CompliCated S1mpl1c1ty

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T11:40:00.002-06:00

Wow, 2012 is finally here! Just the last 18 months, we've been bombarded with the discovery of the Mayan calendar predicting the end of the world in 2012.

How do you measure the uncertainty of that? Do we liken it to the scare of 1999 turning to 2000 and computers crashing all around that many actually took their funds out of banks and rode around with it in their cars along with ammunition and provisions. Just how do we know? We don't and therefore, each year should be our best year.

May we all try to be the best this year in the things that matter: Love, Kindness, Generosity, Service and Faith. We can all learn from each other and we can all lift each other up.

Happy New Year to all!

Prized Christmas Traditions

2011-12-04T22:54:00.001-06:00

It is December once again. How time just flew by. But isn't it just as amazing that someone was inspired enough to help us close each year in remembrance of such a momentous, auspicious event that the whole world needs?

Joy to the world indeed! To remember how our Savior Jesus Christ chose to be our Redeemer despite knowing he'll come into a humble situation though He is a King, a rightful heir to the kingdom of His beloved Father, our Heavenly Father... A son of God.

In preparation for this wonderful, but often misrepresented event, traditions have sprung up. From whole countries, culture, families to individuals. I want to share with you what we do in our family... Though they have evolved during the years, many have remained to this day. For example, since 2007, we have stopped giving "wanted" gifts to each other, but rather we focus the gifts on those items that can help us be more like Jesus- so we buy books and only needed items to share on that day.

After Thanksgiving
-We buy new Christmas books, look for new stories to add to our Christmas book (1997 or 98)
-Start decorating for Christmas
-Plan our Christmas Menu- Filipino
-Figure out whose theme will be used (each of our children has a theme)
-Drop off Nativities to loan for community exhibit (2007)

December 1-25
-Read/watch 1 story and/or sing a song. Normally done under a candlelight, but we are flexible.
-Attend a Temple Lights (2001) or Nativity Display Exhibit (2007)
-Decorate the house

Upper banister, "Burgundy and Gold", 2011

After Nativity Exhibit
-Place Nativities all over the house and finish decorating. (2007)

Carrollton Community Nativity Exhibit, 2011

-Set up the 3 small trees anywhere in the house and read, "The Three Trees" story by them.

"The Three Trees" as our Christmas tree, 2008

L, J & I, in front of our "Three Trees", 2010

Second week of December-
-Buy a Christmas tree and decorate it as a family while listening to Christmas songs

"Poinsettia & Gold", 2010

-Do our family portrait

-Finalize and send out our Christmas Newsletter
-Finalize our menu and start shopping

Christmas Orange
-We make sure that everyone is home for this (2001). We buy tangerines and each one gets one to peel after we read the story of the Christmas Orange and we do as the story tells. It is told by a few candle lights or by the fireplace. We've been reading this story since we got the book from my in-laws, but we waited to do the actual exchange after our second child was old enough to taste one. Our son had to wait until he was old enough to have his own.

Honey Tangerines, WalkerIndianRiverGroves.com

December 13-25
-Start 12 days of Sweets; bake something sweet every night (2009)
-Send some sweets as gifts

Chocolate-topped Shortbread Cookies & Flavored Cheese Danish

-Draw names for the PJ & Book Gift Exchange

December 24, Christmas Eve
-Leave Christmas lights on all day
-Lunch-Pizza and juice
-Christmas Dinner-Filipino Feast (Appetizers, Soup, Pansit, Lumpia, Rice, Afritada, Roast Pork, Baked Fish, Desserts, Drinks)

Filipino Feast, Christmas Eve, 2009

-Open Christmas PJs to wear for the night

PJ's, 2009

December 25, Christmas Day
-Leave Christmas lights on all day
-Christmas Breakfast (children's choice)
-Open gifts and stockings by the fireplace
-Set up grazing table (buffet style, all day)

Grazing Table, 2009

-Bake a chocolate cake for the Savior
-Read Mary's Dream
-Listen to Christmas Songs
-Sing "Happy Birthday, Jesus" and eat cake
-Open present for Jesus (a promise to fulfill all year)

We love our traditions and now that the children are older, it is more precious each year...

We'd love to hear about yours...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL, A GOOD NIGHT.

Christmas Newsletter... Why?

2011-11-27T21:19:00.001-06:00

Sandrajo Files. Wordpress.com

Is it still necessary? With today's technology, everyone can catch up on a daily basis (Facebook, Blogs, E-mail, Cell Phones, Skypes). Even on a hourly, minute-by minute even (Twitter). So how does a condensed version of a whole year's memory written down for others to see, for the sake of catching up, still show value?

I find myself asking because it is rather getting more and more difficult to compose one. I started out with a nice, semi-formal enough look that summed up what we did for each year since we were first married, but then it morphed to some fun ones, some with pictures, still, the "but" lingers...

We've received many as well over the years, along with generic cards, postcards with pictures of just their kids, and ones designed to make you admire how funny and clever the author is. I certainly look forward to receiving them but we also "see" the same friends and families on Facebook and other networking sites and catch up on what they do so... why a Christmas newsletter? Do people even still read one? Or do the intended recipients now quickly assume, "I already know about that, she just wasted paper." With that in mind, why a Christmas newsletter this year, why not be just like most and just go to the local store and crank out a hundred or so copies of my family's smiling faces with the cursury, "Merry Christmas!" and be done with it?

(As I'm writing this, the answer comes)
... Because it is not about catching up or showing off or keeping up with what's easiest. It's about taking the time to reflect on the year of blessings & trials and finding the Hand of God in each day that passed by. The newsletter becomes a final page to a non-existent journal book that is chosen to be shared with all that we care about. A final way to show of our beliefs, our lifestyle and what we truly value as we celebrate the best holiday of all, the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ...

Knowing this once again, I think I will go back to our former way of doing our newsletter... Because we want everyone to know that we love Him and all that He stands for...

Thanksgiving is a Must

2011-11-24T22:43:00.001-06:00

HELLO and Happy Thanksgiving!We made it! We had another great Thanksgiving! As I'm sure you did, too! Like you, I'm sure, we also ate too much and had a great set of rounds of what we are grateful for. So here we are after dinner...

I wanted a Thanksgiving table, but I had no idea what and how. We've also been just bogged down with all sorts. But I'm glad my body and brain worked together last minute, literally, and this is what I came up with...

If you want to see more of our table/dining room/story behind it, click here:
http://whatnowtablescapes.blogspot.com/2011/11/au-naturale-t.html

It's rare that I have my pictures taken so don't be scared. That's really how I look like, posed next to my centerpiece.

and here with my 2 little ones, I-Dude and J-Pony. (Obviously) Mr. Man took the picture. We totally missed not having L-Infinity again this Thanksgiving, but we talked to her and she's among friends in Pearl City, Honolulu, HI for her Thanksgiving break at BYUH. She's doing really well in all her studies and might even have an intern job this summer!

I-Dude and J-Pony smiling up at the camera. (I would too, if I'm waiting to be fed!) lol

As always, we had a feast, but definitely toned down. It was nice having plenty to choose, but just eating enough to be full and satisfied...

After talking to L-Infinity and realizing we wanted to send her some pictures.

Just after dinner and dessert time. I-Dude patiently watching Mr. Man cut him a piece of pie.

Afterwards, I went upstairs to upload these pics for the family and when I finished and came back down, Mr. Man washed the dishes! He is just amazing! Love him!

Alright, time to go. Time to play Apples to Apples with the kiddos!

Happy Thanksgiving! How did you celebrate yours?

Cooking and Saving

2011-11-13T00:09:00.001-06:00

I miss my kitchen... Though the drywall is almost all up on the backwall, the counters are still full of tools and between the kids getting sick and me, too, plus busy schedule, it's still a mess. I've only managed to catalog some of the few great meals I've been doing for the kids' cookbooks (someday). But at least I captured some and they are delicious, nutritious and economical!

Been using One Note to store my recipes (totally not a recipe person), and we're all learning to rely on it to choose and plan our dinner menu for the week. But I'm also into seasonal produce, so until I have it all down, the recorded recipes are not that reliable yet. Here are some of the great ones I have yet to include:

I call this one, Green Steak over Linguine. It's got mainly green ingredients-broccolini, spinach, parsley, basil and little leftover steak. Total cost, under $5.00!

Pan-fried Tilapia fillets. Just S&P and a hot skillet/pan and 4 minutes later, "viola!" Total cost, $4 for 8 fillets!

I love my Autumn soup, Sweet Leeky Squash Mash; it's hearty nutritious and completely vegetarian. The creamy base, coconut cream! Sweet potatoes, Winter squash, leeks, and spices. Yummy! Topped with Roasted Pumpkin seeds! Filled a 5-cup Rubbermaid container! Total cost, $3.50!

Steamed Artichokes! Hubby found them at Krogers for 10/$10! Yep, only $1 each!

Berry Veggie Medley Smoothie, my whole family loves it! Healthy and oh-so cheap! (Blueberries, Blackberries, Strawberries, Spinach, Carrots, Yogurt and OJ) Total cost for the whole pitcher, less than $2.00!

Haven't been doing any tablescapes since back in 4th of July... I'm so sad...

I've been busy researching a healthier approach to eating. So much information available, it's amazing! But, the pattern seems to point at the obvious... Clean food means clean body!

Til next time!

Autumn Bliss

2011-11-09T20:51:00.001-06:00

I love, love Fall! Just the simple fact that the leaves change colors, the weather cools after fighting summer's imprisonment or burning punishment. I love Fall!

The colors, the smells, the feel! There's just nothing like it!

The wind whispers, "slow down, slow down..." The air invites, "play, play"... The leaves call, "have hope, have hope..."

And then of course, there's School time, Halloween and Thanksgiving...

What a wonderful way to set our minds and hearts towards the Christmas season, but with a grateful heart when Thanksgiving rolls by and moves on...

I love Autumn, such a wonderful time of the year.

(Pics from last year...)

How do you feel about Fall?

Early Halloween?

2011-10-16T23:40:00.001-05:00

Each year, since 2008, we've participated in our church's Trunk-or-Treat gathering both in the Cultural Hall and the Parking Lot. We deck out the back of the van with lights, pumpkins, cauldron, black roses and vinyl tablecloth. We give out glowing bracelets. Just a blast!
Normally, we are used to knowing that it will not follow when Halloween is, especially if it falls on Sabbath day. But each one has been only within a few days before. But this year, it would seem we won't be able to participate in the traditional way-no trunk to dress up for us this year because it's being done 9 days before Halloween! Talk about caught unawares! Between the repairs, books fairs, concerts, hectic work and school schedules this year plus volunteer work, I'm lucky to even remember to get a costume for the kids this year! Forget about candy! (Nah... We can make time to get candy, right? Right!)

Anyway, to ensure that we can at least get the kids to participate and enjoy a pre-Halloween celebration, I signed up to make and bring chili and cornbread while the church funds hotdogs and juice/water. I think it's a fair trade...

As far as Halloween here at our house goes, nada, zip, nothing this year... We just have too much going on and no real time to setup the holiday decor without adding to the mix of boxes already needing to find a spot in the attic or the garage. Did I mention the current deluge of repairs we have? Let's see... sink and water heater, just fixed (love my new Moen "Lindley" faucet!), AC being monitored for leaks, back wall still missing in the Eat-In/Office area of the Kitchen, puppies poked a hole on the expensive couch, carpet being changed to tile, under sink particle board floor ripped and to be changed, bugs needing to be repelled around the house, curtains still need to be hung up, and painting in the Library windows and two of the kids bedrooms still need to be finished.

At least they are our projects to do... (after sighing loudly...)

Happy Halloween to all this year!

The Water Heater Gets in on the Act!

2011-09-25T23:01:00.001-05:00

Hello all!

In our current saga of "Repairs-a-Callin'", our seemingly quiet water heater unit decided to get our attention.

Mr. Man fixed the hot water pipe leak under the sink recently and decided it was time to turn back the hot water tank on yesterday. Well! "Sir Expansion Tank" literally blew his top off and crashed into the ceiling! Followed by a jet of hot water! Good thing no real damage as Mr. Man managed to turn off the water line just in time. Whew!

After a trip to Lowe's and Home Depot for a new expansion tank, pipe tapes, temp & pressure gauge, fittings and new piping, "Don Water Heater Tank" is humming his merry little tune again at a nice toasty 120 deg F. Most would have it set at 140 deg F, but the previous owner did not gauge their room well and fitted into a tiny closet, Don's girth capacity of 50 gals while his height almost didn't allow for any noble "Sir Expansion Tank" to fit on top! So to make things work, the water temp had to go down so the pressure can go down and keep "Sir" happy and content being "on top" of things for the "Don".

More updates later... Happy Fall y'all!

I thought I was ready to come back...

2011-09-12T00:46:00.001-05:00

but... The past few weeks, I've been everything else but FREE. Yeah, I play on FB, but that's more of a "white noise to keep me focused on keeping sane while I kept up with all of our activities lately. I can't wait to have some downtime...

Hopefully soon. Til then...

Homeownership Wows and Woes

2011-08-19T22:32:00.004-05:00

Now that we have our own home, I feel more stressed. (don't get me wrong, I feel very blessed to own our home, well... maybe that we have a bank that let us pay them monthly over it.)

I feel more stressed because there are MORE:

-space to fill and make cozy

-storage to fill but with what

-problems due to more space and areas to maintain

-careful planning of how to make space sing with personality and style

-corners to miss in cleaning and organizing

-walls to paint and architecture to update

-competition on which room to do first

-home age-related issues to deal with as opposed to calling the apt mgr to send someone

-bills to pay out since even the garbage is in your name

Also because there are LESS:

-money to deal with problems as they arise

-time to do it all when you have school-age children

-patience in keeping up with problems that pop up

-ideas to run through when home value vs. style clashes

-opportunities to get things done due to lack of time and money

But I guess in the end, it all balances out. (good thing, too since I practice Feng Shui and a balancing act goes a loooong way) We love our home and can't wait to realize its potential.

I'm busy designing closet shelving ideas to maximize storage and built-in cabinetry to lessen the impact of bare walls and add more storage in the living areas. Designing the kids' rooms so they'll want to study in there (and not just use it to text their friends in private). Researching the garden ideas for this part of Texas (aka still waiting for my thumb to turn green). My hubby's busy bringing home the bacon to repair the walls, air leaks, keep cooling and heating and the materials to maintain the house. The kids, they have their chores... (if they ever get to them!)

It may take a few (fingers crossed) or several years before most of our projects are realized, but at least they are our projects...

Side note:

Tonight's BTS Brain Menu:

Pork Adobo (complete protein)

Steamed Rice (niacin, zinc, selenium, manganese and almost complete protein)

Asparagus and Tomatoes (vitamins and minerals)

Melon and Grapes (vitamins and minerals)

It was delicious! And I didn't have to beg the kids to eat it! (winking until you notice)

Good night and later!

BTS- Prepping The Brain Menu

2011-08-18T21:16:00.006-05:00

Now that summer is almost over in the sense that school's almost back in session, I am quite curious as to how we as parents prepare our children to go back to school mode.

I guess I can share that I have three children who love to learn and go to school (ok, they like hanging out with friends mostly, but we can pretend, right?). Honestly, they love school and learning. Since reading, art, science, history and practical knowledge are covered 365 days a year, my main focus is on what they put in their bodies.

Summer is wrought with temptation! (Eating out, bbq's, shakes that are fatter than a whole cow, fruits that no one eats because there's ice cream waiting in the freezer; did I mention eating out?) Of course we balance it out with swimming, touring vacation spots on foot, walking the dogs in the early morning to escape the heat (alright, you do that)

Well back to my reality. I love to cook and the cooler months seem to entice me into that love more than Summer or Spring. So I get creative and don my invisible scientist coat and delve into the latest research on children's good health in relation to food choices. I cook for their brain, a whole week before school starts. They just don't know it (yes, I'm Dr. Sneaky McSneakypants! mwahhhhahahahaha! (booming thunder in the background))

So tonight is 4 days left before school starts on Monday, the 22nd. Here's what I made to beef up their brains... (no, I didn't feed them beef brains... what were you thinking?)

Baked Pacific Cod with Mixed Summer Vegetables

Steamed White Rice

Ice Water

Blueberry Lemonade Smoothie

What, you didn't know that Fish and Blueberries are good for the ol' noggin? Yes, yes they are!

Omega 3 & 6 helps your heart and brain while blueberries...

"Blueberries have compounds that boost neuron signals and help turn back on systems in the brain that can lead to using other proteins to help with memory or other cognitive skills." (James Joseph, Nutrition Researcher) http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/health/article/Living-Well-Blueberries-trigger-neurons-that-1153313.php

So now you know just how easy to feed the buzzing and budding brains in your children, even if they don't like fish, just find the nutrients that can help their brain and your next school year can be that much better... Not to mention the other nutrients that a healthy menu provides for their behavioral and emotional needs. Love the B family for that!

See you next time!

Hello and Welcome Back!

2011-08-15T12:09:00.004-05:00

To all passersby... I'm back! Got so many pics to post, updating and all that good stuff.

The DIY projects list is still long, but at least we had two great vacations!

Quick Update:
1) Vacations- California and Utah
2) Met newest members of family (Jernon & Garrison)
3) Found termites in back door wall (hot fun!)
4) Sorted old clothes (too many, too long!)
5) BTS shopping (coupon filled)
6) Lots of OT (to fund the DIY projects)

(What, you thought extra $$$ for fun, I wish!)

