My So-Called Life!

Don’t Let the Sun Get in Your Eyes

2012-06-01T19:31:00.001-04:00

I got me a nice surprise yesterday. My four pairs of Firmoo sunglasses arrived and they were delivered by our postman right to our doorstep, and that is because I needed to sign a receipt. I totally didn’t expect them to arrive yesterday after being told that they were shipped just five days ago. I actually thought it was a package the husband was expecting so I was really caught off-guard.

I just love the sunglasses. I tried them on one by one instantly and I simply loved what I saw. They all fit well, were very light and, of course, very stylish. My husband was all smiles and that is because he liked what he saw as well. I’ve included a photo for you to see.

They’re all fabulously lovely, aren’t they?

My Hubby Has the Luck ‘O the Irish, But I’m Not Irish

2012-06-01T18:00:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Clorox Company. All opinions are 100% mine.

Joining sweepstakes or any game that will give me chances of winning anything is one thing that I find really fun. Unfortunately, I haven’t ever won one, but I don’t consider it a reason to stop from trying my luck because who knows? Life is like a wheel. I may not be having luck now, but soon it may roll around.

And today, after learning of the “It Pays to Vacation at Home” sweepstakes at dollargeneral.com which is sponsored by The Clorox® Company, I entered right away. The sweepstakes will run from May 20 - June 24, 2012 and I will have the chance to win one of the 20 Grand Prizes or 100 First Prizes which is a $500 paycheck to vacation at home or $25 Dollar General Gift Card respectively.

I still have to wait to find out my luck on this one, but I sure did find out my luck on the instant game “Wipe To Win” today and as usual, I didn’t win. See the proof below? LOL. I had the chance to play it for a chance to win a $10 Dollar General Gift Card after entering the sweepstakes, but no luck today so better luck next time for me.

Clorox® products have always been our choice when it comes to cleaning and they are available at Dollar General so it would have been great to have that gift card. I bet you would like to have gift cards and win prizes as well. So try your luck. Join the sweepstakes and play the instant game. You might be luckier than me on this one.

The Man in Uniform at the Fort

2012-05-30T09:26:00.000-04:00

We were all ready to leave Fort McHenry when this man in uniform showed up. I haven't noticed him until my friend told me. We rushed towards him immediately and asked for some photo opp and the friendly guy that he was, he gladly obliged.

We had no idea why he was wearing the uniform that day and we never got the chance to ask him because we were busy taking pictures.

See what he was doing in this photo? He took off his hat and put it on the kids' heads. The bonnet like to the little kid (my friend's son) and the helmet (or whatever you call that) to my son. He was so playful with the kids. So amusing!

Inside Fort McHenry

2012-05-18T10:22:00.000-04:00

After checking the inside of Fort McHenry Museum, we headed to the fort which was located just beside the museum. It was drizzling and the wind was blowing which was too cold for us women most especially that my friend brought along her 7-month-old baby with her; so, what we did was hide in one of the huge gates of the fort and just stayed there while the men (hubby and my friend's husband) and boys (my 9-year-old son and my friend's 4-year-old son) checked the place.

All the photos below were taken by my husband. He was the one who planned the trip and even narrated to us the battle that took place at the fort. He knows his history so well.

The center of the fort. The building was used as headquarters during the war, I think.

Inside one of the prison cells.

A cannon ball.

And the cannons which were located at the south part of the fort overlooking Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore.

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine

2012-05-12T09:22:00.002-04:00

It was all our first time to visit Baltimore. Even for the husband who has lived here in the land of Uncle Sam all his life. So when we were planning the trip, he made it a point that we'll surely visit Fort McHenry - birthplace of the "The Star-Spangled Banner", so we could see another historic site. More importantly, he wanted our son to see the place because he has been teaching him the history of the country plus all the wars that happened and Fort McHenry is simply one piece of history that should not be missed.

The outside of the museum.

There's my son and my friend's son. This was at the reception area of the museum.

