WINDOW SHOPPING

Hassle in Divorce

2012-01-18T06:48:00.000-08:00

This is one of the issues that stir a lot of tension during discussions, debates, and plain chats. Previously, my knowledge of the process of divorce is very limited with the movies I saw. Like for example, the movie, Sweet Home Alabama, it seems that it was just a simple process, where the soon to be ex-couple just sign a paper and then, the marriage is off.

However, I also learned that it is not that easy at all. I have learned from a friend that the partners who are filing for divorce undergo a lot of process and it could take a long time to settle all agreements before the final proceedings. First, they both should hire their own family lawyer. If you live in Barrie, there is a good family lawyer Barrie that you can consult with. The process can be expensive but it would surely ensure that agreements would be fair.

Also, it would do you good if you at least know some of the basics in family law. Do some research and consult a lawyer which specializes in this area. Sure, it is a lot of hassle to divorce. For me, I could not judge the people who are in this situation. I could only hope that they would pray and seek the will of God, before even thinking about it.

Congrats Hot Momma!

2012-01-16T13:29:00.000-08:00

My friend since college, the hot momma, is going to give birth to their second baby boy today. What a joy!

“Children too are a gift from the LORD, the fruit of the womb, a reward.” – Psalm 127:3

Congrats Pia and Adam!

Great Teachers

2012-01-04T06:40:00.000-08:00

Content by Mitch Osborne
Having so many great teachers means I’m learning more than I’ve ever learned in a school setting and I know that by the time I graduate I’m going to feel totally ready to get out there and start working in my chosen field. Being a productive member of society is something I’ve been looking forward to becoming and I know that once I have my degree I’ll be ready to start making money for me and my family. I went to www.internet.clear.com to get mobile internet so I’d have access to my files on campus and also at my house so you know, I think I’m better prepared than I was last semester. I worked hard to get the grades I had but you know, it’s tough being in school and holding down a fulltimejob. I love working but this time around I made sure I didn’t have any distractions since it’s hard enough being a student without all the additional hassles, you know what I mean?

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

I am very thankful for the Lord's blessings to our family, as well as to our relatives and friends. His love is truly never ending. His compassion never fails.

I am grateful for the fact that I can tell Him anything. That He is an all-powerful and all-knowing God. He knows everything, so what's the point of hiding anything from Him?

We may not have all the things we desire, but we have the things we need. Sometimes, it's a shame we ask for more, when we have more. He gave His only begotten Son for us, to die for our sins and give us eternal life.

I pray that I will continue to find joy in everything. I pray, too, that I be more thankful and contented in my life, as God continues His work in me. Amen.

I'm A Proud Mom!

2011-12-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

What will you do, if you were nine, and all the kids around you were called to get a present from the church' christmas tree...except for you? You were the only one not called, and was not included in the list? You were not given anything...not even a box of crayons or something that would make you feel you belong. Your mom kept on saying, it's alright, but even she, knows it was not okay. You were not a member of the church since your parents wanted to attend to other other churches too. They are still looking for a church right for the family, where you would all grow spiritually. But in your mind, you have bonded with the children in this particular church and it is where you'd like to go to every Sunday. Afterall, you've been attending quite regularly for several months now.

If I were the kid, I'd cry. But not my kid. Sure, he was really sad, and I saw it in his eyes. What with all the kids excited to go to the tree and get their gifts? Opening them in front of his very eyes? I almost cry watching my son so sad during the event. I wish, in those times, I could protect him. I wish we have not seen that part. I wish I have an instant gift especially for him under that tree. I wish the organizers had the heart to wrap anything, any stuff, just in case there are other kids there. At that time, it doesn't matter what's inside the box. What matters is that there is no child left behind. In this case, there was, and it was my son.

I was also a Sunday school teacher in the Philippines for many years, and have had my share of Children's Christmas parties. I would always remember of getting something extra, just in case there are some guests.

It is apparent that I haven't moved on. Because if I did, I would not write anything about it here on my blog. My son, however, had. After just 30 minutes, he was playing with the kids, as if nothing happened. I am so proud of him! I had asked him then if he was okay, even without a gift, and he said, "Yes mom, I am fine," with a big smile. He never mentioned it again. I'm glad he was not scarred emotionally.

Christmas is about giving and sharing, and forgiving. I pray that like my son, I'd soon move forward, not letting this incident stir any strong emotions in me, again.

Monday Music: Enya - Only Time

2011-12-12T06:30:00.000-08:00

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

And the Christmas Shopping Continues...

2011-12-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

Today is the second to the last Sunday before Christmas. We've been to the mall last Friday and it was full packed! The stores can barely manage to keep up with the consumers' demands. I was at Target last Thursday too, to buy Christmas ornaments, thinking I'll come back to buy gifts, but by Friday, the stuff I'd like to get were all gone. I looked up on the internet and they're out of stock too:(

So, as it turned out, toys are a hit at this time of the year. I was able to buy a few toys and I can't believe I still need more! The problem is, toys can be very costly at this time of the year. Come to think of it, maybe they're pricey all year round, it's just that we are buying so much at one time, that we think the toys cost extra high this season. The lady before me at the registrar last Friday bought a total of about $680 for toys. Wasn't that grand?

Thinking that I only have a full week to shop for the gifts to reach before Christmas, I can now feel the stress. The gifts for kids won't be all toys though. For my 1-year old nephew, I am thinking of getting new baby boys clothes. I know that a lot of relatives and family friends would give him toys anyway. Cute clothes would be perfect for my very cute nephew, Joaquin. I haven't seen him yet since he is in the Philippines. Honestly, I can't wait to meet him. Giving gifts to my brother's family would somehow ease the longing to be with them. My two other nephews would sure be a lot taller now, too. Anyway, I might as well go back to my quest on finishing up with my Christmas shopping:-)

Frozen Pond

2011-12-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

Cold is the start of something colder:-(
Today is 14F or -10C.

Good Find: Cheap Eyeglasses

2011-12-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

I can't stop thinking how I was deceived by the pressures of commercialism and marketing of a branded product. I bought a pair of eyeglasses early this year, and they were priced $150.00 after the insurance. We have quite high eye insurance coverage so, I'm pretty sure, those eyeglasses were more pricey than what I already paid. It was just not right, especially when I learned that I could buy cheap eyeglasses of the same quality and style!

This is exactly the same style of eyeglasses I got from the mall. I found these at Zenni Optical's website. The only difference of this pair from the ones I have was the brand's logo at the side of the frame. Otherwise, they have the same type, style, shape, and color. Would you believe, the price of these eyeglasses is just $19.00! Thinking about how much I paid for mine, I feel bad all over again:-(

I think, one reason why Zenni Optical could afford to offer cheap but quality eyeglasses is because they do not have advertising budget. Do you know how many millions of dollars are being spend by a lot of companies to have their products advertised on print and (especially) TV? It's insane! You'd think they could just keep the money and lower the prices of their products to benefit the consumers...and that's exactly what Zenni is doing. Making their own brand of eyeglasses without much of a fuzz about advertising. In effect, they are able to create durable, safe, stylish, and affordable eyeglasses. It's a very good strategy if I may add. The next time anyone of us in the family needs eyeglasses, I know exactly where to buy them:-)

Random Tuesday Thoughts - Snow, Bills, Tree, Vaseline, Volunteer Jobs, etc...

2011-12-06T11:09:00.000-08:00

1. It snowed last night and it is still snowing today here in Iowa. Good times! or NOT. I am not thrilled at all. It will be my first time to drive in snow and from what I've heard, it is not pleasant. Plus, snow in the midwest is serious! Once it began, it could last until March, or even April. Hubby's excited though. He got a new snow blower, and he's been waiting to use it for a while now. Oh well...

2. Thank God for the adjustments in our dental bill. We paid a huge amount of money for my son's dental works last week. I didn't expect that it would be that costly to have extraction, sealing, and filling. Even though, we have a dental insurance, it turned out that we still need to pay half of the total charge. Yesterday, the clinic called (after we left a message last Friday) and informed us that we will have a refund about half of what we paid last week. It was good news indeed!

Last week, I was already thinking of studying dentistry (heck, $200 for a 5-minute tooth extraction?). I'm previously planning of pursuing my PhD in Science Ed (that is, if I will not get pregnant until next year and if I will stop to be this lazy---yeah, pressure!) but apparently, being a dentist is not so bad. Lol.

3. We fnally have a Christmas tree! Yay! It is a Balsam Fir and we got it for $30 at the town square, sold by the Kiwanis Club. I still have to add more ornaments though. This year, I wanted to have a candy mint and snowman theme in our house. So it's going to be lots of white and red.

4. Cold season equates to dry skin and lips. My poor son has it. It's improving with vaseline though.

5. Cristina and I helped in the school's Parade of Trees activity last Saturday. We baked goodies for the bake sale and served pies and drinks to the guests, at the same time watched and listened to the program and made goofy remarks like..what if we do interpretative dance while the performers sing mellow christmas songs? Or what if we sing with the guy who's playing the piano? Wouldn't that be insane? hehehe

6. Tomorrow will be the Christmas exchange gifts of the ladies in our Bible Study group. I wonder what to give. It has to be under $5 and we have choices of socks, kitchen towels, or mugs. Planning to go to the outlet mall later today.

7. The sun sets at about 4:30pm or earlier this winter. It's quite sad, I think. We should really plan a regular family indoor activity this season.

Well, that's all the randomness I got today...oh, plus, I tried, for the first time, roasting a whole chicken today for lunch! Crazy, huh?!

What a Nice Present

2011-12-05T19:38:00.000-08:00

This Christmas season, my son's school has a lot of projects. Their fundraisers are dedicated to help the local charities and the school, as well. Since it is a private school with just 150 students, from Pre-K to 8th grade, the parents and teachers, as well as all the people in the community are actively participating in the events.

There is a fundraiser wherein the parents can buy giftcards of the participating stores like the outlet mall in town, various boutiques and shops, and the town's local grocery store. Half of the proceeds will go to the school and half will be deducted to the kid's tuition fee. They used to sell prepaid mastercard too, but lately, these cards were excluded from the list.

I am not much of a gift shopper, mainly because I worry that the recipients of the gifts would not like what I got for them. I know for a fact that a gift which was not used would just be considered as trash one day.
I give gifts, but oftentimes, for practicality's sake, I give mostly cash or giftcards to family and friends. While it's true that a personalized gift is sweeter, I rather that I give the option to the person, of what she/he wants for her/himself. This is where the prepaid debit cards come in handy. It's like giving your loved ones the freedom to choose.

Since there is no more prepaid mastercard in the school's fundraiser, I will get mine from http://www.greendot.com/ this year. That way, my loved ones get to buy what they really wanted, without them revealing their banking information, shop safely online, not overspend, and avoid overdraft. Isn't that just a nice present? So, if you are thinking of being practical these coming holidays, go ahead and check it out.

Hallmark

2011-11-30T17:36:00.000-08:00

Guest post written by my buddy Royce Heath
My favorite channel to watch since we got http://www.expertsatellite.com/ is the Hallmark channel. It has so many family oriented movies and television shows that I just can’t get enough of it. A lot of things on television now have a lot to do with violence or crime, and that is just not what I am into these days. I just want to watch something that is relaxing and not offensive. Right now they are showing a lot of holiday movies. And you know how those Hallmark movies are. There is always a moral to every story about accepting people the way they are, or welcoming a young stranger into your home for a meal and somehow always ends up being best friends with the dad of the family and meeting his daughter who he ends up marrying at the end of the movie. Sometimes I can find a movie about living in the 1800’s and traveling west to find a better life. A lot of them are about strong women who lose their husbands along the way and end up finding out what they are really made of and how they end up surviving with the help of their neighbors. Maybe I was just born in the wrong century. I think I would have liked living during those earlier days.

Wordless Wednesday - Walk on the Line

2011-11-30T17:31:00.000-08:00

Junk Removal Is A Must

2011-11-28T09:05:00.000-08:00

So, last summer, we found out that our aircon at home was broken and having it fixed would mean more money than we could ever imagine. We have a centralized airconditioning system, which makes the aircon bulky and heavy. Here in Iowa, you'd be doomed if you don't have an AC during summer. It was so hot and humid that I thought I could fry an egg in our garage.

