Merry Christmas!

Our Trip to The Grand Canyon

It snowed in Grand Canyon! It only lasted for a few minutes. It stopped, but it was still freezing cold up there! The sight was truly majestic! :)

Back From Vacation!

After a long absence from the blogosphere, here are some pics to share with everyone. We left on Thanksgiving day itself. I thought the airport would be busy, but to my surprise, it wasn't the case. The flight went on smoothly. We stayed at a friend's house in Sedona, AZ for 3 days. My boys had a great time with their 2 handsome boys. This is their youngest, Tai with my Noah playing the Leapfrog Scribble. We brought along with us another Leapfrog toy called the Text and Learn. Tai was enjoying the toy so much that we decided to give it to him as a Christmas gift. He loved it! :)


They have a very sweet dog (I forgot the name, unfortunately) which little Kaiden adored so much! (as you can see :) )

Surviving Cancer

A week before we left for the Thanksgiving vacation, my uncle, my Mom's eldest brother passed away. It was a painful struggle for him. He just had surgery in the prostate before the death. It was believed he had a prostate cancer. My aunt, who took care of him, found him lying down on the bathroom floor. She found out that he died from a stroke. Cancer patients mostly die from complications. There's a type of cancer which affects the protective sac surrounding one's internal organs. It is called Mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is rare, but still it is cancer that is deadly. Asbestos is the culprit for such disease. Gladly, there has been research that you can actually survive from it. This is based from Paul Kraus's experience, a cancer survivor himself. He has a popular book called, "Surviving Mesothelioma", that is considered valuable by every cancer patient.

Golf Vacation

Whew! I can't believe that Christmas is just 10 days away. And, I 'm not yet done with my Christmas shopping yet! lol! :) Well, I got a couple of gifts for my little boys, and that's it. What's worse, I have yet to send Christmas cards to our family and friends. We have been pretty much busy lately, and we just got back from a vacation on top of that.

I got back to work and I met this friend of mine who told me about her experience about the Myrtle Beach Golf vacations. I never learned how to play golf. I tried several times but I just couldn't hit the ball right on. I felt it just wasn't the sport for me. Anyway, she mentioned it was a fun and wonderful time with the whole family especially if you avail of the Myrtle Beach Golf Packages that you could find online. If you're into golf and would like to experience a great vacation as well, Myrtle Beach Golf or Golf Myrtle Beach is definitely for you.

Christmas!

Yeah, I know it could be too early for Christmas decorating. Thanksgiving hasn't been celebrated yet! lol! :) We're leaving for Arizona on Thanksgiving day itself and spend a week with relatives and friends. By the time we're back, we might be too exhausted, or not have much time to decorate the house for the holidays. I'd rather do it now when I got some spare time. Besides... I love Christmas! I love the joyful feeling that it brings. I love seeing Christmas lights, and listening to the holiday songs. I love everything about it! :) My boys, especially my 2 yr old Noah is always in awe whenever he sees our Christmas tree. He wants to have the colorful lights on all the time, and can't resist touching the ball ornaments. As expected, him and lil Kaiden kept on pulling them that one already got broken. Oh well... Anyway, I surely can't deny the fact that the big Christmas tree brings sparkles and joy in my lil boys' eyes.

Christmas Decor

Oh, I like this unique decor for the holiday. I saw this online through Just Address Plaques, and I thought they have a lot of cool and pretty stuff to offer. They mainly cater to address plaques, home address plaques, address signs, etc. The photo shown at the left is an example of their seasonal plaques. It is called Snowflake Oval Plaque-Red with Silver. It would be lovely to put it in your yard with snow flakes falling. It is rust free and fade proof. You don't have to worry about the colors fading out through the years of usage. Aside from that, you can also choose the colors, whichever suit your taste.

Just Address Plaques are well known for their excellent product quality and customer service. You are assured that you're getting the lowest price for the highest standard of workmanship. If, for example, somewhere you see an address sign priced lower that what they're offering, simply call them and they can match it up for you.

The Locker

A classmate of mine in high school posted some pictures of our alma mater few days ago in Facebook. Boy, that brought back a lot of fun memories for me! It made me miss my high school friends, teachers, even the place itself. She visited our school recently and basically snapped photos of the classrooms, cafeteria, including the lockers. Those included the metal gym lockers which we seldom used, and also the wood lockers placed inside the classrooms.

