Author: Crystal

Hi, I'm Crystal! Mother of 1 human, 3 cats, and a glorified housewife to a fantastic man. Let's have fun and enjoy life together!
Russian Soul Sundays

You Might Want To Try These Vegan Fajitas

Originally I was going to make vegan tacos but I figured I already made those. And plus, I needed blog material for the week (smile!) But Google has been my longtime friend and we never fight so I figured it was have a suggestion for me. Enter vegan fajitas. Now here's the end product but let's take it step-by-step on how it got there... I chose four bell peppers, though I only used
Mommy Commentary

What You Not Gon’ Do is Have Oprah Run for President

Honestly, y'all ain't gon' do that to the Queen. As I watched her Golden Globes speech last night, I was enthralled. I was hyped. I had tears in my eyes. It was powerful. It was awe-inspiring. It was everything. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss6qQM054B0&w=560&h=315] And of course, the internet started to get hype with the loud musical chorus of 'She Should Run for President!' followed by a choreographed number of, 'She Can Save Us!' Now, the
Russian Soul Sundays

Homemade Chicken (Noodle) Soup

I know I normally post vegan recipes on Wednesdays but I'll include a long-favorite recipe I'm making tonight at the end of this post. Lately, my hubby has come down with something that has made him sick. It seems everyone at his work is sick and well, it was his lucky turn to get it. Funnnn. So, I went to Trader Joe's to pick him up some of their yummy chicken
Mommy Commentary

Why I Think New Year’s Resolutions Are, Well, Lame AF.

At least for me. I've never really been keen on doing yearlong resolutions I'll make either on December 31st or first thing when I'm kinda awake, kinda sober, kinda coherent on January 1st. And I'm supposed to keep these resolutions all freakin' year?? It's not that it's impossible; anything's possible if you put your mind to it. But let's keep it one hundred for a moment - do you honestly believe you're
Meet the Blussians

Blussian Christmas traditions – New Ornaments

It seems every year we do the same thing just a bit differently. But I love that about our little family - taking something new and putting our own spin on it. As I've explained in the past, we celebrate Christmas pretty much starting from Saint Nick's until the Orthodox Christmas and New Year in January. We typically have our tree and decor up until February, though I've started decorating
Ethan, Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness

One Sweet Day

It's weird knowing six years ago, I gave birth to one of the most beautiful children I'd ever seen. It's equally weird that I buried him just days later. Ethan, had I carried him to term, would've been five this year. He would've entered kindergarten. As other April 2012 mothers celebrated and posted pictures of their kids' first day in kindergarten, I wondered what could've been. You see, it's different with
Russian Soul Sundays

Vegan Arugula Salad

Normally, I do my vegan and vegetarian recipes on Wednesdays. However, I didn't post last Wednesday and I only discovered this recipe on Thursday (go figure). But better late than never, right? It's hella simple to make and it tastes so freaking good! Before I get to the recipe portion, let's talk about some of the benefits of arugula; some of this is brand-new to me! It's healthy as shit for you.
Mommy Commentary

Preparing for the Worst

So, there's been a plethora of fires lately here in Southern Cali. And, it's very unusual for fires this time. Our fire "season" is usually from late summer to late fall, ending in early to mid November. Having fires in December is very rare. And very scary. We live near a wooded area. We're actually surrounded by dry brush, so the thought of going up in flames at any given moment
Mommy Commentary

Book Review – The Hate U Give

So, I recently read this book and I have to tell you - it was absolutely amazing! It's about a young girl, Starr, who was a firsthand witness to the police shooting/killing of her friend, Khalil, who was unarmed. It was a riveting first-person account of how living in the 'hood can affect people of all walks of life. While the premise of the story is BLM-centered, I also feel it's