A Durable Asset

Just 4 days more! On Saturday, my Mom and Aunt would be arriving from New Jersey and California respectively. Oh, can't wait! I have been preparing the house although I still have to decide which room they're going to use. By the basement or the room by the hallway? Today I'm going to decide on that so I can take that off my list of to do's. There's a lot to clean up and organize. While I'm busy with the preparation, my husband monitors our investments constantly. He said they've been going to the direction where he wanted to. Good then!

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Choosing An SUV

Finally, our daycare lady was able to get her old van replaced. Soon after she got a new car, a fire accident happened at her place. Due to that unfortunate incident, the daycare had to close for a few days. That meant I couldn't go to work for several days. Although I can do work stuff at home, there are some things that I can only do in the office such as filing, sending correspondence, checks, etc. Anyway, our daycare's old van had been causing her problems. Mechanically, it had not really been performing well. She had been contemplating on getting any of the popular hybrid cars or one the following: Honda, Porsche, or Ford Transit Connect. With the way the economy is doing nowadays, hybrid is the way to go. You can save more and besides, it's environment friendly.

She came across Car Connection online and read about interesting facts and reviews about each vehicle. She was more inclined on getting a van or SUV. For Honda, she thought the Pilot model was more spacious especially since she has kids. Out of 10 with 10 being the highest, it got an 8 rating. So that's a high one I suppose. Porsche has its own line of SUV'S and it's called Cayenne. Safetywise, this vehicle got a 9 rating. It has every safety feature you could think of that any car should have. Impressive! From the photos I've seen, the Ford Transit Connect is a beautiful van. This is not only good for big families but also for small business owners. And another great thing about this van is it fits a disabled person on a wheelchair. Next week when I drop the boys, I'd be able to see the new SUV or van she ended up choosing.

Save On Tickets

Curious George! They are going to have a concert here in Kansas in November. It would be a fun show for my kids to watch. If you purchase the tickets as early as now, you'd get a good price. They're actually inviting families to get them before September 20th before they finally sell them to the general public. Noah watches Curious George but not as much as Dora and Diego. Oh, he loves Dora and Diego! If there are Dora the Explorer Tickets on sale, I'd surely get hold of them the soonest before they run out.

A Cheap Seat offers tickets for concerts, theaters and sports. If you're dying to get the Jersey Boys Tickets or Radio City Christmas Spectacular Tickets, but you're on a budget, A Cheap Seat can help you. They have tickets for Super Bowl and Masters that are not usually sold to the public. Getting a ticket for a concert or event won't be a hassle if you use their service. You don't have to wait in line, or call and be put on hold for long. You save money, time and effort.

How's Your Credit?

I feel sorry for our daycare provider. Late Tuesday night she called to inform us that she had to close the daycare for a few days for there was a fire in their house. Oh my! Did she say her house was on fire?!?! Gladly that wasn't the case. She said the fire wasn't that huge. The house is standing still. It started in her kitchen and she's suspecting that the stove had a short circuit. Good thing she had a fire extinguisher on hand and she was able to stop the fire on time. However, the smoke and the smell of toxins were powerful that it got into her carpet. Yesterday when I talked to her she mentioned her carpet had to be replaced totally. Walls had to be fixed unfortunately as well.

Previously she said she needed to have her old van replaced. Now, she needs to have her house cleaned and fixed at the same time. One expense on top of another. I'm not sure what her credit standing is as of the moment. But there is one company that offers guaranteed credit repair services. It's called DSI Solutions. They help improve credit. They do credit repair with amazing results. I'd definitely mention this to my daycare lady in case she asks.

The Squeeshed Cantaloupe

I was wondering if Noah's watermelon and cantaloupe plants bore fruit at all. I looked everywhere in his garden but saw none. Until one afternoon, my hubby handed me a cantaloupe which he picked from Noah's garden. Really!?! He said it was hanging by the fence. Of course that made me eager to look for more. So I went out to the yard with him, looked everywhere... and oh my! We saw a cantaloupe squeeshed in between the wood fence, literally. lol! :) My hubby tried to take it out but he couldn't. Oh well...I don't know what else we could do about it. We'll just wait and see perhaps. :)

We saw a watermelon on the ground that has good promise. Yeehee! Again, it was my hubby who saw it, not me. What's with my eyes?!?! hehe :)

Bunch of Awards!

