Author: <span>Nadya</span>

Published July 6, 2015 by

Tra-la-la

Let me state right up front that the 4:40 AM train I was on bound for Washington D.C., this morning is quite an experience. Having to wake up at an uncivil hour of 3:45 AM sparked thoughts of changing my day job to that of a stay-at-home mom. I was fortunate that I could wake up as close because the trip to the train station takes me 10 minutes vice 30+ minutes from the suburbs.

I could have taken the train yesterday or even late at night but I didn’t want our wonderful weekend to end. Independence Day was July 4th and most everyone, myself included, had a 3-day weekend. We took advantage of the luxury that is a long weekend and spent time with family in the country. We visited Evan’s family on Friday where the kids played and splashed in the still-too-cold pool and the adults doted on them.


Saturday brought a visit with my family where we celebrated my sister’s birthday. Though the celebratory dinner was in the evening, we headed there early to spend as much time with my family as possible. My parents set up a corner for the kids with crates of toys and games that were once Alex’s (my nephew). In addition to the toys and games, there were crafts (Sophia’s favorite). Sophia played so beautifully on her own. She explored each crate and made sure to put its contents back before moving on to another activity. Eliza made use of her not-so-new walking skill to explore the house and run around in the yard. Both the girls spent some time exploring my mom’s vegetable garden and ate its bounty at dinner.


Not believing that anyone should bake a cake for their own birthday, I baked peach cupcakes with brown sugar cream cheese icing in honor of my sister. My brother in-law is not a fan of chocolate and these were perfect since they were light, not chocolate, and incorporated peaches which are finally in-season.

We headed home rested and relaxed, and with lots (and LOTS) of delicious eats packed to-go. I mean really, who would say no to home-made blintzes, apple cake, and the likes?



 We couldn’t think of a better way to round out the weekend than a trip to a playground and the farmer’s market. I was sad to see the weekend come to an end especially since I had an awful early train, but I know the next weekend is just five days away.

Related posts:

  1. The Makings of the Party
  2. Lego Cake
  3. Rituals
  4. Toys, Toys, A World Of Toys

Dessert Life Moments

birthdays cream cheese frosting peach cupcakes time with family Weekending

Published July 3, 2015 by

Moment

Moments

Moment Moments

Published July 1, 2015 by

Summer Eats

Summer is here. I mean, really, it is finally here to stay. Beautiful, bountiful, baskets of fresh fruit and vegetables call out to me at our local Farmer’s market. I couldn’t resist. This weekend was not unlike most other weekends which involve a bit of cooking, some meal prep for the week ahead and good company, too.

Cherry Pie. With a “Go Big or Go Home” attitude, I passed on the typical 8-inch pie dish and made a slab pie. The ingredient list for both the pie was short and sweet. Sour cherries, flour, butter, salt, sugar and cornstarch and that is how it should be. A homemade, all-butter pie crust can’t be beat for taste.

IMG_1035

IMG_1053And while the pie was cooling, I managed a few snacks that would hold everyone over until dinner and … pie.

IMG_1047Toasted bread with cream cheese and macerated strawberries topped with basil and a few cracks of black pepper. Surprisingly savory and a perfect bite with a light white wine before dinner.

And then there was dinner.

Fish stew for a rainy summer’s day #growingupsavvy #delicious #itswhattsfordinner

A photo posted by Nadya (@growingupsavvy) on

Related posts:

  1. The Lazy, Crazy, Hazy Days of Summer
  2. That’s What’s For Dinner
  3. The Yum Yum Days
  4. Making up for Summer

Cookery Culinary Adventures Delicious Dessert Flavors Life

cherry pie drinks and bites pies slab pie summer

Published June 29, 2015 by

The Way of June

The good kind of tired. The kind when your ankles and knees ring from running after little ones. The very same kind that overfills your heart after spending an afternoon with family and friends. We hosted Eliza’s first birthday. Nothing major, just some sandwiches, pizza, a vegetable tray, fruit and cake (of course).

IMG_1062

We were pleased with the cake I designed inspired by my mother-in-law’s suggestion of something with ducks. We wanted something playful and fun, without being too girly yet dainty enough. The owner of Sweet Elizabeth’s Cakes helped put together a cohesive design that included ducks, a pond, a park bench, balloons, a carousel, and a dog (Eliza’s favorite!). The pinks and purples in the balloons were a nod to the fact that the cake was for a little girl.

And so our little Eliza is finally ONE. For whatever reason, this feels like a huge milestone for me. It is as if I’ve been waiting with bated breath for her to get a little older. Perhaps this is true and I have been restless waiting for her first smile, first laugh, and first tentative steps. Really, I’ve waiting for her to become a little girl, and with that, a little friend for Sophia.  

And of course, big sister Sophia was on hand to help get the party started!

 

Last, but not least, a special thank you to my brother-in-law for capturing the memories.

