• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
My Big Fat Cuban Family

My Big Fat Cuban Family

Cuban recipes, family, heritage, and culture.

  • Meet Marta
    • Media Mentions
  • Lifestyle
    • Cuban-American Life
    • My Big, Fat, Cuban Family
  • Entertainment
    • Disney
    • Marvel
    • Television
    • Concerts
    • Books
    • Theatre
  • Celebrate
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Cuban Christmas
    • Mother’s Day
    • Movie Nights
    • Summer Nights
  • Recipes
    • Cuban Recipes With Pictures
    • Family Favorites
    • My Cook Book
  • Shop
    • Cuban Foods Poster
    • Cuban T-Shirts
    • Costa Rican Foods Poster
    • Honduran Foods Poster
    • Puerto Rican Foods Poster
    • Salvadoran Foods Poster
    • Scottish Foods Poster
    • Customize Your Own
    • Cuban Goodies In Your Mailbox
  • Contact
    • Advertise
  • Archives

A Week in My Life or Why I Love Mondays

April 29, 2010 By Marta Darby 2 Comments

I often wonder how my Cuban grandmother spent her days. I wonder what she cared about and how she decided what to have for dinner. 

I have stories, of course, from my mom, about how she would make desserts every night. Homemade desserts EVERY NIGHT, people! Doesn't that just sound glorious?

I know some things just by word of mouth. She had an old coffee can that was the perfect size for a flan. She kept chickens. The lights in their tiny port town would be turned off at 9 o'clock, but she would continue to read late into the night by candlelight.

Perez puelles fam106
Perez-Puelles family. Circa 1930. My mom, Luz, is the 15 year old in the 2nd row on the right, with the Wilma Flinstone pearls.

How I wish I knew more about their lifestyle. I am absolutely fascinated by the minutia of those lives that came before mine.

I know this intrigues my kids, too. I tell them about rotary phones and curb feelers and they have a hard time believing I was actually alive and survived those barbaric times. 😉

This is one of the reasons why I blog. I know my kids are fascinated by how I grew up and so I write "now and then" type stories. But more than that, I know that my own ordinary days will be important for them to remember. So I write about the real things we do and the places we go and the people we do them with.

Last week I decided to take up the challenge by Ali Edwards to document A Week in the Life. The idea was to take photos of all the activities we did, what we ate, where we went, what we bought, etc. And then make notes about each day. And finally to compile all this information into a photo album.

Can I just tell you that I really enjoyed and got into it.

So this week I am sorting through the hundreds (!) of photos I took last week.
The observations I made about the week were nothing eye-opening, but I'm glad I stopped and paid attention.

I love the familiar rhythms and routines that make up each day in particular.

For example, every Monday I change the sheets on our beds and put up fresh towels in the bathrooms. This particular ritual makes me profoundly happy. I have such a sense of accomplishment. If nothing else gets done for the rest of the week, on Mondays there are always fresh sheets on our beds and all is right in my little world. =D

So, I documented the process and made notes about each thing I did and the places I went and the people I love.

I took photos of my bed looking all fresh and inviting with the clean sheets that, of course, you can't see, but I know are there and which make me so happy.

Bed

And I found that we drink a lot of coffee.

Coffee2

2 coffees

And I did a lot of driving. (Don't worry! Jon took the photo.)

5 north 

And I admit that we occasionally eat fast food. (Well, if you can even think that the perfection that is an In N Out Burger could possibly be in the same category as other fast food places….)


In n out

Some days I pumped gas (which, by the way, I totally hate, but that's not important right now).

Gas

And witnessed drama. =D

Improv

Here are Lucy and Jonathan in the high school drama classroom playing a
spirited Improv game
of "Playground Dis."

I tended to my garden.

Garden 

And I worked out. (Actually, I try to get out of this as often as my conscience will allow, but that's not important right now, either.)

Weight

I made phone calls.

Phone

And of course, I blogged. (Here's a screenshot from last week.)

Blogging 

Laundry was a constant.

Laundry 

As were dirty dishes.

Dishwasher

And we also had a house guest. =D

 

Luza 

I documented grocery shopping.

Avocados 

And took photos of my people in their natural habitats. 😉

Teenagers

Boys 

Those are just a few of the random snippets of my days.

I'm working on the album this week and I've decided to put it together digitally and upload it to Shutterfly for printing.

In the album, I will include my meal plans for the week, grocery receipts, bits and pieces of conversations, and even a look at the weather (from my iPhone app).

Weather

Each day's photos will be spread over four pages. I've only just started, but this is what the general layouts will look like with photos and words.

MONDAY - PG 2 

To keep it simple, I'm using Ali's Week in the Life Layered Templates from Designer Digitals and pulling the book together using Photoshop Elements. I used digital papers – Manchester, and Laurel.

