Lucky you!

Valentines is just around the corner. Have you planned anything special yet? Or have you bought someone anything extraordinary? That someone must be very special if you're thinking of giving him/her a New Ford. Lucky you! Check this out if you're looking for a new car . With their excellent service you'll be thankful you checked them.

Who's the BOSS???

Mommy: What do you guys want to eat?

AJ: Mom, Why don't you decide. You're the Boss!

Daddy: No! I'm the Boss!

AJ: No! Mommy is the Boss!

Mommy: (LOL) Why did you say I'm the Boss?

AJ: Because you always tell us what to do.


PS. Dad is vehemently protesting this!!!!!

Bwahahahaha....

PARTIES!

I thought birthday party invites are over. Well, January might be but not the invitations. -haha- We already got 2 birthday party invitations for February's first week. It's on 5th and 7th. The first party will be at Chuck E Cheeses. The other one will be a Harry Potter Themed Party at one of friends house. Kids were asked to come in their favorite Costumes. So I asked AJ what she's going to wear. Of course she wanted to be CINDERELLA. I was just glad the dress still fits her. So CINDERELLA it is!

It got me thinking... I have to think about Kids Halloween Costumes. Why so early? Well, I think it's better to plan early and let AJ choose what she wanted since I've known her to change her mind so quickly. I'd rather have options than her leaving me hanging and clueless. I might as well check the Sexy Halloween Costumes. I really love the idea of putting on a Cowgirl Costumes. Who knows, I might be able to convince the hubs and the little one to put on Western Costumes. (That would be cute!) It would be a nice change for AJ too since you all know how fascinated she is with princess stuff.

Did you know that they have the largest selections of costumes and accessories combined with their lowest prices for every holiday throughout the year? They even have free shipping for orders over $60. So what are you waiting for? It's not too early to plan is it? Better early than sorry, Right?

Beauty comes from within!

Is it possible for a 5 year old to love make-up at an early age? I've seen my daughter to pick up real make-up when were at a store and pretend putting it on whenever she had a chance.. I wonder sometimes where she got her budding fascination with make-up? I use make-up alright! But only on occasions and not everyday. She has this impression that when you put make-up on that "You're Pretty". Should I be worried? I hope not! I take pride in teaching AJ that beauty comes from within. The world is quick to judge based on physical appearance, and we need to take more time to see the true beauty in others. I hope this is just a phase and she'll outgrow it soon.

I have nothing against make-up. Besides, I've been there, done that kind of thing (so don't get me wrong). I just think there is a proper timing to start using them. For the meantime I just want her to be care free and enjoy being a kid without thinking about her hair if it was a little disheveled or her jacket was too fluffy and made her look fat. (Y'know things like that). She actually surprised me one time when she said she doesn't want to put on her jacket because it made her look fat. I had to talk to her and convince her otherwise. *BIG SIGH* Please don't grow up too soon my baby doll! I really don't want her to be like one the "girls" that can only think of their outside appearance and nothing else. TSK! That's a scary thought!

Choices we make!

With the economy we are facing today, all of us have to make choices about how we spend our money. Wise choices allows us to build our wealth and eventually achieve financial independence. Lately, I've been spending like crazy to my husbands dismay so he suggested that we should invest our money in Bank CD Rates instead of unnecessary things. I totally agree but I told him not to expect too much. I promise to tone it down a little harhar...

FAT DADDY'S RESTAURANT

We've been eating at Fat daddy's for as long as I can remember. We eat there at least once a week mostly on Fridays or Saturdays. But we changed it to Mondays because of the "KIDS NIGHT SPECIAL". They offer a special 99c price for the kids meal. (Yup! You read it right) They can have hamburger or Hotdog on a bun or a choice of 5 pcs of fried chicken wings. The meal comes with french fries and a soda. You can purchase up to 3 kids meal with one adult meal. Isn't that great?

