Back to Blogging

After a short hiatus, I'm back to blogging! Thank ya'll for dropping by. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebration. I have to tell you, the Christmas & holiday season is slowing me down a bit. I need a magical potion that will help boost my strength....lol!

Anyhow, hubby and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary last Christmas Eve. We had a simple celebration and went out to eat at Red Lobster again. For our anniversary presents: I gave him a "man bag" and he got me a new pair of earrings. Thanks hon!

We opened our presents at midnight. Akesha had a blast opening all her gifts. Thanks to all my blogger friends who sent us presents and cards this year. Your thoughts are highly appreciated.

One reason I wasn't able to update my blogs it's because we went out of town for a few days. We spent our post wedding anniversary celebration at Corpus Christi. It's feels great to be away sometimes. We had a wonderful time visiting the famous WWII ship, the USS Lexington. I will share some photos later. 

Thanks for dropping by and may you have a prosperous New Year ahead!

Internet Reputation Management

The internet has been a helpful tool for a business to expose their brand and their products to a wider market. They invest a huge amount of their company’s resources in making sure that their presence in the online community is strong. Their company’s online reputation plays a big part on how big or small their revenues will be. This is why business entities, however big or small they may be, make sure that they are able to maintain a positive online reputation. Potential customers these days are most likely to search online first about a certain company and their products and services before they decide if they want to patronize them.

Proper online reputation management is needed especially if there are some negative reviews that have been hastily posted in forums and complaints boards. An internet reputation management company like Consorte marketing specializes in determining the source of the negative reviews and comments and in devising a course of action that will make sure that your company will regain the positive reputation that it used to have.

Happy Birthday tsangShy!

Cheers to one of the most free-spirited, amazing wife, mom, and a friend I’ve ever met online. Happy birthday tsangShy!

Because today's so special
it really wouldn't do,
to send one simple birthday wish
to last the whole year through...
So this wishes happy moments,
a day when dreams come true,
and a year that's filled with all the things
that mean the most to you.

If you guys have time, please visit some of her blogs and greet her for me. Thanks!

Blogging Make Easy, E! Fashion Talk, Family & Life Online, Food & Drink Fusion, In Pursuit Of Success, Life Mix, Oh! GoSh Goodies,Simple,  Happy Life, Shy’s Mixed Thoughts, Teacher Momma, and Worth’s World.

Have A Merry Christmas!

Holiday Greetings from my family to yours!

7 Years of Blissful Marriage

Today, 24th of December 2011 marks our 7th wedding anniversary. Ayay!

                                                     2004                                                         2011

I'm pretty sure that no one else would understand our relationship, and no one else in this world would understand me the way you do. Thank you for everything. I love you Honey! Happy Anniversary!!!

Maid Service in Alexandria, VA

In a household where both parents hold regular jobs, keeping a house clean can turn into a huge undertaking. Obligations both at home and at work can take up a lot of a homemaker’s time. Finding the time to clean the house regularly can be tough. This is why in most households, a house help is hired to do basic household chores such as cleaning, cooking and doing the laundry. A house help can be found through a friend’s referral or through an agency. Finding a house help on your own can be time consuming especially since you want to interview each applicant to help you decide which person to hire.
But if you want to just hire a group of people to clean your house once or on a regular basis, you can look for a Maid Service Alexandria VA cleaning provider in your area. They usually have an accessible website where they feature all the types of cleaning services they offer. You can also get an instant price quote for the type of cleaning service you need. Once you have set up an appointment, expect a trained team of cleaners to arrive at your home and provide you with the cleaning services you require.

Santa's Red Stocking

Not just a regular Christmas stocking but a large one! The stocking actually came from hubby's squadron in the Air Force years ago. Akesha wasn't born at that time when I had this stocking. Glad I kept it in the storage. Now, it serves its purpose.

She is looking forward to see what's inside and can't wait for Christmas day! 

