Pinay WAHM

Valentine's Day Came Early

2012-02-09T12:57:00.005-05:00

...in this household anyway.

My 'valentino' got me the Barbie doll house...toink! LOL...of course I'm kidding. He got me the wallet which was supposed to be a surprise. It was busted because I'm the one that does the money stuff around here [balancing the check book, etc] and something showed in the account that I didn't know about so I asked. He just said: SURPRISE! Haha! Anyway, he really wants me to get that wallet to match the purse he got me for Christmas...but I wouldn't budge so he waited for a 'reason'...in this case Valentine's Day and got it as present for me. That way I wouldn't say it's too expensive....I still did. That's one thing about my husband...he doesnt push me if I don't want to do something. He finds other ways....LOL. Still, I'm grateful for my present which is now comfortably nestled in the purse he got me for Christmas which I posted here.

The 'Barbie Doll House' is obviously the little one's. She got a Barbie doll last Christmas and she's been creating a makeshift house for her. She even came up with a 'black print' for a house for her and asked Dad to get her some woods to build the mini-house. We got the hint loud and clear. Being the Daddy's girl that she is...the Dad heard her LOUDER and got her the doll house. We gave it to her as a Valentine's Day present just because...toink! Barbie aka 'Minnie Me' also got a Vday present [aside from the house]....a playmate...KEN! Now everyone's happy. Ha! As for our gift for Dad...nada! Well, a card...which is what we normally get him anyway. Romantic me, eh?

P-I-E-R-C-E-D!

2012-02-05T22:35:00.003-05:00

That's the little one having her ears pierced earlier today. FINALLY! She's been talking about it for months but was kinda' nervous about it. She's not scared of the act of piercing itself. She's worried about not being able to keep the piercings clean enough during the healing process. She finds the task of cleaning them 3x a day and rotating them regularly daunting so she's been putting it off for months now.

Today, she finally said she wanted to do it. We were out to buy ink & stamps and some artificial plants for the house. We had no idea where to go to get it done so we asked a lady in the jewelry section of the department store and she suggested Claire's ~ it's an accessory store mostly but they do ear piercing in the store as well. Fortunately it was just a few doors away from the department store itself. We walked over and that was it. There were a couple of girls ahead of her so she saw the process which made the experience a lot easier because the 2 girls didn't even flinch when their ears were pierced. They also assured the little one that it didn't hurt at all.

It was a great experience for her. This is her first major decision for herself. We intentionally didn't have her ears pierced when she was a baby because we wanted her to decide if she wants them pierced or not. It took her a while to finally make up her mind but she said she's glad she went for it today. Cool!

A New Twist to Hand Me Downs....

2012-02-05T22:11:00.004-05:00

I'm used to hand me downs since I'm the fourth in a brood of 5 and I'm also the younger one of 2 sisters. So it's nothing new to me when I get used stuff ~ clothes, shoes, etc. This time around though the "hand me down" I'm talking about is not coming from my older siblings. Can you guess where they're coming [down?] from? Our little one!!!! Let me explain....

We got her a pair of boots a few months before winter. Eversince she was 7, she's been asking us to get her a pair so we did when we saw this cute pair at the store one time. She was excited of course. We thought they'd be perfect for the season... and they are. Except that she only wore them once because she didn't like the experience of wearing a little bit of heels. Her words were: I should have bought riding boots instead because they seem very comfortable. I agree. At least the riding boots will be used more than once because she wants to take riding lessons sometime in the next few months. Anyway, since we wear the same size of shoes now, the boots are now mine. Yep, we're putting a new twist to 'hand me downs' in this household. Good thing we didn't get pink ones with glitters and all. Can you imagine a 40+ year old woman strutting around in pink glittery boots? I can't!

Fighting Addiction

2012-02-05T21:38:00.003-05:00

Fortunately, I don't have any kind of addiction that I need to fight. I also don't know many people who are fighting addiction. Personally anyway. I read about a lot of famous people who according to reports are addicted to something one way or another. Just recently Demi Moore was in the headlines because of her very public breakdown. If we can believe everything that we read in the news, she's only one of the many famous people who is fighting this demon. Many of them tend to ignore that they have the problem but a lot also come to a point when they realize it's time to come clean. Fortunately for these people places like methadone detox rehab treatment center is just within reach if and when they decide to seek the help. They can go through the process privately and with the help of qualified people in a place where their safety and privacy matter. That's one of the great things now as compared to years ago. Help is available almost everywhere. The only thing one need to do is to take that one step and ask for help....

Re-Scheduling

2012-02-04T12:28:00.003-05:00

I admit it...I tend to re-schedule appointments every now and then. I have valid reasons for doing so and I do it at a reasonable time frame. I don't want to be an incovenience to other people much less a business that's why I re-schedule at least within the 24-hour frame that we're supposed to call in.

I have an appointment half an hour ago. I had to call to the business and asked why I haven't received any call about it and that their rep is late. I got a call and found out that there has been some problems with the schedule of the person involved so it's going to be an hour later than scheduled. It would have been okay if they called before I did but they didn't. What happens if I didn't call when I did? They will just show up and expect me to just go along with it? Or maybe they would just not show up? That's very unprofessional in my opinion. Quite frankly if I'm not already ready I would just say never mind.

Very frustrating to say the least.

Gardening & Composting...

2012-02-04T12:16:00.003-05:00

One of my brothers back home is an avid gardener. He didn't use to be homebody much less a gardener and spent most of his younger years out with friends getting wasted but he did a complete turn around one day and just started using his energy tending to our backyard. He started with peanuts then added more fruits and vegetables in his garden. It is also this love of gardening that he discovered and started composting. Never has he used any chemicals in his garden so his produce are one hundred percent free of pesticides. I guess that's when he realized how beneficial composting would be in his hobby. On his last birthday, I asked him what he wanted and he said a composter because he wants to have one near each garden plot. He already has one that he made himself but just like a lot of homemade stuff, it's not as convenient as the ones in the market that are well designed. Our backyard is quite big so I understand why he wants more than one composter. So I started looking for the best composters out there to see which ones to get him. There are quite a few selections actually but I like the Spin Bin the best because of its size and it's perfect for my brothers garden. I wonder if they sell it there though...

Ironic?

2012-02-04T10:33:00.002-05:00

In the news last week it was reported that jobless rate has hit a new low in 3 years. At the same time, it's also around that time when US created job at the fastest rate in 9 months. Can you say ironic? But if that's what the numbers show then what can we do, right? I don't know where the government or whatever sector is doing these surveys base their numbers but I personally wonder why some people can't find a job when there are jobs being advertised everywhere. It's true that one needs to qualify for a job and that some jobs have high qualifications but there must be something that can be done. For instance, I've come across several Veterinary Technician Jobs open when I was browsing through an online site. I am not qualified for that job myself but there must be someone out there who is. I think I saw about 10 openings in different places so it's not like it's in one state or something. Maybe some people who need a job have to look harder and must be willing to do some changes like maybe relocate or travel a bit farther. Sometimes we need to make sacrifices ~ small or big ~ in order to make things happen. This may be the best time to do that, don't you think?

SuperBowl REMATCH!

2012-02-03T21:35:00.002-05:00

That's what this coming Superbowl XLVI is all about...a rematch of the Superbowl XLII between the NY Giants and the NE Patriots. Many believe that game in 2008 was one of the biggest upsets in football history. During that season the Patriots had an almost perfect record [18] and they only needed to win the Superbowl to make it perfect. Unfortunately, the Giants pulled one on them and they lost.

This season, the Patriots definitely had a better record than the Giants BUT that was obviously the case in 2008 as well. Of course the big question now is: Will history repeat itself? Or will the Patriots prove they can beat the Giants once and for all?

I'm not rooting for any team. Just like Ellen DeGeneres, both my teams weren't able to make it to the Superbowl [Saints & Packers...well, Colts as well but Peyton didn't play all season so...'nuff said]. I'm sure the husband will watch the game. I probably will just be popping in to see the half time show and the commercials. I get stressed out during the game even if I'm not rooting for anyone so I choose to sit it out. So there....

Any guess as to who is going to win this one???

Here's Wishing ALL to...

2012-02-03T20:49:00.002-05:00

glitter-graphics.com

Hopefully it's going to be a nice weekend around here. The weather this week has been pretty good. It starts a bit chilly but it warms up quite a bit in the afternoon ~ in the 80s mostly. I overheard the the weather man mentioned we may have some rain during the weekend but I am hoping that won't happen.

An Early Book Lover

2012-02-03T12:18:00.002-05:00

This is the little one when she was 3 years old. I proudly took a picture of her on the day she finished reading her 'real book'. Before this one she read other books but they're a lot thinner. This one was almost 200 pages that's why I just had to take a picture of her with the book. Just like a lot of other kids, she started showing interest in books because of the colorful pictures. Her love for reading probably started from that and partly because we made sure she actually tried to read the books we got her.

Fortunately, her love of books still continues up to this day. We got her a kindle so she now buys mostly kindle ebooks because of it. I still get her the regular books if it's not available in kindle yet. But for the most part, we use her kindle to purchase the books she wants to read. It's a bit cheaper and faster to get ~ as soon as you buy it ~ and we don't need extra space in the house to store them. I have to say Kindle is the way to go if you have a little one who likes to read as much as ours do.

Afraid of Heights

2012-02-03T11:27:00.002-05:00

Sadly that seems to be the case with me sometimes. I am not deathly afraid of it though. I can go on high places but I just need some time to get used to it before I can actually look down. The part that I hate the most probably is the going up part especially if the stairs or ladders are not very sturdy. To prove my point, I can hardly climb on metal step stools without my knees shaking. Yes, it's that bad sometimes. I have to ask hubby to hold the poor step stool the first time I used it just to make sure there is some kind of a support system there...as if the 4 legs that the stool has aren't enough, eh? The bad thing is...I need one in order to reach for a lot of things in our cupboards! Ugh!

Anyway, this 'fear' of mine is not only when I'm ON the ladder. I also get scared whenever he or the little one gets on a ladder. I don't know why but I start feeling that sensation on my legs [like they're about to buckle] whenever I see him climbing on a ladder. It's kinda' pathetic actually because I'm talking about a 5-step or 8-step ladder here. It would probably be more acceptable if the ladder has 50 steps on it. Oh well...I guess we all have one silly fear, don't we? Or do we?

Walk the Dog!

2012-02-03T10:45:00.003-05:00

No, not a real dog but a yo-yo. Well, a yo-yo being walked like a dog. Hmmm...confusing, eh> Let me explain.

Several years ago there was this contest on TV back home where contestants showed different tricks using an ordinary yo-yo and 'walk the dog' was probably one of the first trick they showed. It was very easy that even I could do it when I was younger [and still knew how to use a yo-yo]. Haha! Anyway, the little one got interested in yo-yos a few months ago. Since it's not a very expensive toy, Dad readily got her one the next day she mentioned she likes to learn how to use a it. I "thought" I still knew how to do 'walk the dog' so I told her I'll show her how to do it.

What do you know! Shame! Embarassment! Just a couple of words to describe how I felt when I failed to even hold the yo-yo up and down the string long enough to even do anything. What to do? I went to You Tube and searched for yo-yo tricks! Plenty came up of course. Videos of kids and adults alike showing their extra ordinary talent in using a yomega maverick yo-yo to show tricks I didn't even know can be done using this very simple toy. And I thought my 'walking the dog' trick was mind boggling! I guess not, eh? Good thing thing there are plenty of videos to divert her attention. She forgot [I think] that I was supposed to show her my mind boggling 'walk the dog' trick. Ha!

Fat Chefs Part Deux!

2012-02-03T10:36:00.004-05:00

Last week, I posted about the Chef figurines we got for our kitchen overhead counter [or is it planter?]. I posted a picture of them here. I mentioned in the post that we have more of them on the counter by the sink but I didn't have a picture then. Now I do...& that's them! Three Fat Chefs staring right at me while I'm washing dishes, fruits, veggies & what nots. Aren' they cute? The one holding oranges should be holding a bread or something but we couldn't find fake bread so the oranges will do for now. The middle one is supposed to be holding a wine bottle. We don't drink wine so we looked for a decorative bottle that it can hold instead and voila! A silver bottle it is! The third one...no idea what should be on his baskets. But the little one decided to put the salt & pepper shakers in the back and the toothpick holder in front! Nice, eh?

That's our Chefs in the house! Can they cook? I have no idea...but they're certainly dressed like they could!

