Category Archives: Mom

03.24.11

La Cucina Italiana

I love to cook.  In fact, when I was a little girl, it was my dream to own a restaurant.  I even received a partial scholarship to Johnson and Wales Culinary Academy.  My parents talked me into attending a  “normal” four-year University (thank you Mom and Dad), on the condition that if I still had the burning desire, they would send me to culinary school in Italy after graduation.
After working in various eateries throughout college, the dream became less and less appealing.  They sexiness of owning a restaurant was overshadowed by the seven-day schedule, long nights, and various personnel issues.  Luckily, before my mom passed away, we were able to enjoy a week at Casa Ombuto Culinary School in Tuscany.  This is a memory that I will have for a lifetime, and one that I would like to someday share with my girls.
So, for now I try to enjoy cooking at home.  As my husband will tell you, it doesn’t happen nearly as much as any of us would like, but with two kids, a full time job, a husband and this little blog I hardly have time to order take out.  When I do have the opportunity to cook, or when we have guests over I love looking for new ideas.  I recently stumbled upon La Cucina Italiana— and I was so excited to share it with all of you.    Here were some favorites:
Roasted Lamb (How perfect is this for Easter???)

12.28.10

Christmas Traditions.



One of my favorite things about Christmas is the beauty of carrying on family traditions. Every year, it brings me joy to open up the boxes of the many ornaments, each with a special meaning.

Many of these ornaments were given to me by my mother, and I now carry on that tradition by gifting ornaments to my girls each year so that one day, when I am not around they can have the same warm feeling I get each year when decorating our tree. This way a piece of me will always be with them.

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Our dear friend Sherri came over to one of our Christmas celebrations and gave us this ceramic ball to celebrate Declan’s Journey. Now we will always remember not only Declan and his journey, but the journey of so many others who are suffering as we celebrate Christmas each year.
2. E for Elizabeth.
3. Our tree is adorned with butterflies.
4. My Baby’s First Christmas ball from 1977.
5. A shell ornament that we got this year in Venice, it makes me think of the drowning incident, and how lucky we are to have our Lou Lou bug.
6. Another gift from Mom- a life preserver that says Siesta Key, the place where Mike and I met.
7. My family used to receive White House Christmas ornaments each year from our friends in the FBI. Once we were married, Mom started passing them along to us. A reminder of just how amazing it is to live right outside of DC.
8. A pisanki ornament that we bought when we went to my brother’s wedding in Poland.
9. A for Anna.
10. Anna’s Baby’s First Christmas ornament from 2008.
11. A Christmas ball that I bought when the Ya’s and I went to St. Maarten to celebrate our 30th birthdays.
12. A ZTA ornament given to me by my mom.
13. Bailey’s Puppy’s First Christmas ornament from 2001.
14. Given to us by Mom- a replica of our china pattern.
15. E’s Baby’s First Christmas ornament from 2005.
16. An I Love My Daughter ornament, given to me by Mom. I will never forget, when she gave them to my sister and I we made fun of her for how cheesy they are…. now I am so grateful to have it.
17. A crystal angel given to me by my amazing mother-in-law in 2005. The year that Mom died, and E was born. It reminds me that we now have our very own guardian angel.
Another family tradition in my family was that my father would read The Night Before Christmas each Christmas Eve… Even when we were in college. Now we all snuggle together as Mike reads the story to our girls. What makes this so very special, is that I have this copy of the book given to me when I was 17 by my parents. Notice that it is complete with a note from Mom.
So no matter how difficult and stressful it can be to think of these little things, make sure to give your children the gift of traditions so that you too will always be with them on Christmas.

12.17.10

Shop For a Cure.


Many of you were so touched by our friends the Carmicals, and their battle with pediatric cancer. Through Declan’s Journey, thousands of people around the world were touched by this baby boy and his family. Sadly, Declan lost that battle on August 18, just eight days shy of his 1st birthday.


This past week, I spoke with Sherri on the phone and was able to catch up, which was long overdue. As you may know, Declan is buried just steps from my Mom, and the girls and I visit him often. Even after everything that Sherri has been through, the first thing that she said to me was that she thinks of me every time she visits Declan. I guess once you become part of the not-so-elite club of losing someone close to you, you get it. We even joked about how the girls and I had ice cream at Declan’s grave on his birthday. While some may think it’s morbid, or weird, it’s become a part of our lives. My mother was such a force within my life, and somehow, someway my girls feel that too. They ask to go see Grandma and actually get upset if we happen to drive by the cemetery and not stop. Sherri and I laughed about how the cemetery is like a second home to our kids— but it’s peaceful, and it’s beautiful.

