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An Entertaining House is a Clean House

By Suki on 2011/12/19

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.

December has been a hectic month. Ryan and I have been hosting one crab dinner after another. Had crab been available over Thanksgiving weekend, we would have started the crabby festivities at the end of November. Instead of crab, we feasted on a whole lot of rice dishes [mostly by accident].

The celebration that kicked off the craziness of dinner parties was actually my sister’s birthday at the end of November. Thanksgiving festivities tend to fill everyone’s calendars, and it isn’t as easy of a time gathering for a party. This year, her birthday fell over the weekend, and since she didn’t have anything planned, I took it as an opportunity to throw her a last-minute party at the house. Last-minute = I was texting some friends just a few days beforehand!

With such little prep time, there was still a great turnout, and without much planning on our part, it turned into a rice party. In addition to my wild rice dish, there was fried sticky rice and white rice to go along with curry. All tasty and different!

Rice Party

Rice rice, baby!

I decided at the last minute that there had to be some kind of birthday cake, so it was an absolute blessing to have a box of Duncan Hines’ Double Fudge Decadent Brownie Mix sitting around. It’s not a birthday party until you’re sharing a delicious treat with friends. It certainly helps that something so rich and tasty can be whipped together without too much effort.

Brownie

Within the hour, it was ready and smelling absolutely divine. The occasion was made even sweeter when a friend misread my text and brought candy instead of candles. We topped the brownie with our birthday candies, and it was a little celebration not to be forgotten.

When you’re in a pinch for time, what are some of your go-to quick desserts?

In the last three weeks, we have entertained five separate occasions. I suppose that is one way to keep the house tidy.

Remember to check out Duncan Hines’ website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

Giving Back

By Suki on 2011/09/12

Thanks to Walgreens for sponsoring my writing. Help Walgreens help others! Visit their Facebook page here to learn about their charitable partners and decide which cause Walgreens will donate to with a quick vote.

If you follow my Thursday Wine and Love posts, it may appear that I don’t have much to complain about. It isn’t that I don’t have rough days. I don’t let them hold me down too much. The reason for this is that no matter how bad of a day I’m having, there is always someone out there with problems way bigger than mine. Occasionally it does get the best of me, and it’s a huge weight off the chest to rant about it.

Back to the topic of giving back, there are a few ways that I’ve found to fit my giving goals and lifestyle the best. In recent years, the issues that I have focused my time and money locally on have been arts and education, women and children, and hunger. On the more global scale, disaster relief and the empowerment of individuals through Kiva’s microlending programs.

Arts and Education: becoming members of local museums and arts organizations like the Ballet or Symphony, supporting various Kickstarter projects, and attending events that benefit organizations in this sphere.

When you become a museum member at a certain level, there are some benefits that include reciprocity benefits at other museums in their network. Not a bad deal if you plan on traveling a bit.

Women and Children: donating directly to a local women’s shelter, volunteering at and attending events that benefit such organizations.

I’ve been involved with a local women’s philanthropic organization, and for the past three years, we have worked with City of Dreams, a mentorship and youth development program for youth living in low income housing in the Bayview/Hunter’s Point District. This coming year, we will be working with Oasis for Girls, a program aimed at providing a safe space where girls and young women [ages 11-24] are inspired and empowered to become strong and creative leaders in their communities.

Hunger: volunteering at the food bank [haven't done this one in awhile], running in the SF Giants Race to benefit Project Open Hand.

Giants Race

Sometimes I feel like I am not doing enough, but the thing is – I’m doing what I can. I’m having a lot of fun in the process because much of the way I’m giving back has a social aspect. There are so many WAYS to give back to the community that it boggles my mind when someone uses the excuses of “I don’t have time,” or “I don’t have money,” or even “I don’t know HOW to give back.” Another one is “It won’t make a difference.” Seriously? There are resources out there, and YES, it does make a difference.

What are causes you support, and what are you doing to give back?

Don’t forget to help Walgreens help others! Visit their Facebook page here to learn about their charitable partners and decide which cause Walgreens will donate to with a quick vote. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Fabulous Five

By Suki on 2011/05/31

Thanks to Trop50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 Fabulous Wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous!