Puzzled

2012-02-03T09:45:00.002-05:00

That's the simplest way to put it, I guess. It's about my nephew who finished 2 courses that not a a lot of people can do. Currently, he is a licensed medical doctor and holds a master's degree in special education. A few months ago he decided to take his specialization...or so I thought. I guess not because he decided against it after a couple of months only. As of lately, he has decided to work at a hospital near their home so he can stay with his family while working AND studying...again. Yes, he wants to study again. This time around he wants to take early childhood education. But how can he do that when he's working at the same time? Take it online. Online early childhood education degree is definitely the way to go for him since he can take it anytime in the comfort of home. I'm sure he will be able to pull it off just like when he was able to take medicine and his masters degree at the same time. My only question right now is: When is he going to stop going to school and just concentrate in putting what he actually finished already to use? I honestly think he should pause [at least from going to school] and take a deep breath and just start applying what he has learned. If after a year or two of that and he still has that need to go back to school then he should probably go back to school again. Right now...he should just STOP already!

Flooding

2012-02-03T09:27:00.002-05:00

I grew up in a place where flooding is a regular occurence. We have a river at the back of our house, maybe a couple hundred meters away from our house itself, and it swells up everytime it rains hard. It's the reason why our old house was built on stilts. It's only in the recent years that my family [brothers] decided to have a ground floor in their houses. One of my brothers said that all the houses there now have a ground floor and a second floor with some having a third floor just because flooding is still a sad reality. As a matter of fact they just had probably the worst flood ever. It's the worst because unlike before water didn't subside as quickly so they had to use something like a WeGotPumps.com gusher pump to get rid of the water in a lot of the houses. Fortunately for my brothers, they didn't have to pump out the water because it went back in the river behind our house. The houses on the other side of the road weren't that lucky so they needed to use a gusher pump to do that for them. Luckily, our local government has the equipment to do so or they would have had flood water in their houses longer than they wanted.

2012-02-02T22:41:00.005-05:00

This is a picture I *think* I saw in FB or was it Yahoo? I can't remember where I saw it...uh oh. Hubby liked it so I copied it.

What do you see FIRST when you look at it? Do you see the face first, maybe the boy or the houses?

Missing Out

2012-02-02T22:14:00.003-05:00

One of my brothers turned the big 5-0 last weekend. He had a big party to celebrate and being thousands of miles of away, I of course missed it. It's life now so I have come to accept it already. The same is true with hubby. I think he and one of his brothers are the only ones in this state. Anyway, one of their nieces got married recently. We got an invite in the mail but we weren't able to make it. The wedding took place while they were trying to beat a deadline for a big job and there was no way we could have attended. The wedding became some kind of a family reunion because it was held when most of his siblings were available to meet up. The mother of the bride a.k.a. hubby's older sister sent us pictures taken by a philadelphia wedding photographer and it was obvious they all had a blast during the special occasion. We really wanted to be there but it wasn't possible at that time. We promised my sister in law we'll visit them as soon as time permits. When? That seems to be the question of day...year, maybe?

A Hobby?

2012-02-01T19:47:00.002-05:00

I used to have one...but not anymore. LOL. Actually, I never really had 'real hobby'. I would do something for a while then move on to the next. I can't remember doing something long enough to call it a hobby. Hubby has some hobbies. He's not able to do it as much as he wants to because he's busy at work but if given a chance, I'm sure he will do that a lot. He has one weird 'hobby'[?] though...and he doesn't know I call it a hobby. Ha! He likes to browse online for properties...mostly in the Philippines. It's like his relaxation. He'd be watching TV laying down with his netbook on his chest surfing for properties. The properties he looks at are very similar to the southern shores real estate properties. He likes to look at properties that are in the country...wooded, forest like areas. Much like the Philippines. He really wants to retire there someday. I guess he's just trying to see what kind of houses/properties are available if and when that time comes, eh?

New Laptop

2012-02-01T19:34:00.004-05:00

It may sound odd to some people but my brothers [2 of them actually] back home don't know how to use the computer. The older one just doesn't see the need for it so he won't be bothered by it. Not even by his kids who each has a laptop of their own. The younger one felt the same until recently. Thanks to his son who is 8 years old, my brother doesn't have a choice but to learn how to use one or he won't be able to monitor his son when he uses one. He recently got a new laptop and so far the only thing my brother knows how to do online is to download youtube videos. It's funny how excited he sounded when he realized he can actually watch our little one's videos online because of You Tube. He said that's all they did when they first got on it. He still has a long way to go since that's all [watching videos] he's been doing online but he'll get there. I just hope he's able to keep an eye on his son while he is online. I don't want that little boy coming across the not so good stuff online...especially not at that age.

Bloated!

2012-01-31T18:18:00.002-05:00

That's me almost everyday of my life. Some days are worse than the others but just like my allergies, I have learned to just deal with it since it seems to be part of my system...yes, just like my allergies.

Anyway, it's been a 'semi-productive' day for me. "Semi" because I wasn't able to finish everything I wanted to get done. For one I wasn't able to walk on the Mobia today because I got caught up with paperworks ~ lireally because I was punching holes on them so I can put them on a binder. I'm pretty sure half of the papers are not important [blank forms, etc] but I don't have the time to go through the 'yard thick' papers we have accummulated. I tried to go through what I could and shredded them until I blew up a fuse so that's about. I still have a bunch of papers to go through and I'm hoping I'll finish them before the week is over...but that is unlikely. I can wish though, right?

It's almost the middle of the week again...and it's February already tomorrow. How time flies! Before we know it we'll be counting down days again for the holidays. Ooopss! Did I just say that? It's true though, right? Oh well...I guess we have to be thankful about it because it only means we're still alive....LOL!

A Doll House???

2012-01-31T12:05:00.002-05:00

Yes, that's a question. I'm just wondering why our little one is so into this lately. I thought she's out grown these kinds of things already. Well, apparently not. Some days she's trying very hard to convince us that she's a 'grown-up' already. Some days it's the opposite. Is she having some sort of a mid-life crisis as a pre-teen? Is there such a thing? I cannot remember what I went through [nor do I want to remember honestly] when I was her age...so maybe there is such a thing.

Anyway, she made a 'black' print [blue print for the pros, LOL] of the house she wants to build with Dad. Dad just says okay everytime she brings it up. But Dad being Dad, he already started looking online for doll houses. I told him to make sure we can use the reward card we recently acquired to buy that doll house so we can start racking up points already. That's the only reason I agreed to get that reward card anyway...for the points. I don't really like using the plastic card when buying for something since the bill can go up without us really realizing it so I have to stay on top of it so that won't happen. Hopefully, the doll house we find won't be that pricey. I'm sure the little one will out grow this one faster than I can say....I told you!

Start-Up

2012-01-31T10:39:00.005-05:00

One of my nieces finished a hotel and restaurant management course in college a few years ago. It was a surprise to me when she told me that's what she wanted to take. I thought she'd be a teacher or a nurse. But it turns out that she really wants to own a restaurant someday so that explains her choice of course. But life does not happen as we plan it to be. It just happens...and that's what happened to her. She got married, then had a baby. Her plans of working then saving got pushed on the side to take care of her growing family. She is now back in the work force in order to help her husband sustain the family needs.

Her son stays with my sister in law while she works during the week. She only gets to take care of him during the weekend. Her plans of owning a restaurant one day is still in the back of her mind. It may not happen anytime soon but I'm glad she's not giving up on it. That much needed start-up funding is what she needs to make this dream a reality and I just wish they have some kind of a restaurant funding program back home so she can take advantage of it. Unfortunately, that is something that's never been heard of out there so she cannot expect any kind of funding from any program. She said that her husband has been buying lottery tickets hoping to hit it big one day. Yeah right!

Cutting Corners...

2012-01-31T09:43:00.002-05:00

Everytime I get a bill either in my email or online, I cringe before I even get the chance to open and read it. Let's face it, everything seems to be MORE expensive nowadays. This is the reason why we're thinking of either terminating some of the services we have like cable and just look for some other alternatives to watch our favorite shows. One service we can't do without though is electricity. So even if the rates go up, we have no choice but to accept it and just find ways to either cut back on our use of it or look for other ways to save on electric bills. I read somewhere that new jersey energy rates have gone down considerably for some by switching energy company. I just wish that's possible around here...but it's not because we only have one electric company that serves our area. Still, I'll try and find out if our electric company here offers some energy saving tips I can take advantage of. Paying hundreds of dollars a month for electricity is just outrageous.

Another Week...

2012-01-30T10:10:00.003-05:00

So much to do...don't know what to do first. Hmmm.....

Well, I actually started already...by blogging! Ta da! I really have a lot of stuff that I need to do so I better get started on something. I didn't do much over the weekend because I just wanted to relax and do whatever...and that's exactly what we did. Hubby was thrilled [I think?] that I finally went with him and the little one. To where? Somewhere out there. After visiting that place, we just went to some stores to look for things we can put on the overhead planter [?]. It's a challenge to find something to put up there because, first, it's up there. Second...it's up there. LOL. The husband has to do it himself because there is no way I'm going up there to put whatever we decide to put there. I can't even go past the 3rd step on the ladder...much less UP there!

Anyway, I'm hoping to finish sorting through the papers in our home office. I started it last week but I still haven't finished sorting yet. I still have another cabinet to go through so I better start cracking....

Have wonderful week everyone! Ta-ta for now....

Laid Back Weekend...

2012-01-29T20:02:00.003-05:00

I think that's what it's been anyway since we didn't have anything pressing to do so we just did what we wanted to do. Yesterday we stayed home. I did some work and some cleaning...as usual. The husband put some weed killer on the yard because we've been invaded by the fire weeds once again. Today we went to the store to look for a weed killer specifically for the pesky fire weeds. I really hate those weeds because they sting bad. Not only that...the effect of the sting lasts for a day or two. Anyway, while at the store, we also looked at some yard signs we can use for the other property. We just don't know anymore how to keep unruly kids [adults, maybe?] from going into our yard leaving their trash laying around except for putting up more signs. Our neighbor out there is good enough to let us know when something unusual seems to be happening down there so we're somewhat aware of it but that's all they can do. How I wish we can just put up a high fence there but we don't really want to spend money to do that since we're already losing so much just by keeping it. I just wish the housing market starts to get better already so that place sells already. I can only cross my fingers...

Guitar Tuner

2012-01-28T15:58:00.002-05:00

These are our guitars. I got my guitar some ten years ago as my very first Christmas present from the husband while the little one got hers a couple of years ago. Hubby got me the guitar because he knows I used to have one back in the Philippines. He figured it would keep me entertained during the day when he was at work. It did for a few months...until we had the little one. After that, I could barely pick it up because I obviously got busy with some other things. I still play every now and then but it's very rare...which doesn't make the husband very happy because he really likes it when I play the guitar. I'm not very good at it, just good enough to actually accompany me sing a song or two.

SinceI don't play it regularly, it's usually out of tune when I pick it up to play it. That usually is a reason for me to put it back down again. I don't know how to tune a guitar properly. It's very frustrating to me because I should know how to do that since I play it...but I just never learned how to do it by ear. This is why I was ecstatic when hubby's friend told me that I can get a digital guitar tuner at a very cheap price. Believe it or not I didn't even know about it until he mentioned it to me. I looked for one as soon as I had the chance and I got the one that has the best reviews. Now I can just pick up my guitar and use my tuner if it's out of tune and I'm good to go. I just love this little gadget so much!

Fat Chefs

2012-01-28T15:28:00.003-05:00

On display!

We got these fat chefs one day for no reason at all...initially, anyway. We just thought they're so cute so we decided to scoop them all up and bought them. They weren't expensive [less than $10 each] so we didn't think twice about getting them. It was only when we're about to pay for them that hubs told me he thought they'd look good on the space above the kitchen cupboards. We don't really have any theme or anything going on in the house so I just went along with it...and voila..now they're up there looking at us....tee hee...

We have 2 more on the kitchen counter but I wasn't able to take a picture of them. Maybe next time...

Undecided

2012-01-28T10:19:00.002-05:00

Everytime one of my brothers celebrate a birthday, I am always stumped as to what to give them for their birthdays. It would have been easier if we live in the same country since there's a chance I'll be seeing them more often then which means I would have more knowledge as to their current likes and dislikes. But since we don't live in the same country [not even in the same continent], I would just have to rely on what they tell me when I ask them what they want. Backwoods cigars will probably be a great gift for my brother who's turning 50 today...if he smokes cigars...but he doesn't. I don't even think he smokes so giving him cigars is probably not a good idea. I know he likes to play golf but I have no idea what golf stuff he still needs. He wanted me to get him a golf bag at one point but that didn't happen because he was able to find the one he wanted all on his own. I asked him last night and he gave me the usual answer...I don't want anything for my birthday. I just want you and your family to come visit. Ugh! I better prepare our invisible jet so we can still make it to his 50th birthday party. Hmmm....

