My So-Called Life!

Color Connection #3: Diary of A Wimpy Kid

2012-01-27T10:07:00.004-05:00

My husband is a bookworm. He started to love reading at the age of six. Since I got here, there was no day that I didn't see him holding a book. He actually reads himself to sleep. And he greatly influenced my son, Yogi in that aspect which I am so happy about. He makes it a point to give books to the little one on special occasions like his birthday and Christmas. And now, Yogi is so into reading the series of "Diary of A Wimpy Kid".

The one he was holding was the number two book in the series. He received it as gift from my husband on Christmas. He was enjoying it so much that he rather read the book when we were next door on Christmas Day than play with the kids. I think he was almost done with the book that time that was why he couldn't stop himself from finishing it. I bet you know how it feels.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

2012-01-23T08:58:00.001-05:00

(Photo from Google)

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

Hope the year of the water dragon will be a good
year for everyone. Cheers!!!

Color Connection #2: Macho

2012-01-20T12:18:00.000-05:00

That's the name of the dog whom Yogi was playing with in the photo. The dog was my SIL's nephew's. That was the first time that they brought the dog there and you know what he first did as soon as he set foot at my SIL's house? He pooped! LOL.

He's a trained dog and the kids including Yogi really had fun playing with him. In this photo, Macho was giving the stuffed toy squirrel to Yogi for him to throw it and then Macho will get it and give it back to Yogi. Cute dog!

Color Connection #1: He Had A Blast!

2012-01-13T12:32:00.000-05:00

After Nostalgia ended, Rose invited me to her other meme, and this is it, Color Connection. Don't we all love colors? Yes we do though our preferences differ. I like colors that are bold and warm. I guess you can tell by what my son, Yogi was wearing. (",)

This photo was taken on Christmas Eve at my BIL's house. We always celebrate our Christmas Eve with them, and just like last Christmas, Yogi had a blast once again. He received lotsa gifts from not only my BIL and SIL, but also from their sons and a relative. The toy Transformer robot that he's holding was a gift from my BIL and SIL. I will share more photos next time.

Happy 2012!!!

2012-01-01T09:56:00.006-05:00

The year 2011 was definitely a good year for the whole family. Though it wasn't perfect - nothing's perfect after all - but a lot of our prayers were answered and there were abundance of blessings. And those are enough reasons for us to be thankful. I hope the New Year will be as good, if not, better.

Here's wishing you all a bountiful New Year!!! I've included a poem below that one of my friends shared on Facebook. I don't know who the author is, but read on. It's really nice.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more,
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out thy mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

From Our Family...

2011-12-25T16:39:00.001-05:00

...to yours, a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Let There Be Light!

2011-12-22T19:05:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes. All opinions are 100% mine.

Back home in the Philippines, I loved hosting parties for my girlfriends. That was one of our bonding moments. And it’s one thing that I missed doing. I’ve been here in the land of Uncle Sam for a year now and I don’t have a group of friends yet, thus, no girl’s party. But I do look forward to having one someday. It’s one of the things that I enjoy doing after all. And more so, when I learned about PartyLite party. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone because I don’t only get to enjoy the party with friends, I can earn freebies too just by hosting parties. And guess what the freebies are? Candles! That is simply awesome! I’ve always liked scented candles and knowing about that made me giddy. We do know that nowadays, candles are not only used to provide light. They’re also used to beautify a room, make it relaxing and, of course, smell good.

You can join the fun by liking the PartyLite Facebook page and be updated all the time of what's new and what else to look forward to. We may be late from joining the PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes where we get the chance of winning 5 PartyLite gift certificates valued at $500 each, but the fun doesn't end there especially that they just launched the PartyLite Winter/Spring catalog 2012 on December 16. It gets no better than that! So check it out now, like I did and let the parties light our life like those candles will light up our home.