Ruby Tuesday

Meditation Training

In this day and age, people sometimes get too busy with so many things. They have various goals that they have to accomplish and so many roles to play that they end up being too exhausted at the end of the day. Finding a balance between having a busy professional life and maintaining a healthy relationship with their family can sometimes be hard. Most people try their best to have both a successful career and a happy family life but if they do not know how to do it properly, they may end up encountering more problems instead.

To help find balance in life, people try to find ways on how they can meditate. Mediation has proven to be very beneficial in helping someone stay focused in determining the most important things in life. In times when life seems chaotic, meditation can help a person focus only on what needs to be done. Meditation Training professionals often offer assistance on how an ordinary person can find a meditation method that will work best for them. There are even websites where one can know more about the various meditation methods that are available for them.

Family and Me

Thanks for the guest post by Jonathan Curtis

Family is really important to me and I think it’s been really great for both me and my brother to have a closer relationship these last couple of years. We spent a long time in a deadlock because we were both so competitive but now that we’re older and doing our own things I think we can appreciate how much we really need each other in our lives. I recently got 4G internet from CLEAR so I could email him pictures from my travels across the US and I know he appreciates living vicariously through me. I’m sort of the free spirit of the two of us and he’s the businessman with the wife and kids so we balance each other out in a way. My mother always said if we were one person we’d be the perfect man! Anyway, it’s nice to be able to talk to Joe in a way I never could before…he’s much more accepting of who I am and I know I try harder to not give him a hard time.

Hubby's Birthday Celebration

Last December 15th was hubby's 45th birthday. We had a simple celebration as usual. Akesha and I bought hubby a cake, balloons, and a present. We got him a new fossil wallet. For dinner, we took him to Red Lobster.

Getting ready for work. He thought we forgot his birthday. 

Akesha made him a cute birthday cake card.

Blue Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday 

Cheap Eyeglasses from Zenni Optical

This post brought to you by Zenni Optical. All opinions are 100% mine.

The holiday season is the perfect time to dress up and to spread Christmas cheer through the clothes you wear. Fashion is exceptionally alive during the holidays and there are a number of ways of expressing Christmas cheer through holiday-inspired clothes. Clothes of vibrant colors and designs are sure to become top favorites among those who will attend the endless stream of Christmas parties and reunions. You would surely be more confident about attending parties if you are wearing fashionable clothes that are in season. If you want to add spice and character to your wardrobe, you can add your favorite accessories. Stylish but cheap eyeglasses that come in festive holiday colors and designs can now be purchased online. They are offered in very low prices allowing you to buy the eyeglasses you want and save money at the same time. The money you save from your purchase can be used for other things such as buying additional gifts for your friends and family. With your festive clothes and eyeglasses, looking stylish during the holiday season won’t be a problem anymore.

You should search for your favorite frames as well, and let me know which one do you like most?

Graphic Design Classes

Most people, if given the chance, would pursue higher education. Finishing a degree opens up a number of opportunity that are otherwise unavailable to those who have only finished high school. Those who have completed a college degree are most likely to have a better quality of life since they given an opportunity to have a stable job that pays well. Those who want to advance in their career or start a new career altogether, can choose to take postgraduate courses. Choosing to pursue higher education is a major decision and one has to think of the right course to take that will put them in the right track in their pursuit of having a job that allows them to use their talent wisely. Determine which university or college offers the courses that you’re interested in as well as provide a suitable learning environment. If you want to take up graphic design classes, find a university that offers such courses and if they have programs that can help you enrich and develop your talent in graphic design. Most learning institutions have websites where they feature all the pertinent information you need to help you decide if they are the right university for you. Incoming freshmen and new students can learn of the admission requirements through their website as well. Study grants are available to deserving students through the Federal Student Aid program. There is a website where you can learn of the eligibility requirements for such grants as well as how you can apply for similar educational assistance programs. Short term courses are also available for those who want to learn specific skills and those who do cannot, at present, commit to a four year course. Finishing a degree needs complete focus and commitment which is why one really has to be determined if he wants to pursue higher education.

