December 3, 2018

Intentions for the Week:

Happy Monday, friends!

It’s our first Monday of December. How does it feel? I went to an event last night for Whole Foods and forgot to bring a jacket and it was an outdoor dinner! So far, December feels COLD. Don’t forget to bring a jacket!

This weekend we spent some time working around the house. Laundry is almost done as we start the week, and it’s these small victories that make me happy. I’ve spent a lot of time at social gatherings lately (hello, holidays!) which cuts into my laundry at night process during the week so I am glad to be caught up.

I’ve got packages to compile and things to ship out. I’m waiting on our holiday cards to come in so I can address them like a mad woman and GO!

This week is going to be busy socially so I have to make sure I get all of my regular nighttime stuff done so don’t fall behind.

Somehow, it will all get done and if not, it will have to be OK. That’s the headspace I’m in for December. How about you?

If you’re ever feeling lost, write out your Intentions for the week. It helps!

Intentions for the Week:

paint nails
make gingerbread cookies with kids
drink water
charge Fitbit and use it!
get outside/go for a walk
be good about going to bed on time
work on packages
figure out holiday presents
grocery shop
find three outfits to wear for parties
post Currently November post
edit photos/post new recipe
make an arugula pasta recipe
mammogram appointment (a friendly reminder get yourself checked out!)
write in food journal/eat healthy
sell Food Journal!
be better about drinking water (this is my favorite cup these days)
follow up on invoices
have a turmeric latte
catch up on social media
clean out fridge
return to Target
address holiday cards/send out
post office visit

Last Week’s Intentions:

~~laundry~~
~~clean out fridge~~
~~clean out bathrooms~~
~~put the tree up~~
~~grocery shop. GET HEALTHY FOOD.~~
~~decorate the house for Christmas~~
~~have a date with the calendar~~
~~return library books~~
~~drop off donations~~
~~get address book ready for holiday cards~~
~~write down what I eat in my food journal (coming soon!)~~
~~pick up piles around the house~~
get mammogram
trip to post ~~office~~
~~do some meal prep~~
~~catch up on social media~~
~~write currently post~~
~~catch up on bookkeeping~~
~~make lists for Christmas~~
~~spend time outside~~
~~make a batch of kombucha~~
~~clean out~~ car ~~from~~ trip
~~work on holiday packages~~
~~make a new homemade holiday gift for the blog~~
~~figure out holiday card/order~~
~~promote photography class I’m teaching next year in Santa Fe~~
post new products in Etsy shop (food journal & prints coming soon!)
~~be better about drinking water (this is my favorite cup these days)~~

Mantra for the Week:

Holiday Music Playlist for you:

Make sure to write down your own Intentions for the Week if you wanna get stuff done. Have a great week! I’m rooting for you.

xo Tracy

my everyday life, Photography

December 2, 2018

My Everyday Life: Week 48

Here’s what this past week looked like: My Everyday Life Week 48

Foggy morning on the way to school.

My friend Tammi had her own Holiday Gift Making Party and sent me a picture.

Made me so happy!

Meal prep this week included:

Tuna Salad with croutons!

My dad came over for spaghetti & meatballs!

At Target with Caley!

Checking things out at the library.

Spent 5 hours there this week working.

I like these steps.

The mammogram that didn’t happen.

The doctor ordered the wrong test.

Mercury is definitely in retrograde.

I love Cooper’s teacher’s handwriting.

My Dad + Me.

Sending out mail. I’m so happy that my grandpa’s christmas cactus is blooming!

Playdate with Fox & Faye this week. Being around children makes me so happy.

Pot sticker dinner!

Was invited to my friend Lisa’s mom’s Marin Makers wreath making party!

IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!

There was a woman there who reminded me of my mom and that made me super happy.

Everyone brought foraged things from their yards for us to play with.

I love crafting!

The house was filled with greens and giggles.

This is what we all made!

We had a big storm here this week!

Petey is back in the mix!

She’s definitely not allowed on the counter. Look at that jerk look!

