My husband got me an early birthday gift, a laptop. My computer crashed last year and I haven't been able to do my usual writing routine for a long time. I thought I wouldn't miss it but I actually do. I guess, the writing has become part of my life ever since I become a Mom that not writing about my kids events and other moments got me feeling a little lost. But anyway, I am starting to get back at it again, slowly but surely.
I prefer desktop over laptop but the good thing about laptop is you can carry it anywhere and with our current situation which is renovating the entire first floor, it's tough to be in the office/ I love the color of this laptop. I finally was able to download all of the pictures I have stored in the camera.
My Onedrive is now full ha ha ha. I uploaded all the videos on Youtube so I can delete them in my laptop. Thanks my love for this early birthday present.
Volleyball season has started although the school opening was pushed back to September as per mandated by the state. My kids have definitely grew over the summer. They are now both taller than me and definitely has a shoe size bigger than my feet. Anyway, we have been shopping for shoes since July. I think my daughter bought five pairs of shoes to use for school and sports.
I can’t believe she’s wearing size 7 now.
We bought her new set of knee pads and volleyball shoes last week. She had her scrimmage game last Friday over at Oak Glen High which we were not allowed to watch. This pandemic is a killjoy!
She was between the black and white shoes. Her final choice was the white one and that’s what hubby and I liked as well.
When it comes to giving gifts, my husband is the most generous. He doesn't care about the price. He likes name brand stuff but I am the opposite. I am more of a practical gift giver and receiver. I always think of what the person receiving the gift really need or what he can use instead of what he would like but don't really need.
Anyway, I don't really need a new purse but my husband found this one on sale so he got it for me on Valentine's day. I didn't mind because I like the style and the color combination. I could use it with a lot of clothing that I have in my closet so it's a plus point for him for choosing this.
For our son's birthday, we got him his favorite sweets. We also got him a new bike which he can use during the warm weather. He was actually able to use it once this winter, we had a warmer day and he tried riding this around the neighborhood. We love riding bikes as a family during summer so this is a perfect choice for his birthday.
My daughter is taking violin lessons so I thought getting her this stand is an excellent choice for one of her Christmas gifts along with the portable charger that she really wanted. Now that she's a teen, I can't buy her anything without asking her first because she has her own preference now. The music tripod was a surprise gift but I am glad she actually loved it.
Our son is into shoes these days so getting him a pair for Christmas was an easy decision. This din't cost a lot either.
The Steve Madden purse and wallet was the gift I got from my husband last Christmas.
For my husband's 50th birthday, I got him this set of 50-pound dumbbells. If you are into weight lifting, you know that these ain't cheap, every pound is a dollar worth. I did however got a great deal with it as it was free shipping.
Our goal is to fill up this rack with dumbbells. We still needs sets of 30, 35, 40, and 45 pounds. The stand was my gift for him during Valentine's Day. Last Christmas, I got him a weightlifting belt and some knee pads. He uses them every time he works out at our mini gym in the basement. Building up our own home gym is a lot cheaper than having a gym membership. It is convenient and we can use it for a long long time.
Gifts doesn't have to be expensive. I firmly believe that it is the thought that counts.
It’s very important to accessorize your dress rightly, as it can change the whole look of yours. A right accessory can take your look to another level. If you have picked up a very beautiful dress and no accessories, you will certainly miss that charm. For mother of the brides, makeup and accessories should be kept minimal to get that sophisticated and classy look.
Here are the 6 best ideas to accessorize the mother of the bride dresses with your own style:
1. Corsages:
Corsages are often worn by mother of the brides. They look elegant and classy. The color should coincide with the flowers being used in the decorations or the bouquet of the bride. But don’t go too heavy with the corsages as it will only add up to the floral budget list. Keep it minimal. There are many videos available over the internet for you to browse and learn how to make DIY ones. They look best with any of the mother of the bride dresses you choose.