I remember a friend of mine who kept her pair of sneakers inside the locker. Those sneakers were popular those days and kinda expensive. One day, when she was about to use it for our PE class, for some reason, she couldn't find it anymore. Later, we saw it being worn by one of our classmates, our class President. My friend herself, including the whole class were very sure it was hers. She complained about it and brought it to the attention of our principal. But, the principal took the side of our class President. Why? She just didn't believe her. She thought she was just making it all up. My poor friend. That time our President was vying for the Valedictorian spot, which she actually got.

Flying For a Vacation

The positive side of not making to the playoffs is having to spend more time, more weekends with the family. My hubby's team unfortunately didn't make it to the playoffs. The teams competing for the championship are on their last few games. We just get to watch them on TV. A week from now, my hubby will fly to Seattle to receive his award for MLS Trainer of the Year. The boys and I would want to be with him on that special day. But then, it wouldn't be a wise idea to fly there with the kids, come back and fly again the week after for our Thanksgiving vacation in Arizona. It would be taxing for all of us especially the kids. Besides, I can't take any more time off from work. As a wife, I would want to be there to show him my love and support.

Anyway, speaking of vacation, Oceanfront Myrtle Beach Resorts offer a fantastic vacation experience that you wouldn't want to pass up. There are actually 6 Myrtle Beach Resorts to choose from. All of them a fabulous! Grande Shores, Seaside, Prince Resort, Towers on the Grove, Horizon, Avista Resorts have holiday packages that would truly be memorable for the family. Beach Resorts Myrtle Beach provide spectacular views and feel of the ocean that are relaxing and pleasing to the senses. Truly enjoyable!

A Relaxing Bath

My boys love taking a bath. I guess most kids do! After eating lunch, which leaves them messy oftentimes, I clean them off by giving them a bath. They get excited every time I'd say "bath", and they get more excited when I pour some bubble bath in the water. Oh, it works like magic especially if one or both them are having tantrums. Their mood suddenly changes. Since they use bubble bath or baby wash often, the tub floor could get slippery. And I have to be sure that they don't stand up, or try to reach something that could cause them to slip or fall. There have been a number of toddler injuries and deaths related to bath tubs that have been reported over the years. It's pretty scary for every parent to think of.

In line with bath tubs, I came across a site online that talks about walk in tubs. These kind of tubs are said to be safer and more relaxing to any user. It is even therapeutic. It offers health benefits such as elimination of insomnia, reduction of arthritis, hemorrhoids, etc. The photo below is a sample of a walk in bath tub called the Paradise. Getting in and out of the tub is a lot easier and safer than regular ones. If you want a relaxing bath, simply turn on the 16 jet warm air massage that goes along with the installation. Mmm...I would definitely love that experience.

Well-Deserved Award!

Congratulations hunny for being the Athletic Trainer of the Year! Me and the boys are proud of you! We love you! :)

Saving With Luvs and Aldi

We've been doing our best to save as much as we can especially in these trying times. I guess, (and I hope) few more months, Kaiden would be graduating from diapers. Diapers are pretty expensive and takes much of our budget. My kind of brand is Luvs which is of good quality and doesn't cost as much as the other leading diapers. For other grocery stuff, as what I mentioned in my previous post, I shop at Aldi. Oh, I'm glad I found that store! For special occasions, or if there's a thing I couldn't pass up, I look for online coupons first to see if there's one for that particular item I like.

My Sweet Lion and My Cheerful Bat

Here's my 1 yr old Kaiden in his lion costume which he wore last Saturday for Halloween.

Now, here's my 2 yr old Noah in his bat costume. Oh, how he just loved flapping his wings! :)

H1N1 Halloween Day!

It's an H1N1 Halloween day for the family! Sounds weird, huh? :) Early this morning, the whole family went to Mission Clinic for the boys' swine flu shots. Our county provided a free H1N1 vaccination clinic for selected groups. It was held from 9 in the morning until 2 pm, or while supplies last. Since most people wanted to take advantage of this like we did, as expected, when we got there around 8:15 am, there was already a long queue of people mostly parents and kids waiting. To add to that, it was freezing cold! Good thing though, Noah and Kaiden were in their costumes which were thick and warm. It was my hubby's idea to put them on their costumes since it's Halloween at the same time. Well, it's a "cute" idea I supposed.