Golden Boy

2012-01-28T10:13:00.003-05:00

That's my oldest brother. I cannot believe he's turning 50 today...but he is. I called last night to wish him happy birthday. He was busy prepping the food for his 'golden birthday party' that he's throwing for his co-workers. He said he spent the whole night deboning milk fish for my favorite dish ~ rellenong bangus ~ or stuffed milk fish. Ugh! Just to rub it in, everytime I call they tell me that's what they're having so I'm getting kinda' used to it. Still, I cannot wait for the day when I get to eat that dish again. The real one and not the frozen one I get in the Philippine store every now and then.

Another weekend...and it's a bit cold around here. It won't be very cold but colder than the previous days. We've been having 80s here throughout the week but today it will only be in the low 70s so that's a good change...I guess. No big plans for us this weekend. I have to attend to something later on but that's about it. As usual, we'll take it one 'hour at a time'. Ha!

Skin Problems

2012-01-27T15:06:00.001-05:00

Fortunately, I haven't had any serious skin problems myself. Except for the occasional pimples [Hello Aunto Flo!] and some skin irrations every now and then, my most serious skin problem is probably the one I get whenever I have to change earrings for long periods of time. There was a time I had to ask my doctor about it because it just wouldn't go away and my ear lobes were always sore. He recommended a cream and it cleared out only after a few uses. My grandson in the Philippines on the other hand is having some bad skin problems. His mom [my niece] sent me some pictures. I instantly felt bad for the little boy because the flaking and redness don't like comfortable at all. My sister-in-law tried every remedy she knows but nothing has worked as of yet. My niece said that it's starting to worry her so she asked me about natural seaweed body wash that she read about online. She tried to look for it locally but she couldn't find any local dealer so she asked me if I can get it here for her. Luckily I found it online and it looks very promising. I will probably buy it soon so I can send it right away. Hopefully it will do the trick and ease that little boy's skin problems.

New House

2012-01-27T14:09:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the article from Jermaine Haynes

My husband and I just moved into a new house in a pretty rural area. I would have never thought that we would end up living so far from the city, but it is much closer to my husband’s job. Although it is not a lifestyle that I am used to, it is pretty peaceful most of the time. There is not as much nose or traffic, and the stores are not nearly as crowded. When we moved in to our new house, we needed to set up all of our utilities. We had cable, electricity, and water set up . I had to ask my new neighbor if she knew anything about satellite internet setup. She said she used satellite internet and gave us a phone number to call to have ours set up. It was actually pretty easy to do and they set it up fairly quickly. Everyone around here is so nice and helpful. I think that I might be able to get used to this small town feel. I might like it here more than I thought I would.

Partial Electrical Outage?

2012-01-27T10:42:00.005-05:00

I decided to clean the back-up file cabinet by going through some old paperworks and decided to shred some papers we no longer need. In doing so I blew up a fuse causing partial electrical outage in the house. How did that happen? I guess I overused the paper shredder...not a guess actually. I really OVERUSED it! Toink!

I actually thought I broke the paper shredder at first because the green light on it just went off. I tried to mess with it a little bit until I gave up. Then the little one came to me saying that her clock probably needs new battery because it's off. Hmmm...that shouldn't be because it's plugged into the wall. That's when I realized there's a power outage. I automatically thought it's another outage in our area so I dialed our electric company to report it only to be told by an automated response that there's no power outage in our area. Huh?? I looked around and realized that only half of our house had an outage. Oooppssss....I blew up a fuse. Since McGyver's not home...McMommy has to step in...by calling McGyver. Hahahaha.....it was easy-peasy. He just told me to go to the box and reset it. All I had to do was to look for that one button that's not aligned with the others and re-align it. VOILA! Power's back on! I felt like a big man after that....fixing a blown up fuse. LOL...not much fixin' involved though, eh?

Allergy Attack!

2012-01-27T10:31:00.002-05:00

So what else is new, right? I can't even remember the last time I didn't have to take allergy medicines. Yep, I have to take the medicine daily, sometimes more than twice a day. My husband has already surrendered to the fact that I will forever be sniffling. Honestly, I've long surrendered to that fact myself. I just don't see my allergies going away. That is until a friend who went to see an austin tx allergy doctor told me that it is indeed possible to live allergy free. Just like me, she had her allergies way back when we were still teaching in the same school in the Philippines. She came here a few years before I did but it's only a few years ago that she decided to seek professional help for her allergies. I still have to learn more about what she had to do to be allergy free but I'm very excited just knowing that I may not have to live with allergies my entire life. Guess who's happier than me? Clue...I'm marriend to him. Ha!

Daddy's Girl

2012-01-26T15:25:00.007-05:00

We only have a few days left before the end of this month. That means it won't be long and it's going to be Valentine's Day...aka 'Heart's Day'!Ha! We don't celebrate it here...but we acknowledge it. It's hard not to when you have an over excited little one who wants to observe every single occasion she can possibly coerce us into observing. So we try to somehow acknowledge it by giving each other something...a card or chocolate. Nothing extravagant.

When I was still teaching, Valentine's Day was a big thing to my students. They're pre-teens and teenagers so it's expected. Needless to say our admission office would usually be flooded with flowers because of all the deliveries on that day. Unlike today where one can order flowers online, which I think is very convenient, during that time the flowers needed to be ordered in person or by phone which were then delivered at our school. I've never ordered flowers online myself but the husband did that a few times when we were first married. He doesn't order flowers anymore, be it online or otherwise, because I asked him not to get me flowers for special occasions. Why? Let's just say for practical reasons.

This Valentine's Day, I have no idea [well I kinda' do] what he'll get me. The little one really loves pretty flowers. I may just ask the husband to get her some for a change this year. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to get some flowers from him especially on Valentine's Day. I'm just not sure if he will agree to do that. On second thought, he will probably do that knowing how much he likes to surprise his little girl. She is after all 'Daddy's Girl'!

Stuffed!

2012-01-26T12:17:00.002-05:00

I wish I'm talking about my belly...but I'm not. I'm actually hungry at the moment. Toink!

I'm talking about my lovely nostrils! I have to breathe in and out through my mouth because I'm so congested as a result of my allergies...which is brought about by our lovely weather down here in the ALLERGY state. Even our weather people here are stumped as to why we are having almost summer like temperature here during the day and cold ones at night. Winter is still a long way to go so I'm pretty sure there will still be some really cold weather coming....and some more allergy attacks to look forward to. Yee Haw!

Aside from the neverending sniffling, things are doing okay around here. Work has started to pick up already which is keeping me busy once again. I'm not diving into it it head first yet because I have other things to do for now but I'm sure I'll be busy as a bee here in a few weeks. For now, I'm busy doing 1 thing and 1 thing only....sniffling! Ha!

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone!

Time Flies!

2012-01-26T12:07:00.003-05:00

Indeed it does. We may not feel it on a day to day basis but when you stop and look at some old pictures, it surely feels like time has passed us by so quickly.

Yesterday a friend of mine posted a picture of her son playing with his tama silverstar drum set. I was taken aback because I forgot how big he has gotten already. It seems it was only yesterday when he was playing with a toy drum set I gave him his first birthday. Now he's already playing a real drum set. I have yet to hear him play in person but I heard he has been taking drum lessons so I'm sure he's good at it already.

Another reminder that time really flies...our little one who technically is no longer little because she's about to overtake me height wise. We were standing side by side the other day and the husband commented that she's actually taller than me. Ugh! Well not quite yet because she was tip toeing as I learned later on. She just couldn't wait to be taller than Mom that's for sure!

Surprise....a TAG!

2012-01-23T14:56:00.004-05:00

Wasn't it just last week when I posted something about TAGS here in my blog? Yep, it was. I wasn't doing much [still isn't actually] so I thought of 'bactracking' and looked back at my early days of blogging. Lo and behold, tags were abundant during those days.

But that's not what this post is all about. It's all about a TAG I got from Ate Beng of Beyond My Quiet Zone. Yep, she just gave me this...

Unique! I don't know about being unique but thanks much Ate Beng! I decided to post it right away even if she hasn't officially bestowed it upon me. Talk about overly-excited, eh? Haha....

Anyway, it's Monday again! Anything new? Not much around here. Hopefully we'll start getting busy at work this week already. I'm starting to get a wee bit 'antsy'....

Small Business Grants

2012-01-23T14:47:00.001-05:00

One of the big plans I used to have when I was still single and was working as a teacher was to start my own business. I didn't have anything in particular in mind as to what kind of business it would be, I just wanted a business of my own. All I knew back then was I needed some money to somehow make it into a reality. It's only some years down the road that I learned that there are actually business grants available out there. I just had to look for them. Right now I don't have that plan anymore...but I have quite a few friends who are planning to do that as soon as possible. As it is right now, most of these friends are still stuck in their 8-5 jobs in order to survive.

Start-up financing. That probably sums up the reason as to why so many people with really great ideas for a business cannot take that first step towards fulfilling that dream. Many think that they need to save up in order to have that seed money they need to start a business. That's not quite true because there are several business grants out there ready for the taking. One just needs to look for them. This is where businessgrants.org comes in because this is a site that can help those who want to have their own business on how to get small business grants. Aside from small business grants information, it also information on non-profit grants and contract funding. I may not need business grants right now but I'm sure glad I came across this site. At least I can refer my friends here who still has that burning desire to start their own business but don't have that much needed seed money...

A Bit Over the Top

2012-01-20T12:30:00.002-05:00

What am I missing?

I know that a 1 year old's birthday is a milestone. So I get it that some parents go overboard sometimes when it comes to having a party for it. Balloons, plenty of foods, maybe a clown or two, games for the guests. I think those are acceptable. I even see some with themed party, etc. I don't know how much that would cost but I'm thinking it's somewhat affordable because I'm seeing it a lot [thank you FB!] in pictures anyway. What I don't get are the 'pre-birthday' photo ops. Why? They treat it like a pre-nup now?

I can understand one spending probably...a thousand dollars which is about $40K in Philippine money for the party itself but $100K or more is just a way too over the top for me...for a 1-year old's birthday anyway. I don't know. Maybe I've just been away far too long and this is how it's done now. I'm not quite sure actually. But to be honest, I just don't see myself spending that much for a birthday party...for a 1 year old if I am in the Philippines. Maybe I'm too cheap but that's how I see it. As fragile as the economy is right now, one has to be responsible when it comes to spending his or her money...

Oh well...as they say: To Each His Own...I just hope those parents have some pretty solid investments for their one year old. They will definitely need it once that kid starts going to school already.

Venting is done!

Taking Charge...

2012-01-20T12:00:00.002-05:00

I was chatting with a former co-teacher in Taiwan who now resides in the UK. Giddy is the only word I can think of to describe her last night because she just got engaged! Well, she's now officially engaged because he finally put a 'ring' on it. They've been engaged for a while but the ring had to wait. Anyway, things are looking up for her and her future hubby because aside from planning a wedding, they're also in the process of looking [and possibly buying] a house. My friend lives with her uncle right now. Her only responsibility is paying her dues ~ rent, utility bills, foods ~ and that's about it. Now that they're looking into buying their very own house, she has to deal with stuff like insurance such as home which of course includes contents insurance.

My friend admitted that she's quite overwhelmed with everything that comes in owning a house. I can only tell her what I do myself when it comes to those things....let the husband take care of it. Ha! She just laughed because she's not that kind of person. She's the kind that likes to take charge so letting her husband take over is out of the equation. Her husband-to-be grew up in the UK so he knows more about these things that's why I suggested that. She said he's busy with work so she has to do these things herself. Oh well...I guess I rest my case. I can only wish her good luck.

Slow Days....

2012-01-18T18:15:00.002-05:00

That's how it feels anyway since my other job is still on a standstill. That may change soon though because we just heard word that we 'may' start getting busy again real soon. When that happens I'll be whining of how busy I am I'm sure. Odd...

