Category Archives: home

Life is Better in the Coop: My Backyard Happy Place

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Chicken Coop surrounded by raised wooden garden bed and fig tree

Home Sweet Coop.

This chicken coop brings me so much joy! We’ve had chickens for at least nine years and have experienced several different types of coops. Unfortunately, we’ve also dealt with our share of chickens being senselessly attacked by raccoons.

A wild turkey standing outside a wooden chicken coop next to a raised garden bed

A Turkey came to visit our girls in the coop.

About two years ago, after a raccoon attack left us with only one surviving hen, Amir built a coop. We decided to give that remaining chicken to my mom, where she joined her new flock. Amir constructed the entire house and the coop inside it. This year, he added garden boxes, which helped complete the coop. I love it so much! We planted wildflowers in the raised wooden planter, and it brings me such joy to watch the flowers grow and bloom every day. Each morning, I discover a new little gem. The flowers are small but full of vibrant color. I absolutely love them!

Violet flower growing in raised wooden garden bed near chicken coop

Spotting hidden gems in the garden.

Colorful Petals and Leaves.

Wild flowers growing in raised wooden garden bed near the chicken coop

More hidden gems.

Our Little Peach Grove.

Two years ago, we planted two peach trees, and this year they are overflowing with peaches. The peaches are small, and we still have a lot to learn about how to protect and grow them so that we can actually enjoy eating them. I remember my cousin’s grandmother used to have a beautiful peach tree, and when I would sleep over at her house, we would wake up early in the morning, rush downstairs, and head straight to the screened-in porch in the backyard to sink our teeth into those juicy peaches. I also recall my father and all of my uncles adding sliced peaches to their glasses of red wine.glasses of red wine.

We also add little twinkling solar lights that make me giddy and joyous when they come on at night. Looks so beautiful and charming; I hope the little ladies love it as much as I do.

Solar lights draped around chicken coop at night.

Twinkling coop

I’ve wanted chickens my whole life. My aunt Ninfa used to have a flock in the garage of her Brooklyn home. And I always wanted my own. My dad did let my brother and me get baby chicks when we lived in our own Brooklyn apartment, but we didn’t have any yard space or a garage, so the little chicks grew up in our hallway until they got too big, and one day they were gone. I’m not sure where or what my father did with them. I know he gave them away; I just don’t know to whom. Anyway, since those early years, I always said I’d have my own flock, and Amir as usual, helped to make that dream come true.

February Rest

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I’ve been craving rest this February, and I’ve been surprised by how it has come to me in unexpected ways.
This house is full of life; it’s vibrant and active, filled with beautiful heartbeats that need different kinds of nutrients to thrive. A beautiful thing of course. They are the most precious things to me in this world. As their center, I sometimes feel like the dashboard or central station, responsible for keeping everything running smoothly. However, I realize I need a reboot, a new battery, a new charger to charge the battery! I need a new flow of oxygen so I can continue giving my loved ones the support they need to flourish. I’m slowly shifting my priorities this year to include rest in my list of things to do. I love my list, which includes tasks like doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, and food shopping. These are all privileges that come with the dream of having a big family. God has made my dreams come true, but there’s upkeep involved. The only way to avoid exhausting myself is to find rest in between and engage in activities that nourish me. This month, I’ve been intentional about adding those things to my to-do list. I’ve started reading a book, signed up for a watercolor class (I haven’t taken an art class since college), and I’m listening to an audiobook during my car rides. I even tried water marbling, which was so much fun! I’m definitely feeling more rested, and it’s so important to refill my own well-being.

 