The vaccines were given either as injectables or nasal spray. Noah and Kaiden are 2 and 1 yr old respectively, so they were given the injectable dose. Originally, we thought of just having the kids vaccinated. However, when we got inside the room, the nurse advised me that I could get one since I work in a doctor's office. So, I was given the H1N1 vaccine as well, but through nasal spray. It wasn't bad or uncomfortable. I was just instructed to "sniff" twice when she inserted the spray into each of my nostril. My husband didn't get the vaccine as he didn't meet the criteria for getting the free H1N1 shot. After 3 hours of waiting and getting done at last, we went straight to Denny's for a much awaited brunch. :)

More Baby Bloopers!

A good way to start your day, or even end your day! Here's another set of baby bloopers for you to enjoy! :)

TRAVELING PANTS
My husband needed me to bring his suit to his office because he had to attend a last-minute meeting. I told our daughter, Avery, 4, that we were going to deliver something to her father. As we walked out, she pointed to the hanger and asked, "Did Daddy forget to wear his pants today?"
Dana Hayes, Michigan

FOUNDING GRANDFATHER
Sophie, 2, misplaced the dollar bill we put in her play wallet. As I was looking around for it, she said, "It's the one with someone's grandpa on it!"
Jennie Brands, Iowa

BROTHERS GRIM
At dinner the other night Bryce, my 3 yr old, emptied his dish of bean stew into the family salad bowl. His 6 yr old brother, Jason, looked at the ruined salad, then at me, and declared, "And that's why we shouldn't have had a little brother!"
Ana Hotaling, Michigan

Courtesy of Parents Magazine

Love ALDI!

I can't say enough how much I love shopping at ALDI! I do most of my grocery shopping at that store for not only the prices are cheaper, but also because they really sell good quality stuff. Milk, creamer, cheese, cereal, fruit, are what I usually buy from there. Few days ago, their pineapple was only $1.19. Red seedless grapes were only .79 c/lb, and bananas at .39 c/lb. My family always has a supply of fresh fruit every day! For desserts, I normally use cream cheese. At ALDI, it's only priced at .79c compared to $2.00+ at most stores. I go home with bags of groceries without going overboard with my budget, and saving few more dollars for my next shopping. :)

A Bad Ear Ache

Kaiden had his check up last Thursday afternoon. On our way to the doctor's office, all he did was cry and scream. It seemed he was in so much pain. It worried me a lot that I had to pull over. I thought it was because of his hat that I forgot to remove before I put him in his car seat. The night before my hubby mentioned that he was pulling his ear and he's suspecting he had an ear infection. He was right. His right ear was badly infected. The doctor prescribed him Augmentin, an antibiotic. It usually causes an upset stomach for children. For Kaiden's case, this hasn't been a problem, thankfully. As of now, my fear of pneumonia or the dreaded swine flu has been eased. Thank you, God!

Learning Math With Ease

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My cousin whom our family adopted and have been supporting since she was 2 years old had already finished college and is now trying to get a license as a teacher. She recently took the licensure exam which was very difficult according to her. I told her to keep positive about it and if she needs help, we'll always be there for her. When she was still studying, I remember her asking for help with math. I would teach her the best way I could, but my knowledge wasn't sufficient to provide answers to most of her math problems. Good thing there's a free online math help that any student can rely on. It's called TutorVista. They help you solve math problems. They provide free algebra help, free college algebra help. It's a real math problem solver.

TutorVista has been a savior to most students. Math help or Help math is always available 24 hours a day. If you're struggling with an assignment and need help desperately, they would be there for you round the clock. There's a one on one tutoring that you can take advantage of. Tutors are experts in their field. Learning is exciting and fun with them. With their expertise and service, you'd surely get ahead of the class. If you want to know more about TutorVista, visit their site and view their free demo. It's worth it.

Rain and Flood

Another reason why I can say I truly have a blessed life. My office manager knew I was from the Philippines. When the deadly typhoon hit the Philippines a month ago, my manager didn't hesitate to ask donations for relatives of mine who were affected by the huge flood. I didn't ask for it, but she did it out of a good heart. She witnessed the devastating effects of the typhoon though photos and videos over the internet and by watching CNN. I'm blessed to have such compassionate and kindhearted manager, doctors and co-workers.

