Time for a New DVD Player

We probably need to get a new DVD player here soon for our bedroom that's Blu-Ray and WiFi-capable.  The one we're using right now is an old one that my husband bought years ago, and he even thinks that it's about time to get a new one for our bedroom.  We've been talking about it for months now, but we kept putting it off because we hardly watch television in our room.  But now that our little Princess is into watching baby DVDs, we finally agreed on buying one.  The boys already got their new flat-screen, LED TV and WiFi, Blu-Ray DVD player in their room a few months ago, so they're good to go.  They love watching kiddie shows, and we're thankful we got the player that's WiFi-capable so they've been watching them on Netflix.  That's what we want for us, the parents.  So if we want to watch shows or movies and just want to lay down, relax and be lazy at the same time, we can always do it in our room.

We have Toshiba DVD player right now that's why I'm thinking that my husband will, more than likely, get the same brand.  If so, then it'd be nice to have toshiba coupons in case we really do end up getting one.  It may not take out a lot of money from its original price, but, hey, every penny we can save, counts.  We've been looking online to find a better deal just like the boys' DVD player in their room.  I hope we can find one that we want as soon as possible because I can't wait to start watching Blu-Ray movies in our bedroom, with my husband.  That will be like our "movie date" since we can't go out with just the two of us right now.

Why not just enjoy the comfort and luxury of our very own bedroom, right?

SS: The Semi Charmed Meme, Part Two

One month of absence again!  But here goes my Sunday Stealing for the last Sunday of April.  (I dind't get to do the first part of this meme..)


21. A better name for me would be:
 - None other than my name now.  I love my name! Period.

22. I have a hard time understanding:
- Men in general.

23. If I ever go back to school, I’d:
- Do it better and more focused this time around..

24. You know I like you if:
- I keep on wanting to get your attention regardless of me ending up looking like an idiot.. (Hehehe)

25. If I ever won an award, the first person I’d thank would be:
- My Grandparents.. Not just one person.. It's tough because I have so many people in my life that I feel grateful to.

26. If I could bring back a TV show for a reunion it would be:
- Mortified.

27. Take my advice, never:
 - Trust someone 100%..

28. My ideal breakfast is:
- Any food would do as long as I share it with my loves..

29. A song I love, but do not own is:
 - Lead Me, Lord..

30. If you visit my hometown, I'd suggest:
- You go to our famous Minasangay beach, and you'd find yourself not wanting to ever leave again ;)

31. If I could meet a couple of my blog buddies, I'd include:
- Anne Thompson of My Little Home, Jenn Lord of My Sweet Haven.

32. Why won’t people:
- Stop being hateful?

33. If you spend the night at my house:
- I'll make sure you'll enjoy that you would want to do it again and again and again ;)

34. I’d stop everything for:
- My family.. Freeze time even, so I can be with them longer..

35. The world could do without:
 - Facebook and Twitter.. Right?

36. The last time I got drunk I:
- was at home with my husband.. Yep, one bottle of light beer knocked me out! LoL :))

37. My favorite blonde is:
- Britney Spears.. (Is she even still blonde?)

38. Paper clips are more useful than:
- Stapler..

39. If I do anything well, it’s:
- Being a Mother.. That's what I'm really good at ;)

40. And by the way:
- Doing this made me really hungry.  So now that I'm done, I'm getting myself something to nibble while, well, still writing posts on my blog.  See you next Sunday!


For more Sunday Stealing posts, please visit:

That Special First Year of Being Together

My  husband and I have been together for almost six years now, and I still remember what it was like when we celebrated our first year of being together.  If you happen to not know our story, well, we technically didn't spend our first anniversary in person.  I was in the Philippines and he was here in the States.  But distance never stopped us from making that day an extra special one.  We spent time on the phone and we talked online while we were both on webcam.  I can't even remember how long we talked, but I'm pretty sure I went to bed way too late.

It wasn't the ideal first anniversary anybody would want to have, but at the time, that was all we could do.  He just got back from deployment and he had no time to take leave off work because he had so many things going on that needed to be taken care of right away.  But one thing, though, he never failed to send me gifts on our first anniversary.  He went online and sent me fresh flowers with chocolates and a pink stuffed teddy bear that were delivered to our house on the day of our anniversary.  Not only that.  He also sent me a box with lots of stuff, including a book series, Left Behind.  He bought me a diamond ring, too that came in a different package, among other things.