Buying Cheap Doesn’t Mean Cheap; it Means You’re Smart

2011-12-22T19:00:00.001-05:00

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

The economy has been in bad shape for the past couple of years. But even then, it doesn’t stop people from enjoying Christmas. Malls are still jam-packed with people shopping for gifts at this most celebrated time of the year. Well, Christmas doesn’t have to be expensive after all. Everything can be simple yet fabulous. Gifts can be the cheapest, but if given wholeheartedly, then it is more than enough. As the famous cliché’ goes, “It’s the thought that counts.” And for as long as you know how to spend wisely, I do believe everybody will be happy.

Who did you not buy a gift for Christmas yet? You still have three days, but if saving is your goal, you’ve got to take a look at what Zenni Optical has in store for you. Saving more on their wide selection of cheap eyeglasses means more money to spend for gifts, thus, more people to receive gifts from you. Isn’t that the essence of gift giving? Zenni has the most stylish, trendy and affordable eyeglasses there are. The photo that I’ve included can attest to that. Go, take a look at their website today before you get tangled up in the Christmas rush.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Festival of Lights Part 1

2011-12-22T12:40:00.001-05:00

Our weekends have been busy since the holidays started - Christmas shopping here and there, parties with the family, my son's school activities, etc. And last Sunday, we witnessed the 'Festival of Lights' at one of the parks here called Lake Julian. I didn't know if they had it last year. I saw it on the local news and when I told the husband about it, he didn't have second thoughts of checking it out right away. He's always in for some fun which is one thing that I really like about him.

And being the photo lover me, I made sure I took snap shots. But of course, I need to share our happenings to all of you as well as to my family back home.

It's a Dino! This was the first thing that caught our attention as soon as we entered the park.

Fishing time for Santa. Wonder what he got? Salmon or Tilapia? (",)

An igloo with a penguin running to and pro on the top.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Frosty the Snowman

See the Savings Add Up

2011-12-19T17:50:00.001-05:00

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

Great deals! Something we all like it. And who wouldn‘t? Especially this holiday season when we buy gifts for everyone. And choosing and getting the best deals mean more money to save and more people to give gifts to, or better yet, more gifts for each and everyone. Am I not right? Besides, cheap doesn’t mean boring gifts or low quality. For as long as you’re wise and resourceful, you will certainly put a smile on your loved ones’ faces.

Does anyone of your loved ones need to have new prescription eyeglasses? If so, you need to check ZenniOptical.com for their wide variety of stylish cheap eyeglasses. They are so stylish and colorful making them really perfect to give this holiday season.

Look at the one I’ve included. That’s the one that I really fancy, but I still don’t need prescription eyeglasses as of the moment, so, it has to wait until my eyes will need them. But at least I already know where to look. Go check the website yourself. I know for certain you will find something that you will like too and, of course, your loved ones as well. Let us make their holidays extra-special by choosing extra-special presents for their enjoyment.

What’s a Weekend Without Shopping?

2011-12-19T06:00:00.001-05:00

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

Almost all women have one thing in common: We love shopping! I guess men are already pretty aware of that. And since we love shopping, I do think that the other thing that will make us all delighted is a gift card, most especially if it is a freebie - a gift or a prize. It would really make me delighted, no doubt.

And guess what? There is actually a Gift Card Weekend that is going on now. They are giving away more than 100 gift cards a week which they call Gift Card Weekend. The daily Facebook giveaway from December 19 until December 23 will give you a chance of winning a Sephora $20 gift card. But they are giving away lots of prizes for the whole month so you better be on the look out. To tell you more, participating outlets include JC Penny, Regal Cinema, Subway, Applebee’s, Bass Pro Shops, Adidas, Bucca de Beppo, Lowe’s, Spa Finder, Marriot, Giant Eagle and of course, Sephora.

To join, you only need to like Gift Card Weekend on Facebook then share with your friends. In addition, you will get more chances of winning for every like that you influence. Isn’t that great? This is a once-a-year event so go join now. I already did. Best of luck to us!

Nostalgia #65: O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

2011-12-15T10:35:00.002-05:00

I was sad to learn yesterday that Rose, the host of Nostalgia is going to end the meme. Today is the last so, obviously, this is my last entry.