Speaking of heavy rains and flood, there is a product online that I find very interesting. I wonder if we have those in the Philippines. They're called rain barrels. They can store gallons of rainwater which you can use for watering the plants later. Such process is called rain harvesting. Rain water barrels can keep your garden well-irrigated. Apparently, this piece of invention helps conserve water, and can definitely save you money in the long run. You wouldn't have to worry about exorbitant water bills. Right now, there are rain barrels for sale online. SimplyRainBarrels.com have them on sale for up to 17%. They offer free shipping as well. Quality wise, you'd be assured that they're made of high standard material. Customers have testified about their superb customer service and speedy delivery.

Baby Bloopers!

Each time I'd receive my issue of Parents Magazine, I would immediately turn to the last page which is entitled Baby Bloopers. So innocently funny! I thought I'd share some of them. :)

NEW AND IMPROVED
On my birthday, I told my 4-yr. old son, Michael, that I was turning 34. He responded, "Oh, my gosh, you're old. I should probably get a new mom."

CAUGHT IN THE ACT!
I sent my daughter, Elizabeth, 5, to a time-out, and when she thought I wasn't looking she stuck her tongue out at em. I called her on it, and she said. "It just needed some air."

FIELD GUIDE
While taking a walk one evening, Ashlee, my 4-year old daughter, asked me what kind of flowers were growing nearby field. When I said they were wildflowers she replied, "They don't look wild. They're just sitting there."

Best Online Broker

Because it's free, I signed up for a year subscription of Forbes magazine. I've been getting the mag through mail but I haven't really had time to read it or go through its pages. Last week I received their special issue, the Forbes 400. It's about the 400 wealthiest people in America. It talked about the fortunes made and fortunes lost. Bill Gates has retained his title as America's richest person for 16 years despite the $7 billion loss in a year. As expected, celebrities namely Steven Spielberg, Oprah and George Lucas have remained in The Forbes 400 list. Apparently, these people have made wise investments and smart moves to keep their position.

Speaking of investments, there is an online stock trading called First Trade that has been known for its brokerage products. It is a top online broker that has been serving the public for more than a decade now. Its growth as an online trading firm has been tremendous making it a dependable company investing wise. There are more than 10,000 mutual funds to choose from. Transfer is free, and your account in protected. Forbes has even recognized it as the best online broker around.

Another Check-up

As you may have noticed, I haven't updated my blog for quite a while. Kids have been sick. Work has also pretty much taken my time. Kaiden has been waking up almost every hour at night due to his congested nose and pesky cough. We have been using saline spray, but most of the time, it only makes him cry causing a more stuffy nose. It helps but not totally. His cough has been terrible-loud and raspy. Today he's having a second check-up with the doctor. Hopefully, it's not something serious like pneumonia. Poor baby. At daytime though, he's fine except for the snot running down from his little nose. He's active and acts as if he has rested well. He plays and still fights with his brother over toys.

Who's Looking For You?

I've got classmates and teachers in highschool that I'm curious to know how and where they are right now. I was able to locate most of them and even got a chance to catch up with each other's activities, etc. It was fun to hear from them. There's one teacher in highschool that I wanted to get in touch with again somehow. She was my computer teacher, and my favorite! I guess I can mention I was her favorite, too. :) I remember her giving me inspirational notes, cards every after class. I wasn't the top in her class nor a struggling student. I don't know why she was so nice to me. All I can say is she was the kindest and sweetest teacher I've ever had. I can say that she's the reason why I got so interested in computers. Definitely, she was an inspiration.

There is a popular site called MyLife where you could search for people online. It could be a classmate, teacher, a former boyfriend or girlfriend, and even a future partner. It's also a tool where you can find out who's searching for you. Neat, huh? That sounds very interesting for me. You might be curious who's been stalking on you, or just plain looking for you. Give Mylife a try!

