An April Poem...

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
a cloud come over the sunlit arch,
And wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March."
- Robert Frost, Two Tramps in Mud Time, 1926

My Top 10 EC Droppers...

Its a new month once again, time for acknowledging everybody who visited my blog in March. I felt bad that I can only list down the top 10 blogs here. But I thank everyone who made an effort to visit, read or comment . It is very much appreciated.
Here are my top 10 lists:
Yummy-as-can-be
A Simple Life
Mommy Little Corner
Mom's Check Nyo
Life's sweets and spices
The Modern Mom
My Review
Health.duniasoer.com
1 Blog and 2 Sides
Lola's Diner
I already updated "March- Top 10 EC Droppers" in my side bar.

Chat Rooms For Married People

I have been a stay at home for few years now. While my little girl is in school, I am busy doing some house chores. I always give myself time to relax. Gardening is one way of relaxing for me. When I am not busy I go on line read some news and visit interesting blogs. I noticed that some married women are interested in chatting on line too. When I do my research on line, I found out that there are lots of chat rooms available, one of it is Married Chat room where married men and women gather together and share ideas, interests, talk based on specific topics. People have to find their own niche in chat. If they think that chatting on line helps what they need, this chat room might be of help. There are times that you really need somebody to talk to, someone who have the same interests or just want to have some conversations, on line chatting is accessible and very popular now. Usually you will need to sign in at least so you can have a name in the room. I think this can be a good way to relax, unwind and meet people. Enjoy!

My Driving Experience...

While I was driving after a long day of doing my errands, I heard a noise in my car that wasn't there before. The noise was getting so loud and made me afraid to go on driving. I really don't know what was going on. I called my husband to let him know that I was having problem with my car. I also noticed that the steering wheel was loose so I thought it might be the power steering rack. My husband told me to just park on the safest place I can find and he will be there in a few minutes. When he arrived and checked the problem, he drove it to the nearest auto shop that cost us around $1,000.( more than what he expected) Since carsteering.com offers high quality auto parts and my husband has enough knowledge about car repair, he said that next time it might be a good idea to just do it himself and buy parts from them. They offer free shipping and guarantee the lowest prices anywhere. They have a comprehensive technical information, resources and advice that every clients are looking for.

Friendly Blogger Award

This tag is long overdue, My friend Barb gave it to me and really appreciate it. Thank you!




The rules are:

1. Take your latest picture.
2. Take your picture as natural as possible.
3. Post your picture on your blog.
4. Post the rules.
5. Tag 10 people to do the same as above.

This was the very latest picture I had. I realized I have no picture of myself alone while browsing my latest album. I can't take a pic right now since I left my cam in my DH car. (sorry Barb for breaking the rule.)
Now, Its my turn to pass it on to my blogger friends:

Liza of Mommy's Little Corner
Sheng of Sheng's Simple Thoughts
Lola of Lola's Diner
Lyla of Journey Of My Life
Lanie of I Thought So
Cecile of Down Home With The Kenyons
DorothyL of Womensselfesteem.com's Blog
and to my co-bloggers who still doesn't have this tag yet. Please feel free to grab it. Thank You.

Buying Direct For Our Home Improvement

We received a call from my father in law who lives in Galway, New York asking help from my husband to help him choose the floor tiles and install it in his bathroom. It would be a great idea to tell him to make an appointment to DirectBuy New York since there is a showroom closer from where he lives. Aside from being convenient for him he can also save a lot from the materials. Buying direct is the best way to save money since they sell their products less than the market price.

Shrimp, Tomato and Basil Pasta

I grow basil in a pot placed on kitchen windowsill for easy picking when cooking. It is one of my favorite herbs. Basil are a source of essential oil for use in foods, flavors, and fragrances. The green aromatic leaves are used in salads and can be used fresh or dried to add flavors or spices in stews, vegetables, poultry, meat, vinegars, pesto and pasta dishes.
Here is one of my favorite pasta with basil recipe:

Shrimp, Tomato and Basil Pasta
(source: Everyday Food)

Ingrdients:

1 1/2 lbs. med. shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 lb linguine
1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces, plus extra leaves for garnish (optional)

Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 4 teaspoons oil over high. Add shrimp; cook until opaque throughout, turning occasionally, 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Make sauce: To the same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic; cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add canned tomatoes and their juice, along with 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and are saucy, about 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat; stir in cherry tomatoes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain; return pasta to pot. Add tomato sauce, shrimp, and basil; season with salt and pepper, and toss. Serve immediately, garnished with basil leaves, if desired.

I Miss You Guys...

"In life, there are moments when you miss someone so much that you feel like you could fulfill your dreams by holding that person tight in your arms."

It is really hard living away with your family , though I already have a family of my own, there are times that I really wanted to be with my family back home. Talking and laughing with them and just being with my siblings makes me feel so good and relax. I miss them all very much. I don't know, maybe I'm just homesick. I just wish they are close so I can easily be with them. I still have to wait for few years before I can see them again. Thanks to our new technology it makes easier for us who lives abroad to talk to our family without hurting our budget. I often use prepaid Calling Cards. Normally, using landlines is expensive if you are considering them for international calls. It is so convenient to always have Phone Cards so when you feel the need to call you can always use it and enjoy the low rates. Prepaid phone cards basically offers much lower rates to international and domestic call than the traditional long distance services

Adorable Puppies

We grew up having 2 dogs in our house. Gordon, the male dog was my grandmother's and the female one, Golem was ours. We really enjoyed having dogs as our family pet. They were so lovable and energetic. I still remember when Gordon got sick and soon died, my grandmother cried a lot. Now that each of us have our own family, dogs are still the first choice pet in our household. My brothers in Manila carried the tradition of having dogs as their pet. Actually, my younger brother has 3 Mini Dachshund that keeps him busy. Every morning he has to walk the dogs and he even hired a trainer for the 2 of them. They were so cute and cuddly. My little girl enjoyed walking the dogs around the subdivision when we had our vacation last year. She asked her uncle if she can have one of them. Just recently, one of them (I forgot the name) gave birth to 5 adorable puppies.




The black one is my fave. Those are the cutest ever!

A Simple Change Can Make A Big Difference

During the warm weather, our little girl is always out playing in her swing set or in the sand box. So we decided to build a deck closer to where she plays. After the deck was finished I decided to put some stones as a deck edging. I was happy with the result. In a few weeks we're going to start staining our deck.

From Hassle...

To worry free!

We are now thinking of adding exterior vinyl shutters on our next project.

Looking Forward To See Grandpa

In a couple of months we are going to see my father in law. My little girl is already counting the days to see him. He stays in Florida in the winter and back to Albany, New York in the spring. Though he lives in another state, he always keep in touch. I really admire my father in law. He raised his four children all by himself. He sent them all to a good university and now all his children are well educated and have their own family. I always witness the love and respect his children show to him. My hat is off to him who until now is always there for his children. We didn't get a chance to visit him in Florida last winter but this summer we are going to spend some of our weekends to be with him. I am not sure if he is a member of any Senior Chat Rooms since he chats with his children often. A lot of senior adults now a days are requesting technical assistance and taking up computer classes. In a way it is really good for them so they can easily join the chat rooms and have a good conversation and get helpful information. Learning something new can always increased their interest in life.

Rich In Awards

Got this award from my friend Carlota of Dashing Smiles. Thank you for this award.




Name 7 things that you love then pass this onto 7 other bloggers.

1. My life with my DH & DD
2. My family
2. My friends
3. Gardening
4. Good food
5. Flowers
6. Playing with my DD
7. Helping kids in school

I am now passing this on to all my co-bloggers who still doesn't have this award.