Since Mondays are the kids night they have this nice lady who dresses as a different character each week. She also does face painting and makes balloons for the kids delight. (She's very talented and the kids love her.) We actually hired her once for AJ's 4th B-day Party as Cinderella. AJ didn't recognize her at all. Hahaha...
AJ felt so special that night. She thought the Fairy Godmother sent Cinderella for her birthday. Anyway, for just $1.00 as tip you can get a balloon and have your face painted. She even has coloring sheets with crayons for you to take home. Whenever we plan to go there, AJ doesn't complain that much anymore. She used too but now she knows what's in store for her. Just as long as she has her face painted, she's a happy girl.

You know what I love about FAT DADDY'S? Their BURGER! I swear it's the best burger I've ever tasted. For my burger I love to add mushroom, bacon, American cheese, lettuce and mayonnaise that's it. The hubs likes their Cheese Steak Sandwich. We both love their buffalo chicken wings. They have a station where you can find all the condiments and stuff you need to build your burger and sandwiches. They even have garden salad , celery sticks and melted cheese to dip for your fries and all for free! ( I know this place is Absolutely Amazing! I love it!) It actually surprises me that I haven't gotten so big yet with all that greasy food I stuff in my mouth every week. Nyahaha...

So if you happen to be in the area and would love to try a new burger, try Fat Daddy's Restaurant. I'm pretty sure you're going to love it there too.
FAT DADDY'S
6201 Glenwood Ave
Raleigh, NC 27612-2615
Phone: (919) 787-3773

Before I bid you goodbye take a look at some of AJ's face paintings.

AJ was on CLOUD NINE!

This past two weeks felt like we were on vacation because of the unexpected snow. Schools declared no classes last Tuesday and Wednesday. (It was a long weekend here since Monday was a holiday) And today, Aj didn't have to wake up early because it was a teacher's work day. Meaning no classes again. So she was on cloud nine because she knew she was allowed to play videos for kids. She even played with her Dad non-stop with the PS3, Nintendo Wii, her Dad's PSP and her Nintendo DS. She even played with her V-Smile that hasn't been played for a while. Haha...

BEST CALAMARES! YUM!!!

I can still remember the best Calamares we ever had. (I promise I'm not being overly dramatic)It was from the HYATT Hotel in La Jolla (San Diego, California). We stayed there for 9 days during our visit to San Diego back in September 2005. We ordered a room service because we were too lazy to go out for lunch. We were impressed by their good service and food. We had a serving of Calamares which by the way was so big it could've fed 4 people. Then there was the Reuben Sandwich with French fries (good for two) and the Chicken Pot Pie Soup (good for two). The food was so simple yet it was so good and irresistible! (My mouth waters just thinking about it. Makes me want to back for some more.) From then on we started looking for a Seafood Restaurant that offers Calamares here in our area but unfortunately nothing so far compares to the one tha HYATT LA JOLLA offered.

So I started cooking my own version since it's always a disappointment for us whenever we ordered one for Appetizer. I'm fibbing If I say it's like what HYATT LA JOLLA offers because its not. It's actually far from it but I got an approval from the hubs and the little one that my recipe tasted good. (Don't you just love them when they say oooh! YUMMY!!! Makes my heart sing)

The recipe is actually very simple. You only need 4 ingredients *SQUID* SALT* PEPPER*
ALL PURPOSE FLOUR* and CANOLA OIL for FRYING

STEPS
> Wash and cut the squid into rings. Pat Dry.
> Season the squid and the all purpose flour with salt and pepper. I just usually eyeball it when putting the salt and pepper.
> Coat the squid with the flour then tap excess flour.
> Fry the squid less than one minute to avoid over cooking. If so it would taste like rubber. (Make sure your oil is hot but not too hot or else the squid will turn too brown before it fully cooks. And avoid over crowding them so as not to decrease the oil temperature dramatically)
> after frying, drain it with a paper towel and then serve immediately.

This is best eaten when its hot. We like it with the Marinara Sauce with a slice of lemon on the side. Pizza Sauce works well too. We happened to discover this when we couldn't find a Marinara Sauce.




I BID YOU GOOD EATING EVERYONE!

I'm in big trouble...Big TIME!

