HIS AND MINE BUT MOSTLY MINE

HOUSE SITTING DISASTER

2012-01-18T11:47:00.001-08:00

Guest post from: Natalie Walter

My friend asked me to housesit for her a few weeks ago and I thought it would be a piece of cake. She wanted me to go over to her place once a day and feed her bird and make sure everything was O.K. I happily agreed to help out while she was out of town for two weeks. Little did I know that I wouldn’t be able to figure out her ADT Security keypads. The alarm went off almost every time I went over there and it was driving me crazy. I couldn’t get in touch with her because she was traveling Africa, which made it even worse. One time the police even came over after the alarm went off. Her neighbors started to really hate me, and I was just dying for the two weeks to end. On top of the alarm problem, the bird hated me. Every time I would open the cage to fill up his water bottle and refill his food tray he would try and peck my hand. It was like the never-ending nightmare of house sitting. I am usually happy to help out a friend but after this experience I am really weary. I’m not sure that I’ll ever offer to house sit for a friend again.

STIFF NECK

2012-01-18T11:38:00.000-08:00

My day is not turning out like I wanted to. Went to bed last night nursing a throbbing headache. Thought a good night's sleep and rest was going to help. It did help but I woke up with a different ache, this time it hurt like a son of a gun. With me as my husbands personal alarm clock, i have to wake up twice in the morning. One before 5 am and the second is before 6 for my daughter. I always go back to sleep after waking my husband and making sure he is up for work. An hour after going back to sleep I woke up feeling something wrong. The whole right side of my neck and arm hurt so bad. I could barely move from the pain. This was the worse stiff neck I have ever had. I was about to cry my eyes out from the intense pain on my neck and shoulders. Luckily, I have stocked up on pain patch and gels. It really helped. My neck still hurts specially when I move suddenly but its no longer was bad as it was this morning. What a way to start my day!!!

WONDERFUL WALGREENS

2012-01-17T18:54:00.000-08:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Since October I have been hooked and addicted to something. No, its not drugs, liquor or smoking. I am most definitely hooked and addicted to couponing. The number one place in my heart and in my cousin's heart is Walgreens.

For many years I have discounted Walgreens as merely a drugstore/convenient store. I was wrong! I saw the errors of my way last year.. Walgreens has been our Pharmacy for more close to 5 years now. At first it was because it was just a walking distance from our house. Now, its because I found out that Walgreens has an amazing customer service and we are always left satisfied with our prescriptions. I just got to my attention about Walgreens and Express Script and how Walgreens is helping out the community by lowering rates for prescription. Our insurance is not part of the Express Script so my family and I are not realy affected by it. However, my MIL is retired and depends on social security. I have yet to ask if she has been affected. If her insurance is part of the Express Script it could cripple her and leave her helpless. People who depend on low cost prescription will suffer greatly and it will mean their health. Cost have gone up so much and if the prescription cost be it generic or name brands goes up, a lot of people will be affected. That means, people won't be able to afford their prescription and that means the decline of health.

I am so glad to know that Walgreens is behind the people and is trying its best to help lowering the cost. I love my Walgreens before but I am now fiercely loyal to them for what they are doing for the community. I will look into it, how that works and how we can benefit more from it. But mostly, I would want my MIL to get that. She has RA and has a lot of prescription medication handled by Walgreens. The Walgreens Prescription Savings Club will really help cut her cost but not the quality. Since we are in a world run by technology and social media its important that we follow something we actually want to hear from. Walgreens on Twitter and they can also be found on FB. I am proud to say that I a fan of Walgreens on Facebook a place were you can stay connected and find out amazing weekly deals, great customer service and low cost prescription. I am a follower And I will continue to do so. I am proud to say that I am Walgreens loyal customer!!!!

JOLIE LIKE LIPS

2012-01-13T18:31:00.000-08:00

Do you see that? That was my lips the morning of December 21, 2011. I just woke feeling that something was wrong. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out that my lips got so swollen and I had difficulty talking. It took me a while to figure out what I did to get a fat lip. I didn't hit myself while I slept, I didn't really eat anything out of the ordinary. I must have eaten something, the question is what?

A few of days prior to my Jolie lips I noticed that I would have some allergic reaction to pistachio's. The first thing I noticed was my mouth, tongue and throat would get so itchy. I felt like the inside of my mouth was swelling. Seeing that I haven't had any allergic symptoms for a long long time ( I was allergic to almost anything when I was a child) I had thought I outgrew my allergy. After eating pistachio nuts I noticed that I would get bad stomach cramps and it really hurt. I refused to believe I could be allergic to something so good and something I like. I just observed this for two days. On the third day of my observation I finally came to the conclusion that I was having allergic reaction to the pistachio. I went to bed with such a bad stomach cramp. It was so bad that I had to let my husband know to check on me from time to time so see if I was still breathing. It got him so scared. I did take some antihistamine but it took a while for the medicine to work. I finally went to sleep but woke up in the morning with itchy back and neck. When I took of my shirt to look ,I saw two huge round patch of rashes on my back and on my chest and a few on my stomach. My first thought was Shingles. I have heard that many people where getting Shingles and I thought I got it. But thankfully after an hour it went down and disappeared. It happened again the next day and the next time it was my lip.

Without realizing it, I left the pistachio bag in the open and didn't realize that it was really affecting me. After my lip fiasco I took the pistachio and hid them somewhere. After that, I haven't had any swelling or allergic reaction. It was just strange since I am not allergic to peanuts and most of the food that I was allergic to in my childhood I can eat with no problems. At least now I am aware that pistachio is something I had to stay away from. But thanks to pistachio, I got to enjoy Angelina Jolie lips for a few hours, lol.

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

2012-01-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

At last a quite house..

My cousin and her two young kids just flew out few days ago. Whew what a long week it has been. I hated to see them go but I also wanted my house back to myself,lol. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the time we spent together and the many late night shopping trips we did but i just wanted peace and quite. I finally got my wish. I will be missing them but I know before the end of next month we will be seeing them again.

The house is a disaster! So much laundry to do and I still need to weed out the kids toys to make room for the new toys they got. Its going to be a long week for me. I was planning a slow week but it doesn't look like that. Hopefully after I take down my tree in a couple of days it will be easier to maneuver and clean the playroom since the tree was place right smack in the playroom. I am no looking forward to taking the tree down and everything. At least I still got time for my new hobby,hahaha.. I guess I have skirted way to long about my newest hobby and what has me so busy and distracted from blogging.

Well, I am now a certified couponer. I clip coupons, buy news paper solely for the coupons, and I print out so many coupons. I have amassed quite a few things. Some that I won't normally get and some we really use. My cousin and I are certified Walgreens number 1 fan. We love Walgreens!!!

NEW BEGINNINGS

2012-01-02T17:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all of us!!!!!

New Year was at my relatives house in NJ. They belong to a big Filipino community and they usually have a big bash on New Years. We got invited and I didn't want to pass up the chance to see my grandfathers sister. Thanks to my cousin's husband who drove us to NJ. Ralph had to work but it was fine. We arrived just in the nick of time to attend the mass in their basement. Everyone was Filipino except for the friends of my cousin. It was amazing to have so many Pinoys in one place and people who speak the same dialect! The food was so scrumptious! I totally forgot too take a single photo. You could say all I was thinking about was the food, what to eat first and how much to get, lol. We got to catch up with my with my relatives in NJ. Ralph was working but we kept in touch throughout the night.

Kaitlyn got so tired and was not able to wait for the ball to fall. But it didn't matter, she was in my arms sleeping as we greeted the New Year and I called Ralph as soon at it was 12. We stayed until 3 in the morning and we traveled back. Thankfully out driver got some sleep so he was ok to drive,lol. We got home at past 5 am in the morning. All of us just went up and went inside our respective room and passed out. All in all I enjoyed myself and I am so thankfully that I got to bring home a lot of Filipino Food..

Happy NEW YEAR!!

ALL OVER THE PLACE

2011-12-29T17:12:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry for neglecting this blog. I have been so busy with the holidays and family. November and December are such busy months not just in terms of holiday dinners but also with the kids and having family over. So many things to do but you feel like you don't have enough time.

Honestly, I don't think I have recovered from Thanksgiving then Christmas follows a few weeks later. The running around, getting the house done, cooking for family, wrapping gifts and so much more. To top it off putting up the Christmas tree is such a chore. Usually takes me 3 hours to do the whole tree and takes even longer taking it down. Even though i was running around like a chicken with its head cut off I did get to enjoy and appreciate my family even more. I got to bond with my cousin from Chicago and they are enjoying their stay with us and i love having them here. My cousin and I not only bonded but we have something in common now. What is it? That will have to be on my next post! I will try to keep updating before after the New Year.

THINKING AT NIGHT

2011-11-15T22:39:00.000-08:00

Time check : 10:39 on a Monday evening. The kids are all tucked in bed plus dog. Husband is also off to bed as he loves his sleep. Its just me again as usual. Sometimes I recent being alone so much. No adult company to talk to. Basically I am a prisoner in my own home. Oh don't get me wrong, I love being a stay at home mom but there are just times where you need to be with other people. Personally I would rather stay at home but I want my husband to be there with me. Not just in spirit but wholeheartedly. I hate his new shift schedule now as they work 12 hour shifts and its very brutal on his body. But, like he said he needs to do what's got to be done to support us. I admire that in him, he is so hardworking.

There are times though that I want him to be around more often. Moments when I start to doubt my sanity. More often than naught, I think that I am raising our kids myself. When he is home the kids flock to him. You only hear daddy this, daddy that. I get the feeling that I am not appreciated in this household. Feeling neglected is part of it I guess. Competing with my kids for my husbands time should be a no-no. I should not have to compete but I feel the need to. My marriage is not falling apart but the ember needs to be stocked to start the fire. When I get into this state I feel guilt. Why? I know that my husband is trying his best and I am adding more pressure on him. On the other hand he also needs to know. At time I am just so blank, I don't want to think, feel, talk or hear. I know I am not alone, many women feel and go through this. Life goes on, what matters is how we deal with it. I am dealing with it in my own little way and that is why couponing is important to me right now. It is my safety blanket....

RALPH'S WORDS

2011-11-12T06:15:00.000-08:00

Geezz! It's been that long since I updated this blog? Tsk, tsk, tsk , that will not do at all. As explained from my previous post here I have been driven to distraction. Its hard balancing things when you have to clean the house, do laundry, vacuum, cook and also try to coupon. I have realized that couponing is like a full time job. You have to spend time and energy on finding great deals that will ultimately save you money, lol.

Its safe to say that I am addicted to couponing. According to my husband he wants to send me to "COUPONEERS ANONYMOUS", hahahaha.. Both my husband and MIL support me and glad to see the savings. My MIL drives me around where I want to go. On the other hand my daughter is kind of fed up with going to the stores, lol. I tell you those shopaholic women should take up couponing. Your hitting 2 birds with one stone. You get the rush as satisfaction of shopping till you pass out but you save at the same time. Some of Ralph and my family think I am crazy for doing this but I just let it roll off my shoulders. As long as I am saving I will gladly do it with pride!!!

BE FREE

2011-10-17T05:43:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of NMEDA for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Things have been so busy for my lately. I have been snarled in to the fun and twisted world of couponing. But, that is not the reason for this post. I am so thankful that I have a wonderful MIL who takes me where I want to go. Its hard not being able to drive, I am dependent on other people which sucks mind you. It will have to be definite that I learn to drive next year. My MIL is getting old and suffers from RA. Its a crippling disease that she hates so much. There are days that she could barely get out of bed let alone walk and drive me around. It makes me wonder about other senior citizens or just people with disability. How do they do it? How do they get around and be independent once more.

I am a curious person by nature and I always ask questions. My MIL explained that people with disability or have trouble moving around and getting around. She kindly explained to me that their are companies and non-profit trade association like NMEDA who help senior citizens and people with disability achieve that independence. They help make this possible by educating people of the advantage of getting the right equipment to help them move around even drive safely on the road. She knows about this things because she knows that as her RA progresses with her age she will be needing some equipment to help her manuever around in or outside the house. She is a very strong woman and even shared to me her story of when she had such bad attacks her grandson would have to lift her up and bring her to the bathroom. Her independence was shattered, she did not like that she had to depend on others for her needs. Fiercely independent and stubborn. Now I understand people with other needs to be independent and do things on their own.

If you know of a love one or a friend who is in need of assistance and want their independence back head on over to nmeda.org and type in your area code to find a dealer near you. Don't trust your life to internet equipments and catalogs , trust the professionals and they will help you gain your independence you have lost...

COUPON DISTRACTION

2011-10-11T05:27:00.000-07:00

What's been keeping me distracted from blogging lately? Why couponing of course, lol. No, I have not watched any of the newest episode of extreme couponing. I did however see reruns a few months ago.