School's almost upon us, so that means another BTS Fashion Show in our house! (makes this the 6th annual one.)

Can't believe how Summer's almost done. (thank goodness! not my season! funny, being tropical and all!)

Ok, see you all soon!

MIA for a While...

2011-04-18T02:48:00.002-05:00

Hello... Though I know no one bothers to read this, thought I owe it to those that may happen to wander and ask, "Oooh, a new blog to explore, I wonder if it's worth a visit or two", I will be MIA for a while.

The hubs and I have decided to do as much DIY projects to finish before summer hits and we all melt from the heat and humidity that is the Mid-Southwest.

We have the Master closet finishing, downstairs bath moulding, foyer & LR painting and frontyard gardening to tackle. Vacations and visits to plan. Stocking up to do. Backyard maintenance to monitor and fireants to put under control. But best of all, we have a Cub Scout to help finish off requirements while having fun.

So with that long of a laundry list, which by the way, laundering of big comforters is one of the big projects, I will not be in the blogging circuit for a while. Not that I ever truly was.

Thanks, and see ya'll later with pictures!

A Healthier Me: Day 5-7

2011-02-25T23:32:00.000-06:00

I didn't think I'd make it to ONE WHOLE WEEK. I battled fatigue, flu-like symptoms, backache, leg cramps and insomnia. But I wanted to finish.

I DID IT. ONE WEEK. Now, just two more weeks and I can reset my attitude, lifestyle, and body to continue working out and eating healthy.

WORKOUT: Average 1 hour a day

Wii Fit- Basic, Advanced and Free Steps/ Basic Boxing/ Hula Hoop Challenge/ Ski Jump

Stairs- Average of 7 sets of up and down on 16-step plight

Dancing-Waist and Hip gyration/ Salsa Combo

Stretching for warm-ups

MEALS:

I enjoyed pasta, rice, garbanzo beans, barley, veggies, nuts, milk, cheese, bread, fruits and beef, salmon and scallops. One medium portion, chewed slow and tons of water.

I feel great; I'm not as sluggish nor prone to light-headedness lately. Thank goodness. Enduring my caveman-like slow movements were harder to endure during the day than when I put in an hour's worth of non-stop aerobic exercise.

I also find myself being more discerning with what I will serve my family. We've always eaten sensibly, but I'm a believer of "there's always room for improvement".

I can't wait for tomorrow!

A Healthier Me: Day 4

2011-02-22T21:25:00.006-06:00

Insomnia hit me again this morning and I didn't fall asleep until 3:30 AM. Grrrr!!!

Woke up @ 6:15 and stayed up until 9:30. Fell asleep and didn't wake up until 2:30, just enough time to meet my son at the front door. Also had a bit of a stiff neck.

IT BEGINS... Every year, I start to be more active. But the first two weeks are a real pain. Literally! But it goes beyond pain for me. I get sick!

Stiff necks, sniffles, muscle aches, light-headed, fever, cold sores, coughs. The yucky stuff!

So, just like always, I have to stop the workouts and rest until I feel better. In other words, no difference.

But this time, I want to get to three weeks, at least and know that I've conquered something.

WORKOUT: (1 hour total)

Wii Fit: Basic and Advanced Steps, Hula Hoop Challenge, Basic Boxing

Stair-Climbing: 5 sets

Upper Arms: Mixed with both arms for tonight's menu

BREAKFAST:

Honey wheat toasts-2 slices

Laughing Cow cheese- 1 wedge

Milk

LUNCH:

Leftover- Mushroom & Onion couscous- 1 cup

Grapes- 1 cup

Water- 4 glasses

SNACK:

None

DINNER:

Two-egg cheese omelette

Steamed broccoli

Strawberries- 3

Water-4 glasses

DESSERT:

2 choc chip cookies (I splurged... :-D)

(The recipe yielded 5 doz since I used a small scoop, but don't worry; I have the hubs sharing most of it at work and the kids bringing some to school tomorrow. )

My BMI is 24 at 119 lbs. I need to be at 22 BMI at about 109-110 lbs. I have a looong way to go!

I hope I can keep this momentum despite the oncoming symptoms. I will have to take Tylenol to head them off. Wish me luck!

A Healthier Me: Day 3

2011-02-21T23:30:00.003-06:00

Today was very exciting! The treadmill didn't work. Wait, no... That wasn't the exciting part.

I tried the Wii Fit again today and you know, it's been 569 days since I last been on it. No, that's not the exciting part either.

It said the following:

BMI= 24.04 Normal

WEIGHT= 119.3 lbs.

DID YOU READ THAT?!!! I thought I was in the 130's! Last time I had a BMI of 27.41 OVERWEIGHT

But I guess between this last move, hauling boxes from the storage, home repairs and having a staircase, working for a couple of months of graveyard shift, I must have lost weight.

Well, the exciting part continues... I was so happy to know that I lost so much weight that I only have 6 lbs. to lose, I managed to work out for 2 whole hours!!!

WORKOUT:

Wii Fit-Basic Step 3x, Hula Hoop Challenge-3x, Basic Run

Staircase-5 sets (up and down)

Netflix- Crunch Salsa Combo

Stand-up Stomach Crunches

BREAKFAST:

Special K Oatmeal Crunch

Milk- 1 glass

Water- 2 glasses

LUNCH:

Beef Barley Soup- 1 bowl

Oatmeal Wheat Rolls- 2

Water- 2 glasses

SNACK:

Water- 2 glasses

DINNER:

Rotini with Mushroom Cheese Tomato Sauce

Oatmeal Wheat Rolls- 2

Red Grapes- 1 cup

Water- 3 glasses

I wasn't hungry, I wasn't beat, I wasn't craving any sweets. I didn't get tempted looking at all the ice cream tubs we got at our Albertson's store that's closing, (if not closed already) last week.

I can't wait to workout again tomorrow! I feel great!

A Healthier Me: Day 2

2011-02-20T20:01:00.002-06:00

Since today is Sunday, no workout for me, but rather I made sure that I baked my own bread to exercise my arms.

One thing I'll definitely won't do is to do anything drastically. No too small portions, and definitely no skipping meals. No one food diet- I will have the whole pyramid covered in sensible meal plans and enough portion so I'm not sneaking any sugar packets in the middle of the night.

BREAKFAST:

Cereal

Milk- 2 glasses

LUNCH:

Honey Wheat Bread- 2 toasted slices

Laughing Cow Cheese- 1 wedge

Honey

Water- 3 glasses

SNACK:

Blackberries-1/2 cup

DINNER:

Oatmeal Wheat Dinner Rolls-2

Beef Barley Soup- 1 bowl

Water- 3 glasses

DESSERT:

Fusion Smoothie(fruit and veggie)- 1 glass

I know it takes about a week to lose all water weight, another week for muscles to rip enough for reformation and about a zillion months to shed tummy fat, but if I can get to three weeks of uninterrupted workout-filled, good eating, and water-chugging habits, I know I can reach my goal of going to size 4, fitting in my dream dress, and that much closer to my dream date:

Going to an opera and a fancy dinner

Dressed formal and in heels

I CAN'T WAIT!!!

A Healthier Me: My Fitness Journey

2011-02-19T08:37:00.005-06:00

Today, I decided that I will make that BIG leap into a more active and proactive healthy lifestyle for myself. I normally eat sensibly and do my obligatory chores as my workout, but I know I can be better.

I'm about 136 lbs and barely under 5 feet tall. I am currently size 6/8 and have been since December 1999. I AM OVERWEIGHT.

For my height, my max healthy weight is 112-115 lbs and max of size 4.

I AM OVERWEIGHT. I need this as a reminder.

We got this treadmill for FREE, so I am determined to use it everyday to help whip my body into a lighter version.

(excuse my LR/Library walls, we're still figuring out paint color.)

Starting today, I will take you with me as I journey into this mostly painful, obviously funny and hopefully not empty attempt at reaching my goal. I have no set time to reach it, but rather I wish to get into a habit of wanting to be healthier.

DAY 1-- 30 mins

TIME: 8:00 AM

WALKING-25 mins/2.0 mph
RUNNING-05 mins/4.0 mph

CALORIES BURNED: 166 fat/cals
DISTANCE: 1.5 miles

BREAKFAST:

Water-3 glasses
Strawberries-7 whole
Eggs- 2 sunny-side up/no salt/pepper

LUNCH:

Water- 4 glasses
Spinach Salad w/ Craisins & oat crunch cereal & homemade dressing
Hershey's Kisses- 3 dark chocolate

DINNER:

Water- 3 glasses
Baked Salmon (cumin, garlic, lemon, evoo)
Spinach & Strawberry salad
Mushroom & Onion couscous

Extra Workout:

Walked around the grocery store before getting and carrying mushrooms, a gallon & a quart of milk. NO cart or basket.

Ice and Snow Storm of 2011 in North Texas

2011-02-04T13:55:00.009-06:00

This is not the first snow of the year. That was back in January. But this time, it is longer and colder.

As of today, we are now on our 4th Snow Day... It started with a freezing rain and sleet. It left roads iced over and enough packed ice that I was able to stand on my grass, literally on top of the blades of them!

It wasn't windy, so the kids were cold, but not freezing. As for my un-gloved hands, they were beet red after 10 minutes of being exposed. Ouch!
We had mini icebergs that trapped water hoses,
and roads that glistened and made cars groan.
the sidewalks were literally higher by an inch or so and perfect for electric slides, if you have proper padding and helmet on.
Of course, the snow wouldn't be outdone. Early morning today, it dumped over 6 inches of snow and as I type, it has started to snow again, making driving, once again, a little bit more difficult.Our backyard wasn't immune to it, between the heating vents and the snow, icicles formed on the gutters.
The kids had to bundle up this time because the snow storm is more biting than the ice storm. The winds were strong enough to dislodge packed snow from tree trunks!Driving is still happening, though avoided as much as one can. Who wouldn't avoid it?

All the while, we enjoyed making crayons, singing, playing online games, doing puzzles, reading, cooking and taking pictures. We celebrated the Year of the Rabbit with a nice table and dinner centered on rice and veggies. We enjoyed chocolate, both hot and in pastries and even in a pie. We enjoyed having a marathon viewing of the Merlin show, Season 2. We enjoyed our gas fireplace and basked in the relief that we have enough toilet paper and training pads for the puppies. We all, pets and us, had enough of what we needed and wanted as in chips, sodas, cheese snacks and marshmallows, you know, the important stuff.

We made sure that we didn't succumb to cabin fever and started the redo of the Master Closet, aka, mine. As of today, it has been gutted, sanded, vacuumed, re-textured and primed. Overall, we just enjoyed being together, safe, cozy and wanting for nothing while it's bleak out.

And so, as of today, we are inside, nice and warm, comfortably living off our stores and enjoying the quiet majesty that is winter...

How's the weather where you're at?

A Great Ending for A Wonderful Start

2011-01-09T00:54:00.003-06:00

If you want to know how, click on the "What Now?" blog button on the left.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Thanks and hugs!

What's Wrong With These Pictures?

2010-12-06T00:29:00.002-06:00

For those of you who knows our family, it's obvious, right?

Was it my longer hair or that my daughter's almost as tall as me at 11? (ok, something's wrong with that, too, but that's not it...)

Is it the change in the outfits and hairstyles? Nope!
Or the big smiles being displayed (after much begging?) Not quite...
Or how about this ultra rare, almost impossible, can't believe it happened, great smile on my face right next to my husband's gorgeous one? Close... Nah!

What's amiss is that our eldest, who is now a college gal is not due to be home until mid-December. So until then, you'll only see the four of us in group pictures.

2010 has been a whirlwind for us, for sure!

Enjoy the cold!

One Dinner, Countless Gratitude

2010-11-25T11:14:00.005-06:00

Another year, another Thanksgiving Feast. What a blessing... To have the resources and ability to create and enjoy a feast. Our hearts are full.

Summer seemed endless this year, hot and bright. Then the breeze picked up cooling the air on different days. The rain seemed to tease as well though the gardens everywhere around us were definitely grateful for the quenching drink.

Then on the day before Thanksgiving, I wake up to this...

A lovely reminder that Fall is here-- time to rejoice and slow down... After much decorating, where top and bottom were dressed as the outside...

It was time to prepare the dining room and set the stage for the upcoming feast...
So the mirrors were dressed up to be witnesses to the falling leaves dancing with the chilly wind outside... And the table was set to feed a family and two LDS missionaries with great sense of humor who again taught us that Jesus Christ is alive and here to teach us about life.
So to express our gratitude, we fed them some "home-made from scratch" dishes that even the chef and best critic of the house were impressed.
Autumn Soup (butternut squash & potato with leek and coconut milk) with Texas Toast & Cocktail Shrimp topped with Roasted butternut squash seeds; Cliff House Clam Chowder (a Maine recipe tweaked); Glazed Spiral Ham alongside Sausage & Corn Dressing (home made sausage); Oatmeal Dinner Rolls; Roasted Game Hens over Portobello Couscous. We drenched our thirst with Cran-Orange Fizz & Ice Water. It was rounded out by desserts of Sugar cookies, Pecan tarts and Apple pie, Thanksgiving Pie. It was indeed a feast... What a blessing to have such opportunity in the midst of this depressing economic trials we are facing.

We were a little down since our eldest girl is in Hawaii, but soon she'll be home with us and that helped us to cheer up and wish her the best Thanksgiving as well in her BYUH home... The ward fed them both spiritually and physically. Can't beat that...

And of course, we can't ignore our newest source of gratitude... Our new family members, our new "babies"-- Zeus Bolt & Percy Jackson! (think mythology and you'll figure out which is which)

They are absolutely a delight! They keep us on our feet and keep us cleaning the carpet. LOL

We wish and hope that you and yours... Also had one dinner, a feast over countless gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow!!! Amazing!!! Awesome!!!

2010-11-13T23:59:00.003-06:00

Just some words to describe all of the great news happening within our family circle.

A brother-in-law finally getting to adopt my niece

A new house almost finished

My daughter turning 18

My daughter finally getting used to college life

Getting VT done on the first week of the month

Getting the bigger furniture out of the storage

My MIL's birthday

First Thanksgiving in our new and more permanent home

Having a house of our own to clean and beautify

My nephew in Canada is now 3 months old and giggling

My nephew in San Jose, CA racking up class awards for Reading

Our trees finally turning colors

Each day is amazing, wow and awesome... How can I not be grateful?

After 18 Years...

2010-11-09T21:35:00.004-06:00

...and much prayer, one of my heart's deepest desires came true: For my eldest daughter to turn 18, go to college and that I would still be around to see it.

L has turned out to be all that I imagined her to be: Kind, stubborn, friendly, firm, sassy, intelligent, funny, beautiful and strong. She is amazing, just truly amazing...

L-Infinity

November 9, 1992

Monday, 9:35 PM

8 lbs. 9 oz.

21 inches long

Happy 18th birthday, Sweetheart! We love and miss you. Can't wait to see you next month!

I am blessed... and grateful to have a child among three who is learning the world on her own armed with the gospel and strong sensibilities that most teenagers only dream of.

Organization Rocks!

2010-11-06T20:10:00.000-05:00

Leather Planners dot net
Planners, All manners of Calendars, Phone reminders and computer software. All help to get you organized and bring structure to your life. Who wouldn't want that?

I often find myself surrounded by papers and note pads that remind me of things I need to do, but not until I have one tucked in my purse that I actually feel organized.

I collect coupons, save receipts, remember numbers and come up with dishes on the fly, but the actual feeling of being organized is more my New Year's resolution more than losing weight. (I know, I'm nuts!)

So, here I am, sharing with you how grateful I am that I feel organized this Fall-all because I found a planner small enough to fit in most of my purses and big enough to write down all info I need to keep me on top of things. And a wall calendar for my family.

Wind And Rain...

2010-11-05T15:01:00.000-05:00

How often do you say to yourself, "Dear Heavenly Father, I thank for the rain and windy days."? I do. Only because rain brings its own refreshing effects on this often parched terra we call home. The same can be said of the windy days that we encounter.

We have been lucky all of our lives to have had dwelling strong enough to withstand said windy days in Autumn. But now, to experience them in a home we call our own, it is a great experience. Will we eating crow when a glass explodes from too much wind pressure? No, only because I know that things happen for a reason. Will I hope that if it does ever happen, no one I love gets hurt? Of course!

I can look at it this way (if no one got hurt)- It's time to replace said window(s) or we need to prepare ourselves in blocking wind sheer against said window(s).

It's easy to blame bad things that happen, but it's much better to find a good reason for those bad things; it'll propel you to be proactive and be more educated in another life lesson you may not have been aware you needed in the first place.

So yeah, I am grateful for Autumn's wind and rain...

Another Set of Babies For Me!

2010-11-04T22:55:00.007-05:00

If you can imagine taking on two unbelievably adorable purebreed Shi Tzus, then it's like having two more babies in the house.

We have always talked about having a dog. For so many years, after playing with or seeing cute, small, big and gorgeous dogs, we would come back and have one unreachable gift we utter: "We should get a dog for Christmas." It was no different this year; except our Christmas wish was realized two days ago when one of Mr. Man's co-worker gave us two! Totally FREE!!! The biggest and the runt of the litter. Two balls of energy. Two boys.

Since we've been all about Mythology here later, the bigger one was named ZEUS and the little one, was named PERCY. Ring a bell? LOL

Without further ado... ZEUS and PERCY!