So, while Sherri has found as much peace as she can visiting her baby in a cemetery, she continues to fight so that she can hopefully save other mothers from the heartache that she and Stan have been through. I will never forget how proud, touched and amazed I was at Declan’s funeral when Sherri wrote a letter to her precious boy and vowed to keep up this fight.. and what a fighter she is.

Sherri and Stan have started Journey-4-A-Cure, a foundation started in honor of Declan to advance research for a cure to pediatric cancer. Recently, they have teamed up with RuMe Bags for a promotion through December 31. Purchase any items and not only will you receive 10% off, but RuMe Bags will also donate 30% of your purchase to Journey-4-A-Cure. (Promo Code: CURE.)


They have some great designs that fold up perfectly to fit in your purse, laptop bag, or even carry on.. and how adorable is the Jr. line? I know that I will be purchasing the cuff for myself as well as Mike– great for all of the activities that we will be doing during our post-holiday boot camp. Also, I snagged a few of the reusable baggies for snacks for the girls… They can also be used as make-up bags, or a little change purse for my beach bag.

So many great options for stocking stuffers, already at great prices. Now you can get an additional 10% and donate to a great cause… Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

Love this line, and I hope you do too. Let’s all shop for a cure!

09.29.10

Take Another Looksie: Talbots.

When I think of Talbots, I think of Mom. Neets, god rest her soul, was a realtor… and she dressed like a stereotypical realtor. Think Annette Benning in American Beauty. (Disclaimer: I know MANY stylish realtors… so please save your e-mails..)

I have so many memories of Mom pulling into the garage, and keeping her various red bags in the trunk until Dad left the house, then she would carry them in and we’d all hear about it when the AMX bill arrived in the mail. Learned behavior? Probably. Mike accused me just the other day of “hiding” my Home Goods bags (which I wasn’t, I actually had to put them in the laundry room so that I could get a towel for one of the contractors that was at the house) but I have been known to hide a J. Crew bag or two.


I digress. Talbots has come a long way in the last few years, and just released a new fall line that almost made my eyes pop out of my head. Classic Glamour at affordable prices. Another thing that I will say about Talbots is that their pieces are very well made. So pick a few items that you will want to keep forever. Here are the items that made it onto Kiki’s List:

1. Quilted Coat– $179 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE

4. Skinny Bangles– $49
6. Kimono Shrug– $199 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
7. Three-Quarter Length Gloves– $79 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
9. Belted Double-Faced Wool Coat– $349 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
11. Croc-Embossed Platforms– $149 ***KIKI’S LIST FAVORITE
12. Lace Skirt- $149

08.31.10

The Best Party of My Life.

I believe that there is true meaning in numbers. Call it superstitious, call it crazy, but there are numbers and dates in my life that have significant meaning and always will. August 31 is a date that I hold dear. August 31, 2001 was the day that I got engaged, August 31, 2002 was the day that I got married, August 31, 2005 was the day that I lost my mother, and August 31, 2007 was the day that I found out that I was pregnant with Anna. Despite what you may think, albeit bittersweet- today is a happy day for me.


Today is my eighth wedding anniversary. We never really make a big deal of our anniversary. We don’t do gifts, we don’t even do dinner without the girls. Each year for our anniversary we sit as a family and watch our wedding DVD to relive what both Mike and I agree was the best party we’ve ever been to. Maybe it’s because it was all about us— the only time in our lives that all of our friends and family would unite together for us (while we are alive.) I remember feeling overwhelmed as I entered the church thinking that never again in my lifetime will I have this group of people together in one room. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of the arduous planning that by Neets and I to make sure every last detail was taken care of. We had so much fun.. all the while giving my father more and more grey hair. Or maybe it’s because it was the beginning of us. If we only knew then what we know now. There are so many reasons that I cherish this day….. Whatever the reasons may be- Happy Anniversary to us!


The Salmons est. August 31, 2002

I actually have this picture hanging in our bedroom. I just love it. Not what you would expect from a wedding portrait.

This is my favorite picture of our wedding. I keep it on the desk in my office. If you look in the top right hand corner, you can see Neets watching over us to make sure everything was just perfect.

Let’s get this party started!!!!!