I just started couponing late last month and it has been keeping me occupied. At least it has taken my mind of something that got me very depressed. There are a lot of sites that you can print coupons for free. This are what you call printable coupons. It kind of gives me a different kind of thrill. I have saved money but I also spent money. I am nowhere close to being an extreme coupon person, far from that,lol. The thrill of watching my own little stockpile grow is so intoxicating. You wouldn't understand the feeling until you are couponing and get products dirt cheap or even free.

FINGER UPDATE

2011-10-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

Update of little accident I had last month with the plate and one big pancake. Just a few days after my little incident I was almost back to normal. I just had to wait until the wound was completely closed before I started flexing my injured finger. After that accident I was slightly hesitant about making pancakes to freeze. You could say I was afraid for having the same thing happen again. To avoid getting cut just in case I used plastic plates this time, lol. It may seems stupid or silly but that was how I felt. But, I am good as new....

Taken inside the E.R.

A week after

Almost good as new

GREAT ALTERNATIVE

2011-09-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Things has been so different since my oldest went back to school. I no longer babysit since the boy I watched is already of school age. Now, its just me and my little girl in the house, playing and doing school. With no extra income coming in and only depending on one income its tough. I make sure we stretch out the value of a dollar as much as we can. We have already scaled down our cable to only a couple of premium channels. It was my idea to get rid of some of the premium channel, all my shows are on regular cable anyway so there was no point on paying for something you don't really watch.

Just yesterday Ralph started talking about looking for other cell phone provider that can give us a more affordable monthly plan. I basically told him about Straight Talk about how there is no contract, no surprise bill, termination fees, unlimited calling and nationwide coverage. I could tell that I was getting him Hook, line and sinker with every word I said. With my husband as a police officer he uses his phone a lot to get in touch with people, return calls and what not. With the affordable monthly plans that Straight Talk has, I have no doubt Ralph can find the right plan for us. I also have family overseas at its a comfort to know that calling international won't be a problem with their flexible prepaid cards. It is also a plus to know that if we give up our Iphone we can get an Android on Straight Talk. With unlimited plans for call, text and web browsing, a big selection of smart phones to regular phone where can you go wrong? As long as I can keep in constant communication with my husband and be able to Call a friend I am always on a look out for better deals.

MAJESTIC ON FOUR LEGS

2011-09-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

Let me just say that I am not usually the type of girl to approach a male to ask if I could take his picture. I just couldn't help myself. I have never seen such a beautiful specimen. Don't worry folks I am not talking about a man but instead I am talking about my infatuation with a GREAT DANE. That is him. My friend and I with our kids went to Wilmington for the kids day of play. It was very different from last years event. The weather was chilly with people dressed in their fall sweaters and jackets. Their wasn't as much activities and booth like last year. But anyway, I was just watching Kaitlyn when I caught sight of the Great Dane. I fell in love with the dog right away. Ralph and I have been talking about getting a Great Dane after watching Marmaduke the movie. The dog was just huge and majestic looking. It was a very well behaved dog. It just walked beside its owner, didn't bark and just had a laid back personality. As Ceasar Millan would say it was a calm submissive dog. I could not stop myself from admiring his beauty. Before I know it I was walking towards the female owner to ask if I could take his picture. The owner was so gracious and she even made him sit. I forgot to ask his name though but he is only 2 years old and whooping 160 lbs. I posted the picture on facebook and showed it to my husband and MIL when we got home. Now, Ralph and I are seriously talking about getting a Great Dane. Why a Great Dane? I want a guard dog and I want them big. Besides Great Dane have very calm personality and they are great with kids. Hopefully within the next year or two we will have a new addition to our household....

TURMOIL

2011-09-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

I have been in a funky mood lately and Its hard to shake it off. I have not talked to my family since my post-opp appointment. I know I need to talk to somebody but I just can't make myself talk about it. It just hurts to much. Some of my readers, if I have some are probably wondering what the heck is wrong with me or what I am talking about. How I wish I could share my pain and frustration right now but I just can't. I have to deal with this on my own then I will write about it. It's still to fresh on my mind and I still can't understand as to why? Hurting my family is not my intention but when you are also hurting you don't see it. I just want to be able to understand everything and slowly accept the reality. Don't worry I am not dying nor am I sick. I am just going through and emotional roller coaster and I can't seem to get off. In order for me to get off I guess I will just have to finish the ride and see how things go.

TRIP TO THE ER

2011-09-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

As things start to slow down in our household, accident struck. I have fully recovered from my surgery, no more bleeding and pain. I still had to take it slow and not lift or carry heavy things over 10 lbs. You never know when accident strikes and you can't avoid it. Last Sept 12, 2011 around 9:30 p.m. I was just finished making pancakes to be frozen the next day. I made a huge pancake as big as my plate for me to enjoy while relaxing and watching television. What happened next was something I don't want to happen ever again.

With my right hand holding a plate full with a huge pancake smothered in butter and syrup I turned towards the sink to grab a paper towel. The next thing I know is that my plate slipped from my hand and I tried to catch it. It broke when it hit the sink and I reached for it at the same time. Sliced the side of my ring singer big time. Blood spurted everywhere, on the sink, cabinet and on the floor. I just knew I was going to need stitches with how the blood was just spurting out. I didn't panic at all and applied pressure to the wound to stop it from bleeding. I ran upstairs to wake up Ralph so he could take me to the ER. I felt so bad since Ralph was exhausted from work and he has such blood shot eyes. I kept apologizing for something I had no control over. To cut the story short I didn't wait that long, was only in the ER for 2 hours. Didn't get stitches but got my it glued instead. So things have just been hectic around our household, lol.

Here are some pictures from my trip to the ER.

before and after

and done!

SLOWLY BUT SURELY

2011-09-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been as active as I used to be. I am still recovering from my recent surgery which was Hysteroscopy with Laparoscopy. Still taking things slow but my body is telling me that I am still doing way way to much. A lot has happened after my surgery. We had the hurricane that devastated the East Coast. We were fortunate since we weren't hit that hard by the hurricane. It was mostly flooding. Our basement got flooded with about 2-3 inches of water. If our sub-pump had been working we wouldn't have had a problem with water in the basement. I was not worried about what was in the basement. My worries was for the electrical outlet and of course the freezer, refrigirator and the water heater in the basement, other than that I really didn't care if things like toys, boxes or what not got wet. As I see, its just things that are easily replaceable.

Even with my incision and body aches I still managed to help my husband and do what we had to as home owners. I was just thankful that we were spared from the brunt of the hurricane and that my husband came home safe albeit a little soaked but fine.

LIGHTER LOAD

2011-08-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you know what's so great about our technology today? The ability to communicate from afar, to talk , send messages and take pictures. Fifty years ago that was unheard of. People only had the telephone and not everyone could afford it. With today's gadgets and technology we have been freed from the chains of our house phone. Cell phone is one of the greatest gadget invented. It has allowed us to merge distance and connect invisible line from different parts of the world.

Only a few people are left who are still in the dark times, refusing to embrace the advancement of technology. To those who have embraced the change have all hooked up and remained connected with the world through the Cell phone. The downside of owning a cell phone is paying the bill. Most cell phone providers lock you in a contract with so many fees it will make your head spin. Just the other day Ralph called me up and discussed our recent phone bill. It getting to be too much. I love my new phone right now but if it costs an arm and a leg to keep it, we will have to think real hard. Next year our contract will expire and this will leave us to explore new options. Options like the Straight Talk that has everything you need like any other cell phone provider. I have already looked this up and thinks its one hell of a deal. Where can you find a provider that has very affordable monthly rate with unlimited service of call, text,picture message and web. I just spent a lot of money with long distance last month. Withe the flexible prepaid calling service I can afford to call a friend a friend anytime I want.

Worries about phone selection is for naught as Straight Talk only trust the manufacturers of good quality like Samsung, Motorola, Nokie, LG and many more. You want phones with mp3, camera's and video's, smart phones they have it all. They know how to get you Hook, line and sinker. Remember, mom knows best and with that full satisfaction that is lighter on the pocket.

GOING UNDER

2011-08-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

I am a nervous wreck. First I was shook up by the earthquake and tomorrow I will be going under the knife. Tomorrow will be my first time ever to go under general anesthesia and is terrified. I guess its a natural feeling when you have never been under and have had no operation or surgery done to you. Yes, I did have a baby but I was wide awake and totally in charge of the situation. My husband knows that I am stress about my upcoming surgery and keeps telling me that it will go smoothly. I will be having Laparoscopy and Hysteroscopy. It is to check my reproductive organ for any anomalies, cyst,polyps and endometriosis.

I have already told my mom and sister about my surgery. Only a few friends know about my surgery and I wanted to keep it that way. Why? Now that's a whole new story......

STRETCH IT

2011-08-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Summer is still in full swing. People from every walks of life converge in one place where sand is plenty and the sun is free, the beach! For teenagers they cannot wait for Summer to start so they can hang out with all of there friends. If you have a teenager you know what I mean. They are always on the go and its hard to keep track of them specially if they don't have cell phones. With recession still looming around like a big black cloud over our heads not all family can afford cell phone plans for their teenage kids.

Worry no more. There is such a thing as freedom from contract phones. How would I know? Ask the real TracFone customers that are thankful for TracFone. With TrackFone you are free from contracts, no activation or cancellation fees, monthly plans are very reasonable and affordable. Monthly plan even goes as low as $10 a month for people with simple needs such as call and text. For teenagers texting is the new "in" and you give them this. Phone selection is as good as any from simple to phones with so many features. That alone will certainly peak the interest of your teenager or anyone. Don't just take my word for it hear it from that real TracFone customers are satisfied and more than happy with what they got with TracFone. Remember, a single dollar stretched goes a long way.....

MUSHROOM

2011-08-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

When I see a mushroom/mushrooms It reminds me of my grandparents. I was in high school my my grandmother decided that she was going to grow her own mushroom for consumption purposes. Ever since then I don't like mushrooms, don't like the taste or the smell. When I was young I remember the someone scolding me about touching mushrooms and being told how poisonous some mushrooms are. But I do like gravies with mushrooms but I pick it out. I remember everyday I would check on a few soil that was wrapped in plastic for sprouting mushrooms.

Do you know that a mushroom is not a vegetable nor is it a plant? It is actually a fungus. According to Wikipedia - Mushroom : is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. Like all fungi, mushrooms are not plants and do not undergo photosynthesis. I have always admired the beauty of the mushrooms. the different colors, shapes and sizes are just among the few reason why I admire its beauty.

Now back to my story. My grandmother was successful in cultivating edible mushrooms for consumption. All the family except me enjoyed the dish. I will just stick to admiring it from afar than admiring it with my taste buds.

FORGET ME NOT

2011-08-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

Do you see that entrance sticker bracelet? That was from our little adventure to Jungle Jim's Water Park last July. It literally took me 5 days before I took it off my wrist. Why? I just keep forgetting. I have been places with the thing on my wrist. I even have a tan line because of that. However I wasn't the only one sporting that new bracelet, Kaitlyn also had her for 3 days until she went to our neighbors house and they decided to take it off. Honestly, my mind has been blank so many times. I noticed that I forget so easily and can't seem to focus on things. Am I worried about it? Yes and No. I just think of it as part of being a mom and wife. Subconsciously maybe my mind didn't want to take it off so I will always remember our summer outing. Who could forget it when you get so red like a lobster. I got "lobstered" on that day. At least I still haven't gone out with different shoes on my feet or my clothes inside out, lol. Come to think of it, I may have already I just forgot about it, lol...

POKER FACE

2011-08-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

That my friend is our newest toy, lol. Ralph and I have always found ways to spend time together in ways we both enjoy. This time its not just watching a movie, playing with each other with our iPhone. Now, we have started playing cards. But it wouldn't be the same if there were no poker chips involve,lol. At first Ralph just wanted to teach me how to play poker. Then I suggested we play for money, I went to get the coin bowl in the kitchen counter. He didn't like it. Do you know what he did next? He went to Walmart and got those chips so we can really play. My husband is so impulsive, when he wants something he will go and get it. This time it was to enhance our game. He thought me other games but I had a hard time grasping the rules,lol. What can I say its in english and my brain is hardwired in my dialect when it comes to betting. Those chips have no value when we play since it is just for fun. I love the feeling of winning a big pot, stacking the chips and just wanting to have the most stacks of chips. I am still working on my poker face but I am slowly getting there. I can't wait to have a family get together so the adults can play cards while the kids are at play. My MIL said I am so bad at it that I should not think about going to a casino. Well I have never been to a casino and even if I do go, I will stick to the slots machine.... Do you play cards?

