So Long, Farewell

So, I’m wrestling with why I want to write this blog. What I want to write about and for who. Do I want to write to become a part of a community, writing about what readers want to read, for followers? Or do I need to write in order to sort things out. About my circumstances. For me?

I want to write about my relationships with my mom and dad. And their relationship with each other. I want to write about how I’m not sure who I am aside from Mama. How some days I don’t feel like I fit in anywhere. I want to write about what it's like being married to someone from a different culture. I want to write about my brothers. My memories of childhood. I want to ramble on and on about the thoughts that I can’t quite grasp but can feel stirring in my soul. 

But I don’t think here is the place for that. 

Consider this an official leave of absence (in case the last 35 days of silence weren’t official enough). I need to search my heart and check my motives. 

Maybe someday I’ll be back. 
Until then...

xoxo

Joy

ps. I still enjoy posting photos to Instagram. Follow me there if you'd like to stay in touch! 

My Kind of Party

There were confetti bombs and giant balloons that fell from the sky. Oversized fur coats and 'coon skin hats. It was quite the dance party. And we were there. It was a blast to jump around with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis at their world tour finale; the last night of a 3 month trip. It was our first date night in a very long time, and our first concert together as a couple. It was so much fun, I hope we'll make an effort to go to more shows together.

Happy Weekend Friends!
xoxo
Joy

I Don't Know What To Title This Post So I'm Just Gonna Leave It At That

Hey Peeps,

Happy Tuesday! We three Candidos are having a quiet day at home (aside from a bit of grocery shopping) after a busy weekend/Monday. I'm cleaning, doing laundry, making lists, crossing things off of them, and just kinda getting things back in order. While listening to Christmas Music, of course. Frank Sinatra Christmas station on Pandora to be exact :)

If you have a minute, please take a look at this Merry Christmas card. Mostly because, hello, it's so friggin' cool. Maybe we will make Christmas cards this year… You could also read this amazing story of a Christmas Miracle. If you're reading this post while you take a break from online Christmas shopping for your brother's girlfriend's roommate who's name you drew for gift exchange, this might help. And if you're a mama like me, on the clock 24/7, please read this sweet post by a wonderful woman who gets it (and after you read it, bookmark her blog because it's always that sweet, caring, and has just the right words to encourage me through the rest of my day). Oh, and lastly, read this post about making space for your future because it has some really awesome points.

xoxo
Joy

That Time Everything Worked Out Perfectly // part 2

Brooke and I clicked right away. We talked on the phone for probably an hour and then made plans to meet up later that week. I could tell right away that she was crazy about her girls, and I loved that she was whispering through our whole convo while her 5 month old slept in her arms. 

They live half way up Queen Anne hill, a quiet part of the neighborhood with lots of sidewalks and a playground nearby. I was greeted by a mommy and a baby, and could hear a big sister playing in her bedroom. It took a few minutes before she felt like coming out to meet me but, when she did, I heard all about her teacher at school and the artwork she’d made that day. She showed me her favorite books while her sister kicked and cooed on the floor next to where we sat. I think we were buddies from that point on. Baby sis was such a cutie! Totally calm and happy. I just wanted to snuggle and cuddle her but refrained just a bit so as not to seem too excited. Ha! 

This felt perfect. The hours were exactly what I needed, I felt at home right away in their space, the girls and I got off to a great start, and like I said, Brooke and I really hit it off. But I had competition! Brooke let me know that she’d already interviewed a couple other nannies and that she had a couple more later that week. We parted ways, happy to have met, and with promises to be in touch soon. 

Two days before Christmas, Brooke gave me a call. I could hear that her house was full of company - her family was visiting for Christmas! She told me that the other interviews had gone okay but when she asked Shelby which nanny she liked the best, Shelby said ‘Joy! I liked Joy the best!’ Oh my. Talk about heart melt. It meant so much to me that Shelby could tell we’d make a good pair from just that first little while together. Turns out, Brooke agreed with the girls and asked if I’d like to be Paige and Shelby’s nanny. Yes! I’d love to! 

This was it! What a relief to find a family that you just fit into right away! God had this all planned out for me and I was so thankful! Not only was it evident by how well we all hit it off in the beginning, but a few weeks later there was another big surprise that God knew was coming, even though I didn’t! I’m so glad He can see the big picture ;)

...To Be Continued...