AJ will be attending lots of parties this month so I went out to get all the gifts she needed and I ended shopping for myself as well which is unnecessary. Shopping is my number one addiction. Heck, I even shop when I'm asleep. Can you believe that? LOL!
I can really get out of control sometimes which I'm not very proud. I have to do something about this soon or else I would put our savings account in jeopardy and we'll be in serious trouble. Uh oh! Although it's not something like Alcohol and Drug Treatment but it will give me some ideas on how to overcome my addiction to shopping. Did you know that this site specialize in professional residential group alcohol and drug recovery. If you know someone who have a serious problem like this have them check it. It's not too late.

Good Morning!

What a nice way to start my day searching on for some beautiful, stunning but very affordable Shoes. One of the perks of being a stay at home mom. I can just sit back and relax while waiting for the hubs and the little one to come home from school/office. I chance upon this amazing site that offers Women's Shoes and Men's Shoes. They offer a huge discounts on major brands of shoes. You definitely will get the value of your money. Free shipping and easy returns with their 75 day money back guarantee and they are committed to protecting your privacy which I love the most. I might order a boots for myself because I badly needed one.

The most significant SNOW in NC in 5 years!

Aj was very excited when she heard from the news that there will be a snow coming. Finally that moment has arrived. Obviously, she was very happy. What can I say, she's been waiting for this since forever. She love playing in the snow too much I went to check online for Expedia Coupon. I might just score a good deal going to Appalachian Ski Mountains. This would be a nice surprise for my sweet baby doll. Don't you think?

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!

In my attempt to serve the hubs with a decent meal, I went all out and got all the necessary things I needed for my Shabu Shabu Feast Style Dinner. This was our 9th year Anniversary celebration. We usually go out to dinner with AJ in tow during our Anniversaries. We actually really don't mind at all. It is always fun to celebrate it with our babydoll. This year we feasted on Seafood, Beef, different kinds of Veggies and the Noodles. It was an awesome experience doing this ourselves . Because we usually go to our favorite restaurant (Shaba shabu Thai Japanese Restaurant)if we are craving shabu shabu style dinner. Now that we could do it, we don't have to spend too much money and don't have to think about the 20% TIP since the restaurant we go to is FINE DINING. If you are not familiar about the tip system here in the US. It's customary to give 15% TIP of your total bill for a normal restaurant but 20 t0 25% to the more finer restaurant. If you are generous enough to give more than the guideline that would be greatly appreciated. The next time you go back expect a royalty treatment I can guarantee you that.



And this is what I prepared earlier. A simple BRUNCH to start our day!




I BID YOU GOOD EATING!

JANUARY BABIES!

A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY shout out to my dearest Brother Rhod today (January 17) and to my dearest Sister JAM on January 21! I wish you both good health, good wealth and everything in between. I LOVE YOU BOTH ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT. MUAH!!!

Makes me want to SCREAM!

Who would have thought we would be spending our day at the mall waiting for confirmation from Ford (Auto shop) about the hubs car if it’s ready to be picked up. This was a few hours away before New Years Eve. We didn’t expect this at all but I guess we just got lucky! Unbelievable! Tsk!!! When the hubs discovered that his car wouldn’t start. He had to jumpstart it with my car. He thought that the battery was the problem. Apparently not! It was just a loose/faulty battery cable. (Doing this, he didn’t think that my car would be in jeopardy.)

I couldn’t help myself but whine “I’m supposed to be in bed right now warm and cozy and probably still dreaming” I said to the hubs. Well, you know my hubs, he just smiled and said don’t worry this will be over soon. You can go back to bed as soon as we get home. “Promise” he said. Yeah right! Of course I wasn’t able to go back to bed. Are you kidding me! There were a lot of things to do. I had to prepare and cook our food for New Years Eve. Finally, when I was done I was able to relax and rest my weary self. (Ugh! I just didn’t like waking up too early. I can barely open my eyes.) The hub was lucky I’m not one of those wives that just leave their husband at the auto shop and wait for their car to be fixed. 

Despite the car trouble our New Year turned out quite well and we had an awesome time. I really can’t complain. What a nice way to Welcome 2009. Or so I thought!