And what better way to end it than share our new Christmas Tree. Well, I did mention last week that I am going to share it today. I showed you our old 4' Tree and this is our new one, a 6' Tree. I did mention last week too that we were still looking for a Christmas Tree topper that time. But a few days after that, my husband found one. It's an angel that is made of capiz. See that? I really love it!

I am done wrapping the gifts for my two boys - husband and son. Those gifts underneath the tree are for the both of them. I don't know if they will get me one, but knowing the husband, I know I will have some. Heehee.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS Y'ALL!!!

Hint, Hint, Honey Hubby O’ Mine

2011-12-13T20:00:00.001-05:00

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

We often hear people say that Christmas is only for kids. Do you really believe that? Not me! I believe Christmas is for everyone because the spirit of giving and the joy that it brings certainly touches each and everyone of us.

And speaking of giving, have you thought of the best gift to give your loved ones this holiday season? If not yet, you better check the super great holiday deals on Android™ powered EVO 4G devices. I would be delighted if I was given one of those gadgets, so I know anyone who receives such will be delighted as well. That is simply an awesome gift to give and of course, receive too.

Tell you what! Sprint shifts for free on those devices so you better check that out. Also, you can get waived activation for new lines of service. Don’t delay because you know what? These devices are offered for a limited time only. I think learning that the supplies are out is the last thing that you want to hear, right? So better act now before it’s too late! I know making your loved ones happy is the most important thing this holidays to you, like me. Happy Holidays!

Yummy, Yummy, a Christmas Gift for my Tummy!

2011-12-09T01:00:00.001-05:00

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

Christmas is certainly in the air. Aside from the weather that is getting cooler, houses are now adorned with Christmas decors and colorful lights that never fail to delight me. That is why Christmas is my favorite time of the year. The spirit that it brings simply brings joy to my heart. Not to forget, the sumptuous food that we always feast on on Christmas Eve and the gifts that we open on Christmas Day.

Are you done shopping for your gifts yet? How about your holiday menu? I am lucky I don’t have to prepare during Christmas because just like last year, we are going to celebrate it again at my brother-in-law’s house. And as much as I want to prepare something, I just don’t have the confidence because my brother-in-law’s wife’s cooking skills are unmatchable. She makes really delicious dishes and gravy which is one reason that I look forward to spending the holidays with them because they always delight my tummy. Teehee. But the holidays don’t last all throughout the year and that is why I’ve been raring to learn how to cook so I will be able to satisfy my cravings for her dishes whenever it hits me.

I may not be able to come up with creations exactly like hers, much less master them, but I know I can always count on something to help me. Have you heard of GravyMaster? You may think it is only used for gravy, but nah! It can also be used for caramelizing foods, locking flavors in grilled meat, fish and veggies, and is a great help with sauces and marinades. I do believe it would be the best for a pot roast which I will try to prepare soon. Sounds yummy, huh? How about you? You got to try this too and let us both Master the meal this holiday season!

Nostalgia #64: Oh, Christmas Tree! Oh, Christmas Tree!

2011-12-08T12:13:00.001-05:00

My favorite time of the year is definitely in the air. Yep, Christmas is here!!!

We started putting Christmas decors on Thanksgiving and finished it the next day. Yogi and I put up and decorated the Christmas Tree and my husband did the rest. He decorated the mantle, the breakfast bar and the front porch. It was his first time to put Christmas lights on the porch and he was so delighted with the outcome. Back home, there were always Christmas lights at out front porch so I made sure that we'll also have it here. As our neighbor said, our home looks so festive now because of the lights.

Here's our little Christmas tree which we placed on top of one of the side tables in the living room. This is about 13" tall.

And our second Christmas Tree which we used for the last time, last year. It's about 4' tall. My husband had been using it for years and we finally got rid of it this year as well as the angel topper because all the lights were busted. We bought a new 6' Christmas Tree which I will show you next week. We are still in search of a topper though because we didn't like what we had seen. Got any idea where to find a nice one? (",)

Happy Holidays y'all!!!

