Life with Tootsabella and the Rose

Two Little Ghost Hunters

2017-03-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

Tootsabella and Rose are growing up way too fast. They have decided to make their own youtube videos. They have been inspired by some of their favorite youtube stars. They love creepy scary stuff like Are You Afraid Of The Dark and Goosebumps so they decided to do their own scary videos about investigating different places in hopes of finding ghosts and other scary stuff. They have completed their first video of their creepy basement. You can find the video here. I hope you enjoy Haunted Basement Episode 1.

Make money with Isagenix

2016-06-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

Back in February I wanted to do something to change the way my health was going. I got a job that carried a lot of stress and my body wasn't handling it very well. I gained a lot of weight in a short amount of time and even found myself in the hospital at one point. Enough was enough. I found a great weight loss plan once upon a time and decided to revisit the idea of actually pursuing it. I ordered the 30 day system and immediately felt results. I eventually quit my job at the end of my first year contract and moved. My husband was working with me at the boarding school we were at. He found himself back in law enforcement (something he loves to do) and I will be working at the school. (yay! Something I love to do) When I started Isagenix, it was just for my weight loss and health efforts. Now it has become surprisingly more. I have a third income because of it. Its really nice to be able to have a weekly payment for the sales I made. They gave me a card to use, just like a debit card and I can use it for anything and take money from the atm with it. We recently let it build up and used it for our past vacation to Disney World. It worked out well because we had car trouble and had to have our car in the shop. Our whole fuel line system had to be replaced. That was unexpected and I was very thankful for our back up funds from Isagenix. My family never felt a bump in the road financially during the trip. I am so happy that I came on this adventure and can't stress is enough. I'm not going to lie, my weight loss journey is not easy but if you put your mind to it, you can do it. I'm a HUGE foodie just to let you know so no this is not easy but i'm determined.

Save money with Isagenix

Isa wallet debit card

The Elsa picture was back in October while I was gaining weight. The right picture was recently on our family vacation to Disney World. I actually don't look like a sore thumb in my pictures! I'm so proud of my results so far! If you want more information on how to get started with Isagenix, click here to go to my Isagenix site. You can browse around and learn more about the products.

Cherry Blossom Cake

2016-05-08T16:42:00.001-07:00

I would like to share a new cake with you. Grandma Bonnie from Grandma Bonnie's Closet asked me to work along with her on this cake. It is a fondant cake. I hope you all enjoy it.

2 month progress Isagenix

2016-05-01T09:25:00.000-07:00

As promised 20 pounds later. I started Isagenix at the very end of February and have been on it for about 2 months. It was Halloween in the costume pic 4 months before I started my diet. I wasn't at my biggest here. I could not find any pics of me except for the one of my back at Christmas time. The ones in the pink shirt are as of today. I feel great and believe I am making great progress. I am now at my post Thailand weight and want to lose more until I am satisfied with how I look and feel. I am going to Disney in just a few short weeks and want to look great in my pictures. I also haven't seen my mom in 2 years and I can't wait to show her my progress in person. Here is my website if you are interested in purchasing Isagenix. http://usmarketplace.isagenix.com/

At Christmas

At Halloween

today 5/1/16

I Love Isagenix!!!

My Isagenix progress and how to purchase it

2016-04-29T20:09:00.001-07:00

Back in February I started the diet Isagenix. When I came back from Thailand I loved the weight I was but still wanted to lose a little more. I got into the career of house parenting. I take care of children at a boarding school. It's a very mentally demanding and stressful job with 2 girls of my own. This past year of house parenting, I gained 20 unwanted pounds. I felt bad about myself and had to do something. I heard about Isagenix from my mom about 3 years ago but never tried it. I decided to finally try it. I really enjoy the shakes and really feel good. I have more energy and don't feel as if I am depriving myself of food. I have lost 20 pounds since I started in February and have lost lots of inches as well. I am down to my post Thailand weight but still want to lose a bit more. I am so excited this is working for me. I will plan on continuing with the diet until I am satisfied with my weight and then I will go on a maintenance plan. I have never felt this good since high school. I am also not a physical person but actually started stretching everyday. It feels so nice to stretch. My little Rose can do the splits so she has inspired me to do them too. I will have to work everyday to hit that goal. I hope I have inspired you to start anew. Here is my website if you want more information on Isagenix or plan on purchasing it.
Where to buy Isagenix:

	http://usmarketplace.isagenix.com I will post pictures of my progress soon. I just need to get a good pic when I am not at work.

http://usmarketplace.isagenix.com

I will post pictures of my progress soon. I just need to get a good pic when I am not at work.