My Sick Kaiden

No ear infection. No strep throat. Lungs were clear. Flu test? Last Thursday night, Kaiden's temperature spiked to 101.3 deg F. We went ahead and saw his doctor first thing the following morning. The doctor checked him thoroughly- eyes, ears, nose, throat, breathing, etc. Now, for the swine flu test. The nurse had to quickly insert a cotton bud into his nose, which irritated him understandably. We had to wait for 15 minutes inside the room. Fifteen minutes seemed pretty long for my 2 boys. I had to keep them entertained while waiting for the result. One of the nurses, who's been fond of the boys eversince they were born, gave them a big bag of suckers or lollipops. Somehow that kept them entertained eventhough it meant going to see the dentist sooner for the boys. So...15 minutes had gone by and the flu test came back...negative! haaaay! A sigh of relief for me. I'm glad he didn't get infected with that swine flu. However, the doctor reminded me that flu tests are not always accurate. That means watching out for his temperature every now and then, and calling him immediately if it spikes up again to 101 deg or more. As of now, he's recovering well. No more fevers. Just the pesky cough and cold.

Holiday Vacation

Everything is set for our trip to Arizona this Thanksgiving holiday. We used to go up to Washington State to visit my in-laws who live in Orcas Island. Due to the cold weather, they decided to stay in Arizona for a few months until the cold spell in the island goes away. Hubby has already purchased the tickets for the trip. We originally planned to do a road trip or drive from here to Arizona, but he couldn't resist the cheap tickets he found online. For the Christmas week though, we have decided to go to Disney World in Florida. Oh, I'm excited about this trip!

After that, we might go to one of the Myrtle Beach Hotels and take advantage of their Very Merry Holiday Package. They are offering very low rates during the winter season for their Myrtle Beach Accommodations. I'm sure the shows are going to be spectacular. The kids will definitely love the Christmas lights beaming all around the place. I have to make sure though that we got the Myrtle Beach Accommodation all done early so we could avail of their holiday specials. Or, better yet, I could join their contest called Manager's Specials which would allow us to win a 4 night stay in a 2 bedroom combo. Cool! :)

From Cable to Direct TV

I was so glad our TV signal came back soon. Not as soon as we were expecting it to be, but still we're thankful it's back before Dancing with the Stars aired last week. There's another show that I've been pretty much following. It's called So You Think You Can Dance. It would make me feel bad if our TV signal hadn't been back on before it premiered. I don't get to watch it though on Wednesdays because of my Zumba class. With my husband's case, he surely needed to have the cable back the soonest for watching TV is like his ultimate hobby. And besides, he's into Fantasy Football. During this football season, Direct TV has a special which they call the NFL Sunday Ticket. You can watch as many as 14 games on Sundays. This would be great for all Fantasy Football players like my hubby.

Right now, DirectTV offers 5 months FREE if you purchase their PREMIER Package with the NFL Sunday Ticket. Not only that, you can get to watch more than 265 channels with 31 movie channels such as HBO, Cinemax, Starz, etc. That's a lot of great channels and savings if you think about it. If you want to know more about their exciting packages, simply click this link: Directv. This makes me think of switching from cable to Direct TV instead.

Neat Wine Furniture

Aside from globes and lighthouses, my hubby also has a collection of wine bottles. Not that he buys and gulps them down, they're gifts from good friends and co-workers who want to show him appreciation. Very, very seldom that he drinks. I can count it with my fingers. I realized his collection when I was trying to put away some stuff inside the house. I noticed an old wine glass rack at the corner of the dining room that obviously had not been given much attention. It had dust all over and apparently had to be cleaned. I was thinking it needed to be replaced as well for there were other bottles that had to be stored. There are wine glass racks on sale that I found online. There's one that captured my attention. Since my hubby needed a bigger rack, I thought this would be a perfect choice. It's called Wooden Wine Butler With Glass Rack.



It could hold 24 bottles and has a neat storage for glass. It has a stemware rack that could hold 15 pieces of glass. Furthermore, it has a nice storage for wine accessories such as the cork screw, bottle opener, etc. This type of furniture could actually accentuate our dining room because of its beautiful, elegant style. Glass Stemware Racks offers free shipping on this and is on sale up to 15%. This could be a nice gift for my hubby this Christmas holiday. Hmmm...