ZEUS (Gray, brown and white-all fluff) / PERCY (Black and white-petite)

Mr. Man introducing our cockatiel, Dexter to the new members of our family. Cece, our cat is still waiting for the verdict of she likes them or not. Hee hee...
I-Dude and J-Pony totally surprised when they came home from school and discovered the puppies! And instantly fell in love!
We are so grateful for these puppies; they are adorable and quickly made us fall in love with them. Sometimes, a family is never complete until a barking furball come scuttling behind you.

To say a big THANK YOU to Chad and his family for these cuties, I baked them Chocolate Almond Bread. Hope they like it!

Enjoy your pets! They need love, too!

A Little Update... And Gratitude Time

2010-11-03T22:50:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I'm so behind on blogging. Let's see if we can catch everyone up.

As for Fall Desserts; I've made... Brownies and Cakes for Halloween, Smoothies and Sorbet in October.

This is our transformed Foyer, as you come in...
What awaited the trick or treaters, another table... full of sweets!

Dinner was quite colorful with accompanying "gross" menu! Perfect for Halloween! "Sausaged" Thumbs, Alien Worms, Meteorite Brownies, Moldy Quiche, Bewitched Cake Squares with Slime and Witch's Brew! Mwah-ha-ha-ha!

These were from 2008 collection at our local Kroger that I got between 75-90% off! The Canopy Red solid plates, from Walmart.

As far as Cooking, I finally tried making quiche and quickly found out that I like the basic kind, eggs and cheese only. I've also made several types of omelettes. Can you say great deal on eggs? Woot!

I've been on Shopping Hiatus on my own; only buying food items we absolutely need and it's been almost 2.5 weeks. I've made so many dishes and I'm getting pretty fast on prepping and cooking.

Tonight, I made Braised Beef Ribs with Root Veggies over Garlic Couscous and the whole meal cost me, less than $3.oo! For recipe, click on link.

Ok, since it is November once again, it is time to highlight what I am grateful for:

1. After 14 years of marriage, we finally have our own home and we totally love it!

2. We have enough holiday decor from previous years to not shop for anything new this year. How exciting it is to see our old decorations in our new home and how well they fit in.

3. My family who is loving our home as much as I am.

We feel quite blessed...

I hope you're having a great week...

Helping thru What you LOVE to do

2010-10-18T22:24:00.002-05:00

For me, that is simply, cooking. I love to cook. Do I do everyday, every night? No, but when I do, I will find a way to make whatever ingredients are around, and make a delicious and nutritious meal.

No I'm not a health nut, not a vegetarian, not a food professional or stuck on organic goodness.

What I am is a mother of 3 highly intelligent children whose educational background on food and nutrition includes 3 different semesters of Chemistry, listened to Alton Brown, since 1999 explain how certain foods react to heat and disperse its nutritional content, a self-taught cook since I was 17, a semester on Food Nutrition who wrote A papers on Pro & Cons of Organic and Current Farming, Malnutrition and its Psychological Effects, and 3 Psychology classes (Family, Educational and Sociology) and an avid researcher on the latest reports on healthy eating.

I don't stick to one study or school of thinking when it comes to food for my family. I respect one basic fact- they are different from me, therefore, their responses to food will be different from me and from each other. I don't go by recipes either, instead I take a recipe and give it my spin to cater it to how my family eats.

With basic knowledge about food nutrition and combinations, you can find countless meals that can please everyone. That is exactly what I bring to one of my friend's attention when I help her figure out how to best use what she's got in her pantry and fridge. I respect how others eat, but I also show them that if they "tweak" it a bit, like swapping sides instead of the "usual", they can double their nutrition without sacrificing taste and satisfaction. Here's how I approached my friend Heather's needs and wants when she asked for my help.

I listen to my friend first on how they normally eat. Then I suggested a different way of thinking without changing too much their lifestyles to alleviate any onset of shock. When people are shocked into changing how they eat, resistance occurs and damage always follows.

I reversed the dish title, I reversed their eating habits. Instead of Chicken with Pasta, I called what I made Pasta with Chicken. Why? I only used a handful of pulled chicken meat into the packaged pasta dish that they had for me to prepare. I added vegetables and suggested sides and drink to go with the pasta and they ended up savoring the dish and sides, and didn't look for big hunks of chicken breast.

I used what she had; nothing more, nothing less. By looking into what you can use, and use it, you truly see a pattern of how you eat, rather than just how you shop. If you don't eat what you bring home, it's a waste of money. And most likely, would not buy it again.

I made broth and sauce. Both are very good flavor base. Making a thick sauce and reduced broth intensifies flavor that you can easily "thin" out with water or extra broth to make tons of other dishes.

I showed her how to store it. By eliminating the extra air from the container, meals last longer in the freezer or fridge. Labeling for WHAT AND WHEN help to focus your menu and not tire out your palette.

We had a great "on-the-fly" menu today and we created several delicious and nutritious meals in under 6 hours.

Helping a great friend thru cooking, is like asking me to bask in the sun. It relaxes me; it helps me love that friend more. It's the best kind of service, if you ask me!

Too Many Choices

2010-10-12T07:43:00.005-05:00

for a post topic that is!

I haven't had my rounds on my blog peeps' sites, but the ones I've visited, their topics were either profound or romantic; thought provoking or hilarious.

As for me, I've been too busy balancing updating our 20-year old house (as in up to code and making sure all switches turn something on and off), gardening, making meals for two families on most dinner nights, getting the kids ready for school, spending time with hubby. You know... the usual stuff that goes on in any household. My head is spinning trying to think of a poignant or heart-tugging topic to write about. Well, so far... NADA, ZIP, BUPKIS!

But for now, while the pain of my lost wisdom has... I mean wisdom teeth has finally subsided that I'm not a pharmacy's fave customer, I can actually think straight and sink my teeth into some great topics to write about: Missing my daughter in Hawaii, my hubby and I's first kiss, messy kitchen, perfect! Gardening bliss and many more... The blogging world is my oyster in choices right now. And I think I've gotten it straight enough to start posting away- next time I remember...

Happy October!

When You are Lacking Wisdom...

2010-10-08T08:37:00.004-05:00

...teeth that is, you should always follow the doc's orders. But of course, even with that, complications happen. In my case, glad it's just mild, dull pain. But it's still pain.

Last Tuesday, got my last three wisdom teeth taken out and I ate soup, smoothies and everything soft for 2 whole days. I gargled, rinsed and didn't spit for a whole 24. No "chipmunk cheeks" moment, no aftereffects from the anesthesia, but day 3...

My mouth is still sore, can barely open my mouth, gums hurt at the sockets and the doc pulled on one side too much that I now have a cracked side which hurt more than the sockets, hence the "opening" dilemma. *sighing*

I don't like my house messy if I can help it, so I made sure I cleaned up, but I don't know if that made it worse or something completely different.

I know many others are hurting far worse than I am... but this is my burden right now. Hope you're having a better one.

Lemon Bars

2010-09-30T23:12:00.007-05:00

Our Wednesday went like this:

Made sure I-Dude made the school bus, after a late start.

Took J-Pony to her private violin lesson at school.

Had breakfast at Sonic

Went to our first Chiropractic session appointment

Went to Lowe's to get more plants on clearance

Went back home and crashed on the couches

I-Dude comes home

Mr. Man went to his doc appointment

J-Pony comes home

Made LEMON BARS-but forgot to add enough butter to crust- (uh-oh...)

Made pasta dinner-didn't have time to eat it

Took I-Dude to Cub Scouts at church; lemon bars still in oven

Asked Cori to watch, pull out, cool, cut and deliver bars to church

Lemon Bars arrived late, but was a total success- (yay!)

Found pan of rest of lemon bars at home, burned and hard (whooopps!)

Had late dinner of pasta; interrupted

Home teacher arrives-(almost forgot)

Had a great time with home teacher

Kiddos were sent to bed

Had to help Matt move in stuff to our house-with home teacher's help

Mr. Man and Matt go back to Matt & Cori's apartment to finish hauling big stuff

Mr. Man & Matt deliver and go back

Mr. Man & Matt go get ice cream for us wives...

We eat ice cream and chat to relax

All four of us, went to bed @ 5AM!

The first time, last December, I made lemon bars, we also had a hectic day and I ended up making it too sweet. This time, filling is great, but the crust, not moist enough, the sides burned! Good thing the middle section was perfect. Third time's the charm?

First Snickerdoodles...

2010-09-28T00:14:00.003-05:00

Next... I haven't decided yet. But what I have decided is to make a great dessert once a week in honor of Autumn... Every week, until the 1st day of Winter, I will make something delicious, gooey, or sweet!

I started on September 23rd, the 1st day of Fall. How fitting that I made SNICKERDOODLES, a first for me! They came out moist and, of course, I put my own twist to it- I rolled the dough balls into the cinnamon sugar topping, then after, while it's still hot, I sprinkled some orange sugar on it to customize. They were delicious!

So... what's good to make this week? I'll take any delicious suggestions. Thanks!

A New Season, A New Place...

2010-09-24T00:34:00.004-05:00

Picks of Canada
Aahhhh... Fall is here again... I can't recall a time since coming here to the U.S. of A., when I didn't like Autumn.

The air gets crisp, the winds get colder, the leaves turn color and school is in full swing. Now, Autumn means colorful projects, cozy reading moments with the kids, baking cookies that perfume the whole house, and a whole new adventure in a more permanent setting. I can't help but feel blessed about greeting my favorite season in a new home, our permanent home. For so long we've prayed to be where we can put down roots and get to know our neighbors, our community. Now we no longer wonder. We can start...

It's amazing the renewing power Fall has over me, I feel energized, motivated and more secure of myself. I am at peace but buzzing with ideas and memories I want to create. The decor that will eventually color and punctuate our new home for Halloween and Thanksgiving will be embedded more in me than a summer full of activities. The colors of Fall will make me smile and feel awe. I will drown in gratitude for our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Love will definitely add to the warmth of our hearts and hearth.

In our Family room, we chose colors that can complement FALL when it arrives.

I am excited! Fall... In our new home...I hope you all can find the same satisfaction in your lives, even just for a season...

Missing L-Infinity...

2010-09-21T08:30:00.006-05:00

Who would have thought that 17 years ago, I would be blessed with a beautiful, intelligent and kind little girl? Her name means"God's promise" in Hebrew. Boy, was she a promise! Heavenly Father listened to my pleas almost 18 years ago and last week, one of the many promises we exchanged have again come to fruition-that I would see her off to college...

Not just any college, but one where He can keep an eye on her; BYU Hawaii, next to the Laie temple... A beautiful place for a beautiful soul...

She earned to be there... Her grades allowed her to be there, at no expense to us, not one penny! Even FAFSA gave her extra money! How amazing is that?! We were able to help her get set up nicely (above and beyond with the money we didn't have to use for college fees) in her side of the room (she has three roommates in a two-bedroom faculty housing unit, and they are all just lovely and all four get along great!)

(After we landed in Honolulu, just right outside the baggage claim)

(Above-at Costco; Below-inside Max's of Manila (Filipino restaurant) in Honolulu)

(A group hug after school blessings)

(Celebrating her move-in and our last night there over a delicious pu-pu platter.)

(These two, right in front of the temple; it's being renovated until October. Her housing unit, is mere minutes away.)

(Inside her unit, in the faculty housing complex. She was lucky to have this, it's spacious!)

(Her self-portrait; at a beach park in Hau'ula where we stayed.)

(At the Dole Plantation Garden tour; their bromeliad collection, a cousin of the pineapple, are amazing!)

Even though we are separated for now, and she is somewhere...

the sun sighs when it shines over...
the clouds happily congregate and tease the water above majestic mountains...
where pineapples grow to be sweet and juicy... I know that wherever she is...
Our little family of five, because we believe in Jesus Christ, will always be together-FOREVER!

Some families get 18 years, some more... I only get 17, but I have never been more looking forward to all the school holiday breaks! See you in December, baby!

Hawaii Vacation

2010-09-13T14:36:00.005-05:00

What else can I say without making it redundant? It's Hawaii...

Here's some of the pictures we took while there.

More pictures (like thousands of them!) to come later. See ya then!

Projects and Ideas

2010-09-02T04:45:00.004-05:00

Lately, all I've managed to do are add to our projects list and ideas bank. Things are getting done, but they are both too slow and too fast for me. I feel excited, frustrated; in other words, overwhelmed.

PROJECTS:

Paint MB-done

Paint and set up Fam Room-done

Put up curtains in both MB and Fam Room-done

Paint front door RED- done

Update timer for side lights-done

Change light bulbs for side lights (after fixing the wiring)

Finish installing the radiant barrier (very high ceiling)

Decide on paint for the rest of the house-done

Decide on paint and redo for half bath-done

Re-texture ceiling (orange peel)- done

Redesign front yard-slowly being done

Take down all wall paper in the house

Put shelving in laundry room

Replace all toilets-done, done and done

Acquire and care for live orchid plant-done (for 75% off or $3.24!)

Buy, place and care for ferns indoors-done (two varieties)

Organize pantry and kitchen items-slowly

Find the perfect pendant lighting for kitchen over island

Change island counter to granite

Paint the stairwell and banister

Redo the front walkway

Empty out storage

Replace all kitchen cupboard bling

Save up enough for kitchen redo

Change carpet to wood floors

Get a dog by Christmas

Make house Green and Energy Efficient-Slowly but surely!

Send daughter to BYU Hawaii safely and have a great vacation-in process

Get her P&Qs sorted out, in line and out of the way before trip to Hawaii

IDEAS:

Too many and plastered on each wall for reminder.

Maybe, just maybe... Going to Hawaii on Tuesday will clarify my head enough to get all these things done on a timely manner and without breaking the bank (fingers crossed on both hands).

Have a great Thursday!

7th Annual BTS Fashion Show!

2010-08-21T16:54:00.021-05:00

In our new house!!! It was more exciting this time as we had more places to take pictures in.

While the music blared from the TV and the chosen outfits are laid out, we present the new line up for Fall! This year and armed with coupons and sale ads, we hit Old Navy, Ross, JC Penney and Kohls for great deals and clearance. Plus, again, we are using some of last year's finds!

Here's I-Dude! He is definitely ready for school and third grade!
Summer heat is not a problem with this fresh and colorful striped polo shirt and dark denim, both from JC Penney. Sonoma sneakers, Kohl's clearance; 2009. He chose the shirt; great choice!

A cool soccer outfit or just a fun day at school, this is a smart choice; Jersey and shorts, JC Penney.

In choosing school outfits, one must think about these things seriously. Khaki cargo shorts, JC Penney, plain white T-shirt and preppy striped green and navy hoodie, Old Navy. Socks and slip-ons, Kohl's 2009.

And of course, reading time can and should be stylish! Sonoma sneakers and socks, Kohl's 2009. High Sierra dark denims, JC Penney. Black logo hoodie, Old Navy.

Now let's turn our attention to J-Pony. Today, vacation, Monday, school! Violin and Choir, it'll be quite hectic, but fashion, no problem! It doesn't hurt that she loves to pose and it shows!
Cozy on throws, J-Pony sports a polka dot cardigan and skinny jeans, Old Navy, with a White T-shirt and Converse sneakers, from L-Infinity.

A fun scribbled shirt is always in style, Rue 21. Skinny jeans, Old Navy. Red and white star earrings, Claire's. Converse sneakers from big sis, L-Infinity.

School is all about reading, so why not do it fashionably? Green cardigan, white T and Converse sneakers, from L-Infinity, dark flare jeans from cousin T. Book (Sherlock Holmes), Half-Price Books. High Sierra blue and black backpack, Ross 2009

The summer time is everytime with this sunny outfit. Yellow plaid gathered top (Wet Seal) on clearance. Skinny jeans, (Old Navy). Yellow flats (from L-Infinity).

L-Infinity is ready to fly from the nest with these smart college get-ups. She prefers black, but looks great in all colors.
Whether during the warm but windy Texan Fall season of mainland, USA or on the breezy isle of Oahu, this striped with floral embellishment V-neck top (Rue 21), is totally at home. Especially when paired with dark skinny denims (Forever 21) and bronze flats (Walmart).

Now that she's got her Fujitsu tablet, school will be a breeze. Especially with some white fabric slip ons, Payless, Skinny jeans, Charlotte Ruse; White-T, Forever 21 and a spaghetti strap floral babydoll, Rue 21.

We're definitely headed to somewhere breezy and humid, so why not look stylish on the way there? With this striped black & gray cardigan (Old Navy) a fun light yellow print shirt (Rue 21) and dark skinny denims (Charlotte Ruse), mission accomplished!

Her last outfit will also nicely fit in anywhere on Oahu or in the BYU Hawaii campus and hang out with the preppy crowd before they hit the beach! Black zip-up hoodie (Forever 21), black & gray striped tank (Pac Sun), Converse gray sneakers (Kohl's). Gray preppy shorts (JC Penney).

I also had them pretend that they've conquered their first day of school; in L's case, coming back from her first college semester. "Hi, I'm home!"
I-Dude was both hot and tired. He could barely hang on to the door. :-)
Look at J-Pony... With a violin case and a heavy backpack, the first day is definitely a feat!

Of course, no BTS Fashion Show can end without a group shot! Don't they look ready to tackle another year? Fashion police, you may be out of a job! :-)

Are you ready to go back to school?

Meet the Teacher Night- Aaaaahhhhh!

