Matching Clothes

I like to buy matching clothes for me and my girls. I am taking advantage of the fact that I have two beautiful girls and right now, they are my dolls. I know that once they start having their own taste in clothes, I won't be able to tell them what to wear or make them wear coordinationg outfits but for right now, I am enjoying  seeing them wear clothes that matches me or each other...


We have matching dresses


We have coordinating stripes


Matching blue dress


Ofcourse they have matching christmas outfits


That's me and fifi with matching shirts

If you're wondering how I get clothes to match them, it's simple. I am tiny so whenever I shop for Andrea, she gets size 7 and I get the biggest size for her department which is size 16.. lol... In short, when we match clothes, I am actually shopping from the kid's section... lol...

How To Apply Neutral/ Day Time Make-Up

I like putting on make-up but most of the time, I want it to be just neutral. I don't want to look like I'm wearing a mardi gras mascara on my face or look like a clown. So I am a big fan of natural-looking make-up. Where do i get make-up ideas? Ofcourse youtube! I would watch it and try doing it until I feel like I copied it right. So to all of you girls who wants to learn how to put natural-looking make-up, watch this video.

First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

It's time to file for taxes again. This time we will be able to claim Fifi and also claim all the hospital bills that we paid for her birth. I am hoping that we will get a bigger tax return this year compared to last year. Almost half of my husband's paycheck is taken as income tax. We hope that we would get back atleast half of what we paid into the system.

We file our taxes online through turbotax and so far we're getting good returns. This year though, we're thinking of getiing somebody's services to file it for us. The money we give to the church is credited, the renovations in our house is credited and a new car is also credited. For married couples who  just bought a house, they could benifit from the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, they would get a whopping $8,000 back. That means those of who who just bought your home from 3 years ago, you could benifit from this.

Watch the video below for more details;

How To Have Side-Swept Bangs

I liked the new hairstyle where the bangs are swept to the side and I searched in youtube how to do it... I found it and tried it myself. If you wanna try that hairstyle, just watch this video...

Internet Connection Sucked

I was trying to pay our bills online when all of a sudden my intenet connection started to act weird. It is very important to have good connection when paying bills to avoid double paying a bill. I made a note of it and paid our bills. When I am clicked the approve transaction button, my internet froze, so I clicked it again. I didn't realize that I let the transaction went through twice! Grrr.. That means we're gonna be short on budget because I overpaid one bill! Now I have to call the costumer service of the bill I paid and ask them to reverse the second transaction. It is a pain in the neck and it's all because of my stupid internet connection.

I might move to a new internet provider because of this. I heard that wildblue high speed internet is a reliable provider. They offer internet service even in rural or isolated locations. If you're having internet problems, you might want to consider swithing to a better one.

Buying a House In this Economy

The economy has plummeted and the most affected are the home-owners who are still paying for their mortgage. A lot of people lost their homes to the bank and others are struggling to pay for the mortgage. It might be mean to say but to those who have extra money these times, this is the perfect time to buy new homes utah county.

We consider ourselves lucky because despite this hard economy, hubby still has a job and we still own our house. Good financial decisions that we made years ago, saved us from a lot of headache now that the economy is not that great.

Working-Out

Do you work-out? I am asking because it is very important for us women to atleast do 10 to 15 minutes exercise, 3 times a week. I know it is hard to squeeze work-out in our busy schedules, especially for moms like me. But if we could blogwalk and watch tv, we could work-out as well.

Working-out gives us more energy and stamina. It produces endorphines, a natural mood enhancer hormone, that is responsible for making us happy. It helps us sleep better at night and slowe down the aging process. Working out also improves our immune system. Last but not least, working-out improves our sexual performance and improves our libido.

A simple walk around the neighborhood, or a 15-minute dance is good enough. If you have some work-out equipments at home, use it while you're watching your favorite show or whenever you feel bored. Instead of sitting down while watching tv, watch it while doing jumping-jacks or squats. Just incorporate any work-out in your daily activities and before you know it, you will experience the benifits of working-out.

