A Moment to Exhale

Genius Nephew

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 18:15:00 +0000

Genius Nephew

Guest post written by my buddy Brian Workman

Every Thursday I watch my little genius nephew after he comes home from school. James is only five, but he is wise well beyond his years. James doesn’t do the types of things a normal child his age would do. The other day I was busy with work that was left after a long day in the office so I decided that rather than reading or playing with James, I’d try to sit him in front of the television for a couple hours so that I could finish everything up. After about five minutes of cartoons, James came to me with a puzzled look on his face, and asked “Aunt Layla, how do the cartoons get in the television?” I should have known that I wasn’t going to get off easy by getting James to watch television. How am I supposed to know how cartoons get in the television? Because I have virtually no knowledge of the mechanical workings of a television, I decided it’d be easier to explain the process of selecting a package with the channels you want so a company can stream them into your television. That wasn’t enough for my little darling. Luckily I knew where to go to show him what I meant: http://www.satelliteTVfamily.com. We spent at least half an hour on the site, which was just long enough for me to give up on my work and decide I needed to give James my full attention.

This Blog Is Finally Working Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 15:38:00 +0000

Because of my online course, I haven't been regularly updating nor visiting my blogs. But about a month ago when I had a chance to visit this blog, I noticed it was acting weirdly. Every time I tried to access this blog it always redirected me to an unknown website. I was ready to just delete this blog but when I tried to open it two days ago, I was surprised to see that it's working again! Now I have more time to write posts here. Stay tuned!

Toys for Big Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:17:00 +0000

Should I or shouldn't I give my hb a welding equipment for Christmas? I know he tries to be handy at home but he's got tons of 'toys' that he doesn't even have time to use anymore. So should I add some more to them? Well I know he's really good at doing things around the house, but only if he's got a lot of time. There are some projects that he wanted to do by himself but I guess I would rather hire people to do them for us - like painting the house, clearing the basement with junk, and finishing the garage floor with epoxy. Anyway, I'm still on the fence about the welding equipment, but I just might give in to it since I'm running out of time and ideas too of what to give hb this Christmas.

Holiday Shopping Interrupted

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:00:00 +0000

So I have been buried in my books for the past three weeks now trying to beat the deadline of my online course. I know I've proven time and again that I work well and accomplish a lot when I cram, but this season is not a great time to cram! There are so many distractions and I couldn't help but sneak out once in a while to put some Christmas spirit at home. I have managed to decorate the tree with ornaments and lights, even put up the lights in the bushes on one freezing cold day. Slowly but surely the house is keeping up with the festive mood of the season.

Also I haven't set foot in the mall to buy presents for my family and friends. Thank God for online shopping though, at least I was able to buy some gifts but my list is way not complete yet. I know a friend is in the middle of upgrading her kitchen and she's looking for new sink to replace her old one. Though I can't afford to give her one of those sienna sinks stainless steel sinks that she likes but I'm sure I could get her an accessory like the custom cutting board or grates. These accessories are very useful and affordable I think I would get a cutting board for my sink too.

What to Buy Again

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:19:00 +0000

It's this time of the year again when I struggle to choose which Christmas present to get for my hb. He's this person that has gotten really hard to buy gifts for because he's got almost everything. He has this clip on shades that he snaps on his prescription eyeglasses, they're very convenient to use if he could only find them when he needs them. They're too small and a bit flimsy and so easy to lose. He has another prescription eyeglasses with Transition feature but not dark enough to give comfortable shade when its too bright and sunny. He has a pair of really good looking branded sunglasses but I guess another pair wouldn't hurt. I'm thinking of getting him a pair of stylish Tom Ford Sunglasses that he could keep handy in the glove compartment of his car. I'm sure he'll like them.

On Life Insurance

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 04:09:00 +0000

Some people would cringe on the thought of premature talk of death when you get life insurance, but to me it's just one of the best decisions one could ever make. Life insurance would give some form of security to beneficiaries in case of untimely deaths. There are a lot of features to consider when getting life insurance and one site I find very informative is Wholesale Insurance, you might want to check it out too.