2. Necklace:
A Statement necklace can instantly boost up any look you opt for. If you have chosen a dress which has a deep neckline or strapless one, you can go with elegant and bold neckpieces. However, being a mother of the bride, simple and minimal neckpieces will be the ideal choice for you. You can keep the earrings heavy with minimal neckpieces.
3. Earrings:
Another accessory to brighten up the whole look is earrings. They will give some structure to your face and goes well with any hairstyle. Cascading earrings suits everyone’s style and face. Pearls are a trend these days, so you can choose pearls to rock any dress you wear. If you are someone who can’t manage with long earrings, go for studs. After all, your comfort comes first!
4. Hats:
Hats make a wonderful accessory for mother of the brides. Nowadays, there are many beautiful options and designs available in hats. You just need to explore them. Hats should be chosen according to the wedding location. If it’s a spring summer wedding and the location is a garden or lawn, then wearing a hat becomes an ideal choice. But if it’s a beach wedding, hat would not go well with the theme of it.
Also, hats look perfect with the mother of the bride dresses tea length.
5. Shoes:
Pumps make the best option for the mother of the brides. Peep toe pumps which are glittery and mostly silver colored looks ideal with mother of the bride dresses tea length. However, it’s always best to choose shoes which make you comfortable. If you haven’t worn heels during your whole life, don’t go for heels then. Wear decent flats or the heel size in which you are comfortable in.
6. Clutch:
A clutch that is compact and complements your outfit is an ideal accessory to choose. You can carry a small perfume, lipstick or highlighter for touch-ups. Always go for clutches which have extra straps with it, so that you do not need to carry it in your hands all around. Bucket slings are trending these days and it goes well with any of your dress.
It’s a wrap here! Go and rock the party by accessorizing your mother of the bride dresses with your own style and comfort.
When
you decide to start a family, a lot of
responsibility accompanies it. You now have people whose wellbeing you’re
responsible for, and in the midst of all of that, looking after yourself is
equally important. One of the best ways to look
after your family is by making financial decisions that will give them a
brighter future. Although every decision you make probably won’t be right, you
can increase your chances of making the right ones by acquiring the correct
knowledge. There are some financial decisions that you can make that should
ensure everyone is comfortable in the long term.
Creating a College Fund
If you have young kids, you will want to see them do better
than you have in life. As you know, education can create so many more opportunities, so securing a college fund for them may be a
wise idea. Instead of overwhelming yourself with the cost of fees and putting saving
off, take it a day at a time. If you were to save
as little as $100 a month, that would
give you $1,200 a year which could be much more over the next ten years. Here
are a few ways to save for their college fund below.
Savings
account:
Opening a savings account is one of the most ideal and safest ways to save for
your kids’ college fund. It is an easy
way of saving but be careful because a disadvantage is that it could reduce the
amount of financial aid they get.
529 College
Plans: You
could also explore the option of 529 college plans if you like the idea of
investing after-tax money into stock and bond funds. You could then withdraw
the money tax-free for qualified education expenses.
Prepaid
Tuition Plans: A third option to explore for your kids’ college fund is a prepaid
tuition plan. This is only ideal if
you’re sure that your kids will attend an in-state public university and it allows
you to pay for tuition credits in advance.
Life Insurance
Another
great financial decision you can make for
your family is getting life insurance. This
can spook people out if they feel doing so is a bad
omen, but death is an investable reality everyone is going to have to face.
What you don’t want is to have your kids burdened with financial difficulties
if you leave earlier than anticipated. To avoid this, look into best term life
insurance,so they have some financial support if the unexpected happens. The good thing is that you could choose to get it for a term of 5, 10, 20 or 30 years.
Emergency Fund
Rainy
days are going to happen more often than you’d like, but they aren’t so bad if
you’re well prepared for them. To protect your family’s wellbeing, always have an emergency fund stashed away that you
can access in the case of financial downturns.
Doing so should serve as a security net in the case of unemployment, major
fixes, or unforeseen medical expenses. To actually
have enough in your emergency fund, you may need to learn to be more frugal and
cut down on leisure expenses.