Anyway, I've been going through this blog's archive and it's kinda amazing to backtrack and read old entries I tell you. One thing's for sure...my early days as a blogger revolved around 'tags' or as we like to call them 'memes'. Most of them were 'getting to know you' stuff like '7 Random Facts About Me', or things about 'My Better Half', or 'When We Were Young'...etc. I'm not sure if new bloggers still do these types of tags/memes but they were sure fun when I was just starting. We learned a lot about our 'blogger buddies' and it felt like we knew each other even if we've never met in person.

As I was backtracking through the old posts I also came across a lot of bloggers who no longer maintain a blog today. I tried clicking some of their links through the tags or the comments they left but most of them don't work anymore. I still remember some of them.

Oh well...I may just continue to 'walk down my blogging memory lane' until I get busy with work again. Or maybe I can go through my 'friends' list and start deleting broken links. Hmmm....

Horseback Riding Lessons....

2012-01-18T15:51:00.004-05:00

Every now and then we see a couple of our neighbors ride their horses around here. We live close to them that's why they pass by our house whenever they are out riding. Everytime that happens, both the little one and I would run to the windows to watch them pass by our house. It's something we don't see everyday so it's rather exciting. The little one's evaluator also has 4 or 5 horses that she takes care of and it thrills her to no end whenever we come visit her evaluator if only to see the horses. I guess this is the reason why she's been asking if she can take some horseback riding lessons in the future. Hubby is very much willing to let her take lessons some day and I already started looking at some riding supplies like equestrian riding boots that she can use if and when she goes to horseback riding lessons.

Since I know next to nothing when it come to horseback riding and the things one needs to go on a horseback riding, I've been surfing online trying to find the things that our little one will need once she starts the lessons. I of course saw the different luc childeric products since it's one of the more famous brands when it comes to riding supplies. I even came across saddlery store case study while I was surfing. I am not really sure what I should be getting right now. Should I just get the basic riding needs like boots and pants or should I get everything? I'm not really sure if she will like it or not. If she likes it then great...but what if it turns out she really doesn't like horseback riding? What will I do with the stuff? I guess I'll wait until we're sure she'll even get on a horse. As it is right now, she's even scared to get on a bicycle. I cannot imagine how she'll fare if it she's on a 'live' ride....like a horse.

To Dye or Not to Dye...

2012-01-18T10:01:00.005-05:00

Obviously....that IS the question! Ha!

Yes, I am now at that point where I have to make that decision. Before long the gray will be overtaking the black so to speak so I need to make a decision sooner than later if I want to dye my hair [at least the gray ones] black [or some other color] OR not. For some this may not be a big deal but to someone like me who has..ummm...'virgin' ^___^ hair it's kind of a big thing. Even at this age in time when hair coloring can be as simple as having your nails done, I haven't tried having my hair dyed or colored...not even a strand of it. Dramatic eh? Haha.

Anyway, I will have it done. The only question is WHEN. Do I wait until I can no longer stand seeing the grays popping out everytime I comb my hair or do I do it now...well, soon? Maybe I'll look good with a head full of gray hair...or maybe not. I'm also torn whether I will stay 'black' or if should try/experiment with other colors. Hubby saw someone's hair color and said I'd probably look good with the same hair color. I didn't actually see the hair color up close but I trust him since he's the one that looks at me...more than me, anyway. He's actually my mirror and most of the time I like what he sees...

Oh well...I still have a few more months [weeks, maybe?] to decide. Hopefully by then I'll be able to decide what I want to do with my so called crowning glory....

V-Day

2012-01-17T10:37:00.002-05:00

Yep, I'm talking about the day of the hearts which will be in less than a month. We don't do anything extra-ordinary on this day since it is so commercialized already. Cliche as it may sound, I kinda' agree that everyday should be like valentine's day. Our little one though likes days like Valentine's day so we go along with her...yes, even the Dad who is anti-Vday! Ha! Anyway, while we were at the store last weekend she kept bugging me about getting one of those heart-shaped boxes of chocolate truffles...for Dad. I kinda' have a feeling it's not REALLY for Dad you know so I just said maybe next time. We usually get her something for this day and this year I'm thinking of ordering a chocolate cake online to surprise her. I already found a website that has a lot of good ratings from customers and I may just give it a try...you know, ordering a cake online. I'm sure she will get her chocolate fix with their rich chocolate cake because by just looking at the pictures of the different cakes on their website I think I can almost taste them. I am hoping the cake will taste as good [if not better] as the pictures look like.

Biking

2012-01-14T20:21:00.004-05:00

We just got each a tricycle last weekend. It's been our plan to go biking every chance we get but it's only now that we finally got the bikes...well, trikes. Why tricycles? It's more fun? Partly but also because the little one hasn't learned how to use a bicycle yet. She fell off her bike one time and she wouldn't get on it anymore...well, until recently. Unfortunately, her bike is too small for her now. As for me, I can bike...but I haven't been on bicycle in more than 20 years. I learned to bike a bit late...in high school already because my parents wouldn't allow me to get on one. I finally learned because a friend had a bike she used to take with her when we'd go around the neighborhood. But even if I learned how to bike, I never had the chance to bike as much so you can say that I've always been a 'nervous' biker.

Anyway, a tricycle is a much better idea for us because we will be using it only for fun. Maybe when the little one is a little bigger and can use a 2-wheel bike then we can probably get us the normal bicycle. For now, we'll just have fun biking around in our Miami Sun tricycles. We already started this afternoon. So far...so good...except for one little thing...I have yet to get the hang of it. :(

On Edge...

2012-01-11T22:34:00.002-05:00

...again for something I probably shouldn't be worried about but I'm only human so I guess it's normal, right?

Anyway, I'm trying to keep busy so I won't think about it much. It's almost Friday already so before I know it it's going to be the weekend again. Hopefully we can go somewhere to spend some quality time together over the weekend instead of being cooped up in the house. We got ourselves some new bikes which the hubs will be picking up tomorrow so that's probably in our weekend agenda...biking. As expected, the little one is very excited about them that she cannot stop talking about the things she wants to do with her bike.

I'll be posting pictures of them as soon as we get them.

The Real Deal...

2012-01-11T21:55:00.007-05:00

About 2 months ago, we decided to replace our elliptical machine with another fitness machine for the reasons I mentioned in my post below. The replacement we got is a lot more expensive than the elliptical BUT it would have been doubly expensive if the husband didn't come across a coupon that we were able to use to purchase it. He was so proud of himself for finding that coupon that he couldn't stop talking about it for days. He was telling everybody he knows about the great bargain he got because of that one 'big find'.

I for one also like finding great coupons especially for big ticket items. But there is one thing I am more proud of than stumbling upon hard to find coupons and that is stumbling upon a site that offers great items at a fraction of their retail prices with no strings attached...no codes to enter or criteria to meet except the FREE registration on the site if only to make the purchase process a breeze. Yep, there is such a site in existence and it's called nomorerack. A site that does not have any hidden agenda...only sought after items that are insanely low priced. Who needs coupons if you can actually buy some of the most sought after products with up to 60 - 90% off its original price, right?

So what does nomorerack.com offer? Everything and anything your little heart’s desire...electronics, jewelry, apparel...name it and you can probably find it there. I only came across this site a few weeks ago but I'm already liking what I'm seeing. I'm not only talking about the several great products they sell but other things as well like...FREE stuff! You read that right. Every member of nomorerack also has a chance to get some really cool stuff for free. Impossible? Not quite. It's for real. All you have to do is to refer friends to the site and start racking up points as you build your 'friendrack' list. The more friends you refer to the site, the more FREE products you can get. It can't get any simpler than that to get free stuff, can it?

So if you want to take advantage of these great deals, check nomorerack.com every single day. And if you want to be one of the firsts to see what’s being offered for the day, be sure to be there at noon everyday [well, a little earlier than that maybe] because that’s when new products become ‘live’. Not only that, you can also avail of the insanity deals [like iPads, DLSR cameras, etc] if you’re lucky enough to catch them when they’re posted. Keeping my fingers crossed I'll be able to catch of those deals myself. Who knows, I may even top what the husband was able able to accomplish with our new fitness machine. Ha!

As soon as I'm done here I will be emailing everyone I know about this site and will ask them to give it a shot. What is there to lose, right? I really think nomorerack is the real deal as far as bargain hunting is concerned. Hopefully, I'll be able to gain enough friendrack to get something I've been wanting for quite a while now. It starts with an 'i' and ends with a 'd'. I can probably drop hints to hubby that I want it and he is sweet enough to get it for me I'm sure but getting it for free? Now that's a lot sweeter...

Cold Snap

2012-01-06T10:24:00.002-05:00

We're finally getting a break from a cold snap we've been having since earlier this week. The temperature dipped as low as in the teens in some areas. I think we had some 20s in our area for 2 or 3 days. All I know is it WAS a COLD there for a while. Our plants definitely felt it because most of them are looking pretty dry! Well, not really pretty. I think it's the end of our pretty looking garden for now. Hopefully they'll spring back to life in spring...LOL.

Other than the cold weather, nothing much is new around here. Work has stalled for the past several weeks now. It's usually the case during this time of the year. But like I said in some of my previous posts, a lot of my "colleagues" are on edge because of the slow down. I can't blame them because for some this job is their lifeline. I am hoping work picks up soon because I really feel bad for those who depend on this job to put food on their tables.

On a happier note...it's TGIF! Yay! No plans for the weekend for us. I am hoping I'll be able to do some much needed 'winter cleaning' around the house. I wasn't able to do much of that during the husband's week off because we were out most of the time. I have to clear out our file cabinets to make room for more papers for this year.

That's basically it. Have a great weekend everyone!

New Year, New....

2012-01-02T10:54:00.008-05:00

'Toy'??? More like a toy that will kick our "tushies". I'm talking about this:

It's our new exercise/fitness equipment. It's a Nautilus Mobia treadmill/climber that we got last week.

We used to have this

...an elliptical which I got as a Christmas present from hubby last year...which we already sold to somebody we know. Hopefully it will help the new owner as much as it helped me. Well, that will depend on how much the new owner will use it since just like any other fitness equipment, this one will only yield the desired result if it's used, right?

So why the switch? Because we need one that both the husband and I can use. He tried using the elliptical for a few months and it definitely helped him lose some weight. But in the long run, it became less comfortable for him when he's using it. Primarily because the machine was sort of 'designed' for me. It was originally for my use only but when the need for him to lose weight [to improve his cholesterol] came about he also started using it. But as much as it's helping him stay in shape, it's also hurting his back & knees so we didn't have a choice but to find something else that we can both use and benefit from.

It's only been a few days since we got the Mobia. I can't say I like it more than the elliptical [yet] but I'm hoping I would be in the weeks to come.

Out with the Old ~ In the New...

2011-12-31T23:00:00.002-05:00

Here's to health and happiness!A toast to the New Year!Peace and joy to all of us!Prosperity and cheer!

New Mattress?

2011-12-31T22:28:00.003-05:00

A few months ago we finally replaced our old mattress. Eversince we got this new mattress, the little one has been bugging us to get her a new mattress as well. We don't think she needs one as of yet because hers is just a few years old. As a matter of fact, we only got it when we moved in this house which was less than 4 years ago. But that's not saying we won't be buying new mattress in the next year. We have some plans either this coming year or the year after that where we will need a new mattress. We don't know exactly when that plan will happen but when that time comes I may just try the foambymail latex mattresses that I just discovered online. Honestly, I kinda' find it convenient to take the route of ordering a mattress online even if we haven't tried doing that. There's always a first time for everything, right? It may just be a good move to try that.

Alvin and The Chipmunks...Chipwrecked!

2011-12-28T15:12:00.003-05:00

That's what we watched yesterday...in the movie theater. We don't normally do that but since we have a 'week off'...yes, including the Daddy, we decided to head out and give in to the little one's request. She is a 'Chipmunk' avid fan. She has the DVDs of the first 2 movies as well as the CDs for the 3 films. She also has the little Chipmunks/Chippettes dolls that we got her a few months ago. She probably watched the 2 DVDs she has a million times but I never really sat down and watched them. Yesterday was the first time I've actually seen a Chipmunk movie in its entirety. It's entertaining especially the music but it's also obviously for kids. The little one enjoyed it to the max and that's what counts, right?

Will I recommend it? If you have kids then yes. If you like hearing high squeaky voices for about an hour and a half, then go see it. If not...then you're better off watching something else.

