Our Summer Plan...

Few years ago we visited my brother in California and got a chance to watched my nephew play his favorite sports, paintball. At first, I was so scared seeing him play but he assured me that paintballing is fun and enjoyable as long as you wear proper paintball accessories.He started just renting his gears but when he found out that he loves it, he decided to buy some of the accesories and now wants to upgrade the gun he is using. We are planning to visit them again this summer and if I'm lucky I might see him play again.

Shoveling Our Deck...

We usually give extra time cleaning our decks during the fall, sweeping away all leaves, needles and removing all the debris from between deck boards .It is essential to keep our deck protected through the winter time since it is a valuable outdoor addition so it's well worth proctecting it. Since we are experiencing a lot of snow this winter, here are some tips that might help:

*If shoveling snow off your deck, run the shovel lengthwise on the deck boards. Shoveling cross-wise can scratch or cut in to the wood. Consider using a plastic shovel to decrease scratching and avoid salt or other ice melters, they may discolor or damage some deck finishes.

Relaxing After a Long Day...

Taking care of the kids and being a stay at home mom can be very stressful. To relieve my stress, I usually go to the kitchen for a little comfort food and relax on my favorite wicker furniture. I talked to my husband about making our extra room which is adjacent to our newly built deck as a relaxation room, where I can put a set of wicker furnitures since it is already been tested for years of use. I love wicker furnitures because of its look and it is so comfortable to lounge on. It has been enjoyed for centuries and still very popular today. I am thinking of using natural colors to compliment the outdoor. While searching on line I found this Conservatory Furniture which I like very much. Choosing furnitures also reflects your personality and style and the set I found really says it all. They use the highest quality materials on their products which is very important when choosing something that you want to last. I love the classic yet so elegant styles of their furnitures. They even have a stunning contemporary designs with a wide range of shapes and sizes to suit . I know that our extra room will soon be our special room. This will be a lovely retreat to go to whenever we need it most.

You've Just Got To Move It!

Cooler months have you hibernating? Come on... there are plenty of ways to get up and move it! Bring activity into your home by creating obstacle courses where kids have to crawl over pillows, through boxes, and jump into hula - hoops. Or maybe you would prefer to act out a favorite story or go outside and use those leg muscles to make paths in the snow. Playgrounds are open all year round and they are FREE, so bundle up and go swing on a swing, slide down a slide, and use those arms to climb.
You've just got to move it!

Plant a Tree to Save the Planet

Last Christmas I gave my husband a painting of a Chestnut tree and a handmade gift which I got on line. He was surprised and so happy because he likes that tree very much. He is a member of a Chestnut foundation. Chestnut was once a majestic tree, now it was pretty much wiped out because of the blight that kills the trees. It is very good to know that there are some companies and organizations that are willing to give their effort to plant trees to save our planet.

Mira's Joint Anniversary Give-away Contest!!

Random Thoughts and A Moment to Exhale, A joint blog anniversary contest is now going on, on Mira's blogs. For more info on how to win these fabulous prizes pls. visit her two blogs as mentioned above.



1st PRIZE -
$25 - c/o Random Thoughts
Customized Blog Layout (blogger platform) c/o My Web-Blog Designs
1 Swarovsky Bracelet c/o Yen's Handmades [Click here to see the ITEM]
$20 + 2000 EC credits c/o Windmill on the Hill
$10 + 500 EC credits c/o My Life's Journey to Success
$10 + 500 EC credits c/o Things I Did Not Know Before
$10 + 500 EC credits c/o Unique Ideas For Your Beach Weddings
2000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Night Clicks
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o NetFreeSource
3000 - EC credits c/o Random Thoughts
1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Dashing Beauty
1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Tales of a Pinay Single Mommy
1 Photo Pop Art Make-over c/o Sweety Tots

2nd PRIZE
$20 - c/o Mira's Web Journal
2500 - EC credits c/o Mira's Web Journal
2000 - EC credits c/o A Moment to Exhale
20GB Web Hosting c/o http://angelic-melody.net/ + 500EC credits
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o My Countryhome
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Live Love Pink
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Samantha's Own
1 month 125x125 ad space c/o 1716 South
1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Garage Sale
1 Photo Pop Art Make-over c/o Sweety Tots