Anyway, we bought a new air conditioning unit and we got a fair deal in the local shop in town. We were able to use the new aircon last summer but the problem now is, how to get rid of the old AC. Right now, it is sitting in the garage, big and all, occupying an insane amount of space, making it crowded. It can still be repaired, according to the AC man we consulted with, but he was not sure if the total cost of repair would be worth it compared with the length of time it will still run. It was afterall, more than 10 years already.

I want to get rid of this old AC unit fast and without hassle. We could use the extra space in the garage, too. I didn't realize how hard it is to get rid of big appliances here in the US until now. But it's easy if you live in Texas, because you can always call the Bellaire Junk removal specialists anytime to come and help you. In the Philippines, we are used to having our appliances repaired as long as they can be fixed. Basically, because the cost of labor and parts are cheap. Here in the US, junk removal is very essential and has to be done at once to avoid piling up. I better check if we have a junk removal company here in town, too like the one they have in Texas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

I know, it's late, but just the same...HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!
GOD is GREAT!

What's in Your Christmas Wishlist?

2011-11-22T21:00:00.001-08:00

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

If your wish list includes a new cell phone, then you're in for so many options. In this entry though, I would help you by describing the newest and coolest phone exclusively from T-mobile, the LG DoublePlay™.

Are you a social networking addict? Oh, I forgot, you may not admit it because addicts usually dont, but if you have the opportunity, are you the kind who checks your facebook or twitter accounts every hour (some of you could be more frequent than that, I know). How about your emails and texts? Do you often exceed your texts limits? Do you use skype, yahoo messenger, and the likes?

If so, you need LG DoublePlay™ which has two touch screens! Yes, LG knows what's best for you, social rat! You can now play games on your phone while chatting with your friends or update your facebook while checking your emails. It also takes nice pictures and videos, which you can share to your friends anytime, hassle-free. Furthermore, it offers multiple messaging options and has access to Android Market.

I usually call and text my friends all over the US and because of that, we got unlimited texting and calling. Plus the social network addict I described earlier, well, that's me too. Although, I am trying hard to limit myself to one update every 2 hours. I'm afraid, with LG DoublePlay™, it would be more frequent, because really with two touch screens?

How about you, how many hours are you spending each day on social networking using your phone? If you have LG DoublePlay™, how did it change the way you interact with your social networks? I'd appreciate comments. Thanks!

Were you Unfriended on Facebook?

2011-11-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

Here's what to do when you were unfriended on Facebook. According to Jimmy Kimmel Live:-)

As Cool as Lisa Loeb!

2011-11-22T01:01:00.001-08:00

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

One of my favorite singers is Lisa Loeb. I've been listening to her music since college, which was in the '90s. Memorized all her songs, checked...attempted to learn "stay", her no. 1 song in the guitar--but failed (I love Reality Bites because of this song, and because apparently, Ethan Hawke was her friend), checked...and had one of her songs included in our wedding music too, checked. Do you get the picture now, of how much I like her? But that's not where it ends...because I attempted to have eyeglasses like hers too!

Usually, her glasses have colored frames and are medium sized. I guess what makes it so nice was that she looks cool with it. And I wanted to look cool too, in a Lisa Loeb way. BUT, the problem is, eyeglasses could cost so much! Well, I don't have the budget for super costly eyeglasses, so I checked out cheap eyeglasses on the internet. There are sites where a pair would cost over a hundred bucks and they would claim it's cheap. Really, what is cheap with over a hundred for eyeglasses? To tell you the truth, $50 for a pair of glasses is expensive for me.

Thank goodness Zenni Optical offers a wide array of eyeglasses! I found their website and looked for the style I like. This is what I found:

Cool, right? Do you know how much these eyeglasses are? They're just $9.95 and I'm not even kidding!!!

So instead of spending a hundred or more with a pair of eyeglasses, I would just spend about $10 and save the rest for other important stuff later. I'm planning to buy nice and comfortable winter jackets for my son, my husband, and myself, with the money that I will save from buying at Zenni Optical. At this time, that we all have to stretch our budgets a bit, affordable glasses are just so helpful. These glasses help the economy because they are cheap, therefore, more people are buying them, and in turn, the company creates more jobs. In analysis, both the consumers and the employees of Zenni Optical are happy!

Zenni Optical is such a blessing to people like me who are trying to be smart buyers. They created quality and pretty glasses which do not hurt the budget. Now, I could look a little like my favorite singer without going overboard. Thanks Zenni Optical!

Radish Salad Recipe (Ensaladang Labanos)

2011-11-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

This side dish is very healthy and low in calories. It was my mom's recipe and we often eat it with fried fish or meat, and sometimes, even with stew. Recently, we tried Vietnamese deli sandwich and found out that what makes it so yummy was this salad too! Don't be afraid to use radish, it's not a bitter or weird-tasting root crop. It has a distinct taste of it's own but I tell you, it's very pleasant, fresh, and yum in this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 big radish (about 0.5-1.0 lb), cut lengthwise, then slice thinly

1 tsp salt for radish

1/2 cup carrot strips

1 medium sized tomato, sliced thinly

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 tsp mustard seed (optiona)

1 tsp celery seed (optional)

dash of salt and ground pepper

Procedure:

1. Squeeze radish with salt, then wash with tap water.

2. Mix washed radish, carrots, tomato, and onion.

3. In a pan, mix vinegar, sugar, water, mustard seed, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil until sugar is dissolved.

4. Pour into the radish mixture.

5. Chill and enjoy!

Weekend Laundry

2011-11-20T13:39:00.000-08:00

I have been doing my laundry twice a week, for the last couple of months. One during the middle of the week and the other during weekends. Laundry, per se, is not a hard task especially here in the US where there are washer and dryer. In the Philippines, we have a washer, but since electric bill is costly, a dryer is out of the question. It would just be insane to buy one if after a month, you'd see that it had costed you double in the electricity, and because of that you'd not want to use it anymore. I think, hanging of clothes is still the best way to economically dry clothes, but no, I won't do that here in Iowa.

Folding the laundry is another matter though. This is the hardest part, for me. Ugh, I just don't like to do it, especially if there are clothes which are so wrinkled that I'll have to iron press them to make them look acceptable. But who am I joking here? I know I should not complain. What would be really hard is if the washer and dryer break or even if it were just the laundry parts. That would really be a bummer! So I think, I should be thankful for our washer and dryer which so far, are not giving up on me.

Well, ifever that happens though, I know I can always look for the washer and dryer parts in Summitparts.com. It's nice to know we can always look for the parts there. That's another reason to be thankful for, right?:-)

EVERWOOD

2011-11-19T08:45:00.000-08:00

The birthday present I gave to myself was this complete collection of Everwood DVDs, from Seasons 1 to 4. I bought it on ebay (can't believe I won in the bidding). I was wondering if the sellers are doing the bidding too in attempt to increase the price a bit more. It's unfair, but I don't mind much. I still got it quite cheap compared to the prices in walmart.com and amazon.com. Anyway, this is the reason I am back to my slacker self:-(
I like the story since it's about this small town in CO and how simple (and complicated) life can be. Love the mixture of beliefs among the characters too.

Furniture Shopping for the Holidays

2011-11-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

This coming holidays, my plan for our house is to complete the "look" that I and my sister in law started last summer. With her short visit here in Iowa, we somewhat managed to come up with a mixture of modern and rustic design. I love rustic, and old feel in the house, because it creates character.

Problem was, we already got a dark brown leather couch (leather because of my allergies to dust) and dark brown dining table and chairs. These darkly colored furnitures gave the house a gloomy ambiance. So I thought it would be wise to make it a little lively by having touches of turquoise, red, and green (since the wall at one side of the living room is green). We are quite pleased with the result. It turned out to be nice and intimate.

So, for Christmas, I would like to buy additional antique furnitures to enhance the rustic feel of the house. Of course, my number one requirement is that it should not be costly. While searching for the right furniture with the right price, I came across a website named Become which sells a lot of items that would blend well with the furnitures I got at home plus their wide selections fall within my budget. Antique hall table, antique pole lamps, and apartment bike rack are the priority, since the first two would match the frames we placed on the wall, while the bike rack would tidy up the garage a bit.

The photos above are included in my wishlist for the holidays. You may now go over to the website of Become to make your own wishlist. Happy window shopping!

California Pictures

2011-11-15T09:29:00.000-08:00

We had a blast in California. Here are some of the photos taken during our trip:

The Golden Gate at SFO

Alcatraz

Lombard Street

Sea Lions at Pier 39

10th Wedding Anniversary cake from Sister Su and Henry.

I'll Have a New Coat, Please

2011-11-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

We were at Des Moines last Saturday to have a tire change and to do a little shopping at Costco. We love that place because we mostly get good deals and big discounts there. $70 off for the tires is not bad.

I am used to wearing casual clothes here in town. My everyday wear are long sleeved shirt over a T-shirt and pants, well, of course a jacket or a coat too if it's too cold. Most of the time though, I'm wearing pajamas and jacket when driving my son to school. It's no big deal, because I don't need to go out of the car.

So when we went to Des Moines, I was struck with my lack of fashion sense. I thought I would not mind. I thought I was more matured and secured than being bothered with physical appearances. I thought wrongly. I was slightly bothered. Most of the people wore nice clothes. Not over the top nice, but nicer that my t-shirt, ordinary pants, and sneakers. I felt a little outdated.

We have a seasonal budget for new plus size coats, pants, etc. but why do I choose not to buy some nice coats and blazers for myself? Sometimes, I just can't understand. When I go to the mall or check out a store website, my impulse is to go on the clearance section first. Perhaps, splurging is really not my cup of tea. But what the heck, a new coat would surely be nice this fall and the coming winter. I think it's just a matter of shopping wisely.

Music Monday: Coldplay's PARADISE

2011-11-14T18:32:00.000-08:00

Things That Make Me HAPPY!

2011-11-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

36! I had a great birthday yesterday. I greatly appreciate that I was remembered by a lot of friends and family, most of them greeted me through Facebook, others called and sent cards. My mom celebrated my birthday with her best friend in the Philippines. They watched a movie and ate in our favorite restaurant, she also bought two plants of roses for me. I may not be there with her physically, but I know and feel that my mom loves me and long for me tremendously. I, too, miss her greatly.

I spent the day with my BFF Cristina here in Iowa. We went out to have lattes in our favorite coffee shop at the University of Iowa, then shopping in Hobby Lobby, and lunch at Olive Garden. We were also celebrating our friendship since it was exactly a year ago when we met. Cristina is a huge blessing to my life. I could never enjoy and function in a place where I don't have close friends. Cristina is my best friend and my person here in Iowa. She made living in this new place easy and fun.

The rest of the afternoon was spent Christmas shopping for my family and relatives in the Philippines with my hubby and son. Shopping for them made my birthday. At this point in my life, it's not so much as to what I will receive but more importantly, what I could give. I'm so thanking God for the good deals I got in the outlet mall. I love freebies and promos! I finally finished the packing of the big box to be shipped this weekend.

We finished off with a nice and yummy dinner at Mekong, the asian restaurant in Iowa City. I had a tofu pad thai, my hubby had pho, and my son ordered BBQ lemon grass chicken.

My bff in Hawaii asked me what my husband's surprise for me was. As much as I would like to tell her that I got my secret wish of a nice celtic jewelry, or a diamond-studded earrings, I got an equally sweet treat from him. It was a birthday card, a box of chocolates and a candy wrapper (yes just the cute wrapper with a cute note). It was actually sweet (am I convincing myself? lol), I didn't expect that he would make an effort at all. When I got home yesterday, I found them waiting for me in a half-closed laptop.

I praise the Lord for giving me a life. I know I am His project and that He is still working on me.

For Nurses and Nursing Students

2011-11-08T12:32:00.000-08:00

Have you visited the site http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Men/ ? I think you should, f you haven't yet. Blue Sky Scrubs specializes in medical uniforms especially nursing uniforms for both men and women. It is the best site to go to when you want new ideas and styles for hospital and medical school uniforms.

Gone are the days when medical professionals only wear white. Now, they can have work outfits which are all very comfortable, durable, neat, and at the same time, stylish. It's really the best of both worlds. Wearing working uniforms that fits perfectly plus make one look great would surely add positivity and inspiration.