Moving Here

2011-12-28T14:57:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the post, Nora Howe

Moving to Texas wasn’t something I had in mind but when my brother got sick we all rallied around him. I was only in New York to take that cooking job and since the economy had gone south it didn’t look like I was going to get promoted anytime soon so I came on home. I moved back in with mom and dad and I’ve actually been able to really help them get this house up to speed. I had dad help me stain the deck last weekend and I got Direct TV Lubbock for all the rooms so we’d have something to do (I forgot how boring it is where I grew up) and I even asked mom about getting kitchen cabinet lighting. Anyway, I think Bob really appreciatesthat we’re all so close as he recovers and I just feel like this is what family’s all about. If you’re not going to be there for each other what’s the point of having relatives, you know what I mean?

New Year, New House....

2011-12-25T21:50:00.000-05:00

That will to be the case with my older brother and his family in 2012. Im very happy for them because after all the 'false hopes' they will finally be able to move into their very own house. It's actually their second house because they have another house right by the one where we grew up. But when their kids started going to college, they decided to rent an apartment so they would still be together instead of just letting their kids rent on their own. Now that their kids are all professional...one of which is alreayd married with 2 kids, they are still cramped in an apartment because they've gotten to love the city they're in now. I've been in that apartment years ago and it was cramped then with their belongings plus whatever trophies and awards the kids got in school at that time as well as a lot of their other knick-knacks. I actually thought they slept standing up when I was there.

My niece actually moved out when she got married but when she had her first born, they decided to move in again so my sister in law can help taking care of the babies. So yes, they needed to move into a much bigger place....some 10 years ago. But they didn't want to move in an apartment so they started finding a house to buy a few years ago. Unfortunately there were a lot of hindrances for it to happen much earlier. Well, the wait is finally over. Hopefully I'll be able to see their new abode when we come visit in the not so far future. When? That I do not know...

Finally....

2011-12-25T21:15:00.003-05:00

Some rest!

Looking forward to a few days of break from all the hustle and bustle that the holiday season has become. Compared to other people, ours was very much on the down low so I can only imagine how tired those who go all the way must be.

The weather on this Christmas day is perfect...for me anyway. Very mild. No rain. We stayed home all day but it was fun since we're together. Hubby called his family to greet them and I've been calling mine [overseas] since yesterday since they greeted Christmas 12 hours ahead of us. It's always a happy/sad time when I talk to them especially during the holiday season. I miss celebrating Christmas with them as well as the way we celebrate it back home...but this is home now so I have to get used to it. The million dollar question is still...when are you coming home? I just laugh it off now because I really have no idea when. To divert attention, I just pass the phone to the little one. That always works because they get excited whenever she gets on the phone. I let them talk while I listen on the other line. It's a treat for both sides when they talk. The little one gets excited talking with cousins, aunts and uncles because they shower her with praises. My family on the other hand just likes hearing her talk...LOL.

Anyway, after the 'mandatory' phone calls ~ LOL ~, I got down and dirty and started preparing for our Christmas meal. We had a very simple one as usual....turkey, stuffing, au gratin potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. It's like Thanksgiving all over again...LOL. After dinner....we're back into our corners. Me on the laptop, hubby on in front of the TV and the little one in her bedroom going through her 'loots'...

And now...it's time to wind down....finally!

Late Christmas Present?

2011-12-25T21:07:00.003-05:00

Or should I wait for the next occasion and just get it then?

Everytime there is an occasion it's always hard for me to find something to give the husband...and this Christmas is no exception. But unlike last Christmas when I almost came up empty [almost because we managed to get him something at the last minute], this year the little one and I were able to find something to give him with a few more days to spare. Woot! I can safely say we've done good this holiday season. I am not looking for anymore gifts for him but then I came across model planes on sale online. I know for a fact that he is very much into model planes even before we met. He actually built one himself years ago which is neatly stashed in the attic. I haven't seen it because it's always been in a box but it's there. Anyway I know he will really like to get a model plane as a gift...but we already got him some things so I decided that I will probably order some and just keep them somewhere and give them as our birthday gift for him in a couple of months. I just hope I'll be able to find a good hiding place for them.

To One & All....

2011-12-24T08:56:00.004-05:00

Let's not forget the true meaning of this day...the REASON for the SEASON!

Our Weekend...and My Gift!

2011-12-20T09:55:00.010-05:00

It's "my Santa's" present for me.

Unlike last year where I 'requested' for my present from him, this year I didn't have anything in particular [in material form anyway] that I wanted so I didn't request for anything. He asked and I couldn't think of anything. Truth be told, if I want something for myself, I usually buy it...sometimes with his knowledge but most of the time...without. LOL!

Anyway, we went out this weekend...again. I didn't think we were going anywhere on Sunday but the hubs wanted to go to a different mall that I haven't been to. So a little after lunch we went our merry way. It's about an hour's trip so we let the little one watch a video on her 'little TV' as she calls it [it's actually one of those portable DVDs]. I'm glad we brought that thing along or we would have been peppered with 'Is it still far?' from her because we got caught in a traffic jam on the way. We sat in traffic for an additional hour...so we decided to do a side trip and visited hubby's friend that lives around the area...who later on informed us that there was a motorcycle accident by the mall that's why the traffic was backed up about a mile. Ha! We spent a couple of hours chatting with them until we felt that the traffic jam had eased out.

The first thing we did when we got to the mall was eat a very late lunch/very early dinner. As soon as we were stuffed, we started our trek around the not so crowded mall which was a surprise considering it's the weekend before Christmas. I didn't have anything in mind to buy in particular so I just let the husband lead the way...and he did because he knew what he went there for. I had a feeling he and the little had some kind of a 'secret' because she kept on whispering something to him. That's not a surprise actually because she does that to both of us and we get a big laugh out of it. She thinks she's pulling something but she's actually not because she's so excited about it that she BLOWS her 'little secrets' all the time. I just wish she stays that way forever. You know....blowing all her secrets like that so we won't have to worry much about her when she's all grown already. But that's probably not going to happen, is it? LOL...

Anyway, after several minutes of going in and out of stores inside the mall, we traipsed into the Coach store. Normally I wouldn't go in a store like that. Not that I don't like their products, I actually do...I just don't like their prices...haha! But remember it's the husband leading the way and I kinda have the feeling that that's where we were REALLY going so I just followed. He looked around and said: Hmmm...I don't see the ones where you "usually gravitate to". AHA!!! That sealed my suspicion. I knew that he wanted to get me something from that store...and I know that when he does that I don't have a choice or I will be hearing about it for a long time. Now, I haven't been in that store but being a GIRL I just know where to go to see what I want so I decided to lead him to the cross-body bags ~ that's what he meant with 'the ones I gravitate to'. As usual, the prices [to me] are repelling that I almost walked out. But with him close behind I went around trying to tell him they're expensive. His reply was: You deserve it Honey. Awwww....they still cost a lot of money though...tee hee! To make the long story short, I gave in. I didn't get the usual cross body bag but opted for a purse that can still be used as a cross body bag. This one...

Our Christmas Card...

2011-12-15T16:05:00.003-05:00

This is our very simple Christmas card this year. As usual, I ordered them online. I made 2 cards, one is the typical folded card and this single page greeting card with the pictures in front and the blank space at the back. As you can see, I used our family pictures as the front and the little one's 'art work' at the back. Last year, I sent out the out of the box [envelope?] Christmas cards because I didn't feel like making a personalized one. I still believe it's the thought that counts so any card will do, right? Anyway, eversince the little one started writing and drawing I let her sign the cards herself.

During the first couple of years, most of her message would be in 'art' form....DOODLES in other words...which I thought was cute. Now that she can write, the 'main message' is still that...DOODLES! I asked her to write a longer message but her reply was: Can I still draw something? Oh well...at least now she writes something on it with a matching signature at the bottom. Oh if it's any consolation...the 'artwork' on the back of each card is unique. Meaning...no two cards have the same doodles....hmmmmm....

Should We...

2011-12-15T15:52:00.002-05:00

...rent, I mean?

With the impending vacation we're going to take in the not so far future, I can't help but think...should I start looking at vacation rental homes or wait until it's really sure we're actually taking a vacation? Knowing me, I'd probably go with the former and start looking now...or ASAP. But then again there is another factor to consider before I can do that. Our destination is close to hubby's family, paticularly an older sister that he's quite close to. I have a feeling that once everything is planned out and is definite, we may just get an invite to stay with them if not for the duration of the vacation but even just for a few days. Personally, I am not very comfortable with that. I know they will probably want to get together as much as possible but I would rather we stay somewhere else during our stay there instead of them accommodating us. I have no idea how I'm going to tell the hubs about my preference but I know he'll understand it. I just have to bring it up in a way that won't offend or hurt his sister or other relatives.

Sore Back!

2011-12-15T15:39:00.002-05:00

I decided to re-start an exercise routine I used to do before I had the dizzy spells 2 weeks ago. I stopped doing it along with using the elliptical after those episodes but I came back on the machine sometime last week. Anyway, I decided to do half the routine yesterday. The result...a sore back now. Mind you it wasn't hard core exercise. It was just a little bit of stretching and some planking. Still, I feel the soreness on my back like I did the whole routine itself. As a result, I wasn't able to do any exercise today. Instead, I lingered in bed for 30 minutes more than I usually do. Oh well...maybe I can go on my elliptical tomorrow.

Anyway, I've been trying to keep myself busy today. Work has slowed quite a bit in the last few days and from what I've heard, it won't go back up until after new year...or even later. Many of my colleagues are fretting about it but I'm trying not to. We know this is normal at this time of the year but with the way the economy is, any sign of work slowing down makes everyone nervous. We're crossing our fingers that this really is just the normal slow down we experience this time of year.

In the meantime, I'm probably going to clean out this laptop. I have so much files on it, mostly pictures, that it's really getting very slow. Besides, I may not be using it as my main work computer anymore since hubby got me a desktop for my last birthday. I will still be using it of course but only when I'm not in the home office....except today. Because today, it's the only one that can connect to the internet. Why? I HAVE NO IDEA! Ha!!

Skiing in the Near Future?

2011-12-15T11:53:00.003-05:00

Maybe? Most probably not?

Hubby really wants to go somewhere snowy sometime soon. He says he wants me and the little one to experience snow. Hmm...why do I get the feeling that's not entirely true? Anyway, he grew up where snow is abundant during the winter time and he misses that cold weather. He doesn't like the hot weather that we have here but his business is here so he has no choice for now but to stay put. Anyway, he's been talking about this trip for quite a while now so there is a chance it may just happen sooner than later. I'm looking forward to it if only to see snow for once in my life but what I'm not thrilled about is his plan of us skiing once we're there. I've never even seen a ski in my life [well, maybe on a ski rack in an online store somewhere] and the thought of getting on those skis don't seem appealing to me at the moment. He said it's fun but I'm not too sure about that. It's all a plan for now. But some plans can become a reality...and the reality is...I don't think I want to get on those skis...but we'll see...

Overload...

2011-12-15T11:42:00.003-05:00

I've been having some issues about my internet connection for the last month or so. At first it was just on and off throughout the day. I thought it's all because of our unreliable service. I was very close in giving them a call. The only reason I didn't was because I didn't want them telling me to mess up with the computer and the modem/router. I just didn't feel comfortable doing that. I wanted 'McGyver' ~ the hubs ~ to do that not me...and he did the other night. Woot!

It turned our modem/router is having a case of 'overload'. Yep, we've overloaded the poor thing with our devices around the house. The CS said that it has to be configured to be able to handle all the devices we have 'riding on it'. The problem is we couldn't get in the gadget itself so they're sending us a new one. Hopefully it's configured to handle 101 devices so we won't have to deal with this problem anymore.

Right now, I am back working on my laptop instead of my desktop. I should have noticed that these internet outages started when this new desktop and printer were installed...but I didn't. Oh well...I guess I should be more observant next time? Maybe?

12 More Days

2011-12-12T11:37:00.003-05:00

...before Christmas! And I'm missing Christmas in the Philippines once again...:( Not just the idea of being with my family back home but I'm missing the way I used to celebrate Christmas...mainly attending the dawn masses. I don't get to that anymore and I'm missing it big time. I also miss the noche buena...even if there were eves when I was asleep due to exhaustion from traveling. Sigh...hopefully I'll be able to do that again someday....

Anyway, according to the news, today will probably be the biggest & busiest shipping day of the year. This week will also be busiest in terms of online last minute shopping. I'm guilty as charged when it comes to that because I just placed a last minute order online. I'm crossing my fingers it will make it before the day itself.