Wearing Magnetic Bracelets



There are plenty of medical studies that proves the heling wonders of magnetic therapy. Plenty of people who are sick with ulcers, knee pain or just simple dysmenohrroea swore that they all felt relief after wearing magnetic bracelets. The spectrum of diseases reported that the magnetic therapy helps ranges from simple pain of the body to emotional sickness like depression.

Magnetic bracelets are very porpular now and because of that, a lot of manufacturers created Magnetic Braclets with different designs, so it would also loof fashionable. If you wanna check out some magnetic bracelets, visit BillyTheTree's website. They have all kinds of stylish magnetic bracelets and they also ship worldwide for free.

Motherhood

Being a mom is the most satisfying thing in the world. Deciding to have baby is deciding to have your heart walk outside of your body. It is hard yet satisfying. It requires a lot of sacrifice but it also gives you so much happiness. It is a 24-hour job and there's no day-off nor sick leave... It's having somebody, completely dependent on you in everything, to survive.

The sleepless nights, the everyday contact with stinky diapers, the frustrations whenever they get sick and ofcourse the stretchmarks are all worth it as soon as we see our baby's first smile. Motherhood is a blessing, a responsibility, a privilege and like Miss India, Sushmita Sen said, motherhood is the true essence of a woman.



proud to be a mom of these beautiful girls

Fruit Juice Anyone?



I just got a juicer from hubby last christmas and I love using it. It allows me to make pure fruit and vegetable juice in just a click of a button. We all need a certain amount of fruits and vegetables in our diet to make sure that we get the right nutrients to keep us healthy. Back in the philippines, mangosteen is my favorite fruit. It's purplish-red in color and very delicious. To have satisfy my craving for mangosteen, I would drink mangosteen juice.

I also love to try different fruit juices available. I drink V8 fruit juice because one glass gives you the daily dose of fruit & vegetables. I also drink prune juice because it helps me have regular bowel movement. There are many benifits of drinking fruit juices and if you haven't tried it yet, try it now. It tastes good and it's good for you.

High Definition Channels

Television has gone a long way. Back then, I could still remember that we have black and white TV at home and we would change the channel by turning a knob around. That particular tv has only 12 channels and we thought that was awesome. Twenty something years later, television has not just turned colored but also offers high definition resolutions. It comes in all kinds of sizes imaginable and channels you could never count with your fingers and toes.

You could really see the real power of television if you have the proper satellite connection hooked to it. We have the dish network here at home and because of that we enjoy watching high definition shows and international shows as well. If you want to move from your cable to dish network, there are dish network promotions available that would help you save money when you switch. Try it and once you see high definition channels, you would not want to go back to regular channels.

Hair Highlights




Have you tried hair highlights? I did a year ago, and I loved it. Hubby chose the color and he paid for it too.. LOL.. Since I have natural black asian hair, they have to bleach it for hours so it would lighten up. There are a total of 3 treatments to achieve hubby's desired color and every treatment requires me to have bleach in my head for almost 3 hours. Meaning I have to sit in the salon and browse through all their magazines for 3 hours. It stings but the end result is nice.

I had the higlights for a couple of months. I have to go back to my natural color when I got pregnant with Fifi because dye is not safe for pregnant women they say. I would probably do highlights again but not right now. I have my hands full with my kids and my hubby that taking care of my hair is the last on the list.

New Technology For Medical Use

I am so amazed with the different machines that they use now in medicine. Example of this is a gamma camera. I read online and I found out that a gamma camera, also called a scintillation camera or Anger camera, is a device used to image gamma radiation emitting radioisotopes, a technique known as scintigraphy. The applications of scintigraphy include early drug development and nuclear medical imaging to view and analyse images of the human body or the distribution of medically injected, inhaled, or ingested radionuclides emitting gamma rays.

Nowadays there are better chances of people to survive diseases that are deadly back in the 1980s. It is good when we use technology to help out and not to destroy each other.

Ira Riklis

I spend most of my time reading posts from fellow bloggers and reading blogs about poeple's lives and everyday struggles. I would get entertained with the stories I read and sometimes I would get inspired with the wonderful stories I read. One person that inspires me the most is Ira Riklis. He is a very mysterious yet very intelligent person.