STIFFLING HEAT AND WARM BREEZE

2011-08-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

It's August already? Where did Summer go? In a few weeks school will be starting, Summer will end and Fall begins. I dread thinking about the end of summer, the feel of the warm air and the glaring sun. Sure, I also complain about the heat but I love it. Every year I look forward to the 3 months of warm weather, that is the only thing that keeps me going through the cold winter months. But I will not get myself down just yet, we still have a few more weeks of warm weather so I will be trying to soak myself in as much sun as I can, lol. Do you know that my husband thinks I am totally nuts sitting sleeping on our deck in the afternoon in long sleeved shirt and sweats? I am kind of weird that way, the stifling heat of the sun lulls me into falling asleep with the warm breeze on my sweaty skin. It reminds me of home,reminds me of the hot summer. I will surely miss when summer departs but will be looking forward to her return.

FREEDOM FROM CONTRACTS

2011-07-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

With today's advancement in gadgets, computer technology and communication it's no longer a surprise that most people have cell phones. You never heard of such a thing in the old days where you can call someone and stay in touch so easy. As the technology for better cell phone morphed and develop so did the cost of owning one. I don't really feel the brunt of getting the bill as my husband is the bill payer. But, I was in my husbands shoes I would not even blink an eye when the right cell phone plan comes along.

My BIL however is not as fortunate, he needs a plan that will work for him and his wife. A cell phone plan that can drastically lower his cell phone bill. Straight Talk is what he needs right now. Its perfect for him and his wife. Knowing my BIL once he gets a more information about Straight Talk he will be hook, line and sinker no questions asked. It will be perfect for him and his family with no credit checks needed, no termination or cancelation fees and absolutely no contract. With financial stress that he is having right now this will be like a breath of fresh air. It will allow him to stay in touch with his family and his friends. From what I have read and heard Straight Talk is everything you need and more. With Straight Talk you can easily stay in touch with family, call a friend and even afford International Long Distance call with there flexible prepaid calling service.

What are you waiting for? Why pay for a contract when you have the freedom to pick your own plan at roughly half the cost of contract phones. As the saying goes, "mom knows best ".

LOBSTERED

2011-07-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

In almost my 5 years here in the US this is probably the worse sunburn I have had. I admit I get very tanned during the Summer season seeing that we have a pool. Most of our time is spent outside either in the backyard or swimming in the pool. I don't really swim every day but I am my kids personal lifeguard. I have to sit and watch them as they swim.

To avoid boredom we try to take the kids somewhere. We can't afford to go to Disneyland as of yet so we opted for the beach. Ralph and I are not beach people, while on our way home from the beach we saw a Waterpark called Jungle Jim's. We decided that we will take the kids there the next week. I love people watching and when I see people who are so red from sunburn I called them "Lobsters". They look so red and when Lobster is cooked it looks red, hence "Lobster". Let me tell you I got Lobstered when we got home from the Waterpark. Seeing that we were there from 10:30-7:00 p.m. It was bound to happen. It hurt but thanks to the soothing Aloe lotion. I slathered it on like a sun of a gun. Next time, I am looking for shade. I don't want to get any darker than I already am.

THE BEST DAY !

2011-07-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

Guest post written by Joseph Finch

I never thought I’d see the day when I would be ‘that guy’ that no longer liked football games at the stadium. Believe me, I was intense back in the day. My friends and I would paint ourselves up, we’d start tailgating at 6:00 p.m. the night before the game, set up the tailgate, party afterwards, the whole nine yards. Two years ago when I was 32, I went to what will probably be one of my last games. I was in the bleachers looking around, and all of the people there seemed like they were having so much more fun than me. I was honestly like the guy at the bar talking about how loud the music was. I was hot. I was tired. I was NOT having a good time. And all I could think about was my LAZ-EE boy that I left at home, along with my remote control and Satellite (TVByDirect.com). I didn’t want anyone spilling their beer on me, and I didn’t want to have to pay $7 for it. Right then and there I knew my days of enjoying this were over. Oh well- there’s a time for everything right?

LOUNGING

2011-07-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

I love the thoughts that a few of my friends come and visit me. This time it is Mahlou, she and I go way back in college. Actually I got to know her through her cousin who is my classmate back then. She is from New York. I took this photo of her lounging on our deck in the backyard. They live in an apartment and their backyard is a rooftop, so she is taking advantage of our backyard. She loves the feeling of just relaxing outside in this warm weather with the cool breeze. We just had a lazy afternoon after going to the mall. It was fun having her and I hope it will be my turn to visit her in NY... I better save up huh?

MAKE IT WORK

2011-07-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It still continues to amaze me how things have progress. More and more nifty gadgets and accessories are created on a daily basis. Communication has gotten way easier. I has allowed people from different parts of the world to stay in touch, talk and see each other with the help of the newest phones, computers and whatever gadget and electronics it may be. I got my first ever cell phone 10 years ago. It really made a big difference in my life. I gave me more opportunity to talk or text message my cousins, friends and family. I the cheapest phone back then, lol. It didn't matter to me what model it was, as long as It can make and receive calls and text message it was a-ok.

With today's economy, many people are still struggling and trying to make ends meet. For families with teenage kids it almost expected that they get to have their own cell phone to stay in touch. Its hard to do that with major phone companies costing to much. Like many Americans my BIL has decided to get a TracFone for his son. He is one of the many real TracFone customers that openly admits to how much it has saved him money. With no contracts, credits checks, activation fee and cancelation fee it was a no brainer joining the band wagon of growing users of TracFone. Getting one for his son has allowed him to keep tabs on him and opens up the line of communication. Monthly plans vary with every costumer needs. International Long Distance calling is a synch. Did I peak your interest? Find out more with this:real TracFone customers

This is the best affordable option for older kids and teenagers. Make summer more memorable with affordable communication for the whole family.

NO CLOSURE

2011-07-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

It's been more than a couple of weeks since the passing of my grandfather. I have been talking to my mom frequently asking how things are back home. My worries are more for my grandmother, she has lost her best friend, lover, husband and companion. According to my mom she is holding on but they see deep sadness in her eyes. She is constantly looking at my grandfather's photo and talking to him in a fond way like his still around. I really hope my grandmother's pain will eventually fade away. On the other hand, my mom has no closure. She grieving the fact that she was not able to say goodbye to her dad or just even hold his hand before they took him to the funeral home. I guess its all part of the grieving process. I still miss him but at least when i remember him I have a smile on my face now.

LAID TO REST

2011-07-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

I never imagined loosing someone I love and respect was going to be this painful. I know my grandpa is dead but it really hasn't sunk in yet. I guess I am still in denial. My pain is mostly for my grandmother, she must be in so much pain. Yet, she still puts up a brave front as the matriarch of the whole family. I miss my grandfather so much, I keep remembering things that we did together, he was such a good man. Last July 14 a day before my birthday he was laid to rest. The family all wore black as a sign of loss and mourning. Its so hard to swallow that he is no longer with us and that I will never hear his booming laugh and smell his sweet scent. I will forever miss him..

Rest in Peace my beloved Grandfather

REST IN PEACE "LOLO"

2011-07-10T20:22:00.001-07:00

This post is dedicated to my late Grandfather ILDEFONSO O. MAGALASANG.

I thought Tuesday was just going to be any ordinary day, wrong! After hosting the 4th of July BBQ we had a very lazy day. Woke up really really late, had lunch, in the pool and hanging out with the hubby. Little did I know that my world was going to turned upside down. It was after 8 p.m. that I got two calls my aunt and cousin in Chicago. My aunt left a message so I listen to that first. I was shaking when I heard the voice mail. I was afraid that something had happened to my mom or my grandpa. I hurriedly called my aunt while I was in the kitchen. She answered with such a sad voice. I knew right then that I was bad.

She started crying and finally uttered the most devastating news I had to hear "Lod, your " lolo" passed away this morning"(Lolo is what we call our grandpa in my country) I couldn't say anything. I just sobbed my heart out on the phone crying with my aunt. I just kept on crying and crying. This is the first time ever I have experience this kind of loss. It was gut wrenching and so deep that you wonder if it will ever heal. I cried for my grandpa, for my grandma, I cried for everybody's loss. But most of all I cried because I was not able to say goodbye. No one had a chance to say goodbye to him. My heart goes out to my grandma who was not able to say she loved him one last time. They were each others best friend and lovers for 61 long years.

To my Grandpa "lolo" Thank you so much for all that you have done, your sacrifices, and lessons will forever be etched in our hearts. I want to say so much but my heart is just so broken. I miss you so much....

Until we see each other again "lolo", I will be forever proud to have been your granddaughter. We love you and will live for your memories and celebrate your life...

BLANK MASTERPIECE

2011-06-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

Did you ever pretend and dream what you wanted to be when you were young? I did! I wanted to be a doctor, dancer, actress, singer, model or a successful business woman. Like most kids I wanted to grow up right away so I could wear makeup, wear big girl shoes and get married. As soon as I graduated college I started letting my nail grow and wore nail polish. I couldn't wait to wear light make-up to school. It was at that phase in my life that I realized that maybe I could go to cosmetology school like my mom when she was younger. My passion to learn was there, I would look at myself in the mirror and see a blank canvass. Waiting to be made up and look beautiful.

From that time on I was the designated beautician in our family. I grew up with a handful of female cousins so I basically had someone to practice my budding skills on. It was an honor for me to do someone's make-up. The biggest honor so far was when I got my cousin ready for her senior from. I did her hair, make-up, nails and even made her accessories. She looked absolutely breath taking and I was so proud of myself. My skills are mediocre compared to the famous makeup artist I see on television. Those individual honed their skills by getting the proper makeup artist training. I love watching videos that is about makeup, hair and nails. It makes me think about trying if I could get into cosmetology arts and sciences. It's really something I want to think about and research more. I know that with proper training I could make a name for myself and make that every person's face into one beautiful masterpiece.

BUSY SCHED

2011-06-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

Next week is going to be busy. A few appointments to go and a graduation to attend. June 21 will be the graduation of Ralph's niece Kristen from high school. The graduation won't be until 6:30 at night and its in NJ. We probably won't get home until midnight and I have to wake up early the next morning to babysit. June 22 is also my sisters graduation from culinary school. I wish I was there to witness her graduation. I miss her and I am over the moon with her achievement. Watch out world, my sister is going to be one famous Chef in the future. Friday is an appointment for me. It has something to do with us trying to get pregnant. I'm really exhausted but no rest for the weary, lol.. Besides the weekend is mine, I get to sleep in as long as I want.

MARKS OF A MOM

2011-06-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

I love summer! Summer is my chance to enjoy the weather full on, the warm sun, hot wind and being able to wear less clothing. You could say we are lucky that we have our very own pool in our backyard. Its what we call our little paradise. With the pool being our summer paradise and getaway we spend more time in it. Being that my kids are still young and needs supervision, I am also constantly in the pool. That means I have to wear a swimsuit all the time.

Before I got married and got pregnant I used to have a flat stomach, it may not be as ripped and toned as some but it was nonetheless flat. That all changed when I got pregnant. As my belly good bigger and heavier with child I was not concerned about stretch marks and trying to use any stretch mark removal cream. I didn't see any need for I had thought I was safe from getting them. Wrong!!! Almost nine months into my pregnancy I noticed stretch mark around the underside of my huge belly. I screamed at the top of my lungs, I kid you not! At first it was just a couple of them but as the weeks flew by they just seem to multiply and grow.

After giving birth and having my body all to myself once again , I was horrified to see how my middle area had changed. Gone was the flat stomach and was replaced with this wrinkled, flabby and stretch mark ridden stomach. I know that my stretch marks are my reminders of how I was able to carry life within me, I am proud of them but I am not so keen to having it visible for everyone else to see. I have seen many commercial about stretch mark removal and creams but I never did try any of them. I don't want them gone, I just want to reduce the appearance and prevent more stretch marks. But even with the threat of more stretch mark if I get pregnant again that won't stop me from trying being a mom all over again. If I have to endure a thousand stretch mark just to have another baby I would not think twice. With the medical advancement and technology we have anything is possible and preventable.

SWACK!!!

2011-06-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

It is my great pleasure to introduce Mr. Mosquito to Palm Thunder, your doom!. Hahahahhahaha, sorry I have just been bitten by these pesky mosquito ever since the weather got hotter. I thought I had escaped the clutches of these winged vampire from my tropical country, I am sorely mistaken. For the past weeks they have been feeding from my blood and leaving me itchy with red swollen spots from their bites. It seems that they have a liking to my blood for I am the only one left with many bite marks after enjoy a warm night outside with my family. Pesky little buggers thought they can keep feeding from me. As soon as it gets dusky I spray my kids and myself with Off mosquito repellent. Finally I get to enjoy staying outdoors with the kids and not swatting and trying to ninja my way to kill them. At least the mosquito's are not as bad and dangerous as the ones we have in my home country.

SHORT DISTANCE TO HEALTH

2011-06-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

This post brought to you by Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.

Let me just start off this post by saying I love our local Walgreens. We are very close to Walgreens, about 3 minutes by car and 10 if you walk. What I like about our local Walgreens is the accessibility and the availability of health products that they offer. Its also great that the pharmacist will gladly answer your questions about medication and dosage and offer assistance.