Wreath #1 I made.

Wreath #2 I made.

Thinking of my niece, Camden while thrifting.

Thinking of Andrea while thrifting!

Thinking of Michael Jackson while thrifting. LOL.

Thinking of my grandma while thrifting.

Went to an embroidery workshop at Rough Linen with Erica of Honestly Yum.

It was so much fun! I’ll share what I made when I finish it.

Hello from Berkeley.

I found an amazing bus.

CHECK OUT THAT WHEEL FRAME.

Reading windows.

Pendant lights made from crystal decanters! So pretty.

Window shopping with Heather.

My house has split rooms.

SnugELLA.

TRYING HARD TO EAT SALAD.

This is not salad, but a breakfast bowl of soyrizo, potatoes & egg!

This weekend we’re having a sleepover. Boys are making airplanes.

Casey and Cooper helped me decorate the tree 🙂

Week 48 in 2017

Week 48 in 2016

Week 48 in 2015

Week 48 in 2014

Week 48 in 2013

Week 48 in 2012

Week 48 in 2011

I LOVE LISTS

How Americans define their dream job these days.
Things you might regret when you’re older
Pizza is more nutritious than breakfast cereal
How dealing with past trauma can help one beat addiction.
How to work from home without falling into a pit of despair.
Why procrastination is bad for your brain.
How restaurants got so loud.
Tears, magnified.
This is pretty exciting for Roald Dahl fans!
Things you might have forgotten about your childhood.
How long does it take for a lego to pass through your body?
My mental age is 90 years old and apparently, I like cornbread muffins.
I’m all for giving the gift of experiences.
Parenting in a nutshell.
Number 3 made me laugh. My parents should have done that with us kids.
How to be creative when you’re feeling stressed.
Another way open offices make you less productive.
I like these public warning signs.
CUTE Holiday dresses for parties: one / two / three / four
To make this weekend: Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

ANNOUNCEMENT!!

I’m excited to announce that I am going to be part of a FOOD + MORE Week retreat at Santa Fe Photography Workshops in Santa Fe, New Mexico May 2019. I have space for 14 students in my Food Photography for Bloggers class! This will be my second time to Santa Fe and I am so thrilled to go back. If you’re looking to brush up and/or enhance your food photography skills come take my workshop! We’ll be playing with food, light, and composition. There will also be a Farmer’s Market tour in the mix. I’d love to have you! Read more about the workshop here: Food Photography for Bloggers with me, Tracy Benjamin!

Other workshops happening during the week:

The Craft of Food Memoirs Writing with Molly Wizenberg

Podcasting with the Kitchen Sisters

We’ll all be together for meals and nighttime fun, you should join us!

Inspiration, recipes

November 29, 2018

Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas

Now that it’s about to be December, I think it’s time we went through some of our Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas.

We have options.

We do!

I went through my archives and this is my greatest hits playlist for you:

Chocolate Earl Grey Tea Truffles

If you’re looking to wow some friends, these will do the trick. Their flavor is complex and sophisticated!

Plus you get to roll chocolate and that is fun.

Candied Ginger

Fight colds with gifts! Ginger is a welcomed treat this holiday season.

Candied Citrus Peel

A really fun project to make with friends!

Salted Rocky Road Fudge

My mom used to make Rocky Road Fudge every year. This is my take on it!

Crunchy Peppermint Bark

recipes

November 28, 2018

Homemade Candied Ginger

Whenever I need a pick-me-up, I turn to ginger.

Ginger is my go-to when I need a good pick-me-up.

It helps calm an upset stomach.

It opens up my sinuses.

It’s also the first thing I think of to mix in a cocktail (I love ginger beer!)

Ginger gives me that mouth burn and that heat I’m crave.

It’s in my favorite cookie.

This season I’m all about my lemon ginger elixir.

In other words, I LOVE GINGER.

This year I am giving Homemade Candied Ginger as gifts.

The holiday season is GO GO GO season which means it’s time to up the ginger intake.