Tell me about a time something just clicked together perfectly for you. A new job? A new friendship? 

xoxo

Joy

That Time Everything Worked Out Perfectly // part 1

Today is for:

a hot cocoa date while the babe naps

finishing a new quilt project

blog design brainstorming

lighting Christmas scented candles

turning up the heat

making goals for a new year

Christmas gift planning

enjoying our cozy home

What are you guys doing today? Winter is definitely here in Seattle..has it come to your house yet?

xoxo

Joy

That Time Everything Worked Out Perfectly // part 1

Uniformed Nanny, 1967 via Pinterest

It was about this time, 2 years ago, that I started looking for my first nanny gig. I talked on the phone to quite a few families but all of those conversations turned out to be practice calls until I met Teresa. Her voice was sweet and I could hear her two boys playing in the background. We made plans to meet. 

I met Teresa and her 2 sons, Henry and Jack, a couple days later. We had a nice evening together, playing with trains, reading books, making snacks. Teresa and I had good conversation about what she needed in a nanny and my experience with kids. Looking back, I can’t say that I felt uneasy at all. The boys were rambunctious but sweet. Teresa was kind and welcoming. The evening ended on a good note and I felt excited that this might be my new ‘nanny family’. 

Over the next few days we talked about more details - schedules, transportation arrangements, hourly wage. It seemed like this was it! By the end of the week though, I started to feel unsettled with the idea of working for them. I tried to figure out what was making me feel differently than when I’d first met Teresa and the boys, but I couldn’t put a finger on it. I just didn’t have a peace about it. Camillo and I prayed and I finally just felt God say to me that this wasn’t what He had for me. Plain and simple. 

This is not where I’m taking you. 

I made the decision to decline Teresa’s offer to be Henry and Jack’s nanny. It was really weird. I hate feeling like I’m disappointing people. I’d gotten this far in the interview process, only to turn her down. On the phone, she kept asking if something was wrong, why didn’t I want to work for them? I was a little shy to talk to tell her my real reason, so I had a couple lame explanations at first. Finally, when none of them satisfied her, I told her the truth. I told her that I am a person who trusts God to lead me where He wants me to be. There was nothing wrong with her family, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to work with them, I just felt like this wasn’t the direction I was supposed to go. 

I could tell she thought I was a little nutty but, by being real and honest with her like that, I was able to hang up the phone, confident that I’d said what needed to be said. Had I beat around the bush, I probably would have wondered ‘did I say the right thing?’ or ‘did I sound rude or immature?’. I’m glad I was honest with her about my faith. Sometimes I worry that people will just blow me off if I start talking about Jesus. Especially in Seattle. But I'm learning to be bolder and not worry so much what people think about me. 

Even though I didn’t know what God had for me next, I was at peace with continuing my job search. Over the next few days, I met a couple really sweet girls. Maybe this was it? My new ‘nanny family’?

...To Be Continued…

Have you ever been given an opportunity that seemed like a good idea in every aspect..except for that uneasy gut feeling? What did you do? Join the conversation in the comments below!

xoxo
Joy

That Time Everything Worked Out Perfectly // part 2

I Hope You Had a Wonderful Thanksgiving! Today I'm thankful for...

Thankful For:

Good Evening From The Candido Couch

Today has been a snuggle-on-the-couch-and-munch-on-an-apple-while-watching-curious-george kind of day. The babe is one big snot bubble, with a wicked cough and sneeze to go along. Oh, buddy. He goes from running through the house hollering and laughing to melting in my arms, out of breath and exhausted. I hope he can fight this bug off soon. It makes my mama heart so sad!

This week is going to be super low key. A reboot of sorts. I feel like the last few weeks have been a little crazy and I need to tune in to our family's needs and redefine our schedule accordingly. We're going to figure out O's napping schedule if it kills me. It's already killing me the way it's been so cattywampus. He's been waking up 3-4 times a night for about a month now, too, and I'm pretty frazzled. So! Mama is making an executive decision and we are taking a week off. Off of extracurricular activities and off of blogging. Much needed. Much appreciated.