2010-08-19T21:08:00.003-05:00

Tonight was very special. I-Dude is going to a new school, will have a whole new classroom and teacher and friends. We had to go.

So with his school supplies in tow, we quickly found his teacher's room and he introduced himself while Mr. Man and I filled out paperwork and picked "apples" from the "gift" tree of additional supplies their class will need.

We all came home excited for this whole new adventure. It is completely new for all of us. New PTA, new moms to schmooze, new administration to watch (maybe go up against) and new neighborhood. J-Pony will be across the street in her middle school, but with the time change, they won't see each other until they both wake up and get home. L-Infinity will be home until the first week of September when we take her to Hawaii to start, also, a whole new life, as a college student on the island of Oahu, in Laie, HI to go to Brigham Young University Hawaii campus... Aaaaahhhhh!!!!

My children are all growing up and it is slowly hitting me. Combine that with house improvement project list as long as our house is tall, I'm barely holding on to any shred of sanity!

At least we have our list to keep us from feeling old... How are you faring with your growing children?

Projects Left and Right

2010-08-16T22:59:00.000-05:00

Nothing much is new except that we are up to our eyeballs in home improvement and redesign projects on this house.

We couldn't be more ecstatic!

Just recently had our Housewarming and Farewell dinner last Saturday and we were so happy that managed to finish the family room and clean up the future library in time... Of course, I forgot to take pictures of all who came.

Pictures soon...

Another Sneak Peek

2010-08-01T22:11:00.005-05:00

We are tackling the Family Room. We started to paint. Mr. Man wanted this room/Media Room to have a cave-like feel. Cozy, warm and secluded. Sounds lovely...

We are not done yet, but I have been slowly finishing it day by day. Our textured walls are proving to be a challenge, not to mention my being height-challenged. But each day is a completion towards what the hubs want.

Why grant what he wants? Because I love him and I get to choose the paint color for the rest of the house! (laughing maniacally)

I didn't want the rather square family room to feel closed in, so we chose two colors- a dark one that could provide a "tunnel effect" and give the air of a longer room. Then since we wanted a more tropical theme, we chose a complimentary to our accent color and reminiscent of a tropical jungle.

So after a quick trip to Lowe's and a few weeks of traveling, we changed this blah white room...To something cozy, romantic and secluded... Just like being in a Tropical Jungle! The RED reminds me of all fiery colors of hibiscus and rare red orchids in many tropical places such as my own home, the Philippines. The earth tone reminds of the deep earth colors that big jungle canopies provide. Oh, just so lovely a vision it makes for us!

Our kids helped choose both of these colors- Valspar "Bamboo Reed" and Dutch Boy "Red Caboose".

We started on two walls, the window and its adjacent wall by the fireplace.

When we finished, Mr. Man did the finishing touches on the corners.
Look how great it turned out! That trio of color is Sherwin Williams Natural Choice (orange peel ceiling paint), The result is truly calming...
And here's what the wall colors look like at night. Mr. Man was so delighted and we both can't wait to finish the whole room!
We totally achieved what we wanted! I am so psyched!

Painting is so inexpensive but makes a great impact. We wish you the best colors for your home...

Thank you to our host Susan and to all of you for visiting! Glad to join in this week's Met Monday!

Standby Flying-Pros and Cons

2010-07-25T23:26:00.013-05:00

You ever flown Standby? You've heard the various ups and downs, I'm sure but I thought I'd add ours.

My hubby, Mr. Man, is an aviation mechanic and we fly for FREE, but on Standby Mode. It's better when we travel with him, but just slightly. Often enough, we have no problem getting to and fro, but there are days, especially during peak travel season...

Downside: : -(

From SALT LAKE, Ut TO PHOENIX, AZ we left super early. No problem, got our boarding passes and made it on the plane.

PHOENIX, AZ TO DALLAS, TX- No such luck. Everything was full-up the whole day! Nothing we can do but grab a hotel nearby. Money we didn't account for. No luggage meant no clothes!

PHOENIX TO EL PASO, TX (the next day)- No problem, got on the first flight out to El Paso. Arrived at 11:30AM

EL PASO TO DALLAS- Flights full until 7:25PM. Had to face possible split-up cause hubby had to work that night. More money spent. Hubby late for work.

Upside: :-D

After getting a room in the nearby Double Tree hotel, I was impressed with their courtyard and see-through elevators that can take in the great views, per floor!
This is the other great view outside of the hotel. We'd definitely like to come back!
Nearby, inside the Chinese Cultural Center within walking distance, we found a great restaurant.
Inside was a huge fish pond surrounded by a turtle enclosure. Beautiful!
We thoroughly enjoyed their selection of Dim Sum and Lunch Menu.
Though we didn't have any luggage, that didn't stop us from enjoying the hotel pool, so we hopped on the light rail and went to the nearby mall for some swimsuits! When we arrived, we walked to the mall that was a few blocks over. Then of course, we walked back to the light rail station.
Here's some of the great buildings we passed by in downtown Phoenix. Great architectural style!
Here we are walking from the mall...
We took this photo-op, while waiting for the return light rail, since it was a rare event.
We found this great fountain/waterfall feature in the middle of Arizona Center. They didn't have much store selection, but the atmosphere was just amazing!Arizona summers are hot, so before any swimsuit hunting, we stopped at Cold Stone for cups of ice cream. I had a Blueberry ice cream with roasted almonds topping! Delish!We met our friend Michelle at the hotel after we got back and she swam with us. Then off to dinner! Her and L-Infinity both had sandwiches, while the others had their own picks. I was good- fish, rice and veggies!We were full but very tired. Can't you tell? Here we are using the hotel computer to list us for the next day's flights.I took advantage of another great spot in the hotel, their main courtyard, for another photo-op with Mr. Man. Michelle snapped a great one! I love how we both had a great smile on despite our fatigue.
We took in the awesome night views the hotel offered. Like this one of their other courtyard.
This was at 8PM, isn't that a wonderful contrast? I just had to take a picture! Mr. Man made sure that it came out right, so he took the shot!
We decided to take a peek at the top floor and see the sights. We saw the airport and planes taking off. Before we came back down, I couldn't pass up a photo-op with my kiddos. L-Infinity was too tired to go up to the top veranda with us. J-Pony and I-Dude, I think, were just happy to lean on someone. They were soooo tired! Didn't bother me, I'll take what I can get!
And I made sure that Mr. Man and I took another great picture together!

The next day, in El Paso airport, we managed to find some comfy seating to pass the time.
The airport definitely played up the southwestern culture of the area.From the window of our comfy spot, we proved that the state of Texas is not entirely FLAT! El Paso shows off some beautiful mountain ranges.
Here we are finally boarding our plane to Dallas! Woohoo! It was a long day...We were so glad, tired and relieved when we finally were reunited with all of our luggage back in Dallas Love Field. It meant we were only a few minutes away from home!

What did we learn? With Standby flying, it is better when you are prepared for "come what may" situations. We made the best out of our situation, and came out having a great set of memories to relive.

Home Sweet Home!

2010-07-24T00:37:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow, I will post with pictures, but for now, I just want to share how happy we are to be away from airport food, germs and crowds!

We are home! Back home where we can relax and think about what matters. Flying Standby is difficult during summer time!

But I can certainly say that we made the best of our situation.

Honey, I love you with all of my heart for having a career where we are free to experience all the airports we can. Thank you so much!

Mid-Week Utah Romp

2010-07-18T22:54:00.015-05:00

It started with an innocent text from our Utah cousin T-Giggles about visiting each other. Next thing we know, we were planning our standby trips to Utah and Texas every TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY for three weeks.

First, on Tuesday at 10AM, we hopped on a plane to SLC and we dropped off I-Dude and J-Pony to see the family and spend a week there. We, Mr. Man, L-Infinity and me turned around and went home very early Wednesday-left at 4:45AM!

While there, I & J spent time with family and going to my sis-in law's husband's family farm picking fruit and all kinds of fun things. They also went swimming, but got sunburned since they didn't put on enough sunscreen. Oh yeah, they also played a lot! Since my SIL K has a new baby boy, 4-mo old Gorgeous G; we all enjoyed his perfect company for at least half a day.

(Now tell me, if that's not a genuine smile of awe over someone divine and perfect... Ok, I was having my baby fix! LOL) Thanks, K and G!

I got to hold, change and help him sleep while my SIL and her hubby got to do some errands. T's other brother, Cool C, only 3, was so shy that I'll take a pic of his cute self the next time we're up there.

Then, the next Tuesday, again at 10AM, we went up to Utah again to pick up the kiddos including our cousin T-Giggles. We also celebrated her dad's birthday with some expertly tossed home made pizzas and German Chocolate Cake. My SIL is so talented! She tossed that pizza dough and put together some great toppings. No cardboard tasting pizza that night! I'll have to learn that tossing business, even just for entertainment purposes. He, he...

Hauling 4 kids of varying ages is its own challenge, but their excitement got us going in time though again on a Wednesday @ 4:45AM. Here we are waiting for our security documents at the Salt Lake Int'l airport. (L- R: L-Infinity, T-Giggles, I-Dude and J-Pony)

We got boarding passes pretty quickly so T was glad to be on board. Our flight was at 6:30AM.
Finally, after so many hours and three airports, we were back home! I was more excited to prove that T-Giggles was actually with us! It's been so long since the last time we got to spend quality time with her.
After resting a bit, we ate at our new fave Asian haunt called, Asian Bowl. So authentic, that their chow mein is the original veggie stirfry with white sauce, NO noodles! So cool!

T-Giggles is fairly picky, but she loved the Lo-Mein noodle dish and really enjoyed what we got. Here's the true Chow Mein below. Wow! It was soooo good!

On Thursday, we vegged out most of the day and did some Walmart shopping for insect zapper. But we can't seem to find the one we found last time! Oh well...

Of course, since it was hot, we had to make sure T got to experience what the northern Texans are into right now-frozen yogurt with all the toppings! We normally go to the Asian one called Yogurtland, but we wanted something different so we went to Yogurtville! I love their Belgian Chocolate!

Then on Friday, we took everyone to lunch at the Southwest Airlines HQ called, The Landing Cafe on the top floor.
Look at that vision of awe... Only Mr. Man and I have been there, so it was a real treat for the kiddos. Then it was off to grab lunch, it was a buffet for all tastes-it was funny to see the kids gravitate towards their favorites. Pizza and dessert!
That whole window wall looks out to the airstrip so the kids got to see planes take off and land, even a helicopter flew over!

Then we toured a bit and found this Hall of Shirts. We all had a great time taking pictures of this giant one.
J-Pony was short on attention, so she was trying really hard to look miserable. It didn't work though. :-)

On the way back, J-Pony realized she left her purse in the restaurant so Mr. Man and I took them home then we went back to retrieve it. It was found and we got a call so it was a quick trip back to and from Dallas. We took a detour for some Sears tool shopping then we picked up the kids for some Dollar Tree treat each while Mr. Man shopped for more tools at Harbor Freight next door.

Saturday evening was Interskate time! We all rented, but only they managed to enjoy some skate time as I could not even stay upright without holding on to anything! :-D

There's Mr. Man and T-Giggles off to try the rink.

Look at I-Dude going all by himself! It was his first time on real skates! He kept trying and trying. I was all smiles!
T-Giggles while resting from her skating fun...
And here's J-Pony going on those in-line skates! This would be her 1st time also after a practice field trip a few months ago before school got out! Oh what I would give to be able to be able to do that! (The first and last time I skated was back in San Jose, CA when I was 16. My cousin took me but couldn't stay with me the whole time since she wanted to skate, too. So I ended up falling several times on my own even while holding on. Eventually, a nice guy (who turned out to be an Army Weapons Specialist, over 20) ended up helping me go around a few times. The price for a bit of skating fun tutorial? My phone number, of course! He was the cutest guy there, even my cousin was jealous that he helped me instead. So flattered!) :-)
Here's I-Dude with L-Infinity; they both are novices, but are holding their own just fine on the baby rink. Mr. Man even took I-Dude to the main rink while L-Infinity tried her luck there as well. No one fell on the main rink! Yay!
Posing with their skates...
After about an hour, you know it was time to go when sweat was pouring down and an ambulance crew is in the middle of the rink. A lady fell and broke her ankle. I hope she's alright. It took a while to get her loaded on the gurney because no one could move her without her screaming from sheer agony!

(T-Giggles with Mr. Man after our church class)

Today, since it's Sabbath, it was just like always... Church, nap, some TV time and Breakfast for Dinner! I was a short order cook! It was fun but hot!

This Tuesday, we again will pack our bags and head back to Utah to bring Taryn home and be with my in-laws, until Thursday!

( The kiddos At Chili's Too at PHX Sky Harbor)

Til next time!

What a Wonderful Week...

2010-07-04T00:15:00.005-05:00

... this has been! We got so much done and had tons of FUN, too!

As many of you know, we are busy:

Maintaining the exterior: foundation soaking, lawn trimming and watering plants. Mr. Man and I cleaned up the cuttings last Monday night. What a great alone time together though the buggies thought our legs were yummy... :-(

Organizing and decorating... (using Feng Shui of course)- still a work in progress as you can see. This past Monday, the kiddos and I tackled the Living room and waited out the thunderstorm by candlelights... I'm between finishing up the Family and Master Bed ROOMS, so here you go... Can't wait to put up some curtains to soften up this room! The color, still being decided on.

We changed our backdoor cover shade from green to red as this is our SOUTH-facing door (Fame and Recognition/Fire/Red wall)

Since it rained yesterday, we also baked some... (and opened all the windows to enjoy the cool, wet air- very nice to relax and do Sudoku by...)
I-Dude is concentrating- he wanted all that flour to be sifted just right. ;-)
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies! (My own recipe! Really yummy! Isn't that batter just delish?) L had an impromptu "scavenger hunt/movie" fun with her church friends so these were one of their movie snacks. They loved 'em!

Today, we watched the whole Book 3 of the Avatar series, J-Pony made lunch (the other two helped), we walked to and from the park and since we got caught in the rain, we decided to play for a little while longer!
L-Infinity took the picture but she was with us when the rain, lots of it, came. It was a great moment to share with my kids, as I used to look forward to those Manila rainstorms so I can play, just like we did today! (Mr. Man barely woke up and he was peeking from our Master bay window! lol

I wonder what next week will bring! I can't wait See ya then!

A Little Romance Amidst a Storm...

2010-06-28T18:13:00.003-05:00

We waited for it by unpacking more of our stuff in the Living Room. As the light dimmed and we prepared for the storm (unplugged everything except the fridge), we knew that we'll be at the mercy of candlelights for a while. But when we finally did endure the storm (more of a whisper of a storm than anything), this is what we enjoyed in the Family Room....

All sorts of cozy and romantic ideas flooded my mind. Pioneer-style dining, Cuddling, Dining for two, Reading, Indoor camping and etc., etc...

The hearth was so inviting, so full of possibilities for beauty and memories to make. For those who opted for homes without fireplaces... You don't know what you're missing...

From a Movie I learned...

2010-06-16T01:19:00.003-05:00

The New Karate Kid movie... Wow! What an amazing movie! It was a great portrayal of pairing an empty vessel (a willing student) and an overflowing but lidded jar (a broken master) in China.

Having it shot there, I couldn't help but feel honored knowing that through my father's maternal line, China is part of who I am. My father's mother was born in the Philippines by two Chinese naturals from the Hokkien region, a fishing village..

China is every bit honorable in my eyes through its complex language, natural beauty, cultural mystery and the people's tendency to keep tradition. The main things that outsiders remember about China (other than Wal-Mart labels) are Chow Mein, Feng Shui and Kung Fu. What many don't understand is that... Chow Mein is a strictly vegetable dish, traditionally not with noodles; Feng Shui is not Asian voodoo- it is a philosophical way of interacting and flowing with your environment. Everything has its own energy, value and impact on each of us, and we, to everything. From Feng Shui, Kung Fu (older than most martial arts) was born to teach humans understand that subtle but powerful interaction.

"Made in China" is justifiably a cursory joke to share in most contexts: quality, safety and various other reasons. But between the economy and demand from foreign labor force, most can be blamed to corporate negligence and managements' "everyone is disposable" attitude towards its employees. We hear more of China because it is one of the biggest countries in Asia, if not the biggest. Mistakes there seem that much more magnified by default. That is the sad truth.

China is a great country; its people and its culture, nothing short of beautiful in both its rigidity and flexibility. It is a high honor to know that I am part Chinese... This part "Made in China" girl is definitely of highest quality, high safety standard stamped and certified and handcrafted by a true master.

Mama Lucing, (Lucena Ravelo "Chan" Lacho), I thank you...

I'm back! Blogging that is! (Plus a Sneak Peek at the house)

2010-06-14T21:45:00.007-05:00

Why you ask? Because I QUIT my job! That's why!

It was for the best:

- I can finally UNPACK my house

- I can finally DO interior design where paint is included!

- I can finally NOT USE anymore swear words as my auditory accessory!

- I can finally FILL MY pantry, kitchen, laundry and bathroom cupboards on a consistent basis!

- I can finally BLOG again and DO my tablescape designing at my other blog!

- I can finally breathe!

I'm still adjusting though I was only there for a little over 2 months. I made great friends, but the peace and sanity of my home is and will always be my main priority...

I welcome you all back to my blog. Currently, I'm busy designing and getting to know my house-outside of my bedroom, that is! (That's the main room I saw each day when I was working-LOL)

Here's a sneak peek at my new space... Feng Shui still in progress...