Discount nursing scrubs are available in their site too. I would totally check it out if I were you. Nice scrubs for a cheap price is not bad. They have wide array of colors and styles that would fit the theme of the hospital or school. Go ahead, check out which uniform you dig, while imagining yourself working side by side with the Seattle Grace Staff of Grey's Anatomy...(lol!)...BTW, I miss Grey's..Haven't watched that show for a long time now.

Ellen on Jimmy Kimmel Live - Who's Nicer?

2011-11-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

This is funny!

My Handyman Husband

2011-11-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

My husband is a handyman. He is quite driven when it comes to repairing and maintaining the house and the car. He installed our water purifying system (the reverse osmosis) on his own which saved us by the hundreds. He had maintained our old Toyota Corolla '89 in Hawaii, and was able to use it from the time he was a grad student until last year when we had to sell it because we were moving. He is a self-taught car mechanic just by reading and referring to the auto repair manual. He has been a blessing to his friends and churchmates in Hawaii too by maintaining and repairing their cars.

His hobbies includes: tinkering in the garage, washing the cars, yardwork, checking out the roof, ham radios and antennas, buying Chilton, Haynes, and Clymer manuals, surfing the ebay for car/radio parts, scouting for tools sale, and the likes.

When there is special occasion, he would ask if he could buy a new set of tools or car parts or tires, or power tool, for a gift. He sure knows how to get the most boring gifts! I know I should not complain because what he does is for us, for my car, and for the house. This makes him happy and fit. I am thankful for my husband and for the things he is able to do around the house.

Entrecard Is Down

2011-11-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

I can't access my Entrecard account for several days now...It's says:

Serious error

We have a bug in our software, an automatic report has been sent to our developers and more whips are being applied as we speak. We apologise for the inconvenience.

How about you, EC friends? Did you get the same message?

Thanks to Burberry Body

2011-11-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

It's just a 2-ml vial but I appreciate that Burberry granted my free sample request.
I believe the box came all the way from France. To get your free sample, simply like their Facebook
Page and request for a free sample.

Music Stuff

2011-11-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

I think I would make a great musician if I was given the opportunity...or NOT. I appreciate music, but perhaps it's about time that I acknowledge -- I don't have the gift of music. I don't sing well, I don't really know the difference between notes. I did guitar lessons in high school but I didn't do well...

We recently enrolled our son in a guitar class. I would personally want him to learn violin or cello, but there is no teacher available here in our town, and that would mean bringing him to the city to learn. Plus, violin and cello would mean more $$$...One of my husband's cousins is an excellent cello player, and her parents got her a new cello for $10,000...that's not cheap! Besides, when we asked my son, he wanted to learn guitar more than the other mentioned instruments.

My kid loves alternative music. I would support him if he like classical music but because he is not very exposed to that kind of music, he therefore did not have the chance to know if he likes it or not. Read: his mom like alternative while his dad, jazz (and guess who wins during road trips?).

In time, I'm all for giving him the opportunity to explore the music that he likes. If he decides to have music mastering online, we would make sure that we will help in covering the cost. His basic guitar lessons are doing well. I mean, my son is not a music genius (or not yet, I don't know), but so far, he is learning. There's a comfort in knowing that if he likes to develop his musical ability further, he can, if he wants to.

Random Tuesday Thoughts - California trip, Family matters, Food, Oysters, etc

2011-11-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

I'm back! This will just be a quickie post since I just literally woke up from what seems to be a very nice dream:-)

1. I love the sunny SFO and Union City! The weather is soo nice. It feels like Hawaii actually, not too warm and not very cold either. San Francisco is such a big city! It was overwhelming, coming from a small town in Iowa. I bet that life there is really BUSY.

2. Oh my, I love my husband's family!!! We finally meet the rest of his clan (father's side of the family). They are as wacky as can be. I love that he has a lot of cousins (and they are all close), loving aunts and uncles, and his grandma is still soo groovy at the age of 87! They love to LAUGH! and not the hahaha type of laught, but the HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! For them alone, I'd love to stay in CA!

3. Have I mentioned the food? Everyday was a feast! Well, for one, all of the aunts cook! For 4 days, the authentic Filipino food I was craving for in a long time were right before my eyes, and yes, I devoured them all! Kare-kare, adobo, pinoy style calamare, nilagang beef, lumpiang shanghai, fresh lumpia, turon, tocino, pinoy corned beef, crispy pata, halo halo, sago, Philippine mangoes, etc (with etc, I seriously mean there were MORE!)... I feel that I gained at least 5 pounds.

4. They grilled 12 dozens fresh oysters! I haven't had those before. For me, the taste was a lot like mussel just that it was stronger and fresher. What I love about that was all of my husband's cousins and him included, were so passionate about the grilling process, opening, garnishing, and eating the oysters.

5. The wedding of my husband's cousin was beautiful! It was a mixture of both Filipino and American. There were Filipino folk dancers, who entertained the guests with southern and northern Filipino dances. There were live musicians, open bar, coffee bar, and photo booth. Sandy's uncle rented a bus for the family! It was indeed a very happy wedding and family reunion.

Wordless Wednesday - Bulbs!

2011-10-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

We planted 95 bulbs last weekend...55 more to go:-)

Party Mode

2011-10-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's our trip to California. We are going to attend a wedding on Saturday and would finally meet the rest of my husband's clan.

I wish I could really feel that kind of excitement, at this time. Perhaps it would really be a Yay! if we have packed, and if I completed my attire already. I am never a very articulate person when it comes to physical aspects of things but I do want my family to at least be presentable.

Got my dress...well, actually I got two dresses from a clearance section of a store. One is $10 (blue dress), the other $15 (black). It's a good deal considering that the original prices were $50 and $85, respectively. I know I shouldn't be insecure but because of the cheap price, I kind of feel that those dresses are not good enough...am I being silly? The dresses are pretty and if I could just stop myself to tell people that I got them cheap, then no one could really tell.

Anyway, I need to relax and loosen up. Tomorrow is also our 10th wedding anniversary. Yahoo! Imagine that? Big 10! We will be celebrating the special occasion in CA. Tonight would be the pre-celebration with family dinner and of course, wine tasting. I am not very good with alcoholic drinks, but I actually enjoy wine occasionally, in moderation. My husband got a bottle of Chardonnay from one of his trips and we are planning to taste it later. By the way, if you'd like to have quality wines delivered to your home privately, you could buy wine online. There is a study that drinking small amount of wine everyday could be beneficial to the body because of it's potent antioxidants.

Meanwhile, I better go and pack for the trip. See yah later.

A MUST SEE VIDEO! Handsome Men's Club of Jimmy Kimmel

2011-10-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

Promise, this one will make you laugh real hard! And yes, they do have the coolest and most good-looking guys.

The Cold Makes Me Want to Go On a Vacation

2011-10-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

Today we had our first freeze warning...like hard frost warning...like 27F temperature. The sun helps to make the atmosphere looks bright and warm though. I am grateful for that. Still, I haven't gone outside, because I just didn't want to feel the cold. The heater is on here at home, and I'd like to stay that way, feeling warm and looking outside, makes me think it's really warm. Well, 27F is not really cold compared to the winter temperature. Last winter, I remember that I and my friend, Cristina, strolled at the Amana Colonies under a very very cold weather (-15F)...Yeah, we totally knew how to get the "right timing". I also know that when winter comes, I would be longing for a 27F weather.

For us who are regular income earners, going on a holiday just because it feels cold might not only be impractical but sounds like a little spoiled. I know! It's good to dream though. On times like these, how would a visit to the beach sounds? Strolling along the fine sands, enjoying the sunset, hearing the peaceful waves...Since I haven't gone to the East Coast, going to Martha's Vineyard, Nuntucket, and Cape Cod sure sounds like a dream come true. Staying for a week at a Cape Cod rental would complete the dream.

Someday, I hope to go there and enjoy the place...but this time around, dreaming about it is enough.

FOOD TRIP FRIDAY - SUPER MOIST AND YUMMY CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

2011-10-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

I bakes these no nuts, no eggs cupcakes with love, for my son's 9th birthday.

Shopping for the CA Wedding Next Week

2011-10-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am busy with my window shoppings for the wedding next week. We are going to California to attend our cousin's wedding. The wedding will be held in the late afternoon and the reception in the evening. These are my friends' advises when it comes to buying a dress: 1. Do not wear white if you don't want to compete with the bride; 2. Since it is an evening affair, do not wear printed dress; and, 3. Go for dark colored dress.

I am looking for a dress which meets the criteria above plus of course, it should also be an affordable one. I am on a budget, since it's not only I who needs formal wear, but my son and hubby as well. They will need formal shirts and suits. It's a good thing that they already have black shoes to go with it, at least those would not add up to the budget. For my son, it need not be an expensive suit at all. I am thinking if my husband will wear the suit he wore in our wedding or shall I'll just buy him a new one.

As I browse through the internet, it's good to know that there are available sizes for men, plus all the style they need. I could imagine how tough it is to find the right size and style for you especially the big and tall mens clothes. My husband's clothes size is Large and it's a relatively easy to find size. Still, it's good to know that there are less and less discrimination in terms of apparel sizes nowadays. Gotta go now, I have to do more window shopping online. Later!

IMPORTANT! BEWARE OF ONLINE FRAUDS

2011-10-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

I've talked to one of my closest girlfriends recently and she shared she almost succumbed to an online scam while selling their slightly used high end couch on Craigslist. Last week, she had a potential serious buyer who did not even asked for a discount unlike the others who previously inquired. She, of course, got really excited.

The buyer would like the couch to be shipped to another state. Although my friend was a bit skeptical, thinking why would this person buy a second hand couch in a different state, she still didn't think badly of her. Afterall, she was supposed to be old and in a wheelchair.

That day, she got an email from "paypal" that she received a payment from the buyer for a total of $800, $300 of which was for the shipping. The payment was pending, because according to "paypal", in order for the buyer to make sure that the couch would be shipped, my friend should pay the shipping company first. This was to ensure that the seller, my friend, would really ship the couch. Again, this made her think, why would she be the one to ship it, she was hoping that the buyer would call the shipping company to just get the couch from their home.

She sent an inquiry email to "paypal" asking them if this is a legal transaction. Paypal then replied in an automatic response type of email that it was indeed legal...Author's note: I've seen the emails between my friend's and "paypal" and yes, their emails seemed very professionally done, complete with paypal logo.

Although, all inquiries were done to make sure the transaction was legal, my friend could not just send $300 to the "shipping company" because the shipping company's address was located not in a business district but in a residential place.

She then called the office of Paypal. True enough, they said that they do not engage in that kind of business, where the payment would be pending and where they will require the seller to pay the shipping company first before they give the money. Second, the logo that they used was not the real thing, if inspected carefully. At first glance, they could be mistaken as the original logo, but if you would look closely, it's really not. Third, the email addresses of "paypal" were service@intl.paypal.com and fundverified@OfficeEmail.net. Clearly, they just made up those email address, attempting to copy paypal. Paypal also told her that it was the first time they heard of such clever plan to cheat on people that involve their name and that they will surely investigate on it.

I'm so glad that my friend was not robbed off by those swindlers. I'm sure there are a lot of online sellers that had been deceived by them. Please beware of this kind of fraud.

What Are You Reading?

2011-10-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

I was in the library last month when I saw and had a small chat with a fellow mom from school. She asked me what I was doing, perhaps in an attempt to start the conversation, when I was in front of the computer which sole purpose is for searching/checking for the books in the library. I said I'm searching for books. Then she asked me, what books do I read? Now, that for me was one of the confusing questions ever asked of me (yes, I am that disoriented -- maybe because I always wanted to answer as thorough as I could). So I paused...and looked for the simplest answer I could find in the back of my mind. "Novels", I smiled. It was not a very accurate answer and I was hoping there won't be any follow up question. But there was, of course..."what kind of novels?" she asked again. I said, "hmmnnn...(this time longer pause) love stories..." I opted for the very obvious but again, quite inaccurate answer. Again, she might have seen that I was skeptical in my answer but gladly, she didn't press on. She just replied, "oh yeah, that's cool!".

Why do I find it very confusing? Because I consider myself a wide reader. I just don't read love stories, although they could be my favorite at the moment. Who would not love snooping with other people's happy ever after even if they're fictional? The idea of love is just too hard to resist.

