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We got our May issue of California Home & Design magazine a few weeks ago. There was an amazing house on the cover that immediately caught my eye. Then I read that it's in Mill Valley. AND, that the interior designer is Erin Martin , someone I've been dieing to meet and someone I really want Don and Pollin's to work with. I have to get in this house! I was seriously willing it to happen. Then what do you know, I got an invitation from my friends at California Home & Design to attend a housewarming party. WOO HOO!  I'm in. I'm so in. I'm moving in. The party was Wednesday night. You have to park two streets away and walk up a very steep path to get there. I seriously had to stop at one point to catch my breath. I didn't want to walk in panting and have a heart attack in their kitchen. This was not the first impression I was going for. Luckily I wasn't alone. Heather Hebert, with the architectural firm, was walking in with me. She was in...

It’s been quite a week. So I thought I’d lighten things up a bit… with a joke. My brother sent this to me, and it made me laugh out loud. The kind of laugh where you immediately think, I have to send this to someone. It also reminded me of those jokes my dad’s friends used to tell. The ones they could deliver perfectly, with just the right timing. I’ve always admired people who can tell a good joke. Don… is not one of those people. Sorry, honey. It’s okay, he knows it. Anyway, if you don’t think this is funny, then there is something seriously wrong with you. Definitely nothing wrong with me. Because this joke is funny. Ha. And to my sister Kathy—whose birthday is today—happy birthday! You always make me smile, so this one’s for you. Also, yes… this is your present. You’re welcome. And welcome to my world. Here’s the Joke A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their ho...

Here's a little something that will cheer up everyone - young and old.    This recipe, Cranberry-Oat Cereal Bars, came straight from watching Everyday Food on TV last Saturday morning. The three of us were watching the show when Elli said "Let's make those! We have Cheerio's. We have marshmallows and let's use our dried strawberries instead of the dried cherries." Well, ok, little missy. Let's do it! And so we did. Right then and there. And here they are. And I must say they are tasty. Instant satisfaction. That's how we roll around here.

Our 16 1/2 year old dog passed away on Sunday. We knew it was coming. We'd already had two false alarms over the past 18 months where we said our good bye's and my husband took her to the vet only to bring her home alive and well. This time was different. She started fading away about a week before she actually died. She stopped eating. She didn't want to go outside. Then she could barely stand. We knew it was serious when we pet her and there was no reaction. No ears twitching or tail wagging. It was almost as if she was gone already. We were really hoping she would go peacefully in her sleep. Because making the decision to have her put down is excruciating. We'd done it before with our cat Beaner and kept second guessing our decision. Kahlua still had a twinkle in her eye and the will "to be" for such a long time, but now it was different. The twinkle was gone, and she just seemed ready to go. Mid-weekend we decided we would take her to our vet fir...

What's for dinner? How about Sloppy Joe's in a lettuce wrap - with an Asian twist. Invented by yours truly. Here is why I will probably never have a future in recipe creation. I think I have a good idea. And I probably do. But it's all in the execution. But I'm sure stuff like this happens with people that create recipes all the time. In fact, it's probably how a lot of things get discovered. Here's what happened. I had some ground turkey to use for dinner. There are three things I typically make with ground turkey, 1) spaghetti sauce 2) turkey meatballs and 3) turkey tacos. I thought I would branch out and make lettuce wraps with ground turkey. Sounds like a good idea, right? And to make it even easier and FASTER, I decided to use a sauce I have from Trader Joe's called General Tsao's sauce. Well, I've never used this sauce before, cuz if I had, I wouldn't have used it in the lettuce wraps. The sauce is sweet and spicy with flavors of se...

We're going to a party in Napa tonight and I am so excited. (I'm doin' the happy dance...!!) We never go to parties. We never get invited to any. Actually, I'm not sure we're not getting invited, I'm not sure people have parties anymore. Doesn't matter. We're going to one tonight and it's going to be fun. It's up in Napa at one of Don's clients, Steve and Chris. They recently bought and decorated their new place and are excited to show it off. It should be an awesome time. I can't wait to put on a dress, heels and have some cocktails with the boys. Elli has a sleepover. And we're spending the night in Napa. Too far to drive home. So woo hoo!  I gotta go get ready. Have a good evening everyone!

First off, let me just say how incredibly helpful the woman was at the Visitors Center in Bodega Bay. We told her we had one afternoon to tour around and she highlighted a map for us showing us the "must see" destinations. PERFECT! This is exactly what we needed. Someone to show us exactly where to go. No guessing. No getting lost. She led us right to the one of coolest Whale Watching spots on the coast. Before we went to the overlook we hiked down to the beach. You can climb all over the rocks and easily spend all afternoon here with a blanket, good book, binoculars and a picnic. Elli was completely entertained exploring the rocks and sand. After collecting shells and teasing Sam with dead crabs, we headed up to the scenic whale watching overlook. It was our lucky day. We were looking out for about 1 minute when I saw a spout and a whale! UNBELIEVABLE!! You could stand there all day and not see anything. How lucky were w...

I bet you're thinking to yourself "what should I do today that will help the earth?" Well, you have come to the right place - I have just the thing to make you feel better. Redo all your furniture!!! The earth is practically begging you do to it. Check it out. EARTH = E asy + A ffordable to R eupholster T he H ouse The earth will feel better without your trashy furniture in a heap at the dump. And your tooshie will feel better on a new couch. It's a sign. And we have operators standing by, waiting for your call. We make house calls too.  Just ask. 707-224-1905 It's time to Relax + Recover. Really. It is.