Welcome! C'mon in and see my foyer...
The stones are pink/peach tiles with fossil-looking embedded stones in each. Not totally my style, but good for now. The tiles are cool to the feet even during summer time. Yeah!

Since my Living Room/Library is not setup yet, we will skip that room and have you relax into the Family Room where these unbelievably comfortable couch which reclines on both ends, I consider deadly to my housework duties. LOL

Since we do have five in our family, we opted for another one! See how comfy the customers are?
They are perfect to watch Monsters, Inc. on High Def! (Excuse the lack of curtains and completed look. It does take me a while to finish a design-especially when there's no money!)
Or... to view this wonderful fireplace! The mantle will soon be updated and the cover removed, but can you see its potential? I am not touching one brick!

The kitchen is still a mess since I am still figuring out where things should go. The Dining Room is well...

...still empty since my hutch is still in the storage!

The bedrooms on the next blog or two... 'Til next post!

Whistle While you Work...

2010-05-15T00:03:00.003-05:00

If you get the drift, the honeymoon phase of being the new girl is over for me at work. Except for UPS, I've learned all the shipping routes we use. I also help and pack things on my own. I check and weigh boxes. I trace connections to errors. And I help train others though I am still considered a trainee. Overall, I'm well pleased with my own accomplishments at work.

I love the constant learning process. At work, there's always something to do. That's also the problem when it is slow.

As with any job, in your crew or shift, "most" are content to just talk and wait for something to do while I absolutely cannot fathom that when I'm at work- which to me means a company is relying on me with a blind trust and ready check, to uphold to a high work ethic to follow their policies and procedures. When it's slow, it's a real glare when you are doing something. It's akin to being a pariah when seen as the only one with something to do or workload that takes time. You don't know what people see or think of it as- it's nerve-wracking!

But just like Snow White, you just need to learn to tune these things out. The "most" are not the ones earning your paycheck. The "most" are not the standard. The "most" will not vouch for you during reviews. So, just "whistle while you work" and know that you should be your own lead and supervisor to constantly maintain that high work ethic. The "most" and their glaring choices... will soon fade to just "white noise"...

Lately, I seem to gather one collective thought on the need to work. Work to a lot of people is an escape of daily routine. "To get out of the house. Extra money. Adult companionship and conversation. Means to Live." With this economy, becoming a company asset seems to be at the bottom of the list of reasons. To me, since I started working at 16, it's been a daily path to learning and mastering what you know until you gain the confidence to share it with others. It is not a dating pool or a social network to rely on though true friendships form here and there and occasionally, love blooms. But just as sadly, many forget their values when they are at work, setting aside the idea that they are still representatives of their families and friends each day they go to work. It is ok; THE WORLD accepts this plasticity, and once, I was a part of that mindset.

Now looking in after more than a decade of motherhood, household manager, wife, college, church activity, friendships and soul searching, I find that a workplace is no different than being a green missionary thrown into a foreign setting. Who you are to the people you associate with daily, will be the person you choose to portray amidst them. The last time I checked, I am not made of plastic, but something more substantial, more precious, more divine...

"I should share my light even in a lit up building, because when the power goes out, mine will just be brighter."- my own quote to remind me that what I stand for helps hold me up.

Have a great weekend everyone!

The Whole Truth and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, please...

2010-05-11T00:16:00.007-05:00

COMDATA is a payroll system coupled with highway robbery!

Why?! Your paycheck is handled by them, even the direct deposits. Nothing wrong with that, right? WRONG!!!

When you first get hired, any company using Comdata/Employbridge, will issue you two cards: The first, a "no frills" debit card for temporary activation and access to your paychecks and stubs online then a Mastercard logo'ed card with your name on it, by mail, 1-2 weeks later.

It would be easy for a "caring" payroll rep to hand you the temp card and a FEE Schedule upon your hire date. But if not or in my situation, the rep was nice but not thorough, I didn't get any schedule fee and my temp card was not activated until 2 weeks later!

I didn't want Comdata to take any of my money. Period. That's when the problems started to roll in... In a span of almost 4 weeks of being employed as a Shipping Clerk, these are the different "truths" I got from several associates and a Supervisor.

1. You get 1 and only 1 FREE transaction per pay period! Meaning, one free ATM swipe at any Allpoint networked ATMs. When your direct deposit starts, that "load" IS NOW your FREE transaction! If you have any money left on any of the issued cards, "tough 'taters"! (the fees come a knockin'!)

2. If you go to their "FREE ATM" network which most are inside 7-11's, the network won't charge you, but Comdata will- $1.50 per swipe! And there's a maximum limit of how much you can take out depending on your paycheck: $30-200, $180 max; $201.50 or more, $200 max; $500 or more, $400 max; forcing you to keep some of the money in the cards!

3. If you go to the stores to use the Debit card (Mastercard logo only), it's 50 cents a transaction!

4. If you go inside any bank to "Cash Out" your card, be prepared to get $5 less!

5. And... you have to know that coming into the bank or you will be automatically DECLINED plus a $1.00 -in bank use fee!

6. Oh... Here's the best one! If your paycheck is on a Friday, but you swiped your card on Thursday as your FREE transaction, no such luck! They will charge you a "PROXIMITY fee" of $1.00, meaning it's your bad for waiting to grab some money so close to the next pay period! (Challenged and won a full refund on this one because one of their associates told me when to go after my first card was finally activated!)

7. I was told that I can use the logo card as a CREDIT card, NOT! It is strictly a DEBIT card meaning you have to access it with your PIN per transaction! If you attempt to use it as a CREDIT card, your transaction will be DENIED and get charged $1.00!

8. And last but not the least.... (drum roll, please!) If you forget how much money you have left in the card and you ask at the ATM (Balance Inquiry) or your bank how much is in it, another $1.00!!!

So... If you're a regular "Schmo" who can't afford to have any institution hold your hard earned cash every week and you can't access the full amount you need in one swipe to pay a bill, you can easily rack up $4-20 a week in fees alone! That's a total of up to $80 you hand back to Comdata for the privilege of using their cards! Great... NOT!

Most Temp Agencies use them and other small companies... So beware! If you are asked to take a PAY CARD... DO NOT USE THEM! ASK THE PAYROLL TO START YOUR DIRECT DEPOSIT ASAP- LIKE THE MOMENT YOU GET HIRED SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE THIS CARD. COMDATA HAS A WHOLE BROCHURE OF SCHEDULE OF FEES! A WHOLE BROCHURE!!!

My story and frustration: My payroll rep was new and she wasn't savvy to all these "underhanded but legal" contract they have with Comdata. I'm lucky, by tomorrow, they've only gotten a total of $3.oo from my paychecks because I would call and challenge each time letting them know I'm not willing to give them my hard-earned paychecks.

I've spoken to over 10 people, one being the supervisor Pablo, and yet, each one, would only give up PARTIAL TRUTHS and it was up to me to piece it together!

Convinced now that this company is set up to TAKE YOUR MONEY over the everyday, "your bank would never think to charge you for" situations? There's no forgiveness, no use disputing because they are all at the mercy of the FEE SCHEDULE!!! (mwah-ha-ha!!!)

As my husband just texted me... "They are crooks!" Cut our losses and be done with their card!"

If this shocked you then I've done my job... Good night! Being sick (chest cold) and frustrated, NOT a good combo!

OT-Schmoty!

2010-04-29T01:58:00.003-05:00

Whoever said OVERTIME is great because of $$$, I so don't agree right now! This warehouse job requires mandatory OT on the weekends and a minimum of 2 hours a night!

My quality of life, shot! I am so blessed to have older children that can take care of themselves now. A husband so supportive and sweet, I think I have a toothache! LOL

My ears, bleeding! Between the vulgarity and blatant "cultural shut-out", I'm begging for earplugs!

My body, total Jell-O! I've lost some inches and pounds, but I also lost the ability to get out of bed on my own unless I have a very good reason to- like making sure the kids get to the bus stop! Up from 5:45 AM to 2, sometimes 3AM, not a good mix by Day 5!!!

*sighing loudly to relax*

We'll see how this job fares in the next few months... The upside, I got my first paycheck- all messed up, but still I got one, after 14 long years of managing my hubby's paychecks, it was quite gratifying to see one in my name again... ;-)

Ooooohhhhh! We finally have a new front door lock! Yes, it's a big deal for this "I'd rather save the money" lady! And I found EXACTLY the one I want, for $100 less on clearance! Yeah! Mr. Man installed it last night and it was such a great feeling to see it on our door that he also had to fix properly. Now that it's all planed out to make the lock fit flush, I can't wait to go to the paint section of Lowe's or HD and change out the whole door! Woohoo!!!

After 14 Years...

2010-04-24T23:48:00.002-05:00

... an AA degree in Elementary Education and Motherhood, I find myself in a CEVA warehouse as a shipping clerk for 5 days a week plus occasional OT for a few hours and on the weekends.

Do I like it? Yes. I love the challenge of learning something new and being able to keep up with the rigor of the job after only 9 days.

How's the environment? Full of vulgarity coming from nice people. The drama is awful, but I keep to myself and am polite and try to be as efficient as I can be so that I don't have to answer to anyone, especially not my boss. During break times, we're all equal so I try to tune out the vulgarity and offer prayers in the bathroom. LOL

How's the pay? I don't know. I was offered a fair hourly rate, but I haven't received a penny of it yet. I've been there 2+ weeks and we get paid weekly by the Temp Agency who hired me, but their PAY CARD system is not working for me, so I'll have to make sure they do DIRECT DEPOSIT. The downside, it can take weeks, the upside, I'll see my money when it's all setup. Until then, I need payroll to cut me a check. The waiting game can be summed up into one word: aggravating!

These blogging moments are gonna few and far in between, but hopefully, not too much... 'Til next time!

Homeownership- A whole new fun!

2010-04-18T18:00:00.003-05:00

Sorry for not being around much (but then again, who's reading this, right?)

Well... 3 weeks into being a homeowner and we've already encountered:

-door knobs and locks that need to be adjusted and changed.
-dead garage door motor due to a stripped out gear
-carpenter ants in the Master under a window sill
-tons of debris from the ceiling re-texturing
-window screens that have holes or not square any longer
-changing out the lower kitchen pulls to save our clothes from getting ripped
-having the master ceiling fan break and needed to be replaced
-needing to change out one of the kids' bedroom carpet because the previous owners' dogs peed on it and when we cleaned the spots, the smell is now worse!
-needing to change out the Master Bath window to one that can be opened since the fan and the vent don't dry out the air as well as we hoped.
-the shower leaks on to the tub and need to be re-caulked.
-the yard needing immediate attention because of the weeds. (thanks to my in-laws and friend Amy who gave us their lawn mower, it looks great now!)
-saving up for a new front door knob/lock set for obvious safety issues.
-pricing out security alarm systems for the same reason.

*dizzy* from all the responsibility, but *giddy* from knowing this is our house...

Oh yeah, I'm working now, too! That's for another post...

Til' next post!

I Not Only Save Money, I Find it, too!

2010-04-05T23:45:00.009-05:00

(Photo courtesy of Finance with AFP)
When it comes to money, I prefer earning and saving over spending anytime. Am I a miser, some may say that but of course with a family, even being a miser is not always feasible.

So... I've made sure that I find money, too! Yep, I find them! Meaning, I look at all the deals and promos out there-not ignoring any mail that comes in with offers.

For example, in mid-March, we've researched and researched the price ranges of the style of refrigerators (french doors, freezer bottom) I wanted. When the time came, I even considered buying the classic style (two doors, freezer top) to stretch our budget, but by sharing this idea with a good friend of mine, she referred me to a Sears Outlet Store that mainly dabbles in appliances.

We looked around the refrigerators and making sure not to resort to "need to pee-pee" dance like movements, I quietly approached MY fridge. The one that I've been hoping to be able to afford for years now. Brand spanking NEW! As in "just came from the manufacturer assembly line, but got rejected so it ended up in the outlet NEW!" The inside smelled of styrofoam, plastic and tape because the whole inside was filled with them! So cool!

And for $1,000 LESS. SAVED MONEY! I was able to use that money to pay for NEEDS that popped up like new clothing for school and work and shoes for school and prom plus AP tests, my graduation pictures, Spring pictures, lunch money and various moving expenses AND NOT BREAK THE BANK!

Then, we came across a bank offer of $125 for opening a new account with a minimum and direct deposit. So we did. In 3 weeks, that account will be $125 fatter. FOUND MONEY!

Kohl's had a TAX-FREE, 20% off for $100 or more purchase AND $10 for every $50 spent promo from April 1-3. We took advantage of that and saved tons of money for clothes and shoes, plus earned $20 in Kohl's Cash for me! FOUND MONEY!

Tonight, while picking up the mail from our house, we came across a store offer of $5 giftcard to invite my business. Then we realized that we haven't checked our apartment's mailbox. Sure enough, there's one there, too! Mr. Man "dumpster dived" to see if there are more that others foolishly threw away. Yep, three more! A total of $25 giftcards. FOUND MONEY!

The kids all had great report cards and high A's in their recent TAKS practice tests, homeworks, and projects so we treated them to Souper Salad. I had a coupon! One for "Kids Eat FREE (normally $6.39 each) for every paying adult" and the other for, "$5.99 AYCE (regularly $7.25)". We made sure we all ate "well and healthily" and... made room for some soft serve. We saved a total of $14.05! SAVED MONEY!

In the same mail stash at our house, was the new debit card for our new account, in it was an offer of $30 cash just for enrolling the card number into a program to get you started in online bill pay. And you only have to pay 3 bills to earn it! Guess what?! I have three bills to pay by the end of the month! So before April 30, that new account will have an additional $30! FOUND MONEY!

How are you doing with your money hunting? I hope you'll be as lucky as I am!

The House is Up and Running... Somewhat

2010-04-02T20:21:00.003-05:00

All are running now. The fridge is cold with ice waiting to be used, the water gets hot, the gas is ready to cook and the lights turn on, but... we still don't have a ready ceiling.

*sigh*

Where did the UTILITIES go?

2010-03-29T17:39:00.011-05:00

Ok, I've heard of home ownership mishaps but of course you think those are just made for TV situations, right? Wrong...

Last Saturday, we go and visit our house to label which ceiling fans the contractors need to take down to the garage and which ones they need to put back up once the ceiling work is all finished. Mr. Man decides to check out the water dispenser on the fridge and barely any water came out! Not until after I-Dude "tests" out their bathroom and discovers he couldn't flush, that we figured out that the water was turned off. (Can't you tell we're new at this?) It was the weekend, no office hours for city employees. Great...

The gas and electricity were still on when we checked on Sunday even, but we unplugged the fridge and left a note stating, "PLEASE DO NOT TURN ON". Well a lot of good that note did!

Today, after calling the utilities company to have things transferred to our name, we discovered that there's no electricity even though our power company says, "...today, immediately." Which actually translated to- "anywhere from now but no later than midnight." *sighing*

Then I check out the gas on the stove and only fumes! None of the burners came on and I even barely smelled gas fumes. Man!

The best part is that the contractors that would be removing the popcorn ceiling need both water and electricity! Can you say DELAY? Spell it first. "D-E-L-A-Y? DELAY!" (Yes, unnecessary but here we are.)

The water coming on Wednesday along with trash and sewer. Gas, tomorrow. Speaking of trash...

In front of our house, the sellers piled on their "unwantables" that amounted to the whole stretch of the lawn area by the curb. We discovered that in one of the boxes, the sellers stashed a whole slew of hazardous spray cans (lube, paint, etc...) Well, Mr. Man diligently called the city and found that we cannot be putting such items for curbside pick-ups. Mr. "Seller" says, "they pick up anything on Mondays!" Great!

Of course, we call our now "former" realtor, Misty and informed her that the sellers need to pick up their hazardous items, their iron (that they left behind like their OLD dryer) and their son's collage frames of himself and friends "mooning" people, at the front door. We also informed Misty that if the city leaves behind any debris from the pile they left, we will have to invoke our right per the contract since the sellers would be in violation of agreeing to "leave the property in clean condition."

Oh... I also found out that my realtor's office was supposed to transfer all utilities accounts to our name as part of their complimentary service. NOT in this case... The lady in charge completely forgot to do that for us. We would not have this problem if she did... *deeply sighing*

Can you hear that?... You can't? It's quite loud! Yeah, my head throbbing!

House Pics!

2010-03-26T20:33:00.009-05:00

Here are some pictures of our house! I hope you like it as much as we do! I'm so happy that I was able to upload some pictures! Yay!!!

The front of the house...
Mr. Man and I... at our front door (boy, that feels good to write!)
Our lovely co-habitants. LOL
We love our stairs layout but we'll be changing the rails soon enough...
The top landing, right off the foyer...

Here's the master bathroom
My side of the bathroom.
My closet- it's pretty spacious!
L's walk-in closet
J's closet
I's closet...
I and Mr. Man are planning what to do in his new room after they get rid of the ugly valance and the ceiling fan.

And here's the picture of our new fridge!!! I've wanted this style since they first came out! We all love it and can't wait to fill it!

Glad, joyful and excitement hasn't fully hit us yet, so more adventures to follow!

Soon... the backyard!

We have the Key!

2010-03-25T23:28:00.005-05:00

Today, along with two of my neighbor/great friends' birthdays, we drove ourselves down to a title company TO CLOSE ON OUR HOUSE!!! Yeah!!! We picked up the key this afternoon and finally told and showed our children. Whew!

