Rainy Day in Pass-a-Grille

When one of my best friends, Ana, was visiting from DC in February we had plans to go to the beach as much as possible. She had not seen the sun since November and we've had plenty of sunshine this winter. It never rains in February but apparently it does if you make plans. We still went to the beach hoping that it would be nice and clear there. We drove towards the south end of St. Pete Beach, an area called Pass-a-Grille. When we got there it was foggy and "cold". We ate the sandwiches and snacks that we took, Emma unsuccessfully chased a few seagulls, took a nap, and we came back to Tampa. We stopped at the Westin Hotel at Rocky Point where it was sunny. We had a coffee and went home again. Emma wanted to get in the water but it was not a good day for that. I can't wait for the weather to get better and for her to enjoy the beach.

        

                      

                      

Saturday at the Curtis Hixon Park

Every time that someone from out of town is visiting, I take them to Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa. This is one of the newest places in Tampa and one of my favorite parks in the City. It's modern and beautiful. University of Tampa, a must see in Tampa, can be seeing on the other side of the river. My dear friend Ana was in town visiting me and Emma for a weekend in February. We had plans to go to the beach but the forecast said it was raining and it was indeed raining in the morning. We moved our beach day for Sunday and spent Saturday in Tampa. Emma loves nature so this was the perfect opportunity to do something fun for her and at the same time show my friend around. The forecast was wrong and we had a sunny and warm afternoon. We miss you Ana. Thank you for the pictures of me and Emma. I LOVE them! Come back soon!

UT in the background

Mom, no more pictures please! 

Emma's First Birthday

For Emma's first birthday in January, I wanted to create a photo book with some of her best pictures. Since we have taken so many pictures, it took me about one month to select my favorites. I collected pictures from my cell phone, my camera, Andre's phone, my mom's camera, her first photo shoot at the hospital, the studio session she had done in December, and Andi's pictures (still my favorite pictures of her). I also asked our families to write her a letter or a message. This book will be kept in a "vault" until she is old enough to take care of it. Her first year was one of the best and toughest years of my life and I love that now we have it documented and preserved. This photo book was perfect because I enjoy making scrapbooks but I don't have the time anymore. The result is shown below:

Click here to view this photo book larger

Click here to create your own Shutterfly photo book.

Winter in Florida

February and March are my favorite (weather) months in Tampa. It is sunny, warm and it doesn't rain. We have been lucky and our winter has been warm compared to the rest of the Country with their record low temperatures. This explains why it is impossible for Floridians to find an affordable hotel room to spend a weekend at the beach right now. I started my search when Valentines day was near and I wanted to get away for a few nights. I tried different weekends and I couldn't find anything for less that $250 to $300 per night for a room that I could easily get for $99 in the summer. I gave up on my weekend plans but I decided that we could still enjoy the beach like tourist and headed to the famous Don Cesar Hotel in St. Pete Beach. Our plan was to eat lunch and have drinks by the pool with a few friends. The pool was full of snowbirds who didn't mind the windy afternoon and the cold water. After a few mojitos and lunch, we walked towards the beach. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon with sunny skies and in the low 70s. Emma enjoyed every minute at the beach walking by the shore and crawling around chasing seagulls. We have been going for 3 weekends in a row to the beach.  The next time we go to the Don Cesar, I plan to make a stop at the spa while Emma and Andre spend time at the beach. 

**General info for those driving to the Don Cesar for the day: The hotel has 2 other restaurants where they will validate parking. The pool's restaurant/bar does not validate it. Self Parking is $15 and Valet is $25. Drinks were $12 each and most of the lunch items were about $15 each at the pool. Everything we ate was great.  

The Myth of Having it all

As a working mom, I often feel like I'm doing everything I can but it's never good enough. I feel that I am a mediocre wife, mother and that my house is never clean or organized the way that I would like it to be. I no longer take time to get dressed or do my hair and makeup. I do what I can with the time I have and most of the time the result is just...mediocre. I got my first pedicure since October last week and that felt like a luxury. Something harder to accept is that I am not the employee that I was once. I can't work a 60 or even a 50 hour week anymore. I'm not available 100% of the time and I take sick days if my daughter gets sick. The best I can do is work during my lunch break and use that hour productively instead of driving to buy lunch. I was finally allowed to have a laptop and I've worked after 8:00pm when Emma falls asleep. I have about 2 good hours before I want to fall asleep. Recently, I've started to cook at night to take my lunch the following day. At least I'm doing something healthy for me and my family. Emma ate chicken with broccoli and quinoa last night. She has been a picky eater for several months. She is even rejecting my mom's cooking which is amazing!

We have spent time at the beach the past 3 weekends. We drive in the afternoon and stay a few hours to let Emma enjoy the sand and the wind. The water is still cold but she loves to get her toes in and walk holding our hands. Seeing her happy is what makes me happy. I've taken my camera out and I have lots of pictures to share. I will upload them soon. I always abandon this blog when I get overwhelmed. The art of balancing my life is something that I have not mastered. Until I can find the secret to be super mom/woman I will have to accept that I'm doing the best I can and I'm OK with it. 

**Thanks to "Lean In" and Sheryl Sandberg for letting me see things differently. If you haven't read the book please do. I wish I had read it when I was starting out my career.