PartyLite Home Party

This post brought to you by PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hosting parties at home is an excellent way of cultivating friendships and building new ones. A party can be as grand or as intimate as the host would want it to be depending on what he wants to achieve as a host. What is even more exciting is that budding entrepreneurs can now have a party not just as a social event but also as an opportunity to earn something extra. PartyLite, the leading direct seller of scented candles and home-fragrance products, are known to hold fun and interactive parties that bring people, who love such products, together. Hosting a PartyLite party has so many benefits including having the opportunity to earn products for free. What could be better than hosting party for your friends and having the opportunity to earn at the same? PartyLite only offers Platinum Quality candles. You won’t be having second thoughts about offering them to your friends. On top of these amazing benefits, you’ll be automatically entered at the PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes Sweepstakes if you register by December 15th. PartyLite have special monthly offers to both guests and party hosts. Visit PartyLite Facebook and like their page to know more about them. A PartyLite party is always fun and it’s about time that you host one, too. Also, watch out for PartyLite Winter/Spring 2012 Catalog launches on Dec. 16 

Happy Birthday | To the Man I Love!

There's the occasional moments in life when you look at someone and simply feel grateful for that person. You are one such person I'm thankful to have in my life. I can't even begin to tell you how much you mean to me, and how happy I'm to be able to share so many life's ups and downs together with you. Happy Birthday Honey!

Sitting on Santa's Lap

For some kids, sitting on Santa's lap is a nightmare. My daughter on the other hand, is the opposite.

One of the coolest photo with Santa ever! 

Santa asked her what she wants for Christmas. She whispered " I want a train set, a puppy and a doll". Santa said "Ok!"

We knew the queue for Santa would be long so we decided to do it first. USAA's Childrens Party was awesome!

Ruby Tuesday

Only Child

The article written by Joann Golden

Being an only child wasn’t so bad growing up but it’s not what I want for my son. When I had him I quit my job to stay home and take care of him and it’s been an uphill battle getting pregnant ever since. I think part of it is because I sit around watching my http://www.cabletvadvisor.com/direct-tv-deals.html TV channels stressing all day about how I’m not pregnant but that’s got to stop. I’ve got to find some way to be more calm about the whole situation because that will help me actually get pregnant when my husband and I decide we’re ready to try again. See, since Ben was born I’ve had two miscarriages so I think I’m just gunshy – I’ve actually even thought about looking into adoption or surrogacy. But I know at the end of the day my husband wants us to have another biological child and that’s okay with me – I’ve just got to get my head wrapped around it and that will be the end of that!

Android™ powered EVO 4G Device

This post brought to you by Sprint. All opinions are 100% mine.

This is a great time to get one of the Android™ powered EVO 4G devices phone because of all the great holiday deals. You can get an Android phone powered by EVO 4G or EVO Shift devices and get free activation on any new line of service. You should hurry because this is a limited time offer. They even have an offer where you could get $250 for your old phone to pay for your new phone. This is called Sprint's Buyback program which also helps the environment. Sprint has many other great deals that you might be interested in such as Sprint's unlimited data plan. Some other companies will limit new customers to 2GB of data usage, but with Sprint you can get unlimited data, texts and calls from any U.S. Mobile phone nationwide. You can even add a line and get free activation. You can also get free activation along with a free Samsung Conquer 4G with a new line of service. So what are you waiting for? If you are looking for a great way to enhance your holiday experience, you need to checkout some of Sprints new deals. My family purchased a new phone with Sprint and we love it.

Christmas School Program

How is everybody doing? I hope you had a fantastic weekend. Ours was a pretty busy one. Last Saturday we attended USAA's Childrens Christmas Party. The party was fantastic! It was pretty cool because Akesha and I were able to get in the office where hubby works. Getting inside the USAA building is awesome. It's like a mall! Also, Akesha was able to sit on Santa's lap and had a blast playing games.