That having said, I guess I have answered her question quite right. Still, it was incomplete, because I love to read and I don't limit myself to just love stories. I read about biographies, memoirs, history (not a lot though), parenting, suspense, sci fi, science, home deals, inspirational books, etc.

One of my favorite places to hang out is the book store. I like the atmosphere it creates, the love for learning it promotes, and the beautiful books it displays. I couldn't describe how it feels when I finally see my favorite author's new book on the shelf and having been able to buy and own a copy of it (especially if there is a promo/discount that goes along with it). I am always happy to find a book which is so interesting that I couldn't put it down. It's not often that I find that kind of book though but if I did, I would either relish it by slowly reading it because I don't want it to end yet, or read it so fast because I was too excited and thrilled to know the ending.

So, what are you reading?

Music Monday: Sixpence None the Richer Don't Dream It's Over and There She Goes

2011-10-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

Where Is Casey Anthony?

2011-10-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Why do I even bother to ask about her? She was acquitted and because of that, she is a free woman. I was wondering though, is her acquittal which were based on fair court proceedings and court reporting, means she really is not guilty? Well, it's quite clear...the court says NOT GUILTY.

I was one of the millions of people who was glued on the news during the court proceedings. What's with this case that the people were engrossed by it? Surely the highlights kept us involved: the missing (and then later on discovered dead) child, the lying and uncaring mom, and the pitiful grandparents and uncle. The people were given a free roller coaster ride! Given that Casey Anthony, the defendant was the source of the ride's adrenaline rush.

According to a spokeswoman of the Department of Corrections, Casey Anthony is "one of the most hated women in America". Well I'm sure that it's a title which NO ONE would be willing to compete for (except if one is terribly crazy though).

I know of one thing, that being a mom like myself, Ms. Anthony had experienced loving another person wholeheartedly and purely. If you're a mother, you just can't help it. Just thinking of my son now, sends me waves of pure joy. Like an overwhelming feeling...oh, I'm so blessed to be a mom.

I don't know the deal with Casey though... why had she not protected her child and why did she lie? Right now she is living in seclusion. People magazine said she is getting threats as well as her defense lawyers. It must be tough getting this consequences to her actions in the past. I am not saying that she deserves it, I don't want to judge and I believe that God only knows what she deserves.

Bargain Shopping is Fun!

2011-10-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

Shopping, shopping, shopping! It's a task which can be enjoyable, sometimes boring and tiring. BUT, it can also be therapeutic and fulfilling. Since shopping is an inevitable task for everyone, it's but a good idea to have fun while doing it.

Earlier, we went to the outlet mall not far from here to buy a pair of new shoes for my husband. It has been years since he got a casual pair for work. We took advantage of the promo available in Tanger outlet mall, and donated $1 to Breast Cancer Society, and in return, they gave us a 25% discount card.

We headed to Bass after. To make the story short, we were able to buy the shoes he wanted at a discounted price. The original price of the shoes was $109.95, minus 40%, then we got an additional discount of 20% and then, the 25% off from the coupon...We ended up paying only $36 for the pair! Not bad, right?

An Awesome Semester --Leveling Up!

2011-10-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

I have an online teaching load again this semester for an Open University in the Philippines. I have been assigned to take on this part time job for 5 years now where I teach basic Chemistry course to High School teachers who are taking up their Diploma in Science teaching. The course is serving as a refresher, not just for the students but for me, as their facilitator too. I am so grateful for having this teaching job especially now that I am a stay at home mom. It's not the type which I could support my family with financially, but it is very fulfilling and rewarding. The fact that I am contributing in the upgrade of education by teaching the highschool science teachers are enough for me.

A lot of universities are offering online courses to help people earn their undergraduate and/or graduate degrees while still retaining their full time job to support themselves and the family. WaldenU.edu is an International Online Learning Community that helps accomplish the students' dream of finishing a degree. Walden University's online degree programs range from non-degree to doctoral degree programs. If you are interested to further enhance your knowledge in a specific field, improve and developed intellectually, or achieve that long time dream of getting a diploma, you might want to learn about Walden by visiting their website.

MUSIC MONDAY - Sweet Child of Mine by Igor Presnyakov

2011-10-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

What a talent!

My Garden Pasta - Spaghetti with Basil, Bacon, and Tomatoes

2011-10-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

The reason I love spring and summer is because at this time of the year, I can plant and of course, reap the fresh harvest.
Since, I had a lot of basil and tomatoes, I decided to adapt Ansel's recipe but added a little twist into it. She was cooking pasta with fresh tomatoes while we were chatting online. I thought her recipe was really easy.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 lb Spaghetti (cooked as directed)

1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 small tomatoes, sliced (or 3 regular sized roma tomatoes)
4-5 strips bacon, sliced about 0.5 inch
1 portabello mushroom, sliced (optional)
handful of basil, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
Dash of pepper to taste
parmessan cheese

Procedure:
1. Cook bacon in a skillet. Use medium heat. Set the cooked bacon aside. Discard the fat.
2. In the same skillet, saute garlic and onion until onion becomes translucent.
3. Mix in the tomatoes, cook for about 3 minutes. Add water.
4. Add the mushroom. Cook for 4 minutes.
5. Add basil, bacon, salt, and pepper.
6. Mix the cooked pasta. Remove from heat and sprinkle with Parmessan cheese. Serve.

Home

2011-10-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

Guest post written by Joseph Finch

Last weekend I went home to my parent’s house because I hadn’t been home in a couple months and I missed my sisters. As much as I love being out of my parent’s house and out on my own, there are some things that I miss. I definitely miss never having to worry about fixing my own meals, my mother always gets hungry before I do and has food readily prepared by the time I’m ready to eat. I also miss having access to my parent’s expert satellite. They have so many more channels than I do, and their living room is warm and lived in, and I honestly enjoy watching anything better in their house than I do in my own. Watching television is what my family does. All growing up, most of the time that we spent together (even on holidays) was gathered around the television. We all like the same shows, and have no problem advocating for whatever it is we want to watch at any particular time. Of the two days I was home, I probably spent 15 total hours in front of the television, and I came back refreshed.

October Fever

2011-10-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

October is pretty much a special month of the year for our family. It is my son's birth month and my husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary every 27th of this month too. Weather wise, it is pleasant. In the Philippines, October means the rainy and typhoon season has just passed, not too humid either, and the weather is getting relatively cooler. Here in Iowa, October is the month where the leaves of the trees are starting to change their colors. It is also when the fine weather transition from summery hot to coldness of winter is happening.

I remember our October two years ago, when my husband was still working in Hawaii and I and my son were at the Philippines. Since the semestral break in the Philippines take place every mid October to first week of November, I went to Hawaii and spent it with my husband. That was almost four weeks of vacation in Hawaii! It seemed crazy at first because that was the first time that I left my son with my mom. I cried at the airport missing my son.

Anyway, aside from missing my son so much, we had really fun time celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary in Maui and my birthday (Nov) in Oahu. The weekend stay at Maui was a blast! It's a place where you'd wish you have one of those Maui condos which you see in the brochures so that you can go and stay anytime you want. Oahu, on the other hand was fun because we were able to meet up and reunite with my friends in UP.

It's indeed a merry month for us. This year, we will be going to California to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary and to attend a wedding. We are all excited to see our relatives. I will keep you posted with this yet another family trip to the west coast.

Music Monday - FRENTE'S Let the Sunshine In and Ordinary Angels

2011-10-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

It's a Good Morning Monday!

2011-10-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

The sun is up, the weather's not too cold and not too hot either, my son has no school so we get to spend time ~~barking at each other~~, I had a good night sleep, the fall flowers I bought two weeks ago are still fine, had a good "ME" time last Saturday at the mall, I was able to cook a complete healthy meal for my family for lunch (healthy means my son do not like it, but he still has to eat it) and tidy things in the house a bit. So much good little things...so much to be thankful for!

Never mind the still have to be folded clothes in the dryer (I do not like folding clothes!), the MESSY playroom, the dried up garden, the dusty garage, the unmade beds, the unchecked exam papers and assignments, etc. I am choosing to be positive today, and if I dwell on those "have to do list", it will affect my good mood. Monday is a nice day, it is terrific, it is the start of the week. Besides, I could whine with those to do list, or I could choose to be inspired by it, sort of a "push", to work.

Which by the way, it reminds me that I should add the cleaning of bathrooms to the list (I do not like this job too!). For this task, I could use the shower tile cleaning tips austin. It would surely help me to clean the bathroom tiles in a quick and efficient manner.

It is a good morning Monday, and all I have to do is to smile, to count my blessings, play my favorite music on the radio, and go back to work. Thank you God -- for making this Monday a good one.

One Friday Morning...

2011-09-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

I finally was able to gather the strength and allot time to open, sort, and keep or shred the mails! It's been a while since I've done it. I just don't like junk mails which oftentimes are alluring us to borrow money by sending credit card applications and checks.

I find it kind of offensive and besides, the papers they used should really be conserved. Think of all the trees that were cut to make those offer letters, people! Think of the forests and the animals living in them. Okay, I'm being dramatic here, but really...

Besides, I'm too lazy to do this chore. I had to open and read (just in case I am not missing something important), cut the name and address printed on the envelope and the letter, then shred the checks. I must admit that those credit card offers could also be handy at times. Like we have at least an option to get fast money if we really need it.

Oh by the way, for your information, if ever you need money urgently (up to $25,000), you may use your title loans. It's easy and fast, you can apply online, then go to Cash Store locations, and get your cash the same day. It is hassle-free and junk-mail free. Plus, no tree would be damaged by going on-line, right?:-)

Music Monday - Live to Tell by Madonna

2011-09-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

Going Hi-Tech Means Having More Time with the Family!

2011-09-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

For us, Saturday night means family bonding time. If we are not outside enjoying a nice dinner, we are just hanging out at the house, eating a simple meal, then watching TV. Of course, there is unlimited laughing and shrieking involved. My husband and son like to play rough silly games.

I can't help but think how I would cope at home, and enjoy this quality time with my boys, if not with the advances in technology. Of course, I think I would still manage. Afterall, in the Philippines, we still hang our clothes to dry, sweep our floors, wash the dishes with hands, heat the left overs on a stove, and other tasks which I imagine most of the people here in America wouldn't think they could do on a daily basis.

The development in Science and Technology has enabled us to enjoy the "luxury items" that we have now.
Basic appliances such as dishwasher, washer and dryer, microwave, oven, vacuum cleaner, etc. are very handy and certainly make our life easier.

This would not be possible if not with companies like FPC. They manufacture printed circuit board (PCB), which is needed to make all these electronic appliances functional.

It's always a good thing to have an option, whether to wash the dishes or dry the linens. I am glad, I could have those options to go "hi-tech" without sacrificing the quality time with my family.

Bills, Bills, Bills, and How to Improve Your Credit Score

2011-09-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

Every month, all of us are getting our share of major bills: mortgage or rent, all kinds of insurances, car loans, student loans, credit cards, etc. Thinking about it now, if we don't possess a positive attitude about life and in this case, about finances, we would just get old - fast and worry month after month of where to get the money to pay for these loans.

My husband and I used to think that having no loan would be good for the family's financial status. When we were in Hawaii, we paid off our debts and tried to live debt-free. It's liberating, alright. We had no loans to worry about. Until we moved here in Iowa, and decided to buy our own house. You see, one of the first things that the bank would do in order to approve one's housing loan and to determine the interest rate of the loan is to check the credit score.

Understanding credit score, and how it is determined is quite complex. I learned that having no debt is a disadvantage, when applying for a loan. The bank still approved our application for a loan, but I believe we could have a lower interest rate if we have a higher credit score. Beware: one may not be approved of a loan or a credit card application if he/she don't have an existing loan.

In order to get a higher credit score, here are some of the most important NOT to do list:
1. Do NOT pay bills beyond the due date.
2. Do NOT NOT pay bills:-)
3. Do NOT acquire a lot of credit cards and NOT use them.
4. Do NOT acquire a lot of credit cards and NOT pay at least the minimum required, on time.

You could check online for free credit score. Knowing your credit score could be very helpful especially if you're planning to apply for a loan.