I'm not into material things.  I never asked any of the things he gave me.  For me, it's the thought that counts the most.  The thought that he went out of his way to make me feel very special on our anniversary, that's what matters most.  He truly proved that he didn't need to be with me in person at the time to make everything perfect.

As for me, I still wish I could've prepared any first anniversary with boyfriend gifts ahead of time.  I was so focused on doing school at the time, and on top of that, I really had no money to send him any gifts like what he did for me.  But, I still got him a card.  I poured my heart out to him on every single word I wrote.  I made sure it was the perfect first anniversary card for him.  And when he told me it was more than he could have asked for, I knew I did a great job.

All in all, it still turned out to be the perfect "online anniversary celebration".  We may haven't had the chance to do our first dance, or that sweet first kiss, but the experience and the memories we created in spite of the distance are something I'll never trade for anything else in the whole wide world.  It was and will always be the perfect first year for us!

Missing Home!

Missing Home

Honestly, I don't know much what to write right now.  I don't feel like myself at the moment.  I guess it's all because I've been missing home so badly for days now.  It almost feels like those first few months when I just got here - there's emptiness in my heart.

I don't think I can ever get over being homesick, especially with the fact that my grandmother is already old, and each passing day, there's always this fear in my heart that I'll never get to see her again.  God forbids, I don't want anything bad to happen to her.  But the fact of us losing her one day is so inevitable that it always kills me inside.  If only I can go home anytime I want to, I would always be there with them.

My husband always tells me not to entertain things like that about my grandmother, and I know he's right.  I don't know, I guess I'm just too scared of losing another love one.  I haven't even gotten over with losing my grandfather three years ago.  It's just hard, way too hard to let go.  They say you won't stop getting hurt, especially every time you'd miss them, you'll just eventually learn how to deal with the pain.  We'll see about that!

All I know right now is, I want to be next to my grandmother.  I want to be with my family!  I miss everything about home, and I cannot wait to sing hymns again while my Grandma plays the piano.  I miss waking up to the smell of our kitchen in the morning.  I miss sitting at the table having meals with them.  The endless talks afterwards, and just how simple life is, yet filled with happiness just being with them.  Three years of not being with them already feel like forever.  I continuously pray that God will give us all the chance to see each other very soon.

And for that, I cannot wait to be welcomed home!

A More Convenient Keyboard Stand

We have a keyboard back home that my Grandmother uses every Sunday during church service, that's why when I found this proline folding keyboard stand online, I knew it would be perfect for it.   We've had that keyboard since I was a little kid, but it didn't come with a stand.  And because it's always being used every Sunday,  the church had a wooden table made for it and it has been its stand since then.

I just thought that it would be nice to finally get an actual keyboard stand that not only is a lot durable, but will also allow you to adjust its width and height to make it more convenient to use.  And I'm sure it'll even make it more easier for Grandma to play during church service because they can adjust it to whatever height she'd be comfortable with.  I'm sure she'll love this thing!

College online

When I got married I was about a year short of getting my college degree. I always meant to finish, but as life happens the things that you mean to do don’t always happen when you think they will happen. So now I have two small children and am mostly stuck at home with them all the time. One day I was looking around on our internet service that we got from satellitestarinternet.com. I saw an advertisement for college courses online. The advertisement was about how a lot of people are not traditional college students. They can’t go to college for some reason or another like the regular people that just go right after high school. Some people are working full time. Some people don’t live close to a college or university and can’t afford to go live there while they are in school. Others are moms of small children who just like me have to stay home and care for their kids. And other people may be caretakers for elderly relatives. Whatever the circumstances are, the advertisement said that there were opportunities for people to go to school online from their own homes at their own pace. I decided right then that was what I wanted to do. So I applied online and am now waiting for the information to be sent to me about the next step in finishing my college degree.

Author: Joseph Sandoval

It Finally Paid Off!

Nine weeks of intense workout finally paid off!  I cannot even begin to tell how happy I am for being able to achieve my target weight, and I even lost more!