We found it January. Saw and toured it in February. Bought it in March. This beautiful 2-story, brick facade, double column elevation built in 1989. The inspection revealed that the original owners/sellers took great care of this house. We lucked out.

All throughout, NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE, but a few people whose help we needed, knew. Not even our children. It was quite stressful keeping it from them and my side of the family, but we just didn't want any of our hopes dashed. Mr. Man and I fell in love with this house. I knew this was our house the moment I saw the pictures on our realtor's site. So we got sneaky and did it on our own.

Onto the surprising our children... We pretended to have our realtor lend us a key to see this newly "emptied" house that's on the market. Immediately, they loved it! That's just from the front lawn! Once inside, we told them that we have to be careful, stay together and tour the house, one story at a time. We started with the downstairs (Foyer, LR, FR, DR, K, G, Storage, Laundry), then we went upstairs to all the 4 Bedrooms and 2 Bathrooms.

(1 hour before we took the kids, we went back into the house to put up the signs with their names on it in each of their future rooms. Mr. Man hung it up on the window blinds since we didn't have any tape with us)

We steered the kids into the Master first. They loved the separate walk-in closets and the hidden commode (we love that, too). They loved the raised ceiling and the bay and big windows. They loved all the storage in both bathrooms and the separate sinks in the Master Bath. Then L-Infinity happen to open the first closed door... in it was her sign-"L's ROOM" and she was shocked! Then J-Pony opened the one across- it had her sign then I-Dude opened his and saw his sign. L whispered, "Wait, does this mean, we want this house?" "Or... Did we already get this house?" Mr. Man nodded. They raved about their own walk-in closets. And that's when the noise factor rose and the kids simultaneously offered their design ideas and cell phone batteries were quickly spent. It was a great sight to behold...

It was the best day of our lives! Finally having a home we can call our own... Our move-in date will be delayed about a week as they refinish the ceiling and rid it of the awful "popcorn" texture on all the ceilings!

Even better... We managed to keep the kids in the same school district and the same church ward! The kids will still be close to their friends in the neighborhood. Why? It's 2 minutes away from our current apartment! That means we save money on movers!!! What a great blessing indeed! My heart is full and honestly it hasn't really sunk in yet. Give me until late May...

Again, I apologize for no pictures... our systems are still being polished. But I promise, very soon!!!

'Til next post!

Packing, Packing and more Packing!

2010-03-21T21:27:00.003-05:00

I can hear you saying... "As if she doesn't know any other word lately." But that is the ugly truth right now- we are packing every little thing we can think of and organizing while reducing at the same time.

To keep us sane, we also look for opportunities to serve, spend time together and hope (while quietly chanting the Spring dance) for the sun to stick around longer than a few days.

IT IS MADDENING!!! All the packing, chaos and errands to close up gaps in our move. I'm both having cabin fever and wanderlust boredom. I don't like being out but I also can't stand being indoors when I hear happy voices soaking up the beautiful day. Oh well... I've endured many a Spring time packing, but how I wish that this would be our last- for a long while...

Ok... So who's with me? One, two, three! Cross your fingers!

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!!!

See ya!

3 Families, 1 Dinner, >$13

2010-03-13T23:55:00.005-06:00

You read right... I made dinner for three families: Mine, Next door and a Mother&Son. A total of 12 mouths.

I made Spaghetti with Homemade Sausage & Parmesan Spaghetti sauce and Texas toast.

Real Food Real People dot com

Here's my total:

Barilla Pasta- 4 boxes- 99 cents each = $3.96
Tomato Paste- 1 can- 35 cents
Tomato Sauce- 75 cents (big can)
Tomato Diced- 75 cents
Parmesan, Herbs, Spices- FREE (already had it)
Texas Toast- 1.5 boxes- $1.97 each = $2.96
HF Beef Smoked Sausage Links- 1.5 pkgs.- $2.50 each = $3.75

$3.96 + .35 + .75 + .75 + $2.96 + $3.75 = $12.52 Total

Why did I do it? Well, it was back on Sunday night the 7th, before I-Dude's birthday, so the spaghetti is a traditional dinner to wish him a long life ahead. For our next door neighbor, it is to help their daughter who comes to YW, get some of her Personal Progress checked off and because my friend Annette has started working again. For my friend Heather and her son, it was because her MS turned for the worst and she needed some dinner help while the steroids did their thing to help her legs.

See? Service and Frugality can be totally complimentary. (I actually already had the pasta from last month, February, so technically they're already FREE, according to my budget.) No need to go to the store for the whole meal if you just stock up on few necessities...

Til next post!

(Still can't upload pictures)

Happy 8th Birthday, I-DUDE!

2010-03-08T22:16:00.001-06:00

I can't believe that I'm a mother of three, much less a mother to my youngest who just turned 8 today! Our son, I-Dude will now face baptism, scouting and much more fun times ahead! I can't wait!

No pictures to be uploaded because we just installed Windows 7 and Office is not quite installed yet, much less Picasa. So... I'll have to redo a post-birthday post about his birthday this year!

We started to celebrate yesterday, I made him brownies and gooey cupcakes and spaghetti with sausage and texas toast. Things he loves to eat! Today, we didn't get to do much since Mr. Man had to work so we just had ice cream and a song. I also made him one of his favorites, fried rice!

They call this his GOLDEN YEAR. I would have to agree.

In Between...

2010-03-03T01:01:00.002-06:00

... slowly packing for our pending move (hoping to find one nearby by next school year), our children's school/church activities and commitments, and our current "Windows 7, extra external hard drive and jumpy keyboard dilemmas", blogging for me may be hampered quite soon and for a few or several months. I'll try to squeeze in a few here and there, but no promises...

See you when I can...

Unnhhhh.... Ohhhh... :(

2010-02-26T18:51:00.005-06:00

I feel yucky when I stand up, sit down or lie down... No fever no real pain, just gut-based yuck. My system is currently noise, light and crowd sensitive. I hope I feel better soon; my "tribesmen" needs me, I need me. :-(

L-Infinity and her AC/DEC (Academic Decathlon) are again in Houston, competing in the State AC/DEC Competition.

Multicultural night tonight and the kiddos are performing but we couldn't go because Mr. Man had to work and has a flight @ 7:30PM while me, well... I feel yuck! Finding someone to take the two little ones wasn't hard, it's having someone watch them while there, is what almost made me start a mutiny of tears, screaming and outright stomping. Thank goodness for good neighbors and friends, one dropped them off, one will pick them up. As I've put it to my hubby why I couldn't afford to go, "I don't want to end up being one of the exhibits from actual puking."

The moving plans are underway, but getting much done, not so much... My poor children, their Spring Break will be spent packing and sorting toys and clothes (sounds familiar from 3 years ago)...

Snow again? Where?

2010-02-23T19:52:00.003-06:00

We had a forecast of snow showers last night until this afternoon. But aside from "specks-of -snow-are-visible-while-squinting-both-eyes-or-standing-still-long-enough-to-follow-air-movement" for about 15 minutes, the snow shower never really happened. But the cold lingered. brrr!

Oh well... it's still winter until March 21st.

Til' next post!

Academic Family

2010-02-22T21:37:00.007-06:00

Sometimes, good luck strikes you once, sometimes, twice. But in our case, good luck hit three times:

Our children, L-Infinity(17), J-Pony(10) and I-Dude(7) all came in differing circumstances by the time they were born though all were C-section babies and breastfed for two years minimum. All walked within 12 months. Only two managed cow's milk, while one couldn't handle dairy at all without breaking out in hives with other food allergies and respiratory episodes. But the glaring things they all have in common are their individual and similar academic prowess.

ALL THREE:
-Started reading at or just after each turned 2 years old
-Strong ROTE learners, but adaptive to 7 intelligences practice
-Have multiple artistic outlets (singing, drawing, origami, dancing, dimensional art)
-Are avid readers and share the love of the same titles
-Are strong Spellers and have high aptitude for Math
-Qualified and are enrolled in GATE or LEAP (TX) programs
-Are actively involved in school activities (Multi-Cultural Night, Choir, STUCO, Safety Patrol, NHS, AC/DEC)
-Received multiple A Honor Rolls and consistently within the Top 10% of their Grades
-Represented their schools or class (Spelling Bee, Geography Bowl, AC/DEC, UIL)
-Had been hand-picked for advanced programs in school
-Tutored classmates and peers over various subjects
-Helped peers learn how to read or read better

Mr. Man and I, very early on in our marriage established a house of learning and a house of faith. Our tactics were simple: supplement and challenge; redirect and expect focus; talk, listen and learn along with them. That means we work together in giving them the best advantage and push them to their potential while avoiding the damage of over-parenting.

Our parenting style is as typical as most LDS households- strict, traditional, family and cultural-oriented but always fair...

I don't brag about my children academically (though I share them) because good grades and high accomplishments are part of their lives. But if I am to brag about anything about them, is that they also share a love for the simple life that we live and do not get caught up (too much) in what others have that they don't.

To my children, I will always be grateful. Their presence in my life are continuous proof that THERE IS A LIVING, LOVING AND INTELLIGENT GOD.

I couldn't ask for anything more...

Packed 2010!

2010-02-18T08:56:00.004-06:00

Dewberryscraftywave Blog

Literally! Both in the contextual definition of "full" and "put away in a box". 2010 is shaping up to be one packed year!

This year, our children all are going in separate but momentous occasions- college, middle school and 3rd grade. One, two or all will end up in different schools or district. As well as a baptism and a blessing for our new nephew. We will be visited and visit family and friends. We are definitely moving, to where not solid yet.

Our projects to reign in all these wonderful changes, is a bit dizzying to me, but they have to be done, one day at a time, until we are ready to hand the last furniture to the movers.

We will be traveling more; to visit our newest nephew in Utah, to a college campus, to rent a violin and to visit a new school. We'll be searching houses for sale and hopefully landing one.

We will be dealing with shedding the awful past, cherishing the good, and welcoming the future. We will continue beloved traditions, but in a new setting once again.

But most of all, we look forward to what this year awaits us...

I may not be around to blog much this year, but be assured that you're all gonna be in the front seat of our new set of adventures! So stay tuned!

FHE: Extended Valentine

2010-02-15T22:35:00.005-06:00

Last night was a great dinner, but as often what happens with holidays, Mr. Man and I end up having an "extension" to our celebratin's!

With the leftovers from the giftcards we got last Christmas, we hit Olive Garden for lunch! Can't beat a FREE lunch (Again, thanks, Mom and Dad!)
Wordpress.com

We both had the "Tour of Italy" (Chicken Parmigiana, Lasagna and Fettucine Alfredo) fare and what a choice it was! The soup that came with it, "Potato with Sausage" became one of my instant faves!
ABC News. go.com

Then we went home and gathered the kids to the next phase our extended Valentine's Day celebration- to see this movie we've been waiting for:
Screen Rant.com

It was worth the wait though justifiably, we were disappointed that the movie's creative license condensed much of the back story that made the book series, "hard to put down".

It's a rare opportunity for us to have Monday FHE (Family Home Evening) because of Mr. Man's current work schedule, but having an FHE is what's important to us. Family time is very important to us and we savor each week we get to put that FHE stamp on it, helping to infuse its blessings and divine importance to each of our children...

How do you keep up with FHE in your home?

HIATUS Over; time to Party!

2010-02-14T23:23:00.009-06:00

Well, The Big V day is here and that means, our two-week shopping hiatus is officially over!!! Yeah!!! But sadly, we didn't do so well in the savings department as NEEDED health, school, printer and clothing expenses ate up what we saved from not buying our wants... At least we didn't have to dip in any extra pocket! I think I would consider this one a success as well!

To end the hiatus, we did need to go on a grocery run as fruits and milk ran out. On our way out, we have this left from our Winter Wonderland- a slowly melting snow fort that our next door neighbor's son, Pat did. Great job!

I-Dude and J-Pony loved every minute they spent in it (until I called them).Had to take a second picture.
See that little tilted snow on the left middle? That's a mailbox! LOL
They showed how they kept it up for Pat. Thanks, guys!

And tonight, since it's also Chinese New Year, we celebrated both with an authentic Chinese dinner, both homemade and store-bought!

Look at my little "firecrackers"! We celebrate in honor of my part Chinese heritage on both sides of my family. The kids are just lovin' all the cultural holidays we get to enjoy!

After reading up on my Chinese table etiquette, this is my own rendition. I used candles to represent the fireworks used on celebrating and the red for China and the black for the black stripes on a tiger since it is the Year of The Tiger! Pretty clever, huh?

I made shrimp & broccoli with hoisin garlic sauce, we bought eggrolls and pot stickers (no picture), symbols of prosperity and wealth. The clementines and chocolate for wishes of a sweet life this year. Of course the noodles are the Chinese symbol for wishes of long life.

Poached grouper with soy sauce... It has carrots, ginger and onions that flavored the soy sauce broth. Again, having seafood is considered wishes for wealth and prosperity.

I made both of these dishes. L-Infinity, Mr. Man and I, loved it! J-Pony and I-Dude ate as much as they can of what they can because they wanted this...

I call it, Chocolate Explosion. It's a package of German Chocolate Cake mix but I added chunks of 60% cocoa chocolate bar in the batter. I whisked the eggs before I added it in. The result was a very moist, rich cake with pockets of bittersweet gooeys! The frosting is Dark Chocolate Fudge with powdered sugar on top and I decorated it with the Ferrero Rocher chocolate balls and Dark Chocolated coated almonds! Yum!!!

Happy, happy Valentine's Day, from our family to yours...

SH Days 10, 11, 12 & 13 Snow's On!

2010-02-12T19:46:00.009-06:00

Well since there was nothing much to report, I figured I'd just stack them all in one post!

Mostly leftovers for all three meals each day and since insomnia was a battle this week, the kiddos had had to help me get some sleep in the afternoons. All were really patient with me this week though errands quite interrupted much of that slumber plans.

The insomnia totally messed with my appetite and the smell of food in the house made me nauseous. We had to eat out on Tuesday or I starve. We had no choice but to get out of the house. J-Pony needed a new backpack while we are still looking for comparable towels to replace the ones "tainted" by the bathroom flooding. L-Infinity was sick with a nasty "morning assaulter" tummy bug that would render her knocked out for most of the day, after "hugging the porcelain throne" in the morning, on Tuesday and Wednesday! Poor baby! She's also had to babysit these last two Fridays, so that's good.

Then on Wednesday night, we had a snowstorm forecast and by 3AM Thursday, it started to snow! All day Thursday! Look at these! (I also posted in Facebook)

These two were in the afternoon, the beginnings of our 24-hour "Winter Wonderland"! Gorgeous day!

By 11PM, I was still thrilled that I actually told Mr. Man that I just couldn't complain!
See how happy I look? (I was barefeet, too!)
That's not a bad photo, but rather snowing coupled with mild shivering. lol
I-Dude and J-Pony were busy making origami Valentine cards since it was "make your own" kind of theme this year. Too bad they didn't get to use them since our school district declared a two-day Snow Day due to our snowstorm. Lots of slush out there!

Today was filled with errands... We've decided to start looking at houses in our area to see if we can stay within the boundaries of our church ward. I don't know about you but it is such a draining process for me! Whew! More to look at until we find just the right one...

Also, we received in the mail that J-Pony, who placed 2nd in her school's Geography Bowl will be joining her friend, and winner, Nathan, to represent their school in the upcoming District Geography Bowl in March! And... it's on a Wednesday morning so that means, Mr. Man and I can go! Yay!!!

Food Budget Trick: Many don't eat Spam, but it is economical, delicious and a good substitute for bacon or ham. I use it when I don't have bacon or when I want to spare my bacon for another day but is craving some. Fat wise, it is easily controlled, you can slice it very thin and have an instant "bacon" like and egg breakfast fare or it's a quick substitute for stir-fry meats, when cubed small. One can, has fed me and my family for two meals. Now that's a great deal!

Our fave way to use it is in fried rice. I use half a can of Spam, two eggs, 4-5 cups of cooked rice, 1 cup of peas and carrots, garlic salt and 1 tbsp. of oil.

That's only $2.59 for the whole dish and for a family of five, that's only 52 cents a plate!

Well, folks... One more day and we'd be done with our Shopping Hiatus! Whew!

Oh, by the way, "the project's" done and was posted at my other blog, What Now? Tablescapes, called "A Bit of Morocco for Valentine's". Come see and tell me what you think.

HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY TO Mr. Man's parents! We love you, Mom and Dad!

And we have a new nephew! Gary and Kate (Mr. Man's only and older sister), just had their 3rd baby and 2nd son, yesterday evening. Garrison clocked in at 8 lbs. 7 oz. Wow! Congrats to their big siblings, Taryn and Carter!

Have a great weekend!

SH Day 8 & 9- Sleepless...

2010-02-08T23:11:00.004-06:00

The past week, I just haven't been able to sleep. I used to be an insomniac ever since my 2nd child was born and got worse by the time the third came. But when we moved here to Texas, I had some relief and was starting to sleep about 5-7 hours on average, now this again... *sigh*

Anyways, still not buying anything we just want and so far our stash has not been depleted.

Yesterday, were all leftovers so no surprise there...

Food Budget Trick: I don't do casseroles; most are high fat, too much sodium, high carbs, greasy; also dependent on cheese and butter, making it more susceptible to spoiling even in the fridge, after a few days. I save money by focusing on what we will eat, not what we might like to eat or what others deem delicious. I also save by creating different dishes using the same ingredients, especially if bought at a great sale price.