Related posts:

  1. … She’s 1!
  2. Just A Little Longer
  3. Celebrations: For the Girls
  4. When life gives you rocks on Christmas…

Life Moments

birthdays cake parties time with family

Published June 26, 2015 by

Moment

Moments

Moments

Published June 24, 2015 by

The Lazy, Crazy, Hazy Days of Summer

Related posts:

  1. Weekending: A Lazy State of Mind
  2. Welcoming the Dog Days of Summer
  3. Moment
  4. Summer Eats

Moments

Moments summer

Published June 22, 2015 by

Firsts…

This space has been decidedly sparse this past week because we went on a beach getaway with my family. As they say, the early bird gets the worm and this year, my parents got the worm by inviting all of us on vacation. Better still, my sister and I chose the destination, the date, and all else. Baba and Deda babysat, my sister and I caught up on … on everything and the kids did what kids do best—played and bonded. There was also, plenty of peace, quiet, and relaxation for Evan and me.

IMG_2952

IMG_3142

It just so happened that our vacation marked a few firsts; Sophia’s first voluntary and mostly enthusiastic venture into the ocean, her first time actually swimming (ice cream scoops) in the pool, first time having sushi (raw fish and all), and Eliza’s first birthday.

IMG_3168

IMG_2846

IMG_2886

We chose Fort Lauderdale, Florida as our destination because we wanted to vacation early in the summer, enjoy a warm, azure ocean, and see palm trees without leaving the country. We could have, and did indeed consider the gulf (of Mexico) with Destin being a particular favorite but did not want to drive three hours after a three hour flight with young kids. In any event, after settling on Fort Lauderdale, we rented a spacious house with a pool on the beach.

IMG_2882

IMG_2855

The house worked out extremely well and we enjoyed lazy morning swims in the sea, afternoon pool time, and leisurely evening dinners followed by even more leisurely post-child-bedtime relaxation. Evan and I accepted my parents’ and sister’s offers for help with the girls and had plenty of time to enjoy the sea together, relax and unwind.

I have amazing memories of vacationing with my parents and grandparents as a young girl and would like to create the opportunity for my children to form similar bonds and memories. I want them to cherish spending time with family and to know that, while you don’t choose your family, you do choose to make time to be with them.

IMG_3149

Related posts:

  1. Affordable Traveling — In Style (Our Way)
  2. A Weekend Of Firsts
  3. A Vacation is a Shore Thing
  4. Weekending: Firsts

Life Moments

beach grandparents life Moments vacations

Published June 12, 2015 by

Moment

Moments

Moments

Published June 10, 2015 by

That’s What’s For Dinner

Cookery Culinary Adventures Flavors

braised dinner tacos vietnamese tacos

Published June 8, 2015 by

Weekending: Busy Bees

The weekend flew by and we are all faced with the case of the Mondays. It was, by all accounts, a very busy two and a half days. This Friday was First Friday and we visited the galleries to recharge our inner artist and introduce this tradition to the kids.

A2

These were taken at the Clay Studio which is one of my most favorite galleries. United by Blue was celebrating their 5 year anniversary with good eats, desserts from a Frangelli’s, a spirits tasting, and a live band. Eliza loves music and it was neat to watch her take in a live act. Have you ever heard of a franolli? I hadn’t till Friday and was not entirely surprised that someone managed to marry a fresh donut to a cannoli.

A1

 

We made a last minute decision to visit Saint-Gobain’s Future Sensations exhibit right in front of the Art Museum. We hopped on a bus and made our way down the parkway pointing out all of the flags to Sophia as we went. The exhibition was very, very cool and the kids were in total awe. For those who haven’t heard of Saint-Gobain, the company is responsible for the mirrors in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles among many other amazing works.

A3

The oppressive heat and the kids’ love of all things green forced us to stop by the Rodin Museum and its beautiful garden on the way back.The Rodin Museum is free though donations are appreciated which makes an excursion with kids a low-risk, low-cost affair. Everything about this spontaneous excursion was an adventure for the kids.

Alas, our Saturday wasn’t complete without an outing to the ballpark. My company gets season tickets to the Camden Riversharks and so I took my in-laws and the girls to the kids’ first baseball game. I absolutely love Campbell’s Field because it is small, very clean, has a great atmosphere, is ten minutes from our home, and provides amazing views.

A5Shoes, strictly optional 🙂
A4

You can’t beat that view. I can literally see our house from the ballpark.A6These “firsts” are a big deal to us. We want to expose the girls to a variety of activities and events and sharing their experiences with family and friends makes every first that much more special.

Having had a busy Friday and Saturday, we stuck to more low-key activities on Sunday. Evan and I ran out to Sunday School while the kids played with Baba and Deda. Sophia LOVES dinosaurs and was thrilled when my mom brought a few of Alex’s old ones.

BabaDedaEliza

Hooray for spring, for summer, for weekends, and for family.

Related posts:

  1. Weekending: Here
  2. Weekending: Bowling & More
  3. Busy Weekending
  4. A Worry-Free, Relaxing Menu for a Weekend with Guests

Life

art ballpark baseball family