Finally, I would like to borrow this amusing quote from Mignon McLaughlin, "Be glad that you’re greedy; the national economy would collapse if you weren’t."

Music Monday: Rolling in the Deep by Adele and cover by Linkin Park

2011-09-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

Source here.

Source here.

It's Getting Really Cold in Iowa

2011-09-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

I am appalled at how cold it has gotten for almost a week now. From very pleasant higher 70F to 35(at night)- 50F (during the day). IT.IS.COLD. We haven't turn on the heater yet. It feels cold inside the house (66) but not that cold that it can't be managed by pajamas and blankets.

My son had a soccer game this morning, and at 50F guess what hubby and I wore? Our old pair of shorts. Crazy, right? Those were the easiest to put on plus the nearest for grabbing. We were running late because I thought, the game was at 10am...turned out it was an hour earlier. Oh well.

Another reason why I wore shorts was...I refuse to let go of the summer yet. I'm not ready for fall, because it means, another couple of months and we will be gearing towards winter...Now, winter's not really that bad because that would mean Christmas and New Year celebrations, but spring and summer's the best for me.

How come when I think of winter, I think of all the fun times I'd want to spend under the heat of the sun? This makes it so tempting to check out the promos of the Celebrity Cruises. I can just imagine how good the sun must feel in the Caribbean where it is summer all year long. How calming the waves must be, and how soothing the fine sand must feel.

I should be grateful for the cold, I know. It's not good to complain. But if we would be (more) blessed to have a break from the coldness of fall or winter this year, I'd consider visiting the site of Celebrity cruises again, to make sure I won't miss their HOT deals!:-)

Wordless Wednesday: Oh Poor Pepper!

2011-09-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

Kitchen Make Over

2011-09-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

Our kitchen is probably the busiest area in the house. This is where I prepare meals and/or cook (I try) 3x a day. This is my "laboratory" at home, where I do my experiments everyday. When we bought the house, a friend asked if the kitchen countertop was made of granite. I was not particular in kitchen counters then. I guess, because it would be our first real house, that I was willing to settle for any countertop. Anyway, granite or not, we got a very good deal out of the house.

Marble countertops were just in my imagination until I saw a lot of them in a home improvement magazine and online. I learned that it should not be very expensive. I can also choose from a broad selection of different styles and colors.

Source here.

I can't help but be inspired to have a kitchen makeover especially with the current state of my own countertop.

I know, it's time to pick up those junk mails, magazines, and what not. I should probably keep it clean, so as not to spend so much for a new marble countertop. I agree, I would have to get up here, NOW, and start tidying things up a bit, plus fold the clothes, wash dishes, and prepare to get my son from school. Sounds too much work for a ~~slacker~~ mom like me. If only I have those neat looking marble countertops, maybe it would make me more energized to work. Sigh.

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

Here's one of the awesome experimental water drops photos of our cousin, Mark Josue.
You can check out his amazing photo galleries on Flicker.

Don't I Just Love Sale?!

2011-09-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

SALE. I love this word. I know, not everybody who would read this post will agree with me that sale items should always be mom's choice. Yeah, I hear you, it depends on the availability and the quality. I just thought that buying the items on sale would be so much smarter than grabbing them when they are newly released in store.

I have a secret. When I go to any clothes store, my instinctive move is to go straight to the clearance section. Of course, I would also love to buy the new stocks. They always seem to be more pretty, colorful, and hip. But you know what, even if sometimes, I can afford those pricey clothes, I still would search for the sale items first. I have bought my sunday dresses and blouses from those clearance racks, for 40-75% off. Who wouldn't love to save more than half of the original price?

I could say that, clearance clothes would always be my first choice. I have been to a lot of clothes stores, especially that our town has an outlet mall. I mostly knew all the store's clearance section. I'm looking forward to another trip to the mall next month, for the fall season.

We're Back from the Mall of America!

2011-09-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

We went for a short trip to Minnesota's Mall of America last Saturday until last night, Sunday. It took us 4.5 hours to get there and another 4.5 hours back. It was worth it! We would want to explore the city of Minneapolis too, but the stay was too short for that.

As a Filipino, I mastered the art of malling in the Philippines. Yeah, there is such a thing. We maybe, are one of the countries in the world, with the best and the biggest malls.  I can think of several reasons why even as a 3rd world country, we love shopping malls: 1. Maybe because the weather is always hot that we want to enjoy an air conditioned place where we can walk without shedding a sweat; 2.  Filipinos simply like to shop and window shop; 3. We have the best cinemas because we like to be entertained; 4. We like to eat and there's so much food choices in a mall. According to Wikipedia (disclaimer: I didn't check the facts), the Philippines' Mall of Asia is the 3rd largest mall in Asia, and 4th largest in the World!

Well, anyway, we were at the Mall of America yesterday and saw a covered kiosk which offers teeth whitening services. When I passed by their stall, I noticed a client, open mouthed, with light emitting eqipment on her teeth. I'm not sure, but it might be a laser treatment. But still! I can think of a couple of reasons why one should just go to the San Antonio Texas Dentist to have his/her teeth whiten. For one, you can have all the privacy you deserve! Knowing that in a tent-covered stall like that, nosy passersby ~~like me~~ could see you. Plus, whitening teeth in a stall of a mall, for me, may not be that safe. There is definitely a drawback. Unlike when you go to the professionals like the San Antonio Cosmetic Dentistry. You can be assured that the procedure would be safe, clean, and effective.

I would definitely write about our trip in MOA in the next few days.  As a family, we had fun looking at the giant legos, visiting my first American Girl store visit (the boys were bored), exploring the Sea Life aquarium, and a lot more!

Random Thoughts: Soccer Games, Coffee, Sandra and Ryan, and The Power of Six

2011-08-31T16:49:00.000-07:00

Sharing with you my random thoughts:

1. After watching 3 kids' soccer games here in the midwest, I therefore conclude that: a. The louder the coach shouts, the more hardcore the team was; b. Parents could be confusing. One moment, you would hear them cheering on their kid, " GO ________(name of kid)! You're doin' great!" Other times, they are shouting, "MOVE _______!(name of kid) Don't just stand there! RUN!!! c. Soccer is intense! There's a lot of running, kicking, and ~~shouting~~ cheering.

2. My friend, Cristina, and I went to a coffee shop at the University of Iowa this morning. We love the University atmosphere, the youthful activity and the seemingly busy people. Personally, it makes me want to go back to school and study again. We allotted Wednesday mornings as "our time" together, where we chat, have coffee (and cake), laugh and sometimes cry, and window shop. I got a vintage (read: used) red hat from a vintage (read: second hand) store.

3. I can't believe the gossips! I was at Walmart last Saturday, and came across these magazines...Star says, Sandra and Ryan are getting married and another magazine says Jennifer Aniston is having twins! I love Sandra and Ryan in The Proposal, and I'll be happy for them if it's true. But still, the reports were just speculations...it's not as if they've admitted it in public. Also, Jennifer has been pregnant in the magazine for years now! Those babies (apparently they say she is having twins!) are way overdued and should be walking by now if it's true!

Isn't it weird they would jump into conclusion without interviewing the personalities involved first?

4. I read the newest book by Pitacus Lore, The Power of Six. I got the book from Amazon for just $8+ and it was delivered Prime for free! I got my copy exactly on August 23, the day it was released. I just love Amazon! Power of Six is the sequel to the book, I am Number Four. I would definitely write a review about it when I find the time, but meanwhile, all I could say are:
a. The book was about how powerful number 6 is.
b. Number 6 is stronger, quicker, and smarter than number 4. The authors should have made number four a little more tough. Afterall, he's the first introduced Garde. It seemed to me that he was always on the weak side when fighting with the Mogadorians. He has always...as in always... needed other Gardes to rescue him from the enemies.
c. Other Garde, such as number 7, 10, and 9 were also introduced here. Yes, there is a number 10.
d. Number 4 should also make up his mind about whom to love. It's as if, the authors were trying hard to put a love triangle in the story...Hello! It's not Twilight! They should not try to please the fans of both Sarah and Six by making Four undecisive. It made his personality weaker. Personally, I'd choose six for him, since they are both Loric and could kick ass...Besides, Sarah turned Four in to the police.

Give Our Lungs A Break

2011-08-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

I could discuss the gruesome effects of smoking cigarettes in this post, but I won't. I knew that all of you know already the negative effects of inhaling any kind of smoke especially cigarette smoke. Of course, we all know that it harms the lungs and heart, smells gross, and it is addicting.

I am writing this for all people like me, who are sensitive and allergic to smoke. It stirs our immune system, particularly our immunoglobulin E (IgE) to get active. Smoke, depending on the concentration could cause dizziness, runny nose, watery eyes, and it could also trigger asthma. Plus, the smell lingers to the clothes, hair, and skin.

If you are a smoker, please, for the sake of the people around you, your kids, wife or husband, parents, friends, neighbors, everyone...STOP. I know it's not easy. You may have thought of quitting but finding it hard to do.

To conquer the habit of smoking, CigArrest review might help. The testimonies of their customers proved that it is an effective way to quit smoking. Right now they are offering a risk free order of CigArrest Welcome Kit. If you are a smoker, why don't you go to CigArrest complaints to know more about the product and to get their 90-day supply of CigArrest Risk Free.

Music Monday - Filipino Artists: River Maya and Bamboo

2011-08-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

Source here.

Source here.

Are You Ready for Too Much Good Stuff?

2011-08-27T18:00:00.001-07:00

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

Trip to Las Vegas, iPod Nanos, iPod Touches, iPads, MacBook Air, 15,000 bottles of Pepsi Max, and 10,000 corndogs! These are the fabulous giveaways of ampm. I don't know about you, but just thinking of having 10,000 corndogs sounds like a LOT of fun to me! Think about it, you can help the school of your kids, or the community, by donating those corndogs for a fundraiser.

Anyway, I personally would like to have the iPad or the MacBook Air. I am currently saving for an iPad and if I get it for free, I promise I will not complain. Now, do you want to know how to join the Too Much Good Stuff giveaway of ampm? It's EASY. Here's the step by step procedure:

1. Simply like the page of ampm on Facebook.

2. Go to Too Much Good Stuff page and register.

3. After completing the registration, you must play the Instant Win Game by spinning the reels of virtual slot machine. If all three reels match each other at the end of the spin, you're a winner! This is where you could win thousands of Pepsi Max's and Corndogs.

4. By playing the Instant Win Game, you automatically joined the Periodic Sweepstakes and the Grand Prize Drawing.

We've been to ampm in Seattle and I could say, for road trippers like us, their Thirst Oasis is the best. Well, for one, it has up to 24 flavors of different fountain drinks, a choice of crushed or cube ice, and a fresh king-size condiment bar. Did I say they have 24 flavors of fountain drinks? 24! My son's favorite is their pizza, but for me and my husband, it's definitely the chicken sandwich.

So what are you waiting for? Head over to their Facebook page and join the fun!

The A-Z Meme

2011-08-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

I got this A-Z Meme from one of my favorite blogs, How to Survive Life in the Suburbs. Go ahead, check out this cool blog and be entertained:-) Thanks for sharing, Modern Mom.