Vision Board Night

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I hosted a vision board night with some friends and my four children to wrap up January and set our intentions for February. The evening is definitely one of my favorite memories from 2026! It was so enjoyable to combine three of my favorite activities: eating, chatting, and creating. I felt right in my element and, as a result, didn’t do much creating of my own; instead, I spent a lot of time observing the creativity around me and soaking in the atmosphere. Watching people create is one of my favorite pastimes, as it offers a glimpse into their minds. You can learn a lot about someone through what they produce, and it was truly wonderful to discover more about these extraordinary women—and my little boy, too! I actually didn’t have to purchase much for this event, as I had collected many magazines over the years, along with lots of collage paper and other embellishments for my guests to use. I provided boards, old empty picture frames, and spiral notebooks for them to choose as their base.
Having worked with young children and my own kids for many years, I had plenty of glue sticks and scissors suitable for little hands, which also worked perfectly for my adult guests! One item that I did purchase, and which was well worth it for the event, was the Lamare Vision Board Book from Amazon. It contained over 1,000 images and motivational quotes, which was more than enough for nine people to share, with plenty of images and pages left over. I also asked my guests to bring any clippings, photos, magazines, or their own journals or boards that they’d like to include. I laid everything out on a spare table and everyone was free to collect, cut, and dream away!
I loved watching my daughters and my son gather together, chatting, laughing, and dreaming together. The process to me is always more exciting than the final product. I did love seeing what images they were propelled to paste down on their boards. 
Isabel’s pink tones throughout her board show her planning from beginning to end. She’s going to bring this board to life from beginning to end! 
Melinas, I love her “MAKE IT HAPPEN AND SHOCK EVERYONE” quote, the funny thing is, she’s going to be the one shocked, not everyone else. We all believe in her more than she believes in herself!
Lias is focusing on getting straight A’s! Yeah! Looks like she’s got some traveling plans, fitness, and eating healthy. I love her “slow progress is still progress” quote. So true Lia! You’re wise beyond your years!I love the things you love!
and for my grand finale…
This board is so you, Liam! Money, basketball, sneakers, 2023 must have been a good year? Jesus! Love your visions, so precious!
I finally finished a page in my journal. I decided to do a journal versus a completed board. Committing to a board or feeling like I had to fill up space on a board and call it complete was too much of a commitment for this erratic, chaotic, uncertain, creative, ever-changing MIND!  I think I’m going to go month by month. I finally finished what I wanted to accomplish in January! I accomplished some of these goals, and whatever I didn’t, I can carry into February.

 

And that’s a wrap!

Winter Ambiance

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When I hear a snowstorm is on its way, I fantasize about experiencing a real-life winter ambience like those I keep playing on my tv. I think of pretty snow and the wind blowing and a fire roaring and a cappuccino on the coffee table steaming hot for hours and hours, a dog deeply breathing in and out and a random cat even though I don’t have a one. I dream I’ll be sitting cozy while reading a book and catching up on some creative project I’ve been wanting to start, but that’s not my reality these days and that’s ok. However, there were some magical moments like catching a snowflake on my jacket while walking over to feed the chickens. I put a candle I made at a friend’s house under my candle warmer. So pretty. I lit a candle in my living room, which was lovely to smell throughout the day.

Watched my kids frolic in the snow.Visited our free little libraryMade fresh tortillas. Drew pictures of a rooster and a chicken with Liam. and went on a winter night walk with Liam and Lia. I guess the day turned out better than sitting around inside a winter ambience.

Liam’s Family

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I absolutely love the picture that Liam created of our family. During one of his meetings, his teacher mentioned to me, “Liam loves his family!” We talked about how he can sometimes become a distraction to himself, and she often finds herself asking, “Liam, what is taking you so long?” He really struggles with attention span! While doing homework, he stands sideways on his chair, writes sloppily on purpose, or writes the wrong answers even when I know he knows the correct ones. It seems like he enjoys wasting time, or maybe that’s just his way of being playful and silly.

However, today he spent some focused time drawing this picture, and his teacher is right: “Liam loves his family, and that’s more important than anything else!” He values his family so much and loves being together at home. When one of us is not at the dinner table, he feels like we aren’t really having dinner and its not dinner time.

At the age of 6 he already knows what’s important to him. I hope he always remembers that as he continues on his great big journey of life.

The art of taking notes

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These are, without question, the most beautiful notes I’ve ever seen. While Isabel referred to them as “garbage,” I find myself wondering why she doesn’t publish them. I cannot bring myself to part with her notebook because I am in such awe of her precision.

Her note-taking is a perfect mirror of her personality: focused, organized, and scientific. Like her father, she possesses an incredible ability for analytical thought and logical sequencing, those “left-brain” traits that provide the structure necessary to bring creative ideas to life.

My own mind works quite differently. My notes are a scattered reflection of my “right-brain” tendencies: curiosity, visualization, and big-picture thinking. I often have countless projects in motion and thoughts that surface only to be quickly buried by the next inspiration. While I’ve mastered the art of multitasking, a glance at my notes reveals the beautiful, busy chaos of my internal world. They are everywhere—in planners, brain-dump journals, on my nightstand, and even in my car.

I am always thinking, and rarely about just one thing. Even back in school, I never used a proper format or filled pages with the meticulous detail she does. Looking back, I’m not even sure what I was doing—mostly scribbling and daydreaming, I’m sure! Regardless even if she doesn’t see the value in these notes now, as her mom, I know exactly what they reveal about her and one day she will see how much I admire her.

Happy 81 years

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On December 17, 1978 I was a birthday gift you took home on your birthday, December 19th. From that day on you have been a gift to me and everyone who knows you! Hope you know how much you are loved by your family, friends and neighbors. You have a place for everyone in your heart. You’re selfless and have bounds of energy, you’re super talented and creative and with you everything is possible. Hope you had a birthday as wonderful as you!