Plexus Pro Bio 5 update

2016-04-28T08:09:00.001-07:00

I started my daughter on Plexus Pro Bio because my mom has such great success with it. Since she has been taking it, I have seen an improvement in her rash. She is no longer itching and it seems to have cleared up. I am so happy with it that I have started taking it as well. Also, just recently when I talked to my mom, she said she was waiting on her order and that she had ran out of Pro Bio in the meantime. Her dreaded rash started coming back and it was itching and hurting. The next time I talked to her, I asked her how she was doing and if she had gotten her Plexus Pro Bio yet. She said she started taking them last week and that her rash was starting to clear again. I was so happy for her plus, I am taking a vacation to Disney with her soon and I don't want her to be miserable. After all, I haven't seen my mom in 2 years! Thanks to Plexus, my mom can enjoy her grand girls when we come and visit her. So if you are thinking about Plexus, it's worth a shot if you have a rash. It also works for many other things like energy and overall health. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Happy Valentine's Day Weekend!!

2016-02-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share with you some of last years Valentine's day pictures. We had a lot of fun creating Valentine's Day cards with the students in Thailand. They love to celebrate Valentine's Day and really know how to have fun doing it. My girls really enjoyed experiencing how the Thai kids celebrate as well. They had card making, games, and lots of yummy goodies.

Where to buy Plexus and Pro Bio 5 dosage for kids

2016-02-10T20:28:00.000-08:00

Hello all,
I recently put a blog post up about how Plexus is helping my mother's skin condition. A skin condition that the doctors can't figure out. I am starting my daughter Rose on it as of tonight. I went to the pharmacy today and the Pharmacist told me that is was safe for her to take. The directions are to carefully pour contents of 1 capsule into a cold food such as pudding or applesauce and gently mix it in during the evening time. I did that tonight for Rose and she said she did not taste a difference in her pudding. I have my fingers crossed in hopes this will take care of her rash. I will keep you posted on whether or not this is the key to getting rid of this rash once and for all. Again, Rose is 5 years old and weighs about 70 pounds. She is to take 1 capsule of Plexus Pro Bio 5 in food during the evening.
Here is a link to the site my mom and I buy it from. http://www.plexusworldwide.com/index

Here are some of the products. If the Probiotics do well for Rose, I want to start taking the slim plus probiotics for me. I really want to get in shape for summer. Right now however, I am only going to focus on the probiotics. My mom swears by them so we will see. I'll keep you posted.

What is Plexus, how can it help?

2016-02-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

Hello there,
I keep hearing about this product called Plexus. My mom lives in Georgia and has clients she cleans for that use the stuff. She also uses it too. There are multiple things you can buy for example probiotics, Plexus slim, and they even have a breast exam kit. I am very interested in the probiotics as my mom uses it and swears by it. For the last couple of years, my mom has been to so many doctors and dermatologists and they can't figure out what's wrong with her skin. She was suffering from itchy red skin all over her body, even on her eyelids. She was at her wits end with it and I felt so bad for her. I wanted to help her. The doctors prescribed her different creams, ointments, steroid creams, and even told her to use basis soap in the shower. As she still struggled with it, one of her clients came to her and told her she used probiotics and also gave it to her children every day. She said it helps her kids eczema. My mom though well, Ill give it a try since nothing else is working. She has been using it for a few months and she said her rash is completely gone and has not returned yet. I pray it does not come back and that this is the answer for her. I don't want to see my mom suffering from this any longer. Well, my little Rose has been suffering from an itchy rash for a few years and the doctor cant figure it out. The doc said to try probiotics. I tried using one I bought from the drugstore but it gave her a belly ache so I am going to try Plexus probiotics. I am going to go to the pharmacy and ask for a recommended dose and talk to them about it before I start her on it. I will keep you updated on her outcome of using the probiotics. I hope it works, fingers crossed! Also, here is a link if you are interested in checking the products by Plexus out. http://www.plexusworldwide.com/index
I had a hard time figuring the site out so Ill make it easy for you. Thanks, I'll keep the update on how my mom and little Rose do with Plexus Pro Bio 5.