I'm quite pleased by how it's all coming together.

My own grandchildren will not have to wonder how we spent our days. Or wonder about the things I cared about and why.

And the feeling of what I'm contributing to that continuity feels almost as good as fresh sheets every Monday. 😉

You might also like:

Project Life (or How I Scrapbook My Real Life) Seven Years. (MBFCF Giveaway WEEK!) Celebrating Six Years in the Blogosphere (MBFCF Giveaway WEEK!) Love and Death

Filed Under: Cuban-American Life, Current Affairs, Lifestyle, My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Tagged With: Ali Edwards, creative stuff, Scrapbooking, Week in the Life

Previous Post: « Brace yourself, South Florida!
Next Post: Lime & Ponzu Carne Asada Recipe (I think I’m turning Japanese. I really think so.) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rechelle says

    April 29, 2010 at 10:11 pm

    Thanks, Marti.I so enjoyed this glimpse into your world.
    I am constantly amazed at your energy, and the way you are so dedicated to each task you take on. I’m looking forward to seeing your electronic scrapbook of the whole week! What a great keepsake!

    Reply
  2. Ivis Suarez says

    April 30, 2010 at 4:13 am

    OMG I think that your 15 year old mom looks so much like Jon!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

EXPERIENCE CASA DE LA LOMA

Casa de la Loma on Airbnb

My Cuban T-Shirt Designs

“Cuban T-Shirts

Subscribe to MBFCF Newsletter!

Never miss a post! Sign up with your email address to receive recipes, news and updates right in your inbox!

Cuban Foods Poster

“Cuba

Cuban Coffee Poster

“Cuba

Cuban Desserts Poster

“Cuba poster - Cuban desserts subway art print

Most Recent Posts

  • Santayana loves Celia
    August 29, 2024
  • Post Solar Eclipse – Café La Llave Giveaway
    April 16, 2024
  • REAL Snow: A Darby Family Adventure
    March 19, 2024
  • Dulce De Leche Cheesecake with Maria Cookie Crust
    January 29, 2024
  • Hispanic Heritage Coffee Basket Giveaway
    October 24, 2023

Cuban Recipes Cookbook

Cuban recipes with pictures cookbook from My Big Fat Cuban Family

Follow Me on Instagram

mybigfatcubanfamily

I love all things Cuban. I love to share stories, my family, food & recipes. I'm Marta. 💋🎉 @martadarby
Marta Darby Designs:
https://etsy.me/3ZWbWIS