A Stress Free Way to Plan Your Christmas Dinner

2011-12-08T06:49:00.001-05:00

Christmas is all bout good times with friends and families. It is the time of the year where diets have to take a back seat because everyone wants to enjoy some good and delicious home cooked meals at are planned and prepared carefully by their loved ones. In every family gathering, food is one of the main attractions. And you can blame it on sheer luck if this Christmas, you are assigned to host the family dinner.

Now the question is how can you plan a Christmas dinner without stress? Is this even possible? The Christmas shopping rush could already give you a headache and add to that you may need to cook and prepare meals for a number of people. Planning is the key for a hassle and stress free dinner. Here are some tips on how you can do it:

Make a list of the invited guests and start a headcount. Notify your expected guests ahead of time in order to have an estimate on the number of people that will be present at the dinner party. Send out your invitations at least a week or two in order for your guests to have some time to check their schedules. After all, this is the season where dinners and parties are left and right.
It is also important to make special notes that can make menu planning easier. Ask your guests for any preferences or food allergies. From here you can plan a list of food that will be enjoyed by your friends and families. This is also a good way to prevent any problems such as an allergy attack. Remember, even small details should not be neglected when planning.

You can do your grocery shopping ahead of time for items that are non-perishable and start preparing some dishes at least a few days before the party. Go for meals that can be frozen and stored. Also, don’t forget to ask the help of other family members and transform the preparation into an opportunity to spend time together.

Kim currently works as a freelance writer. Among her favorite topics include travel, current events, technology and fashion. She's enjoying her current task writing for gulvafslibning a project which is all about floor sanding.

Grab ‘Em While They’re Hot!

2011-12-01T18:58:00.001-05:00

In need of tickets like honda civic tour tickets or perhaps the vans warped tour tickets or even the blink 182 tickets? Well, look no further because Ticketamerica.com has them all. Go take a look at their site today and grab those much-desired tickets and, of course, I bet you will enjoy those tours.

Nostalgia #63: Our 2nd Celebration of Thanksgiving

2011-12-01T09:44:00.001-05:00

We arrived here in the land of Uncle Sam two days before Thanksgiving last year. So, this year was our second and just like last year, it was a day filled with good food and fun times with BA's family. Can you tell by the photos below how much fun the boys had? I had fun watching them that was why I made sure I had photos to remind me of it.

I took this photo from the bench where I was sitting at the front porch.

The basketball ring was located just in front of my BIL's house. He put it up there himself which was really a great idea. This wasn't the first time that all of them played basketball. They also played on Easter.

Getting tired eh?

Yogi and Autumn (BA's nephew's daughter) played with them too.

I Thought Only Baseball Had a DoublePlay

2011-11-24T03:00:00.001-05:00

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

Since I got my new cell phone, I’ve been hooked because aside from talking to friends, I use it to browse the net too as well as updating my accounts at social networking sites. It’s got me hooked andI don’t really know how many hours I spend on it each day. Let’s just say, from sunrise to sunset? LOL. Seriously, it depends. I spend like three hours straight on it daily, I guess, and more whenever I am not busy. That is why I made it a point that the new phone that I bought has all the features that I need because we do know that these days, phones are not only used for calling, but for other things as well.

Are you like me who is so into surfing the net, or social networking sites, texting, etc? How many hours do you spend on them daily, or perhaps, monthly? Have you heard of LG DoublePlay™? If not yet, you should know what it possesses. It’s got everything that you need in a phone. It has a dual touch screen and qwerty keyboard which will allow you to do different tasks at the same time like texting, checking email, checking your Facebook and browsing the web. So, it’s like hitting two birds with one stone. And you definitely save time, energy and money with that. No doubt, this phone is so perfect for people like me who spend most of their time on the net. And before I forget, this phone is only available at T-Mobile, so take note of that.

Free Fun For Family

2011-11-24T02:00:00.001-05:00

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

I am fond of watching comedy flicks and stand up comedians. It always feels good to laugh, doesn’t it? And today, I had a good laugh again after I watched the Stand Up For Family video of Bill Bellamy at the American Family Insurance website. I watched it with my son and we were both laughing.