Traveling from Thailand to the United States

2016-02-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

Hi there,
I am so excited to be writing again as I took a break from posting for a while. We moved back from Thailand and have been settling into our new surroundings. The girls are happy to be here going to school and are the happiest they've ever been. Maybe traveling has given them better understating of the world and they don't take much for granted anymore, like simply carrying on a good conversation with a classmate. That was not attainable in Thailand. I'm thankful my children were able to have this experience most children their age don't. I highly recommend educating children on cultures other than their own. It really makes them think about their own life and what they have that others may not.

Bye Thailand, until next time...

18" Doll Dress Tutorial

2015-06-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

Meet Marie Grace with her best friend Ruthie's new car. Not only is she test driving Ruthie's new car, she's showing off her brand new dress as well. This dress was made out of her owner's old shirt, pictured below. It is a very simple pillow case style dress to make and I am going to show you how.

Get a plain piece of printer paper and make two dotted lines on each end about an inch in from each side. Make the dotted lines go up about 3 quarters of the way. See picture below. This will be your pattern. Next, cut out your material around this paper. I added a little extra at the top to mine because I wanted it to be longer.

Then, pin your material together inside out. Mark the lines on the fabric using the pattern that you made. Sew along the line, going 3 quarters of the way up from the bottom.

Now, fold back each top part along the seam where the arms are going to be. It's the part where you stopped sewing 3 quarters of the way up. Start at one end at the top and sew down, across, then back up.

Then, fold back the front top portion and the back top portion to make a hole so a ribbon can go through it. Sew each flap down remembering to leave the space for the ribbon.

Lastly, string your ribbon through the two top holes and there you have it. A very simple dress you can make out of your child's old clothes. This works well if there is a stain on the outfit and you can't donate or sell it or you just love the outfit and can't part with it. This one happened to have faint grease stains on it. I consider myself a beginner sewer and this was easy for me to complete within an hour. My girls love it and so does Marie Grace. If you like this post, check out my other post to see what I did with the leggings that go with this outfit.

Take care and I hope that this post will help you. Let me know what you think! Thanks

Until next time, see you soon!

Doll Chothes Tutorial

2015-06-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

I am getting rid of some of my kids clothes due to the fact that they are growing like weeds. I can't donate or sell the ones with stains and I don't have the will power to toss them because they are some of my favorite clothes of theirs. I instead decided to make clothes for their American Girl dolls. I wanted to make this one in the pic but my daughters wanted a longer one. I decided to just cut the legs off the leggings and make one dress for each doll. That way they are able to fold the top to make it short, pull it to the feet to make a long dress, or pull it past the feet to make a "mermaid tail". 3 dresses in one was good for me. Yay no sewing on this project. It literally took me less than 1 minute to make these dresses. Just cut the legs off and there you go! Here are some pics.

Mermaid look

Long dress

The leggings

The whole outfit. Wait till you see what I've done to this shirt!

Scope and Sequence with lesson plans

2015-06-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

When I first decided to teach English as a second language, I searched the internet in hopes to find some information as to what I was getting myself into only I came up empty handed. I want to share with my readers the information that I had hoped to find when I was first searching. I have shared with you my schedule from last semester, now I want to share with you two lesson plans and the scope and sequence that Media Kids has at the school. They like you to go off the scope and sequence to create your lesson plans.