Akesha's school had a Christmas Program last Thursday evening. 

It was her first time to perform on stage with her kindergarten classmates. It's super cute looking at them singing and dancing.

She probably looking for us in this picture...lol! 

Blue Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday

Applebee's Gift Card Giveaway

This post brought to you by Gift Card Weekend. All opinions are 100% mine.

In choosing which gifts to buy, we need to make sure that the ones that we actually give will be appreciated by those who will receive them. We don’t want to give something that is most likely to end up in someone’s cupboard or cabinet and then thrown away after awhile because they don’t actually have a use for it. Gift cards are ideal gifts since they allow the recipient to buy something that he will actually use. A gift card to his favorite retail store will surely be appreciated since he will get to buy the exact item he wants. A person who likes to eat out will surely like to receive a gift card to his favorite restaurant. Do you want a chance to receive gift cards for free? Just ‘like’ Gift Card Weekend on Facebook and you stand the chance of winning your favorite gifts cards that they are giving away every day. Share the page to your friends and you’ll have more chances of winning gift cards for every ‘like’ you influence. From December 10-18, $25 Applebee's gift cards will be given away. Gift Card Weekend is a special event that happens once every year where participating retailers have featured offers for their gift cards purchased during the holiday season.

Here's a a list of the Gift Card Weekend participating retailers : -JCPenny -Regal Cinema -Subway -Sephora -Applebee's -Bass Pro Shops -Adidas -Buca di Beppo -Lowe's -Spa Finder -Marriot -Giant Eagle

The New Slim-Fast 3•2•1 Plan

This post brought to you by Slim-Fast. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Are you struggling to lose weight? Don’t worry you are not alone. Losing weight isn’t easy, as a matter of fact, it is really hard. I’ve been trying to lose weight for years, and up to now I have not achieved that goal yet. I seriously need a motivation.

Yesterday, I received a complimentary Slim-Fast 3•2•1 coupon from IZEA Marketing. I didn’t hesitate to go to our nearest grocery store and purchased a pack of Slim-Fast 3•2•1 . I actually got a pretty deal because our local grocery store has an ongoing promotional coupon. Once you purchase an eight pack of Slim-Fast 3•2•1 you will get a FREE 5 pack of Slim-Fast 3•2•1 snack bar.

 

Slim-Fast is a brand that makes bars, shakes, packaged meals, snacks, and many dietary supplements. The new Slim-Fast shakes will surely wow your taste buds. It provides up to four hours of hunger control and offer 10 grams of protein, five grams of fiber and 24 essential vitamins and minerals, making it easier for you to stick to your plan and achieve your weight loss goals. Flavors available in the new Slim-Fast bottle include:

• Creamy Milk Chocolate

• French Vanilla

• Rich Chocolate Royale

• Cappuccino Delight

• Strawberries N’ Cream

 

About the Slim-Fast 3•2•1 Plan

• The new Slim-Fast shakes are part of the Slim-Fast 3•2•1 Plan, The plan gives you quick results. Plus it’s flexible so you can get the structure you want and the variety you crave. Just follow the plan:

• 3 Snacks: Three nourishing snacks a day such as Slim-Fast 100-calorie snack bars, fruit, nuts or veggies

• Slim-Fast 100-calorie snack bars provide a delicious calorie-controlled snack to help curb sweet cravings between meals

• 2 Slim-Fast Shakes or Meal Bars per day: Slim-Fast shakes and meal bars are delicious and satisfying, providing the balanced nutrition of a meal and up to four hours of hunger control

• 1 Balanced Meal: Enjoy one balanced 500-calorie meal per day. As a rule, try to fill half your plate with veggies, a quarter with protein, and a quarter with whole grains

Availability

 

For anyone who has struggled with weight loss, this is definitely the way to go! You should try it too! The new Slim-Fast shakes are available in the pharmacy sections of grocers and retailers nationwide, including Wal-Mart, Target, Safeway and Kroger and online at Amazon.com. Also you might want to 'like' Slim-Fast on Facebook.

