Mama Daughter Dates



"I yuv Menchie's" (this wasn't actually a Menchie's but a similar chain)



One of the most delightful things is taking Zoe on mama/daughter dates. Now, of course we have a lot of 1:1 time, but most often it's doing chores, errands, or everyday life activities like making dinner and getting ready for bed.

Not that those things aren't fun! They are! We usually end up laughing and making a mess. But mama always has an undertone of stress during this "everyday" time together since we are usually trying to keep to some sort of schedule, and/or I'm trying to prevent the entire container of salt/cereal/juice from being poured into a toddler cup of milk and onto/into all adjacent surfaces/crevices/drawers.

That's why mommy/daughter dates are so awesome! We get to go do fun things on our own schedule. No agenda or timeline.  Mama is relaxed, so Zoe is relaxed.  We aren't in the house, so we can make a mess without me stressing about cleaning it up right away.  We get to enjoy new and old things together.  We may even have learning opportunities (one of our spots is Barnes & Noble) to share together!


Playing with the trains at B&N

Zoe's Whole Foods lunch that she picked "all by self"

I think it's super important to HAVE FUN with your child as they grow up.  I can feel the tendency in myself (and I can observe it in others) to just "be the boss" and command your child to do what you say.  But I do my best to fight these tendencies (unless it has to do with safety!!) in everyday life, and to give myself a chance to be Zoe's friend by going on these "dates" with her.  As they say, "the days are long but the years are short," - so I suggest you take a few hours every once in a while to move at your child's pace, loving them, appreciating them, and observing who they are at a given age.  "It won't be like this for long," says Darius Rucker...

What's your favorite "mommy kiddo date"?

xoxo Phae

Frugal Fun: The Art Car Parade



R.O.U.S.?



Singing fish & lobsters

All photos in this post are courtesy of my super awesome & talented dad Nick Papas.

So, the art car parade is just one of the many cool, free, unique things to do in Houston.  Maybe some of you went.  Maybe you don't live in Houston so you don't really care about it.  But I was thinking about the principle of "frugal fun" and how to apply it.  I'm going to use the art car parade as an example but talk through a few pointers on frugal/free local events.  Besides the obvious pointer of GO TO THEM!

• First, you have to know it's going on in order to take advantage!  Social media is ripe with advertisements about all of the things going on in your city.  So many neighborhoods/cities and organizations have Facebook pages that you can join, websites you can subscribe to, and magazines/newspapers that contain ads for these events.  All you need to do is keep your eyes peeled.  I subscribe to:
• the Shop Heights 19th Street fbook page (antique shops just up the road from our house,)
• Thread Houston fbook page (more 19th St. info plus they just started doing DIY nights,)
• the Discovery Green fbook page (see my previous post about the DG,) and
• get emails from Houston Downtown Happenings. 
• Also, when I enjoy an event, I mark it down on the wall calendar (if it wasn't already there.)  Then, when I copy over all of the birthdays/special days to the next year's calendar, I put a reminder on the month of the event.  That triggers me to go check out the website or whatever for the new year.
• Anyone have any other suggestions for me??




Guess which ones are my friends and guess which one is part of the parade

• Be friends with people who like to go to free events.  Let's be honest - free events can be a little... quirky and certainly attract a WIDE variety of people.  Have fun, enjoy yourself, and don't take it too seriously.  You may actually have a good time!



Shaded under the tent & a hat

• Be prepared.  At the art car parade, we were expecting a rainy day but the afternoon turned out to be hot and humid.  Luckily we adapted and brought sunscreen & water - plus the friends we met up with were awesome and had a tent set up for shade.  Also, be creative with your "water" bottles if that's your thing.  Generally, fun things are funner with a little Tasty Beverage/"Daddy Juice".  An icy-cold thermos full of margarita never hurt anybody. (Wait...I'm sure that's actually a lie.  What I mean is: drink responsibly.)