Another Way to Earn

A child's brain can be compared to a sponge. It easily absorbs new learning experience, and not to mention vocabulary. Their vocabulary expands faster than you think. With Noah, I didn't know that he could learn the Spanish words for numbers that quick. Watching Dora, a show that teaches boys and girls several words in Spanish, and teaching him the language personally surely did help. As of now, he continues to impress Mommy and Daddy as he has learned how to count 1 to 12in Spanish. Since my native tongue is Filipino, I have also been throwing Filipino words at him here and there knowing his brain can grasp it quickly.

In line with languages, if you're bilingual or a translator by profession, you can earn with our impressive skill by doing translation jobs at Translia. Translia is a form of online translation site that can let you work at your own pace and time anywhere you are. They offer paid jobs and free translation. What is nice about this site is that you get to work with other translators who could help you with a word or sentence which you're having difficulty with. To start getting paid, all you have to do is register and take a translation job of your interest. This is another great way to earn. Registration is free!

The Baby And Beyonce!

Oh boy! My hubby showed me this video the other day, and it cracked me up! Hilarious!

Friday Zumba!

Yipee! The fitness center that I go to added another Zumba class. When I first learned about it, which was a couple of months ago, I got so excited that I wanted to pull the days, literally! I've been doing Zumba on Mondays for 2 hours, and on Wednesdays for an hour. Zumba is a fun dance workout. You do the cha-cha, salsa, samba, etc. You name it! Fortunately, I have a great instructor. She incorporates it with kickboxing and some modern dances. She uses not only Latin music but also several popular songs by Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, even Bee-Gee's. Stayin' Alive! :) I enjoy it so much that I desire to teach it someday. I have to get certified first to be able to teach or be a Zumba instructor. Well, this October, they have a workshop near our place. It could have been a perfect situation, but my hubby has work and there's no one to take care of our kids. That's fine. Hopefully, this December they open up a workshop again. That time my husband would be able to watch the kids while I dance away for my Zumba certification. :)

Here's a video of how a Zumba workshop goes. Fun, fun, fun!

It's a Boy!

Yes! And he's a big baby too! He weighed 8 lbs and was 19 inches long in height. My friend at work recently gave birth. And I'm so happy for her. She's one tough young lady. She's been going through a lot of things even throughout her pregnancy days. Things just didn't go the way she wanted them to be particularly with her love life. Gladly, she has her Mom who gives her love and support always. Her Mom happens to be my boss as well. When she was pregnant, she asked me about baby stuff I have and would recommend. When Noah was still learning how to walk, he had a walker that was entertaining at the same time. I had to throw it though afterwards for the dogs got into it. They chewed the sides and the toys that came with it. Right now, both the boys had a car and an airplane toy that can be converted into a walker. They give so much fun to the kids.

I have an umbrella stroller and a double stroller for my walks in the morning. They come in handy especially when we go to malls or whenever we watch their Daddy's soccer games at the stadium.




At the dinner table, they sit on their booster seats. They help to keep them seated while eating. Noah knows how to buckle himself up and Kaiden somehow is getting interested to learn.

My Hometown... My Country

Emotions are so powerful that I find it hard to express in words what I'm feeling inside.

Photos from AFP and Reuters

A Long Lost Friend

I remember when I was a kid I had three childhood friends who were a little bit older than me. Our houses were just near each other as we were neighbors apparently. Each morning soon after eating breakfast, we would head out to a friend's house and play, watch movies, chat, daydream, until our Moms would call us for lunch or dinner. We never got tired of each other. We truly enjoyed each other's company. Oh, I miss those childhood years! One day, our friend broke the sad news. She had to leave with her family and reside in a place very far from ours. The three of us who were left behind couldn't help but cry. Obviously, we didn't want her to go. One day, she came back and invited us to spend a week in her new big home. Oh, we had so much fun! After that, we never heard from her again even up to now. She's one of the few people I wanted to get in touch with after so many years of no communication.

MyLife is a popular search engine that can let you search your loved ones. It could be a family member, a long lost friend, or anybody you're interested in. Joining is free unless you wanted a premium access that would let you know more about the person you're looking for. Search results are unlimited. What's amazing is it includes photos. That feature would give you an idea of what your friend or any loved one looks at present. If you upgrade, you would also be informed of the names of people who were looking for you. So, do you have a long lost loved one that you've been wanting to reconnect or get in touch with? Search through MyLife now.