SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 82
Hello and welcome to Sundays With Celia Vol 82. It makes me so happy that you come and visit me on Sundays! Thank you! Well Spring officially arrived this week so I’m celebrating by reminiscing about the Cherry Blossom season in Washington, DC. Spring has not yet made an appearance here in Lake Arrowhead. In fact it snowed here on the first day of spring! And we’re expecting more snow next week. But a girl can dream can’t she?
If you saw Sundays With Celia Vol 80 you know that we made a quick visit to Washington, DC to attend the birthday party of our grandchildren.
Every time we visit DC food is involved, either by way of the meals we prepare together or the wonderful restaurants where we dine. During this visit my son suggested that my granddaughter Elle & I have a Bake-Off…
A Family Bake-Off
Elle loves to cook, something my son and I have instilled in her, so she jumped at the chance to face off with me. We started by preparing a simple vanilla cake mix batter. The challenge was to use whatever add-ins and decorations we wanted to prepare the winning cake. Elle decided to add Nutella to her batter which actually gave it a fudge-like, almost chewy brownie type texture. She then added nearly every sprinkle and decoration in the pantry. The result was a very moist and delicious cake.
I decided to make a chocolate-marble cake and then simply dusted my buttercream frosting with a little cocoa on top. In the end I must admit that my cake turned out to be a bit dry.
After dinner Elle served small slices of each to the family, who then rated our creations on taste, texture, and appearance.
I am pleased to report that Elle beat me hands down in all 3 categories and is the reigning Bake-Off Champion in our family. CONGRATULATIONS ELLE!
White House Easter Egg Roll
Every year the President of the United States invites members of the public to the White House grounds for an Easter celebration termed the Easter Egg Roll. This year it will be held on Monday, April 22, on the South Lawn. It’s a tradition that dates back to 1878 when President Rutherford B. Hayes first invited children to the White House to roll Easter Eggs.
Families with children ages 13 and younger are invited to join the President and First Lady for a day of festivities outside the White House. About 30,000 free tickets are distributed via an online lottery system that this year opened on Feb. 28th and closed on March 4. So I regret to say it’s too late to apply this year. Winners of the lottery were notified on March 14th.
The event is organized and executed by volunteers and White House staff members. Way back in 2005, when my DC dwelling son was a White House Intern, he was asked to work the event.
As a result he was able to get a few of the commemorative wooden eggs that are passed out to attendees. And wonderful son that he is, he shared 3 of them with me. I have them ensconced in a box which I display proudly in my home. I did a comprehensive blog post about The White House Easter Egg Roll a couple of years ago. You can read all about it by clicking here.
So even though we won’t be attending the White House Easter Egg Roll this year, I make it a habit to purchase the commemorative wooden eggs from the White House Historical Association each year. You can get your Official 2019 White House Easter Egg Set too by clicking here.
Official 2019 White House Easter Egg Set
It’s Almost Cherry Blossom Season In DC!
I only remember being in DC a couple of times when the famous cherry blossoms were in bloom.
A Street Near My Son’s Home
It’s such a beautiful time of year, but unless you live in DC it’s difficult to plan a trip to view them because they are very unpredictable. And they are very fleeting and short lived. I remember that the fallen blossoms litter the roadways and fly in the wind as you drive by.
However, there is an average peak bloom date, which is when 70% of the flowers of the cherry blossom trees are open, which is April 4. In the past, peak bloom has occurred as early as March 15 and as late as April 18. The entire blooming period can last up to 14 days, which includes the days leading up to peak bloom. Here’s the prediction for this year:
2019 Peak Bloom Forecasts:
- National Park Service: April 3 – 6
- Washington Post’s Capitol Weather Gang: April 1 – 5
For more info about Cherry Blossom Season in DC here’s a little video produced by one of my son’s companies: FamousDC…
A Wedding Snippet On Sunday | Favorite Photos of the Bride
Each week on Sunday I’ve been sharing little snippets of my son’s recent wedding that took place here at our Lake Arrowhead home. Last week I showed you the “First Look” when the groom got to see his beautiful bride for the first time. This took place before the wedding so that they could take photos with the wedding party. After the photo session the bridal party came to our home, and the women congregated in my guest room for more photos as they waited for the ceremony to begin.
It was during this time that some of my favorite photos of the beautiful bride were taken.
Can you imagine the anticipation and excitement she was feeling at this moment, knowing that her wedding ceremony would begin in a few minutes? I’m so happy the photographer captured this very special moment and it’s one of my favorite photos from the big day.
Bargain Cosmetic Shopping On Sunday
I do my best never to pay full price for anything. I’ve learned that even if something isn’t on sale I can usually get a rebate when I make a purchase via EBATES. However, cosmetics is one area where I never spend full price. I know that the brands I use always have an annual or biannual Friends & Family Sale, and several times a year they offer a Gift With Purchase.
Well because I’m very sensitive to fragrances and additives, I find that Clinique Cosmetics works best on my skin. Clinique is fragrance & paraben free. Well it just so happens that they are currently celebrating through TODAY ONLY, Clinique’s Friends & Family Event with 25% off. Plus EBATES is offering a 4% rebate! That’s a total of 29% off the cosmetics I use every day. You also get a FREE Full Sized Sample with a $75 purchase. Use THIS LINK to take you there and enter CODE SMART 25 at checkout. Plus, if you’re a loyalty Member you’ll enjoy 3X Points & FREE SHIPPING too!
Looking Back On Sunday
It was a busy travel week here at After Orange County. First I showed you how we spent five fabulous days in Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina.
Then I took you to Savannah, Georgia where we checked into the fabulous new Alida Hotel, located on the newly restored Savannah Riverfront. If you missed that post please read all about our stay in this post: Checking Into The New Alida Hotel In Savannah.
One Final Thing!
You still have time to enter my contest to WIN a $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE toward the purchase of a fabulous JORD wood timepiece in styles for both men & women. It’s super quick to enter by clicking here.
So there you have it: SUNDAYS WITH CELIA VOL 82
Thanks so much for dropping in!
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission. Wedding images via Apartment 3 Photography. This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s what helps to make this blog possible. Thanks very much for your support.