My goals for this week away:

• Find O's new nap rhythm
• Inventory of pantry/fridge and refocus meal planning
• Brainstorm for HappyCandido content/design
• Plan a date night
• Have a family business meeting about next quarter
• Get some friggin sleep

Also, hopefully there will be a lot more snuggling and hanging out with Hugsy the Penguin.
See you soon, friends…

xoxo
Joy

Thankful Thursday

To The Zoo

Dear Ollie,
On Monday, we got to go on our first trip to the zoo! It was surprisingly warm and sunny, the perfect day to visit. I've been wanting to take you for months but for one reason or another, it hadn't worked out. But, ya know? I think this was the perfect time for us to try something new! You loved it. Loved it! We saw penguins and baby jaguars and gorillas and froggies and toucans! You climbed trees and ran through caves with Uncle Josiah, led the way through the trails and had a blast talking to the monkeys. Oo Oo Ee Ee Ee!! :D Oh man, it was the best time, really. Poor Daddy had to stay home and finish a paper that was due that night. He missed out on a great day but don't worry! We will take him again soon and you can show him your favorite animals. 

I love exploring new things with you, Buddy. You're Mama's favorite friend and I'm so thankful that Jesus picked me and Daddy to take care of you for Him. I'm doing my best, I hope you know it. 

Let's go to the Aquarium next, wanna?!
Love you!!
Love,
Mama

Late Night Wit

It seems like I come up with really clever, witty things to say at the most inopportune times. Like, after that confrontation with the mean girl in yoga class, I form a perfectly smart retort. Too bad I thought of it 20 minutes too late. Or, I send an email and, immediately after hearing the little swoosh of my electronic letter, realize I totally shouldn't have said it that way. Irretrievable, lost in the abyss of gmail.com.

Most frequently I find myself in this now-is-not-a-good-time-to-be-clever scenario at about 11:24pm. I've finally fallen into bed. My eyes are closed, I'm perfectly comfortable and fading into a deep sleep…and that's when it hits me. In this half awake/half asleep state, my mind just starts going and I am hilarious! Oh, how clever I am! What a witty thing to think! The trouble is, if I open my eyes to write down any of these brilliant little quips, I lose them. They're gone! I go back to my open-eyed-not-too-funny self. Laying there in the dark and trying, for the life of me, to retrieve anything remotely comical that was just so casually floating through my thoughts. It's a desperate feeling. Why can't I be witty when I'm awake? When anybody else in this house is awake? Who is going to believe that really, deep down I am quite the sharp shooting comedienne!?

Do me a favor, just take my word for it.

xoxo
Joy

Thankful Thursday

From Where I Write // Twirl Cafe

Today I'm writing from a small table right outside the jungle ;) Me and Ollie are with Lanissa and Aria at Twirl Cafe! It's the perfect place to let the kids explore and play while us mommies get a little business done. Lanissa and I are taking the Blog (Design) Love e-course from A Beautiful Mess. We're really excited to learn new ways to design our blog and website, making them reflect more of who we are! I'm having a great time brainstorming and learning new tricks. Keep on the look out for new things here on HappyCandido!

More about Twirl Cafe. It's a super cute place with a custom built 'tree house', slide, cave, and awesome paintings on the walls. The play area is full of creative toys I love watching Ollie play. There is an excellent menu of healthy, mostly organic, local food. Oh man, so good. Also, there are goldfish for your pet kitties to eat while you play…

If you're in the area, check it out! Maybe take a kid with you, otherwise you might look suspicious. ha!

xoxo

Joy

Sorting Through the Week and a Reminder

Hello, hello! I can't believe today is already Tuesday..November 5th?! The last couple weeks have seemed to fly by and I'm sitting here at my computer trying to sort through what just happened. ha! After having out-of-country family here with us, Ollie and I packed up and drove south to spend the weekend with my mom for her 50th birthday. I can hardly remember anything that happened yesterday but I think I'm getting back into the swing of things today. I've got notebooks and binders and pens spread out across the dining table and I'm brainstorming for this here blog. This is my favorite season and I want to make sure I fill it with lots of good things. I'm thinking about cookies, breads, candies, garlands, and cards. Oh geez. Somebody throw a holiday party so I can give away all the calories I feel like baking up. I'll even make your invites! And decor! It's a good feeling to be so inspired. Thanks, November.