 My husband and I started the workout on the first week of February.   After giving birth to three kids, I admit, I kind of lost hope that I'll ever get back to my prepregnancy weight and body shape because I gained a lot of weight, especially with the last pregnancy.  Every time I'd look at my clothes that I used to wear before I had children, I was saddened by the fact that I was too big to fit in them.  I didn't feel the same way about myself anymore.  I was losing hope.  I wanted so bad to lose weight and be able to wear my clothes again, but I don't like the thought of taking any medications to help lose some of the weight I gained, and I thought that getting into workout would be tough with three little kids.  Even the thought of getting myself into safe diet wasn't really something I wanted to give up because I love to eat, and I was like, why would I need to give that up when there are so many ways I can do to still lose weight and eat whatever I want at the same time?

But, one morning, when I decided to put on my old pair of jeans and I couldn't even get it past my thighs, that's when I finally said, that's it!  This needs to stop and I need to workout and be fit again!  And, I cannot be more thankful for having a husband who's always willing to help out and support me in any way that he can.  That's why when I told him I want to do workout here at home, not only did he provide what I've asked for, he even committed himself to working out with me!  That was another big motivation for me - having him as my workout buddy.  It just made it even more fun in spite of how tough it was in the beginning.  I cannot even tell you how many times I almost wanted to quit, but he was there to push me through.  And yes, I got yelled at a couple of times, but for a good reason.  I felt like I was one of the new recruit in the military doing my training and I wasn't doing what I supposed to, that's why I got yelled at.  But every time we'd finish the workout, even if we were all sweaty and stinky, my husband would always tell me I did a great job, and I'd always get a hug and kiss from him.

Clearly, no pain, no gain!  And I'm proud that I can say that now because I've been there and I've done that.  I weighed 158 lbs when I was pregnant because our youngest was a big baby.  I didn't lose much after that.  When I started the workout, I weighed 136 lbs. That was 2 months ago.  Now, I weigh 97.4 lbs!  I lost 38.6 lbs!  Another good thing about all this is, I never had to starve myself just to get to where I am now.  Believe me, my husband and I take weekends to go crazy on food.  Yes, I lost weight and I didn't have to sacrifice eating at all - not a single food I love!  Now, not only do  my old clothes fit on me again, some are even loose!  That means, I even weigh lesser now than when I was single!  But above all, I feel great because I am at my best shape ever!  I feel better and healthier.  And that's what this is all about.

I haven't been this motivated ever in my entire being.  And now that I've achieved my goal, I'm not going to stop here.  I'm committed to staying fit and healthy for the rest of my life.

A Weekend Surprise!

My husband came home today with a little surprise for me! After giving me a hug and kiss, he told me he got something for me and handed me a small blue paper bag. I opened it right away, and when I saw the small box in the bag, I almost cried. It's a set of white gold Hello Kitty earrings and necklace with diamonds. I had no idea he'd come home with something like that for me because there's no occasion or anything special going on. I asked him what it was for, and he told me it's a gift. He said I really don't have anything fancy like jewelries, so he thought of getting me a set. And since I love Hello Kitty, that's what he got for me. I actually joked around and told him that I hope it wasn't an advance Mother's Day gift, and he laughed.

Well, honestly, I already got an advance Mother's Day gift from him when I asked him to buy me a set of square plates and the next day, he came home with one. So I'm not going to ask for anything anymore for Mother's Day. As long as I have my whole family to celebrate it with, that's more than I could ask for.

It's definitely a great Friday the 13th so far, and it couldn't get any better! I'm just looking forward to a relaxing weekend with my loves.

Happiness Is: First Family Portrait

As my first post for Happiness Is, I chose something that's extra special - our first family portrait. Yes, it's the very first one with all of us. We never really got to have our photo taken before because we weren't complete yet. We waited till our youngest was born.

We still plan on getting new family photos. We only went to get this done because we wanted to have something for the house and for us to send to family members. Plus, it was tough getting these photos taken because the boys were all over the place. I can't even count how many times the photographer tried taking a decent photo with all the kids looking at the same direction. A would-have-been-twenty-minute-session that lasted almost an hour!

But I still want to give credit to the photographer for a job well done! She did great with the kids, too. She was so patient and nice. If we'd still be here by the time we decided to have another family portrait taken, we'd definitely go to the same place.

Here's to More Happiness Is...

Until Then...

Right now, we're using our new dining set that hubby bought last week. We've planned on buying a nice dining set for a long time but we couldn't decide on what to get. A couple of weeks ago, my husband finally said that he was going to buy a brand new dining table and chairs. He showed me photos of what he thought were nice, and we both decided from there.