Best Place to Get Your Insurance

In buying leads, it is important that you are able to distinguish a quality lead from a bogus lead. It is best if you only deal with trusted individuals or companies that can provide you with authentic quality leads. Bogus leads will only prove to be a waste of your effort and your resources. A life insurance provider, for instance, needs to know the latest leads from individuals or companies who have a list of clients who are most likely to purchase a life insurance from your company. The business strategy that they will develop will be based on the information that they get from the leads that they have purchased. Clients are most likely to appreciate a business that has taken an extra effort in finding out what their particular needs are. Whether your business is engaged in mortgage, car insurance or any other industry, a thorough understanding of your market can go a long way.

Wordless Friday

I wish y'all have a great weekend!

My neighbor's house. 

blogging via iPhone

USAA Christmas Party

Last Saturday night was USAA's Christmas Party. It was our first time to join the big event. We supposed to go last year but we went to California, so we missed it. Anyhow, the party was spectacular. Great food and awesome entertainment. I thought the Las Vegas theme was pretty cool! Plus, guess who performed that night? It's Huey Lewis and the News! Have you ever heard of them before?

My simple outfit that night. I was going to wear a dress but I change my mind...lol!

Hubby and I sat really really far from the stage...nyahahha! Gosh, it's really hard to find a seat near the stage. I'm guessing, there are more than 10k people during that night. USAA rented the whole Alamodome just for that event. Not to mention, USAA has 25k employees.

Akesha stayed at the daycare center near USAA. She had a blast playing with other kids. The party lasted until 11:30 pm. It was a great night!

PackIt! | The revolutionary solution to keeping your food fresh!

This post brought to you by PackIt. All opinions are 100% mine.

As parents, one of our main concerns is how to provide our children with fresh foods that they can eat at school. Parents are concerned whether the foods served at the school cafeteria are fresh and nutritious. Even if we constantly remind our children to buy only nutritious foods, there’s still a chance that they will end up consuming foods that are unhealthy. PackIt lunch boxes can help us with our dilemma. PackIt is a gel lined bag that keeps our food fresh for up to 10 hours. With its revolutionary cooling technology, the food stays cold longer than the other lunch boxes. You won’t be limited to packing food that does not easily spoil. You can add a variety of foods that your children will surely enjoy eating at school including cheese and tuna or chicken salad. Just put it in the freezer then take it out whenever you want to. Want to own a PackIt? Well now is the right time to purchase one! Visit their website and avail of their limited offer of 2-PackIts for just $19.95 – you now have an extra PackIt that you can use whenever you need to pack lunch for another member of your family. Do you think using a PackIt lunch boxes is better than any old lunch bag? Just leave your comments below.

Clothes for Kids

With the Christmas Holidays only just a few weeks away, I’m sure most of you are busy with buying gifts for your loved ones. Going through can be time consuming especially if you do not know which particular gifts to buy. You need to have a list with you whenever you shop so that you don’t end up buying the wrong gifts. Choosing a gift for someone can be easier if you know what he prefers. That way, you don’t end up giving him something that he would not appreciate.

Choosing gifts for younger children can be quite easy since most of them prefer to receive toys. Younger kids like to play a lot and the latest toys are something that they will truly appreciate. Another great gift idea is to give clothes for kids. It can be something that they can use for special occasions such as Christmas parties at schools or clothes that can be worn for everyday use. Just make sure you know what type of clothes they want or need.

Review | Reusable Baggu Bag

“Would you like paper or plastic?” Sounds familiar right? I generally pick paper over plastic when we shop at the commissary. But when I shop for just a few items at a local grocery store, I use my own reusable bag. I heard a lot of people talking about the greatness and convenience of using a reusable shopping bag. How about you? Do you use reusable shopping bags at the grocery store?