Zoe poppin' tags

• Just GO.  A lot of times on the weekend, all you want to do is sit on your butt and relax.  You don't really want to make a plan for driving to something, figuring out parking, what do I wear, who's coming, etc. etc.  Well, just get over it.  You will not regret going!  These kinds of interesting, fun things are what make life cool.  You may need to drive around for parking.  You may need to pee in a port-a-potty.  But with the right attitude, these are all part of the adventure!  And also, you have something super-cool to tell your friends at work on Monday instead of "I went to Home Depot and sang Wheels on the Bus 50 times with my toddler."
• P.S. This last bullet point was me talking to myself.

Inappropriate comment

I encourage you to get out there and find some cool things to do in your city!  And please, leave a comment with your favorite super-awesome-secret Houston event!

Happy searching....

xoxo Phae

Working on Wellness: Planning, Anticipation, and Accountability

Plan for the next nine months of my life.

Ok, some of you may think I'm nuts for doing this. But, here I am: 8 months pregnant figuring out how to get back in shape after baby, and maybe even thinking about my next half marathon.

I love creating long term workout plans!  Here's why - it helps my mental bowling ball stay in balance between the following two proverbial bumpers:

• It helps me to get motivated! GO GO GO! Get that body back!  Feel energetic again!  Be healthy!  Run the half again!
• It helps me to be realistic.  If I use the above calendar as an example, I won't be able to run 10 miles in September of this year.  That's OK - I'll be within the process.  It takes (a lot of) time reach lofty fitness goals especially when you are essentially starting from zero (I can barely walk around the block without getting winded right now.)

Now, as much fun as it is to sit down with highlighters and multi-colored pens to create the workout plan... I have a little bit more trouble sticking with it.  This go-round, I'm planning to have two pieces of ammunition in my arsenal:

1. Now my workout plan calendar is out on The Interwebs for the world (or at least my facebook friends) to see.  I think that means I'm going to have to check in with ya'll on my progress, too.
2. I'm going to keep a log of my daily workout activities.  When I was training for the Houston marathon hoping to qualify for Boston, I had the most successful marathon training of my life (out of the 7 fulls I have run.)  That's because I actually had the log next to my bed, and wrote down every day what I had done.  Nobody else looked at it, but just knowing that I was going to write it down made me more accountable.  I'm going to use that tactic again, since in retrospect I see how successful it was (I did qualify for Boston that year.)

My running crown jewel



Obviously, I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch.  If any complications arise with the birth and healing process, or if things are going better or worse than I'm assuming right now, then by all means I will adjust my calendar along with my expectations.  I'm just looking forward to the process of figuring out the balance between my own wellness, the baby's wellness, the family's wellness...and anticipating the fun we'll have as a family of four (HOLY CRAP.)

What planning and/or motivational tools work for you?
xoxo Phae

P.S. I just noticed that I didn't mention weight anywhere in this post.  Sweet!  That means my own philosophies are quite ingrained in my mind.  I don't think "losing weight" should ever be the goal - I think that living a healthful, active, disease-free lifestyle should be the goal such that you can enjoy this life as much as possible while you have it.  Sure, losing weight is often a side effect of eating healthfully and being active - but the focus should primarily be on balance & happiness.

Nutritious(...?) and Delicious: The Frappe

MMMMM!

I love coffee.  I just do.  Being nutrition-conscious, I often consider quitting this drug.  But I won't do it.  It's too delicious, warm, comforting, and well - I like the way it makes me feel.  Plus it helps... get things moving.... in the morning on a very predictable schedule.

I was a Starbucks barista in college and the love affair was sealed for life.  I thought working at the coffee mecca, I knew about every coffee drink known to man.  I've learned some crazy orders: lattes made with half & half (or even heavy cream!), caramel macchiatos with 6 espresso shots...

After my sister Irene went to Greece in summer 2010, she returned with a recipe for a coffee drink that I didn't know about: THE FRAPPE!!  Or, The Most Delicious And Easy Way To Drink Coffee In The Summer.  Apparently they are all the rage in Greece & Europe, and us dumb Americans haven't caught on yet.  But that's OK because now I'm going to tell you how to make one.