From reading about Ira Riklis life, I learned that he is a well-educated person who loves to do good things for the community and nature. Ira Riklis is a graduate from University of Pennsylvania. He is married to Diana who is well-educated like himself. Ira Riklis is a God-fearing person and you could tell by the way he writes his blogs and his ideals.

I'm sure that every now and then you would read about somebody who has done a great deed every now and then. Most of them makes it in the front page but others like Ira Riklis don't make it in the news but that don't make them any less than the others who are well-known

Moisturizers I Like

It is so cold these days and I am sure most women out there are complaining about dry skin. Facial skin is especially dry these days since it's one part of the body that's mostly exposed to the weather. Moisturizers help in keeping skin soft and supple, so even if I am tired, I make sure that I regularly moisturize my face every night.

I tried different kinds of moisturizers like Clinique, Garnier and L'oreal. The best so far, based on my own experience is clinique. I apply it to my face every night after clensing and toning. In the morning though, before going out or putting make-up on my face, I like to use the Loreal skin genesis because it's so light and my skin feels so soft after application.

But if buying moisturizer is not part of the budget, a simple olive oil application every night works wonders.



Shoes

Most women loves shoes. I love shoes too and my favorite brand of woman's shoes are Aldo, Steve Madden and Jessica Simpsons... I like to wear high-helled shoes because it adds up a little more inches to my 5'2" frame. And hubby said shoes just completes the look of an outfit.

Here in America, different kinds of shoes are needed for different seasons. Winter boots and warm booties are needed during winter time, while open sandals and flip-flops are worn during summer. Atleast two pair of boots, a couple of sandals and plenty of flip-flops, as well as a pair of tennis shoes would complete a regular woman's shoe closet here.

Technology That Helps

Back in my country, the Philippines, babies sleep beside their moms up until they're around 4 or 5 years old. I remember when I was young, I sleep beside my mom and my dad until I was 6 years old. Here in the US though, as soon as the baby is born, they sleep in their own bedroom already. My sister-in-law's kids sleeps in their own room right away as soon as they get home from the hospital.

I didn't do that with my kids though, I sleep beside them for a couple of months before letting them sleep by themselves in their own bed. The first time I let Fifi sleep in  her crib, I was nervous and I could not sleep. Hubby keeps on telling me that it's alright, but I am still reluctant to let her go. It's been 7 years since I had an infant and to me it feels like doing it all over again. So hubby got me the baby camera that helps us monitor Fifi without having to disturb her. I am so glad for this technology because it gives me peace of mind, and whenever I need to check on my baby, or whenever she cries, I always hear her and I am always there to make her feel better.



The camera we use for Fifi



Fifi playing in her bed

Eating Healthy

Last christmas, hubby got me a juicer. I love it so much because it turns fruits especially vegetables into yummy falvorful drinks without the preservatives. It is our new year's resolution to lose weight and be healthy. We want to start this year healthy by eating healthier foods. Organic Meat, wheat bread, and plenty of vegetables and fruits should be part of our grocery lists and we should ditch fastfoods, no matter what.

Today, we went to the organic food store and bought organic vegetables and fruits. It is a wonderful feeling knowing that we're doing something for ourselves and our well-being... I hope that we would see some good results in the coming months. I would love for me and hubby to stay healthy and live longer so we could enjoy our lives together, and someday enjoy the presence of our grandkids... Someday... Not too soon...

Debt Consolidation


We were one of those people who have been affected by the sudden increase in interest rates, so when we found out about it, we decided to do the credit card debt consolidation. Our bank offers good fixed rates and so we jumped into it and we're so glad we did. Now, our motto is if we can't buy it cash, we shouldn't buy it all to keep us debt-free.

Since the beginning of last year, America's economy is slowly plummeting, and most poeple especially those that are deep into debt were caught off-guard. Good thing hubby and I made sure that we only get what we could pay and didn't put ourselves in that predicament. A lot of credit card companies though have raised their interest rates, fearing that the people who owe them money would just disappear and not pay them anymore.




