, The Little Hen House, Mommypants, Not Just Another Jen, A Beautiful Mess and Mamaondago
21st – A visit to the bookstore and train table.
22nd – Oprah’s final Favorite Things episode.
23rd – Hiring a mover.
24th – Catching up on TiVo.
25th – Family, friends, good health, a little money in the bank and a clean kitchen.
26th – Sushi and pool with our neighbors.
27th – Dinner and a movie with my sister.
28th – Family picture in front of our new house.
29th – Story time and shaking our sillies out at the library
30th – Donating three huge bags of clothes and other household items to Goodwill. Purging feels so good!

I hope I wasn’t the only one that found so many reasons to smile this month!

Alicia is the brain child behind this wonderful meme. Be sure to link up at her blog, A Beautiful Mess or check out other people’s lists.

You can see my October reasons to smile here.
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Project Smile – October

Posted on October 31, 2010 Written by Tonya

October has become a notoriously bad month for me because it is the month my parents died three years ago and my plate right now is very full with lots of other stresses, but thanks to Alicia’s (A Beautiful Mess) Project Smile, here are 31 reasons I found to be happy this month:

1st – The kindness of strangers along the Susan G. Komen for the Cure route.
2nd – Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge. I got to cross #23 off my Buried List!
3rd – A celebratory dinner with Leah. We just walked 60 miles!!
4th – Home sweet home, coming home to Lucas. This was the longest I have ever been away from him.
5th – Pink toe nails.
6th – I made dinner!
7th – Blind (lunch) date with @surferwife.
8th – An impromptu overnight trip to Palm Springs.
9th – Coming home. Lucas didn’t fair very well in the hotel room, so none of us got any sleep.
10th – Watching Lucas’ face light up at all the trains at Travel Town in Griffith Park.
11th – Just a regular ole day where everything goes exactly according to plan.
12th – A great two-hour long workout! I love to sweat.
13th – After being in 102 degree heat at the pumpkin patch… air conditioner!
14th – A much overdue date night at one of my favorite restaurants.
15th – Five grown women making silly faces, funny noises and dancing around trying to get two toddlers to smile for pictures at the pumpkin patch and a champagne toast to two very special people.
16th – Finding a darling house with a nice big backyard and plenty of room to grow. Unfortunately, we had to let it go because we want our current house to sell first. But I know another one just like it or better is out there!
17th – Manicure, pedicure, lunch and shopping with a BFF.
18th – A jammy day! We played hookie from music class and spent the day in front of the TV.
19th – Leaving my therapist’s office after an eight month long hiatus and knowing that I’m going to be okay…eventually.
20th – Mommy & Me group mommies only get together. Where would I be without these women?
21st – I FINALLY got the oil changed in my car.
22nd – Finished one book and started and finished another!
23rd – A family bike ride. Lucas loves his helmet.
24th – We spent all day shopping for Lucas! He got new pants, shirts, shoes, bibs and a Thomas the Train set.
25th – A gift from a far away friend. Thank you, Sophie for the soap, it smells too pretty to use. xoxo
26th – A three hour long nap! Mommy was very productive today.
27th – Wine, wine and more wine with friends.
28th – Playing cars with Lucas. An entire hour flew by and I didn’t even realize it.
29th – Seeing Steeping Feet, a Dave Matthews Band tribute band.
30th – A husband who lets the mother of his child sleep in.
31st – My little Superman. And candy corn.

Be sure to link up at Alicia’s (A Beautiful Mess) Project Smile, or check out her reasons to smile this month. Her photographs are some of the most boo-tiful you will ever see. 🙂
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