It will help promote digestion, gives people a reset, enhances cocktails and baked desserts! It’s also one of those gifts people didn’t think they needed until they received it from you.

It’s unique.

It’s thoughtful.

There’s intention behind it (so many good uses!)

Make some.

Jar it up!

Drop off some in a friend’s mailbox.

Notice how cute your friend’s mailbox is!

Leave a note and a flower.

Tis the season to take care of each other, one piece of candied ginger at a time.

LISTS

November 26, 2018

Intentions for the Week

Happy Monday!

Now that Cooper is back at school after Thanksgiving break, I am going to switch from entertaining/making holiday magic mode to full HUSTLE MODE!

Are you feeling the holiday rush? I am.

Ask yourself:

What can I do this week that will help me get ahead of schedule?

Write it down.

THEN DO IT.

also:

If you are rushing around, don’t forget to make sure you take some time to take care of yourself.

I know that it takes a lot of energy to make magic throughout the holidays.

Rest if you need to. Take a bath. Have yourself a turmeric latte,

Steer your loved one towards my favorite things from 2018 guide for self-care inspiration.

Maybe it’s about working smarter, not harder. Can you ask for help this week? What can you ask for?

Maybe you have friends who also want to save money this holiday season AND HANG OUT?

Host your own homemade holiday gift party.

You can get a lot done when you enlist help.

It all starts with a TO -DO list. Here are my Intentions for the Week:

Intentions for the Week:

laundry
clean out fridge
clean out bathrooms
put the tree up
grocery shop. GET HEALTHY FOOD.
decorate the house for Christmas
have a date with the calendar
return library books
drop off donations
get address book ready for holiday cards
write down what I eat in my food journal (coming soon!)
pick up piles around the house
get mammogram
trip to post office
do some meal prep
catch up on social media
write currently post
catch up on bookkeeping
make lists for Christmas
spend time outside
make a batch of kombucha
clean out car from trip
work on holiday packages
make a new homemade holiday gift for the blog
figure out holiday card/order
promote photography class I’m teaching next year in Santa Fe
post new products in Etsy shop (food journal & prints coming soon!)
be better about drinking water (this is my favorite cup these days)

Last Week’s Intentions:

~~Work on~~ gift ~~guide~~
~~Give~~ myself ~~permission to go slow~~
~~Drink enough water~~
~~Continue to write down what I eat in my food journal~~
~~Edit photos/submit to client~~
~~Work on invoices~~
~~Go to bed before~~ 11PM
~~Track steps with my Fitbit~~
~~Catch up on social media~~
~~Find some time to be alone~~
~~Hang out by a body of water~~
~~Find fresh air~~
~~Spend quality time with family~~
~~Make pumpkin pie~~
~~Prep/Cook Thanksgiving dinner~~
~~Take a holiday card photo~~
~~Read a book (this is what I’m into right now)~~
~~Finalize Etsy stuff and post (cards! Workbook!)~~
~~Celebrate/honor the anniversary of my mom’s death with family dinner~~
~~Make some Art/write in~~ journal
Pull out Christmas decorations
Make lists for Christmas

Mantra for the Week:

Holiday Jam:

Feeling stressed? Don’t forget to write down your Intentions for the Week. Having a TO-DO list will help give you a good PLAN OF ATTACK!

All the best,

TRACY

my everyday life, Photography

November 25, 2018

My Everyday Life: Week 47

Here’s what this past week looked like- My Everyday Life Week 47

Our Thanksgiving menu!

How I organize my brain.

TADA! My dad set the table.

Thanksgiving was out at Yank Sing for dim sum last year. It was nice to be at my parent’s house celebrating the holiday.

Here’s what our week looked like last year. I read through it this morning as part of my grieving process this weekend. Wow. A lot can happen in a year.

THE SPREAD.

Manhattans + apps.

My friend Becca sent me the most beautiful flowers.

This week was such a tender week. I am so thankful for all of the friends who gave me support and how many people who’ve I’ve never even met sent me SO MUCH LOVE. THANK YOU.