He has many videos there which are all by AmFam and are all family oriented which is really a plus because you can watch it with your kids and then you can all laugh together. Doing it can be one of your bonding moments. So go and watch it yourself and have a good laugh like us.

But you know what? It is his “Still Free” video that I can really relate to the most. He talked about how kids played before compared to the new generation. It made me nostalgic. During my younger days, there was no computer and all the other gadgets that kids are fond of playing with now. We played outside most of the time; games such as tag freeze, hide and seek, etc. Those were the fun days, but really memorable not to mention we got good exercise too.

Nostalgia #62: Biltmore House

2011-11-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

I always watch the local news in the late afternoon as much as I can because I want to be updated on the latest happenings in the city. Last week, they featured about 'Christmas in Biltmore'. It is the time wherein the city's famous landmark starts decorating for Christmas. They put up a huge Christmas Tree with the help of the team consists of I guess a hundred people at that. The place is huge and they decorate not just the inside of the house, but the outside as well. So, just imagine the huge job that needs to be done.

Seeing that clip reminded me of the time we visited the house in February. It was still winter so it was really cold. Brrr! I've talked about this before here, but I got nostalgic so here it is once again.

Outside the house with Yogi.

My two boys. (",)

The river that runs inside the estate. This was on our way out from visiting the house.

Inside the shuttle bus. The visitors ride in the bus from the car park to the house and vice versa.

My Son’s the Gamer of the Family

2011-11-09T17:16:00.002-05:00

When it comes to the online game Counter Strike, I consider myself dumb. And that is because I don’t know how to play it at all. My 8-year-old son is more knowledgeable than me when it comes to games and such.

But I can always learn especially since Counter Strike Wiki can be viewed and read online. I was not aware about this until today and actually, CounterStrike Wiki has got all the information about online games. Take a look at it yourself.

Nostalgia #61: Fall Festival

2011-11-03T11:32:00.003-04:00

Two weeks ago was our first celebration of 'Fall Festival' at my son's school. It was the school's fund-raising activity and what a successful event it was, not to mention, the kids certainly had a blast! I had so much fun taking photos too!

They had different kinds of inflatables for the kids and adults. I think there were seven inflatables all in all.

The first one that Yogi tried. This was so high that he enjoyed the slide so much.

His opponent was a schoolmate. They got a tied score, I guess. Both the husband and I cheered to the top of our lungs here. LOL.

Yogi's most favorite of all. He went back here several times and even raced with my husband. I had so much fun watching them.

Nostalgia #60: Arts and Fun Festival

2011-10-27T08:05:00.000-04:00

I wrote about 'Shindig on the Green' previously, and on that same day, they also had the 'Arts and Fun Festival'. Because of those two events, traffic was awful and we had to walk miles (dunno how far exactly) from the parking garage where we parked. But I enjoyed the walk immensely because I got to see downtown up close as well as the different kinds of people who joined the festivities that day. If not for the walk, we would not have seen what were in the photos.

That was a van behind Yogi that they decorated with materials that I had no idea what. It drew crowds because it was really unique. We were all fascinated!

A very talented street artist.

We came across him on our way back to the parking garage from watching 'Shindig on the Green'. He painted using no brushes and stuff like other painters do. He used paper towels and lids to come up with what is below...

Such an amazing work!

Street party. It wasn't Halloween, but there were a lot of people who wore costumes. Weird costumes, if I may add. But it was pretty interesting to me because that was the first time that I had seen such.

Link to Like-Minded Individuals

2011-10-21T20:16:00.002-04:00

The benefits of networks that connect people is known to many. Be it either for leisure or for business, the communication between individuals is an important benefit to mankind, and networks are a driving force behind this concept.

If you are a physician by profession and communication with your co-physicians is vital to you, you should be part of the private network, Doximity. You will be able to connect with your former classmates, your colleagues, etc. Do you have something to say or ask to Martin Blume DO for example? Go check him out at Doximity. That will certainly be the fastest way to connect with him.