I was hoping that would be the end of our car troubles (at least not too soon) Oh boy! I thought wrong! I was about to pick up AJ from school but unfortunately my car wouldn’t start. Great! Now what? (First day back to school, Jan 05) *Sigh* My battery died and the hubs couldn’t jump start it. We had to call a towing truck. Grrr!!! AJ missed her ballet class, had to pay the towing company, purchase a new battery and pay for the labor. Whew! I was just wondering what’s going to be next? Geez! It scares the hell out of me, But who knows?

My brother is very lucky I never heard of him complaining about his motorcycle being in trouble. I’m sure he’s going to go nuts if he sees this
motorcycle parts he loves his motorcycle too much it’s like his 3rd baby. Maybe I should convince the hubs to get a new motorcycle and dispatch his old car. Less worries fewer problems. Yeah! Like that's going to happen!

Short Cook Order Anyone?

Suddenly the hubs craved for Instant Noodle Soup. We actually haven't had this in ages. Since he opted to stay and work here at home today, that's what I made for him for lunch. I threw in some frozen leftover ham we had from Christmas and added one beaten egg then I put a little drop of Sesame oil to the soup so at least it would taste like homemade. It could have tasted fresher if only I had green onions in hand. Oh well! That's all I had so I worked with everything I had on hands. This brings back memories... I loved eating this stuff when I was in college. I'm sure my brother Rhod would remember. Right,Bro? Hee-he...
Good thing the hubs planned to cook SHRIMP/BROCCOLI RISOTTO for dinner. At least we are going to have a decent meal for tonight. I'll post pix next time and the recipe.

Something for little ZOE!

We were invited by my friend for dinner to meet her sister and family who came to visit from Scotland. They have lots of good things to tell about Scotland. They’re encouraging us to visit and said they would love for us to stay with them. What a nice gesture. This would be great for our future plan to visit Europe. At least we won’t need to worry about our accommodation anymore. Right? So we told them that we’ll keep that in mind and we’ll give them a call immediately if we ever decide to do so.

Before they headed back to Scotland, we invited them for a simple brunch at home. My friend’s sister was impressed with my daughter’s bedroom that she asked where I got the bed. So I told her where but unfortunately they only deliver here in United States. She said she would love to get one because she wanted little Zoe out of their room (she’s been sleeping with them since she was born, now she’s three) so they could rekindle the fire if you know what I mean hahaha…. But she doesn’t know where to get it since she’s always busy and never have the time to scout for furniture in their area. She and her husband are preoccupied with too much work because of their growing business. That’s when it hit me and I suggested we go online and check ottoman beds and we found something similar that AJ has. I was so confident she would love this site since I have seen good reviews from their happy costumers and it seems that they never fail to deliver. She seemed happy and said would check the site again when she gets back home to Scotland. She wanted to check the site with little Zoe so the little one could pick whatever she wants since she knows they have something for everyone. She was very happy to learn that they have a wide selection of beds and they even offered 45% off on some of their selected items and free delivery on orders over £499. I was so glad I was able to help her. If you live in the United Kingdom and you are planning to redecorate your room and need a new bed, head on to http://www.time4sleep.co.uk/. They even swear you can have your best nights sleep with their beds. Who wouldn’t want that? Anyways, their collection includes timeless classics, alongside striking new contemporary designs that sure look pretty and comfortable. They always have the latest styles and their prices are unbeatable so you know that you’re getting the value for your money. Should you need any help choosing your dream bed, just give them a call and a member of their team will be more than happy to help you in every step of the way. Happy Hunting!

Holiday Splurges is over HAHA...

Now that the holidays are over, we can all finally relax and continue with our lives without stressing too much. Anyways Christmas has come and go just like that. As usual it was just the three of us again. Hey! I'm not complaining. We actually had a very nice Christmas. I just thought it would have been more nicer if we were able to celebrate it with our family in the Philippines. There's nothing compared to being home. Don't yah agree? Maybe next time. (I'm secretly wishing and so is AJ ahihi...)

NEW YEAR? Now that's a different story.

My THREE'S!