The scope and sequence is just a guide to help you create a lesson plan. The scope and sequence above is unit 7. This is the last lesson of the semester. As you can see, unit 8 is post test and reviews. Most of the units are a bit long which you are able to split it up into two separate lessons. There will be times when you may not see a class for weeks due to school and holiday activities. Its hard to plan because things come up suddenly so you will have to ask or do your best to make sure all the lessons get taught. If you happen to miss a lesson, make sure you teach them what will be on the test as far as what is on the test from the missed lesson. There is a day where you can review everything from the semester.
At the top of the paper, Media kids want name of school, your name, date, grade, and the title of the lesson plan. Vocab words need to be next. They come from the scope and sequence. Next is A and B conversations. Vocab and A and B conversations need to be written on the board and repeated and vocab explained usually with picture flashcards. The game should be written out as to what you will be doing. Usually, I put materials used on the top right of my paper like if I need anything for my games or a white board marker. I play a game during every class. The kids love it and is highly anticipated. Media Kids also urges you to play a game every class as well. Always change it up and use different games. At the bottom of the lesson plan, put what you want the kids to achieve.

This is a schedule from Media Kids. They want the lesson plans submitted to them and the school you are working at.

Here is another scope and sequence with one of the lesson plans made from it. I really hope this information helps you and wish you the best of luck if you are planning on teaching abroad.

ESL Teaching Schedules Thailand

2015-06-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

These schedules are my husband and I's teaching schedules. At first glance, it looks confusing. Let me break it down.

The 1 through 10 at the top is 1st block through 10th block. They only go 9 blocks so the 10th one is pretty much useless.
The squares below the 1-10 are the times for the classes. The first one is 08.20-09.15. That's 8:20 AM to 9:15 AM. and so on.
The first squares on the left side column going down in Thai are the days of the week, Monday-Friday.
Now lets talk about the squares on the inside, the ones with all the numbers and slashes. The numbers with the slashes (1/9, 4/4, 1/14). The first number is the grade of the class, Mathayom 1 through 4. For instance, 1 is a younger group like 12 and 13 year olds where 4 is an older group like 15 and 16 year olds.
The second number is typically the level of the grade. The lower the number typically means the students may not be as knowledgeable of the subject or a certain other subject or subjects. The higher the number means that the students may be more knowledgeable in a certain subject or subjects. The numbers 13, 14, 15, and 16 are the gifted classes. 4/4 class is an exception. They are a Chinese English gifted class.
The set of three numbers below the slash numbers are directions on how to get to the class. The first number to the left is the building number. That tells you what building its in. The middle number is the floor you have to go to. The third number is the last number of the classroom. For example, the first class of the week is 1/9. It is in building 5 on the 3rd floor. Walk down the hallway and the number 533 should be on the outside of the classroom. Most classrooms are marked and if you know how to read your schedule, you will be just fine. Some schools are different so this is just a general guide on how most schools are set up.
Some classes will be 2 or 3 times a week while others will only be once per week.

Mini English Program

This was my daughter's schedule for last semester at her school. All classes are English except Thai, Club Chinese, History, and Social Studies.

Expat guide-Paying your Thai electric bill

2015-05-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Our bills were so confusing when we first got them. In fact, we didn't even know they arrived to our house in the first place. We actually got our electric turned off. When the company comes out to read your bill, they print out a ticket and put it into a small box that is zip tied to the fence. We had no idea until my husband luckily spotted it while outside. Be aware of this. Your bill will come. So, lets decode this bill.
This is how I decode it and what I know of it:

Look at the third box from the left on the second row of boxes from the top. It shows 22/11/57. That is the date it was printed and put in your box, which is November, 22nd 2014.
The box to the right of that is the time it was printed.
Skip down to the red box. That is what you owe. 2,189.95 Baht. This is a large bill. It has a previous amount on it. I'm not exactly sure how to read the previous amount but I am only really interested in what I owe total. The 143.27 right above the total amount looks like a tax.
My main goal. How much do I owe and when is it due? Oh and where do I pay this thing? Look at the first bar code. It has numbers. 25-29 and 2557. Translation: You can pay your electric bill between November, 25-29th 2014 at any 7-11 store. If it is after that date, you will have to find the PEA Mobile Center to pay it. I believe that second bar code is for them. If you wait after that date, you are risking having your electric bill shut off. They don't play around and will not wait around for you. They don't give grace on these.

