The US Trip...in a nutshell...

I know I haven't blogged much yet about our US Trip. You see, after coming from the vacation, I got so busy in preparing stuff for the start of classes of the kids. And the overwhelming work awaiting for me in my desk was something I have to attend to first as well. It has been a week since we arrived from Los Angeles and life has just started to get back to normal.

But I just have to blog because I want to. I want to remember all those happy memories we had while we were there. It was also to document the trip. It would be for my kids as well. I may not have the memory to recall everything in time so it is for me and our whole family to remember.

The 3 weeks travel was all worth it. It's a much deserved vacation of our family. It was pure bonding for me and the husband and most especially for our kids. We were yaya-less for 3 weeks and I am so proud that we survived it. The husband and I worked as a team.

I'm grateful that my kids were both healthy during our entire stay there. They were in perfect shape. Even our plane rides to and from LA was a breeze. It probably helped that they were bigger already this time and that they have travelled already before so they knew very well how to manage themselves on the plane. I don't even have to tell them to put on their seat belts.

From Manila to LAX, it was just 2 movies and sleeping that made their company. I was also surprised that it was easy for them to sleep on their plane seats. No fuss at all.

They immediately felt at home when we arrived in my sister-in-law's place. It wasn't a concern on them being homesick. The first few days were mostly road trips. They also survived those long trips to Arizona, Las Vegas, Reno, San Francisco and Los Angeles. And amazingly they were comfortable on their car seats, which they were not used to have here in Manila. 

Of course, theme parks were their favorites.   We went to Disneyland, Sea World and Legoland.  The husband and I also went to Universal Studios.  We didn't bring them there anymore since most of the rides are not appropriate for kids.  It was my time to enjoy the Jurassic Park, Mummy Return rides since the last time we were there, I wasn't able to ride on it cause I was pregnant with Bianca. 

My kids enjoyed all these theme parks.  It was a joy to see excitement on their eyes.  They can't contain their happiness.  We were all grateful to experience having a blast as a family.  That I cannot trade off. 

Shopping took place on our last week.  Went to few outlet stores and grabbed great deals.  But it was in Las Vegas where we enjoyed much about shopping too, especially me.  The husband gave me a great surprise! That's different story to tell. I enjoyed shopping for the kids too.  I am happy to find the brands that are not at all available in the country.  

We were so happy as well to reunite with my husband's family.  It was so nice to be with them again.  We missed them so much. 

Indeed, the whole trip was a success.  It was a total fun.  And most importantly, we did it as family. 

Regrets for not going to Sonoma Valley

From our last trip, we failed to go to the known earliest vineyards and wineries in California, which is the Sonoma valley. It was supposed to be part of our itinerary but we weren't able to do so because we got stuck in San Francisco for some shopping. Gee, replaced dining to shopping.  Should never do that again cause now, after coming across the outdora's blog, I regret not going and seeing the place. It would have been great to see some great attractions in there. It would also be great to actually try and dine in the famous restaurants there like Mission Inn's Sante Restaurant and El Dorado Kitchen.

Sonoma chefs are well known for their exclusive recipes. Visitors are actually looking forward to their specialities. For example, in Sante Restaurant which is an award-winning wine country premier dining restaurant, the Grilled Quail with Bing Cherry Compote by Chef Andrew Cain is the most sought after recipe from there. Most are saying that it is perfect for outdoor party especially during summer using a built-in outdoor barbeque grill or any cookware.  From El Dorado Kitchen which is located at the heart of Sonoma and known for its sophisticated ambiance and sumptuous California cuisine, their executive chef, Justin Everett is known to be making the Roasted Tomato, Padron Pepper Grilled Pizza. It's a perfect pizza using the Big Green Egg Smoker grill.  

Now, just talking about all of these recipes, makes me hungry and regret even more for not trying those out there.  Good thing, the recipes can also be found online and thank goodness, Outdora is sharing it to it's readers.  I would just probably find time  to prepare these fresh ingredients and try it myself from our own barbeque grill back home.  I hope to be able to match the taste at least.  Let's see. Wish me luck!

On the plane...