Three things that scare me

1. To go under the knife for Cosmetic Surgery!
I was shock when my friend mentioned that she wanted a breast surgery. You see I was surprised because I don’t think she needs it. She was one of the few lucky girls I know if you know what I mean. Then that’s when she started explaining that she needed a breast reduction because her bust is too big it causes her too much discomfort due to back, shoulder, and neck pain. All the while I thought big bust is always an asset. But I guess, I’m wrong. (Well now I’m enlightened!) Anyways, if you're dissatisfied with your appearance, or have a problem like my friend you may be interested in cosmetic surgery not only to look better, but also to feel better. Try MYA Cosmetic surgery they offer a range of affordable, flexible finance packages to help create the new you if you want a new you. Finding medical procedures at high medical standards and affordable prices should no longer be an issue.

2. Loosing someone I deeply love and care about
3. Freaking Ugly Big Snakes (I’m serious!)

Three things I love
1. Overflowing Blessings From Up Above
2. My daughters funny antics/ Dear hubs endless surprises
3. Spending quality time with family and friends


Three things I hate
1. People who impose/ Inconsiderate/Nosy and User
2. People who gets into my nerve big time
3. MESS!!!


Three things I don’t understand
1. People who dwells on the past (for your sake and mine…get over it)
2. Why some people talk behind your back. Please if you happen to have a problem with me just let me know and stop talking shit. (Sorry I got carried away!) ;)
3. Why some people are jealous of someone else’s success. Why can't you just be happy for them once and for all and start making your own success.


Three things I can do
1. Ignore people that cause me stress and headaches
2. Multi task
3. Skip breakfast and lunch just so I can have uninterrupted sleep. Tsk! I know this is insane!


Three things I’m not good at
1. Not to care at all
2. Organizational Skills! I suck at this big time.
3. Keeping the house clean!


Three things I think you should listen to
1. Gut feeling/Mother/Woman Instinct
2. Advice from Responsible Parents
3. Friends that really do care

How about you? What are your three’s? Care to share? :D

BIG GIRL ROOM

We converted our office to become AJ’s new room since it’s bigger. Then we converted the baby room to be the new office. Anyways, AJ loves Cinderella too much that she wants everything themed to be princess. She was once a princess for Halloween and yes it was Cinderella. We even hired someone to be Cinderella for her 4th birthday party. Her love for Cinderella didn’t stop there. Next thing we knew she was asking for a Cinderella bed she saw from a mail order catalog room for kids. Oh boy! I wanted to convert her crib to a full bed since that was the original plan and the reason we bought it in the first place. But my dear hubby changed his mind and asked me if I wanted to get her a new set. I think he was thinking of using the crib for his next child –nyahaha-. That’s probably why he doesn’t want to use it as a full bed. To cut the story short, yes we got her a new bedroom set with a complete Disney princess bed in a bag, Disney princess rug, and Disney princess decorative pillow. Originally she wanted the Carriage bed but we didn’t think it was practical so we opted for the classic white one so she can still use it when she’s older. We’re just going to replace the beddings if she got tired of it.



We had so much fun doing AJ’s bedroom. She was all smiles when she saw the finished room. I think I was way more excited than she was since it has always been my longest dream to have a room like that when I was a kid. She calls it the big room.

Jewelry Making (My New Hobby)

AJ got her ear pierced when she was about 6 months. From then on I started buying her different kinds of earrings which doesn't come cheap. Even my family and friends started giving it to her on her Birthdays and Christmas or even when they just feel like being generous hihi... Unfortunately, she starts losing them also. It's not so practical to get her another every time she lost one. So I started making my own jewelry and used sterling silver metal with different assortments of genuine stones and swarovski crystals. That is what she's been using ever since. I only let her use the good ones (gold w/ diamonds or pearl) during special occasions. So far she's only lost one. It was the amethyst birthstone earring that I made her. I really don't mind her losing them. I can just make her another one. Problem Solved!

Balikbayan Box

I got a message from my sister-in-law that they already got the “balikbayan” box we sent them last November. Good thing that it got there in time for New Year. She informed me that everyone was happy with their gifts. The hubs and I were so relieved. We were actually thinking of sending them another one next month because they loved the lotions and body sprays we sent. So tomorrow I am going to get the stuff from Victoria’s Secret since they are having their semi-annual sale.