Random Fact Friday

If you know me well you know that I LOVE random facts. If there is an interesting bit of useless information, I just want to know it. It comes from being a wonderer (a wonderer, is  a person who thinks or says hmmm.... I wonder pretty much all day everyday, just in case you were wondering!).

so here are few fun random facts.

Random Fact #1
Have you ever wondered why that compartment in your car just in front of the passenger seat is called the "glove box". Well the reason it's called the glove box, is because when the automobile first came out people used to wear gloves to drive they called them "driving gloves"(creative I know) and you know where they kept those driving gloves ......you guessed it in the "glove box". Although its been years and years since anyone has worn driving gloves the glove box still remains thankfully! (p.s. what do you have in your glove box?)

Random Fact #2 

Did you know the reason pirates wear patches over their eye (if you thought it was to hide their glass eye well you're wrong). It's to help their eyes adjust to the light and dark. The pirate used to move the patch when going below deck so that his eye that was covered was already adjusted to the dark and he could see right away. I don't know how true this is but I heard it from another random fact lover one day as we exchanged random facts. So I keep it as fact. 

  Random Fact #3

Did you know the sound effect crew of star wars used recordings from a trained bear that was recorded during feeding time when the bear was angry and hungry, to create the sound for Chewy Chewbacca. They pieced together the recordings from the bear to create words and sentences for the character Chewbacca. 

Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude

Just the other day I was in a conversation with a person about being in the moment and about being more mindful of everyday things we take for granted. This person started sharing about how he does this thing with his wife when they go grocery shopping and it seems silly to most people but I found it really inspiring and made me think about how much we take for granted.

 He shared that when he buys produce at the grocery store, he takes his time and holds the produce that he will buy in his hands and silently in his own mind thanks the hands that tended the soil, the hands that planted the seeds, the hands that cared for and watered the plants, the hands that picked the produce, the hands the packaged the produce, the hands that loaded and shipped the produce, the hands that unloaded, and delivered the produce, and the hands that arranged the produce on the shelves.

I was so moved by what he said and I realized that if all of us shared this same attitude of gratitude maybe just maybe we would do a better job at being less wasteful, less consumeristic, and less entitled. What would it be like if we all were a little more grateful for the things we have and the things we purchase, I wonder if we would be more fulfilled and content.

Thats just my random thought for the day, and my challenge for myself today and everyday, to be more mindful and grateful for the simple things.

Is surfing fun or is it cool?

Ok I just have to ask do you surf to be cool, or to have fun?

The thought that prompted this question came to me on Sunday when I was out surfing with Tim and Elena on a pretty small day. There were waves and the sun was shining and we had the day off so what better thing to do than surf! right?!

Well I was out soaking up the sun enjoying the COLD water when I overheard this Father harping on his son for not catching a wave that went by, the son i might add was around age 7. I had seen him catch a few waves and he was definitely a skilled little grom, but as his dad rode off on the next wave I looked at his face and saw that there was no childhood innocence in his eyes. His brows were furrowed with concern and he had the look on his face of a boy who just disappointed his dad.

I immediately became frustrated and thought to myself, maybe I should stand up for that kid I mean his dad really needs to lay off surfing is supposed to be fun and he's freakin 7 let him be a kid and have fun, don't make it about work and about doing everything right and perfect. Parents and the pressure they put on their kids to perform is the one thing that really gets my blood boiling. A kid should be a kid they should enjoy childhood it's the only time in life where its acceptable to be irresponsible and spend your day having FUN. Let the worries of adulthood come once their childhood is gone, you only get one childhood don't spoil it for your kids. Ok so off my soap box with that!!!

It made me think about the Dad also, I started to think shoot, I wonder if that guy forgot when he first was learning to surf, I wonder if he forgot about how much fun it was when you catch a good wave or what the surf stoke is when you had an epic session. I then started to wonder if surfing was ever fun for that man, or was it always about being the best doing everything right catching the most waves etc.

And that's when I realized some people don't even get into surfing because it's fun they get into it because they think its cool (they're the ones that get pissed when they don't catch enough waves and have a bad attitude in the water), and to those surfers I have to say you are really missing out surfing is supposed to be fun that's the whole point. Catching a wave is FUN!!!!!!!!! not cool it's like getting the thrill of your favorite roller-coaster over and over for FREE. So all you surfers out there that are too cool for school lighten up and laugh and most importantly have FUN!!!!!!

5 years ago today!