Look, how behave they were on the plane. It was a long haul straight flight of 13 hours. Good thing, we got the bulk head seats without the need to pay extra since we have requested for it when we booked our tickets. Now, bulk head seats and exit door seats do have payment of $50 each should you want to be assigned there.


The kids just enjoyed watching movies while on board. They watched Princess and the Frog and How to Train your Dragon. In between times, they were just sleeping. They are now used to sleep just sitting down on their seats.  There were pillows and blankets so it was easy and comfortable for them too. I'm so proud of my girls for surviving the flights! 

Steaks!

Yes, so excited for tomorrow's picnic since we would do some steak grilling in the outdoor kitchen of my brother-in-law's place. We already bought the items we need for tomorrow's dinner. We purchased packs of steaks already from Wal-Mart. We would even grill some salmon so I bet, the husband and I would gain another few pounds. Staying here for a week makes me feel I have gained about more than 5 pounds already. 

It's pretty cold here to where we are so I am pretty sure grilling would be our best option for food. I'm also excited to use the barbecues grills outside the lawn area since it would be very cold tomorrow as predicted from the weather forecast. I have learned that a barbecue grill has been a centerpiece for outdoor entertaining many years back. And today, many homes are still using it and featuring it in their outdoor kitchens. 

How I wish I can bring home a grill since we also love to entertain guests in our lawn area back home. To more about different kinds of grills, you may click here.  Should I be considering buying an outdoor grill, I should also consider our outdoor space and how often do we really like to do grilling.  Should I bring one with me or should we have it shipped, we might as well consider those portable grills instead.  Eventually, should we push through with our decision to build a pool in our lawn area, a complete outdoor kitchen should also be in place.  Oh well, for the meantime, will just enjoy the steaks that we would prepare tomorrow! 

Gaming Online

Every fantasy you have ever had could be fulfilled with fun games like Heist Online, or Jewel Quest, where you have the opportunity to be the craven looter or the police officer you've always wanted to be! Online games allow you to live a rich fantasy life, and meet new people from across the globe who share your interests. For these reasons, online gaming has become exponentially more popular each year.

Allow yourself to spend a few hours on a planet where aliens use humans as fuel and you are the only one who can save the race. Envision yourself as a brain-hungry zombie that wants to consume the remaining population of healthy people. You could be the zombie one day, and the zombie hunter the next, playing great games like Plants vs. Zombies! Online games are so much fun that you may never want to leave home, again!

If you enjoy action-packed films like Sherlock Holmes, then you will love games like Midnight Mysteries — The Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy. Whatever your interests are, there are games that will enchant you on great online game sites. Even the nerdiest types can find games like BookWorm Deluxe to keep them entertained on those long, boring summer days.

More typical games, like Vegas Solitaire, can provide everyone a new venue for an old pleasure. Play the classics like Chess, Mah Jong, and word scramble games, without ever leaving home. The greatest part of playing games online is that you needn't invite over a houseful of friends to enjoy a variety of players: you can simply log-on and play your favorite games with strangers. Or, if you prefer, you can arrange to meet your friends on a website to play games together. So, whether you enjoy new games, or the classics your grandparents know, you can find entertainment and fun online!

One week has passed...

Before I continue reading about the benefits of USAEyes, like  The USAEyes website complies with the Health On The Net code standard for trustworthy health information and that USAEyes has been cited in Newsweek, US News & World Report, CBS News, National Public Radio, NBC Nightly News, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fox News, Associated Press, MSNBC, and Oprah which I reviewed from the site of USAEyes.org, let me share that we have spent one whole week already and we have gone to different cities already.  We landed in LA and went straight to Temecula.  2 days after,  we travelled to Arizona and stayed there for a night.   We then moved to Las Vegas and stayed there for 2 nights.  It's been hours of road trip but we are enjoying it so much because of the beautiful sceneries.  Proud that the kids can stand the long hours of travel just seated in their car seats.  We are now in Reno after staying 1 night in San Francisco.  We would then go back to Temecula next week and it would be theme parks week for our next adventure.  We would then have our last week dedicated for shopping.   I can't wait for that week.  And since we felt short changed with our travel in Las Vegas, we decided to book another 3 days there.  What is more exciting is that I would be spending my birthday there! This is definitely a good vacation. 