Tonight, I made Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli for about $2.25. Only 4 of us ate it because Mr. Man didn't have time to eat before work.

I used:
Leftover buttered thin spaghetti-FREE
1 bag frozen broccoli--------------$1.00
1 link polish sausage--------------$1.25

$2.25/4 = 56 cents a plate!

Hope you had a better weekend than I did...

SH Day 7- Cleaning The Day Away!

2010-02-06T22:45:00.005-06:00

Saturday, is a special day. It is the day we get ready for Sunday...

So the song goes and how our day pretty much went. We made sure that the kids' finished their chores and Mr. Man got to sleep in so he's ready for work tonight. Except to pick up L-Infinity from a Choir competition today, we all stayed in.

Dinner was again composed of leftovers. No fuss, no muss!

Food Budget Trick: Needs come first. Wants can and will wait even with food. I learned this the hard way. Since 2003, I have set a very strict food budget. We still live off that same amount every month. What I do is, I set my amount and gauge my needs list against sales, use coupons, stock up during great deals, before I entertain any wants on my list. And for holidays, I only add 1/4 more to my monthly food allowance. I revise the menu to accomodate that amount. Eating out has to have an occasion or emergency reason, because it is budgeted separately and with very little. Weekends and twice more in the week, we polish off our leftovers. (I read online that the average grocery tab for a family of 4, including everything (pets, toiletries, etc.), is almost $1,000 a month. $1,000 a month! Yowza!) We don't even come anywhere close to that even without much coupon use here. Thank goodness!

Ok, back to the cleaning... I still am. In the master because I'm ready to see a newer and cleaner room plus there's a maintenance inspection going on for our townhome and my unit may be picked soon so clean, clean away I go!

Hope you are having a great weekend!

SH Day 6- Drip, drip... Whoosh!!!

2010-02-05T23:03:00.007-06:00

That's what we woke up to this morning. Water streaming from our bath's ceiling vent. Our bathroom is directly underneath the kids' bathroom. It could only be one of two things: either the tub or the toilet overflowed. I don't know about your children, but mine do not take baths early in the morning...

I-Dude and J-Pony, the two groggy and stunned culprits, had different, and not helpful, reactions (speechless and totally shocked) to what happened while Mr. Man leaps out of bed to assess the damage then just as quickly, gathered all the towels (ewwww!) to sop up the rising flood (the result, 1 inch of water and 1 foot wide perimeter outside.

Good morning, Mommy and Daddy! :-)

We made sure that "Daddy" took care of upstairs and I took care of downstairs. After so much "eww de toilette" (no I didn't spell it wrong, just making a point), I assertively informed Mr. Man that we are replacing our towels, TODAY! (thank goodness for paychecks!)

Then we also realized that our original "project" is not gonna fly as our "budget" went out the window; and if you know me well enough, high budget means NOTHING WILL BE BOUGHT OR EVERYTHING WILL BE RETURNED.

After a quick trip to the storage and returns of the materials from the original plans, we ate lunch and went to Ross. With my eye singled on the a new but similar angle, our project materials list was completely crossed out and we were under budget by almost $50.00! Yay!!!

Tonight, dinner was all leftovers, meaning completely FREE!

Food Budget Trick: Eat with your mouth, not just your eyes. Chew your food and let your brain taste it. I insist that no one asks for a second helping until they show that their plates are empty. I also insist on not piling on too much food on anyone's plate if it's a new dish or a favorite dish. If a new dish, it shows how much we like it and if it's worth our money to cook it again. For a fave dish, I prevent overeating and waste on plates.

Other than that, it was pretty uneventful... Mr. Man and I went on our "Smallville" date (FREE) and did our taxes. Oh yeah, the kiddos, all three, yes, all three because the bathroom was filthy on top of the disaster; were sequestered into manageable shifts to THOROUGHLY clean the bathroom, I mean dusted, mopped, wiped down, swept and sanitized!

So... How was your Friday?

SH Day 5- Gloomy Day...

2010-02-04T23:44:00.008-06:00

Yesterday, it rained for most of the day. Today, it just drizzled for most of the day. Yup, it was pretty gloomy...

The kids woke up late again and had to be driven to school.

Since sleeping hasn't been part of my late evening repertoire for over 4 days now (former insomniac), sleeping in today was rather nice. I woke up cause the phone rang.

The afternoon was spent doing errands, picking up and dropping off our teen.

The project, got as far as bringing the much needed tool out of the box! (woop te doo... *yawn*)

Food Budget Trick: Eating is very much psychological, ergo can be manipulated. So I do, rather strictly. In my home, dessert is not a normal part of the meal. It is a treat approved by me. Soda is once a week. Snacks are on a schedule or for school. ONLY. And... IT HAS TO BE ON SALE- A GREAT SALE. ONLY. This way, our food money is further stretched to accomodate more necessities. No one misses out on anything and whining gets cut to a minimum.

Dinner was another Filipino dish called "Sinigang na Baboy" (Pork in Sour Broth) over rice.

I got the pork last week at Kroger for 99 cents/lb. The family pack I got cost $5.04

I used:
1/3 pkg, pork country style ribs-------------------------1.68
1 bag of frozen spinach----------------------------------1.00
1 lb. taro root---------------------------------------------.99
1 packet of tamarind season mix(Asian mart, 2/$1)--FREE (Dec)
Water and seasoning------------------------------------FREE
Rice-------------------------------------------------------FREE (Jan)

1.68 + 1 + .99 = $3.67 /5 = 73 cents a plate! (and again, leftovers for tomorrow!)

With that little expense for dinner by only using what we have, the day certainly didn't end gloomy! (though cold still stands. "brrr!!!")

5 days down, 9 more to go!

SH Day 4- 9 Long Hours!

2010-02-03T23:05:00.010-06:00

First, the kids forgot to wake up in time to catch the bus.

Next are dentist and doctor's appointments.

Then we decided to tackle needed materials for our V-Day project (which I will reveal, after V-day, of course!). We needed lumber, a piece of 4x4 to be specific. One piece. You would think that it would be quite easy to go down to your local hardware store and check it off your list. Nooooooo!

a) There was too much splitting and cracking on each piece.
b) The inventory is too low for any decent choices.
c) Neither of us bothered to ask why the inventory's too low.
d) Project needed revision two other times because your hubby's coming up with tools to buy for a "glue and cut" project you had originally.
e) Only one store carries untreated lumber in three cities!
f) You find out "e" after you waste gas going to other cities.
g) You end up at the first store buying the exact same things in your cart 5 hours ago!

Yes, folks... we got the materials, now the question is, will we have the time to finish it by day before V-day since said holiday is on Sunday? (cross your fingers!)

LUNCH was totally FREE- The kids brought lunch from home or got FREE school lunch while Mr. Man and I dined at Red Lobster (ya posh,huh?) using our birthday giftcards from his parents! (Thanks, Mom and Dad!) We shared a salad before and a gooey slice of chocolate cake after our surf and turf fare. Plus, we portioned the cards for two lunches! Yay, another FREE lunch soon for us!

Mutual was tonight, and we ended picking up all three kids from school as well. The road was our home today, thank goodness no road incidents to bother with. (though there certainly were a lot of "rain" novice drivers out!)

Ok, onto some inexpensive dinner segment:

Last night, I started to make Tinola, a Filipino chicken dish with broth, ginger, and pepper leaves.

Last week, I got the drumstick family pack- it had 18 in it for exactly $7.00

I used:
7 Drumsticks----------------------------------$2.72
1/4 Onion, 1 lb. head (H-Mart,.39/lb)----------.10
1 Pepper Leaves, frozen (H-Mar, 2.99)------$2.99
4 cups Jasmine rice (Costco,50lb., abt $22, Dec)-FREE
Spices and water- FREE

$2.72 + .10 + $2.99 = $5.81 / 5 = $1.16 a plate! (And we had seconds with just rice and broth!)

The best part, all of our dinners, we've had enough leftovers that fed at least two for lunch or late snack!

If you add the cost of the rice, 4 cups (typical amount used) is about 2 lbs, so...
.44 a pound x 2 = 88 cents only to feed 5 people with enough leftover for one person for lunch the next day.

Food Budget Trick: I don't use a lot of meat in feeding my family, so I end up portioning it through small cuts and smaller amounts before it hits the freezer. If a recipe calls for a pound of red meat, I decide how much less meat I want to use. Normally, 1/4 to 1/2 lb. is enough to feed us and have some for the next day.

Lesson learned today, don't use lumber for any small projects. *sigh* :-D

SH Day 3- Oodles & Noodles!

2010-02-02T23:01:00.005-06:00

Oodles of talents, that's what! J-Pony had her very first Activity Days Talent Show tonight. It was amazing! The girls are oozing with talents-from singing to dancing to instruments and skits! J-Pony participated in a skit and she also played Ode to Joy in her recorder. Very well I might add...

Then, we came home and we made dinner. A little late, and the kids had dessert first (after the Talent Show, were treats), but since L-Infinity came home with 5 medals last Saturday, we decided to make something rich and inexpensive at the same time! A "Blue Plate Special" moment!

Tonight's dinner was for L's accomplishment last Saturday and for announcing that her AC/DEC team- made it to STATE! They'll be competing in Houston the last weekend of this month!

So, I made... SS Pasta! SS for Spinach and Shrimp on a top of a boatload of pasta. Ok, only one package but it was so rich you'd think one plate is unmanageable! This is my "quick to impress" dish that gets made in a jiffy!

Food Budget Trick: Since we do grocery shopping every two weeks, the same items we buy are considered paid for by the third week. So if a pantry or fridge item's dated 3 weeks or older, we consider it FREE since the food budget's been replaced. Also, frozen veggies are strictly budgeted for the normal sale price of the area for inexpensive stock up. (here, $1 a bag)

Ok, here's what I used and how much:
Barilla Thin Spaghetti (1 pkg, sale)---99 cents
Shrimp, 1/3lb. ($3.99/lb)--------- $1.33
1/2 bag frozen Spinach ($1 bag)---- 50 cents
1 cup margarine ($3.49 qt)----------87 cents
1 cup milk ($2.29 gal)-------------- 14 cents
1/2 cup grated parmesan (Costco 2-pk, Jan)-FREE
Apple cider (Target 2-gal, Jan)-FREE

.99 + 1.33 + .50 + .87 + .14 = $3.83 / 5 = 77 cents a plate! Yeah! That "$10 Dinners" show host has nothing on me! LOL

SH Day 2- 95 cents a Plate!

2010-02-01T23:46:00.005-06:00

We had to buy milk, bananas and toothpaste today for our needs, but food for dinner, noooo problem!

Last week, I got these Hormel Polish Sausage 2-pk, BIGIF for $4.99. So that made it $2.50 each pk for us. Then in the freezer, I had these two store brand frozen bags of stir-fry veggies with rice that only cost me $1 each. What to make, what to make?

A one dish wonder called Sausage Stir-fry!

I only used one of the sausages, making it $1.25 + $2, subtotal- $3.25

Then, my children found a box of family size brownies in the pantry, that cost me $1.49 (on sale, $2, reg. $2.50) since I bought it with a promo of B10G$5off from Kroger.

We only had water and 1 full plate each (that's all we needed, oddly enough).

So let's see... $1.25 + $2 + $1.49 = $4.74 / 5 of us = .945 or 95 cents a plate + dessert!

Can't beat that!

SH Day 1- It's Sunday!

2010-01-31T23:59:00.006-06:00

Hello... Today marks the day that we embark on our 2nd attempt at NOT BUYING ANYTHING WE DO NOT NEED. We upped it from 10 days to 14 days from our first and very successful, attempt. We even gave it an official name, SHOPPING HIATUS. Cool,huh? Which means, no eating out, no grocery shopping for just good deals, no shopping for anything that can wait. If we can make it, we make it. We do without and we wait!

Since it's Sunday, it was an easy start not to get anything... Let's see how it goes. And since I'm not feeling so hot either (dizzy and "jelly" legs), I think the kids can manage rummaging through the fridge for food.

Can we survive 14 days without caving in for that "one shiny bauble" in an ad?

Well, I hope so! Wish us luck! This time, our incentive is to add what we'll save, to our Christmas Fund aka January Shopping Spree!

Did I tell you about that? Our "Christmas fund" is saving $1 a day, or 20 cents per person per day, for a total of $1 a day for our Shopping Spree. This way, we know that everyone saved for that one "want" they'll find in the store when we go. That's $1 a day starting Jan 1-Dec 31. Then we portion it this way: Lunch while out shopping, 1-3 Family gifts and equally divided amount for individual gifts. (When we do this, we bring our own snacks, beverage and coupons to save on food, too! It's a whole day affair and we end it with a rental to watch together at home.) Easy enough, right? Right!

So far, the last two years of this tactic, totally panned out since we were also armed with the grands' giftcards from Christmas. :-)

Asian and AC/DEC

2010-01-30T23:42:00.007-06:00

... Just seems to go together. LOL

As you know, I'm Filipino and I'm married to a Caucasian. But the more we grow, our tastes and abilities seem to align with more of my Asian heritage, Chinese and Filipino.

My children take pride in being touted Filipinos since there are not many in this area. When I want to cook light but hearty, all I need to do is whip us some veggie filled chinese dish and a light sauce. (recipe at the bottom)

AC/DEC competitions seem to be seen the same way. The more Asians you have in your team, the more intimidating you seem to be. LOL Well, tonight, both of L-Infinity's heritage worked in her advantage. Being Co-Captain, it is her responsibility to "rally" her team and boost their morale. But simultaneouly, she had to prove that her title is well earned.

Fresh home from her Regional Competition, she brought home 5 different medals ranging from 5th Team Overall (bronze/red ribbon) that qualifies them to go to State (yeah!!!) to Best Team Scorer (gold) and 2nd in Overall Essay (first silver). Of course, the normal rounds of "because she's Asian" and "Asians always do well" were heard. To her, it was all good. This is her last year and she's going out with a bang... Asian or not... :-D

Beef with Snow Peas

1 can of chicken broth
2 stalks of green onion
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. sesame oil
15-20 snow pea pods, stringy side stripped
1/4 lb. beef, thin strips (either leftover roast or raw)
2 egg whites (whisked)
1 small onion, thin strips
6-8 baby carrots, quarter lengthwise
salt & pepper

With the oil, on high heat, saute onions, carrots and throw in beef. Season with s&p.
Saute until meat no longer pink. Set aside.
In the same pan, saute snow peas for 3-5 minutes. Add in chicken broth.
Let boil and scoop out snow peas. Add snow peas on top of the beef platter. Turn heat to low.
In a small dish, pour some cornstarch and add some broth. Blend then stir into broth.
Mix in sesame oil.
The whisked egg whites, stir into thickened broth. Kill heat and stir until sauce is a little thicker.
Pour over beef and veggies. Enjoy with steamed rice!

It's healthy and quick to make.

Fridays? Grrr!!!

2010-01-29T19:50:00.006-06:00

Mental Floss dot com
This year, with Mr. Man's new schedule and the growing kids' desire to be little litterbugs, my Fridays have become a day I don't look forward to.

It's the most hectic since field trips, competitions, concerts, deadlines, fees due dates and budget reconciliation-- all fall on this day! It plain bites! And then there's the cleaning...

For example, this morning, I spent over 10 minutes picking up in the smallish kiddos' room just to get all the stuff strewn on the floor! And since our ex-guest/free tenant set the bad example of "dining en suite" by sneaking out snacks from the upstairs pantry, I also saw empty snack packs on the floor! (can you say fuming? She's already gone and yet I'm still cleaning up after her mess! Grrrr!!!)

So for "correction tactics", snacks were rescinded for today, all laundry have to be done tonight, bed was made (my way), clothes are being folded right after the dry cycle and dinner is simple and they had to help. I figured since they expended their brain and body energy into being "mischievous", I am within my parental rights to "redirect it" and make them productive!

I will achieve two things-- clean space and clothes (albeit temporary) and clothes sorted out to what fits now and next year. Simply, more reduction and organization compliments of their laziness and sneaky ways!

It is true, opposition is needed in all things... It cures complacency and deceit- in my house anyways...

Gotta love my kids!

FHE: Extremes

2010-01-28T23:55:00.008-06:00

Last week, we've established that FHE will now be on Thursdays.

Tonight, our lesson was on extremes. Both good and bad extremes and why...

Good Extreme: Being able to buy what we needed in one store and for way under our budget.

L-Infinity's competing with her AC/DEC team tomorrow and she needed a suit. I-Dude's shoes and socks are so worn out that his feet were stinking so bad and toes are beginning to itch in Kohl's where we went tonight. Poor kid!

I was silently and mentally screaming my head off as to how I'm going to afford all these instant "needs". But with luck and knowing we've been paying tithing, I hoped for the best. Both kids NEEDED something.

So, after much browsing, L found not one but two great suits! One 60% off and the other 80% off. Total price, $38 with tax.

We all ended in the shoes department and "voila!", as if the heavens knew I won't be able to afford shoes by his birthday in March, I-Dude and I found not one but three great looking shoes were in clearance for 70% off! All in his size with room to grow! To top it off, Mr. Man noticed that the socks in I-Dude's size were on sale for B1G1F and we were able to grab the last four of the promotional 7 pair/pk, with the money left over from our budget! Woohoo!!! Total price, $66 with tax.

Bad Extreme: Getting our money's worth, but ended with a belly ache... (ooh!)