Okay, really quick, some business! You guys, there has only been one person who has correctly entered the giveaway for this cookbook (hi, heather!). Just leave a comment on the blog post, peeps. That's it. I know every one of you could stand another cookbook in your collection. I mean, it's a good one!

Enjoy your Tuesday and don't forget to vote!!
xoxo
Joy

Isn't It Lovely?

this post is part of my 31 Day series. here is the beginning

It's here! And it's beautiful! The trees here are fluorescent and glowing. Ollie and I went for a 3.5 mile walk up the prettiest hill. I left my camera alone and just enjoyed the scenery and my company. November might be my favorite month. Did I say that about September??

November 1st also means that 31 Days are over. That month went fast, and I enjoyed participating with the other bloggers. It was good for me to challenge myself both with writing and cooking. There are some new recipes I tried last month that we really liked and turned out to be really easy! And, even though I didn't post every day, I posted way more than usual and it feels good to have a fuller month. As for my budget goals, I kind of lost track mid-October since Caroline and Maria were here. We ate out a little more than we usual do, and obviously had to buy a little more groceries. I'll do some math and maybe write a bit more about that later.

Thanks for following along. I hope you found some new recipes that you and your family enjoyed, too! I have a lot of fun things planned for November so I hope you'll stick around and see what happens next :)

xoxo
Joy

ps. Did you see this giveaway? Make sure you enter for a chance to win a great cookbook! I'll post the winner next week. Open to US residents only, please.

A HappyCandido Giveaway!

this post is part of my 31 Day series. here is the beginning

I've had this cookbook for a couple years and have really enjoyed it. I adapted this recipe for shells from here! There are a lot of other great recipes we've liked, too. Like Oven Baked Crispy Chicken Tenders and Cheesy Chicken Parmesan. I have yet to try the Mango Glazed Salmon, and I'm sure Camillo would love the Buffalo Chicken Wings! 

In the front of the book, there are some great 'swap' suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner, takeout, desserts, even drinks! It's a helpful reference when I'm craving something heavy and full of calories :)

 I love a cookbook with pretty food photography and this one doesn't disappoint. I haven't tried this Southwestern Turkey Burger yet but doesn't it look delicious? Yum!

I'd like to share this book with one of you! One reader will get their own Cook Yourself Thin cookbook. And there are 4 ways to enter! If you need a refresher on how to enter giveaways most efficiently, you can read this post here. 

#1 Leave a comment and tell me your favorite home cooked meal

#2 Follow HappyCandido (over on the right, there)

#3 Share on Facebook

#4 Pin this post

Thanks for reading, I'll post the winner next week.

Good Luck!

xoxo

Joy

[ open to US residents only, please! ]

Checking In

this post is part of my 31 Day series. here is the beginning

Hey All! Happy Monday. Did you have a good weekend? We were very busy and had a lot of fun. Saturday we went to a Fall Festival at church. The kids dressed up and had a blast..more to come! And then yesterday we had a crazy long day at the mall. Oh geez. It was cray cray. I haven't been to a mall in ages, let alone with Ollie. But we all found some new shirts so Yay! 

Anyways, tomorrow our company leaves for home so today was low key. Ollie has been a little nutty lately. I started to get a little overwhelmed but then read a couple pages in this book and felt better. Once again, the book was spot on and helped me realize Ollie is just going through a new leap in his development. Poor guy is just trying to figure everything out so he needs Mama a little extra. Okay, buddy. Let's snuggle. ;)

Tonight we had pizza so nothing special there. But tomorrow I have something exciting so see you then!!

xoxo

Joy

Weekend Burgers

this post is part of my 31 Day series. here is the beginning

Sometimes burgers are good on Saturdays, huh? I got these two patties from Safeway, on sale for only a couple bucks! We already had most of these toppings and condiments so this meal was cheap and filling. 

I made a makeshift broiler pan for these burgers with foil, a small, shallow pan, and a cooling rack. Season with your favorite herbs and spices and set under broiler. After about 5 minutes on each side, your burgers should be nice and juicy!

Stack with lots of veggies and your favorite sauce, then open wide! I topped mine with Pepperjack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and BBQ sauce. Burgers are a fun, easy meal. Perfect for weekends, even in October!

What do you like to stack on your burgers?

xoxo
Joy