2 bags...

packed...2 more to go!

I thought we would just be bringing 3 luggage but decided to bring 4 instead so we could have more space to put shopping loots!

Woohoo! Excited!

We are flying to US tomorrow night. This is the much awaited vacation.

Will be back with lots of stories and pictures overload!

Do you know your Precinct?

Pretty sure you are already preparing for your candidates to vote. But do you know already your precinct number? You can find out if you are still registered by checking this site.

http://www.comelec.gov.ph/precinctfinder/precinctfinder.aspx

Go out and vote wisely on Monday, May 10.  The future of our nation is in our hands. Exercise our right to choose the right leaders for our country.  

There is still hope if we do our part as a good citizen of this nation.  

American Idol Season 9

My bet to win the finale...



He's like a combination of David Cook and Kris Allen...best of both: Acoustic Rocker!!!

Way to go Lee Dewyze!

Summer Class...

for the kids = NONE!!! Hahaha, I'm such a good mom right? Oh well, the husband doesn't want them to go for swimming lessons anymore since they really might get dark. Not a nice sight to behold when we go to the US. I enrolled them to Trumpets in Podium beforehand but I have to retrieved back the fees since they really cannot finish the entire summer class. The culminating activity, their stage play is actually going to be shown my mid-May. So we won't be here anymore.  Instead of going on any summer class, they are just enjoying non-stop watching TV, DVDs, eating and just lazing around our house. I must say, I have saved few thousands because of it. 

Beach, Beach, Beach...

Too bad, no beach for us this summer. But would really love to go to one soon...

You Should Spend Your Summer at the Beach

You're a free spirit who is always thinking of new ways to have fun. And you don't just love summer... you live for it. So, you really should blow off your responsibilities and head to the beach!

Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

For truck lovers...

Should you need a ladder rack like this, no other store offers a number of options than RealTruck.com. They do have all kinds of truck accessories to enhance and upgrade your vehicle. They do have truck bed cover. They also offer car covers. Should you also need bug shields especially if you are on long road trips, you can order from them online as well.  Even vent visors, chrome door handles and grilles are available.  I'm sure my uncle who loves trucks would like this site.  He really loves enhancing the look of his pic up truck. 

Part of Itinerary...

Pathetic as you may say, but I am wishing that our trip to Los Angeles can include meeting a world renowned Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon. lol! Oh well, it is not that I am interested with those beverly hills liposuction but I just wanted to see the famous clinics of the popular Beverly Hills plastic surgery center. Rodeo Drive is one of the places we would visit in California. It is indeed part of our itinerary as I am still wishing I can bring home something from there (wink!) I am curious as well as to where is the exact location of this popular clinic. Based on my reviews and readings, they have built and maintained a very elegant office that is sure to be in standards of rodeo drive elegance.  It would be nice to peek at their state-of-the-art facilities which has been fully certified by government agencies.  You will be surprised to know that they are almost frequently featured on television and radio, even for magazines and newspapers.  And most of their patients are really not just from California but from all over the world.  

Their centers are known to provide excellent and beautiful designs.  They use materials that are very welcoming like stone, bamboo, glass, marble and steel.  I'm sure the inside would be a pleasing environment.  As I have read, they also have many fine pieces of art for showcase which they actually feature even on events or exhibits.  I have taken note of its address since it is just located at North Rodeo Drive in the Second Floor of The Terrance Level.  I would love to have a picture of myself in front of their office.  Something that I am just writing about would be something that I could see myself soon.  That would truly be wonderful. 

Counting the days...

It is just exactly a month from now, we are just counting the days. We are all excited. After a day of landing in LA, we would already proceed to Grand Canyon and then to one of my favorite destinations, Vegas! I am pretty sure it all about munching around for our stay there as we hop from one hotel to another for their buffet lunch or dinner. Aside from that, planning to watch few of the shows there like the one from Cirque de Soleil. It would be great to also try riding a Las Vegas limo. I know of a popular and highly recognized limo company in Las Vegas. They are known for very good customer service. They have variety of vehicles available for fleet. Whether you want a newer model or would you like to try their vintage class, they are the go to company for Las Vegas Limousines that even celebrities do use.  Wonder if we would have time to try this out.  On the other hand, I would just be happy to walk around Vegas as well.  I look forward to seeing new hotels and  I'm pretty sure I would be happy as well to see my favorite brands just around the corner.  I would try my best to be good while I'm there!  lol! 