Oh, the Cubanity!! 🇨🇺❤️#mybigfatcubanf Oh, the Cubanity!! 🇨🇺❤️#mybigfatcubanfamily
O’ Hi! 👋🏼 ☘️🇨🇺Always represent O’ Hi! 👋🏼 ☘️🇨🇺Always representing. 😉#mybigfatcubanfamily
#stpatricksday
Believe it. ☕️🥰❤️Happy Sunday, my fri Believe it. ☕️🥰❤️Happy Sunday, my friends. 🎉#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
#belikemarta 🖖🏼😎
#thedrinkofmypeople🇨🇺☕️
I’m super crazy in love with my Christmas tree.🥰
And @gloriaestefan singing about it makes it that much more beautiful. Am I right? 🤩I’m over here waiting (rather impatiently) for Noche Buena to arrive. ⏱️
Who’s with me? 👀☺️🎄🙌🏼❤️#arbolitodenavidad
#feliznavidad
#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
I have a gift for you today on the blog. 🎁 Thes I have a gift for you today on the blog. 🎁 These Classic Cuban Crema de Vie printable labels designed by the lovely and talented @lucyruthdarby // I also share the recipe for our amazing Cuban egg nog. // 🇨🇺❤️ Merry Christmas, my friends.🎄 #itsacubanthing
bit.ly/2QJV2Ka
Best way to get from here to Noche Buena. Bring on Best way to get from here to Noche Buena. Bring on the @cafelallave
💚🗝️☕️🎄💃🏻🎶Feliz Navidad!!🎶🪅#cafelallave
#thedrinkofmypeople🇨🇺☕️
Felicidades, @anaqooks !!! I can’t wait to dig i Felicidades, @anaqooks !!!
I can’t wait to dig in! So proud of you, my friend. 😘❤️🥰
Bacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites. You should totally Bacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites. You should totally make these for Thanksgiving. Also, practice taking bows and saying, “it was nothing.” 🇨🇺🎉🏆 Here’s the link -  bit.ly/GuavaBites #thefoodofmypeople #guavabites
A big a Thank You shoutout to @santayanajwlrs in M A big a Thank You shoutout to @santayanajwlrs in Miami for this gorgeous Celia Cruz quarter which they made into a FINE piece of jewelry. 🤩🇨🇺💃🏻🎶
I’ll be wearing it with great pride.
“Abre que voy! Cuida’o con Los callos!” 🎶
AZUCAR!!!#santayanajewelers
#celiacruzquarter
#mybigfatcubanfamily
Our favorite sound…🙌🏼☕️💚🗝️“Mas cafecito, por favor.” ☕️❤️#cafelallave☕️
#thedrinkofmypeople🇨🇺☕️
#mybigfatcubanfamily
I want to recommend this beautiful story to you. 📕
1) Because the author @titaramirezwriter writes with such an appreciation for Cubanity. 🇨🇺🙌🏼
2) Also, is this the BEST quintessentially Cuban book title ever?? yes. Yes it is. 🇨🇺❤️🌴Felicidades, Tita on such a delicious read. ❤️🏆#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
#dimelocantando
#tellittomesinging
I’m excited and proud to share that my shop, Mar I’m excited and proud to share that my shop, Marta Darby Designs on Etsy is back open for business! 🎉
I have food posters from many countries available in multiple colors. ⭐️
Choose from digital uploads, printed posters, or framed posters. (Link in bio)
Que pachanga! 💃🏻
Come take a look and shop around. You’re bound some to find something you love.❤️https://etsy.me/3ZWbWIS#cubanfoodposter
#martadarbydesigns
Croquetas > Pumpkin Spice
This is the truth. Don’t @ me. 🇨🇺
.
.
.
.
.#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
#belikemarta 🖖🏼😎
#mybigfatcubanfamily
#croquetas
#pumpkinspice
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m pretty easy to catch.
🤭#pastelitodeguayaba
#belikemarta 🖖🏼😎
AHORA SI!! 🚨 My friends at @santayanajwlrs le p AHORA SI!! 🚨
My friends at @santayanajwlrs le pusieron la tapa al pomo!
Have you seen the new Celia Cruz quarters?? 🇨🇺💰
Well, Santayana has designed this gorgeous piece of jewelry. Seriously. 🤩
I’ll tell you all about it over on my blog. 🗣️ Porque I have all the chisme on this gorgeous piece. ❤️I know. Im a little crazy about it because we Cuban Queens have to stick together. 😉Link in profile! ☝🏼 ¡AZÚCAR! 💃🏻https://www.mybigfatcubanfamily.com/2024/08/santayana-loves-celia/
My good friends at @albisacandles are celebrating My good friends at @albisacandles are celebrating that 5 Years ago they introduced the amazing Cuban Bread Candle into the world.🌎
Those of us who have difficulty finding Cuban Bread are so grateful for this very Cuban scent. 🇨🇺🥖
Congratulations, my friends! 🎉Try it. I promise you’ll never be the same. 🇨🇺🥖❤️Oh, the Cubanity! 🤯#ohthecubanity🇨🇺
#belikemarta. 🖖🏼😎
#cubanbread
#cubanbreadcandle
#albisacandles
This was my breakfast. ☕️
And my lunch. ☕️
And my afternoon snack. ☕️
Because CUBAN. 🇨🇺☕️Who’s with me? 🙋🏼‍♀️
Gracias, @cafelallave#cafelallave
#ohthecubanity
#cafecubano
It goes without saying. Because CUBAN! 🇨🇺🍮#cubanfood
#cubanflan🍮
#thefoodofmypeople🇨🇺
This is so real. 🇨🇺🥖🙈Thanks to my fr This is so real. 🇨🇺🥖🙈Thanks to my friend, @theyumyumfoodie ❤️🙏🏼#thefoodofourpeople
#ohthecubanity
We have known this our whole lives! “Oye, Chiqu We have known this our whole lives!
“Oye, Chiqui! Traéme el VIBAPORU!! 🎯💃🏻❤️🎉#mybigfatcubanfamily
#futbol
Follow on Instagram

Follow Marta On Social

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

FEATURED POSTS

  • My Big Fat Cuban Cooking Playlist
    November 21, 2016
  • Bacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites RecipeBacon Guava Cream Cheese Bites Recipe
    October 3, 2016
  • Chicken Soup Recipe - Cuban-styleChicken Soup Recipe: Cuban-style
    July 27, 2016
  • Picadillo Pies Recipe
    July 27, 2016
  • El Flan de La Reina Recipe
    July 27, 2016

Blog Archives

Recommended Services

Orange County Private Investigator
Enterprise SEO

Footer

Meet Marta

Marta Verdes Darby is a Cuban-American food blogger in South Orange County.

Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sign Up For My Newsletter

April 2010
MTWTFSS
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930 
« Mar   May »

Copyright © 2025 my big fat cuban family