It's starting to get hot in Houston, which means a steaming cup of Joe isn't necessarily super-appealing (although who am I kidding, I'll drink it when it's 100 degF).  Other cold alternatives like frappucinos... just stay away from those, please, except for a once-in-a-while treat.  They are full of sugar and topped with about 300 calories worth of whipped cream.  Iced coffee is good, but not as delicious, fun, and frothy as:

Frappe Ingredients

The Frappe.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Nescafe instant coffee granules (Must be Nescafe brand otherwise it tastes gross.)
• 1 tsp sugar (you can sub in honey/other sweetener, or exclude altogether..but I've tried it all different ways and plain white granulated sugar is the best)
• 1 tbsp H2O
• Ice
• ~1 cup milk (Soymilk is my milk of choice (protein!), and any kind will do.  Oo, I bet coconutmilk would be good)

Directions:

1. Put the Nescafe, sugar, and H2O in the bottom of a glass and froth it using a milk frother (I have the "aerolatte" - a gift from Reney since she knew it was her fault I got hooked)
2. Fill the glass 3/4 full of ice cubes
3. Pour the milk on top to fill in the gaps, up to the top
4. Use a funky straw and sip your delicious, foamy, refreshing, frappe.

The coffee, sugar & water before frothing...

...and after!

Feel the zing!
xoxo Phae

Oh, also:  It's ok to have up to 200 mg of caffeine a day during pregnancy.  1 cup of coffee has ~100 mg, but keep in mind this measurement is an 8 oz cup and that's never actually what size you pour at home or what size you get at a coffee shop (usually a small is 12 oz).  So for me, I limit myself to 1 "cup" (~12 oz) a day during pregnancy.  Which is sad because Afternoon Coffee is one of my favorite delights and pick-me-ups during the work day. *sigh* ...the sacrifices we make for our children...

Letter to a Role Model: Patty Papas

In typical fashion, I am not on time for this post, as it would have been appropriate to post on Mother's Day. So, oops. No excuses, just humanity at its finest (or most mediocre?)

 

Patricia Papas cruisin' around Galveston, TX

Patty Papas is my MOMMY!

Here is a list of attributes that I admire about my mom, and things I try to emulate:

1. She started the married-name-alliteration trend. (Patty Nemanic --> Patty Papas) So hot right now. (Phae Papas --> Phae Feaga and also my college roomie/soul mate Dessie Xenakis --> Dessie Dobbins)

....but seriously, though:

2. She's never afraid to try new things and continuously challenge herself.  She ran her first full marathon at age 50! "Can't teach an old dog new tricks" is definitely not in her vocab. (Not that she's old!!)

Mom and Dad after the 2013 Austin half

3. She is probably the most patient woman I've ever met. I don't think I knew this until I was a parent of a toddler and realized she RARELY lost her temper with my siblings and I, even when we were being totally obnoxious.  She takes care of Zoe, and I think this go-round she's even MORE patient (if that's possible.)

4. She makes life-long health a priority.  She's a labor &delivery nurse, so her schedule is never in a set routine.  Sometimes she runs at 5 am before her 12-hr shift, sometimes she'll consider playing with Zoe and walking to the park her workout for the day, sometimes she does a workout video at 11 am on her day off.  Regardless of when or where her exercise happens during the day (or when it doesn't), she's happy to fit it in.

5. She puts the needs of others before her own in a Christ-like way.  She's always taking care of others despite the fact that she hasn't eaten, slept, or peed for 13 hours.  One particular example that is on my mind lately: she stayed home with my siblings and I when we were little (until the youngest was 5 and off to kindergarten), putting her nursing career on hold in order to care for us, be present in our lives, teach us, and LOVE US like only a Mama can.  This is particularly relevant in my life right now since I'm on the brink of this decision myself.

6. She is super easy-going.  She's always up for anything, no matter what the activity.  If it's not her favorite, no big deal.  She's happy to be spending time with people she loves. 

7. She's an artist's muse.

Patty the mermaid

8. She knows how to french braid.

Mom, me, Reney, & Zoe sporting Mom's handiwork

9. My dad's the cook of the family, and my mom is the baker!  She bakes the best pastries, fresh home-made wheat breads, and blueberry muffins.  And she's generous enough to pass along the skillz! 