The A-Z Meme

A. Age: 35
B. Bed size: Queen. I'd love to have a King though.
C. Chore you dislike: Folding clothes.
D. Dogs: None here in Iowa. We have one in the Philippines and his name is Boris.
E. Essential start to your day: Kisses and hugs from my husband and son.
F. Favorite color: all pastel colors
G. Gold or silver: Gold (it's a good investment).
H. Height: 5'5
I. Instruments you play(ed): Guitar (I was not good)
J. Job title: Nanay, Wife, Daughter, Friend, Teacher
K. Kids: I have an eight year old son.
L. Live: Iowa.
M. Mom’s name: Nanay
N. Nicknames: my husband calls me Sweetie or Uyab (this means girlfriend)
O. Overnight hospital stays: When I gave birth to my son.
P. Pet peeves: Arrogant, know-it-all, high and mighty acting people.
Q. Quote from a movie: It's not really a quote. This one I had to search on the web. Because I remembered being very amused by this scene in the movie, With Honors, and I wanted to be precise:
Social Security Clerk: DOB
Simon Wilder: EFGHIJ.
Social Security Clerk: I'm going to ask again, do you have evidence of birth?
Simon Wilder: I'm sittin' here ain't I lady? What do you think, I happened by spontaneous combustion?
R. Righty or Lefty: Righty
S. Siblings: A younger brother
T. Time you wake up: Between 7:10-7:20. The alarm starts waking me up at 7am though:-)
U. Underwear: Duh!
V. Vegetables you don’t like: I'm not a fan of green BEAN casserole.
W. What makes you run late: Nowadays, it's ironing my hair.
X. X-rays you’ve had: I had injured my right elbow when I was in 3rd grade. I fell off the stage, I thought I knew how to fly:(
Y. Yummy food you make: I can sometimes make yummy dinner, but it's not always repeatable..lol
Z. Zoo Animal Favourites: Eagles

STRAIGHT TALK IN AUGUST

2011-08-26T14:01:00.001-07:00

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

Our family considers our coming to Iowa a blessing. We were able to buy our own house, which in Filipino standard is quite big for the three of us, with a relatively low mortgage. Before we bought the house, we considered our would-be monthly bills. We knew that in order to be good transients in this country, we should not abuse the "credit card" mentality. I have no job (the visa we were given with does not allow me to work) and if we wanted to meet two of our many goals in life-- to save for the future, and at the same time, be free to travel when we want to (well, reasonably, of course) we should then follow our motto which is "to live within our means".

So, my husband and I went over with our bills. This basic list is costing us most from highest to lowest: mortgage, phone, gas and electricity, house and car insurance, water, internet, and cable TV. It shocked me that phone bill is the second of that list. So, since mom knows best (and that mom is me!), I had my iPhone canceled even though it means we would have to pay the costly early termination fees. It's a bummer, really. Now, the iPhone is sitting here, serving as a glorified iPod.

They say there's always light at the end of the tunnel. I most definitely agree! There's a new telephone company, which offers the lowest monthly rates with smart phones, everything you need package where you can call a friend anytime and unlimitedly! If I get Straight Talk, I will still be able to use a smart phone (like LG, Motorola, Kyocera, Nokia, and Samsung) without the hassle of paying too much. Aside from having great nationwide coverage, there will be no extra charges and no contracts. It would transfer the phone bill in the second to the last list, rather than it's place now which is second to the most. Well, for $45 it would include calls, text, picture messaging, and web. Here this, NO termination fees:-)

The respectable Fantasy Fishing Team is one of Straight Talk's endorsers. They must have considered their phone packages as cool as their Hook, line and sinker.

To learn more about Straight Talk, visit this site below:

Food Trip Friday - Biscotti and Shing a-ling

2011-08-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

My lunch on the first day of school. I was not motivated to prepare something nutritious, since it was just me, myself, and the ants then. The crunchy shing a-ling (according to me), originated from my province, Laguna, Philippines. It is made from thick noodles which were dried and fried in coconut oil. Biscotti, on the other hand, is toasted bread with margarine and sugar.

Our 10th, California, and a Wedding!

2011-08-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was about to watch the DVD I borrowed from the library, wishing I have a Direct TV, when I noticed the card which arrived with the mails that morning. I immediately opened it and learned that it was the wedding invitation of my husband's cousin in California. We got the engagement announcement last winter, and we were thrilled with the idea that we might attend a wedding on October just two days after our own 10th anniversary.

Ten. I can't believe it! And we're finally together. My husband left when my son was just 3 months, just about a year and a half in our marriage, when he was accepted on a scholarship at the University of Hawaii for his PhD. It was very hard for us as a family. We both went through depressed times at first. I am very grateful to my parents who had been very supportive at those times. My husband, on the other hand, found emotional and spiritual support in his churchmates. This journey certainly made us stronger in our faith.

Going back to the invitation, I talked to my in laws in Seattle and they, too, are planning to attend the wedding. They are just worried about the house. In Seattle, you could not leave a house for several days. It's just too risky because there have been many cases of burglaries in their area. They are thinking of having a home security evergreen, even for just a month. I think it would be a great idea.

So this coming October, we would all go to celebrate the wedding and have fun with the family. California, here we come!:-)

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - IOWA STATE FAIR 2011 AT DES MOINES

2011-08-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

Camel ride

The butter cow, calf, and kids

Colors!

Pork chop on stick.

My Back To School Post

2011-08-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, August 18, was the first day of school in our town. Like other kids and moms, my son and I were not that crazy for the early start. Schools in other states will not open until after Labor day. Yes, we had an early vacation too, school was out since the last week of May, so maybe it's just fair to start early.

I bought our school supplies the last weekend of vacation. True to myself of being a crammer, I completed the list minutes just before the Open House. I always wonder why the schools (in the Philippines, Hawaii, and Iowa) would specifically require a certain brand of crayons, markers, and watercolors. I know, the reason must be because of the quality and safety of the brand, but come to think of it, other brands could have the same quality and safety levels as the leading brand too.

It must be because of the name and packaging that schools prefer that brand over others. I admire the Advertising Agency that was responsible for the success of these products. It sure was very effective that customers, most often than not, look for this brand's availability before considering other brands, even though they are costly.

So far, after four days of school, my son and I are becoming adjusted gradually from sleeping and waking up early, to preparing breakfast and clothes, and him doing his homeworks. Thank God, he is enjoying his 3rd grade class and teachers:-)

Music Monday - Asian Talents: Eraserheads, Freestyle, and Zee Avi

2011-08-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

Source here.

Source here.

Source here.

IF ONLY IT'S THAT EASY...

2011-08-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

My son is at the stage where guns, bombs, and anything that explodes are the coolest. Gone are the days of cuteness --Sesame Street, Blues Clues, Dora the Explorer, Pengu, etc. He's into action now. He already mastered the games "red alert" and "plant vs zombies". Eww! At eight, he wants to be a police officer or a military officer. I don't like it. I told him, it's not possible, because I won't allow it to happen. Well, judge me all you want...I am his mom!

I'm sure he will outgrow it. I decided I won't argue with him anymore about the subject. It will pass. Sometimes, telling him to do things my way just causes him to go into the opposite direction. An eye opener for me was once, he said to me accusingly (after reminding him to read and study harder), "Why nanay (mom), do you want me to be a scientist like tatay (dad)?" I told him only if that's what he wants. I want him to be anything he wants to be (well, except the two careers in the first paragraph).

To be an officer is not easy. I've tremendous amount of respect for all the military officers serving the country. All of them, including the veterans have sacrificed their all to serve the people. It's a dangerous and difficult job, not only for them, but their families. I learned that the government has projects to help them after their service.

VA refinancing is one way of helping the veterans to keep their homes when the going gets tough for them financially. Mortgage refinancing could be helpful to have lower interest rates. Let's face it, monthly mortgages are sure very high but if you analyze it, only a small part of it goes to the principal loan every month, the rest of the payment goes to the interest. So it would not hurt to have the loan refinance. To further help the veterans, visit the website http://www.vahomeloans.net/.

Wordless Wednesday - Street Art (Driveway Art)

2011-08-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

Sister Su while drawing Space Needle.

I'm Afraid Summer will be Over Soon

2011-08-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

I could feel the change in weather. Now, I can say I miss the scorching heat of Iowa summer. When we were experiencing the oven-hot like temperature outside, I'm sorry but I was complaining. It just was too hot even for a tropical girl like me.

Sunset at the nearby pond.

Now, it get's cooler by the day and I'm afraid it means fall is just around the corner. It makes me sad. It means winter is coming soon too! Oh no, not winter at this time. I refuse to let go of summer where I will surely miss my garden, my flowers, the ~~green~~ grass (although they are brown now because of the previous heat), the corn and soy fields just right after the backyard of my neighbors.

I will miss the little park and pond near our house. Winter means the pond will be icy and all will be white. I will miss the park's picnic tables, park benches, and playground equipment which by the way, made my husband dizzy anyway (don't tell...but we are playing with the merry go round when there were no other kids there).

I won't let go of summer yet. I still want to get an Adirondack chairs for the porch and enjoy sitting on them until I tire of this season. Until then... SUN, bring it on!

Random Tuesday Thoughts - School, Crayons, Freezer, Family, and a Desk

2011-08-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

Here are my Tuesday thoughts for this week:

1. School starts on Thursday! Not a Yay! for me and son. We could use another week or month of vacation together:-)
2. Do I really need to mark individual crayons, markers, and pencils with my son's name? Ugh, that's a lot of work:-(
3. Garden harvests are getting better. We bought a small freezer because it will come in handy not just for the harvest (because honestly, it's not much that I would need a whole freezer for it) but also for the fish and other seafoods that we will get from our favorite Oriental Store.

4. I now have a little corner in our dining room. My sister in law and I got an old small desk and a matching chair from Stuff (a consignment store). She repainted them and made them look a little rustic. I'm happy with my little office which costed for less than 40 bucks.

5. I miss our family in Seattle. They came over for a 12- day visit. We were so busy for almost two weeks. We spent a weekend in Chicago and another weekend in Nebraska. When we took them to Des Moines Airport last Tuesday, we couldn't help but be sad. I miss our nephew's singing, our sister's driving, and mom's cooking. It was once again, just us -- me, my son, and hubby in the vast land of the midwest. Okay, maybe that's just too dramatic. We have friends here, we have one another, and we have God with us:-)

6. Hubby's in a business trip from today until Thursday in Missouri..so that makes only the two of us until Thursday, me and my son, in the wide land of the corn:-) lol...

Gotta go mark those crayons now!:-)

Smile Though Your Teeth Are Aching

2011-08-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

Yeah, the title was crap. How can you smile when you've got toothache? I once heard that the classic and most crucial pain comes from the teeth (it's debatable and really subjective, I know). To prevent this from happening, visit a dental clinic at least twice a year and brush every after meal. Sounds like hardwork, huh?

I grew up taking extra care of my teeth. Our family dentist in the Philippines owns one of the biggest and most patient-friendly dental clinics in our city. She is the mom of one of my previous students, and has been the dentist of our relatives and family for years. The dentists in her dental clinic are all professional dentists, good at kids and adults alike, and beautiful. The last description is of course, not really a requirement but it would help to see dentists with good set of teeth when you go to them to take care of your teeth, right?

You could just imagine how shocked I was when earlier this year, I went to see a "dentist", who turned out to be a dental technician, to have my teeth cleaned. She seemed to be a nice lady, but she was not gentle on her choice of words and remarks, and her ways of teeth cleaning. Let's just say that I won't go back to that clinic again.

I am currently in a quest of finding the right, professional, and gentle dentists for my family. It would be nice to have them in just a nearby clinic, where we could always make a convenient appointment anytime. It would also be comforting if the clinic is practicing modern dentistry and has state of the art equipment. I would have to check "the smile generation" to find one that would fit our dental needs.

Summer Field Trip: Kalona, Iowa

2011-08-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

We went to Kalona, IA last Monday, August 8. My mother in law visited from Seattle. Ever since she was a child, it has been her desire to see the Amish people and experience a little of their culture. She learned about them from reading a Sociology book in the Philippines.

A week before, we went to Amana Colonies, a 25 min drive from home. I thought, Amana is Amish (well, both were German descents and start with Am --duh!)...I was hugely mistaken though. Amish community is at the town of Kalona, about 50 miles from Amana.

Source: http://www.kalonaiowa.org/

We started our tour with the visit at the Kalona Cheese, then at the local grocery nearby run by Amish. My MIL, a very gentle and simple person and not to forget an Amish fanatic said, "I feel that I was Amish in my past life." So we joked that they are her relatives and she should move from Seattle to Kalona:-)
She asked the Amish lady if she would be willing to pose for a picture with her, to which she kindly declined. It was later explained by the kind lady in the Kalona Village Museum. She told us that Amish people believe that the Bible forbids "graven images".

Most Amish have religious objections to being photographed. The Ordnung, or rules for living, do not allow photographs for two reasons, first it’s forbidden to show pride in one’s appearance and secondly the

bible forbids making “graven images.” -Source:http://www.kalonaiowa.org/Etiquette.htm

Overall, it was a very pleasant and interesting day. We saw several buggies and an Amish family even waved and smiled at us. Next time, we must return and drive in their area and buy things from them. I heard they make the nicest quilts and delicious breads.