We stopped for lunch at Nick's Cove in Tomales Bay. We'd heard about it, but had never been. It has been on the Top 100 Restaurants list in the Bay Area a few times (so I hear.)  So after the whole cow adventure we went inside for lunch. The restaurant is dark and rustic on the inside. With an amazing round fireplace near the bar. The server led us to an enclosed patio where it was warm, sunny and very relaxing for a lazy afternoon. First up bread and butter, topped with sea salt. Yum. We all devoured it. Elli stole all the salt. Next up a cup of chowder. Oh my gosh. It was the most fantastic chowder I've ever had. The clams were so fresh and tender, the veggies just perfect, it had big chunks of bacon and the broth was light and creamy at the same time. (Elli also stole most of my soup.) And I was so enamored with it I forgot to take a picture. Trust me when I say it's a "must order item" at Nick's. For lunch I ordered Crab Cakes off the Small Pl...

A funny thing happened when we were on a day trip to the coast last week. Three cows decided to take a little vacation from their pasture. Two ended up wandering Hwy 1 (in opposite directions) and one ended up on a jetty by Nick's Cove. The cow was having the time of her life looking out onto the water. The rancher? Not so much. It was a sight to see. I wonder if this has ever happened to the Marlboro Man and the Pioneer Woman ? Probably not. Especially since they live in Oklahoma. But you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Here she is enjoying the view. She's checking out the chaos behind her. The rancher and his helpers nearly drove their truck and trailer in the water. I think we saw her laughing. She REALLY didn't want to leave.  She was really enjoying the view. They finally got her in the trailer after many attempts. Don was thinking about lending them a hand. (ha) But Elli was starving. So we went in the restaurant instead. Jus...

Not every interesting Bay Area restaurant is packed with howling hordes devouring coffee encrusted pork bellies. John Weil's blog The Daily Geezer offers up some intriguing venues, which Michael Bauer is unlikely to ever set foot in. And that's what I have for you today! My first guest blog by the fabulous John Weil, from Berkeley, California. Check out his recommendations on "intriguing venus" or "hidden gems" as I would say, for seniors, kids, families - anyone in the Bay Area. My mouth is watering looking at the grilled cheese sandwich at Outerlands Cafe. And it's only 4 bucks. Fan-tastic! So read on my friends and prepare yourself for some Bay Area adventures. Submarine Cuisine Forbes Island is eccentrically romantic, a hunk of sand, palm trees, a lighthouse and a restaurant. You ride a pontoon boat for 5 minutes from Pier 39 to the former houseboat which has been converted into an expensive, no-star dining establishment. This is not Gary...

That's what Martha always says, and I think she would totally agree that Serena and Lily is a really good thing. The catalog and retail company sells super cute linens for adults, kids, and babies, and custom furniture. They are based right here in Sausalito, and one of the co-founders lives here in Mill Valley. I've always admired their fresh, chic designs, but I had no idea the story behind the company, or their philanthropic mission until yesterday. There was an article in the SF Chronicle on Sunday about Lily Kanter, one of the founders. She started the company with partner Serena Dugan six years ago after retiring from Microsoft (as a multi-millionaire) in 2000 at the ripe old age of 35. (pictured here on the right.) Her mission is to "empower employees" and "have the means to be philanthropic." She hires former executives who are striving to achieve a more balanced work/family life. And here's the biggie: her goal is to donate all thei...

"Orange buggy no punch backs!" I say, to Elli. "Where's the buggy mom? I don't see it," says Elli. "What do you mean you don't see it. It's right there," I reply. "Where?" she says. "There!!!" I reply. "I don't see it," she says. "Uh, it's right there. Do you need your eyes checked?" I kindly say. "That's not a buggy," she says. "Yes, it is. It's the original VW buggy," I say. "Oh. Are you sure?" says Elli. "YES!!!!!" I say, now more than slightly annoyed by this ridiculous conversation. "It doesn't look like a buggy," she says. "What are you talking about? Of course it's a buggy. It's the original buggy," I say. "Ok. Then we have to call it the original. So if you see an original you have to say 'orange original buggy no punch backs." ok.  sighhhhhhhhh...

I think it has the makings of a great Country song. ....Rolling down the highway in my Chevy truck Got my tools and my mattress in the back...... hee hee The other day we were driving down the road from SF to Napa and this pickup truck pulled out in front of us. Something about the truck caught my eye. Like the big HONKIN mattress in the back!!! It had a bunch of junk in the bed of the truck and a mattress. A huge mattress. With the sheets still in tact, blowing in the wind! WHAT?  The mattress still had the mattress pad and the floral fitted sheet and the pink top sheet on it. Holy schnikes, They ripped this bed right out of the room just as it was. The sheets were blowing in the wind!! I bet the poor person that was laying in it is still shaking their head wondering what the heck happened. They seriously drew the short straw on this one. 'Cuz not only did they get the bed ripped right out from under them, the next time they climb in bed there will be dead bugs all over...

So after we let Elli get all sugared up this morning, we took her to Miwok stables in Mill Valley for a tour of the stables and an Easter egg hunt - - -  in the rain. It was just sprinkling a teeny tiny bit at our house when we left. So I had high hopes that it wouldn't be raining at the stables a few miles away. Well, it was raining there. A lot. We did get to see the horses and hunt for eggs in the horse pasture, with a few other crazy egg hunters. It's too bad it was raining. The volunteers at the stables went to a lot of trouble getting 1,500 hard boiled eggs hidden for the munchins! First we got to meet all the horses. The horses were really pretty and very friendly with the kids.   Finally the Easter bunny gathered everyone by the gate.  5........4.......3.......2.......1.......GO!     It was a bit soggy in the field. She kept smiling the whole time. Even when she was soaked! Elli was smiling, not me. Of co...