Teaching Zoe how to bake her divine oatmeal cookies



10.  She knows how to unwind and relax!  Stress management is such an important aspect of health.  It's not often discussed (maybe I should do another post about this) - but it is definitely a pillar in the balance of overall health.  Patty P. can unwind with the best of 'em, with or without alcohol (I don't want to imply that alcohol is necessary to relax) - - but especially with some red wine or tequila.  Next time you see her, bring her a sample of either of those and you will definitely win her favor... :)



At Noah's wedding

I love you Mama...
xoxo Phae

Mama Challenges: The Toddler in Church

Disclaimer: I have no idea if we're doing this the "right way," if there is a "right way," nor do I always feel successful after a Liturgy with Zoe.

Zoe in church holding her St. Zoe icon

Here's where we are right now with the 2 year 3 month old... A typical Sunday morning:

Mama: "we're going to church. Do we talk loud in church or in a whisper?"

Zoe: "....whisper."

Mama: "that's right! Can you practice a whisper voice?"

Zoe (whisper): "whisper voice"

Mama: "great. Let's talk like that while we're in church"

....in church....

Zoe (super-loud voice throughout Liturgy):

"There's Saint Joseph!"

"What's that man do-nin?" (doing)

"I want to dance in circles"

"The curtains are closed!"

"I want a snack"

"What's that?"

...and various other appropriate/inappropriate comments.

During an evening weekday service this year during Lent, I had just driven 60 miles (half of which was in traffic) across the entire city of Houston, with Zoe in tow, frantically working to get to church on time, hungry, tired, and stressed.  We finally made it into church which was beautifully calming and silent.  I was so happy to be there!  Then Zoe piped up with some loud comment, and one of the old ladies in church turned to us and said, "SHHHHHHHH!"

.... thanks, lady, you just sent the pregnant girl to the bathroom to cry in the stall. (..snifff.."Why do I even try?!")

It is so challenging sometimes to make it through a church service and feel like Zoe got something out of it, I got something out of it, and we are all in one piece at the end.  I want to reaffirm my goals/thoughts on the topic here.

• We are there to raise our child in the church, and teach her about worship.  If we feel like giving up and that it's easier to stay at home (which it is), remember what we are doing it for!  We've committed as a family to make Christ the center of our lives, and this is a huge part of that.
• Remember it's OK that she talks out loud sometimes.  Particularly when she makes loud comments about the service or church itself ("There's Jesus!" while pointing to an icon of Jesus.)  That means she's learning!  We can keep working on the "whisper" thing. 
• Be patient.
• Also remember that it's OK if she's not paying attention the entire service - bring books, stickers, and other quiet activities for her to do.
• Engage her as much as possible in the service and continue to teach her the songs and prayers.  Rephrase the gospel in terms she'll understand.  This not only assures she learns something, but it makes sure I am paying attention, too!
• BE PATIENT!



She's two.

• She's two years old.
• Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14)

Any thoughts or advice from those older, wiser, or also struggling?

Christ is (still) risen!

xoxo Phae

Weekend Update: Orthodox Holy Week and Pascha

CHRIST IS RISEN!!  INDEED HE IS RISEN!!

(C)Copyright www.facebook.com/Nick.Papas.Studio

Sorry it's been a while since I posted.  But I have an excuse: this weekend we celebrated Christ's death and resurrection from the dead (!!!!!!!)  In the Orthodox tradition, there is a lot of church to attend, and lots of delicious food preparation, leading up to the celebration of the Resurrection.  Each of the church services throughout the week is a reflection on the events that happened in the week leading up to Christ's crucifixion, death, and resurrection.  And each of the services has contained within it some of the best contradiction/juxtaposition poetry and readings, in my opinion. 