A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to receive a complimentary reusable bags (3x) from reuseit.com. Thanks a lot Baggu! Baggu makes reusable shopping bags that are sturdy, strong and stylish. The standard Baggu is made out of 100% ripstop nylon and can hold up to 25 pounds, making them an ideal, cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bags.

The large handles are easy to carry and easy to put on your shoulder.The bags are perfect for grocery shopping, carrying books, laundry items or even gym clothes. The baggu holds quite a bit too compared to the plastic bags that you get in the stores. I’m telling you each bag can hold at least two plastic bags worth of groceries.

So if you care about the environment, you might want to ditch all the plastic bags and get reusable bags instead.


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

The Weekend Synopsis

How are you guys all doing? I hope y'all had a great weekend. Our weekend was ok. Last Friday night we went to Sprint to upgrade my phone. Thanks to Santa because he got me an early present this year. Saturday morning we drove to Parker Uniform to get new pair of pants for Akesha, then we went shopping at Walmart, stopped by at Elf Louise and do some volunteer works, and at night we went to USAA's Christmas Party. We had a blast at the party and got home super late like past 12am I think. That's why we spent the whole Sunday at home chill'n. Sunday evening we went to watch Jack 'n Jill at the movie theater. How about you? How's your weekend?

These photos were taken last Saturday at Elf Louise Warehouse. This is the "volunteer" thing I mentioned above. It's our first time to get involved in this 100% community based volunteer organization. Hubby and I have done a few volunteer jobs before but this one is new to us. Wrapping Christmas presents! The Elf Louise is a Christmas project dedicated to providing a little bit of joy to less fortunate children in our city.

The warehouse is huge. It's like a regular shopping store. Personally, this is probably one of the most joyful experiences my family can have - to bring joy to a child at Christmas! I'm glad we did it. We are looking forward to help again next weekend. It's an awesome feeling to help wrap and label the gifts for the kids. This is also our way to teach our daughter to appreciate the things that she have and to be kind to others.

Blue Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Green Monday, Ruby Tuesday and Orange Tuesday.

This is how it works:
- After the briefing, each assigned group will receive an envelope. Inside that envelope are labels, kid/kids name, gender and age, and a yellow slip.
- Go to the stock room and start shopping for toys. You'll pick 2 toys for each kid.
- Then go back to your table and start wrapping the presents.
- After wrapping the presents, hand the gifts to Santa's elf and return the yellow slip.
That's about it! And if you want to wrap more gifts, you are welcome to get a new envelope.

This is a completely NO MONEY INVOLVED, all you have to do is HELP wrap the presents.

Cheap Life Insurance!

Young couples who decide to start a family know that one of their main responsibilities is that they need to make sure that the future of their family, particularly their children is secured. It’s not just about providing for the everyday needs of the family such as food and clothing but is also about making sure that the future needs of the family can be met. Acquiring a family insurance should be a priority since it will make sure that if the family’s breadwinner becomes incapable of providing for their needs, they can still be sure that the family will not encounter any financial difficulties. If the family’s breadwinner gets seriously ill or dies unexpectedly, the remaining family members may face problems that are brought about by the fact that they do not have the financial means to support their needs. They may incur a substantial amount of debt because of this. This is mainly the reason why most people make sure that they have family insurance.
For cheap life insurance, you might want to visit americalifequotes.com today!

Houston Junk Removal Company

In renovating an old house or an abandoned commercial space, one of the biggest tasks you have to face is the removal of items that have been left inside the premises. Whether you want to remove them all or just a couple of items, you need to know the proper procedures on how to safely remove and dispose them. If you do not have the manpower or the knowledge on how to go about it properly, you need to hire a Houston Junk removal company to perform the task. You can set an appointment online through their website or you can call their office. If there are certain appliances or furniture that you need to dispose of, they can remove them for you, take them out of the premises, then haul it on their truck. They also clean the area where your furniture or appliance has been placed previously. They can also determine if the items they have removed can still be donated to charity or can still be recycled. The methods they use to dispose of the items they have do not in any way cause harm to the environment.