The New Domestic

Domestic 2.0


09/02/10

10 Months!

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 10 Months!

Little Luna is now 10 months old. Luna loves swimming in the pool (we go once a week), sitting on a swing and bouncing on a seasaw at the park. She loves our long walks as she sits in her stroller and watches the world go by. Luna LOVES playing with her nephews Bailey and Nico and gets excited every time they come over to play with her. They always watch her so closely (like her big brothers) and endlessly entertain her.

Luna has also learned her first word – MAMA! Though, she refers to everything and everyone as Mama. Luna has also learned to clap her hands and wave.

Luna has been eating finger foods and enjoys feeding herself. She happily eats a banana all by herself, strawberries, melons and practically anything she can get her hands on. Luna has also enjoyed everything I cooked for her so far. She loves her baby bolognese with ricotta cheese, homemade broccoli cheese sticks, peas steak risotto & macaroni and cheese.

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 10 Months!

Luna is still sleeping very well and sleeps all night by herself in her room. Oh, the freedom we have! As soon as we turn on Lullatone (given to us by Jonathan & Anita), she knows it’s time to sleep. She’s also made a friend which stays with her everytime she sleeps. It’s a little white lamb which our friend Sophia had given her. She loves her little lamb which she always has tightly wrapped in her arms to keep her cozy at night.

At this stage, we also feel like she should have a few organized activities that she can start participating in. We’ve got a puppet show to go to in our local library next week, a creative movement class which starts in 2 weeks at a community centre and Mother Goose at our local library once a week as well where we all sit in a circle and sing nursery rhymes. She’s also signed up for a baby art class which starts in November. I’m excited for that one!

We still have the last bit of Summer to enjoy and then we welcome what Fall brings to our everyday life.

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 10 Months!

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 10 Months!


Domestic 2.0 / Luna's Monthly PhotosNo comments — Posted by: Nerissa
08/15/10

Picnic at Crab Park

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Picnic at Crab Park

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Picnic at Crab Park

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Picnic at Crab Park

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Picnic at Crab Park

Today, we spent the afternoon picnicking at a semi-secret park, Crab Park at Portside with our friends Jonathan, Anita, Jamie and Heather. On the hottest day of the summer, the other city beach parks would have surely been jam packed. Jonathan and Anita live in the area and, to beat the weekend rush, suggested Crab Park instead. Sure enough, we had the whole park practically to ourselves. On the menu was a spectrum of finger foods: deli meats, baguette slices, cheese, mixed nuts, fresh berries, chips & salsa and, for dessert, a variety of chocolates. The meal was paired with Villa Teresa Rose’ Veneto and Old Style Pilsner for a high/low, old-world/new-world fusion. Conceptual? Yes. Purely coincidental? Um, maybe.

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Picnic at Crab Park

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Picnic at Crab Park

Crab Park isn’t well known to people who don’t live in the area. That’s, partly, because it’s surrounded by industry and, partly, because it borders the northern most tip of the Downtown Eastside. If you do make it to the park, you’ll see a 360° microcosm of Vancouver – old, new, rich, poor, scenesters, immigrants, families, singles, industry and nature. To the north are unobstructed views of the North Shore Mountains. To the south, loom the heritage buildings of Gastown and Railtown. To the west, you’ll see the downtown financial district and luxury cruise ships docked at Canada Place. While to the east, is the port with brightly coloured shipping containers that look like giant lego building blocks. Adding to the industrial romance, occasionally, a helicopter will fly by to land at the nearby heliport or a train will chug along the still active railroad. This is not Celebration, Florida, though. You’ll see homeless people and colourful locals dotted throughout the Park. For the most part, they’re just getting some rest in the sun like everyone else. If you’re comfortable with that part of the urban tapestry, give Crab Park a visit. It’s a diamond in the rough.


Domestic 2.0 / Food / Places2 comments — Posted by: Peter
08/03/10

9 Months!

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 9 Months!