I am so sorry! It took so long before I could post these awards given to by my dear friends. But, I want to let you know that I do appreciate them a lot! :) This award was from my ever sweet blogger friends, kind soul onlinemommy, and soon-to-be-Mom Eva. Thanks so much for your thoughtfulness! :)

Now, this bunch of awards were from lovely Lena of Pinaymom blog. Another favorite site of mine! Very real and funny. You'd know from reading her posts that it is authored by an intellectual writer. Yeehaa! :) Check her blog and you'll know what I mean.

Awards Again!

Yoohoo! I got another set of awards from kind friends, coolingstar, Cherie and Anne Marie of My Money Mission. Unfortunately, the one from Anne Marie, I didn't get the specific url for the tag. I'm sooo sorry. :( Anyway, thank you very much for these beautiful awards. Love them! :)

This September

Oh, I'm excited! And so are my my Mom and my Aunt. They are coming over this September to visit the boys. They have been calling every now and then and asking what we want or need. I've been telling them that they don't have to buy anything for us. Their loving presence is enough. We do miss them! Seeing them again means a lot to me and the boys. Of course, they still would insist on getting us something. My Mom called yesterday and said she found a bag that I might like such as this one.

I'm not really into designer bags. I could use a cheap but nice looking one I could find in the store as long as I could fit all my stuff in it. That's how simple I can be. She also found a small, cute backpack for Noah. Noah plays with his soccer ball and basketball every time we're out in the yard. So this one fits his love for sports.


I guess with all the things that my Mom and Aunt are getting for us especially for the kids, their luggage would surely be full. I hope they don't exceed the weight limit though for their baggages.

Lose Those Belly Fat!

I thought I'd be limping after attending two classes last Thursday. lol! :) The first class was Barbell Body and the second one was called Bootcamp. The barbell class, as the name suggests, uses weights, dumbbells, a long heavy bar, a barbell, most of the time. Bootcamp is an intensive cardio workout that builds your endurance and increases your stamina. You would really sweat out your calories in this class. I guess with these classes I'd be able to attain my goal of getting rid of my pooch belly, somehow. :) You know the belly fat is the most difficult to work on. Oh, yeah! This morning was another 2 mile walk for me. It's fun to do it with my two boys who are just content in their stroller.

Our Little Mower

Noah loves doing stuff with his Dad. This time he wanted to mow the lawn with my hubby pushing the heavy equipment for him. Notice he's too small for the lawnmower that he could hardly reach it. :) But, he wanted to help and he enjoyed doing it especially if it's with his dear Daddy. :)

Garage Sale Treasure

While I was doing my morning walk with the kids, I saw a huge Church Yard Sale sign by the road. Being a garage sale addict I am, I decided to check it out. And, boy glad I dropped by the place! I saw this and got it for only $2! Great deal, huh? :)

Making Money In Blogging

I wanted some change. Not an "extreme makeover" type where I would do a tummy tuck, or breast lift, or any major surgeries. Nah. I just wanted to change the color of my hair. It's naturally black and I wanted it brown this time. I have a long black hair past my shoulders. That would mean paying a couple or more hundred bucks if I wanted it colored or highlighted in a salon. And honestly, I don't have that amount of money to spend on something not really needed. Although it does have some risks to do it on your own, I still went ahead and bought the box color of my choice. I tried it on my hair yesterday and I like it. But, of course, having it done at a salon would result in a much better look. I guess I need to do more paid blogging ads so I can have it done professionally someday. I found one that's interesting.

This is for those who do blogging for money. There's another way on how to make money blogging. YouSayToo is a site which aims on revenue sharing. By adding your blog to this site and entering your affiliate ID's, you can easily earn money through Google Adsense and Amazon. Not only that, you also boost traffic by simply joining and writing interesting posts. Join now like I did.

Lena's Adobong Taytay

Tomatoes with salt and pepper, tomatoes with cottage cheese,... Almost everyday, we get a bunch of tomatoes from our garden. Because of that, I have to constantly think of recipes or ways to use them all up before they get rotten. I suddenly remembered Lena's Adobong Taytay. I haven't made Adobo with tomatoes in my life, so I decided to give this a try. Honestly, I had to google this for I couldn't remember when she posted the recipe on her site. And yes, it was way back in March 2008- more than a year ago. :) Glad I found it! So, Mr. Google directed me to Lena's post. Tried it and mmmmm...it was yum yum! Thanks Lena for sharing this. Me and the boys definitely had a great lunch. :)

Oh, my belly pooch!