I have used a lot of products from the Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products many that is offered in their store. A few of the products I have tried includes Wal-itin, High Potency Calcium Supplement, Ibuprofen. I get very bad Spring allergy and one of the medicine that helped relieve me of my symptoms last year was the Wal-itin. I don't understand why people don't buy store brand names when in reality its just the same medication but at a more affordable price. My youngest daughter also suffers from mild eczema, my husband was assisted by our local Walgreens pharmacist. He wanted to get an over the counter medication that is more affordable but with the same active ingredients found in the brand name ones. The Pharmacist recommendation to get the Walgreens brand worked well for my daughter. I guess you could say I'm loyal to our local Walgreens.

Not only do Wallgreens offer excellent health & wellness products they are also giving back to the community with Walgreens Way to Well Fund™ . Now I know that every time I purchase something from our local Wallgreens its going for a good cause that will provide free preventive health test , wellness services and education to the community. Now I am all for that. If your a loyal Walgreens customer your are in luck. You may get a great giveaways from several bloggers. Check them out and don't forget to visit your local Walgreens for your Health & Wellness needs.

HAIR BALL

2011-06-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

If you are wondering what that is, its dog hair. We have a Labrador Retriever names Sunny. He is such a loyal, gentle, sweet and loving dog. We couldn't have picked a better dog for our family. The only thing I really complain about having a dog is picking up the poop in the backyard and of course having dog hair everywhere. Its all over the house, one minute the floors are all swept and devoid of hair the next hour or so its covered in dog hair again. I swear I am fighting a loosing battle. I do try to brush his hair as many times as I can. When I do get to brush him that is the amount of hair that comes off his brush. If I keep up and brush his body for a whole straight week I'd probably be able to stuff a pillow full of dog hair. My only savior at this point is my trusted Swiffer SweeperVac . I first saw it from my SIL and I tried on her floors first seeing that they have 3 dogs. I was amazed at how much dog hair it sucked up. As long as I have my SweeperVac I know I can at least win the war, for the meantime, lol

CLUSTER OF SHROOMS

2011-06-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

I took a picture of a bunch of wild mushrooms awhile back. It was the beginning of Spring. We were at the bus stop early in the morning when all of a sudden my kids got so excited. They pointed out the mushrooms to me and begged me to take a picture. They wanted to touch it so bad but I told them not to. To my knowledge there are very poisonous mushrooms. But I also know that this kind of mushroom is not poisonous if you just touch it but I didn't want my kids touching it and in the end damaging them. I hunched on my heels and told my girls never to touch, pick or eat any mushrooms they randomly see on the grass. With that said, we just looked at the mushroom and gawked at its beauty until the bus came. When I see mushroom it reminds me of the time that my grandmother cultivated her own mushroom for consumption. I don't like mushrooms and I'd rather not have them in my food. Sure I have tasted mushrooms specially on pizza but I can honestly say, I loathe the taste, smell and texture of mushrooms. I would rather admire them from a afar away from my food and mouth....

RED AND SEEDED

2011-05-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt my youngest daughter has a love affair with Strawberries. Her affair with the red seeded fruit started when we went to my BIL house. It was Thanksgiving day 2 years ago. Larry was in the kitchen preparing dinner when he saw Kaitlyn by the door. He asked her if she wanted a strawberry she nodded yes. He gave her a big one with the leaves still on in, thinking that Kaitlyn would just eat a little bit and not finish it. Well, he was very surprised when he turned back around to find that Kaitlyn ate the whole thing including the leaves, lol. He calls her an eating machine. For someone so small she eats like an adult. I kid you not, she eat anything and very very seldom get stomach aches from different kinds of food. From that time on she would eat a whole pack of strawberries by herself. So Its safe to say that her favorite fruit is Strawberries. What's your favorite fruit?

DO GHOSTS WHISPER YOUR NAME?

2011-05-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the article from Robin Woodard

Jennifer Love Hewitt is one of my favorite television actresses, especially in the SyFy Channels television show "Ghost Whisperer". Not only is she very attractive but she is an excellent performer as well. The main reason "Ghost Whisperer" is my Favorite Science Fiction TV Show is mainly because Jennifer Love Hewitt stars in the television series and does an awesome job portraying the main character, Melinda; a woman who tries to solve the mystery of the dead that seek her help.

I usually do not hestitate for a second to turn on "Ghost Whisperer" ! on my satellite tv, that I got after compare tv programming packages, when I get home from work. After greeting my wife, and the kids too, I always head right to the family room to turn it on. It's a great show to wind down to from the busy day at work, even though the stories are sometimes bone-chilling and filled with intense drama.

I could not imagine what it would be like to be constantly harrassed by the spirits of the dead, or have to come face to face with demonic spirits that only want to drag my soul back to Hades with them. If that day ever comes, maybe I will be alright, having learned from watching "Ghost Whisperer"!

WINDOW SHOPPING BUDDY

2011-05-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

She is my baby, my little monster, my best friend and also my shopping partner. This was taken on one of our window shopping trips. Like me she likes to try on things and look around. She knows that we rarely buy things so just enjoys trying them on. With this photo Kaitlyn saw a cute hate and just plunked it on her head and demanded that I take a picture. Of course I obliged and took one of her trying to look fierce for the camera, hahahahah.. She is one piece of work. It took me a long time to go to the mall with just Kaitlyn and myself. I didn't know how she was going to behave. I took her once and from that time on she has been my window shopping buddy ever since. Surprisingly she is very very behave in the stores and generally sticks to me. Like most kids she does go off but never far from my reach. She helps me pick out things and point out stuff that would make me look beautiful. Makes me wonder if she is going to enjoy just window shopping when she gets older or will she be one of those people who really has to buy something when going to a store? Only time will tell...

LIKE FINGERPRINT

2011-05-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

For a couple of years now Ralph has been determined to improve his credit score. Before, I was very adamant about not getting a credit card. My explanation is that if I have no credit card I won't be tempted to use it. Ralph corrected that and told me why its important to establish my own credit history and how important it high and clean. He told me that credit history is like my fingerprint and identity. I even heard from one of woman that having a good credit history and credit score is better than getting a higher score on your SAT.

Nowadays,almost every transaction involves looking into your credit history and checking your credit score. If one tried to get a loan for something this allows the lender to see if they can trust you to pay your bills. With that, Ralph had been diligent in paying his credit cards and loans on time all the time. Now with the help of sites that offer free credit score he stays on top of things.Never again will he allow his credit score to go bad. As for me, I probably have a very high credit score. Why? Because I have never missed a payment, I have always been on time with paying my bills and most of all I don't spend way to much. So remember, establishing a credit history is easy, maintaining it is the hard part but with self-control and wise spending it can be done.

MOTHER'S DAY LUNCH

2011-05-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

Before today ends I want to say a big HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE WONDERFUL MOM IN THE WORLD!!

We opted to celebrate Mother's Day yesterday. First Ralph and I had a little errands to do. I didn't get any flowers but my husband did get my what I wanted. He got me toning shoes, lol. It may sound lame but I have been wanting one every since I say my SIL wearing one last Easter. I haven't said anything to Ralph about it but he was listening and just kept silent. When we got home from all the running around he asked if I wanted my present. Knowing me, I said a big "Yes!". As he handed me the box I knew it was shoes. Once I saw that it was the toning shoes I had a big grin on my face. The shoes were not really the brand I wanted but who cared, I am not into brand names anyways. What matters is that he listened and remembered what I wanted. Ralph also took me and my MIL to this authentic Italian Place called Cafe Napoli. I have been there with Ralph a couple of times, we wanted to take my MIL there. The food is a little expensive but they make up for it with portions. We had a great time. It was a simple Mother's day celebration. To all mother's out there I just want to say Thank you !

BEEN READING A LOT

2011-05-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been out of commission again folks. I kinda have this personality that if I am hook into something I really get hook and when I am satisfied or bored that is when I let go and find something else.

Lately I was watching the whole Dragon Ball Z saga and I have finally finished it..A couple of days ago I started reading again. This time I have my Iphone all the time and I can read anywhere I want to in the house. I didn't have to sit in front of the computer to do that. I love reading specially when it comes to romantic books. I was a little bored and decided to check out Literotica.com to see what new stories they had. And my oh my, all the stories are so hot but it also makes you want to cry. I specially love interracial love stories and the non human stories. What I like about it is its not just about sex, but also of self realization , romance, acceptance and love. You don't want to know how much I cried ready some of the stories. Anyho, I just want to say that I am still breathing and kicking, heheheh.. I have just been a little sidetracked and my brain is kind of scattered these days. Don't worry I will eventually collect all my brain splatters and keep updating my blogs. For now my book is waiting for me...

PLAN FOR NEXT YEARS PROJECT

2011-04-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

With Ralph surgery out of the way, we decided to talk about what we plan to do next year with the Tax refund. The tax refund we got this year has long been used. We paid off all our credit cards and some of Ralph's debts. If Ralph gets a settlement from his surgery, we are thinking of a few home improvements we can do to the house. We could have our roof done or have new sidings installed, or have the basement finished.

If we get the basement finished it would certainly open a whole new things for us. We can finally convert the playroom into what its suppose to be, a formal living room. We have so much plans for the basement. For sure we will be needing something like a sleeper chair since the basement will be the kids new playroom/entertainment place/extra bedroom. If we get it finished all the kids toys will be transferred in the basement, no more toys upstairs. I also plans on redecorating our bedroom. For 3 years I have not slept in the masters bedroom, I sleep with my kids. My husband and I are not having marital problems at all but I just elected to stay with my kids. Its more convenient, I sleep better knowing that my kids are in the same room with me. But our youngest will be turning 4 and its high time I move back in to the masters bedroom. We certainly need a new bedspread to set the mood for baby making, lol. I have already looked into chenille bedspreads and found the perfect bedspread for our room. Ralph won't mind as long and its not to flowery and feminine. I want to repaint our bedroom but Ralph doesn't seem to keen about it so I suggested wallpaper. I know that if I told him I wanted a zebra print wallpaper he will gladly do the repainting instead. I think it would be cool to have a zebra print wallpaper in our bedroom. But knowing my husband he will cringe with that thought, lol. All this planning will hopefully be started around this time next year. If not, then the next year after that, lol

TIME FOR ME

2011-04-25T04:45:00.000-07:00

I know its been almost a month since my last update to this blog. So many things happened and I just got overwhelmed with everything. My sister had a baby before her due date,trying to have a baby, Ralph went on a 2 day Conference in Virginia Beach,he had surgery the next day he came back, taking care of my kids, preparing for Easter. Everything was all about everyone else. No time for myself,I kind of got lost in the middle.

With everything going on I just clamped up and withdrew to myself. I take care of everyone else and in the process I forgot to take care of me. I just crashed and I stopped believing in everything. Everyday became a struggle. I was so irritable, withdrawn and unhappy. As soon as I acknowledge that I needed to take care of myself and have time to myself I felt free. I am the kind of person that likes to take time and analyze things, cry if I need to cry, wallow in sadness if I'm sad. I just needed time. And now, I am back. Maybe not a hundred percent but I am slowly getting there. My husband has been so patient and loving to me, thank you hun.

MY GRANDMA

2011-03-31T04:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my Grandmother Cornelia Erasmo Maglasang. I miss my grandma so much. We didn't really see eye to eye when I was still young. In fact I swear I hated her guts so much. We were clearly polar opposites of each other. I thought she hated me and didn't love me. It took many years and a lot of growing up to realize that she does love me and only wants the best for me, my sister and cousins. She doesnt sugar coat her words, she tells it as it is. She can be abrasive but it works,heheheh. My grandma has a wicked sense of humor. And boy can she cook! She cooks the most amazing stuff that you can't help but gain weight. I miss her so much and hopefully in a year or two we can go back to the Philippines again to see her.

Happy Happy Birthday again LOLA, I miss you so much!

SOON TO BE AN AUNT

2011-03-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

In a few weeks I am officially going to be an Aunt! I am very excited about it. My sister and I have been chatting more lately and I can't believe that in a few weeks she is going to be a mom. She will be 37 weeks on April 8th but she could still have the baby anytime soon. A baby girl will be added to the family tree. My sister is planning on calling her Alyssa Joy. Why Alyssa? She had a dream that her baby told she wants to be named Alyssa. My sister added Joy for her second name since she is bringing Joy to our family. My mom is in high alert mode ever since my sister reached 8 months and has been the one preparing the baby clothes. They already bought some stuff for the baby and just getting some of the things in order and organized. I have yet to send the box for my sister filled with Kaitlyn's old baby clothes. But I am hopeful that I will be able to send the box out before my sister has the baby. I will set out a date entirely to getting the balikbayan box ready for shipment.

SILENT PAIN

2011-03-21T07:01:00.001-07:00

Close to 3 years now I have been struggling to get pregnant again. I got pregnant with my first born with a drop of a hat. I didn't even have time to think if I wanted kids or not. My biological clock didn't tick then but yet I was blessed with a baby girl.

