Oh no she didn’t! {{thank you}}

I got home from tutoring a student today, opened my mailbox and pretty much screamed…

“Oh no she didn’t!!!”

…..with a *huge* smile on my face.

What was waiting in my mailbox to brighten my day!

I had gotten a surprise package from a blogging friend, Erica, who blogs over at For The Sake of Cake—- I was SO touched and grateful. She totally surprised me after my rant on all of you that live near a Trader Joe’s…  After my complete complaining session, a few of you were incredibly sweet enough to offer to pick up a pregnant woman some heaven and put it in the mail. I didn’t take any of you up on the offer but I may have to take up a few of you on that offer though–once this amazing stash of Trader Joe’s chocolate runs out. Cough, Cough- I’m looking at you, Leila– especially because you know what pregnancy cravings are like.  🙂

♥Like an angel from the heavens, Erica surprised me with a package of Trader Joe’s CHOCOLATE!♥ (not to mention the cute mommy-to-be card!) She must have still  had my address around from earlier (hats off to Erica- I would have lost it!) and TOTALLY surprised me with the goods! I had no idea I’d be getting heaven in the mail!

I am beyond excited to eat that goodness and can’t thank Erica enough for her kindness. Seriously. Can’t thank her enough! 

I am so blessed that many of you care about this Mother to be– and the little bun in the oven.   (ahhhh, I can’t wait to meet him/her!!!) I am honestly overwhelmed with pure joy and gratefulness!

Trader Joe’s chocolate + sweet card = HAPPY pregnant woman! 

Happy pregnant woman right here!

All this kindness has got me thinking- What can I do to brighten someone’s day? I’m all about paying it forward and I’ll be spreading sunshine like it is no one’s business due to the HUGE amount of sunshine that arrived in my mailbox! 

Question: What has made your day today? Do you believe in paying it forward?

You’ve got mail!

I love getting mail. Let’s face it, it’s just like Christmas every time you go to the mailbox. What will be inside? Will there be presents?

Okay, can you tell that is just a tad bit of a stretch? There are usually lots of bills that need paying and junk mail that needs to sit on the kitchen table for three weeks before it finds its way to the trash. (oh wait- am I the only one that lets junk mail overstay its welcome in my home?!) There are RARE occasions where going to the mailbox is JUST LIKE CHRISTMAS! It is the best thing ever to open the mail box and see something other than bills inside the mailbox. I have been the luckiest girl ever ever recently! 

Mailbox gifts twice in one week! 🙂

My box from Chocolate Covered Katie!

My box from Erica, 4 the Sake of Cake!

I don’t know what was in the air over here at Spinach and Sprinkles but I got positive news from the doctor, received chocolate from Chocolate Covered Katie, and a box full of goodies from Erica at ‘For the Sake of Cake’! ….Karma must have known that it owed me big time for all that it has put me though— and boy, oh, boy did it do its best to make up for it!!! I was having a pretty bummer time when I found out that I won these two giveaways within a few hours of each other and it totally brightened my day! 🙂

Inside my box from Katie: 

Endangered Spices Chocolate

A box of Endangered Species Chocolate will brighten anyone’s day- especially mine! I got the chance to check out their company’s mission and why they have adorable pictures of animals on their chocolate- “Endangered Species Chocolate is a mission-driven company that is passionate about chocolate and the environment.   We are fully committed to providing premium, all-natural, ethically traded, naturally shade grown chocolate products.  Endangered Species Chocolate confirms that all beans used in its products are purchased from family-owned properties where the income benefits the community.  10% of our net profits aredonated to fund species and habitat conservation efforts.  Savor chocolate.  Save our planet.” Too cool! For real- chocolate I can feel good about buying AND eating. It is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!!  (don’t worry you won’t be so jealous later on…) 

Inside my box from Erica: 

Goodies galore! 🙂 ----Trader Joe's Heaven!

Erica had a giveaway that was packed to the brim with all of her favorite things (mostly from Trader Joe’s ::squeal of joy:: )  and she threw in a few other amazingly sweet things in the box too: a super sweet card and SPRINKLES! 🙂  How on earth did she know I love sprinkles???? I will have to do a whole other post on the amazingness that is the contents of this box. It is love at first sight! It was lust and now that I’ve had a bite or two (or ten) it has transformed into love!  Thank you, Erica! 🙂

Inside Julie’s Box (to one of you):

Who knows!