That's me! hehe just kidding! :) I can only wish! For sure, I don't have a stomach as flat or toned as Jessca Alba's. :) Since I gave birth to my two darling babies, my weight hasn't come down to what it was before I had babies. According to other "Mommy" friends like myself, that's normal. And I have accepted that. I'm not planning to go back to my old weight for that would just be too difficult if not impossible for me to accomplish. I just want to be fit and feel good about myself. Exercise does benefit me not only physically but also mentally. I still have a belly pooch to work on and arms that need some toning. :) Little by little, I think I'm accomplishing my goals as far as fitness is concerned. I just wish toning the abs was easy. But of course, it's not. Oh well, Jessica Alba sure does have a lot of discipline and perseverance to achieve a flat belly even after giving birth. :)

Fun-Filled Vacation

Myrtle Beach Resort has a lot of fun activities you can do with the entire family. Avista Resort is one of the Myrtle Beach Resorts that has dinner theaters, theme parks, golf packages, children's programs, etc. They have indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs and kids' pools. For my little boys, this is one thing we look for. We want to spend a vacation where it is kid friendly most of all such as the Myrtle Beach Hotels. My boys love the water! Even when I give them a bath, they would dip their whole body in the tub pretending they're swimming.

Among the children's programs the resort offers are Sand Castle Competition, Seashell Search, Shell Box Painting, Shark Tooth Search, Beach Soccer, etc. etc! They surely look fun to me! My kids are still young to do these stuff, but when they get older, we would let them take part in these activities for a fun-filled vacation at Avista Resort.

A Grand Vacation

Whew! It was a long, long walk this morning with the kids. The boys were in their ever dependable double stroller eating and waving to joggers and bikers we met. I never thought I could finish the walk without catching my breath. I owe this from attending fitness classes 4-5 times a week at our community center. Bootcamp, like I mentioned in my previous post, is a killer cardio workout for me. But, it surely is paying off. I don't get tired easily now and I don't have to gasp my breath on long walks like I did this morning. This is surely preparing me for our vacation to a Resort in Myrtle Beach.

Grande Shores is an Oceanfront Hotel Myrtle Beach that boasts of wonderful views. If you're in a budget, hotel rooms are affordable to every individual or family. This Myrtle Beach Resort offers ocean adventure package that can truly make your stay enjoyable. If you're looking for a quiet time alone and at the same time be awed by the beauty of water, this is one package you would want to get.

Ewww...Bugs!

The other day my husband got freaked out because Noah's belly button got swollen. He called our doctor and even sent him a photo of his swollen belly button. He thought he had hernia or something. It looked awful! The doctor said that it looked like a bug bite for him. My hubby wasn't quite satisfied with it. He had to look into it further. He thought it was something more serious. He was really worried. The doctor suggested using Benadryl cream to stop the itching because Noah had been scratching it often. When I took Noah to the daycare yesterday, our caregiver said that she failed to mention the other day that Noah had a bug bite in his belly button. OK! At least, we now know that it's really just a bug bite. Summer is the favorite season of pests or bugs. At home, I have to wash our pillows regularly, not only because of bugs but because of milk and juice spills. We also had to change our mattress one time for it seemed infested with bed bugs. I'm glad we replaced it.

If pests seem to be out of control and home remedies are not sufficient, you can always call Orkin for help. They have highly trained individuals on pest management. They are the experts in their own field. If you're concerned about the chemicals being used, Orkin uses the safest products around to get the results desired at the least amount.

My Little Gardeners

My 2- year old Noah did his gardening duty this morning. He harvested a bunch of red cherry tomatoes for our dinner tonight. :)

My little Kaiden, on the other hand, happily watered the plants with a hose. Apparently, this is one duty he never minds doing. No whining this time. :)

Beach Resorts

Last weekend, we went to Red Robin to celebrate my husband's birthday. Because it was his birthday, he was given a free gourmet burger. Every time we would go to that place, he would always order for his favorite, which is Banzai Burger. As for me, I would often get the one with the egg and bacon. I just forgot what it's called but it's good! Anyway, we had a great time only that Kaiden was a bit fussy. The boys got their free balloons before we headed home. Next year, it would be nice to spend a vacation and celebrate my husband's birthday on Myrtle Beach Resort for a change. I happened to stumble upon their site and I was awed by the spectacular views.