The mobile unit was not that hard to find. You just have to show your bill to someone and point to the date and usually they can point you in the right direction. We went to 7-11 first and then we ran into one of our American friends. He told us to go to the old Serthai Complex in Mahasarakham. The mobile unit should be there until 6. Well, the mobile unit was not there and we came back the next day. Sure enough, it was there and we paid the bill no problems. They turned on the electric the next morning.

Be very vigilant with checking for the bill. We received 3 bills in one month. I have no idea why we got three so we made a habit of checking for bills every time we left the house. That way, we were on top of things. I hope this helps. Thanks for reading!

Monkeys!!

2015-05-17T21:09:00.001-07:00

Kosamphi Forest Park, Thailand

Thanks to a wonderful friend, we had the chance to see the monkeys who live in this beautiful park. This was the truck passing us on the way out. They must have spotted the bananas. These little guys were hungry and so very active as you can tell. They were running every which way and were so funny to watch. I am so thankful and glad we were fortunate enough to experience this. It was truly amazing!!

Post Office in Thailand

2015-05-16T09:19:00.001-07:00

Our relatives had sent us a box full of goodies for the girls. So we set out in search of the post office. It wasn't to hard to find being that it was in the center of town. When we walked in, we saw a few different service windows. I guess they just knew we were picking up a package because when we walked in, they pointed us to the correct window right away. We signed some forms and paid 600 baht and that was that. We were a little upset at the 600 baht only because our relatives paid 60.00 USD to send it. As you can see, it's not that big of a package. I really feel cheated by both post offices but then again, they have to pay their employees somehow. Here are some pictures of the out and inside of the post office in Mahasarakham, Thailand.

A lady who sells her handmade goods and other items inside the post office

Care for cut flower arrangements

2015-05-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

Happy mothers day!!!

When I get flowers, I like to keep them looking fresh. Here are some great tips on how to keep long lasting fresh flowers.

Cut the stems at an angle right before they go into water. The fresh cut angle gives it more space to get the water up the stem.
Get the flowers to water as soon as possible.
Remove any leaves below the water line. Leaves suck up water and make the water murky.
Mix in the flower food. This is essential for lasting life of the flowers.
Use warm water. Hot or cold may shock or damage the flowers.
Filtered light is best. Direct sunlight will cause them to die faster.
Remove wilting blooms. The wilting blooms create more gases than the others which causes the other blooms to wilt faster.
At about 5-7 days, re-cut the stems and change the water. Bacteria may build up in the water so a change and cut is best.

Thai towel art

2015-05-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

I love going into a hotel and seeing the room nice and clean after a long day but most of all, I absolutely love the towel art. When we first got to Thailand, we stayed in the Siamtara Palace hotel. Every day the housekeeper left us really cute towel art plus a super clean room. Here are some of the beautiful designs the housekeeper created for us.

Cinnamon sugar buttermilk pancakes

2015-05-01T07:47:00.001-07:00

These cinnamon sugar buttermilk pancakes are delicious! My little taste tester said they were the best she has ever had. Needless to say, she cleared her plate. I know this recipe is a winner! Finally, a successful breakfast made from scratch!

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups of sifted flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly whisked
2 cups of buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted and melted
2 Tbsp cinnamon, more or less to your liking

Directions:

Preheat your griddle to medium/medium low heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the salt, baking powder, baking soda, flour, cinnamon, and sugar. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. Add the butter as you continue to whisk.
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients and stir until almost completely combined. The more you stir pancakes, the more flat and tough they will be so please mix until a few streaks of flour are remaining.
Butter the griddle and scoop 1/3 cup of batter and cook until you see bubbles begin to form. Flip it and cook until golden. Serve immediately with cool whip and sprinkled cinnamon on top