Problem Area

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:03:00 +0000

So almost every morning I either have fresh fruit smoothie, fruits and cottage cheese, or oatmeal with fresh fruits for breakfast. Aside from trying to lose weight, I also try to lead a healthy life as I'm not getting any younger. It's been a struggle for me to maintain the weight that I want and I really try hard. My bone structure is actually small so I don't have problems with my limbs they're really thin, but my main problem area is my tummy. I always dream of having flat abs and its hard to achieve that goal. I'd say I need natural appetite suppressants to really control my cravings for food or I just need to visit the gym more often. Either one should work.

Retirement Luxury

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 03:52:00 +0000

One of the things that my hb and I would love to have when we retire is an RV. My hb always tease me that I also pack our 'house' when we travel because I can't travel light. I always think way ahead like if there's an emergency I'm always ready. So an RV is so perfect for us so then I can actually pack our house! Anyway, hopefully when that time comes we have saved enough to travel the places we've dreamt of seeing. We love to travel hassle-free so a 5th wheel insurance is an excellent choice to have for peace of mind when travelling.

Keeping Self Entertained

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 03:23:00 +0000

I think my aunt could make use of one of those indoor tv antennas to boost the signal to her TV. She hasn't used her tv in a while due to bad signal, so her link to local news is just through her radio. She's never used the dvd player that we gave her for Christmas either so I don't know how she entertains herself really. No wonder every time she calls me she complains about being sad and lonely. Well pretty soon she's moving to a new apartment so I'd probably convince her to buy a new flat screen tv and just donate her old one to charity. She needs some distractions to keep her mind off missing my uncle who's been dead for more than a year now.

Losing Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 03:15:00 +0000

Ok for a week or so now, I've been eating really healthy and have tried really hard to forgo on my cravings for sweets. My goal is not only to fit into those cheap lingerie but also to look good at them. I still need to work hard to get my dream flat abs though, but I feel good enough that I'm losing a little bit of weight, slowly but surely. I was in heaven when I weighed today and learned that I was down by four lbs. Hopefully I can keep up and really achieve my goal.

Bonding Moments

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:50:00 +0000

Written by my friend Judson Kelly

My family is really big into bonding and I thought a good way to facilitate it would be more movie nights together. We all really like watching the latest and greatest flicks and so I got us http://www.cabletvadvisor.com/satellite so we’d have access to all the movie channels I’m always hearing about. I set up a system where we watch one movie together as a week, on Wednesday nights, and we alternate who gets to choose the film so no one gets all up in arms about not being able to choose. I know it sounds silly but I just love being able to cuddle my kids (and my husband!) on the couch after a long day at work and I know I’m not going to have these opportunities forever as they’re getting older all the time. I work really hard to keep my family as a single unit and I just relish any opportunity I get to be with them all at once. I’m sure I can’t be the only one out there who feels this way!

Stuck at Home

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:52:00 +0000

I'm stuck at home! I could have gone shopping for my son's Halloween costume but I have to stick around because some guys are coming to deliver and install our new water heater. They gave a pretty long time frame to wait for them - between 12 noon and 4pm! Of all the days that hb had to get his allergy shot, it had to be today!

This delivery is not something that one can be excited about. If it was some flower delivery from my honey bunch that would have been a different story. I'd stick around for as long as it takes, LOL. When hb and I were still dating, he used to send me bouquets of flowers with intricate arrangements you'd wish they won't ever wilt, so sweet. But now that we're married for almost a decade, I asked him not to give me anymore flowers that I would only enjoy for a day or two, but rather blooming flower arrangements in pots that I can enjoy for a long time. Yup what matters now is practicality over what's just pleasing to the eyes.

By Hook or By Crook

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:13:00 +0000

Today is my son's first day of full day schedule in kindergarten. Though he pretty much enjoyed last week's school, it was only half-day sessions. I still wonder how he would do in full day. Well hopefully he'd handle it really well. Now I have more time to 'myself'' - meaning more time to do house work first of all. It's different when you're not stuck with always checking the time if it was time to drive to school to pick up already. Now I'm more relaxed and can accomplish a lot of things. But one thing I really need to catch up with is my daily workout. I've forgone my workout schedule long enough, now is the time to get those yoga mats out and get ready for action. I should be able to exercise at least three days in a week, that would give me more stamina to get into my 'neglected' routine during summer vacation, that is finishing my online course. Now, I don't have any excuse, by hook or by crook I have to finish my course!!!