3rd PRIZE -
$15 - c/o A Moment to Exhale
3000 - EC credits c/o Big Boys Have Toys Too
2000 - EC credits c/o A Taste of Both Worlds
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Kharlota dot Com
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o A Girl for All Status
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o A Fil-Am Journey
1 year text link ad c/o http://glamorous-heart.info
1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Symphony of Love
1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Sweepstakes Girl
1 Photo Pop Art Make-over c/o Sweet...Pretty...Naughty

4th PRIZE -
$10 - c/o My Barefoot Journey
2000 - EC credits c/o Mommy's Little Corner
2000 - EC credits c/o My Online Paradise
2000 - EC credits c/o Kinda Life of Mine
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Just About Anything
1 month text link ad Thomas Travel Tales
1 month text link ad Great Finds and Deals

5th PRIZE -
2000 - EC credits c/o Wife of a Warrior
3000 - EC credits c/o Life's Sweets and Spices
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Simply Irresistible
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o My Sweet Haven
1 month text link ad Work At Home Jobs
1 month text link ad Erlinda‘s Wandering Thoughts

6th PRIZE -
2000 - EC credit c/o The Solitairy Love
1500 - EC credit c/o My Barefoot Journey
1000 - EC credits c/o My Kitchen Table
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Kalidadis
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Cooking is Fun
1 month text link ad CompTechGadgets.com
1 month text link ad Healthy Living and Lifestyle

7th PRIZE -
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Simplement Belles
1000 - EC credits + 1 month 125x125 ad space c/o Moi et mon univers!
1000 - EC credit c/o Scrappy Mommy1000 - EC credits c/o Dashing Smiles
1000 - EC credits c/o Everything Plus the Kitchen Sink
1000 - EC credits c/o One at a Time
1 month text link ad Thomas Web Links
1 month text link ad Bohol Paradise

8th PRIZE -
1000 EC + 1 month 125x125 ad space from My Daily Sunset
1000 - EC credits c/o My Kitchen
1000 - EC credits c/o My Life and Family Journey
1000 - EC credits c/o My Whole New World
1000 - EC credits c/o Definitely Maybe
500 - EC credits c/o I Thought So
1 month text link ad Batuananons

9th PRIZE -
1000 EC + 1 month 125x125 ad space from Lovely Pink
1000 - EC credits c/o Small Side Bits
1000 - EC credits c/o In His Steps
1000 - EC credits c/o Moments of My Life
1000 - EC credits c/o My Crossroads
1 month text link ad Filipino Online Community

10th PRIZE -
1000 EC + 1 month 125x125 ad space from Hobby and Such by Carlota
1000 - EC credits c/o My Life's Adventure
1000 - EC credits c/o Wonderful Things In Life
1000 - EC credits c/o The Joy of Life Forever
500 - EC credits c/o Life's Journey
1 month text link ad from Nita's Random Thoughts

11th PRIZE -
1000 - EC credits c/o Medan Daily
1000 - EC credits c/o Wiehanne Lounge
1000 - EC credits c/o Simply WP
1000 - EC credits c/o Everything Under the Sun
1 month text link ad from Nita's Corner

12th PRIZE -
1500 - EC credits c/o A Moment to Exhale
1000 - EC credits c/o My Barefoot Journey
1000 - EC credits c/o EastCoastLife

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

Baby, It's cold outside, Brrr its cold? We are experiencing yet another cold days again here in New England. Ahh, we still have to go out, go to church and do some errands. Bundle up again...Just curious to know, What is the coldest temperature you have ever felt? Mine, its -10 (wind chill not included.)

A to Z Alphabet Tag

Thanks to Lanie of My Whole New World for sharing me this tag.


Here's the tag (just simply choose):
A - Attached or Single? - Married
B - Best Friend? - Crystia
C - Cake or pie? - a cake maybe, not really a fan of both.
D - Day of choice? - anyday my DH is home
E - Essential item? - a very small brown purse & my eyeglasses
F - Favorite Color? - green & sky blue
G - Gummy Bears or Worms? - Gummy Bears
H - Hometown? - Phils.
I - Indulgence? - can't think of anything
J - June or July? - July
K - Kids ? - Yes
L - Life is not complete w/o - Family & friends
M - Marriage date? - Dec. 20
N - Number of magazine subscriptions - 2 (National Geographics & Popular Mechanics)
O - Orange or apple? - Both
P - Phobias? - none
Q - Quotes? - No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
R - Reason to smile? -My family
S - Season of choice? - Spring and early Fall
T - Tag people - Shy, Samantha
U - Unknown fact about me - ??
V - Vegetable? - okra, eggplant & a lot more
W - Worst habit? - procrastinating (now that I'm a SAHM)
X - Xray or ultrasound? - X-Ray
Y - Your favorite foods? - tender & juicy steak, eggplant parmesan
Z - Zodiac sign - Pisces