Now, I am struggling to understand why I am not getting pregnant. Every month is pure torture, waiting if I got pregnant or not. Women who are not going through what I am feeling right now will never understand. At first I didn't understand why women who can't have babies get so depress. Now I know, and I have a deeper understanding of how they feel and what they are going through. At first I thought I will not get depressed but as month went on and they years not getting pregnant made me question my ability to carry a child. The emotion you feel inside is hard to explain. Some may say I shouldn't try so hard, but you don't know what how I feel. Some may say I shouldn't be dependent on the help of fertility pill, what gives you the right to say that? You have no idea what I go through. Every month you wait and hope that maybe,just maybe this time it will turn positive. It was so bad last November, I could not hold it anymore. I broke down and cried to my husband and question why? Am I being punished? For what? Why are so many women around me getting pregnant and I'm not.

I have been on Clomid since January and this month is my last cycle. My depression hasn't gotten worst with the failure of Clomid every month. My hopes are up but I have learned to keep an open mind that maybe there is a reason behind it all. If my last cycle fails, we will wait for my OBGYN to send us off to a fertility clinic. We may look into IUI as we can't afford IVF.

I have chosen to keep silent about this and not write about my struggle to conceive because I don't want other people judging me, I don't want pitty, I want understanding! That is not the case anymore, I want to reach out to all those women who have struggled and is still struggling. For those who can't understand this is all I can say:

" If you can't keep your opinions to yourself then shut the hell up!"

DON'T BE A VICTIM

2011-03-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

Last February 14, 2010 Valentines Day, Ralph got quite a shock. He checks our bank account on a daily basis just to stay on top of things. That morning he called me asking if I had made certain purchases. I do not use our debit card but instead pay cash from my baby sitting income. Someone had used his credit card and rang up almost $1000 in purchases. He immediately went to our bank to sort things out. I could not believe that someone just used our credit card. It got me scared because I am still trying to establish my name and credit history. It scared the crap out of me to think that someone could just steal my credit car number and ruin my good name in just a few minutes.

We eventually got everything sorted out with our bank but that left us shaken. This is the first time it has happened to Ralph and It got him so upset. He told me that he would be looking into Identity Hawk to protect our name and prevent other people from stealing personal information. Identity Hawk is a program that helps you safeguard your name from theft and fraud. Ralph said that what we need now is Identity Theft Protection so that we get up to the minute risk report if our identity is at risk, information monitoring and immediate alerts. We are in the process of trying to clear our debts and it doesn't help that someone could just steal from us without our knowledge and ruin our good standing. Now, I am every vigilant about where and when I use my card. We have been victimized by credit card fraud, we will not wait and be a victim to Identity Theft! All of us are at risk unless we get a program like Identity Hawk on our side.

BOUT WITH SNEEZING

2011-03-19T14:31:00.000-07:00

It's officially Spring tomorrow! I guess its no surprise to me that I am having a bout of sneezing after our walk this morning. The one thing I am no looking forward is the Spring allergy. My allergy gets so bad that I am constantly sneezing, nose always stuffy and running. For many days I will be breathing through my mouth instead of my nose. I am hoping that the pollen explosion won't be as bad this year. I hate taking medication for my allergies. Better stock up on puff tissue. What's so annoying with my allergy is my nose won't stop dripping. It's very disgusting when one minute your sitting down watching t.v. and the next you feel something dripping on your leg, lol. Eeewwww disgusting! Believe it or not but last year I would go to bed with both my nose stuffed with tissue, lol. How about you? Do you get Spring Allergy?

RELAXING SPACE

2011-03-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pier 1 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Spring is truly here. One can feel it in the air, from the budding of the trees and the chirps of all the birds. It makes me excited to think of all the stuff the kids will be able to do outside. Not only that, we the adults will have more time to enjoy the weather and maybe have friends over. We want to do a lot of outdoor entertaining this year with some of our friends but mostly with family. I have a big Italian family and the outdoor furniture that we have right now is not only outdated, mismatched but a few of the chairs are broken. With the tax money we are getting its would be beneficial that we take a trip to to check out Pier 1 all the outdoor furniture they have. I have always viewed Pier 1 to have more sophistication and varied choices when it comes to indoor and outdoor furniture.

With the kids able to enjoy warmer weather we need a good Outdoor Wicker Settee for the front porch so Ralph and I can just sit out and watch the kids at play. We only have two folding chairs on our front porch and it doesn't look good at all. I have seen a couple of houses in out neighborhood that has the Wicker Settee I looked at online and it makes the outside of the home welcoming. I thought the Wicker Settee was a good choice but then I saw the Outdoor Double Papasan Chair! It doesn't look like your ordinary chair that you would think about putting outside your home as outdoor furniture. The Papasan Chair got me with the green cushion,its like asking you to sit and snuggle in its comfy shape. The best thing about the furniture that Pier 1 is the versatility and wow factor it gives. Wow for the simple elegance and Versatility for it can be indoor and outdoor furniture. If your thinking about updating the look of your outdoor furniture don't hesitate to sing up for Pier 1 Outdoor newsletter . And don't forget if you head on to your nearest Pier 1 between March 18-20 to sign up for a special in-store offer for the weekend. And if you a big fat of Tweeter check Pier 1 Tweetups for City nearest you. I already check ours and the nearest city is New York. With the tax money we are getting and a future trip to Pier 1 our outdoor space is going to look fabulous and more inviting.

TO ALMOST ZERO WASTE

2011-03-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

Do you even wonder what it would be like to live an almost zero-waste lifestyle? One family does,the Johnson Family has since downsized and is now living an almost zero-waste lifestyle. I have watched the video and I applaud any family who strives to help lessen the garbage that we humans throw away everyday. It starts with the 3R's Reduce, Reuse and last is Recycle. It makes me feel guilty for not doing anything to help the environment. After watching the video it made me think about starting to recycle in our house. I have to start somewhere and every little thing counts. Click on the link to see the video and be amazed at how little garbage they have accumulated in 4 months. I was floored when I saw it. If we all do what they do, I swear mother nature will smile upon us. And maybe just maybe our kids will have a better planet to live in.

PROJECT RUNWAY IS A WINNER IN MY BOOK

2011-03-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Guest post by Homer Nielsen

There is no question that when it comes to fashion shows on TV that my favorite is the competition series, Project Runway. While I'm not enamored with every second of it, it's overall an entertaining program and it's a 'must see' program for me each season. I can't wait for the new round so I can turn on my DIRECTTV DVR and sit down to see what Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn have to offer up.

Project Runway brings to the forefront all kinds of ideas and talent. Now, I don't necessarily love all of these ideas. Some are just too wacky or just not up to th! e quality I prefer to see, and some of the designers definitely do not float my boat.

When I watch the show, I naturally enjoy it more if there are a few designers that I really enjoy and can root for. Some years, though, that never happens. Still, it's about the fashion and seeing what they come up with that is the fun.

The challenges can range from old standbys to new, rather oddball ones. This keeps the show fresh and exciting.

The egos are oftentimes huge, and I chuckle at the ones who are positive they are shoe-ins and then they end up going home. Arrogance may help with confidence, but it's not always pleasant to watch.

CAPTION IT

2011-03-12T22:27:00.000-08:00

Today we took both kids age 7 1/2 and 3 going on 33 to the movie house to watch "Rango". Kayla has been to the movie house before but this would be Kaitlyn's first time. We had a lot of fun in the car on the way to the movies. I took pictures of the kids in the back seat and also with me and hubby. But take a good look at hubby's expression.

He thinks its amusing at the way I take pictures of everything. I guess its just the Filipino in me, we do love to take and pose for pictures. I hit him on the arm when I saw the pic and he just laughed. He loves teasing me and doing different kind of expression when he is in the photo.

What the heck is she taking a picture of now?

Now its your turn. Leave a comment of a great caption for out photo.

NEW LAYOUT ROCKS!!!

2011-03-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed my new Layout? I want to give a big shout of of gratitude and thanks to the fabulous Mom Gen and author of SAHM'S HANGOUT. She made the first layout but something happened with the code. It would not load for some reason. I tried fixing it but ended up messing it up more. If you have seen it my blog was disastrous. I could not figure out what to do next. Good thing I keep in touch with Mom Gen. She readily assured me that the problem could be fixed and I need not worry about it. She was so gracious that she did it all over again for free! It was fast and quick and by the time I woke up the next morning I was blown away by how well she coordinated everything in the new layout. I am not to found of brown or beige but she made this work. If you are in need of a blog with new layout check out her designs. She not only works fast but all her layout are absolutely affordable. Check her site out and see for yourself.

LEA AND I

2011-03-08T19:17:00.000-08:00

I got a surprise visit from an old friend Lea, author of "My Life and People. It was unexpected meeting. Ralph, Kaitlyn and I were out to eat lunch when Lea called me. They were on the road from Washington going home to Jersey. And since they will be passing Delaware they wanted to know if we were home so they could drop by. At first I told her we were out and made plans for next time. As we got out of the restaurant I called her again to see if they were still in the area. Luckily they were and I told her to meet us at our house. They were already there when we got home. Lea was with her husband Ariel and their only daughter who is as cute as can be Meg. The last time we saw each other was almost 3 years ago. I was 6 months pregnant with Kaitlyn and Meg was not a year old yet. I am so happy that we still got the chance to meet even for a short time. Before they left we already made plans for them to come in the summer and stay overnight. Hopefully they can come this summer. Thank you to the Sobrevega family for dropping by..

WRAPPED UP

2011-03-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when I cook my stinky little fish friends. If you didn't get it yet, I can't cook it inside the house because it stinks! What I do is get out my frying pan, a sealed container and a tong and head on outside. I cook the stinky fish on the side burner of our grill outside the deck. It was really cold out and I didn't want to wear my jacket. You see, the smell sticks to any fabric and I wear my jacket out with me. I couldn't very well start smelling stinky. But I braved the cold night just to fry what I was craving for. I already had a steaming hot rice, all it needed was the fish. Oh boy do I love my stinky friends. What does it taste like? Hard to explain, but its a fish that has been soaked in salt and laid out in the sun. Its salty and smelly. I didn't care that it was very cold out, I just wanted my fish. At least in a few more weeks the weather is going to start warming up. Hopefully I won't need to look like this ever again..

PEAVE OFFERING

2011-02-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

That is Ralph's peace offering to me. Did we have a fight? No. It was all about the game we play online, The words with friends. I wrote about it here. Its one of the few things that Ralph and I enjoy playing and beating each other. Ralph decided to make the game a little more interesting. He said that if I win 5 in a row he will give me $500. I took the bait and we shook hands on it. I wanted that money so bad that I just wanted to win. It was a close match at first, I would win and he would win. Then suddenly it all changed he was winning 4 in a row and this was the last game to redeem myself and get the shot of winning the $500. He didn't let me win at all! He made me crash and burn!. I was so so so upset and I wanted to scream at him for not letting me win. He could have let me win just one game! I wouldn't talk to him the next morning and he felt so bad and didn't gloat over his winning. When he came back from doing his errands this was waiting for me on the kitchen table. I couldn't very well stay angry at him. After all I did loose fair and square.

PLAYROOM TO LIVINGROOM

2011-02-22T09:59:00.001-08:00

For quite some time now Ralph and I have been slowly trying to furnish the entire house. Our next project is to convert the playroom and turn it into the living room I have always wanted. We have already furnished the family room with new furniture that can withstand the assault of the kids and dog hair. What we will need is a modern furniture for the living room. A friend of mine recently recommended a great online store the CSN Stores that has everything from home decor, home improvement, patio and garden, baby and kids and many more. I could not resist browsing through the living room furniture and promptly fell in love with the Clark 3 piece leather living room setI am not much of an online shopper but CSN Store just make online shopping so easy. With over 250 shopping site under the csnstores.com umbrella, its not hard to find what your looking for. The best prices and deals for your household brand name you can ever find online.

WHAT WE SHARE

2011-02-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

My husband and I are a match made in heaven. I say that because we don't drink, we don't go out partying , we are more of a homebody. We prefer to be home with the family, the kids. A time does come that we get so bored out of our minds and we give time out for the other to do what he/she wants. When I'm bored and feel like pampering myself I go to the mall. Not to shop but just to window shop and just look around. When we still had our boat Ralph would go fishing with his fellow police officers in the Summer. He does his own thing and I do mine, at the end of the day its just going to be us. So far we have been married 4 years last Valentines day. I can say that I have a good marriage, not a perfect one but a good one. Like most couples we have our moments, we argue but we never fight and scream at each other. If you ask my husband what he likes to do when he is off, he'd probably say sleep and play with his kids. Sometimes I do feel neglected but I have learned to voice that out and tell my husband how I feel. We make it a point to watch a movie 2-3 times a month when the kids are all tucked in bed. First we have to agree what movies to watch. We both love action and thriller movies so that is what we mostly watch. Aside from that we constantly play the app pictured above on our Iphone4. Its a online scrabble game. I use to beat my husband at this game but now his making me pay!!! I can't seem to win 3 times in a rows. Marriage is indeed a work in progress, needs constant tweaking and stoking.