• On Holy Thursday, the evening service is called the Twelve Gospels, in which the story of the last supper, Christ's betrayal by Judas, and His crucifixion is read.  We sing the solemn hymns regarding His crucifixion.
•   My favorite lines: "Today he who hung the earth upon the waters is hung upon a tree", "He who wrapped the heavens with clouds is wrapped with the purple of mockery" ... woah. Powerful.
• On Holy Friday, we gather around the tomb of Jesus and sing the Lamentations, a set of hauntingly beautiful verses of poetry.
• My favorite line: "How O Life canst thou die?" (seriously... how?)
• On Holy Saturday morning, the service celebrates Christ still being dead in body, but the work He is performing in Hades - victory over Death - is being completed.  The church starts out solemn and dark, with the clergy vested in the purple or black of lent.  We hear the gospel of the Ressurrection and sing a joyful hymn while the church lights up and the clergy change into the celebratory white vestments!
• Best line from the gospel: "He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay!" (Mt. 28:6)
• Best song: "Arise, O God! Judge the earth. For to Thee belongs all the nations!"

Then we come home and prep for the Feast of Feasts, Pascha, Easter, Christ's Holy 3rd Day Resurrection...

Dying Easter Eggs

Packing up the Pascha Basket for the Feast of Feasts

Late on Saturday night (and into Sunday morning,) we gather at the church to celebrate Pascha!!  FYI, in most Christian traditions and translations (except English), this holiday is literally translated "Passover" since Jesus is the New Passover lamb, sacrificed for our sake to save us from Death. 

Getting ready for the Paschal procession around the church

• During the midnight Pascha service, we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.  (..duh.)  We come into the church, completely darkened, and the priest emerges from the altar with a single candle, that everyone lights their candles from.  Then we process around the church singing about the Resurrection, hear the Resurrection gospel again, and then enter into a church completely light, bright, and celebratory!! We sing CHRIST IS RISEN!  (over and over and over!)
• During liturgy, we read the first part of the gospel of John, which again has some awesome juxtaposition in it.  It's sort of a contradiction of tenses at first glance, but not really:
• My favorite verse: "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:5) ... Jesus is the Light, present tense.  He lives in the present tense, always shining into the darkness.  And the darkness did not comprehend it, past tense.  Because darkness is obliterated by Christ's resurrection.  We don't need to fear the darkness because it's in the past. Gone, donesky.
• Then, we hear the best sermon ever given in the history of all humankind, the Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom.
• My favorite parts: a) The entire thing, b) "Christ is risen, and Life reigns! Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the tomb!" 
• After communion, and lots more "Christ is risen" singing, Father blesses the Pascha baskets and the congregation gathers to celebrate the Feast together.  It's always such a joyous celebration!

Finally...the CANDY! (P.S. this is at 1:30 am)

In Orthodoxy the celebration lasts for 40 whole days, in which we greet each other in the name of the risen Lord - "Christ is Risen!" and responding "Indeed He is Risen!"  It's basically the most wonderful time of the year (not Christmas).  We eat the best foods, enjoy the best weather, and bask in the glory of the Resurrection.  We are joyful since we don't need to fear death.  Christ has abolished it for us.

Enjoying the spoils of Boppa's basket hunt: "Figgy eggs!" (confetti eggs)

CHRIST IS RISEN!!

Working on Wellness: May Yoga Challenge!

My new friend Alex has a great idea for a fitness challenge:  Can you do some yoga every day in the month of May?

Check out details on her blog Greetings from Nolandia (also check out her other posts - she's super inspiring when it comes to eating well and staying fit!)  I am going to do a modified version of her challenge, with my goal being 25 minutes of yoga every day.

Zoe is going to help me - check out how well she can do plank:

My mini yogi

Because I love being frugal, I'm going to forgo the $15-20 classes and do my yoga at home (or in the office...)  I have a few videos that I can use.  Also, I have the "Simply Yoga" App on my iPad (I sprung for the full version at all of $2.99) which has several 20, 40, and 60 minute guided sessions.  I could also just make up my own sequences of all my favorite poses.  I'm also going to make sure that 5 of the 25 minutes are prayer/medidation minutes.  I'm going to use The Jesus Prayer to help even out my breathing (an old trick of mine): breath in - - "Lord Jesus Christ" - - breath out - - "Son of God" - - breath in - - "have mercy on me" - - breath out - - "a sinner"

Anyone else want to join in the May challenge?  What will be your adaptation?
xoxo Phae