Investing
Warren
Buffet himself advises that people invest in low-cost
stocks and bonds, so this is an option to try. You could even buy stocks for under $10, but it’s advisable that
you stick with industries you have knowledgeon. Get a brokerage firm or financial
advisor to give you advice in this regard. However, you want to know that when
you retire, you have passive income and won’t be a financial burden to those
around you.
Ultimately,
you want to make financial decisions that benefit the entire family. Even
though you may not be able to control the future, you can influence it by making
the right choices.
Traveling as a
family is something many people dream of happening to them. Whether you are
planning a getaway in your home country or somewhere across the world, there are countless positives that can come
from traveling. When you explore a new place together, you can create some amazing memories that you won’t ever want to
forget. However, there are some parts of traveling that can cause your trip to
be more stressful than fun. Before you depart, it’s wise to consider and tackle
some crucial things. This will this
ensure you fully relax and enjoy your new surroundings when you are away.
Any health problems
Sometimes,
health problems can cause more hassle when you are traveling if they are not tackled before you leave. Having a
health problem hanging over you may result in more trips to medical facilities
in a new country. Many people are currently suffering from chronic health issues, mental health problems, and addiction.
If you are hoping to resolve these problems before you leave, it’s best to
speak to a medical professional or follow an
alcohol addiction treatment programme. It is true that nobody should be prohibited from
traveling, just because they are ill.
Can you afford it?
Often, the
biggest thing standing in the way of some people traveling is a lack of money.
While traveling on a shoestring budget
can be done, when you have kids it is better not to take the risk by saving enough money. It may mean you end up waiting longer
to go traveling, but it promises you will have a trip free from financial
worries over any hidden costs. Ideally, you should make sure you have travel
insurance to cover the entire family, which will be a huge help if you encounter any emergencies along the way.
Your destination
There are lots
of questions you should be asking yourself when you are looking for a
destination to visit, such as the native culture, local currency, as well as
how safe it is for families. While most destinations can boast a great repertoire, there are others which may
not be the best option, especially if you are traveling with young children.
You should think about where will be most rewarding for you and your family to
visit, especially if you are hoping to educate your children when you are there. However, you should
also prioritize your search to include family-friendly resorts.
How you will get there
Unfortunately,
the attraction of visiting an exotic island is often outweighed by how
difficult it is to get there. This is why
many families choose to drive to a destination within their home country, as
there is plenty to explore without the hassle. If you are set on flying across
the world, you should make sure to book your flights far enough in advance to
save money, and plan how to make the trip easier. It may well be that the
hassle involved with flying with the whole family is more than worth it for the
fun times you have together.
For Father's Day, I bought my husband this gun concealment bench to store his guns. They have been in the closet ever since we moved in this home so I wanted him to have a proper storage for it. He wanted a gun safe that would show each of them but I thought this bench is a great idea. I don't really want to display guns so this is perfect.
I bought it at Hayneedle online and I was worried that it would have some damage when delivered. I was right with my worries.
The bottom part of the drawer was coming apart from the sides. The staples for some reason are pulling apart from the wood.
I had to correct the issue before my husband could see it because I did want him to say "this is a piece of junk!" He never want to buy any piece of furniture online because he can't see it and it is hard to return them when it's delivered at your home already, it's a hassle really.
Aside from the drawer issue, the varnish is also starting to chip off on one of the panels.
I was gonna try to assemble it myself and surprise my husband with it as a complete piece but I gave up. It needs two people to ]put it together.
The drawer also have some dents.
The tools and other accessories is also lacking the allen wrench. The number 12 is there but the wrench is not, I was very disappointed. Luckily, we have one available at home.
Here's more damage on the wood.
Anyway, my husband liked it except the part that it was a little hard to put together. Some of the parts where screw needs to be drilled, they did not pre-drilled it so we had to drill it ourselves.
Despite the small dents and other issues, it was actually a good piece for the price. It is made in Vietnam and the wood is real and not the composite one, my husband hates those composite stuff.
So now, all of his stuff have a storage and we have an extra space for sitting. I love the fact that all of it are now locked in one place where kids can't get to it.