Information about the National Anthem.

A map clip showing the strategic importance of the fort and why the British had to attack it.

That's the Fort seen from inside the museum. The wall rolled up as soon as the viewing was over and you can see the outside from the inside. It really surprised us. Lovely!

Who Knows What Lies Ahead?

2012-05-04T19:51:00.003-04:00

I chatted with my college friend from way back today. It has been a while since we talked because our family lives have been so hectic. But even though it seldom happens, it is always something special and fun because we not only keep each other updated on the latest about our lives, but we also tend to look back on the fun and good times we had back in college.

And one thing that really amused us was when we talked about one of the favorite pastimes that we had when we had time in between classes - going to a palm reader near the school. I must admit, it was something that really interested us back then. Don’t we all want to have an idea of what our future will be like? We did and that was something fun to look back on.

When we went to Maryland recently, I saw a palm reader at the mall and it actually took me back in time to when I was in college. I had the urge to try, but I thought nah; why bother. And today, I came across online psychic chat. I didn’t know there was such a thing until today. And now that I can have it right in the comfort of my home, I am having this urge to try psychic chat. I do wonder how the husband would react. It would be fun, I know. I will think about it.

Trip to Maryland

2012-05-04T09:51:00.001-04:00

Our recent trip to Maryland was such a great one. Aside from enjoying the eight-hour ride, I was able to see my good friend again after five years. Our main reason of going there was to actually attend her son's christening. But we'll never leave the state without exploring it thus, she gave us a tour the next day. I will talk more about it next time.

It was our first time to visit the state. Glad we had our buddy, Tomtom or we would have gotten lost. He certainly made our trip and exploration much easier.

The ride was only eight hours, but since we stopped for breakfast and lunch along the way, it took us ten hours to finally arrived in Maryland. It was tiring, but it was definitely worth it!

I’m Manic About Organic

2012-04-26T04:57:00.001-04:00

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

We and our neighbors are going to plant a community garden this year. One of our neighbors started tilling the soil as early as fall last year and he has been tilling the soil as soon as spring started this year. They will start to plant the seedlings for the vegetables and even flowers soon. The men will be in charge of the vegetables and us women will take care of the flowers. I’ve included a photo of our soon-to-be community garden that is located beside our house. It was the land most suitable for the garden, thus, it was the community’s choice.

We haven’t talked about going organic for the community garden, but after I came across and read about the organic soil from Whitney Farms, I thought why not go organic. I know how organic food is good for our health and I believe it is something everyone will definitely consider and agree on. I will surely share the idea with them.

Whitney Farms has been known for providing 100% organic plant food - all natural and nothing artificial so, if everyone will agree with me about going organic, the organic soil from Whitney Farms will surely be the choice.

Are you into gardening and going organic too? If you are still thinking about it, you better get the answer now and avail of the $3 coupon from Whitney Farms®. Going organic simply is the best, isn’t it?

Yogi's Sports-Themed Birthday

2012-04-20T11:05:00.001-04:00

Wouldn't you know it! My unico hijo is already 9! He turned nine in March and to celebrate it, I thought of a sports theme and that is because he is so into watching basketball now especially the NCAA and also, baseball. My husband who is a fanatic of both sports greatly influenced him.

We had his birthday at a mini golf course here in the city. I just love the place!

See how beautiful the place is? You might mistaken it for a zoo because of the animal statues, but they surely did make the place more lovely.

The birthday boy and his basketball inspired cake/cupcake. The orange basketballs/rings were his giveaways.

Hole in one?!

Go For the Green This Spring

2012-04-12T05:00:00.001-04:00

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

Beautifying our front yard was definitely on our to-do list this year. We’re done with the flower beds as well as the planter and we’ve planted all the plants that we like. But we’re totally not done yet because the grass in the front yard certainly needs some TLC. The husband, being a bachelor for many years, never paid much attention to the house’s curb appeal. For as long as the grass and weeds were mowed, he was fine with it. But not me. As a start, we will grow grass in some areas where the grass died. Some areas are still okay and just needs some food to make it look better.