Some Garden Loving

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 03:58:00 +0000

I've been too busy with getting the most of summer that I barely have time to even glance at my garden. My flower beds are begging to be weeded out and the bushes need trimmings badly. I got garden gifts that have been sitting in the garage for awhile, I guess I should try using them already before the cold weather kicks in and it would be harder to stay out in the garden. Next week will be the best time to start working in the yard, my son will be starting kindergarten so I'll have few hours to give my garden some loving.

I Want Solid Proof

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:27:00 +0000

We live in a very quiet and safe neighborhood but even then I've always wanted to install surveillance cameras especially in our backyard. My neighbor has several chickens that he just allows to loiter around and they always end up in my backyard. I suspect that they're the ones raking out the dried leaves in the woods towards the yard which really makes me mad. It's hard work to rake all the dried leaves and wheeled them to the woods only to find them in the yard again. I already saw the chickens once or twice before making all the mess, but I just wanted proof if ever I may have to complain later. I don't want to make enemies, but some people need to be responsible pet owner or chicken raisers.

It's A Rainy Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:07:00 +0000

It's a rainy start of the week so I don't have any plans of going out. My son's usual question as soon as he wakes up in the morning is "Mom where are we going today?" and today is not an exception. So the answer is "We're just staying home today sweetie." Of course the Q & A won't stop there and there'll be more follow up questions. He asked if it was a weekday or a weekend. Weekend means he can play Super Mario or other games in his Wii. Since there's nothing else to do and I'm also not in the mood to do arts and crafts with him, I declared it the educational movie day. No more usual shows like Caillou, Curious George, Fetch or anything like that but it's Discovery DVD day. We watched the Dinosaurs Extreme Survivors in the morning and now he's watching Ocean Odyssey The Blue Realm while eating his dessert of fresh orange.

It's Not Too Early Thinking About Christmas Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:31:00 +0000

Is it still early to order Christmas photo cards? I don't think so. Time really flies fast, and with too much going on in my household, one being the exciting entrance of my little guy to Kindergarten, before I know it, it's Christmas season once again. Over the years, I always send personalized Christmas cards to friends and family around the world. When we had our son of course it became photo cards of him. There are photos taken with Santa but some I just took myself to save money. But whichever I choose this year, whether a photo or plain card I'd do it earlier before it gets really busy in the season.

Fun Family Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:07:00 +0000

We had a great family day yesterday all to ourselves! My son was invited to a birthday party but we opted out and just spent quality family time before hb goes away for another business trip. For the past weeks, though we were all together, we spent the weekends attending friends' birthday parties or just hanging out with friends swimming. It's been a while since we spent the weekends by ourselves.

Yesterday we started the day early by going to church at 9am. We normally go at 12 noon but since we planned to go to the beach we didn't want to wait till its already very hot. After church we went for early lunch at one of our fave restos - the China Pearl at Quincy for some yummy dimsum. The place was packed as usual but we were lucky to get a table right away because we're the smallest group, just three. Whenever we're at the area we also swing by Kam Man, the bigeest Oriental Store close by. It's even much bigger now that it incorporated the housewares section with the food section, a bit overwhelming and confusing setup but nevertheless fun since there were so much to see.

After eating and shopping, we drove straight to Carson Beach at South Boston to fly kite. The little guy has been very excited since Saturday to go to the beach to fly his kite. We were not very lucky though since it wasn't windy enough, but the weather was so perfect, not hot nor cold, a little drizzle of rain and cool breeze. The little guy just played in the sand and water, while we happily watched him having fun.

After an hour or so, we drove to Castle Island just close by. The first time we went to Castle Island maybe around this time too, there were no place to park so we didn't even bother to push our luck. So yesterday was our first time to see Castle Island in its entirety. Before we explore the place, we had some ice cream and the little guy had some hotdogs too. Then we walked around and found some guys fishing on the deck. We stayed for sometime and the little guy had the chance to reel in a grown-up fishing pole that one of the guys was so nice to entrust my ever curious son.