HEAVEN SENT

2011-02-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

Babies are the most important treasure of all time. They are little angels sent down from the heavens to keep us grounded. In a couple of months my older sister will be having her own little angel. She is having a girl and my family is so excited about it. I remember my own pregnancy, the troubles of the first trimester and the joy of the third trimester. I enjoyed being pregnant and would give an arm and a leg to have another baby. My sister knows that we have been trying to get pregnant so that stopped her from asking me for Kaitlyn's baby stuff. I have so many baby clothes that she just outgrew. She is already into her 7th month of pregnancy and have yet to stock up on important baby needs. Ralph and I are planning on sending out a package for my sister and her baby very soon. One of the things I will be getting for her baby is diapers. Diapers are one of the greatest invention ever made for babies, lol. And with buy on diapers.com I have easy enough access to finding the best brand of diapers for her baby. They have everything, you name it and they have it. They even have the easy ups diaper for my daughter. She is already potty trained but she only wears them at night. I generally buy the 24 pack of the easy ups for $10.99 but I saw that they had the 108 count for only $29.09 after e-coupon. Now that is what I call a bargain! The site is a heaven for parents with younger children. Finding everything for feeding and nursing, bath and skincare, formula and baby food,health and safety and many more right under your fingertips just a click away. For busy mom this is for us, shopping made easy and comes to us. For those who enjoy social networking check out Bright Beginnings on Facebook for more news,special product offers,savings and connect with parents from every walks of life.

WIPED OUT

2011-02-06T07:33:00.000-08:00

Ralph and I finally decided that we were going to do something about our weight. Were not fat just out of shape, lol. We were at Target when we saw Billy Blanks Taebo workout and it was only $9.99 for the two disc. Ralph wanted something he can follow and not boring. I told him that my cousin and I did that workout a lot and its really good as a cardio workout. The very next day, I put it on and tried to go with the flow. It then that I realize how out of shape I was. Not even 10 min. into the workout I was already sweating like a pig and huffing and puffing like the wolf in red riding hood. Since it was my first time after a long time I took it easy but my body was just beat. I thought I was going to pass out, I felt so light headed and my heart was thumping like crazy. If I had sat down, I probably would have passed out but I resisted the urge. I didn't really do a lot, I guess my body was just not used to it. My body took a beating when very little workout. Since I am trying to get pregnant I am putting Billy Blanks on hold for a few weeks until I find out for sure. I want to start taking care of my health but trying to get pregnant is more important to me. How about you, have you tried a work out that wiped you out?

TAKING CHARGE

2011-01-31T21:27:00.000-08:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Victor Pest. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you know what's nice when its winter? The lack of buzzing sound from bees, mosquitos, insects and the dreaded flies. That doesn't include rodents though. The first few months I came here I noticed that my MIL was stuffing the holes under the kitchen sink with brillo pads. She said it was to keep the rodents, roaches and other insects from crawling inside the house during winter. I haven't seen anything yet that time so I was skeptical l about the rodents. But last summer I found like 3 mice in 2 separate locations in our backyard. My MIL got anxious knowing that those rodents could have found a hole somewhere in the house and maybe the noise she was hearing at night by her kitchen were rodents smelling some food in the garbage. We searched her in-law suite to make sure there was none. Even though we checked for rodents and found none she was adamant about getting rodent control for the whole house. She already knew that she needed something that is not harmful to our pets. And not only that, we have a toddler in the house with a very curious and wandering hands. We could not take the risk that Kaitlyn may touch or get hurt if we used traps. What she needed was the Victor Ultrasonic PetChaser that emits high frequency waves that only rodents can hear. She wanted something safe and where she doesn't have to handle dead rodents.

Uploaded with Skitch!

I tell you America is so good, you get solutions to a problem with such ease and its safer for everyone other than the rodents. Since winter is here those pesky rodents may be eyeing your house now as a warm place to stay. To stop that from happening, check out Victor Protect Your Kit for $99.99. To some it may be a steep price but you get your money's worth. The whole kit comes with a Victor Ultrasonic PetChaser Heavy Duty Sonic, 2 Victor Mini UItrasonic PetChaser Ultrasonic Rodent Repellent, and 2 Victor Electronic Mouse Trap. If you have rodent problems be sure to check out the kit, for sure it will be flying off the shelve with the free shipping they are offering. Its time we take control and leave them out....

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

2011-01-26T06:37:00.000-08:00

Who wants some chocolate cake in this freezing weather? That my friends is the very first cake I mixed using my new Kitchen Aid. The recipe is from a friend, its a moist chocolate cake. Let me just say that when I saw a pic of her cake it looked so moist and just mouth watering. Mine didn't really turn out as good as I thought it would. I guess using all purpose flour instead of cake flour has something to do with it, lol. But yes, I didn't really follow the instruction to a T. The chocolate glaze also didn't turn out as good as I thought. All in all it was just a sweet dark chocolate mess that made me so angry and frustrated. The thought of making something and not coming out right can get you frustrated. The kids and everyone else liked it but kids will eat anything as long as its cake. Shayne I'm sorry I mess up your recipe, but I am going to do it right the next time. I still have half of the cake and it will just end up going in the garbage.

APPROACHING OUR 4TH YEAR

2011-01-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

What a year it has been. Many changes and a lot of things have happened over the past year. I was able to home to the Philippines for a 3 week vacation with my daughter and MIL. Kaitlyn got her tonsils and anoids taken out, Ralph had surgery and also got into an accident. Last year just seems to fly bay so fast and it was more hectic. Now its the start of the brand new year that is just waiting for things to happen. In a few more weeks, my husband and I will celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary on Valentines day. If it was up to us and if money was not tight at all Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing would be a great place to celebrate it together. Ralph and I have not really done anything extravagant on our previous anniversary. If we had the money, I would not mind being away from my kids for a few days so I could just be with my husband with just the two or us. It would a great way to reconnect, flame the fires of our passion and make it known that we are also husband and wife and not just daddy and mama. Just to be able to enjoy a quite time to soak in a tub or have that luxury to go on a spa is just totally tempting. And as my MIL would say that a good vacation is becomes perfect with a great breakfast. Just to be able to dress up to dinner and have a great dinner meal worth for a king and queen. To gorge on succulent fresh seafood feast of crabs, oysters, shrimps, tuna and calamari sounds heavenly. We may not be able to celebrate our anniversary with such luxury but we do have plans of going away just the two of us in the future. Hopefully Ralph is off on our anniversary not upcoming event will creep up. For bussiness men and women that travel and do lots of conference Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel is just the right Hotel. A place where you can mix business with the pleasure of a great relaxing place where customer satisfaction is a guarantee. Now can you say that of other Hotels?

MY BAKING PARTNER

2011-01-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

I finally got my very own Kitchen Aid stand mixer. That was the one thing that I really wanted for Christmas but seeing that we were tight on money Ralph got me something else. He got me the Sunbeam stand mixer instead which cost much less than a regular Kitchen Aid. I was still happy with his purchase but we should have known that it was not meant for me. When I finally opened it up we realized that there was no beater inside and the box said it comes with it. Of course I was upset since I wanted to use it the next day. I had to call Sunbeam to ask if they could send me a beater. And withing 5-7 business day I finally got it and was able to use the mixer. I was crushed when I first used it, didn't really mix the cookie dough. My cookies came out good but I had to tell Ralph that I wanted him to return it. I told him that he didn't have to get me a Kitchen Aid yet but his a very stubborn ma. When he came home, he had my Kitchen Aid. I am one happy camper. I have already used it a couple of times and I am loving it. Can't wait to try out my recipes.

LIKE IT HOT

2011-01-17T20:27:00.001-08:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

Food is a passion that I share with my whole family. Back home in the Philippines, my mom and our whole family would go out for pizza's as its one of my moms favorite drug. She is a pizza lover through and through so it would come as no surprise that she loves putting on Tobasco Original Red hot sauce on her pizza. I for one am not so good with anything to spicy so I stay clear from that. But my mom, she loves it with her pizza. I used to ask my mom why she loves putting tobasco sauce on her pizza, she said it enhances the flavor and gives it a little bang when it hits her taste buds. I thought my mom was bad with how much hot sauce she uses until I met my husband. My husband is Italian and he loves his pasta and pizza. He does the same thing TABASCO® Original Red on his chicken, pizza, hamburger and just about anything. When he eats a pizza that isn't up to par he whips out his sauce and drizzles it and then would say Pizza Perfected ! My husband is not the only one who drizzles hot sauce on his food, it applies to his 2 older brothers. His older brother Angelo is a great cook and loves hosting parties, family events, holidays and of course game day party. So it comes to no surprise that Tabasco is included in his Game-Day Party Menu to pumo up the flavor. I haven't been to any of my BIL's game party but I hear that one of his pet peeve is to have at least 2 Tabasco hot sauce in sight. I am literally surrounded by men who use hot sauce like its nothing, so I guess its inevitable that I will be having it on my food in the future. As the saying goes "if you can't beat them, join them".

DO I HAVE A GREEN THUMB?

2011-01-13T20:43:00.000-08:00

I must be totally out of my mind. Those are what we Filipino call "lemonsito or kalamansi seed". Its more like the little brother of a lime. The seeds I got from my trip to the Philippines last July and I just remembered about it a few days ago. I just had to plant it and try if it will grow or not. Winter has made is presence known so planting it ouside is out of the question. Ever since I had Kaitlyn my memory has not really improve, it has actually gotten worse. So to make sure that I don't forget to plant these little seeds I had to move quickly. Pots I had none so I had to use plastic cups as temporary pots for them. I really do hope that my little seedlings will grow. I keep checking on them to see if they have frown. On this occassion I really wish I had a green thumb. But if all else fails I know someone who has successfully planted and has been growing this fruit in Texas. She has promised that as soon as it starts bearing fruits she will give me some. Hopefully my seedlings will take root and grow so that they will look like these little green round balls and I can use them in making some of my Filipino dishes taste more authentic.

SPAG WITH A TWIST

2011-01-09T20:33:00.000-08:00

Food is one of my biggest passion. I'd rather eat or have something good to eat than buy expensive things. I guess its from my grandmother being a good cook, always laying out an excellent spread every family gathering. Ever since I could remember, I have always loved eating and I did a lot of that. When you are young you never worry about how much fat your putting in your mouth or how much weight your going to gain. I was lucky to have had a fast metabolism up until my 23rd birthday. I used to eat like a horse but still managed to look thin as a twig. With my love for food, I however wasn't really interested about cooking. It just seemed a waste of time for me. I would rather be the one to consume the spread than the one slaving over it for many hours. That all changed when I got married and moved here to America. Now, I have found my niche. I am not as good a cook as my sister and my grandma but with a little practice and more cooking I will at least make them proud. As for the picture of the spaghetti, that is what we call the Filipino style spaghetti. The pasta is half-cooked and is mixed into the cheezy sauce to finish cooking. I was craving it so much that I just had to try it. It was a big sucess, my kids loved it and so did my MIL. I love just how cheesy and creamy it is.

LONG OVERDUE

2011-01-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

And so last Dec 28, 2010 we finally got to talk to my OB-GYN about our desire to have another baby. First off, I was there for my yearly pop smear which is about a few months overdue. I hate getting pop spear and just going to the OB-GYN. I swear I talk to my husband about this all the time. Do you think men Gynecologist Doctor still get fazed about seeing a vagina? I mean for crying out loud, these doctor's probably see more than a dozen vagina's in a daily basis. My husband just cracks up laughing when I bring that subject up. But lets go back to our wanting to get pregnant. We told my doctor that we have been trying for almost 3 years now, that is a long time considering that we have not been using any protection whatsoever since our youngest was 6 months old. I told him that I already had the tube dye procedure done and it was all good. Ralph also happened to have his sperm count tested but we have yet to find out the result, maybe in a couple of days. We talked about Clomid, its a fertility pill that helps women ovulate and produce more eggs. The first thing he said was a possibility of multiples will be inevitable with this drug. I am just giddy with excitement about the thought of having twins. I will be starting my cycle of Clomid this month and hopefully by the end of the month or first week of February we will find out if were pregnant or not.

HIS GIFT

2010-12-30T19:50:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas my husband never forgets to surprise me. We talk about not getting stuff for each other but we never stick with it. My relatives and close friends know that I am "cheap". Yes, I am cheap and I am not embarrass of admitting it. Money this year was a little tight but I still wanted to make sure I could get something for my husband as I know he will get something for me. Well this time around he told me, actually called me on the phone while I was at the mall to tell me what he wanted for Christmas. A few weeks before Christmas he broke his blue tooth, he really needs that for work. He had the Motorola H something. I asked him how much it was and he said around $80, I immediately said that's expensive,lol . But before you react I did get him one. Only I got him almost the same thing but half the price. The best thing about it, he does not know it was cheaper,hahahahha. But anyway I love you honey and don't break this one ok?

CHRISTMAS AT LAST

2010-12-25T11:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas is finally here. I am so stoked to see my kids open the presents that they got this year. My excitement is not only for my girls but also to see my husband reaction when he gets the stuff I bought for him. We also got something for my MIL, a new printer. As for what Ralph got me, that remains to be seen and I will have to wait until Ralph comes back with Kayla so we can open all the presents under the tree. This year we may not have gotten the kids as much as last year but what is important is we are all in good health and we are together. Material things are just what they are, replaceable. I just miss my family back home and wish that they have a Merry Merry Christmas.

COCOA AFTERMATH

2010-12-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

Getting burned is not good, it is painful with a capital P. I made the girls some hot cocoa after playing out in the front a few days ago. I accidentally spilled the boiling water on my hand while I was pouring it into a cup. It didn't hurt that much but after a few minutes it was pure agony. My hand felt like it was still burning but from the inside. Submerging my hand in a bowl of icy cold water was the best relief I could get. I didn't even get to eat dinner that night due to the pain of it. To help ease the burning pain I took a lot of ice and put it on a zip lock bag and just put it on top of my hand. It felt so good but as soon as all the ice melted the pain would come back. I literally had to sleep with a zip lock full of ace on my hand. Woke up twice to go downstairs and refill the zip lock bag with more ice. Come morning it was all red but very little pain. From now on, I will keep my hands away from any cup or mug while pouring boiling water, lol.

RALPH AND HIS GIRLS

2010-12-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

We are almost done buying toys for the kids. Ralph gets so excited this time of year, he has an excuse to shower his little girls with presents. We got good stuff for the girls this year, may not be as many as last year but both will absolutely love what we got. He is a little upset that he couldn't afford to get his kids more. Christmas is not about the presents anyway, its about the birth of Jesus Christ. Well kids don't know that yet and if they do they don't understand at their age. All they appreciate is the toys , what kind they got, how many they got. So far so good our girls have not complained about the gifts they have gotten every year. I still need to think what to get for my MIL. She has been their for me, she drives me around and my daily adult companion. I also need to think about what to get for our mail lady and Kayla's bus driver. I may go to the mall to look around and get ideas. I'm just relieved that we are almost done with the shopping.

ULTRASOUND

2010-12-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

Monday, I got to see our Family doctor and was told to get an ultra sound for my pelvic area. I was lucky I got in the very next day. What I hate about ultrasound is the liquid intake. I drink to much and in the process suffer from having such a full bladder. It reminded me of when I was pregnant with Kaitlyn and we were to find about her sex that day. I was in horrific pain that I was on my hands and knees trying to ease my pain. The technician did tell me that I could go to the bathroom but I refused. I was afraid that if I go I would empty my bladder out,lol. Back to my ultrasound. I didn't know that it was standard procedure to get an internal ultrasound. After doing my abdomen I was told to go to the bathroom and relieve myself and when I come back she would do an internal ultrasound. I was not expecting it at all, so when she said all I said was " what? what?!, nobody told me about that". I wasn't upset or anything I just don't like it, it intrusive. But I'm glad it was over.

That afternoon I got a call from my doctor telling me that I have ovarian cyst. They didn't really elaborate on the phone with me but told me it didn't look anything serious. Since I had an appointment scheduled to see my Gynecologist/OB-GYN It would be good that my OB get the result of my ultrasound so they can explain it to me better and find out what needs to be done. I am caught totally in surprise about having a cyst. I have looked online and most women get it still, I am worried about it. We are trying to get pregnant and I just hope their is a procedure that can be done.

HE CRASHED

2010-12-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

That is what our 3rd car looks like after Ralph's accident yesterday morning. The morning started off without a hitch. Ralph drove us to the bus stop since it was cold and he felt sorry for me and he know that I whine when its to cold. After the bus pick up he dropped us back to the house and went to work. After a about 10-15 minutes I got a call. A call you never want to hear. At first I thought we was just calling me to say that the DUI hearing he was attending for the prosecution was dismissed or rescheduled. I was not expecting him to say that he was just in an accident. He was so calm about it but didn't really tell me to much about it. That got me so worried but he assured me that he was fine. He just called to let me know that he may need his mom to pick him up at the ER at one of the hospitals here. Once I got my MIL up and changed we went straight to the ER. We waited for like about 30 minutes. When he got out I hugged him right away, I was ready to cry but a couple of higher ranking police officers where there. Thank God my husband only had minor injuries. A popped vessel on his left eye and a small laceration on his forehead. Thank you Lord for watching over my husband...

EARLY BEDTIME

2010-11-27T09:57:00.000-08:00

The days after Thanksgiving was horrific for me. I was in so much pain the whole day. It all started when I had 6 pieces of Tangerine on an empty stomach. I thought It was just hyper acidity so I ate a pop tart and took some tums. I was dead wrong. By the late afternoon I was in so much pain I could not walk straight. I had to be hunch over while walking. My abdomen felt like It was going to explode, I felt so bloated and weak. It didn't help that my lower back pain was also bothering me. I just stayed on the couch drifting in and out of sleep. Thank God for my MIL who watched Kaitlyn while I was zoned out on the couch. I didn't eat anymore and I didn't want to move. I guess it was around 7 p.m that I decided to take Kaitlyn upstairs in her room so I could lay down on the bed with her. She was so good, I just told her to watch T.V while I sleep. She knew I was not feeling well and gave me kissed and kept rubbing my head. I must have dozed off coz the next thing I knew it was past 8 p.m and Kaitlyn was already fast asleep beside me. Ralph called me asking how I was and I just told him I was still in pain but not as much. It was the first time in a long time that I went to sleep very very early.

I am still in a little bit of pain today but not as much. Ralph told me to just take it easy and just rest on the couch. I hope nothing is seriously wrong. First thing Monday I am calling our family doctor to schedule an appointment.

THE THEORY IS ON

2010-11-23T09:02:00.000-08:00

Have you guys seen the show The Big Bang Theory? It is such a funny show. At first I really didn't want to watch it even when my BIL said it was hilarious. I guess I was bored one day and just happened to tune in to the show. I had my doubts about the show but it was so freaking funny! Sheldon Cooper just cracks me up and he is such a nerd. After that one episode I was completely hooked. I got on my laptop and went online to see the first season. I watched and laughed. I could not get enough of the show and I had a little Big Bang Theory Marathon on my couch. What can I say, CBS just have great shows . I was sad though when Penny and Leonard broke up. I think they should get back together again and Sheldon finally found his match in his new lady friend who played "blossom" in a show a few years back. If you haven't seen the show, you should. It's really funny and you won't regret it.

MALL TRIP

2010-11-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

Photo was taken outside Christiana Mall. I decided to take both Joey (boy i babysit) and Kaitlyn for a day at the mall. They were so excited about our so called field trip. Winter is such a chore when its time to go out. The coats have to be put on, the mittens, the scarf and the hats. For this trip I decided to bring the stroller with a little standing platform on the back so one of them can stand on it. We got dropped off my my MIL at the mall and I was already huffing and puffing before we got in. Why? I had to wrestle the stroller out of the van, lol. As soon as we were in the mall, I had to park the stroller somewhere so I could them out of their cocoon I call jackets,lol. I just jammed it under the stroller and off we went. Kaitlyn sat in the stroller and Joey stood on the back while I pushed them. I got stopped a few times from parents asking me where I got the stand platform attachment on the back of the stroller. We stopped by the Disney store to look at some few stuff. Of course both of them said I want this and I want that and screamed in delight when they saw toys that they already have at home. We passed by the Santa photo booth several times and both kids waved to Santa. I also took the kids to the fountain where they could throw pennies into it. We had lunch at the food court, the kids had a packed lunch that I made for them while I ordered Chinese food, lol. Weekdays are always a good day to go to the Mall, less crowd and less waiting time to pay for your purchase.

DOG INJURY

2010-11-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

Injury from our big lug of a dog, Sunny. Our dog is probably over 90 lbs and still growing. I can't believe that he was so small before and now, we can't even move him when his sleeping. Sunny is a great family dog, he just gets so frisky and excited at time. And when he does he forgets that he is no longer a puppy. He jumped on me and when I pushed him off his front paw grazed my upper thigh. It was so painful that I cried, It felt like his nail went through my skin. Good thing I was wearing sweats or else my skin would have been torn off, I would be scarred for life. I couldn't very well stay mad at him as he didn't do it on purpose. He just wanted to play and he forgets that he is so heavy. The bruise lasted for more than a week and it hurt like crazy. I am just glad that it didn't break the skin. Still, he is such a good dog. You wouldn't believe how much abuse that dog take from Kaitlyn, his best friend. He is so gentle with her even if she stands on him , lays on him, chokes him and pull whatever parts on his body. He would just look at her and lay back down. We could not have asked a better dog. He just needs to work on getting to frisky when we have visitors and when we play with him.

LETTING GO

2010-11-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

Do you get attached to certain things? Be it clothes, shoes, jewelry or even a car. Well, Ralph has decided to trade in our Truck and Jaguar to lower the car payments as well as the insurance. We have had the truck for 2 years now but we rarely use it. Its just sitting in the driveway and only gets used about 5 times a month sometimes even less than that. We did however used it a lot the past snow storm and it was great. I hate to see it go but it was impractical if we just let it sit there. As for the Jaguar, I loved the little thing. I have driven it quite a few times and parked it, lol. That was the car I was most comfortable driving and it seemed easier to drive.I missed the car and I hated to see them go. We had to do what we got to do, no going around about it. I never thought I would get so attached to a car. I miss the cars but I also trust my husbands judgment. And no we are not down to 1 car, we still have 3 cars with Ralph getting his newest baby and a little junk car he takes to work back and forth. What kind of car, take a guess....

VAMPIRE AND COWGIRL

2010-11-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Boooooooo!!! Trick or Treat anyone? Presenting, the dark princess vampiress Kayla and the ornery brave cowgirl Kaitlyn. This was my cute girls on Halloween. Kayla got her costume almost at the last minute. We had to wait until she came back from her mothers to find out if her mother got her a costume or not. Luckily, we were just about 10 minutes away from a costume store so we took her their a few days before to pick it out herself. As for Kaitlyn, I already knew last year what she was going to be this year. At her age I can still pick what she wants to be but I knew she would like to be Jessie like Toy Story 2. I got her costume early since I happen to see it at Walmart. The price was not bad at all for the entire outfit including the hat (shoes not included). I even let her try it on to make sure it fit her and she was so happy. Every time she would see the movie she would say, I'm going to be like Jessie and tells everyone who she is going to be. It was a nice night to go Trick or Treating but a little bit colder than it was last year. It was just too bad that not a lot of people in our neighborhood where giving out candies. I kinda felt sorry for the kids who dressed up and seeing the look sad look on their faces when they see the porch lights are turned off. To those that participated in the holiday tradition of giving out candies they did it with a bang. Even if I didn't have kids I would take the time and money to give out candies to the little boys and girls who dress up in costumes. Hey, it only happens once in a year. All in all it was a great day and we had such a wonderful time with the Tobler family for walking with us. How was yours?

ALWAYS AND FOREVER, FOREVER ALWAYS

2010-10-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

A big Happy Happy Birthday to my husband Ralph and my youngest daughter Kaitlyn. Ralph is officially over the hill. Kaitlyn is 3 years old going on 30, I swear she acts old beyond her years. Fiercely independent, thoughtful and temperamental. Notice the cake? I made that with my own two calloused dry hands,lol. The cake I didn't make from scratch but from the help of Betty Crocker but the icing is all made from scratch. Ralph and Kaitlyn love strawberry so it was fitting that I made them strawberry cake. It was the bomb, they all loved it and thought I did a great job with the frosting of the cake. I must admit it does look pretty decent and nice enough. We just had a simple cake on the their actual birthday since we will be having a party the very next day. It was also to include my oldest daughter in her dad and sister's birthday. Unfortunately, we had to drop her off to her moms for the weekend visitation. Its sad but at least we were together on the actual day. To my husband Ralph happy birthday honey and to my baby girl, mama loves you a whole bunch.. Always and forever, forever always

2 LOVES IN A DAY

2010-10-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

Now that all the weddings have come and gone its time for me to shift my focus on something very special. A few more days to go for my husband and little girls birthday. Yes, they have the same birthday. Until now I still can't believe that Kaitlyn was born on her daddy's birthday. Ralph will be turning 41 and Kaitlyn the 3 years old. I have invited the whole Schifano clan to come celebrate with us. Its not about a big celebration but about having family to have fun with. Ralph is resigned to the fact that his birthday will forever be shadowed by his daughter, lol. His only request was he gets to have an ice cream cake all to himself. My baby girl is growing up so fast and gaining more and more independence on her own. That saddens me a little since she will do more and more things on her own. I have made my daughter very very independent and sometimes I regret that, I still want to be needed. A time will come that she will no longer need me but will need my support in whatever decision she may face. Now that she is 3 I am more desperate about wanting another child. It was never our intention to have the age gap like this but it seems to be fate. I want to do so much for my loves on their birthday so I am gonna have to hustle...