Wow, our little girl is now 9 months old! A few updates this month. Luna can now sit up all by herself! She’s also eating very well. I’ve recently introduced lentils with coriander and fresh mint, peas risotto and tofu. Soon, I’ll be making her homemade hummus for her to dip her baby cookies in. As much as I can, I try to introduce a variety of flavours to constantly expand her palette.

Luna loves sitting and standing on grass. She loves the feeling of it in her little feet. She also loves to grab flowers and leaves and tries to stuff them all in her mouth. Luna doesn’t like the feel of sand in her feet and is afraid of the ocean. But I’ll try to take her to the beach more often so she can get used to it. Luna also loves being taken to the playground to sit in the swing. This has been her new favourite activity.

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 9 Months!

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 9 Months!

We’ve also successfully sleep trained her (at 6 months, she decided she didn’t want to sleep in her crib so we’ve been co-sleeping since then). She now is able to sleep all by herself in her crib and sleeps all night. Amazing! And when she wakes up, she quietly plays with her little lamb in her crib and waits for us to come in. We always look forward to going into her room in the morning as she screams with delight as soon as she sees us and is eager to be taken in our arms. These are moments we will always cherish.

We continue to watch our little girl explore her world and are excited to experience what month 10 brings!

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 9 Months!


Domestic 2.0 / Luna's Monthly Photos2 comments — Posted by: Nerissa
07/29/10

A New Favourite

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : A New Favourite

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : A New Favourite

Aside from jumping at home in her jolly jumper, Luna has found a new favourite activity – swinging! I take her to the park on our daily walks to give her a little play time. She loves being pushed quickly and giggles every time the swing comes close to me. Then, she’ll put her feet up and just hang out. This is what summer is all about in Luna’s world.


Domestic 2.0 / Kids1 comment — Posted by: Nerissa
07/25/10

Boskke Sky Planter

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Boskke Sky Planter

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Boskke Sky Planter

For Mother’s Day, I bought Nerissa a Boskke Sky Planter. The day after I bought it, I picked up a nice orchid for it but the root ball was too big to fit inside the small Boskke. Two months later, I got around to finding a replacement plant and hanging the planter up. I chose an Areca Palm which should stay fairly petite with long lyrical leaves once it blossoms out a bit. It’s a clever piece of the design. The act of hanging the plant upside down abstracts the form. It’s no longer just a plant in a white pot. It becomes a whimsical, living piece of sculptural art. It’s a nice addition to our home.


Domestic 2.01 comment — Posted by: Peter
07/17/10

A Walk in the Woods

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : A Walk in the Woods

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : A Walk in the Woods

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : A Walk in the Woods

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : A Walk in the Woods

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : A Walk in the Woods

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : A Walk in the Woods

We spent part of the day walking in the woods at the beach today admiring all the greenery around us. Then a little picnic and a siesta for the rest of the afternoon. Hope you had a great and relaxing Saturday too.


Domestic 2.0 / PlacesNo comments — Posted by: Nerissa
07/15/10

Bakers Twine

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Bakers Twine

Yay, I received my bakers twine in the mail today and i’m so excited (my simple pleasures in life)! I found a fantastic site where you can get them super cheap ($8.95 each + shipping). Each twine is a 2-pound cone – that’s approx. 3,400 yards! I got a red and white one and a lime green and white. I’m so loving them!! These should last me for many years.

You can order them here. Happy twine shopping!


Arts / DIY / Make / Domestic 2.03 comments — Posted by: Nerissa
07/12/10

Beach Day

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Beach Day

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Beach Day

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Beach Day

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Beach Day

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Beach Day

We spent a full day at the beach yesterday as it’s been scorching hot! I really love summer. The days are longer, the smell of bbq surrounds the air, birds chirping away, ice cream everyday and long days at the beach. It always feels like I’m a kid again. Hope everyone is having a great summer too and not melting from the heat.


