A Side of Sweet

Alcatraz Ai Wei Wei Art Exhibition

Right now there’s something special going on at Alcatraz prison. Political activist and artist Ai Wei Wei has a special exhibit up in the prison and if you’re in San Francisco, it’s an absolute must-see. Ai Wei Wei is currently on house arrest in China, so all of his amazing works have been assembled here with the help of volunteers. The most stunning of all, With Wind, is seen in the above photo. The amazing dragon is the first installation that you see on the tour and is actually a fully functional paper kite! More on that later though, I want to take you through the Ai Wei Wei night tour as I experienced it…. Read More »

Blogging on a Busy Schedule

Sometimes I think it’s important to get real with all of you out there on the interwebs. I want to give you a sneak peek into what mornings really look like on my days off. A little look into my happy place. You probably figured it out, but my life isn’t all lengthening mascara and trips to wine country. Sometimes (aka most of the time) I just need to hunker down and get work done, without worrying about how I’m going to artfully arrange my coffee mug for Instagram or where to grab brunch. That means sweatpants, a comfy sweater and lots of coffee.

Warning, that means these photos are me with yesterday’s makeup and unwashed hair. In the spirit of real-ness, you know? I also want to talk a little bit about how I fit blogging into my busy schedule. Being a full time pediatrician and running an almost full time blog takes a lot of careful juggling. So curl up in a blanket, grab your coffee mug and let’s chat…… Read More »

Best Recipes & DIYs of 2014

Vegetarian Vegan

2014 has been an amazing year for A Side of Sweet! Traffic around here has more than doubled and I’ve had my recipes pop up everywhere from A Fabulous Fete to the Huffington Post.

Even more important than that though, is the increased engagement and connectedness I feel with the community I’ve built around A Side of Sweet. I’m talking every comment, every email and every hashtag. At the end of the day, that’s why I blog. It’s about a sense of community – and y’all are truly the best darn thing.

People ask how I manage a busy ‘real life’ job with the time commitment that blogging takes. I always give the same answer – it’s so much fun to contribute to this amazing online community and connect with people across the world. I feel like I’m getting energy from blogging instead of expending it. So thank you, and here’s to so much more fun in 2015!

Without further ado, here are the top recipes and DIYs this year:

Get Your Glow On // Holiday Makeup Tutorial

Hi pretties! I hope you had a great holiday! 2014 was a great year, but I’m so looking forward to 2015 – and all of those New Year’s Parties!

Experimenting with new makeup looks is one of my favorite things. I have just one rules for new makeup looks. I want to wear the makeup, not have the makeup to wear me. Bare Minerals is always my go-to when I’m buying new makeup. I know I can trust them for high quality, good-value looks that will look great and stay on all night.

Holiday kits are a great way to load up on new makeup without spending a fortune. I looked to the selection from Bare Minerals to help me try out a new look that will be perfect for ringing in the new year! Most of the makeup I used for this look is from the Bare Minerals Vision of Light kit. As a bonus, the kit is on sale right now meaning you can get an entire look worth of make up for next to nothing…. Read More »

Our Holiday 2014 Letter

Dear friends and loved ones,

2013 was a year of changes. We got married, moved across the country, honeymooned in Morocco and started new jobs. It was excited, but in truth, all a bit exhausting. The theme of 2014 was finding a routine. We settled in nicely to life in San Francisco this year, and our love story with this incredible city deepened and intensified. Everything about living here speaks to us, with the great outdoors right at our doorstep with Golden Gate Park, the perfect weather year round letting us keep up the physical activity that keeps us sane, the amazing people, many of whom are also transplants and the constant cultural hum of this melting pot that is a hub of innovation and creativity. Just because we’re settling in doesn’t mean 2014 was boring by any stretch. Kelly finished her first year of pediatric residency and is enjoying the extra bit of autonomy that comes with being a second year resident. Pat started a new job in November at a solar energy company and is thriving in his new work environment. After two weeks on the job, his boss sent an email to the entire company praising his work and success. Not a bad start. Because the children’s hospital is moving across town early in 2015, we started looking for a place that would be closer to work for both of us. The rental market is extraordinarily tough in San Francisco, but with a lot of patience and a stroke of luck, we found an amazing flat in the Potrero Hill neighborhood. It’s one of the sunniest neighborhoods in town, has amazing views and is full of great coffee shops and restaurants. The place itself is in an old Victorian, with hardwood floors, natural light, and a luscious backyard for Maddie – complete with a lemon tree. Coming from Wisconsin, a lemon tree is the next best thing to a unicorn, in our opinion. We can’t wait to turn it into a home. We’ve been staying active, with Pat competing in cyclocross races this year and Kelly running the Nike Women’s Half Marathon. Even better than competitions though, are the runs together at night in Golden Gate Park and bike rides across the bridge with a bit of outdoor yoga thrown in – in November! 2014 also brought lots of life changes for our family. Pat had two sisters get married this year and we also became an Aunt and Uncle! Congrats to Colleen & Aric on your marriage and to Kelly & Grant for both tying the knot and adding adorable baby Owen to the family! We’re so excited to travel home early in 2015 to meet the new addition to the family. Our little pupster, Maddie, is now full grown. At 48 pounds, she’s on the small side for a labrador retriever, but the perfect size for city living. She is so fast and full of endless energy. She comes with us everywhere, from morning runs with Kelly, to work with Pat, and of course on all of our adventures. After Morocco and India last year, we decided to hold off on big trips this year and instead explore closer to home. We went back to Big Sur and Kelly took a weekend trip to discover the hidden gems of Oregon. We also made several trips to the Napa Valley. A Side of Sweet has continued to grow in 2014, with traffic more than doubling. It’s changed from a side hobby for Kelly to something that both of us work on together. The blog has afforded us many opportunities and adventures this year, and it’s a great creative outlet for both of us. Kelly has seen her work and recipes published everywhere from local print magazines to the Huffington Post. Even more fun though, is being able to look back and see photos and stories from this amazing online journal of our life together. Our honeymoon was featured in Martha Stewart Weddings this year, and it was fun to see our adventures in print. You can find the online version here. Before we close this year’s holiday letter, we wanted to leave you with a little video message: