Equanimity

Crafty: Kittens

2011-02-06T22:15:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share these cute kittens my niece made for me last time my nieces stayed over. There are so many things to do with them. I have them on my magnetic board. You can put them in a frame and put it in a child's room. You can use them as invitations. The possibilities are endless! For those of you who have children, this can be a great mom - dad- child- project!

If you want to replicate the design you will need a few pieces of scrap-booking paper or any paper with beautiful designs. Ribbon. Scissors. Glue. A pen. Optional: Googly Eyes, thread for whiskers.

Instructions:
Cut the paper into circles. Then cut small-medium squares that will be cut in half to become triangles for the kitten's ears. (Do not cut the squares too small, you want to have enough space to add glue and be able to paste it to the back.) Glue the kitten ears (triangles) in back of the circle. Grab the ribbon and make small bows. Add the bows to the bottom of the circle with glue. (Glue gun would work great too!) With the pen, draw in the eyes, nose, and whiskers. If you opt for the googly eyes and thread for the whiskers, then you will glue the eyes and then cut the thread into 6 equal lengths. Use 3 for one side and the other three for the other. Attach them to each side. You can be as creative and you want! Instead of drawing on the nose, you can add a button!

Let me know what you guys think!

Tenth Annual Las Vegas Women's Fair! 2011

2011-02-02T22:06:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, I attended the 10th Annual Las Vegas Women's Fair! I helped out Patty's Closet Fashion Boutique owners, my brother and sister-in-law, Juan and Patty. The event took place on Saturday, January 29th from 10:00AM to 4:00 PM in the South Point Hotel Casino Exhibit Hall. Visitors could shop for clothing, make-up, health and fitness products, and other wonderful things we women love!

At the Patty's Closet Fashion Boutique booth you were able to find clothes, shoes, and tons of accessories that consisted of rings, necklaces, earrings, hats, scarves, and headbands. There was tons of people who showed up to the event, and at our booth, there was not a minute we weren't alone! It was an awesome experience, I got to talk to many women and practice my interpersonal skills. It was a great place for businesses to showcase what they are all about and for buyers to get a glimpse of what the stores have to offer.

Horchata Recipe

2011-01-21T15:06:00.000-08:00

Ok, I just sent the recipe to a good friend of mine and decided to post it on here to share it with everyone. My lovely and only sister, Lupita, shared this great recipe with me a few summers ago. I try making it once in a while, because it's yummy and very simple to do. After looking at other Horchata Recipes, I decided that I needed to have more precise steps. I called my sister this morning and she gave me more details than the first time. lol So here it goes, a more precise recipe after talking to her. (For those of you that do not like milk, are lactose intolerant, etc; you do not need to add milk! Simply add more water. A perk of not adding milk is that it last longer, since milk spoils fast.)

Ingredients:
~1 1/2 cup of raw rice
~2 cups of water
~1-3 sticks of Mexican Cinnamon (canela) ( amt depending on taste, sister said 2-3, the better)

~1 can of sweetened condensed milk [Nestle La Lechera can (size: the small one) or (1 of the big one, it you want it sweeter)]

~*1 cup of milk (or just add plain water as much as needed, the more water, thinner the drink)
~sugar (up to taste)

~*optional: 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Apparatus:

Blender

Fine-meshed sieve

Steps:
1. Soak 1 1/2 cup of raw rice for 4 hrs with 2 cups of water in a deep bowl or until rice begins to soften
2. After rice is soaked, pour the mixture in blender with 1-3 sticks of Mexican Cinnamon (canela) and the 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (Nestle La Lechera) until smooth
3. After blending, pour content on a fine-meshed sieve to strain rice mixture into a pitcher and discard the solid residue.

4. Add 1 cup of milk(optional) and desired amount of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional). Then add more water, the amount is up to you.

4.a. Add desired amount of water, desired amount of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

Enjoy!

Pyometras

2011-01-03T21:29:00.000-08:00

Pyo= pus and metra=uterus

My dog suffered this terrible disease called pyometra that happens so fast and can be deadly if left untreated. That is why it is so important for me to write about it. I would like to spread the word and tell my experience about this horrible infection. Honey, my dog, went on heat for her regular 3 week heat cycle. A week passed, then the week after, I woke up to walk her and our sheets were bloody. I thought that was weird. She continued to bleed, like another heat cycle. I started searching online, searching "dog bleeding after heat cycle", and most websites mentioned pyometra. The more I read on it, I could only see that she had the bleeding symptom. She wasn't lethargic, she was eating, and was active. We decided to take her into a vet clinic. The vet told us that she could just be having another week of her heat cycle, that it was something that can happen. The vet told us that if she didn't stop bleeding after a week, to bring her back. He gave her a shot of penicillin and we went home. A few days later, the bleeding kept on, but now it was jell like pieces. Then, she stopped eating. She still will walk but wanted to cut her walk short by looking back and stopping. I knew immediately, something was terribly wrong with her, and that was the infection in her uterus, pyometra. I called the vet I had first taken her and asked if my dog had pyometra, how much was the operation. They informed me, $1800. I was shocked. How were we going to pay such a great amount. At the end, while looking online, I found Green Dog and Cat Hospital on S. Slauson Blvd, in Los Angeles, CA. They did blood work, and it showed an elevated white blood cell count, definitely signaling an infection. Surgery was expensive, but was a steal compared to other pet hospitals. It's been 3 weeks and she is doing phenomenal. I want to thank our families. You guys gave us so much support during this difficult time. Honey means so much to us, and we are exceedingly happy that we still have her by our side.

By the way, the only way to prevent pyometra is to spay your dog. I only wish we would have done it earlier.
The vet told us that we are young, and whenever we get another dog, to please spay or neuter. Females could get pyometra and males could get testicle cancer. I think it is not worth the dog suffering and and the money.

Here is a picture of Honey's uterus. The uterus has a body and two horns. The horns normally are suppose to be the thickness of a pencil, but with the disease, they are filled with pus and stretch.

Here is Honey, a few hours after surgery.

Here is Honey, 10 days after.

Teenagers, Life

2010-12-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

To all the teenagers who think their parents are unfair to their wishes. You need to put yourself in their shoes to actually see that really, they care about you a lot more than you think. Your parents only want to protect you from the many dangers of the world. Trust me, life is not all rainbows and butterflies. If you really want something, you have to earn it. By listening, doing chores, being a good student, etc. You get my point.

To the parents, its great to not allow your children to do certain things, but do not go over board. The more you try to take something away or not allow something, it will make them want to break the rules more. There has to be a median on the rules. For example, she wants to go out to the movies with friends. In order for both parties to meet halfway, the parents could stay at the theaters and watch another movie while the daughter watches hers with her friends. After a while, trust can be built and certain actions will diminish. For example, after the parent sees that her/his child behaved good and did what she had said she was going to do, then the parent can feel comfortable just dropping off her/his child at the theaters and picking up after it finishes next time the opportunity rises.

To me, nothing is sadder when kids are doing things behind their parents back, and the parents are in denial, and choose not to see it. This tends to happen to strict parents. I think you shouldn't be to easy on them, nor not too hard either. Remember, you were once a kid, so go easy on them.

Lemons?

2010-12-07T15:44:00.000-08:00

"If life deals you lemons make lemonade” proverb

Things do not always work out the way you want them to work out for you, but really, that is just life. We have to make a positive out of the negative. :) So every time things do not go as plan, take that opportunity to do something totally different that is out of your comfort zone. At the end, you will be glad you did. There is no need of handicapping yourself and giving up. As the saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens up. Seriously!!! Life is full of opportunities and we just have to be active beings, live positive, and never give up. Thanks for taking time to read my blog.

Pick Up After Your Dog

2010-12-05T15:28:00.000-08:00

One thing that really bothers me...

People walking their dogs and not picking up their poop

Lots of things wrong with that:

Stepping on it!
Damaging the grass
Polluting beaches more! When it rains, the water carried down the drains is going to contain the poop.

[So, please pick up after your dog. :) ]

Pinktober Fashion Show at the Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas

2010-12-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture from the Pinktober Fashion Show at the Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas. It was a great event. I couldn't take pictures of my own because my camera broke down.

Breast Cancer survivors and fighters walked down the runway with well known t.v. anchors from Las Vegas. Patty, from Patty's Closet Fashion Boutiques dressed many of the women and looked fabulous strutting the clothing. Patty, is my sister-in-law. :)

Pinktober 2010 Fashion Show in Las Vegas

2010-10-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

Hi! I will be attending the Pinktober Fashion Show at the Hard Rock Las Vegas this Saturday, the Hard Rock's breast cancer awareness event that takes place every year. If you are around Las Vegas, don't miss out! And if you are just hearing about it, plan to attend next year!

http://www.hardrock.com/Locations/Cafes3/events.aspx?LocationID=507&MIBenumID=3&EventID=45049

PINKTOBER Fashion Show
97.1 The Point Presents

Venue:
LAS VEGAS

Date:
10/30/2010

Time:
05:00 PM

Cost:
$25 VIP includes hosted bar and hors d'oeuvres

Age:
21+ / Must Bring ID

97.1 The Point presents...

A Rock 'n Roll PINKTOBER Fashion Show featuring local media celebrities walking the runway with cancer survivors. All proceeds to benefit American Cancer Society's fight against breast cancer.

$25 VIP Ticket includes hosted bar and appetizersClick on link on top to Buy Now!


Telephone: +1-702-733-7625	Address: Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas 3771 S. Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV. 89109

Fun in the Sun! Hot Sun! lol

2010-06-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

I had a blast in Las Vegas for Memorial Day weekend.

We arrived in Las Vegas a little after 11 pm on Friday, and left Monday night.

I enjoyed spending time with my family, having breakfast, lunch, and dinner with all those who I love soooo much.

I got to shop a little at Patty's Closet's two locations, the Blue Diamond and the Rainbow location. The stores are filled with fashion jewelry, shoes, and amazing clothing. I didn't get a chance to see the third store at St. Rose. For sure, next time, I need to stop by all three since everything inside the stores are always filled with new stuff!

Patty's Closet Fashion Boutiques will be opening their fourth store in July. This one is the first plus size store for Patty's Closet. It will be called Voluptuous Fashion Plus Boutique! Patty Barba, the owner and my sister-in-law, decorates the interior of all her stores. (I feel blessed to be able to see the whole process!)So coming to see this decoration process is always fun and I love seeing the end result. Here is a small glimpse of decor from the store.

Barbecuing on Monday by the pool in my aunt Flora's house was fun and relaxing. Everyone met up at my aunts and we ate some delicious carne asada, bomb as ribs, and chicken! We enjoyed getting inside the pool in the 100 (plus or minus 2) degree weather! I hope to be back soon!!!

Indoor Air Purifying

2010-05-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

I came across this article from green yahoo1. It immediately got my attention. Who doesn't want the air they breath in their house to be cleaner? I know I do. The author of this article, Lori Bongiorno, said that the air inside our homes is more polluted than the air outside because of all the household chemicals we use. I am trying to use less harsh household chemicals to clean, but would sure love to have a plant that can remove pollutants in my house. These plans; Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum), Areca Palm, Lady Palm, Ficus Alii, and Golden Pathos, seem to remove air pollutants effectively, and are easy to maintain. :) My favorite are the Peace Lilies, they would look fabulous in any room in the house. Here is a Peace Lily from 1800 Flowers.

Here are other ways in which we can have cleaner air at our homes. http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/indoor-air-quality-47020101

1 Bongiorno, L. (2009, February 11). Breathe easier: Use household plants to help clear the air. Yahoo Green. http://green.yahoo.com/blog/the_conscious_consumer/48/breathe-easier-use-household-plants-to-help-clear-the-air.html

Yummy Pepperonata Sauce

2010-05-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite pasta sauce ever!!

Here is the simple recipe my boyfriend and I use for our pastas, raviolis, tortellinis, etc! Inspired by Trader Joe's Penne Pepperonata: (recipe for two)

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper
1 or 2 small tomatoes (or diced Hunts (can)
1 cup of butter
1/4 cup of olive oil
Black pepper
Italian Seasoning
Dried basil
2-3 garlic clove

Dice a red bell pepper into small squares

Dice a tomato or two (You can used the diced Hunts (the can ones))

Dice 2-3 cloves of garlic (chop finely)

On a med-hot skillet ADD a generous amount of butter (about a cup), olive oil (1/4 of a cup), little black pepper, some Italian seasoning, and a little basil.

Mix in the red bell peppers, tomatoes, and garlic and let it sit in low heat. (Don't over heat the sauce, it will dry up and not taste the same.)
Once that is done, add the sauce to your favorite pasta!

ENJOY! ;)

Happy Monthiversary to my boyfriend & I!!

2010-05-19T23:32:00.001-07:00

I AM BACK!!

2010-05-19T23:31:00.000-07:00

I know I have not written in my blog for a while now, but will be doing so very soon!

GRAND OPENING!! :Patty's Closet

2009-08-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

On July 11th, Patty's Closet Fashion Boutique opened their third store in Las Vegas, NV. As I wrote before on my earlier post, each store has a totally different color scheme. The first one is pink, the second one blue, and the third one lilac.

On the day of the grand opening,so many people showed up, there was even a line to get into the store! :) It was a total success!

Congratulations to Juan and Patty Barba, my brother and my sister-in-law! And Guicho, the GM (my younger brother!), and to all the Patty Closet employees!

Above are some pictures I took of the store. Enjoy, and please visit PATTY'S CLOSET's blog, at
http://pattyscloset.blogspot.com/. She updates it herself frequently!

Win free stuff!

2009-08-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

I found this, you can Win Every Day on http://beautyblitz.com/free_style/list.aspx

Today's give away:

I want to know if this actually is true. Let me know if someone wins! Good luck!

Win these!

2009-07-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.morcosmetics.com/inStyle/instyle.html

http://www.twistonline.com/InStyle/

Items I loved!

2009-07-21T21:56:00.000-07:00

I love InStyle magazine and also their website! On instyle.com/deals, they offer lots of 20% off different items. I loved this ring! The first link is the one from the magazine and the second link is from the manufacturer.

http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/general/photos /0,,20169684_20291328_20644927,00.html

Here are other items that I loved!

1. http://shop.isharya.com/v/site/products/collection_rings.html

2. http://www.marquiscamus.com/index2.asp

3. http://www.beckleyboutique.com/beckley/product.asp?s_id=0&prod_name=Kendra+Scott+Nita+Necklace&pf_id=PAIOADECADJIOKHC&dept_id=3015

4. http://shop.shaesby.com/shop/shop-by-collection/marea/11070.html

Shakira- She Wolf

2009-07-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

Download Shakiras "She Wolf" for free on ABC's Music Lounge!

http://musiclounge.abc.go.com/artist/9926

make it yourself!

2009-07-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

I just came across this website, http://www.pointclickhome.com/blogs/savvy_chic/cupcake_flags. You can personalize your cupcakes with flags. This idea works for many party themes! I know this is a project I want to work on asap!

Or if you like to just buy the flowery flags, here is the website: http://www.blueribbondesign.com/letterpress_cupcakeflags/index.html

4th of July!

2009-07-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July is for many a day in which families get together to celebrate the independence of the United States from Great Britain with fireworks and good bbqs.:) Well, that's the way I've always done it. lol I had a good time at my boyfriend's mother's house. She made a typical Salvadorean dish, salpicon. It is really good! The main spice is mint (hierba buena), and it has radishes, shredded beef, onion, and lemon. Delish! We then left to our house to lit the fireworks there! Our whole block was covered in smoke and sparks, there were so many people outside. It was a nice spectacle. :) Here are some pics of our 4th of July weekend, enjoy! Oh, and a video!

Sign this petition TODAY please!!

2009-07-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

I just received an email from a friend of mine. It is about a young man, Walter Lara, who is being deported, he was an honor roll student his whole academia years. He wanted to attend University of Central Florida, but was declined because of his immigration status. He then went to another school, Miami-Dade Honors College, and graduated from there. He reminds me so much of my situation, I was able to attend college because I received a full ride from a private university, who helped me tremendously. I too came when I was barely 4 years old, and the United States is the only home I know. This situation and many others like this will benefit so much from the Dream Act. There are many of us, students, who want to pursue great careers and reach the American Dream. So I am hopeful that the Dream Act will soon pass legislation. We can all help Walter Lara by signing this petition today!!, so the judge can "defer action on Walter's deportation because "he has earned the chance to live and work here and call America home." (Sen. Nelson, http://action.seiu.org/page/s/nelsonletter) Hopefully we are not too late in signing this petition!**

Please sign the petition! http://action.seiu.org/page/s/nelsonletter

eye exams

2009-06-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

Why are eye exam prices gotten up? Early last year Costco had the contact lens exams for $75 and now they have them for $89 dollars. Jeez, why the increase!?

My friend, Iliana, and I were calling everywhere to get the best pricing. Since eyeglasses and contacts are a necessity for those who need it. It seems like most places charge the same, with a few bucks less or more. Also, if they had a less expensive eye exam, they either got you with buying the contact lenses from them or their brand. We decided to go with Costco because they have most prescriptions in stock with the same day availability, and prices are just, :/. Who else feels the same way? I would love to know! Share your stories here!

Patty's Closet Fashion Boutique

2009-06-26T23:37:00.000-07:00

If you are in Las Vegas, you definitely need to stop by Patty's Closet. They have two locations and will be opening their third this summer! Patty's Closet is a very cute boutique style fashion store and comes with very affordable prices! Every time I go in there I always find something I love and get complimented frequently! Every store is different, different in the items they carry and the decoration. The first store's color theme is pink and black. The second store is Tiffany blue and black and has a very 1920s flair. I just can not wait till I get to see the third store! I will post more about its grand opening this July!

Here is more information about the store.

Official website: http://www.pattysclosetstore.com/

Article written by AMANDA LLEWELLYN from the View staff on Patty's Closet.
http://www.viewnews.com/2008/VIEW-May-13-Tue-2008/SWest/21411262.html

Patty's Closet participated in the Sinner Magazine launch party. Patty Barba hosted a small fashion show for the event! http://www.vegasvipevents.com/Resource/buyitnow.asp?RID=2082&afid=31692

My dog

2009-06-26T22:38:00.001-07:00

Those of us who are dog owners know that having a dog is not as easy as it seems. I have a five year and four month mixed beagle. Her name is Honey. I've heard that she does not look like one, but yes her mother was beagle, a black and white one. Her dad was a small furry terrier. :) So that was the result of their breeding.

Honey, for a while, seemed to suffer from separation anxiety. Once she got the hint that we were leaving the house and she was staying alone, she would start trembling. When we returned, she had either destroyed a piece of the carpet that lead to a room, chewed the trim on the door, and/or defecated and/or peed inside the house, even though she is a trained dog. I seriously thought she was punishing us for leaving her alone. I searched around online and understood more the anxiety. I learned that there was a change in routine/structure when my boyfriend and I decided to live on our own. Honey was never used to staying alone, until then. I never got to fix the problem in that apartment because in a few months we moved to a new place. At the new place there were a lot different things, she was able to see the neighbors when they passed by the house through the screened door, the sofa was close to the window (where she could get on top and look to the outside), and we religiously walked her at least 2 times a day. Cesar Millan, the dog whisperer, says that walking a dog makes all the difference! Oh yea, we also ignored her when we would arrive home and once she calmed down, I would pet her and give her all my love! :D

I found this really good article about dog's who suffer from separation anxiety, hey, I guess it is a pretty common thing. ;) It offers ideas in which the pet owners can execute and gives a list of behaviors they engage in when they suffer from it.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_sheets/separation_anxiety.html