Domestic 2.0 / Kids / Places1 comment — Posted by: Nerissa
07/06/10

Obsessed with Cups

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Obsessed with Cups

I seem to have an obsession with cups. I don’t know what it is but I think that my coffee tastes better in a cup that has a nice shape or pattern to it. Part of my enjoyment of drinking coffee is the cup itself – it’s part of the experience. As soon as I step into a vintage or a home store, I go straight for the cups. I always stop myself from buying them as we have way more then what we need but just admiring them makes me happy. A few that I absolutely love, but don’t have yet, are: Sentou-ti cups, cinq cupszipper cups, Fellina Sok-Cham espresso cups, ABC Paper Cups, & Marimekko Oiva cups.


Domestic 2.0 / Food5 comments — Posted by: Nerissa
07/04/10

Eucalyptus Soap

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Eucalyptus Soap

Mia, an old friend from art school, and her husband, Brent, graced us with a visit this afternoon. A month ago they were vacationing in France and brought back a lovely souvenir for us – Eucalyptus Soap. Coincidentally, we have a big Eucalyptus tree on our backyard. Three years ago we, actually, had four Eucalyptus trees but three of the more spiry ones couldn’t survive the wind and the winters. Also, as an ode to art school, I snapped an image with Sonic Youth’s “A Thousand Leaves” inner sleeve in the background with Kim Gordon peeking through some Eucalyptus branches.

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Eucalyptus Soap


Arts / Domestic 2.0No comments — Posted by: Peter
07/03/10

Summer Scarf

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Summer Scarf

I’m loving my new summer scarf. I’m also dying to have these black and white stripe espadrilles.


Clothing / Domestic 2.02 comments — Posted by: Nerissa
06/30/10

8 Months!

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 8 Months!

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 8 Months!

We can’t believe our little Luna is now 8 months old. It feels like it was only yesterday when we took her 7th month photos. How time flies… People weren’t kidding when they said they grow fast – they really do. When we look back at her newborn photos, it’s hard to believe she was that tiny!

Luna is now eating 3 times a day and really enjoys her food. I’m not quite sure if she has a favourite as she seems to eat anything I give her. As long as it’s sweet, she’s happy. I’ve started giving her quinoa and will soon introduce pasta and tofu. She also likes munching on her baby mum mum and it’s so cute how dirty she gets by eating those little cookies. Every morning when we wake up, I feel like I need to run to the kitchen and quickly make us our breakfast as she wants to eat ASAP! I guess she gets it from me as I’m that way too :)

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 8 Months!

Luna also loves getting her hair brushed. She is a girl afterall… She hasn’t started crawling yet but we see her trying. Maybe soon?  Luna will also be starting her summer session of her swimming classes this Saturday which I am looking forward to. It’s really cute to watch her splash around in the pool. Our little girl is growing and we continue to watch her explore her world.

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 8 Months!


Domestic 2.0 / Luna's Monthly Photos2 comments — Posted by: Nerissa
06/21/10

Father’s Day Present

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Fathers Day Present

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Fathers Day Present

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Fathers Day Present

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Fathers Day Present

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Fathers Day Present

Yesterday was Peter’s first Father’s day and I decided to surprise him with Jennifer Causey’s ‘Simply Breakfast More Please’ book as a present. I didn’t have the time to make him a special Father’s day breakfast as we had to rush out of the house in morning to meet the rest of the family for an all day Father’s day picnic at Kits beach. But I figured he can just feast his eyes in Jennifer’s breakfast photos instead. We’ve been a big fan of her blog with all her delicious breakfast photos so we are happy to add her book to our library. Happy belated Father’s Day to all the father’s out there!!


Arts / Domestic 2.0 / FoodNo comments — Posted by: Nerissa
06/21/10

Eggs, Basil & Anthropologie

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Eggs, Basil & Anthropologie

My favourite breakfast these days – homemade whole wheat bread, cream cheese (or avocado), fresh basil, pouched eggs, fleur de sel & a drizzle of olive oil. It’s so simple but so flavourful (the photo doesn’t do justice to how good it is but believe me, it’s so good!). Fresh basil is so good with anything really… I also received my Anthropolgie catalague so I happily ate my breakfast while dreaming of all the beautiful things I was looking at which I wish I could own. They are just way too expensive. But so beautiful! I heard from a friend that Athropologie might be opening a store in Vancouver to take over the Liberty space on Broadway. I’m so excited!!!!