Home Insurance

Our house got flooded 2 years ago and hubby and I are so grateful because we have good house insurance that paid for all the damage. They sent somebody in our house to assess the damage and after finishing up the paperwork, we got paid a good amount of money for our furnitures and floors.

Every year, we always make sure that we pay our neighborhood and flood insurance. We don't know what we would have done if we don't have good insurance. If you live in New York make sure that you check out new york home insurance so you would be safe just incase disaster happens.

Let's Talk About Breast Augmentation

Have you thought of having the breast augmentation procedure or what we commonly call the "boob job"? LOL... Especially for mothers out there who have been breastfeeding their little angels for a while. I am asking because I am not scared to admit that I am thinking about having the procedure done.. LOL.. Well you know, after breastfeeding 2 kids, my "girls" are really looking like they need some lift.. LOL

I am very self-conscious about the way I look especially with certain clothes. I am just contemplating what I would look if I have my girls fixed.... What do you think? I would accept any reaction from all of you be it negative of positive.

Well, this is just a thought, but we'll never know.. I might blog one day about my brand new boobies... LOL

Looking at the Bright Side of Flu

I'm sure most of you know that I have been sick for a while and until now, I am still trying to recover from the flu virus. It's a pain in the neck to be sick especially since my little daughter is sick too, and still is. But as the saying goes, "Always look in the bright side of things", so I thought of the good things or maybe a good thing that my flu has ever brought and true enough I found one...

I have been trying desperately to lose weight for months now. Eversince I gave birth, I have tried all means and ways to lose the extra pounds I gained during pregnancy. Diet, exercise, diet pills, and even laxative didn't do the trick.. But you know what, the flu virus did it! I lost a total of 8 pounds in 10 days! LOL! I finally fit into my size 2 jeans again! WooHoo! I feel great everytime I look at the mirror... Hubby on the other hand didn't agree, he said I am fading away... LOL.. He said he likes me with meat in my bones and not like a hanger.. LOL...

Well, whatever! I begged him to be happy for me, and so he said yes he is while rolling his eyes... LOL... I know this is not the healthy way to lose the weight but hell, I lost the weight without even trying... That's good enough for me! Anyway, I will enjoy this size 2 body for now because I know that when I fully recover, I will have my appetite back and I would gain all my extra weight back.. I HOPE NOT!! LOL!!!

NuSkin Moisturizer

I am a big fan of moisturizers. I put it in my face every day, once in the morning and once at night. It keeps my skin soft and supple and it prevents it from drying up especially with this cold winter weather. I am also fond of trying different kinds of moisturizers, especially the ones that I see advertised on tv.

When I was browsing through the web, I bumped into an ad about  nu skin moisturizers. I went to their site and their products intrigued me. They use natural ingredients in their beauty products and for me that's a good thing because it means that no harmful chemicals gets into my body.

I am thinking of purchasing their moisturizer and using it. It might make my skin look better, therefore making me look younger.

My Friend's Furnitures

I have a friend who lives in Chicago and she recently bought new furnitures from the Chicago Furniture Store. She said they sell very beautiful modern contemporary furnitures for less and it's very affordable. She ordered them and it arrived in her house in perfect condition and in no time.

I checked their site and I am thinking of getting new furniture for my daughter's room as well. Maybe a beutiful dresser to go with their new bed.

Online Pharmacy

I am so glad that I am finally recovering from the flu. It is so hard being sick here in the US because I have no relatives to help me out. Especially since my little Fifi is sick as well. When my husband has to go to work and I am left alone at home with my girls, I have to make sure that all is well, that they have food and everything they need even if my head is throbbing with pain.

There was a time that I need fever medicine for Fifi but I can't ask nobody to buy it for me. Good thing there's an online pharmacy where I could buy medicine without having to leave our house. I knew about this online pharmacy when my husband was hurt years ago, and we need to Order Tramadol.

It is very convenient to have this service around. Especially for people that could not go out and buy medicine in the pharmacy.