Sharing with you the pictures I have taken with my phone:

Living on the beach

2011-08-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the article from Jermaine Haynes

There’s nothing like the sand between my toes, in my opinion, so when I had the option to buy this place at the beach a few years back I jumped right on it. It wasn’t much to speak of but it was right on the water which gave me and Rex plenty of room to roam which was pretty much all I required at the time. I’ve spent the last few years fixing it up just the way I wanted it and now it’s got everything from a porch swing to a hot tub – not too bad if you ask me! I went to Http://www.texaselectricityproviders.com to get that darn AC bill down and we use fans as much as we can anyway, so that’s helped. Rex has adjusted nicely to life on the water and he gets up before I do to get all excited about his morning walk. I love being able to step out my door and onto the sand so this was definitely the right decision for me!

Food Trip - BBQ, Goat Cheese and Rye bread, plus Summer Salad!

2011-08-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

BIG on Fashion

2011-08-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

We were at the mall yesterday, shopping for my son's school supplies. As a mommy cramming in the last weekend before the school starts, we were racing with other moms and even college students who will be going to stay in dorms. I was imagining how would it feel to shop for basic furnitures or beddings (for the dorm or apartment) for my son when the time comes.

For now, I find it hard to figure out what was meant by set of watercolor paints and watercolor markers. Should I get the ordinary markers (but the box has no watercolor word on it) or should I get the set of real paints or the ordinary watercolor...anyhow, I bought what I think were the closest to the description on the list. I will just ask my son's teacher at the open house if I got the correct ones.

I remember when I was teaching in a regular college in the Philippines. I always get new clothes before the start of the semester. Shopping for plus size clothing could really be frustrating. Average Filipinas have sizes extra small to medium (0-4). Rarely would you find clothes which are extra large or bigger. Let's just say that I am not petite. I was size 10-12 or XL to XXL then. I totally understand others who are finding it hard to get the clothes they desire with the right fit. I used to envy others who have no problem finding the correct size of clothes that they like.

Now, it's really not a problem anymore. Nowadays, there are less and less discrimation in this area because the then lack of plus size fashion, are now addressed. One can even order the plus size clothing on line without sacrificing the style she prefers. Thank goodness for these wonderful designers and clothing companies.

Wordless Wednesday - The Frank House at University of Nebraska at Kearney

2011-08-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

We drove to Kearney NE last weekend to visit an aunt. She was the former director/curator of the Frank House. We swung by the campus and had picture taking at this historic house. For more info, visit: http://www.unk.edu/offices/frankhouse/Frank_House/

Our aunt also wrote a book about this place, it was entitled: George Washington Frank's Stone House on the Nebraska Prairie by Virginia Llego Lund.

Let's Have a "Straight Talk"

2011-08-03T14:02:00.001-07:00

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

I don’t know if we are the only family who make a fuss on telephone bills. We were tied on two-year contracts from the two iPhone lines we have which cost $200.00 monthly. It was ridiculous! Each month we were paying so much for the telephone. IT.WAS.NOT.SMART!

If you have been reading this blog lately, you'll know that in this family, mom knows best (well, sometimes…), I decided to have my phone line canceled. With a heavy heart, we paid the pricey early termination fee. It was not cheap.

So we got the bill for the remaining line just last week. It was still high for me. I thought it would be okay, but I am still struggling with $100.00 a month telephone bill. How on earth could I reduce the amount in at least half, and still get calls, text, picture messaging, and web? Where can I get a smart phone without a contract, extra charges, and credit checks? Is it too good to be true?

I was searching for this kind of deal when I came across Straight Talk. So hear this: all of the above mentioned dream plan with their unlimited monthly charge for only $45! This means, I could save more than half of my current phone bills. Did I mention that their “All You Need Plan” includes 1000 minutes, 1000 texts, and 30MB of web data? Additionally, Straight Talk only use trusted manufacturers like LG, Motorola, Samsung, Kyocera, and Nokia. For only $499 a year, I could have unlimited calls, text, picture messaging, and web! Wow, that price used to be just our two month bill!

I could now imagine the things I could buy from the extra money that I will save! Perhaps we can buy a freezer, or new bar stools, a couch, or even a new TV for the house.

With those deals, I could call a friend anytime and anywhere without worrying. This is practically everything you need in a phone, and more! Their international long distance service is also available at low rates. So that would work for me pretty nicely.

Did you know that the Fantasy Fishing Team uses Straight Talk phones? Well, it's because, maybe for them,only this kind of deal would be cooler than hook, line and sinker.

You may also check out this video about Straight Talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKPihLfELWo&feature=related

To My Friends in Hawaii...

2011-08-02T23:19:00.000-07:00

It's been hot nowadays in Iowa. As I have said in the past entries, it was never this hot in the Philippines and Hawaii. Well, yes, maybe in the Philippines, but it would not be this hot all day long...Like in the Philippines, it could be humid and hot especially at noontime, and since it's a tropical country, rains come without warning, and rains are always equal to lowering of temperature. Here in the midwest, if it's hot in the morning, then it could be hot all day long.

It's not like this in Hawaii though. It maybe a little warm all year long but never so hot that it would reach a 3 digit temperature. When we were there summer of last year, the hottest I experienced was 87F. Not bad especially that East Coast reached 104 F that time.

It would be nice to have our own house in Hawaii. A girl could dream, right? Come to think of it...it would be nice to go to our own vacation house whenever we are in Hawaii. Oh well, it would also be nice to have an extra source of income for the fare:-) Or maybe, I could just tell my friends in Hawaii, to check out Hawaii real estate. I think that's a better idea -- free accomodations in the house of our friends in Hawaii! Awesome!

YAY!

2011-07-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

We are excitedly waiting for my sister in law and her son. They are on the plane now from Seattle and we can't wait to see them. It's over a year already since we saw them last. They will stay with us for almost two weeks and we can't wait to start the weekend at Chicago.

On Saturday, we will visit a friend from college who recently moved to Chicago from New Jersey and then go explore the city. I'm also excited to see my friend's son whom I've never seen before. It's bizaare that we both have our kids now. Looking back, it seems just like yesterday that we were playing basketball in the Baker Hall on Saturdays (we were not really players...we were just needed to complete a team! lol).

How time flies...

Asking for SIGNS!

2011-07-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

I've been driving for quite a bit these past few weeks. I needed to take my son to Vacation Bible School last week, and to another one this week. Last week was not a hassle since the church was just here in town. It was about 5 minute drive. The problem was, this week, the church holding the VBS is relatively far. It is about 20-25 minutes if I take the rough road and just 10-15 if I take the I80.

I've never had an issue with driving on the express way in the Philippines (here they call it free way). I had used those fast lanes everyday going to work. However, I've got some issues here in Iowa. I am scared to merge in a free way! This is not like a cutey cute "scared", but the real honest-to-goodness frightening feeling. I don't know why I am so anxious with merging into interstates. The fast vehicles give me the creeps! Well, maybe because of traffic in the Philippines and due to the incapability of my old car, I was not really required to drive so fast in there.

Here in Iowa, especially in I80, I was tempted to post traffic signs at the back of my car! They would read: CAUTION: Slow New Driver. Be patient.

and

CHANGE LANES IF YOU'RE ON MY LANE WHILE I'M MERGING!

or to be precise:

GET OFF MY LANE!

So far, this experience made me really extra prayerful...and thank God, He hears me. lol

Seriously, if ever you need traffic signs to direct drivers to your business or a handy "no parking signs", to keep the vehicles away from your driveway or at a busy street (where ever you would need it), just click on the links and it will direct you to the site that would allow you to customize the sign that you need.

Wordless Wednesday - Tulip Festival at Pella, Iowa

2011-07-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

Spring 2011 at Pella, IA

Dreaming of a Kitchen Makeover

2011-07-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

I've been dreaming of a house makeover since January of this year. I don't claim to be artistic, so in areas like decorating and interior design, I need all the resources I could get to gather ideas. I watched HGTV a lot and liked Color Splash and Dear Genevieve shows. I also read magazines with home and garden theme. I was insatiable! So theoretically, I think I knew now what I want to be done with my house, especially my kitchen. What colors do I want, and what particular furnitures to get.

BUT because I am a stay-at-home-mommy (jobless = limited budget), I haven't really tried to put the theories into applications. Except for rearranging the furnitures, which we already did thrice for the last 2 months, the house is still bare to my standard.

I would like to start with the kitchen if ever we would have extra budget for the house. I've been dreaming of a more colorful and homey kitchen, kind of contemporary crossed rustic appeal if there is such a thing. I've watched from HGTV that the very in thing in the kitchen today is lining the walls with mosaic tile.

I still am debating over the color motif of my future kitchen, but either of the three colors above would work out great! I think if I choose any of these colors, I could play and choose a variety of decors for the kitchen and paint colors for the cabinets (although I'd like to go with a simple white, I think--then make them look rustic). These glass mosaic tiles would be perfect for the wall below the cabinets.

There are a lot of different mosaic tiles out there, but I am still biased with the glass ones. I think I would stick with it. I just wish I could start with the kitchen makeover soon!

Having a Coke with You by Frank O'Hara

2011-07-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

Having a Coke with You

is even more fun than going top San Sebastain, Irun, Hendaye, Biarritz, Bayonne
or being sick to my stomach on the Travesera de Gracia in Barcelona
partly because in your orange shirt you look like a better happier St. Sebastian
partly because of my love for you, partly because of your love for yoghurt
partly because of the fluoresent orange tulips around the birches
partly because of the secrecy our smiles take on before people and statuary
it is hard to believe when I'm with you that there can be anything as still
as solemn as unpleasently definitive as statuary when right in front of it
in the warm New York 4 o'clock light we are drifting back and forth
between each other like a tree breathing through its spectacles

and the portrait show seems to have no faces in it at all, just paint
you suddenly wonder why in the world anyone ever did them
I look
at you and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world
except possibly for the Polish Rider occasionally and anyway it's in the Frick
which thank heavens you haven't gone to yet so we can go together the first time
and the fact that you move so beautifully more or less takes care of Futurism
just as at home I never think of the Nude Descending a Staircase or
at a rehearsal a single drawing of Leonardo or Michaelangelo that used to wow me
and what good does all the research of the impressionists do them
when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when the sun sank
or for that matter Marino Marini when he didn't pick the rider as carefully
as the horse
it seems they were all cheated of some marvelous experience
which is not going to go wasted on me which is why I'm telling you about it.

How nice would it be to receive a very sweet poem straight from the heart:-)

Food Trip Friday -Sweet and Sour Pompano

2011-07-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Sweet and Sour Pompano

Ingredients:
1 Pompano, cleaned
Canola Oil (for frying the Pompano)
1-2 tbsp Olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion. sliced
1 tsp ginger (sliced thinly)
1 medium carrot
2 stalks celery
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 lb snow peas
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Kikkoman Sweet and Sour sauce
Ground pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. In a pan, fry the fish on both sides with canola oil (Pompano) until golden brown. Set aside.
2. In a medium heat, put 1-2 tbsp cooking oil (I use olive oil) in a fresh pan. Heat.
3. Saute garlic, onion, and ginger for 2 minutes.
4. Add the celery, bell pepper, carrot, and snow peas. Mix.
5. Add water and the sauce. Stir. Let it boil. Simmer for 3 minutes.
6. Add ground pepper. Kosher salt (or any type of sodium chloride) may be added according to taste.

Enjoy!

It's Time to Have a New Address Plaque

2011-07-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

This (hot) summer, I'm enjoying the freedom of being able to drive. Still learning though. So far, I learned that not all of the drivers are following the simple traffic rules. Why can't everybody stop at least 3 seconds at the stop sign? And please, signal your intention always! Is it so hard to do? Well, maybe I just have a hang over from studying the practice questions of the driver's test. Anyway...

As I drive, I get to see the beautiful gardens and lawns in town. I can't help but admire the purple hibiscus flowers of the house just right at the corner. Wondering how on earth could that hibiscus thrive in extreme weather here in the midwest. Based on its size (more than 7 feet) it must have been there for years now. I just associate hibiscus in tropical places, but of course there are perennial hibiscus (it would be nice to plant one next spring).