When it comes to having a functional kitchen,
it is important that the right tools and gadgets are available. Having your
kitchen stocked with the right items makes preparing your meals efficient and
more straightforward. Preparing dinner becomes less of a bother, and it makes
your meal prep a more liberating experience.
The right kitchen essentials can make an
overall difference in your lifestyle, as you’ll be more inclined to make your
meals and perhaps even eat healthier. Great gadgets in your kitchen can improve
how you manage time and a variety of other things. Here is a list of the top
kitchen gadgets you can consider stocking in your kitchen.
Cutting Board
If you plan on cooking in your kitchen at all,
you will undoubtedly need a cutting board. This kitchen utensil, although not a
gadget is one the most fundamental things you will need. A cutting board will
keep your vegetables, meat, and whatever else you seek to chop or dice in
place.
cutting boards featuring index-style tabs to indicate which food type they should be used for – raw meat, vegetables, fish and cooked food.
Vegetable Steamer
Steaming your vegetables is a great way to retain
its nutrients and promote healthy eating. A vegetable steamer is
convenient and is sure to encourage your consumption of vegetables daily. It
makes it very easy to steam your vegetables, plus the clean up is a cinch.
Colander/ Strainer
If you plan on cooking pasta, a colander or
strainer will be beneficial to have in your kitchen.Having one on hand enables you to quickly
strain the water from pasta, canned foods, as well as vegetables and fruits
after they have been washed. There are many innovative and fascinating
strainers and colanders on the market.
Grater
A grater is also a fantastic tool to have in
the kitchen. Whether you need it for grating cheese or lime, it will come in
handy.
Blender
Having a kitchenaid
blender in your kitchen is a must. If you love blending fruits to make
delicious smoothies, mix ingredients for pancakes, homemade sauces, purees and
so much more. A blender can cut down on time and like many other things,
encourage you to eat out less and make more tasty dishes at home.
Herb Mill
If you love using fresh herbs in your meals
but hate the idea of cutting them up finely, an herb mill can do that for you.
It is a fast and simple way to mince fresh herbs and add them to recipes.
There are so many great gadgets on the market
that are perfect for making cooking at home very simple. After all, this is the
very reason that many people choose to order out. However, with the gadgets and
essentials mentioned above, cooking at home can be great.
Other gadgets that can be considered are
engraved rolling pins which add designs to your flour for baking.Pizza scissors, tea infusers, popcorn makers,
yolk separators, pasta servers, and many others can be included as part of your
kitchen.However, in the end, the most
important thing is to have items that make operating in the kitchen a breeze.
It's that time of the year again when motherhood is celebrated. Being a Mom is such a great blessing. It has given me the opportunity to know the things that I never cared for when I was single. It has given me the chance to do the things that I did not think I could do prior to being a Mom.
Becoming a Mom, made me appreciate my own Mom even more. I don't think I can top all the things that she has done for us 9 children but I am glad and grateful that she is my Mom, she taught me so much! Thank you Ma!
This Mother's Day, there are so many things that we can give to our Moms. I wish My Mom is into gadget but she is one of the few old school Moms who doesn't even want a phone. She does not like to fool with gadgets. She said it's giving her a headache when one time we tried to give her a phone so I can easily talk to her. She said "if you want to talk to me, see me." So that's that. I wish I could see her everyday but it's impossible.
Anyway, for those who have a tech savvy Mom and love to travel, this full-size bluetooth travel keyboard is a perfect gift you can give. This folds into a convenient size to bringing along wherever you go. This is such a perfect gadget for those who work while they travel. This comes with a protective case that feels like leather and folds into a convenient stand for your tablet or smartphone when using the keyboard. It has a high-capacity Lithium-Ion battery that charges quickly from a standard USB port for weeks of normal use. You can get this via AMAZON for $49.95 WITH FREE SHIPPING. You can plug the keyboard in a USB port and use it like a USB keyboard. It is compatible with Android, iOS, and Windows and it can connect to your iPhone, iPad, Mac or other Apple Bluetooth device.