Our wedding song: Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

For all of you brides out there who had something go wrong on your wedding day…. My flowers were supposed to be hot pink and orange, and they showed up in peach and mauve. I thought I was going to die because flowers are my thing. I have the best friends and family in the world. My godfather ran to various DC flower marts to find any hot pink roses he could get his hands on and my bridesmaids reworked the bouquets. Looking back, I still get angry about those bouquets, but we didn’t let it ruin our day.

Invitation was sent wrapped in vellum with a gold organza ribbon. Tablecloths matched the bridesmaids dresses perfectly. Can you tell what my favorite color is? Thank God for my patient husband who still talks about his Big Fat Pink Wedding.

High arrangement flanked by a menu and a picture of the Mr. and Mrs. on each table for guests to sign.

Low arrangement… Still hating those peach and mauve flowers……

Mom.

My Nanny. She was 81 when we got married. She’ll be 90 this February and is still just as feisty.

This was a picture taken by a guest. I wish I had one before any cards were taken. Mom and I found these invitations that matched the Adirondack chairs out front of the club perfectly.. So we had them printed as place cards and arranged in wheat grass. Still love these.

My best friend.

Mike and my girls.


This is the only picture that I have of my two Mothers. It was taken at my bridal luncheon the day before our wedding. While I wish with all of my heart that Neets was here, I am so grateful to have inherited my mother-in-law. She’s amazing.


Thanks for taking a walk down memory lane with me. And to my amazing husband- thanks for eight wonderful years. Here’s to 80 more. I love you.

08.04.10

A Date With My Girl.

Last Saturday, I took my favorite almost-five-year-old out for a date that consisted of dinner and a movie.Since she is at that in-between stage of a toddler and a big girl, we were dealing with some behavioral issues that we were trying to break her of.Long story short- this date was a privilege that she earned for her good behavior.
 
We went to a fairly nice restaurant (let’s be real, I was with a 4 year old… we are not talking Morton’s here, but there were at least linen tablecloths.I was just thrilled to not have to order out of a clown’s nose.)Despite her telling me that her “burger tasted a little bland,” we had a fantastic dinner.Great company, fantastic conversation- I was amazed at how much my little girl had grown up.Gone are the days of telling her repeatedly to sit down, or stop whining. (Keeping my fingers crossed on that one!)
 
After dinner, we were off to see Ramona and Beezus. Growing up, I loved reading Beverly Cleary’s stories about that mischievous girl next door, Ramona, and her older sister, Beatrice. As Cleary says “It is not that Ramona deliberately sets out to make trouble for other people. She simply has more imagination than is healthy for any one person.”
 
When the director of the film, Elizabeth Allen sat down with Cleary to discuss the making of the film, here is what she uncovered:
 
“I feel it’s about girl who thinks outside the lines, who’s struggling to figure out how to conform without losing her personality,'” Allen says. “And Beverly felt strongly that it was actually just about a girl learning how to grow up.”
“She has an imagination,” Beverly Cleary says of her most famous creation. “And some of her things just don’t turn out the way she expected. “Those “things” often get Ramona in trouble, and then make her feel misunderstood.
This interview sums up my revelation during the film.We hold our children to such high standards that sometimes we forget that they are just that- children. True, Ramona does march to the beat of her own drum, much like my E… oh yeah, and much someone else used to… ME! But don’t we need a little bit more of that in this world?
 
I will never forget, when I would give my mother a hard time growing up, she would tell me “I wish you no harm in this world, all I wish is that you have a little girl just like yourself. ”Well Neets, you got your wish.  As parents we focus so much on the “hard metrics” of parenting… Are they doing well in school? Do they follow directions? What activities do I need to sign them up for? How do they compare against their peers? Saturday night was a great interruption from all of the noise- allowing me to focus on what was really important in raising happy, healthy kids.
 
So, the very reason why we were at this movie was as much a privilege for me as it was for her.And as my little girl moved from her chair and nestled into my lap during the last half of the film, here is what occurred to me:
 
1. It’s important to set expectations for your children, but always remember that they are just that- children.
2. Encourage creativity.
3. Always let your child know how much you love them.
4. Be a positive role model.
5. You can never get (or give) too many kisses and hugs.
6. It’s okay to be different.
7. Everyone is special.
8. Celebrate all accomplishments, big and small.
9. Teach your children how to bond with their siblings- this is a relationship that will last long after you are gone.
10. The most important thing in life is to be happy.