Right after, we headed to our storage to pick up one of L's suitcases for her trip tomorrow. And since it was already dinner time and we were far from home, we opted to use some coupons and chose a nearby Chinese buffet called, China King Buffet. Albeit, we were able to save two sets of 50% off, but... we ended up overeating from the seemingly endless selection of delicious dishes, from appetizers to dessert!
J-Pony was the only one who I was able to snap up for a photo-op, but you can clearly see how big this place is! We all piled on our plates in the name of sampling each dish, but in the end we were not happy. The kiddos all had stomachaches, I couldn't stop burping and I-Dude even ended up throwing up from too much food! Only Mr. Man was able to keep it all in.

All of us learned that moderation is the key to avoiding BAD extremes. And to respect GOOD extremes as divine help for our righteous efforts.

It's utterly amazing how one day can show you both your strengths and weaknesses. But with faith, you at least realize which ones you can change...

Two for Two?

2010-01-27T23:05:00.015-06:00

Yup, people, my hubby's two for two today!

Wait, that's not what I mean... (whatever it is you're thinking)

The fact is... I'm not a "birthday celebratin' on the day of your birthday kind of gal", so my hubby and I decided to go on a "Birthday Date" that turned out to be "Dates" (plural people)! One in the afternoon and one at night! (a rarity among rarities in our married history so of course, I'd blog about it! )

We both wanted to watch the movie, Avatar. So we did... in 3D and IMAX! We found a theater in Dallas that showed it and still gave us enough time to pick up the kiddos after school. We quickly purchased the tickets after lunch at Whataburger nearby. I sooo recommend it! (my own waterworks started and flowed near the end, it was so good!)

Proof it was IMAX... lol (that's just the middle of the screen)
Our 3D glasses... (we took pics when we had them on, but it was so dark, all you could see of me is my nose and the glare of the overhead lights- on my forehead!... not a pretty picture...)
And my gorgeous date, complete with his own tub of popcorn! (I was good, I had water) I wore an eggplant colored top, denim capris and eggplant colored ankle heeled boots. I also had my hair in a tight pony. I looked movie ready!

Then, tonight... We dressed up a bit and went to our second date, a nice dinner out. Of course, we opted for seafood (one of my kryptonites) and had a great time sampling the generous (and mouth-watering) portions at our nearby Papadeaux Seafood Kitchen. This time, we were in the Restaurant Row of Dallas, a little closer to where we live. The place was packed, but we got seated right away. We had a great time!

Look at this fountain at their entrance. Wowie! It's inside a portico side entry.
Once inside, we started our dinner with some beefsteak tomato salad with blue cheese crumbles. Yum!
For cocktails, Mr. Man got a pina colada daquiri while I opted for the strawberry one. The V version, of course!

I tried their current special-- Lobster Lafitte, it's half a rock lobster, head-to-tail stuffed with crawfish, shrimp and crab then topped with lobster meat and a scrumptious creamy sauce of my choice (lemon caper). It was paired with some crawfish etouffe. Of course, neither of us finished what we ordered, they were on massive platters! (this is what's leftover of mine. Mr. Man's Crawfish Trio platter looked just as full.)

And here we are! See? completely different looking! :-) I went for a "totally blinged-out" look because I've never really done it before. It was actually a lot of fun. I put on a silver top with black slacks.

Mr. Man went for "I'm her eye-candy" in a rugged casual way. Loved it! (And I think our young female server thought so, too! She refilled his soda, praised him for trying crawfish for the first time and was thoroughly helpful. Me, she didn't come around with a water pitcher for refills and my clutch that she asked me to move when the dishes came only got complimented after we asked for take home boxes. How cute...)

To not look so formal, I opted for simple jewelry like this choker I found at Kohl's today. I also donned a silver clutch, to hold my cell phone and lipstick. :-D
and silver dress sandals, but for my lips, toes and nails, I went copper!
I looked and felt like a million bucks, but in reality, my piggy bank barely noticed I dipped in. ;-)

What a great day! I hope you and your sweetie can indulge in a "two for two" very soon. It is worth it and so much fun!

Til' next time!

Happy Birthday, Mahal!

2010-01-22T23:19:00.004-06:00

From Yowazzup dot com

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAHAL!!!

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

We took Mr. Man out to a quick pizza dinner at our neighborhood, (ok only one in the area) Palio's Italian Grill. He ordered his usual Hawaiian Sunrise, XL for some insurance on leftovers and the kiddos and I enjoyed celebrating his birthday though it was rather quick since he had to go to work an hour later.

As I've said before... We'll take what we can get...

(Sorry about the lack of post infusion, but the organizing has commenced and we're all over the place)

Catching Up...

2010-01-16T23:55:00.006-06:00

So here's what I've been up to...

Back on the evening of the 10th, I baked two loaves of honey wheat sandwich bread. I'd show you the loaves but they've already been dessiminated into sandwiches, toast and french toast... (this is the first proofing)
Then I decided to practice my hand at tablescaping again for my other blog. But as you can see, I'm a little rusty. I forgot a goblet! Yeeesh! I call this one, "Love is where You are..."

Yesterday evening, I played with my old candles... I made them chic and usable again... An old trick for this old gal, actually.
Then I surprised Mr. Man with a great and healthy dinner of Grilled Salmon with Cilantro Pesto and steamed Jasmine Rice. He was so floored, I'm repeating it on Wednesday to feed the missionaries and family friends, Cori and Matt. I can't wait!

Today, after Michelle arrived with Mr. Man from Dallas, he fixed the missionaries' bike tire that was in a crash. We had a great lunch of bbq chicken wings and BLCs(bacon, lettuce, cheese). The kiddos love finger foods!

Tonight, after L's weekend of dates, she and our family friend, Michelle, visiting from AZ for a few days, play a round or two of the Wii Rock Band. Can't you see the budding rockers in them?

Ok, you're all caught up with my adventures. Now, what have you been doing?

Inevitable Changes...

2010-01-14T23:07:00.004-06:00

As you noticed, I haven't been blogging much. Not that I have nothing to say, I just have to portion my brain cells between planning to continue our current lifestyle of easygoing and packing every little thing we can prior to our not so planned out move yet the end of summer, almost fall, with a heavy dose of organization and reduction. (pictures later)

I'm still baking, budget planning and a mediocre visiting teacher, but since our gift to the Savior this year as a family is to "Be Better Missionaries"... We are choosing to keep our hearts and home open to all possibilities and promptings on what that would entail. (If you know us, opportunities are never in short supply. Just the way we like it.)

So, what's in store?

Time with family and friends
Traveling (more to college campus of L's choice and acceptance of course)
Reading the scriptures
Revising the food stocking plan to fit our move
Find some time for genealogy
More reading
Offer cooking lesson activities to YW
Teach cooking tips to friends
More baking (we're talking eclairs, baby!!!)

The rest and "in betweens"... We'll leave them in the capable hands of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I'm sure He has some great ideas up His sleeves.

I'll be around, just not as often, but I'll blog worthy news, occasional ramblings and life-altering moments or even just to throw in a laugh or two. We'll see...

Til' next post!

Perfume for the Pits?

2010-01-11T19:07:00.005-06:00

I've mentioned this before... I don't have body odor, but I didn't discover it until after I got married and my husband pointed it out to me.

(Do I sweat, of course! Do I have my clothes smell not so fresh after cooking, yes! Do I end up smelling like ozone in the summer, you bet! But one difference, it doesn't last and on a normal day, I can comfortably refold my clothes back into the dresser. And most of my clothes, my own husband can't tell and gets a bit miffed when found in the hamper. He thinks it got mixed up or fell in by accident.)

Well before that fateful discovery, since I came here to America, I've used the Secret line of deodorants. We're talking since highschool back in 1987! Just like most people, I used it whenever I thought I needed it. I started with their original Spring Breeze scent then eventually, when I was able to afford it, I tried the newer Platinum line, Glacier Mist scent. Well they don't have that anymore so I now switched to the newest collection, Fresh Effects line, Freshwater Orchid.

Background: I don't buy deodorants often which makes me forget to wear some which then reiterates my husband's discovery. The last time I applied was last week (from the one I opened back in early 2009), prior to that, November, just before Thanksgiving. (no foolin'!) Another proof: my in-laws bought me several (7-10) of the Glacier Mist back in 2006, and I still had three unused ones last year that my teen have since used.

I also prefer that it comes to me by way of gifts as I find this line of deodorant expensive. I've tried others, but I like Secret the best. Though it didn't really make any difference according to Mr. Man.

So now back to my hubby... Saturday, at Target, I again asked him through the kiddos to get me a new scent of Secret, but he wasn't really cooperating though he also claimed he kept forgetting. I asked why naturally and he said, "Maybe because you don't really need it, that it doesn't stick in my head. You use it as perfume and you already have several perfumes."

I never thought of deodorants as a mere perfume for the pits... But I guess that's all I use it for. So should I forgo it altogether? Nah... As cheap as I am, this is one luxury item I can't shed. So I guess my pits has its own perfume... "How fancy!" (as my kids would say. lol)

A List of Good Things...

2010-01-10T22:35:00.005-06:00

This week was full of things to do and done. The freeze warning wasn't enough to dampen our plans to spend time together.

Monday to Thursday was spent picking up, dropping off and grocery shopping for both food and firewood.

Friday, we watched Harry Potter 6 at home after a great dinner out at Palio's Italian restaurant and a trip to Lowe's... We started the shelving units for the little ones' room. We decided on wall to wall so we can keep the floor clear. (fingers crossed on this one)

Saturday, we finally had our Family Shopping Spree and we hit pay dirt!!! We left the house armed with giftcards from the grands and we used it well... Got our family and individual gifts. Yeah!

In 7 hours, we managed to visit Half-Price Books, Barnes and Noble, Home Depot, Target, and Forever 21. Everyone got what they wanted, even me! We came home with so many bags, you'd think we were made of money, but no... we barely dented our wallets. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Today, I baked French breads and Pan de Sal since we ran out of sandwich bread. Tomorrow, I will bake sandwich bread.

(We have been enjoying our leftovers thoroughly but also enjoyed eating out, for free or highly discounted with coupons! I haven't cooked much but it was balanced out with the mounting laundry from all the extra layers of clothes from the freeze stint we had.)

Yesterday, At Home Depot, they had two 50% off bags of gravel that was perfect for the bald front of our apartment. So for $3 on both bags, we now have a more pleasing and flood-free zone by the front door! Yay!!!

At 45 degrees today, we were warm enough to clean out the patio for the inspection tomorrow. It looks great and my purple Asiatic Lily, thrived and grew into three different plants! I can't wait to see the new blooms in the Spring!

Also today, just before church ended, the emergency lights and alarm went off. It turned out that in and around one of the foyers, water pipes burst and we had an instant waterfall and fountain from the columns and roof. The kids loved it, the adults, grateful it wasn't much worse...

How about you, what fun things did you do?

Maybe not earth shattering...

2010-01-10T11:27:00.001-06:00

... but our freeze warning did materialize the whole weekend with as low as 12 deg F! For this area, monumental since the last major snow was about 8 years ago.

Ok, lots to catch you up on, but will have to come back later to share. See ya later!

Brrr!!!

2010-01-06T23:59:00.002-06:00

Our area was issued a FREEZE WARNING by tomorrow and Friday. We're talking in the teens! (I know most in the East Coast are probably yawning at this revelation, but hey this is north Texas, humidity's our game) Hopefully, it won't be too bad. More snow is welcome but without the major sting of gusty arctic winds.

We'll see... Right now it's 45 deg F.

How's your neck of the woods?

A Sweet & Bright Beginning

2010-01-02T21:36:00.003-06:00

Reflecting on 2009, it was certainly a year of changes, starts and stops and of sheer generosity. Our children hit milestones: I-Dude, 7 and found his inner artist; J-Pony, hit the double-digit age and learned "why and how" kids her age grow up; L-Infinity, 17 and college bound. We have seen some of the most amazing examples of kindness, patience and friendship while simultaneously tried to stretch our own. I learned to bake and took on three different disciplines in Sociology. Mr. Man found himself in Chicago and Houston for work and enjoying some weekend time which has been denied us for at least six years.

Despite how it ended, 2009 has been one of our best years to reflect on. Our family's stronger for it. So how do you top that? You start it off right, of course!

I decided to make some FUDGE for the very first time- 1/2 with nuts (almond and walnuts) and 1/2 plain. (It's still cooling and solidifying in the fridge, so I had to borrow this picture).
"LaurelVChocolates dot com"
As I was quietly contemplating how 2010 would unfold for our "recovering" family, we saw this beautiful and bright moon-- illuminating the wispy clouds underneath it. It made me wonder if our future adventures will be as "reflective" of who we are.

The future is unknown... But one thing we are sure about, we believe in each other and in a loving God who knows what we need to strengthen the bond that have kept us together and strong. We believe in our friends and the impact of even one good deed.

I like those odds... This year promises to be another great one. :-D

"Banking" on the New Year's Best...

2010-01-01T00:52:00.004-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
2010 IS HERE!

Theme: "By the Snowbank, New Year came..."

With all the drama of 2009, we as a family thoroughly welcomed the New Year. First, we hit Target and Kohl's for some of their great deals (70-80% off).

I turned my mantle into a colorful snowbank... (you can imagine it's a snowbank)

Captured a kissing couple on the tube at exactly midnight...
Enjoyed some more bling and sparkle with our hands... (finger foods) (See the other snowbank on the table?)
Created our own loud noises....
And our own mess of course...
While we kept our mouths happy and quiet...
We couldn't end the celebration without a grateful toast- to family and future memories; to the wonderful and unbelievable ride that was 2009. In with the good, out with the bad...
Yes, I had to get my 3-second spotlight. ;-)
And another look of the stars of our lives, I-Dude...
J-Pony...
and the newly arrived "from a Stake Dance" L-Infinity. (I chose that dress)

May the New Year treat you in the best ways and fill your lives with gratitude and faith in the Almighty. Thank you all for the wonderful memories-with this blog, they will be cherised always.

Goodbye!

2009-12-30T17:32:00.009-06:00

September 13-December 29 (my birthday)

That's how long Kila stayed with us before she showed her true colors: unhinged and manipulative; crass and immodest. I say good riddance! (I have pictures of how she left her space before she came back from her date- to pack up- full of trash, mixed with wet and dirty underclothes, towels on the floor, but I won't gross you out like that)

We took her in and all (and I mean A LOT) of her stuff, rearranged two bedrooms, a bathroom, the dining room and the fridge to make room for her and gave her limits and a place in our family as one of our own. Allowed her to stay within the boundaries of her high school so she can graduate. Mr. Man and I signed on to let her stay the whole school year as her Education Guardian. We allowed her friends to come in anytime and eat, no questions asked. We added to our menu to accommodate her food choices and even funded her hair routine of biweekly dyeing-- ALL FOR FREE.

But I guess she's too good for us...

For our own children, we have 4 major rules outside of the obvious:

Curfew is tight but negotiable- tell us where you go, who you're with and check in at least once.
Personal Spaces- clean once a week
Laundry- once a week
Chores- get it done and offer to help

Kila broke all on a weekly basis and never mended her ways. My house stank of clothes reeking with secondhand smoke (from her boyfriend's car) and mounting laundry and dirty shoes. She claimed she's 18 and should be free, but she didn't want any responsibility either. When asked about why she wasn't complying to the rules, she said:

"I'm 18, I should be able to enjoy that!" (She's still in highschool and she was allowed to go out every night- curfew Midnight) I don't ask for details and don't mind waiting up for her. Glad I didn't give her a key...
"The bed's gonna get slept on anyway, what's the big deal?" (She's been sleeping on wet towels and dirty clothes, sleeps for 12 hours a day on weekends, during break- making L-Infinity gag with the smell)
"I don't like doing laundry!" (Did I mention the room reeked?)
When asked why she hasn't been helping unless we had to ask her (constantly), "I don't eat here anymore!" (She worked and went on long dates since break- that would be 1 week). When asked if she can help with any other chores, she said, "I don't know! (loudly)

Her boyfriend (a jobless 19-year old who met ONE awful Mormon family and judged us in the same vein though he voraciously accepted our offers of food and didn't mind lounging in our couch to relax his gut after) gave her the idea that he is her knight in shining armor by stating, "I'll take care of you.", further spun her web of acting like the victim that she's been portraying. To her credit, she is the product of a "spineless, crazy, mother who stole her graduation money" (her description), but I think, she's milked that sob story long enough.

She's 18 and we respected that and that's why we rearranged our whole life the past few months to accommodate that fact, but instead, we ended up taking in someone who didn't know how to be grateful and the whole time, vindictive. She said that she didn't trust us because "our close-knit family weirded" her out (I feel so loved). She also stated that she wasn't going to change her ways for us but she changed for her boyfriend for herself. (fine and good, but I didn't ask her to change, I asked her to help out and mind the major rules.)

She left labeling my daughter ignorant and other awful things thru texting. Her boyfriend, disrespected me in my home by cussing me out. I guess they are each other's soul mates. Don't worry, we blocked her phone and took them out of our Friends list in Facebook. We wiped them out of our lives because we don't need people that will bring us down. I made sure she left with ALL of her stuff and that she picked up her trash TODAY because I wasn't going to ring in the New Year with her still a part of our lives. I've had enough...

Now let's see boys and girls, how long this fairy tale between them would last, shall we? I say good riddance but I do pray that her own family gets their act together and soon bring her back home because she is clearly only 18, by age...