It's been a year...

Yes, we are almost celebrating our 1st year in our dream house. It's our first year of celebrating happy memories from what we have built in our home.   The kids love our area. We adore our location being near to other major cities.  I love our community. The amenities inside the village is just superb. In fact, I have recommended to few friends and I'm glad that one of our closest friends is able to get a property next to our street. They are already building their dream house as well and we are very happy for them. In just few months, they are moving close to us already and we are excited. My friend is already asking me to assist them during their move. I told her to start packing those unnecessary items on their current place and probably just let go of it. But she's a very sentimental person like me that she would probably keep most of the items. Now, she is actually checking some self storage companies available from the net. She was able to compare some companies already based on what is available on her local area. She started reserving for few space for her boxes already.  In no time, we would be neighbors!  I can't wait!

Ten Commandments of Health

Got this text message this morning...

1.  Less Meats More Vegetables

2.  Less Salt More Vinegar

3.  Less Sweets More Fruits

4.  Less Eats More Chews

5.  Less Clothes More Bathes

6.  Less Talks More Deeds

7.  Less Desires More Sharing

8.  Less Worries More Sleeps

9.  Less Rides More Walks

10.  Less Anger More Laughs

Back to School...

Yes, summer has just started but in no time, students would be back to school already in few weeks. I wonder where to get cheap textbooks? This is for my cousin who is studying in college already. Helping him find some used textbooks for sale. He would still get the list of textbooks that he needs when enrollment starts in two weeks time. Apparently, he is taking up BS Biology, as he plans to pursue being a doctor so I could imagine the number of books he requires. I have checked the internet and learned that he can actually get a number of titles for sale from the net. All he needs is to search for the specific title of book he may need or he may even search by subject or by author of the book.  It would direct you to a number of stores that sells 2nd hand books.  I promise to help him with it as I really support him on this endeavor to become a doctor.  I would have to tell him that college textbooks do sell fast so we really have to search and buy early per semester.  Should you also need one, do check out the site.  I'm sure you would find what you need. 

For a collateral...

A friend who works in a financial institution mentioned about a Collateral loan which we can avail. Actually, she is offering it for us. Although, we are not really in need of such, it would be nice to share what it is all about.  We could use the existing car titles we have for this kind of loan called car title loans. This is somehow the same with those car title loans Los Angeles. It is like a secured loan that let you borrow money using a property as a collateral. You can use a piece of land, pink slip of car, truck or van to get the value of your loanable amount. It is somehow a kind of loan that you will need especially for emergency or immediate requirement. This kind of loan can be paid based on agreed monthly installments of over period of 36 months. If payment has not been made, there is a chance that the property or whatever car title you have put as collateral would be repossessed.  Getting into something like this should be given careful thought and consideration.  You do not want to come into terms which something that would put you in a more terrible case of losing all properties.  I guess reviewing your family's income and plotting your monthly expense would give you an overview on how much you've got each month.  Should it be enough and you really do not need any for emergency case, do not put yourself into a more problem matter later on.  Well, just my thoughts.  

5 years in blogging!

I have been blogging for 5 years already. Can you believe that? It started as journal about my kids and then I also blogged about myself, our family. I even shared most of my plans, emotions and everything under the sun. I eventually learned how to earn through blogging and it lead me to handle multiple blogs even. Yes, in most cases, I am multi-tasking. Now, a friend is even inviting me for adsense revenue sharing site. It is about writing an article, sharing it in the world wide web community and getting paid for the advertising revenue. Quite a handful of workload so I am not sure if I am up for such opportunity but my friend said you get a whooping 80% of the advertising revenue which others don't actually offer. Would still have to learn my ways into it.

Happy Birthday Margaux!

She turns 5 exactly today! It's all over my blogs. I wrote a short letter for her here. I just can't stop the time for moving on but she would definitely be my baby forever.  Just savoring each moment with her.  I hope she would grow up as a very fine lady and that she would remain sweet as always.