After that despite the drizzle of rain we walked again and found a playground which of course my son couldn't resist, so we let him play for maybe half an hour. Then we headed walking on the long boardwalk up to the center. If it weren't for the drizzle starting to get stronger, we could have walked up to the end back to Carson Beach but we were also parked on the opposite side. We promised to come back again and this time with our bikes so we can go really far.

Another Project

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:24:00 +0000

Living in a four-season-country makes me not enjoy my clothes as much as I want to before the season changes again. As I put away my cold weather clothes and took the summer ones out, I found some urban clothing that I haven't worn yet but they look like they won't fit me anymore as I'm much heavier now than when I bought them. When I organized my closet, I've got tons of clothes that I've only worn maybe once or twice that don't fit anymore. I would either give them to my mom or just donate them to charities to clear some closet space. I read that in order to avoid jam packing your closet or any place in your house, for every item that you bring in, you have to get rid of two. I don't think I have applied that principle yet, so you can just imagine how jam packed my closet is. Clearing my closet is a project to do for another day.

Meeting a New Friend

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:13:00 +0000

I had a good week last week meeting a new friend whom I initially met online. I don't remember exactly how we met but she told me it was when I put my condo for sale and she inquired about it. Then the rest they say is history. She was pretty, warm and friendly, exactly how I envisioned her to be in person. On top of her local dialect and English, she speaks French fluently, so she probably browses Ordinateurs de bureau without a problem. I wish we could spend more time together, but she has to leave for some other commitments. I know I'll see more of her anyway when she visits her son who will start college in the fall here. I can't wait.

Some Gift Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:58:00 +0000

Sometimes its hard to think about what gift to give a friend especially the ones with everything. So to be safe I always go with gift cards so then they could just buy what they want. But you can never go wrong with giving chocolates and fruits dipped in chocolates to the ones with sweet tooth. I found this shari's berries website with delectable and irresistible selections of cakes and berries dipped in chocolates. Just looking at the picture makes you crave for chocolates. I found sherry's berries coupons online too so I get a good deal when I order online, nice.

Morning Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:46:00 +0000

If I listened to my hb and took nursing I would be just like my SIL donning those pretty nursing uniforms. But nah, it's not my cup of tea, I can't stand needles and blood. But I could do medical billing, still in line with medicine but doing office work. I'm still actually working on finishing my course. Two down two more to go! But as soon as the school vacation started, there went my online study schedule too. My time has been spent more with my 5-year old that I don't have enough energy to stand late night studies. But hopefully with my new sleeping habit (early to bed early to rise) I could switch studying early in the morning than night time. I guess this would work perfectly, with rested mind and body I can accomplish more.

Early to Bed Early to Rise

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:40:00 +0000

I have been going to bed really late the past days that last night I just couldn't do it anymore. I was wiped out and retired at 8:30pm! Of course early to bed early to rise, I woke up around 4:30am. But I can't beat my hb, he's already up and working in his computer! Anyway, I love peace and quiet. Instead of doing the chores I opted to just do my online work to concentrate better. Hopefully I can do it again tonight and every night.

Going Through My Coupons

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:21:00 +0000

Finally some 3 hours time to myself again! My son started his summer camp today! Well when my son got out of school, my time has been focused on him a lot again. I need to find ways to entertain the guy and channel his energy. So I've kind of neglected or maybe to better put it - set aside my chores to focus on mommy job. So now I also have more time to go through all my sears coupons before they expire. I need to look at some items for camping and of course some summer outfits too. My friends and I are planning to go camping on the second week of August and I want to get a portable grill that we can carry with us to the campground. My son loves the outdoors but this will be a first time for him to go camping. He's looking forward to it already.

Help in the House

noreply@blogger.com (Mira) — Sun, 29 May 2011 03:52:00 +0000

I can't seem to get around cleaning the whole house all at once, this is the down side to having a big house. When I feel desperate about not getting things done the way I feel they should have, I have the weirdest thought of looking for mobile home for sale, I'm sure that's much easier to maintain. I miss living in the Philippines where you can hire a maid to do household chores and more. I envy my sister for having her own maid and also live close to my mom who helps her every now and then. While I'm all alone here in US without any help and I do everything, things that I've never done before. Oh well, I guess I've learned to do a lot of things at home that I would have never learned otherwise if I had help.