Of all the designs he showed me, the set he liked the most was, the black marble table with dark-colored chairs. When he told me how much it cost, I started thinking twice if it'll be wise for us to spend that much of money right now, or look for something nice as well, but cheaper. I told him what I thought about getting that set, and he agreed. I told him that I didn't think it's wise for us to buy an expensive dining set at this time because we're still constantly on the move. Plus, we don't have our own house yet, or we don't even have a space for a dining room to put the table and chairs in. If only we have our own place, Thomasville would be a good online furniture store to browse around, shop, and get good deals on a lot of their luxurious furniture. I've seen a lot of beautiful dining set, and a whole lot more.

But anyway, I'd much rather get us a simple dining set for now, just for the 5 of us, and when we finally own a home, that's when we'll start getting more stuff. Also, I'm worried about spending a big amount of money over something that might end up getting broken during the move whenever we transfer out to a new place next year. Whereas, if you have a home, you can buy and do whatever you want because you no longer need to worry about packing up and leaving like every couple of years to a new duty station. So for now, we have no choice but to wait till we get that opportunity to really get settled in one place to have that opportunity to do whatever we want to our home.

Mediterranean Dinner ;)

Hubby surprised me tonight when he came home with Arabic food for dinner. No wonder why he didn't reply when I sent him a message asking what he wanted for dinner earlier today. He said that one of his co-workers, who happened to be Middle Eastern, took them to an Arabic Restaurant for lunch. I am so touched by the thought that he didn't forget about me! He told me that he remembered I've been craving for Mediterranean food, and that it has been a long time since we last had it, so he went ahead and bought food for me as well.

I had rice, beef, grilled chicken, salad, and pita bread for dinner. It was oh, so good! I do miss Arabic food. The last time we ate in an Arabic restaurant was in 2009 in California. That's almost 3 years ago! He said that this time, we won't wait that long anymore to go eat Mediterranean food if we want to. He already told me that he'd take me to that place called, Pita Inn next time so I could choose whatever food I want. I can't wait for that! I hope they have keema there or shawarma. I miss those as well!

Anyway, I love eating together with my husband, especially dinnertime because during weekdays, it's the only time we get to eat together. And, dinner with him tonight and a very delicious Arabic food, it was perfect!

Thank you, Mahal, for making my day today!

Anything That'll Help

Every summer, once it starts getting hot, I always get this nasty skin allergy that I've never had before, even when we were still in California. I'd get red, itchy marks all over my body. They're so itchy that there were nights I couldn't sleep at all. They make me feel queasy and sometimes, the red marks burn and hurt. They almost look like hives, but a little worse in my case. I've tried a lot of skin care products, but none worked. I've switched one brand of lotion to another, but to my dismay, nothing happened! I honestly don't know what to do sometimes. If my allergy gets worse this summer, I'd probably end up seeing my doctor and have him take a look at my skin to see what really is wrong. In the meantime, I'll try this african black soap to see if it works for me. I really haven't tried anything like it before, so I guess I might as well do it to see if something changes or not.

Right now, I only apply a type of cream every time my skin starts itching. It does help, but what I need is a cure! I hope this weird allergy goes away by the time we move out of this place. I honestly just started having this since we got here, and I am more than ready to get rid of it completely!

In Dire Need of A Haircut

My hair is almost at its waist-length now and I really am in need of a new hairstyle. It's been six months now since the last time I had a haircut, and when I did, I only let them trim the bangs and cut about half an inch in the back to not change the style I've gotten used to for 2 years now. But lately, I started getting tired fixing my hair because of how long it takes to get it done, especially when we're heading out. Having to get three kids ready and then myself is just too much already. Most of the time, I am the one who gets around last. I don't like changing first then taking care of the kids because by the time I get done with all of them, I'm already stinky again. (Hehehe) So, I am always last.

I was supposed to get a haircut this past weekend, but because our little Princess wasn't feeling well, we had to cancel it. I'm hoping we'd get it done this coming weekend so I don't have to deal with it anymore. I do love having long hair. But when you're a busy mother like me, fixing your hair is something you would not want to add up to your already busy day. I think I'm over with having long hair for now.