5 years ago today there was a boy who had asked me to go to a San Diego State Basketball game with some of his friends, what I didn't know then was that I would someday end up marrying that boy and that it wasn't just a game with friends but rather a first date. That's right 5 years ago today Tim and I had our very first date!!!!  I had not idea it was a date Tim had asked me the night before to go to a basketball game with some friends, he offered to pick me up which was great because I wasn't sure where the game would be or where to park or anything like that. I decided to dress casual because it was just a game, but I was so excited to go I thought Tim was a nice cute guy so of course I was looking forward to it, Tim arrived at my house by himself and I was confused because I thought there would be friends with him, but turns out it was just him. We then went to grab dinner before the game and Tim paid for my dinner and we headed to the game after that, when we got to the game the seats Tim had for us were definitely not with any of his friends, it was just the two of us. I had a great time great conversation and was completely relaxed because in my mind I was not on a date. I went home that night wondering was that a date? I went over it with my coworkers the next day trying to figure out if I was on a date and they all agreed that it was for sure a date. I find out a few months later that it was in fact a date a first date and the beginning of the rest of my life!!! Here are a few fun photos of our past 5 years together!

Barefoot Kitchen Diaries

Ok I'm obsessed with cooking so I've been thinking about doing a series on my blog devoted to recipes, but then I was like hmm maybe not there are so many good cooking blogs with beautiful food stylized photos ( I mean come on who really has time for that). I do however think it would be fun to add recipes I've tried and perfected onto this blog as a Melina's personal recommendations to good eats! Also maybe a few posts with some personal cooking tips and tricks I've learned along the way. It will be my own personal "Barefoot Kitchen Diaries". So I'll give it a try for my first recipe I'd like to recommend Posole Rojo, it comes from foodnetwork

Posole Rojo

With some modifications, instead of pork I've been making it with chicken which takes less time to cook and tastes just as good! so follow the recipe replacing pork with chicken and adjusting the cooking time to when the chicken is fully cooked. (or if you prefer do the pork)

Bi-Racial Couples

Remember when Bi-Racial couples used to be so taboo. I forget that we are a bi-racial couple when it comes to Tim and I. I think I am colorblind when it comes to Tim and I, it's not like I think about the fact that my husbands white and I'm some sort of mix between croatian and mexican. I forget that we are from two very different backgrounds. The times I think about it are times like when I wonder what our children will look like. I'm hoping they will be a mix between the two of us, but who knows I could end up with completely white children or we could end up with brown children. I laugh when I think about what it will be like if our children do take after Tim will people think I'm their nanny taking them to the park. I feel like we have come so far to even be thinking about things like that but sometimes those thoughts just seep in, I guess I'll find that out when we get there. And sometimes people are going to forget that a child can have parents from two completely different ethnicities.

Hey I'm guilty of that I'll never forget the embarrassment I felt when I was subbing for preschool and a women walked into the preschoolers bathroom to help her daughter use the potty, I became very concerned because the little girl was half african american (father's side) and half asian (mother's side) and in looks she took after her dad. I asked the woman if she knows the little girl and she said yes she's my daughter, my cheeks instantly got red and I apologized right away stating that parents aren't really allowed in the bathrooms (as all the children go in and out freely), but that it was alright since her daughter was the only one in there. I don't know if I offended the woman or not, I was hoping that she was appreciative that I was looking after the safety of the kids, but who knows. All I know is that I left that day with the realization that sometimes I'm not as colorblind as I feel and we all make assumptions that can be very wrong sometimes.

In any case I do love how common Bi-Racial families are becoming it just shows how we can appreciate beauty uniquely!

Also have you seen that adorable Cherrios commercial with the Bi-Racial family I love it so adorable!

Do you shower in the morning or at night?

Time for another random question! Do you shower in the morning or evening?

I used to be an evening showerer myself, I would take a shower before bed get into my fresh clean PJ's and fresh clean sheets and for some reason I just slept better smelling and feeling so nice and clean! Now that I share my bed with a man that does not shower before bed I found myself switching to showering in the mornings, call me crazy but my bed didn't feel as clean and when I woke in the morning I felt the need to shower after having a stinky man in my bed! Oh the joys of being married! 

But I began wondering is there a normal time of day that most people shower? Up until I got married I thought my habits were pretty normal, now I begin to wonder is there a norm? What about you what's your norm!

Oh and do you ever sing in the shower? I'll share a little secret with you I always sing in the shower?