Just like many others, the little one is very excited about Christmas. This is mainly because of the presents she's anticipating to get on that day. She's a child so it's 'somehow' expected that she's more excited because of that than the real reason why we even celebrate the day itself. BUT I make it a point to explain to her why we celebrate Christmas whenever the situation calls for it especially. Just last week I kinda' burst her bubble. She was going on and on about the presents she's going to get so I sort of asked her: How would you feel when during your birthday party ALL the presents are FOR the people attending your party and NOT for you? She said that will be odd because it's her birthday and the presents should be for the birthday celebrant. I told her that's true...then asked her so why is she expecting presents when it's supposed to be Jesus Christ's birthday and not hers.

Anyway, she understands and she knows that this is the season of GIVING that's why she gets the presents. I just want her to realize that Christmas is not just about the material things she gets but more about the birth of Christ and what it symbolizes.

Getting Back Into the Groove...

2011-12-07T15:49:00.003-05:00

Trying to anyway.

After more than a week of not getting on my elliptical, I was able to do it this morning. Yay me! I stopped because of the dizzy spells I had early last week which lasted for about 4 days. I decided to see my doctor on Monday and he said that I probably had vertigo. I kinda' knew it's vertigo because I read about it online [of course] and most of the symptoms I had were right on. He also checked my inner ear and found out I have a little bit of fluid in there probably caused by my allergies. That alone may have caused the dizziness he said. He asked how bad my allergy is and I had to tell him it's a day to day thing to me. He gave me some nasal spray to try and see if it helps. If it does then he will prescribe it for me. If not...I may have to go see an allergy doctor who will probably tell me to get shots...NO!!!!! But I'm glad I was able to go back to my routine. Hopefully I can keep at it in the coming days....

As for our weather this afternoon...how about...

Still Looking...

2011-12-07T15:21:00.003-05:00

And I thought I was done.

Yep, I'm back at http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/Original-Scrubs/ looking for some scrubs for a niece this time around. I think I mentioned it here [or was it in my other blog?] but I was doing the same thing no too long ago when my nephew asked me for a favor. He wanted me to send him mens medical scrubs that he can use once he starts his duty at the hospital as a resident doctor. Well, as a proud aunt I of course did just that. As soon as he asked me I went ahead and got him some new scrubs. It was my little gift to him for passing the medical board exam and becoming the first doctor in the family.

I thought I didn't have to do that anymore but I was wrong. One of my nieces saw her doctor cousin in scrubs and asked him where he got them. I guess he didn't want to lie so he told her that I sent them to him. Now my niece who's aiming to become a nurse so sweetly asked me for a Christmas gift...of scrubs for her. I didn't even know she changed her course. I thought she's taking Liberal Arts. Apparently not anymore. She decided to change gears and give the medical field a try. Well, good for her. I guess I really have to get her some new scrubs then, eh? Hopefully she won't change gear again and decide to be a law enforcment officer or something else down the road...

Grays & Acnes...

2011-12-07T15:09:00.002-05:00

I don't know which one is worse. The grays on my head have been happening for a while now but it's been getting really 'lighter' up there. I used to pull the grays out or ask the little one to pull them out but this time around, I may just go bald if they're pulled. Actually hubby has been teasing me for the longest time that I may just go bald before him because of my habit of pulling the grays out. It actually became like an 'obssession' for me to pull them all out. But that's no longer possible. In a couple of months, I may just have to do something I've NEVER done in my life...DYE my hair. I'm not sure if I should be looking forward to it since it's something new or be scared about it because it's going to be something...new? Ha! Oh well...I guess I'll know when I get there, eh?

As for the acnes...they just started happening a few weeks ago. I guess it has something to do with my hormones that are running wild at the moment. My body is definitely changing and my face is not having any of it. In other words...it's not happy. Right now, they're only around the brows and a couple on the forehead. Hopefully they'll stay there....fingers crossed.

Ah...the fun of getting young...

Clothes Shopping...

2011-12-07T14:11:00.012-05:00

...has changed big time in this household as far as our little one is concerned. Before if I needed to buy her clothes I just go to a children's clothing store and get whatever she needed in that store. Now, I have to go to different stores. One day I'm at a children's clothing store, the next I'm looking at a the junior clothing store. Why? Because she's at that age where her clothes sizes are off. Most of the clothes in a children's clothing store are too small for her while the ones in the juniors are either too small or are not age appropriate. At least to me they're not...age appropriate I mean.

Anyway, this past weekend we went out to shop for some house decors and some clothes for her as well. Everytime we do that, I still go to the children's section of the store only to move to the other departments because I couldn't find her size. At the end, I just gave up and told her we'll look online. Aside from the size dilemma, her ever changing taste is another dilemma...to me at least. One day she likes the usual clothes girls her age like. The next day she wants clothes that are more grown-up. This makes it even tougher to shop especially if she's with me. At least when I do it online, I do it mostly by myself. When the clothes get here, she doesn't have a choice but to wear them. Ha!

It's Beginning to Feel...

2011-12-02T10:42:00.003-05:00

... a lot like Christmas! The temperature around here has been on the low side for the past several days already. The little one has been catching some old Christmas shows on TV lately like 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer' and 'Charlie Brown'. And last night I caught a glimpse of a Christmas variety show already. So....yes, Christmas is definitely in the air.

A few days ago I was also asked already by my Santa what I want for Christmas. Hmm...that one is a toughie because I never really know what I want. Although this year there is one thing I would want above everything else....good health not only for me but for everyone I care about....family, friends. Personally, it seems that my health hasn't been the best for the past several weeks now. Nothing serious...I hope. But because of all these little aches and pains I've been feeling, I can't help but wish for a better health...and this time I really mean it. I used to wish for that just to poke fun at myself but that's no longer the case. I really wish for good health this time around and I hope it'll be granted.

Anyway, it's TGIF again! We don't have any big plans this weekend. The last one was a busy 4-day weekend for us because we were either busy prepping for TD or running errands & visiting families. I'm sure we'll come up with something to do this weekend. Whether we're staying in or going out, I'm fine with it...as long as we're together.

Have a great weekend everyone!

D-I-Z-Z-Y...

2011-11-29T14:13:00.002-05:00

This is me today...

It started last night to the point that it made me sick. I have no idea what brought it but it's not a good feeling. I was already feeling weak throughout the day so when the dizziness hit me, it just made things worse. I stayed on my left side for the most part because as soon as I changed position, it would just start all over again.

It's a lot better today compared to last night. At least I can function...walk around and do some of the chores. I just couldn't get on the elliptical because I'm pretty sure I will get knocked off that big machine. Hopefully it will go away soon so I can go back to being normal again.

Shopping Season has Started...

2011-11-29T11:42:00.002-05:00

I read that this last Black Friday was the biggest so far. Sadly, I wasn't part of that statistics. Oh wait...I shouldn't be sad because it only meant I didn't lose sleep or spent money on things I probably don't even need [or want]. My holiday shopping list is barely touched but I have a few weeks more to go so it's all good. I just got some 'requests' from a couple of nephews - foulmouthshirts for t-shirts. I have no idea what those are since it's the first time I've heard of such...and what do you know, they're t-shirts I probably wouldn't wear myself because they're a little out of my 'comfort zone'...but not for them I guess. I'm not sure if I should grant their request or not. I may have to think about that some more. As usual, I didn't have a hard time looking for gifts for the nieces. It seems they're the easiest to buy for any occasion. Maybe because I kinda' know what girls love to get. Like I said, the list is barely touched. But I'm trying...hopefully I'll be able to get everything in time.

The Tree is Up...

2011-11-26T20:49:00.006-05:00

Actually, it's been up for a few weeks now. We finally got a new one after using the same tree for the last several years and we got it a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving. We wanted to make sure it's all good so hubby took it out of the box and set it up. It took him about 2 hours to do that so he decided not to take it apart anymore and just leave it up. The little one got very excited of course because it's the first time we have a tree up even before thansgiving. We put the decorations on it 2 weekends ago so it won't look too bare on Thanksgiving.

I decided not to put all the ornaments we have this time around and just keep it simple. We went with ribbons and balls only...plus 4 candy canes that the little one wanted and her little 'countdown' clock that we got last year.

Since the tree is up already, the little one is now bugging us if we can put some decorations outside the house. So far she hasn't been successful in convincing Dad. I don't see that happening though because it takes a lot of work to put up decorations outside the house. Maybe just a wreath on the door will do...

Her Love Affair with Hats…

2011-11-25T22:13:00.008-05:00

I’m not sure exactly when it started, but our little one has this neverending love for hats. The very first hat she had was the baby hat the hospital nurse put on her on the day she was born. I still have that hat in her baby box along with many other ‘firsts’ things she had when she was still a baby. We got her quite a few hats, ribbons, bows for her head because she barely had hair until she was about 2. So by the time she was a toddler, she’s so used to wearing a hat already that she would always look for one. Needless to say she also had several toddler hats most of which are still in her ‘hat chest’…which is a toy chest full of hats.

Because of her fascination…err love for hats, I always find myself drawn to the hats myself whenever we go some place where they’re being sold. I also find myself browsing for hats every now and then whenever I visit an online store. I wish I know how to make hats myself but I don’t. I totally admire those who can knit, crochet, and even those who can sew. Yes, I cannot sew, much less crochet. I actually did some basic crocheting in high school but that’s about it. I just don’t have the talent for it and know it takes talent to do all things. I just wish I can actually crochet or knit because I would really love it if I can make a hat for our little one. But since that’s not going to happen anytime soon, I should probably just get her some more hats, eh?

A Diversion...

2011-11-21T10:26:00.002-05:00

In my aim to divert my attention to something else, I decided to start cleaning, decluttering the home office early this morning. The result...a messier, more cluttered space. I have to stop for a while because work is calling and I have to answer it because I've been ignoring it for the whole weekend.

Still. No matter what I do my mind still wanders into that one thing I don't really want to think about. I guess it's human nature that we tend to think of the worst case scenario. I know there's not much I can do on my part right now but wait...but geez, it seems impossible to just ignore it and get on with my normal day to day activity. But...I'll try.

The weekend went by...fast? I guess. Saturday was spent at home. I didn't feel like going anywhere. Sunday...I decided I moped enough on Saturday so I dragged my father/daughter tandem and we went shopping for a few clothes for the little one. A few weeks ago I got her a couple of plants online along with some winter pajamas. The PJs are still good...the pants...not quite. She's a WEED...she grows with or without the sun. I only got her a couple again because I'm thinking we have to get some new ones again in a few weeks. And don't even get me started with shoes. Yesterday she wore my shoes but not because she doesn't have shoes that fit. She just wanted to wear my shoes.

This week will be a busy one since Thanksgiving will be this Thursday. The bird is in the fridge thawing. That's all I have planned for now. The sides...no idea at all. We'll see...

Have a good week everyone...

A New Printer

2011-11-19T21:27:00.010-05:00

Can't live with them, can't live without them. This is especially true if you're homeschooling like us. I download worksheets almost daily so a printer is something that I really need around here. But what's a printer without the ink. These two would be useless without the other. The only difference is we only have to buy 1 printer that can last us a a few years while we have to buy a ton of ink & toners year in, year out. I cannot count anymore how many canon toner and ink cartridges we bought for our current printer through the years. Well, ink/toner AND reams after reams of printing paper of course. But that's the way it is and we can't do anything about it...for now, anyway.

Our printer is a few years old already though. We've been planning in replacing it for a while now. We want to get a wireless one this time so it doesn't have to be hooked up to another computer for it to be able to print. Aside from that we are also looking at printers that use the most inexpensive ink and/or toner. Like I said earlier, I use a ton of ink so it's just practical to find a printer now that would not cost me an arm and leg for ink and/or toner in the future. Hopefully such printer exist.

Window Shopper...

2011-11-19T19:29:00.003-05:00

Everytime we go in a store, the little one really takes her time to check everything that fancies her. I do that sometimes but she does it ALL the time. It's fine by me when we're in a store because it's easier to watch her without really staying beside her. It's another story when we're in a mall where there are a lot of stores and stalls in and out of the stores. Last time we were at the mall, she stopped to check display on those Trade show display cases in the middle of the mall without letting us know. I kept walking in front of her thinking she was right behind me only to realize she was looking at some colorful display. She said they're "fancy" so she had to check them out. I don't really mind her looking at stuff on display, but when we're in a big place where she can easily get lost I'd rather she sticks to the plan. But she's a girl who likes to window shop. I guess I just have to tie her around my waist when we're in the mall. Ha!

....