The photo below that I found online is probably the kind of style I'd go for this time. I just want something easy to fix, and sleek and simple. As long as I can tie it up when I want to, that's fine with me. Aside from the fact that it'll make you look younger, another thing I love about this hairstyle is, it enhances the beauty of your face and eyes. And I think it's about time to get a short hairstyle again, especially that I lost a lot of hair from postpartum hormonal changes. My hair just started growing back again and I want the length of the new hair to somehow catch up with the rest.

photo source: http://www.pakistyle.com/files/2011/09/Hairstyles-For-Women-With-Double-Chins3.jpg

I am so excited to get my haircut done! And most of all, I am looking forward to not spending so much time fixing my hair every time.

I Am A Music Lover!

I came from a family of musicians. I cannot even count how many family members we have who know how to play musical instruments, especially on my maternal grandmother's side. I, myself, love music very much! I know how to play the piano and guitar, and I was also a choir member in our church back home. It's something I know I am good at, and I can be proud of.

That's why when I saw these Pork Pie Drums online while I was browsing the web, all my childhood dreams came back to life. It's not like they've been buried and forgotten. It's just that I never have really thought about them that much anymore. I kind of set aside the things that "I was..." before I got married and had kids, and got too preoccupied with motherhood and being a wife. I have no regrets. But I must admit, I miss how my life used to be like every now and then.

When I was a kid, there were few musical instruments I wished I knew how to play. Aside from my ultimate dream of learning how to play the violin, I also tried learning how to play drums. Unfortunately, nobody was there to teach me how during those times, so that dream pretty much went out of the window. As far as violin, they said it was expensive, and there was no way we could've afforded everything at the time so I never got the chance to fulfill that dream, either. Good thing was, my grandmother knows how to play the piano really good, and she taught us. She actually was our first music teacher. I learned guitar from my sister, and from church friends, too. And yes, I learned all that for free!

Looking back, I wish I pushed through and had never given up on those dreams. That's why when I look at my kids now, I know in my heart that I will be there to support them in whatever they choose to become in life. As long as we can provide, we will do our best to help them reach their dreams. I don't want any of them to end up like me who has so many "What if" questions in life. They definitely will have the life and things I only used to dream about when I was a little kid.

Injured!

Yes, that's my injured left leg. My left knee popped last night while hubby and I were doing our workout. I was disappointed more than hurt because it happened like almost at the very end. Twelve minutes remaining from the hour long workout and I got hurt! I was like, "Great! Just great!" I could've at least finished it, but I got hurt pretty bad that my husband let me stop. We both heard my knee popped, and right after that, was just a sharp, excruciating pain that radiated from my knee to my groin area. I literally almost peed in my pants! That's how bad it hurt me. My husband immediately took me to the couch and had me stretch my leg, then, he went and grabbed an ice pack and placed it around my injured knee. I sat in pain while watching him finish the rest of the workout, but still looking after me.

I don't want to stop from working out or take days off, but right now, it looks like I have no choice. My knee hurts even when I'm just barely bending it. I cannot put too much pressure on it nor stand for too long without feeling that sharp pain. This is making me sad because it means I cannot do any of our workouts for I don't know how long as of the moment. It all depends on how my body is going to take it. And if it still hurts, I'd have to keep resting till it feels a lot better. It does suck, I'm not going to lie. But I need to get better first or else, if I keep pushing through, I might just end up hurting myself even more.

So for now, working out will be set aside. And hopefully, while I'm taking this break, I'll be able to have more time on this blog. I really do need to update this more. I keep saying that, but I never really do it! Time to make a change!

What I Might Get Him For His Birthday

My husband loves to play golf! When we were in San Diego, he would go out with his buddies on weekends to play golf. He's still in the process of getting better at this sport, and I know he's really determined to learn more if given enough time to do so. Right now, I don't see it happening knowing how busy his schedule is most of the time. As a matter of fact, he hasn't even went out to play golf, not once, since we got here. I know he misses it a lot and he can't wait to get back into playing with his friends again.

That's why I came up with an idea of giving him a gift that I think he'll like. His birthday is still months away, but that's fine because it'll actually give me enough time to save money. And since he likes playing golf, I'm thinking of getting him something like a golf GPS as a present. I really don't know how it works, but that's not my main concern anymore. (Hehehe) I'm kidding! But what I do know is, I don't have any idea on which golf gps I should go with. It might not be an easy task like I thought it would be because I'm not so familiar with gadgets like that. I don't want to buy something just because it looks nice and realize later on that I just wasted money because it ended up breaking, or it stopped working. I want something nice and durable - something I'd get what I've paid for. After all, it's for my husband, and I only want the best I could get for him.