I’ve been reading about gardening and the like and learning about the Scotts® Snap® Spreader System was such a delight. It is such a hassle-free and convenient tool since the Snap Pac will connect directly to the Snap Spreader, thus, there is no need to cut, open or pour. Meaning, no spill, mess or waste there. The system also auto-sets the proper flow rate and it has a unique EdgeGuard feature that keep the product where you want it on the lawn. Lastly, the Snap Pac self-seals upon removal making it so easy to store.

This is simply something that we should have since we always go for convenience which of course is one of the things that help us to save time and energy.

I already liked Scotts ® Facebook page so I will be updated on what’s the latest with them. If you want to be updated as well with everything about Scotts ® and their promotions, 'like' Snap perks on Facebook and you’ll be good to go.

Put Food on the Table for Those in Need

2012-04-09T01:00:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Walmart Foundation. All opinions are 100% mine.

With the economy that the world is facing, businesses and jobs were among those that were greatly affected. The unemployment rate rose to a high percentage and what came next was perhaps the biggest problem in the world - hunger. And sad to say, even the most powerful country which is the United States of America is included in the list.

It’s a good thing that there are a lot of individuals, organizations, companies, et cetera, who are trying to make a difference by helping people who are greatly affected by this problem. For one: Walmart. And with the help of Feeding America and four known food providers, namely ConAgra, General Mills, Kraft and Kellog’s, they are sponsoring the program ‘Vote to fight spring hunger with Walmart’ where a community that is on the list with high employment rate will get the chance of winning $1 million for the winner or $50,000 for the runner-ups.

For us to be able to support the said program, all we need to do is choose a community on the list to support and vote for them on Facebook or in-store. The program will run from April 9 to April 30 and the winning communities will be announced on May 1. I live in North Carolina and I will support the community nearest us which is Greenville, NC.

How about you? Are you willing to make a difference too? I feel lucky we have food on the table and I feel sorry for those people who are unfortunate. With that, I will certainly support this cause.

Remembering Her 2nd Death Anniversary

2012-04-03T19:22:00.000-04:00

Today was my mother-in-law's death anniversary and to be honest, I totally forgot about it not until my husband arrived home from work. I had this feeling in the morning though that there was something special or important this day.

Nevertheless, it wasn't late for me to remember her on this day. We went to visit her on her grave this afternoon and brought her her favorite flowers which was the lilac. She had lots of lilac plants in her yard and they were already in full bloom so, my husband got a bunch of flowers and took them with us and put them beside her grave.

Looking back two years ago, I wrote about her death here and until now, everything that happened during that time was still very vivid to me. I was still in my home country and my husband who was still my fiance' then broke the news to me on the phone, crying. That was heart-breaking, but such is life.

Let me share with you the poem that my husband created for his mom today.

In rememberance of June "Bug", my Mama:

'Twas two-years-ago today
That you slipped away
Shedding the surly bonds of Earth
I miss you since you've gone
Though I know you now sing a song
Of Heavenly rebirth

I'll always remember, Mama.
Love,
Your first-born boy, Bud

Have the Time of Your Life

2012-03-31T06:00:00.001-04:00

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

A healthy life is a happy life. I do agree with that phrase because it definitely is so true. You can’t live a happy life if you have health problems. For me, one way to live life to the fullest is to stay active. And I do believe that having an active life contributes much to being healthy.

And that is what CafeWell’s goal is - to help people to get well and stay well. It is a social network that partners with large healthcare plans and they work together to create health programs for people or members of the healthcare companies that they’ve partnered with. One of their programs is ‘Reach for the Peaks’ where members participate in a pedometer program to help them stay active. The program will also give advice and tips on staying well and healthy which comes from known Olympic athletes, nutrition experts, diet experts, etc.

CafeWell is also making a way to help members understand their healthcare better and improve their insight on their health plans by providing fun and safe ways to improve their health.