Thai Temple

2015-04-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

We have a beautiful temple right behind our house. Well its a short drive with the motorbikes across a field. The place is huge and immaculate! Its a really beautiful place. We lost a package in the mail and it showed up here because the mail carrier couldn't read English. The only thing that was missing was our candy. They added some incense in the box for exchange. I guess the monks were having a chocolate craving or something. haha. Here are some pics of this beautiful architecture and completely amazing place.

simple vegetarian recipe

2015-04-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm not a big meat lover so when my family wants veggies for dinner, I silently cheer! While I like a nice steak here and there, veggies are my thing. Here is a simple super easy recipe. This is good if you are like me with kids in a foreign country who are super picky to cultural food.

All you need is:

sesame oil

soy sauce

veggies of choice

either white, brown, or jasmine rice

*cook the rice separate- you can fry it or leave it plain. My kids liked it plain while us adults like it fried

First, cut the veggies and wash them

Second, fry them in a little sesame oil maybe 2 tbsp. more or less depending on how many veggies

Third, when the veggies are soft and cooked through, add the soy sauce-as much as to your liking

Then cook the veggies as long as you like after adding the soy sauce.

Lastly, lay the veggies on a bed of rice

*Some people like the veggies a little browned like us adults while the kids like them cooked a minute or so with the soy sauce. It all depends on you.

Enjoy!

Check out my smiley face when I cut my sweet pepper! So cute

School in Thailand

2015-04-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

Last semester, Rose went to school all day 5 days a week at a private Thai school. The school was great and she really loved it. Mostly everyone spoke Thai but thankfully she had a really great Thai teacher. There was also another teacher who was Thai but grew up in Utah so she was completely English speaking. Without them, I don't know what I would've done. They were the most kind women willing to help out and never got frustrated with her even with a language barrier. The school is named Kittaya in Mahasarakham, Thailand and I highly recommend this school rather than one of the local government schools. The picture above is a field trip that the class went on. Also, they are getting an English program next semester.

Field trip

Classroom

bus (field trip)

playground outside of classroom

Field trip

Rose's Thai teacher

Sandcastle Beach Cake

2015-04-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

Recently we made a sandcastle beach cake for the graduating class. I've never worked with gel before so I was a little apprehensive as to how it would turn out. This is how we did it.

I started out with two layers of sheet cake. I put them together with frosting in the middle. I crumb coated it with white frosting. For the sand, I used the ninja and blended up graham cracker crumbs. I made the castle with a castle shaped pan with regular yellow cake. I sat the castle on the cake and then put the crumbs where I wanted them. I spread more frosting on the area with the water and made a sweeping effect with my spatula to make the wave effect. Then I laid the gel on top of the frosting I just spread. I left a little white frosting showing at the shore of the cake to make it look like sea foaming waves rolling up to shore. For the wet looking sand at the shore, I added some cinnamon and brown sugar to the graham cracker crumbs. I just kept mixing in until I liked the color. It tasted amazing by the way. My mother in law was a great help in making this cake as well as taking a few hours to mold and paint the fondant shells.

One issue we had was that the gel cracked and looked a lot different as we had no choice but to put it in the fridge as we had to make it early as it is to hot here and it could not sit out. Even though it cracked, it still looked like water. If we had used the gel for anything else, it would have turned out bad. Even with the little mishap, everyone loved it and devoured the entire thing!

Princess Diana Beanie Baby

2015-04-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

Are they really worth a ton of money?

According to Fox 31 Denver

One couple in Great Britain reportedly hopes their flea market find may turn into a down payment for a house, but a leading collector group is dismissing the possibility, and has in fact issued a fraud alert.

The bear is now listed on eBay for $29,890. The couple is hoping to turn their special find into a down payment for a house. But there have been no bids yet, and their good fortune might be much ado about nothing.

Listing price and value are hardly connected, especially on auction sites such as eBay. While they have the limited edition bear, Tycollector.com has issued a fraud alert warning consumers that their Diana bear isn’t worth much at all, regardless of production run.

I guess I am glad they are not. For now at least because my Princess baby is in New Mexico packed away in storage.