I have been so lucky, I have decided to pay it forward! 🙂 ….I plan on putting together a box full of my favorite things and sending it to one of you.  It will have some Endangered Species Chocolate in it too! Let’s cross our fingers that I get this giveaway underway by next Friday for sure. I know that is quite the teaser, I am so mean! Like all of you, I’m swamped. The contents are not 100% decided upon… it will be GREAT though, that’s a promise! 🙂 You’re going to want to stick around for what is coming in this box!

QUESTION: What would be in your box of favorite things? -OR- Do you believe in karma? Paying it forward?

California- Day 1

Hello! Hello! …I have been MIA for the past few days, and for good reason; I went home to be with my family before school starts! My sister is expecting her second bundle of joy and well, the bundle decided to ‘drop’ leaving us all on the edge of our seats hoping that he/she will continue to cook for a couple of more weeks!

Boy? ....OR.... Girl? .....Either way, Aunt Julie will cry. ♥Love the baby to pieces. Proceed to not ever want to put the lovely bundle down. I can see the handwriting on the wall.

The doctor said that sure enough, baby has ‘dropped’ but she isn’t dilated yet! Thanks be to God, baby needs to stay in mommy’s tummy for as long as possible! Side-note— She is the most beautiful expantant mother ever! 🙂 For real. I wouldn’t lie to you! (nope, not biased or anything. She really is that beautiful!)

I have also been busy basking in the glory of the vacation with the husband, still beaming from the much needed time away with the husband.  I know that I showed you a few of these already, but incase you missed them, I had to add them! I don’t want you to miss this!

Breakfast for the day! Oops! —Wait.

Wait, I don't regret it.... Not one, single, bite do I regret!!

A view of the city!

After the Golden Gate Bridge  we decided to go to Fisherman’s Wharf since we were already in the city, plus maybe we would get some good food while we were there. We weren’t planning on like the Wharf that much. But, we did! We like to walk around and experience an atmosphere, the Wharf is great for this!

We ate at The Franciscan :

Here it is!

Here’s what I got:

Sooo good!

Smoked Salmon Crustini— It was crostini  that had smoked salmon, capers, red onion, and avacado; with fresh mozzarella in the middle! 

It was delicious! …The waiter was NOT impressed that I got an appetizer for a meal!  When I go out to eat, I always have a to-go bag because I can’t eat it all. I am more of a grazer (sometimes from the husband’s plate!) and usually don’t eat large meals but more smaller ones.  I didn’t want to spend a whole bunch of money on something I couldn’t eat and couldn’t take home, I just didn’t want to waste a whole bunch of food. Side note- I love that the husband loves me enough to let me have a bite off of EVERY dish he eats. He doesn’t judge me for my weird habbits but just loves me, no questions asked. 

We decided that we liked Fisherman’s Wharf and this afternoon would not be enough time…. 

THEN! We headed to Santa Rosa to our hotel... But before we could settle down for the night, I had to make a pit stop!

Trader Joe’s! ♥

....Then the heavens opened up!

I hadn’t been to a Trader Joe’s since I moved from New York, about 2 years ago! Needless to say: I! WAS! EXCITED!!!! 🙂 

I needed to pick up a few things for breakfast for the week, supper for the night, and just take it all in. I was one happy girl looking at all of the produce and food that I can’t get back at home! Seriously, SO happy! ... I picked up lavash, peanut butter, bananas, peaches, and wine. And sushi for supper. A $6 meal on vacation, I can live with that! Not that it was amazing but I can’t get it at home and it tasted pretty darn good!!!

We called it a night, we were soooo tired from the day of traveling and jet lag. Day one was great but let me tell you people—-

THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!!! 

PS- I have had some problems posting this and have written it THREE times, sorry if you get it more than once and for the cruddy writing. I must have used my decent writing on the first two posts that didn’t save!!!  I don’t know what is going on!

Question: Do you think being a flight attendant would be awesome? —-AND— Do you order appetizers as a meal? —AND— Do you use to-go bags when you go out to eat?!?!? (or am I the only one!?)