Hello everyone, and thank you for visiting my blog. My name is Alexandra, and I'm a full-time working mother living in Southern California with my loving husband and young toddler. My home is my palace, and I also love gardening & organization. So in these blogs, I hope to share ideas, tips and tricks of maintaining an enjoyable home & garden and a healthy / organized lifestyle along side working demanding jobs, all on top of having a young & energetic toddler boy. I welcome your thoughts and sharing of your ideas / tidbits with me!
First year mommyhood is hard. We all know that, but not many people talk about it. I’ve read so much about the baby’s first year needs and development, that I didn’t realize how important my own needs were to my family’s overall well-being – Because if you’re not well, taking care of a newborn / ...
These days, couples want weddings that are beautiful, practical, represent who they are, and perhaps most importantly, not break the bank. With rising inflation all around, couples are finding there are investments or competing priorities (such as the couple’s first home, for example). Additional...
With summer just around the corner, hydrangeas should be in full bloom in Southern California! Mophead Hydrangea (Hydrangea Macrophylla) is the most common type of hydrangea, producing circular, pom-pom-like flowers in pink, blue, white, or lavender. They are lovely when in full bloom, and make ...
Moms have it tough these days. With many people still working from home, the demand, both physically and emotionally, is more taxing than ever before. While we love more time to spend together as a family, more people at home for longer periods of time = more mess, more chores, and domestic respo...
Inspired by the professional Christmas trees displays at shopping malls beautifully decorated with colored ribbons, but only to be frustrated because it-just-doesn’t-look-right when you try it at home?
I’ve been there. Growing up, I was responsible to decorate my family’s Christmas trees, and my ...
I struggled with having good / clear skin basically my entire life, and over time, I finally have it figured out. During my journey, I’ve come up with a methodology that is fundamental no matter what your skin type is, which I’m sharing here in hope that someone can learn from my journey and find...
In the post Roses 101, I mentioned rootstock suckers that could occur to grafted roses. Here is a perfect example of one I came across while hangout with my toddler at the park. Noticed how there is a red colored rose in the midst of orange roses?
The rootstock here is a rose called Dr. Huey – O...
With summer just around the corner, this is a perfect time to enjoy a nice cup of cold brew coffee -- Ok, anytime is good for that matter. Cold brew is known for the smooth & full body taste, primarily due to it having less acidity than a traditional hot brew coffee. This is because coffee...
A couple of months ago, I decided to upgrade my 13+ years old teflon cookware & some ceramic pans to the Caraway cookware set. Yeah, you heard me right, over ten years on those teflon, and not to mention, they were hand-me-downs from my mom when I left for college. Ok, before you start reprim...
I'll admit that I'm not a fan of eating vegetables, especially uncooked vegetables. So about 8 years ago, I started my first attempt at daily juicing in an effort to "drink" my vegetables. I got my favorite recipe down --- Even my husband enjoys it, but the chopping and cleaning finally got to...
Ah, roses. Which girl doesn’t love the elegantly wrapped petals, delicate perfumes, and gorgeous palettes? My husband once asked, “why do you love roses so much?” To which I responded with, “What’s there not to love?” (Ok, maybe the thornes, but still...)
What’s better than enjoying t...