As one member says:
“So today I am taking a step forward to get off the couch and become healthy. I am overweight, underpaid and not so full of energy! I know if I think I can, I CAN! AND I WILL!”

Isn’t that great? Joining CafeWell is free so register now if you want to get active and stay healthy. The results will not only last a lifetime, but also give you the time of your life!

Though Not the Garden of Eden, it’s Still Heavenly

2012-03-24T01:00:00.001-04:00

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

Nothing says spring like flowers. I’ve heard and read that phrase many a times and I certainly agree. And since spring has sprung, we have been busy working on our flower garden. We didn’t do much last year because the husband and I were really clueless when it comes to plants. I arrived here in the late part of 2010 and my husband’s house being a bachelor pad for years, the yard was bald. Well, not really that bald if you consider the weeds all over the place.

So, although I don’t consider myself a green thumb, I am trying to learn about plants and trying to plant flowers to give our home that much-needed curb appeal. Our neighbors have been helping us too by giving us information about different plants and procedures.

We planted shrubs last weekend and we really liked the outcome. We still have some more planting to do, but it looks much better now compared to before. And I was happy upon learning about Miracle-Gro® Expand ‘n Gro™. The shrubs that we planted would probably take years before reaching their peak, but with the help of Miracle Gro, we should see their beauty sooner because it will help the plants expand up to 3x. It will also improve the soil for several years and it will feed the plants for up to six months. I was delighted to learn about it because that is perhaps the quickest and easiest way to grow a luscious garden.

How about you? Is your garden ready? If so, you might want to try the Miracle-Gro® Expand ‘n Gro™ concentrated planting mix too and let us all enjoy our beautiful gardens.

Spring Has Sprung

2012-03-23T13:26:00.002-04:00

Our neighbor's kids walked with me to the bus stop yesterday to pick my son, Yogi. While we were waiting for the bus, I noticed these tiny flowers on the side of the road. I had to take snapshots using my cell phone to have proofs that spring has finally sprung. Hee hee. The kids were delighted as well to see the flowers. I don't know what kind of flowers are these, but they sure are pretty.

Hello yellow!

Bright white!

True blue!

Gourmet Grilled Cheese by Jack-O-Lanterns

2012-03-22T10:14:00.002-04:00

New Hampshire weather is a curious thing. This past Halloween, Mother Nature tricked us with nearly two feet of heavy, wet snow. We watched from inside, delighted at first, while making Jack-o-lanterns and eating Candy Corn, as the snow came down never imagining what was to follow. Holiday joy quickly turned into awe as a dusting became 23 inches. Snow walloped the potted mums, rakes, bags of leaves and patio furniture that were visible just hours before. We were eclipsed in an endless, abundance of white. Bushes and trees snapped under the weight while others arched over, bowing in defeat to the elements. Somewhere in all of this devastation, we, and seemingly everyone in town, had lost power.

While unwelcomed, power outages have become old hat for us. But after the second day, the part that bothered me was the impending loss in the refrigerator and freezer. All the fish and meat, homemade sauces & meals, butter, milk and cheese: going, going, gone. But did it have to be this way? I had a gas range after all. After getting every cooler down from the attic and filling them with ice, I took as much of the freezer’s contents, still frozen, and packed it into the coolers and buried them in the snow on the deck.

With the remaining food from the refrigerator, we invited our neighbors to join us in a smorgasbord by Jack-o-lanterns and candlelight. Donning our coats, winter hats and headlamps, we managed to make, among other random things, gourmet grilled cheese. Earlier in the month we had received a delightful gift basket that included two hearty rounds of cheese: Smoked Gouda and Hot Pepper. After thinly slicing the Gouda, I placed slices between butter slathered crusty Sourdough with pieces of fried bacon. I then added a couple slices of McIntosh apple and cooked the sandwiches until golden brown on each side using a Panini press. Delish! With the Hot Pepper cheese, I added caramelized onions and sliced Jalapeños to the sandwiches and again, toasted them until their gooiness declared completion. These were slices of heaven! Bellies were full, bodies warmer and for a few hours, we were able to enjoy life again and have a few hearty laughs despite the seemingly dismal situation. Maybe it was the wine.