Domestic 2.0 / Food2 comments — Posted by: Nerissa
06/09/10

7 Months!

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 7 Months!

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 7 Months!

Our little girl is now 7 months old! She’s a lot more vocal now and loves rolling around. She can’t crawl yet but once in awhile I see her trying. She loves the food I make her and recently, she started eating homemade steak stew (it’s actually pretty good, a lot better then the stew I made for Peter and I a few months ago), chicken with fresh basil, mangos and soon, she will be eating blueberries. She’s finished her swimming classes but I have signed her up for the summer class as she really loves it. Summer is almost here and I can’t wait for us to spend our days lounging at the beach, picking berries at the park by our house, lots of picnics and having our meals out in our garden. Luna is a winter baby so we are excited to see her discover her world in the heat! Yay for summer!

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 7 Months!

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : 7 Months!


Domestic 2.0 / Luna's Monthly Photos1 comment — Posted by: Peter
06/09/10

Goodbye Lunch

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Goodbye Lunch

I spent part of my day today having lunch with our good friend Gen and her little Aoi as they are moving to California. We are sad that they are leaving but yet excited for their new adventure. We will miss you guys!  xoxo


Domestic 2.0 / Food / PlacesNo comments — Posted by: Nerissa
06/08/10

Just Hanging Out

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Just Hanging Out

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Just Hanging Out

Lounging outside in the sun yesterday afternoon. It’s been raining and cold here the past few days but the sun finally came out yesterday and it was so nice out. So Sisi and I met up for lunch at Urban Fare in Yaletown and lounged around at the seawall and chatted all afternoon. What a great day! Vancouver is so lovely in the summer.


Domestic 2.0 / PlacesNo comments — Posted by: Nerissa
05/28/10

Sunday Brunch

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Sunday Brunch

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Sunday Brunch

We had our friends Tami, Jim and their super adorable daughter Lily over for brunch a few weeks back and we ate, ate and ate!! I love having friends over for brunch. It’s casual and a good way to spend a Sunday morning. We had homemade coconut Belgian waffles, homemade whipping cream, strawberries, nutella, syrup, dolce de leche spread, bratwurst with carmelized onions & yams, pineapple juice and Milano coffee. Tami made us cupcakes for dessert with lavender tea sprinkled on top. Yum! We were happy and very full after.


Domestic 2.0 / FoodNo comments — Posted by: Nerissa
05/25/10

Black & White Tote Bag

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : Black & White Tote Bag

I can never seem to have enough tote bags. Peter’s mom came to visit and stayed with us for a week so I was able to find some time on Friday to sew myself a new tote bag while she happily entertained Luna while she was awake (a nice break for me!). It was really nice to get back into sewing again and having that time to myself.

For those of you who are looking for amazing hand crafted bags and scarves, Breanna Musgrove from Scout & Catalogue who I went to art school with makes the most amazing bags. Each piece is dyed, hand studded and all made with love. Check out her etsy store here.


DIY / Make / Domestic 2.0No comments — Posted by: Nerissa
05/20/10

A Simple Day with Kevin

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : A Simple Day with Kevin

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : A Simple Day with Kevin

Peter Hoang & Nerissa Goco : A Simple Day with Kevin

A nice lunch with my friend Kevin at Little Nest today on Commercial Drive. I had toasted organic baguette with ricotta and honey & chocolate cake. Kevin had a platter of smoked applewood cheddar, mild genovese salami, apple, fig jam, maple roasted hazelnut, crostini and organic baguette. After lunch, we headed off to one of my favourite Italian grocery store called Santa Barbara and bought a 3L extra virgin olive oil for only $17! I love this place. Kevin has been extra busy at school doing his Master’s so it was nice for us to have some much needed quality time together to do some catching up. We then headed to the park for a quick walk until heavy rain started falling from the sky and we quickly ran to my car and headed back home. A perfect simple Thursday.


Domestic 2.0 / Food / Places2 comments — Posted by: Nerissa