AS THEY WED

2010-10-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

Last October 9th, 2010 we bore witness to the union of Andrew and Wendy. Andrew is the oldest son of Ralph's brother Angelo. They have been together for more than 3 years and have been blessed by 1 year old baby boy named Andrew Jr. The ceremony was held outside in their backyard with family and friends as witnesses. It was a perfect day to have an outdoor wedding, simple yet intimate. The second wedding we attended within a month. Celebration was overflowing with good food and lots of drink. I was a little worried on that day fearing that we may not be able to attend due to Kayla having a fever. Thank God her fever broke and she was fine and had a blast with the other girls at the party. It was wonderful to see all the Schifano clan in one gathering again as the matriarch watches on. To Wendy and Andrew may you stay together in love and happiness, many more years to come.

A POKEMON HALLOWEEN

2010-10-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

Guest post written by Laura Vannoy

When my son got into Pokemon a few years ago, I was really hoping that he would just be into it for a phase and not the long haul. But he still loves Pokemon and spends a lot of his time playing the card game. So of course he wants to dress up as sone of the Pokemon characters for Halloween.

When I was looking online about making him a Pokemon costume - because I have a lot of trouble finding a good one to buy - I came across some more info about a internet service provider. It seemed liek a good deal so I switched over to it. Then, right after that I found exactly what I had been looking for.

I found a Pikachu costume pattern on random blog that I had never read before and decided to try it out. IÕve bought all the fabric for it and am starting to work on it just now. I think itÕs going to end up being OK and exactly what he wants to wear.

PLATOONS GAME

2010-10-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

My hubby ready for the softball match between his platoon and platoon A. He was assigned to be the first base man and he did great. We were in the sidelines near him so he could hear me screaming and rooting for him. My husband and his older brother used to play baseball when they were a lot younger and were well known in New Jersey where they lived. He knew he was going to be a little rusty, it's been nine years since he last held a bat and really played. For a man who has not touched a ball in year, he did excellent. Only Ralph and another guy on his team hit a home run. Ralph didn't just hit it over the fence but it went into the woods. His friends and co-workers could not believe how athletic he was. Just because they see that my husband has a larger than most belly they underestimate him. It just shows that judging someone by how they look is never good enough. Ralph's team won and they have had bragging rights since then. His platoon is waiting for another challenge game from the different platoon. He may have been sore and in great pain after the game but he enjoyed all of it and is looking forward to the next game.

BETTY'S HELP

2010-09-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

What colorful sweet delights. Those are the cupcakes I baked and frosted for our daughter Kayla's 7th birthday. I was to lazy to make the cupcakes out of scratch so I had help from Betty Crocker, lol.. Just to be on the safe side, I made both vanilla and chocolate so the kids had a choice. I was planning on buying a chocolate fondue but it was all out of stock online. The plan was to have a little candy table for the kids full of candies of different kind and colors and the chocolate fondue. Had I gotten it, the kids would have had a blast coating fruits or cookies with chocolate. Still, the kids had a blast and the mom's admired my work. Of course I couldn't very well take all the compliments, I had to tell them Betty helped. It was a beautiful hot day, perfect for Kayla's pool party. All the kids had a blast and left happy and on sugar high, lol.

WEDDING TO REMEMBER

2010-09-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

September 11, 2010 we saw the union of Erica and Lauren. If you haven't guess they are lesbian couple. Lauren the "groom" is my MIL's grand daughter. This was my first time to attend a union like this since I came to America. The whole family was there to show our support for the two couple. The ceremony was beautiful, however I tried to distract the kids from it specially when it was time to kiss. Don't get me wrong, I support both gay and lesbian as I have a cousin who is gay. My daughter is only 7 years old and she is to young to understand, she is already confused and asked me if Lauren was a girl or boy. When the time is right we will tell our daughters about Lauren and Erica and about sexual orientation. My kids accept them for who they are and we know if we raise them right they will not pass judgement as it is not ours to pass. To Lauren and Erica, Congratulations and I hope you stay together forever.

BEE

2010-09-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

Every time I see a carpenter bee or a bumble bee I remember the Barney song that goes like this " I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee, would my mommy be so proud of me. I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee, ouch you stung me."

I found this little guy on our deck, I saved it from the kids trying to kill it thinking it was still alive. My kids thought I was so brave holding it in my hand and touching it. I told them that it's dead and the insect is smaller than us and as long as we don't harm them they won't hurt us. They are as much afraid of us and we of them. I wonder what happened to this little guy. We have so many of them in the backyard since we got the new swing set for the kids. The swing set is made of wood that attracts carpenter bees. I know it didn't die from any chemicals in our backyard coz we didn't get a chance to treat the wood. Treating the wood should be done next spring time of else the swing set will end up with holes in them from the carpenter bees.

COLORED HILL

2010-08-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

Lesson to learn. Never let your 7 year old go to the dessert bar by themselves. They will come back with a plateful of jello in every color.
Honestly, it looked like a small hill only made of jello. We were at a new Chinese buffet place. I thought the family dinner was going to go off without a hitch until dessert time. Ralph left Kayla unsupervised at the dessert bar. No wonder she took so long, when she came to our table I was horrified. She had a small hill of a Jello. The older people beside our table started laughing when they saw Kayla with the Jello and thought it was cute. Yes, it was funny and upsetting. Who was going to eat all of the Jello. Believe it or not, I actually ate most of it and almost throw up. It was such a shame, I knew that if we don't eat them it was just going into the dumpster. Never again will I leave a child unsupervised specially if jello is on the menu, lol..

CLEVELAND BROWNS A SPECIAL BOND TO FANS AND CITY

2010-08-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

I appreciate the guest post, Ignacio Phillips

The Cleveland Browns is a franchise that his rich in tradition and has seen good times and bad. The Browns arguably had the greatest player in NFL history in Jim Brown. Brown still works for the Browns in different roles and still does a lot in the Cleveland community. Even when the original Cleveland Browns left to go to Baltimore, the NFL knew how much the Browns meant to Cleveland and they were given a new franchise a few years back. Cleveland fans are some of the most passionate fans you will find anywhere. Even the seats behind the end zone is named the Dawg pound and for good reason.

The Cleveland Browns have struggle in recent years since getting a franchise back, but things are starting to look up. The Browns drafted Texas quarterback Colt McCoy who is a proven winner to lead them in the future. The Browns have also hired Mike Holmgren as their General Manager. He has won Super Bowls and knows what it takes to bring one to Cleveland. Browns fans are hoping he can duplicate his success here. Watching the Browns on hd satellite tv in Pennsylvania helps me keep up to date on them during the season. The Browns players have a bond with the city and their fans like nowhere else I have ever seen. This could be the year the Browns turn it around and by the way Browns fans are also optimistic.

USED TO

2010-08-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

I used to look like that! What happened to me? Is is parenthood, motherhood or old age. I am definitely not old, I'm only 32 but there are days that I feel way beyond my years. Winter time is when I am feeling my age, the aches and pain in my bones from sleeping curled up to get warm. I was 27 in this picture, I had already met Ralph. We just got home from attending a party at a friends house and both my sister and I decided to fool around with the web cam. I used to enjoy dressing up and putting on war paint, so to speak lol. A lot of guys have been fooled into thinking I was some kind of a playgirl with the way I dress but I didn't have a boyfriend until I was 25, I think. My mom calls me a tease for the reason that I would flaunt myself but when I see someone taking the bait I hightail and run and hide as fast as I can. I need to find that inner woman in me, I do get her from time to time but when you have kids its just a struggle sometimes and you forget yourself. It is important though to have time to yourself once in a while as It will keep you healthy and sane, hence it will make the life of the people around you much much easier.

BACK TO SCHOOL!

2010-08-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

Posted by Harrison Weeks

Well the summer's almost over and it's about time to head back to school! All throughout the country people are getting ready to return to their places of learning and advance their education. A big part of this is acquiring all of the appropriate utensils required to complete your school year. There are many places, ways, and different standards when it comes to back to school shopping, I am going to post a step by step of what my usual routine would be as an example to help you: First I wake up and get ready to start this big day, I take my brother with me when I do my shopping. My brother is only two years younger than me so it is easier to bring him because it kills two birds with one stone, also it makes to trip not so lonely, I highly recommend bringing someone to shop with you if possible. I turn my security choice monitored alarm on and pick up my brother, I usually go to Wal-Mart, it's a pretty big franchise so it will be most anywhere you are (If there is no Wal-Mart try any supermarket). I locate all of the items on my list and check them off as I find them, I finish in no time and I will be ready for the next school year!

NEW i

2010-08-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

Our newest gadget the Apple iPhone4. Contrary to what others may think this is the first cellphone my husband and I have that is new in the market. We usually get gadgets or electronic devices when they have been out in the market for a long time,cheaper that way. But this time though, Ralph wanted to get the iPhone4 for the Video Calling or what they call Face time calling. I know there are still reviews that say iPhone still has a lot of glitches but were doing good so far. We got our phone last Wednesday and we are still trying to figure things out. As you may not know I am not techie at all. The first few hours having the new iPhone in my hand gave me nosebleed, lol. But seriously, both Ralph and I love it coz we get to see each other even though he is at work, he can see the kids and vice versa.

WAITING

2010-08-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

I hope this month is going to be the month I get pregnant again. Its been an open topic in our house about us wanting another baby. After we got back from our Philippine vacation we decided to get moving about this whole baby thing. My youngest is going to be 3 years old this coming October and our oldest 7 by the end of this month. Ralph and I never planned that the kids age gap would be this far apart. We wanted it to be less than 2 yrs but not more than 3 yrs. But the way its looking its going to be more than 3 years, as long as I get pregnant by the end of this year we don't mind one bit.

I am looking forward to being a mom again before I turn 34-35. Having been through motherhood you would expect I would feel less nervous but I am nervous. Specially if were going to have a girl. You see, both my kids are girls and I am so used to dealing with girls that I don't think I would know how to deal and handle a boy. Plus, all the baby stuff are for girls. It makes me wonder if I will be able to breastfeed longer the second time around. If not,at least I know that PBM Products are available at our nearest Walmart store.

The packaging has changed but it still has that easy to read product type with health benefits that can be clearly read. Kaitlyn was not on Parent's Choice formula but when we have the next baby we will try the product. Since the product meet FDA guidelines, with complete nurtition for baby's health and development and not to mention the presence of DH and ARA for brain and eye development picking there product would be a no brainer for me. It will save us money withouth sacrificing the health benefit for the baby. For those mom who have babies and are thinking about switching to another brand you might want to check Parent's Choice and check out the saving's calculator how much you will be saving if you switch. As for me I am keeping my options open when it comes to choosing a formula for our next baby, hopefully it will be soon.

CRISPY ADOBO

2010-08-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

Presenting my very own crispy fried adobo. This crunchy delight is not easy to cook. I used pork hocks since it has the skin and a little bit of fat. What I do first is crushed a couple gloves of garlic, put the garlic, pork and salt in a pot of water to boil. If you have a pressure cooker this is very useful as it will cut the time in half to get the meat tender. Once the meat is tender I take it out and drain in. Have a pan with oil ready for frying. Oh and make sure when your frying have a top of a big pot coz the oil is going to platter and it will sound like your in a war zone, lol. Its not easy but it tastes so good when its done. This batch of crispy adobo I cooked outside on the side burner of our grill. Ralph was laughing when I cooked this one today outside, I screamed and yelled afraid of getting splattered by the hot boiling oil. But as you see it came out just the way its suppose to.

After it was done I went inside with my adobo and ate it with rice, pork dipped in vinegar. Kaitlyn was at our neighbors house while Ralph was in the pool. I got to eat in peace...

EATING OUT AT iHOP

2010-08-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

Author: Valentine Pratt

My favorite place for dinner is iHop. I find that the atmosphere at International House Of Pancakes suits my personality very well. Before leaving my home to go out for dinner at iHop, I always set my adt alarm. My nearest local iHop is less than 20 minutes from my home. It has become a familiar place for me to go to and the waitresses are always very pleasant and helpful.

The menu at iHop is always full of delicious entrees and side dishes. I can always get the waitress to modify my order from their menu and the complimentary service of cold water and as much coffee as I can drink is a satisfying part of my iHop dining experience. I especially like some of their ethnic meals like spaghetti although I generally stay to more traditionally American foods like steak, chopped steak hamburgers and french fries. Another enticing part of eating at iHop is their fresh bread.

Basically, I enjoy eating out for dinner and my choice of iHop is because of my long familiarity with the national chain that is available in almost every state of the country.