Later that night, we awoke to our lights and television on just as we had left life three days earlier. The familiar hum of the refrigerator was back; the power had returned. Truly Mark Twain was right: If you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes.

About the author: Trudy Abood is the VP of GourmetGiftBaskets.com, one of the top suppliers of quality gift baskets. She is a mom of 2 boys, one of which founded GGB and the other is also VP at the company. She formally owned Chalifour's Flowers in Manchester, NH; the largest flower shop in the state.

An Award! For me?!

2012-03-16T09:30:00.002-04:00

It has been a while since I received an award on this blog from a co-blogger, and it reminded me of my early years in blogging wherein they came almost every week and I enjoyed them immensely thus, I also shared it with selected co-bloggers.

But today, I am going to share it with all of my pals at...

Feel free to grab the award, guys!
Thanks, Roxxy for this!

Happy Friday everyone!!!

The Doggie Named Sweetie

2012-03-09T10:22:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I know. It's been almost a month now since Valentine's Day, but I can't help myself from sharing this after I saw a dog's picture on a blog that I visited just a few minutes ago. The only difference was, the one I saw was a real one and this one is not. But it's still a cutie, isn't it? (",)

These were the presents that the hubby gave me on Valentine's Day plus some chocolates and of course, an uber sweet card. This was the first time that he gave me tulips. It had been roses in the past years. But he knows how I love tulips too so, for a change, it was what he gave me.

Arf! Arf!

Oh, and see the mug? That was where Sweetie was sitting all this time.

On Commenting

2012-03-04T15:46:00.002-05:00

It amuses me whenever I read comments that are not at all relevant to what I've written. It basically tells me one thing. The commenter didn't read my post at all. He/She only based her comments on what he/she saw in the photos that were on the post. I find it funny though I must admit, I find it a little irritating too.

I seldom blog hop now like I used to, but when I do, I make it sure that I do read the post before I leave my mark. There's no point of commenting just for the sake of it, if it doesn't make sense. You are just wasting your time, or my time reading your 'out of this world' comment. You probably think you have made your presence felt. Maybe you did. But think again. It definitely ruined your credibility.

Just saying...

First Wedding Anniversary Date Part 2

2012-02-24T11:45:00.001-05:00

And the story continues...

My boys.

This was at the right side of the house. See the beauty of the mountains? I think the photo didn't do justice, but believe me, it was lovely! Would have been prettier in the Summer though because this part of the estate is full of different varieties of flowers and plants.

This was at the patio which is located at the northern part of the house. That's my son, Yogi and at his back were three huge water fountains. So huge we didn't get to check them all because I was already getting tired of walking. (",)

Lunch at one of the estate's restos named Bistro. There's Yogi sipping his lemonade while waiting for the food.

I have taken lots of photos, but I don't want to bore you all so there you go. LOL. Happy Friday everyone!!!

A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place

2012-02-19T23:00:00.001-05:00

I’ve always been organized with my things. From important documents to my closet and through the whole house. As my husband told me, “Organization” is your middle name.” That is one thing that we have in common actually. We are both neat buffs. I don’t like messy surrounding and neither does he. I think you can consider us to be having OCD about cleanliness and neatness which I believe is way better than being a slob. (“,)

And I’ve also incorporated that when it comes to dealing with online stuff. I have my favorite websites to visit and I have them neatly grouped with my bookmark tool. And my husband does too. But little did I know that there is actually a website tool that I can use to make my online organization much easier, not to mention, real neat. And that is clipix!

I’ve been exploring the site since yesterday and I’ve already grouped the sites that I’ve bookmarked. It’s really fun doing it. I’ve included a screen shot of my account and see how neat it is? I made a board for myrecipes, books, designs for the home and of course, as a woman, shopping should never be forgotten. LOL. I am still not done and I still have a lot of things in mind that I want to put in there.