2011-11-18T21:23:00.001-05:00

glitter-graphics.com

DIY For Now...

2011-11-18T10:39:00.007-05:00

In the last few weeks or so, hubby and I have been talking about getting a replacement for our dependable but overused SUV. We've had this car since the little one was born and it racked up quite a few miles already so we figured it's time to 'retire' it already. But before we do that, we would like first have to find a way cut some corners in terms of our monthly spending. Right now the one bill we would really be glad to get rid of is the monthly mortgage we have for the other house that's been sitting idle for almost 4 years now. If we sell that house even without any profits, we could probably get us 2 new cars. But since it's next to impossible to actually sell a house right now, we're thinking we can probably refinance the house to at least reduce the monthly mortgage...then we can get us a new car.

Before attempting to refinance the house, we need to do some work on it first...mostly cleaning, in the house and around the property to boost its chance for approval. I'm now busy checking http://www.thesteamteam.com/austin-restoration-services/smoke-fire.shtml to see if I can find some helpful tips. I've been to this site before and it offers a lot of CLEANING tips which we definitely need because the house and everything in it have been left idle for so long. We thought leaving the furniture in it would help in selling it fast but it obviously hasn't helped. The furniture has been sitting there for as long as the house has been idle and we only cleaned them a couple of times since since we moved out so I definitely need some tips on how to get say the odor off of the couches. I also need some rug cleaning tips for the same reason I need the tips on how to clean the upholstery. I'm hoping I'll be able to find all the helpful tips on this site so we can start this 'latest' project we have maybe this weekend...I wish!

Seriously, I never thought things like upholstery & rug cleaning will be something I have to research about but that's all I've been doing for days now. We could probably hire a professional cleaning company to do it for us but we really don't want to spend any more money than what we are spending already for that house. Maybe when the real estate marked is in a better condition already and the chance of it being sold is much better, then we can probably pay a professional to deep clean the carpets, clean the upholstery and even power wash the house. As it is, we'll stick with the DIY for now. Thank goodness there is a site I can find tips on how to do some of these things myself.

Back to...

2011-11-17T10:11:00.004-05:00

...summer? So it seems because I'm back to wearing shorts & shirt after weeks of being in either leggings or sweatpants. Hmmm....looks like mother nature is a wee bit confuse. And guess what? It rained this morning as well...totally weird. Just for the kick of it I called the husband to ask if he ordered some rain...tee hee.

Heniwey....it's Thursday! Of course you know what comes next right? Weekend!!!! Oh....I meant Friday. Next week will be a short one because it will be Thanksgiving this coming Thursday. Usually, the Friday after TD is day off for the man of the house. If that's the case, the little one will have a field day because Dad will be home for 4 straight days...I guess she'll have 4 field days then? Ha!

I don't know yet what the plan is for our TD. Well, I do. It's just that we're waiting whether we'll have company or not. I'm guessing...NOT. But whichever it goes....it's fine by me. As long as the 3 of us are together I could care less whether we have company or not. Actually, it's a lot LESS stressful with just the 3 of us so I'm not really worried about it. We already have the 'bird'....birds I mean because we have 4 [I think..or is it 5?] in the freezer. Why? Because they've been on sale and hubs likes turkey so he's been getting 1 or 2 when he goes grocery shopping. He's funny that way.

Anyway, gotta go to work now. Have a productive Thursday! Goodluck to me on that actually...:)

Diamonds...

2011-11-16T15:47:00.003-05:00

I was watching a re-run of the show Friends yesterday where the episode was about Chandler shopping for an engagement ring for Monica with Phoebe. Phoebe was supposed to help Chandler choose the ring but all she did was asked if the store had any $10 engagement ring. Of course that wasn't quite the case. In reality though, don't we all want to find inexpensive stuff like cheap engagement rings? Ten dollars may be a stretch but cheap engagement rings are definitely around, we just have to look to find them and do our research.

One way to save in engagement rings is by looking into loose diamonds. From what I've read, buying a loose diamond is a great way to cut the cost of an engagement ring. Another option is buying a pre-owned one. I know buying a used jewelry is not for everyone but if you're on a tight budget, I think it will be a good way to go. I came across this site online where you can even make a counter offer on their loose diamonds as well as on their pre-owned jewelry. It's like giving their customers the bargaining power. I'm not into jewelry that much but looking at the prices they have on their site, I am actually tempted to make a counter offer on some of them. But I won't...yet. :)

The Halloween That Was

2011-11-14T14:15:00.006-05:00

I noticed I haven't posted anything about the halloween that just passed. As usual, our little donned a costume on the day. It's her 9th one which means she already donned 9 different costumes. Let me see if I can recall all of them...

Year 1 - Lioness
Year 2 - Pumpkin
Year 3 - Snowhite
Year 4 - Ballerina
Year 5 - Princess
Year 6 - Jojo Circus
Year 7 - Cinderella
Year 8 - Bat
Year 9 - Fairy

Wow! Some good memory I have, eh? I just got all that from the top of my head. I didn't even have to stop to think...LOL. Round of applause for me, please. Ha! Just kidding.

So what was she this time around. She was VAMPIRE Queen! She's a very friendly vampire, too. I'll be posting a picture of her [in costume] doing the rounds at the mall ~ the only place we go to on this specific event. As expected, she had fun going around the mall for candies. Afterwards, we went our merry way already. I wonder what she'll be next year.

In a Flash...

2011-11-14T10:07:00.006-05:00

That fast and it's over. Yeah, I'm talking about the weekend of course. But as I always say...it'll be here again in a few days...eh?

We had a productive one [I think] since we were able to accomplish most of the things we wanted to accomplish. Believe it or not our Christmas tree is already up. There's of course a story behind it which I'll be sharing when the time is right...LOL. Anyway, one of 'goal' over the weekend was to find a topper for it...and we almost didn't find one. We went to 4 different stores and 3 or them didn't even have a topper on display. Instead I gravitated towards the plus size clothing section. As expected all of the stores we went to are having sales right now. I figured I might as well use my time looking for possible gifts this Christmas for my sisters-in law who are happily plus size ladies. Seriously. They are really happy they are on the 'healthy' [that's how they call it] side.

Sadly we weren't able to find the topper we went out to buy. I also wasn't able to find any clothes for my sisters. I still have enough time to do that anyway so it's okay. I may also need to talk to them first and ask for their sizes since it's been a while since I got them clothes. Maybe they're not as voluptuous anymore although I highly doubt it because dieting is not really in their vocabulary. Ha! As long as they're happy, then I'm happy for them. By the way, even my brothers are on the 'healthy' side as well. We used to be all skinny but I guess age has caught up with...our weights? With my brothers though, I actually encourage them to lose some weight because diabetes is in our family and for them to be heavy may not be good. I'm just hoping they listen to their body even if they don't listen to me.

Jumping the Gun here....

2011-11-10T20:56:00.001-05:00

...since it's only Thursday where I'm at but in other parts of the world....

Coat Shopping

2011-11-10T15:07:00.004-05:00

Two nights ago the husband was talking to his oldest sister on the phone. Just like any other time they speak, the idea of us going up there is always brought up. As soon as they hang up the phone, hubby said he wants to go up there...again. He always says that so I tend to just say okay. This time around I know he's serious because he really wants to go somewhere with snow ASAP. That's why I'm thinking of getting me some coats. I think I only have 1 coat thick enough for our coldest winter around here. I know I will freeze out there if I dare use that coat. So since yesterday, I've been browsing for coats online. I am looking mostly at plus size coats because I want to get bigger ones even if I'm not a plus size myself. Also, I noticed that a lot of the coats I like so far are only available in bigger sizes. What's up with that?

Anyway, I am also looking for coats for the little one since like me, she doesn't have any coats thick enough for snow. Hubby has some because he used to go up there before we got together. I actually thought of just using some of his in case I don't find any coat to my liking...which is impossible....LOL. My only problem right now is when to actually buy the coats I already found online. I know we will definitely take that trip at some point during this winter, I just don't know when exactly. I'd probably wait a couple of weeks more before I decide. I also want to check the local stores down here because I know they have some really nice plus size coats on sale last time we visited some stores. Hopefully they're still there when we get the chance to visit.

Music

2011-11-09T15:55:00.005-05:00

I guess with the videos I posted here in the past of the little one singing as early as when she was less than 2 years it's obvious that she likes music. Honestly, I don't know anybody who doesn't like music. Music may not like some people but that's beside the point...LOL. Kidding! Music is something introduced to most before being born. And once a baby is born, music is used to either soothe or put a baby to sleep. So yes, music is a great part of many people's lives...from the time we're born to the time we're...well, you know.

Singing is probably the favorite past time of Filipinos. They say that a party without a sing-along [karaoke, videoke] is not complete. I agree of course. I actually taught the little one here how to sing-along even before she can talk in straight sentences. Right now she wants to learn how to speak my language. I started teaching her years ago but she'd forget it because she doesn't have the practice. To familiarize her with our language, I asked her to listen to Tagalog songs. Yes, music again. She tries to sing along with it but she's not very successful yet. I am hoping that before we go back to the Philippines for a vacation, she'll be able to sing at least one full Tagalog song.

To me [and to many other people I'm sure] music is a very important part of my day to day life. I may not sing everyday now because life's been quite busy, but I listen to music day in day out. Music makes my very boring job a wee bit interesting and tolerable. Every now and then, the little one would even ask if she can listen to music while she's doing some of her school work. Sometimes I say yes, sometimes I say no. It depends on what she's doing. If I know she can work while listening to music then I let her. If I notice she's singing more than working, then her music stops. She can always listen to it when she's not working anyway.

Decisions...decisions...

2011-11-09T10:08:00.002-05:00

It seems we're always faced with them every single day of our lives. Of course they vary from very simple to very complex ones. I'm quite bad when it comes to decision making. I guess this has something to do with my aim to please...most of the time anyway. I don't like conflicts and I certainly don't like them arising from a decision I made.

Lately, I am faced with a very important decision to make. I kinda' [there's that word again]made up my mind already a few weeks ago...then things started happening. Maybe the decision I originally made may not be the right one. But then again...maybe it is. As you can see, I'm quite torn right now. This particular decision I have to make sooner than later will have a great impact on our lives...how great...that I'm not really sure. I [maybe we] still have time to make the final decision but I can't help but be stressed about it. I am not THAT stressed but the stress is there nonetheless.

Hopefully I'll be able to come up with the final one soon. If not, I know the BIG GUY up there will show me some signs on what to do next. That seems to be the case most of the time anyway....

The Only Thing Constant in Life

2011-11-08T12:52:00.000-05:00

...is change.

We all go through that whether we like it or not. Unfortunately, I'm one of those that don't like a lot of changes. I tend to stick to what I'm familiar with...but that's not quite possible with everything, is it? So I try to deal with change the best way I can. One change that we all have to go through is aging. We all age and with it comes changes especially with our body. Most of the time, these physical changes are the only things that remind us that yes, we are indeed getting older. At least that's the case with me. The most obvious changes I see on my body are mostly on my skin. I have more dark spots and of course, the wrinkles. They're everywhere now. I also get more skin blemishes now especially on my face. I'm not one who likes to experiment with my skin but I wonder if mud soap will be a good way to help with these blemishes. I don't know anybody though who uses or used this soap so I'm not quite sure if I should give it a try or not. I just saw that it's on sale now and so far, the reviews have been positive. I just need to find someone I know who actually uses the soap or something similar to it at least.

Monday Again?

2011-11-07T14:14:00.002-05:00

Yes it is! So far it's been going okay. It's not as busy as the other Mondays so I'm trying to take it easy. We're also having a very pleasant weather today. It's in the mid-70s right now and the highest will only be in the low 80s.

Our weekend was spent going around looking for stuff but nothing stressful. We were sort of 'browsing' for things we want and MAY want in the future...LOL. I was also able to go to the Phil. store yesterday to pick up supplies. I didn't get as much ~ no frozen goods this time around because I thought we were swinging by somewhere else but we didn't.

We will have an early start tomorrow because I have an appointment with my doctor. I am hoping nothing too serious is going on. I'm trying to stay relaxed as much as possible but it's a bit hard sometimes to do that especially when something that you can't really explain starts happening to your body. Ugh! Oh well...I just hope I'll find the answer in my visit tomorrow.

In the meantime...

Uniquely Yours....