Going to Myrtle Beach Resorts and spending the nights at any of the Myrtle Beach Hotels is a wonderful way to relax and feel renewed from a demanding job or stressful work. There are a lot of choices to choose from: Grande Shores, SeaSide, Prince Resort, Towers on the Grove, Horizon and Avista Resort. Each of them offers amazing and enjoyable stay. If you're into golf, they have great packages you might want to try.

Happy Birthday, Daddyyyy!

As a gift, we also gave him a back scratcher lol! :) Noah and Kaiden loved playing with their Daddy's scratcher that one day we couldn't find it anymore. Either me or Noah would scratch his back every night. We love doing this for him, but this would come in handy especially when Mommy and Noah are already sound asleep. :)



Happy birthday hunny! We love you very, verrryyyy MUCH! :)

A Caribbean Vacation

Last year, my good friend went for an all inclusive vacation to Bahamas. And you can tell by the pictures and her stories that she had so much fun! I can't remember how many Caribbean vacations she had gone to. Every year, she makes sure she does this with her husband. And she never fails to give us cute souvenirs such as key chains as soon as she comes home. It is a form of relaxation for her from a quite stressful job. They don't have any children, only 3 dogs. Her mother-in-law takes care of her 2 Bulldogs and Boston terrier every time they're gone. Oh, I wish one day we would go on a Caribbean vacation! She would always remind us to get an all inclusive vacation package to save and enjoy your stay without the hassle of bringing your purse all the time. In line with that, she mentioned SuperClubs Breezes Resorts. They have what they call "Super-inclusive". Like the name implies, it includes everything you can think of- meals with all you can eat all the time special, drinks from sodas to expensive ones, entertainment, etc.! All is taken cared of. They give you superb total satisfaction that will surely make you come back every year.

Can't wait for my boys to get a little older! What a beautiful place to spend a vacation!

Cheap Facial Cleanser

It's not the typical facial cleanser you buy at stores. It's cheap but it works. At least for me. For a big bottle, you only get to pay more or less than $2.00. I have been using baby wash as facial cleanser. It's so mild that it doesn't irritate my skin and cause dryness. Like most baby shampoos, it's tear free and hypoallergenic. I like it because it effectively removes make-up, even the toughest eye mascara. And, it's a real money saver to top it off! ;) *wink*

My Daily Devotion

Tonight, I got to read my Daily Devotions from the Psalms. After an exhausting day of taking care of the kids, (and dogs and cat), working, completing household chores- cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, gardening, etc. etc., reading an inspirational page from the book each day has become a de-stresser for me. If not at night time, I try to read what's for the day every time I get a chance such as when the boys get a nap in the afternoon. I like how the Psalm verse is explained through a story that most people can relate. I also do like the small prayer that goes with it, simple, inspiring and makes you think about your own life.

For today, here's the prayer from the book which I hope could uplift your spirit and ease your burdens. :)

"Lord, be my anchor and support. When the day gets too rough, help me to remember that I am firmly established in Your Spirit and in Your love. Amen."

Kaiden's hands seem like in prayer

An NFL Fan

The thing is I don't know how to swim. What a shame! hehe. :) Couple of weeks ago, we were invited by my dear friend Regina for swimming at Oceans of Fun. I told her I can't swim. I do know how to float though, but of course, if you have 2 little kids, that definitely won't be enough. So I had to beg off. If my hubby didn't have a game that day, then we would have gone. But apparently, he had work and a game that weekend. Somehow, I felt bad saying "no" to her. Regina is a very nice friend of mine whom I've known for 2 years now. We don't regularly talk to each other as most close friends are. We catch up every once in a while whenever there's a chance. She lost her husband 2 years ago from an illness.

When her husband was still living, they used to buy the NFL Sunday ticket. She regularly checked the NFL Sunday ticket schedule and was always on the lookout for a good NFL Sunday ticket price. I mentioned the package from Direct TV to her and she was excited about it. Right now, they have a special promo for phone orders. Knowing her, I don't think she'd pass this one. :)