My son's teacher had a special treat for all the Moms in her class. She invited us for a brunch in their classroom where the kids served their Mom waffles with fruits and other toppings. Their teacher brought a waffle mix and waffle maker.
It makes me wish I have a Waffle maker like this one that I saw on Amazon. I am not a pancake fan but I like eating waffles. I have never made it at home though, I always bought the frozen one from the store.
Another thing I wish I have in my kitchen is a Pressure cooker like this one. Having this means that I can create a great meal in a press of a button. I see some bloggers that features all the dishes they make using pressure cooker that's why I wish I have one myself.
If there's one thing you want to have for MOther's Day, what would you like to have? Would you consider any of the three I featured above? Anyway, happy MOther's Day to all the Moms out there.
2016 was critically hard for us financially because we bought a new house and we were still paying the mortgage of the old house. It was really tight, I was stressed out but when we sold our old house, we were okay. 2017 was a better year, I was able to save all of my blogging income and also set aside some amount from hubby's salary. He did not know that I have saved almost 10 grand so before the end of the year last year, we paid off the car loan we had for his sports car. The interest on that car loan was 6.99% and it kills me paying the interest every month. I am so glad we were able to pay it off before 2018 started.
This year, we have made some changes so that we can cut cost and save some money for emergencies and rainy days. I was encouraging my husband that we should cut our cable off last year but he did not buy the idea of not having TV but I am so glad that this year, he finally got on board with me. It's nice having cable but the cost is getting so expensive and we don't even use it all the time. With all the garbage shows you see on TV these days, I lost interest in watching. We were paying $233 every month for a bundle of phone, cable and internet every month last year and for me that was too much. So we decided to cut our landline phone and cable which saves us $130 each month. We also bought our own modem for the internet which also saves $11 a month.
We cut our contract with AT&T for the cellphones and switched to Metro PCS. For 4 lines, we only pay $106 every month and there's no contract. We decided to get our children cellphones because they are at the age where they go places and we would love to be able to keep track on them when they are not with us. However, I made them signed a contract that cellphones are not free, therefore, they will have to be responsible in taking care of it and that they have to do their part to regularly help around the house when they are not in school. It works great because, I don't have to tell them to do things now, they do it voluntarily without buts or ifs. With the switch, we were able to get new phones for the 4 of us for less than what it would cost if we added two new lines with our former contract with AT&T.
Another saving strategy that we incorporated this year is selling unwanted things that are just laying around the house. So far, I have rid of a lot of things and put that money into our savings for the kids school tuition next school year. The following strategies works for us and it might work for you. Pulling the plug on cable and landline phone. If you want to watch movies on TV, you can subscribe to Netflix, that's what we did. They gave us a month free and I think we are going to keep it. It only cost $7.99 a month, a lot better than cable cost.
If you want to watch local news, you can buy an indoor HDTV antenna that you can connect to your TV, that's what we did, it only cost $19.99.
Buying your own internet modem. Comcast charges $11 a month for modem, if you buy your own, it cost $50 and you don't have to keep paying for something that isn't your own.
Sell things that you no longer use, I know a lot of us has a lot of these things laying around the house. Gifts that we received but never used are common things.
Cook your own food at home rather than going to a fast food chain. It is healthier and it is cheaper plus you spend quality time together in the dinner table, it's a great bonding time with the family. We still go out once in a while but it is just on special occasion. I cook almost everyday and we eat together and get to have time to catch up and communicate with each other.
Instead of Paying for a Gym Membership, try to set up a home gym. You will save in the long run doing this and the whole family can benefit and use it anytime of the day. Staying active helps the family to stay healthy and away from sickness.
Our goal is to pay extra hundred dollars with our mortgage payment every month so that we can pay it off early. Hopefully, we can achieve this sooner so that my husband can retire and we can be debt-free. I know that's a long shot but every little changes we do can help achieve that.
She won an international smile contest for the month of October 2009. This contest was sponsored by Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Oral Health Sciences, University of British Columbia, Canada.