My little girl's favorite toy

Of all the toys she has these wooden blocks become her favorite. We spent a lot buying toys that we thought she would enjoy but this one makes her happy. These blocks are really price less. This proves that you really don't need to spend a lot of money to make kids happy. Her imagination is the limit here. She had those when she was 2 years old and still enjoying it until now. These were obtained as a fire starter, a huge sack for a couple of dollars, but she insisted on playing with them when she saw DH make a little stack to start a fire in the wood stove.

Surviving severe cold weather

Much of the country periodically experiences severe and sustained cold weather, with snowfalls interspersed with periods of melting and freezing. This can inflict considerable damage on homes.
Here are some tips and steps you can take to make insurance losses less likely during extended severe weather.
*Keep sidewalks and entrances to your home free from snow and ice.
*Watch for ice dams near gutter downspouts. Keep gutters free of leaves and debris so melting snow and ice can flow freely. Ice dams can cause water to build up and seep into your house.
*Keep the house heated to a minimum of 65 degrees. The temperature inside the walls where the pipes are located is substantially colder than the walls themselves. A temperature lower than 65 degrees will not keep the inside walls from freezing.
*Identify the location for the main water shutoff in your home. Find out how it works in case you have to use it.
*Open hot and cold faucets enough to let them drip slowly. Keeping water moving within the pipes will prevent freezing.
*If you haven’t already, make sure all hoses are disconnected from outside spigots.
*If your garage is attached to your house, keep the garage doors closed. The door leading to the house is probably not as well-insulated as an exterior door.
*If ice forms on tree limbs, watch for dead, damaged or dangerous branches that could break and fall because of ice, snow or wind and damage your house, a car, or injure someone walking near your property.
*If you use fireplaces, wood stoves and electric heaters, watch them closely and make sure they are working properly.
*Remember to close the flue in your fireplace when you’re not using it.
*If you have to leave your home on a trip, ask a neighbor to check the house regularly. If there is a problem with frozen pipes or water leakage, attending to it quickly could mean far less damage.
*If you plan to be away for an extended period of time, have the water system drained by a professional to keep pipes from freezing or bursting.

A worst-case scenario

*If you discover that pipes are frozen, don’t wait for them to burst. Take measures to thaw them immediately, or call a plumber for assistance.
*If your pipes burst, first turn off the water and then mop up spills. You don’t want the water to do more damage than it already has.
*Call your agent or company as soon as you can. An insurance adjuster doesn’t need to see the spill before you take action. However, he or she will want to inspect any damaged items.
*Make temporary repairs and take other steps to protect your property from further damage. Remove any carpet or furniture that can be further damaged from seepage.
*Make a list of the damaged articles.
*Save the receipts for what you spend—including additional living expenses if you must leave your home until repairs are completed—and submit them to your insurance company for reimbursement.
*Standard homeowners policies will cover most of the kinds of damage that result from a freeze. For example, if house pipes freeze and burst or if ice forms in gutters and causes water to back up under roof shingles and seep into the house. You would also be covered if the weight of snow or ice damages your house.
*However, most policies do not cover backups in sewers and drains or flood damage, which can also happen in winter. To be covered for flooding, you need a policy from the National Flood Insurance Program, while coverage for sewers and drains is generally offered as an endorsement to a standard homeowners insurance policy.
*If your home suffers water damage, it is important to make sure that it is properly dried and repaired to prevent any potential problem with mold. Remember, mold can not survive without moisture.
*Check with your agent or company so you’ll be sure what your policy covers.

What trip would be complete without a gooey cheese steak?

Our trip to Philly won't be complete if we don't stop by at either Geno's or Pat's steak house. About 150 people were lined up just to eat the famous cheese steak in Philly. My DH was one of them.

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

After 3 weeks of a very long school vacation, my DD was so excited to go back to shool again. It was icy this morning and the walk way was so slippery. It was so hard for us to get to the car so I decided to carry her just to be safe. I was surprised when she said "thank you momma, you really know what to do to make me safe." I felt so good and hugged her tight, being appreciated for the small thing I did to my 5 year old DD made my day.