If you’re an organized freak like me, take a look at the site yourself and you will really enjoy it like I do. And please do let me know on how you would use it. I’ve also included a video here for you to watch. I am yet to tell the husband about this. He would love the site for sure.

Promoted Post

Color Connection #6: First Wedding Anniversary Date

2012-02-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

My entry last week was about our wedding day though I particularly talked about my wedding bouquet because Valentine's Day was coming then. I was nostalgic and that was because that was a few days after we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. And as I mentioned, I am going to talk about where we celebrated our anniversary. And this is it. Do you recognize the place?

We revisited the Biltmore House. And that was definitely the best place to spend our anniversary because it was two days after our wedding last year when we visited the place for the first time. And we enjoyed it the more this time because the weather was glorious. We got to explore the outside of the house more. We also had our lunch at the bistro near the winery which was a few miles from the house. I had taken a lot of photos, but I will be sharing a few at a time. Hmmm, so that means one thing. This is not the only time that I am going to talk about out anniversary. LOL.

Me and my boys. (",)

If He Knows What’s Good for Him, He’ll Agree With Me

2012-02-15T19:44:00.000-05:00

When it comes to decorating the house, my husband and I have different preferences. He’s more into traditional decors while I am into contemporary. But it’s not been a problem since we can always incorporate both styles in one room which I learned from watching television shows about interior designing. But for certain, there was some compromising done and I guess there will be more because we still have a lot of updating to do inside the house.

My son and I arrived here in the late part of 2010 and it was a few months after that when we started changing things. My husband had been living as a bachelor for so long and so much needed updating; just imagine the work that faced me. We are doing it little by little because we do have a budget to think of.

We’ve been talking about lighting fixtures lately because that will be the next step on our renovation list after painting. The lamp shades, though still okay, need to be replaced. We need to change the ceiling lamps too because they are definitely dated. I’ve been checking contemporary lighting and the husband who prefers the traditional ones agreed with me after I showed him what I saw online. So, no compromising on that one. Good boy, Honey Hubby…(“,) I can’t wait to shop!

Color Connection #5: Red for Love and Respect

2012-02-10T10:36:00.001-05:00

Time flies! We already celebrated our First Wedding Anniversary on Sunday, the fifth of February. I will post the details on how and where we celebrated it on my next entry. I am feeling nostalgic now so I am going to talk about my wedding bouquet - a bunch of red roses. Roses are definitely on the top of my favorite flowers, and you can also add red as one of my favorite colors. It was our wedding motif that I chose thus, the red roses.

Also, Valentine's Day is already next week so these red roses are just perfect. Agree? (",)

So fresh and so red. I took this photo on the wedding day itself .

And I took this a week or so after the wedding. You can see that the petals were already starting to dry, but still pretty.

♥♥♥ HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! ♥♥♥

Do Your Talking Without Any Walking

2012-02-06T17:00:00.001-05:00

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

Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! Did you know that Sprint has a limited time sale going on? And guess what? It’s only online. So you don’t need to go anywhere and spend time and gas just to grab the special offer. You just have to let your fingers do the work and walking and you’re good to go.

And what you are going to get with such a great deal? Well, if you open a new line of service or add to your account, you can grab yourself a free Nexus S™ 4G or better yet, an HTC EVO™ 3D for only $49.99. Isn’t that an awesome deal? But there’s more to it than that. With the Nexus S™ 4G at free online only savings, the $50 mail in rebate converts to an instant $99.99 web only savings. And with regards to the HTC EVO™ 3D at $49.99 online only savings, the $50 mail in rebate converts to an instant $50 web only savings.

In addition, you will also avail of waived activation fee for new lines of service and free shipping. And that’s only on sprint.com. So, what are you waiting for? I don’t think this offer is going to last forever. Grab it while it’s hot!