Residential address plaques also caught my attention. They are not only functional but also decorative and stylish which complement the style and paint color of the house. If you are ~~stalking~~ observing beautiful houses like me, you'd notice that address plaques, whether it's lawn, wall, or hanging, accentuate the house. If you want to give emphasis on your address this summer, now is the right time to visit JustAddressPlaques.com. They have a wide array of styles and colors which would surely match your house for the lowest prices.

Random (SupposedlyTuesday) Thoughts

2011-07-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

I did it again...I missed the RTT yesterday. Maybe I'll just have to title it RWT since this is the second week I'm doing it on a Wednesday. Tsk tsk..

Anyway, here are my thoughts:

1. I finished reading I am Number Four by Pitacus Lore last week, for just a whole day. It's an easy, at times dragging - read. I was hooked at the story plot but not so much to the writing style. I guess there is a part of me which longs to be addicted to book series, yet again, after Twilight. This maybe it is. Yes, I dislike the way the authors seemed to like to repeat a word or words over and over again like, "hell yeah" (I know it must be their everyday expression..but if you read it in a book, several times in a chapter, it would not be cute). Plus the fighting chapter/s did not make sense to me. It was boooring. I would not dare bore you with the details though. That said, I still like to know what happens next and so, as crazy as I am, I searched for an advanced copy of the second book, The Power of Six, on amazon and ebay (since it would not be officially released until August 23). I bought it (not cheap!) and now I am waiting for my copy.

2. I also read Tina Fey's book, Bossypants. It was hilarious! I like her humor and writing style.

3. I like Adam Young of Owl City. I love reading his blog. He is deep and he seems to like what he is doing. Did you know that he was the inspiration behind Taylor Swift's song, Enchanted? It was a sweet song and he, after decoding the message within the song dicovered that it was about him (without Taylor telling him). How sweet is that! He, in response, made this music and blog entry for Taylor on Valentine's day. Check it out: http://owlcityblog.com/2011/02/14/dear-taylor/

Source here.

4. I am enjoying the free time I have everyday this week. My son is having VBS at a nearby church from 9:30-12 so it means, I have a Me time at those times. Monday, I went to the outlet mall, thinking I'll do some window shopping. But I did more than that. I went to Banana Republic and bought blouses and skirt. Then to Old Navy for new swimwear and slippers (I was eyeing on a pair of crocs at Famous Footwear prior to buying those 2.50 slippers). I did good, actually...I did not overspend. I got the items on clearance, as always. But somehow, I feel guilty. Would this be my life as a jobless mom, be guilty in every "splurges" I will make? I refuse to. I know I am responsible and will never ever shop unreasonably...But again, the word "reasonable" is very subjective. Sigh.

5. It is soo hot in the midwest these days! I never had experienced this hot in Hawaii and even in the Philippines before. Or maybe I had (in the Philippines) but perhaps the cold winter had erased those warm memories:-( Who knows?

Clearer Vision for Less

2011-07-18T16:01:00.001-07:00

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

Early this year, I went to an eye doctor to have my annual eye exam. Prior to that, I was having headaches after reading books or being in front of the computer for so long. My eyes were checked, and thankfully, the headaches were due to eye strains only. We have a good vision plan but I was surprised to see our bill when the glasses were finished. It was $130 for a pair for ordinary reading glasses! That was the price we had to pay after the insurance covered a part of the cost. It was a rip off and needless to say, I was not happy about it.

Anyway, I was about to let it go when I came across this comment at Time magazine published just this month. A reader commented that the Editor of Time must be receiving mental health treatment for having to pay $1000 for a pair of glasses. That, to me, was comforting (there is someone out there more (stupid) impractical than I was for having to pay a LOT for a single pair of glasses! evil laugh)..

It was also mentioned in that same comment that the reader was getting his glasses from Zenni Optical. It's an online site, where for just $20, shipping included, he gets a complete set delivered right in front of his doorstep. Now, that was a good deal!

Now, as I browse through the website of Zenni Optical, I can't help but feel bad again for buying those overly priced pair of reading glasses. They offer the same style that I got from the mall for just 15 bucks! So, if you need a pair of glasses, just go to their site and I'm sure you can get the perfect glasses for you for less. Just think of how much money you'll save if you buy at Zenni Optical instead of someplace else.

Monday Music - Owl City

2011-07-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

Source here.

Source here.

The music of this band from Minnesota is one of the constant companions of our family during roadtrips. This "fireflies" video was taken live. I love that they use violin and cello too.

I Missed Random Tuesday Thoughts Yesterday, So I'm Doing it Today!

2011-07-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

For no valid reason, really...Just busy doing nothing...Anyway, these are my thoughts:

1. Storms in the midwest -- CRAZY! Dramatic roaring thunder and lightning crashes...they're here, and boy, do they scare!?

2. My vegetable garden is growing fast. I'm relieved, because our investment for this flat raised bed was way too high than what we are expecting to harvest. It's a good start though. At least next year, we won't need to buy soil and borders again.

So far, these are our harvests:-)...scallion, beans, ~~pathetic~~ blueberries, and basil. It's a nice start.

3. We went to Jojo Oriental Store at Cedar Rapids last week. I almost forgot how delicious pancit (Filipino version of chow mein) can be with halo halo! Halo halo is a Filipino dessert which is a mixture of sweetened fruits, beans, yam, and leche flan topped with shaved ice and evaporated milk...It's really yummy!

4. We are looking forward to the visit of my sister in law and her son at the last week of July. We are planning to go to Chicago and Nebraska for the two weekends they are here. Summer is indeed fun!

5. We are enjoying the pool at the recreation center. At first we were a bit shocked, two weeks ago, when we first checked it out, it was full packed! So many people were using the pool here. We certainly missed the Hawaii beaches and the sand -- free and wide! But the second time that we went there, it was not really bad at all. There are a lot of lifeguards, the pool and slides are safe for kids, and since it's a small town, we met a lot of kids my son knew from baseball and school. It's fun! Really, it's the people who make the place beautiful to live in.

Love this kid!

6. This summer we started going to the library almost everyday. We borrow books and dvds. I introduced the film, Sound of Music to my son. He's not really into music, but I'm glad he appreciated the songs and the story. We also borrowed the dvd, "I am Number Four". I haven't a clue about this film before. Except for some attempt to make it grossly appealing to teenagers, I've no complaints. I'm sure the book is even better than the film...Can't wait to read it!

Starring Alex Pettyfer.

7. Laundry ---when can they fold themselves?

That's all for RTTs! xoxo:-)

On Home Security and TV Indulgence

2011-07-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

We are very excited this summer. One of the advantages of living here in the midwest is that we are relatively close to other states. A 4-hour drive to Chicago is short for us. Going on a trip without spending so much money on air fare is always a good option. The setback is, it could be time consuming. So whenever we go to Nebraska or other nearby states, we usually spend a weekend there.

This left us with no choice but to leave the house for the weekend, and sometimes even longer. We live in a very safe and friendly community that we have no fear of leaving the house. But still, we have to be prepared in any situation. Crime rates, especially house break ins are very high in urban communities. But one can never be sure at difficult times like this.

If you live in a community with break in incidents or even if you just wanted to make sure that your house would be secure all the time, you can check out the Home Security Arkadelphia. The company would make sure that you will have peace of mind while enjoying with the family and friends on trips.

On weekdays that we are at home, we usually indulge on watching TV. It's not all day, but we started a new summer tradition that we, as a family, would watch TV in the basement after dinner. My husband, son, and I would curl up in the futon and enjoy the movie or TV show. We are thinking of transfering to Local TV-Satellite instead of sticking up to our current cable provider. For one, it has wide array of packages that I think would exceed our expectations.

Road trips and TV, what more could be better this summer?

Tips on How to Get a Driver's License

2011-06-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

I finally got my driver's license today! I've been meaning to get both the written and road tests in Hawaii prior to moving here in Iowa but for some reason, I never got that elusive road test there. My son and I have been carpooling with a friend since January of this year (thanks Cristina!). It's about time that we become independent.

I've been driving in the Philippines and quite enjoyed my mobility there. So you can just imagine how "trapped' I was feeling when I moved in Hawaii middle of last year and here in Iowa.

Summer is the perfect time to get a license, but it is also the busiest time of the year for the DMV.
It appears that what I did for both my written and road tests were effective. So for those who would like to get their driver's license this summer, let me tell you what I did.

1. Get a driver's manual from your local DMV office. If you are from Iowa, just click here.

2. Study. Since I've never been a studious type, and I don't like memorizing (I'm an effective crammer) -- I studied with the practice tests, which could be found on the internet, and in my case, I also used the free 2009 Driver's Manual of Iowa which had tests at the end of every chapter. I focused on those questions and looked for the answers in the manual. Some of the questions appear to be simple and common, but I tell you, you'd be surprised that the choices seemed to be all correct! So to avoid being tricked, you really have to go over what the manual was saying. Here are the helpful sites I used with free practice tests:
http://driving-tests.org/
http://www.permittestpractice.com/dmv-practice-permit-test/
http://freedmvpracticetests.com/
http://www.ezdrivingtest.com/iowa/en/basic-license/exam-introduction.php

3. After you passed the exam, you can now learn how to drive. My husband had been my driving instructor eversince. He was the one who taught me in the Philippines, and here in Iowa. This time, all I needed was to be familiar with the automatic vehicle. I only drove standard (stick shift) type in the Philippines, and I had to restrain myself not to use my left foot and grab the stick to "change gears" everytime I was changing speed and/or stopping. Plus it's really a different environment here. I used to drive through heavy traffic in the Philippines. Our house to the college I was teaching at was just about 8km away but it would take me 20-30 minutes to get there because of the traffic (I could still vividly remember the time when it took me 3 hours on the road because of a major traffic! waa). Here, that same distance (about 5miles) would maybe just take me 5-7 minutes.

4. Practice. It would be preferable to practice on the exact road that you are getting the test. A friend in Hawaii once told me that some people would actually go to the DMV just to see the exact route of the exam. They would follow the vehicle with the examiner and the applicant. We didn't do it though (my husband and I believed that if I knew the rules --and if I can just stop my left foot from pressing the break as if it is the clutch--then I'll be okay). I think some of the driving schools also knew the route more or less. If you knew how to drive, and you follow the rules, then you'll be good. We did practice on the roads near the DMV both in Marengo and at Iowa City because these are the probable offices that I could go to take the test.

5. Pray! I certainly don't want to cause raised eyebrows by including tip no. 5. Praying for just a license test? Yes! It's my thing.

Hope these tips help:-)

Monday Music - Greenday's 21 Guns and Wake me Up when September Ends

2011-06-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

Source here.

Source here.

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Father's Day at Des Moines, Casey's Zanny the Nanny Story, and a great Thirst Quencher

2011-06-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

We were at Des Moines last Sunday to have my iPhone repaired (and replaced if necessary). My phone blacked out two weeks ago without warning. We were at least hoping to retrieve the photos but when we went to AT&T, they said that in order to restore it, all files would be erased. I asked why it happened, they said, it just happens. Bad news, they couldn't make the phone work, so we had to bring it to an Apple Store at Des Moines. After about 1.5 hour of driving, GPS, pointed us at the center of the intersection in Jordan Creek. You'd think there is a secret underground Apple Facility there. lol Anyway, it turned out the Apple Store was inside the mall at the lower level.

We celebrated Father's Day at Joe's Crab Shack. This was mainly to please my husband...I am mildly allergic to crabs and our son is not a fan of seafoods, however, we knew that it would make hubby more that happy if we go there. The food is great actually. They offer kid's meal too. The waiters and waitresses even danced in one of the songs (they had the same dance steps). It's fun!

Did you know that casey Anthony's Zanny the Nanny story may have been derived from a One Tree Hill Episode? Not so clever, huh...This girl could really tell lies... I'm afraid that the real story of what happened to poor Caylee would never be known. The prosecution is looking at an angle where Casey could just invent the whole "drowning story" with her father being involved by hearing it from her jailmates. Sometime in 2009, she had a jailmate by the name of April who's baby drowned in the swimming pool and her father called 911. April said she never talked to Casey, but they say it's possible that she heard it from her other inmates.

Today, I made a real thirst quencher. The ingredients are water, lotsa ice, slices of lemon, leaves of mint and leaves of lemon balm (it looks like mint leaves too!). Try this zero-calorie cool drink for the hot summer:-)