My RSS feed reader is a little insane. The number of blogs [over 100] may be a little daunting, but when it comes to reading and engaging with another blogger- totally worth it. It was not easy narrowing them down, so in no particular order, here are a handful I’ve come to adore for their fabulosity [a word coined by a dear friend of mine]:

reinventing sandyb – Sandy is just amazing. I only caught onto her blog at the tail-end after she’d already put herself back together after her quarter-life crisis. Love her style AND her furniture! I only wish that I’d known her before my trip to Toronto last year. In about a week, she will be taking a solo trip to Paris for a month.

A Day in the Life – I have been reading Natasha’s blog since she started planning her wedding, and the big day is almost here! I always love the glimpses into her life in the South.

Two Boos Who Eat – I first met Amanda and Andy at Foodbuzz last year, and I have been keeping up with their blog ever since. My favorite feature is Beer Mondays since I love beer too, and it’s always interesting to see what they’re drinking down in Southern California.

Little Girl, Big World – I can’t remember when I first started following Ashleigh’s blog, but I get my fill of Chicago’s fashion through her blog. Love her style and her Party of Five weekend photo posts!

the SHU box – I met Sarah at the Healthy Living Summit last year. It was at a dinner towards the end of the summit, so we didn’t get to hang out as much, but now I read her blog. She’s put together a virtual summer retreat that I’m really looking forward to participating in!

So there you have it – five blogs I look forward to reading.

What are some of your regular reads?

Don’t forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.

Thank You Letter to my Mommy

By Suki on 2011/04/29

I often tell RV and my friends that I am truly my mother’s daughter. A lot of the quirks that I have today are a reflection of you. The way I react, the tone of voice, my mannerisms – I don’t even notice it most of the time, but RV tells me that all you have to do is sit back and look, and you’ll see – it’s as if I’ve channeled you into my actions and responses.

It’s probably why we can annoy each other so much. We know the right buttons to push.

Regardless, I love you. I hope one day to be as selfless and as brave as you.

You left a retail job in a closed community for a company with room for growth in an industry and position dominated by men. When your former boss told you that you wouldn’t survive out there, you proved him wrong by not only taking that other job but by working there for 25+ years now. You worked countless hours of overtime to allow us the comforts of our lives that we took for granted.

Thank you for making the life decisions that took you down the path that provided for your family.

Thank you for your patience as I finally started to understand the whys and why nots of childhood. Why I didn’t get to do certain things and why you weren’t home more often.

And the most obvious thank you – thank you for my life.

Love,
Your oldest

PS – Is it weird that even though I am in my late twenties, I still call you “Mommy” as if I was still in grade school?

Dear readers, if you’re looking for a unique gift idea for Mother’s Day, check out the decorative pieces on the Heart of Haiti page. The sale of these treasures provides life-saving income for these artisans!

From May 3rd to 8th, receive 15% off Heart of Haiti and Rwanda Path to Peace products using promo code: CLEVERGIRLS.

I was selected for this very special “CleverHaiti” opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. All opinions are my own.

Celebrating Spring with Shutterfly [giveaway]!

By Suki on 2011/04/15

shutterfly-announcement-celebration

April 15th. It marks the deadline for filing taxes [18th this year!], and if you think about the date, we’re smack dab in the middle of spring. San Francisco doesn’t really have seasons per se, and this year hasn’t been any different. Unpredictable and drastic climate/pressure changes in a matter of days, but it’s still that time of year.

There’s much in the air – pollen mostly, which is why I’m not particularly fond of the season, but I can definitely say that there was a bit of hibernation/anti-social period I went through in the winter, and it’s been nice getting out of the house.

It just seems that spring is the season of rebirth and announcements! People are moving into new homes, getting married [save the date cards], welcoming new additions into their lives [birth announcements], etc.

To celebrate the season of showers, pollen, and sunshine, I’m giving away a custom photo book from Shutterfly. It’s the perfect way to compile your favorite memories of the season. Check out the details below!

Giveaway:A custom 20-page 8″x8″ hardcover photo book.

Leave a comment in response to: What are you celebrating this spring? What are you going to document in your photo book?

For extra entries, tweet or blog about this giveaway. If you include the link to this post in your tweet/post, it should create a trackback comment. If it doesn’t, leave a comment to let me know!

Deadline: Friday 4/22 at 9pm PST!

My response to the question above: RV is currently working on the backyard, so I am really looking forward to capturing the parties/BBQs we’ll throw out there once it’s finished. Fingers crossed that we’ll get it done before the summer!

Are you a blogger too? Click here to register for a chance at 50 free announcements! This post is part of a series sponsored by Shutterfly. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

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