2011-11-07T11:45:00.002-05:00

One of my former co-teachers in Taiwan loves to give personalized gifts. I'm not only talking about giving unique wedding gifts where she only has to buy one gift at a time but unique gifts for the Christmas season as well. In the 4 years that I worked with her, I got several unique, mostly personalized, from her because we got really close during those years. But during the holiday season like now, she would place bulk orders because she didn't only give gifts to those who are 'close' to her but she gave everyone a gift. What she did every year was to get the most complete list of teachers and staff from the personnel office to make sure everybody got a personalized gift before we all went home for the holidays. I can only imagine how much she actually shell out during the holiday season but I know she's happy with what she's doing. Every now and then I still get something unique from her in the mail. She's just that kind of a friend...she doesn't let any special occasion pass without making you feel special.

Charge it to Experience...

2011-11-07T11:42:00.003-05:00

Just like any other weekend, ours passed way too quickly. We were out on both days either running errands or just being out and about. Saturday was spent at a small furniture store that sells electronic fireplaces. You know how that is…you go in a store with a purpose and you end up looking at everything they have. We did find the fireplace hubby wants…on a brochure. They didn’t have the actual one on the floor so we’ll have to wait 2 to 3 weeks to actually see it. Yesterday, Sunday, we decided to have our car washed. The place that we go to for that is close to our other house which is still up for sale. We decided to swing by the property just to check how it’s doing. As usual, I felt bad while we were there because up until now it’s still sitting there with no takers yet just like a lot of other for sale properties. Everytime we visit the place I can’t help but think about the misfortune of coming across that homebuilder/contractor that screwed us of our hard earned money.

Hiring real estate lawyers like Real estate lawyer barrie would have been a great idea before we jumped into the buying and selling a house. We just didn’t know any better back then. We thought we could handle everything by ourselves but we were wrong and had to pay the price for it…big time. If that builder just kept his promise to us, then everything would have been perfect. That house already had a buyer who was willing to pay us for the price we wanted for it. But things fell apart when the builder started giving us the run-around. Instead of hiring a real estate attorney when that started happening, we patiently gave this guy the benefit of the doubt and waited. Wrong move of course because after a few months of excuses, we found out that we were not the only people the builder was giving the run-around. Long story short, the guy is now in jail. That’s good for his future victims, but not so much for us. We were thousands of dollars shortchanged and there was nothing we could about it. As they say, charge it to experience. Next time, we should know better. I hope..

It's Here!

2011-11-04T21:32:00.003-04:00

Yep! The much awaited....weekend!

And it's not just an ordinary weekend here mind you. It's the weekend where we get a free hour...of sleep. Yay! For those on this part of the world, don't forget to "turn back" your clock an hour before going to bed on Saturday night. That means we get that extra hour of shut eye this weekend. Woo hoo....

No great plans for us this weekend. The man of the house will be home so the little one is all giddy because Dad will be around for 2 full days. It just tickles her to no end when he's home. For one, she can spend the time bugging him instead of me bugging her to clean her room/bathroom or finish her 'unfinished' worksheets...LOL. Well, that's the only way for me to finish my own chores...when she's doing something herself.

Anyway, it's time to take a break. Ciao!

Celtic Jewelry

2011-11-04T20:14:00.007-04:00

Have you heard of this kind of jewelry? I admit, I didn't know what celtic jewelry is until recently when I got sucked into clicking a link that I saw in one of the online magazines I was browsing. As it turned out I've always liked celtic jewelry I just didn't know that's what they're called. Ha! The first time I saw one was on a friend's finger. She had this ring on all the time that had these interesting knots. I never bothered to ask her what kind of ring it is. I should have asked her what it's called so it didn't last this long for me to find out it's called a celtic knot ring.

Anyway, I tried looking for my friend's ring on the site I was browsing but I haven't found it yet. There are other rings though but now exactly the same. But guess what? I found some very nice looking celtic earrings that my nieces will probably swoon over. The prices are not bad either because they have earring as low as less than 50 bucks a pair. I may just order them ASAP and make them my Christmas present for them. I might even get me a pair or two for future use for myself. Now, that's a plan, eh?

The 'Cake' Story...

2011-11-03T10:36:00.005-04:00

That's my birthday cake this year...and I ordered it myself! At least I didn't bake it myself, right?

So why did I order MY OWN CAKE? In the past years I didn't. Hubby would just come home with a an ice cream cake which he'd usually pick up on his way [home] from work. Last year before my birthday, I saw this cake being advertised on TV. It's called 'Caramel Pecan Crunch'...and it's made by a supermarket chain around here. I told hubby that's the cake I wanted for my birthday so he looked for it but couldn't find it so he ended up getting the usual ice cream cake for my birthday last year. So this year, he asked me to order the cake myself IF still wanted the caramel cake....so I did! I called in the day before and he picked it up on my birthday on his way home from work. And that's the story of the cake. Probably not interesting to you...but it's quite interesting to me so I thought I'd chronicle it here just for future reference: The year I ordered my own birthday cake....tee hee

Anyway, the cake is nothing special. Yeah...BUMMER! I was salivating over this sugar laden creation and it disappointed big time. Nothing special about it and it's not what I expected. I was expecting something more. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver. Next year...ice cream cake it is...again!

Microsoft Office

2011-11-02T09:39:00.009-04:00

I am officially a year older. Happy to report...I don't feel any different. It feels like I didn't age. LOL....

As usual, my birthday came and went without much ado...just the way I like it. I've never had a birthday party 'per se' in my life. The only birthday celebration where I had friends over was during my 18th birthday. Even then, I only had my closest friends around. Anyway, my day was spent the same way I always do...working and tending to chores and the little one. At the end of the day, the hubby came home with a birthday cake that I ordered myself. Ha! Story about that in another post. As for my birthday present...hubby got me the new touch screen computer. I don't have it yet because we just ordered it online over the weekend. It will be here sometime this week or next week.

With the new computer coming soon, I am seriously considering taking a Microsof Office Training course for future use. I know the basic Microsoft Word & Excel but that's about it. I'm not even very proficient with Excel and I really want to know more about it. I can probably go the self-help route but I'd rather not because I know that it will take a lot of time to even convince myself to start. By enrolling myself to a class, I wouldn't have any choice but learn it or I'll lose the money I paid for the course, right? Besides, what I'll learn in that course may come in handy in the future when hubby needs an extra pair of hands for the office job in his business.

One Down...2 to Go!

2011-11-01T17:42:00.003-04:00

Halloween is finally over and I'm a year older! Ha? How did that happen? LOL...

Anyway, we had a good time accompanying our little one to the mall to do her trick or treatin' last night. As usual, we were one of the early birds so we finished earlier. The crowd was just coming in as we were wrapping up. Woot! Our little trick or treater had a grand time of course. I took pics while Dad took the video.

As usual there were a lot of young ones & young once in costume but think the crowd at the mall was not as big this year. Either the trick or treaters did it in their own neighborhood this time around or just stayed home.

After trying the grilled subs and the 'gourmet' french fries...haha...we drove back home already. On our way home we passed a few groups of kids in costumes walking around. What baffled me though was a group of kids walking along a busy road. I *think* there was an adult with them but still it scared me to think how easily one of them could be hit by a passing vehicle.

Anyway, since Halloween is done...we're now counting the days until the next big 'thing' arrives...Thanksgiving. We're planning in inviting family over but that's all a plan for now. It's not in another few weeks so we will probably finalize it a week or so before the day itself.

Count Me In!

2011-10-31T14:19:00.004-04:00

I spent a good part of my morning yesterday cleaning our car. Everytime I get into it I would always do a mental note to clean it one of these days. Unfortunately, I couldn't because it's never on our driveway for a long period of time...until yesterday when we decided to just stay home instead of running errands. The car needed replaced..err...cleaned badly so it took hours to clean it. I've been cleaning it for about a couple of hours when hubby decided to join me. While we were scrubbing & washing away dirt, we started discussing about some changes in our car insurance policy. Since I don't drive yet, I am not in the policy as a driver yet. It's also the reason why I can't practice driving using that car. Yesterday, we decided that we should probably look into adding me to the policy so I can do some practice driving already. Guess who is tasked to do the searching for some affordable car insurance rates??? M-E! Of course....

That's what I've been doing since this morning. I've been at it for a few hours now but I still haven't found 'the one'. Yes, there are a lot of cheaper car insurance out there but only according to their advertisements. They keep saying that if you switch to their company, you will be saving a bunch of money. Not true because so far, I haven't found one that's cheaper than with what we have. I know I would have make a choice sooner or later. But by the looks of it, we may just stick it out with our current provider. That is unless I find that can beat our current one right about....NOW!

Chillin' on a Sunday

2011-10-30T15:47:00.005-04:00

I guess that's more like what's happening in other states but unlike those states, we're not experiencing snow today. But we're still chillin' at home today since we were out the whole day yesterday hopping from one store to another. We went out with a mission yesterday...to find a PC for me. We didn't quite fulfill the mission...instead we came home with something else...a new TREE! So it's not a total loss. Oh...and we got the PC also but online. What a surprise....NOT!

Right now, the little one is busy carving her pumpkin in the back porch. I was trying to help her earlier but she wants to do it all by herself so I'm letting her do it. I just check on her every now and then.

Okay...the pumpkin is done. She goofed up and cut some parts she shouldn't but she somehow saved it. Here's the finished product...

I asked her to ask Dad to help her but it's supposed to be her surprise to him so she refused to ask for help...LOL. She likes suprising Dad....good thing he's surprised! Or was he? Ha!

To Quit or Not to Quit?

2011-10-29T22:34:00.004-04:00

Yep, that is the question!

One of the firs things I 'discovered' when I started looking for ways to make some extra money while I stay home with the little was home scanning. For those not familiar with it, it's when you scan the groceries or any products you buy in stores using one of those barcode scanners similar to what they use in stores. The information gathered by the scanner is then sent to the company I scan for through the phone where the transmitter is connected. The main aim of this is to help research companies like the one I'm scanning for in determining prices in different stores from different places. Anyway, I've been contemplating in quitting this 'sideline' for a couple of reasons. The original company I did this for was bought out by a bigger company a few years ago so a lot has changed already and I'm not particularly happy with the changes. The other reason is my busy schedule. My main aim when I joined was the extra income. It does not pay a lot but every little bit helped during the time I started doing it. Actually, it's very time consuming but I enjoyed doing it. But now that I have regular paying gigs, I can't find the time to do it regularly anymore. I also don't enjoy it as much as I did when I first started. I guess I'm just waiting for that perfect time to throw in the towel and just concentrate on my regular gigs.

Which is Which?

2011-10-29T22:06:00.003-04:00

After a late breakfast this morning, we decided to head out. The main purpose of the trip was to look at some PCs because that's the hubby's present to me for my 21st. :) We also wanted to look at some fireplaces that we've always wanted to put in the living room. We can't go with traditional ones because we don't have the space for it so it's kinda' challenging to look for one. Anyway, we hopped from one store to another and as soon as we entered the first store, one thing was clear...the holiday season IS just around the corner...or is it? It's only Halloween on Monday so we were quite taken aback when Christmas stuff greeted us at the door of the store. Are people sending out holiday invitations already as well or is it only the commercial establishment that are jumping the gun? Honestly, we can't even decide anymore if we should be looking at Halloween stuff or Thanksgiving stuff or Christmas stuff. It seems these 3 come as a "package deal" because you can't go in any store now that only advertises one of the 3. It seems that as soon as they put up Halloween stuff, Thanksgiving & Christmas stuff also go up...even they are months apart. Oh well...I guess they have to do what they have to do in order to survive, eh? It's just so confusing sometimes because if you don't know what you're looking for, you will really get lost and will end up asking...which is which? Maybe next year we can just put Santa and a witch with a turkey under the tree. What do you think?

ChipMunks & Chippettes

2011-10-28T20:40:00.003-04:00

There they are. Busy having a conversation...according to the little one anyway. Dad ordered them online and they arrived today. Of course the little one was ecstatic when she realized why the mail lady knocked on our door. She's been playing with them since I took them out of the box and she carries at least one around with her. She even sat Alvin on the table while she's having her dinner and sat one of the Chippetes...not sure which one...on her desk while she's doing her work. She's nuts about these characters at the moment and I don't see it waning anytime soon. She even listens to their music when she gets the chance. As long as she doesn't sing like them, then it's fine by me for her to listen to "munks" music. She knows that if she starts singing like them, then her 'munks' listening time will no longer exist.

One day she can't wait to be a grown up, the next day she's so into these characters. I'm glad though that she still fancies kids stuff. It means she's still our little baby...