NYC Hotel

One of the places here in the US that I don't mind visiting over and over again is New York City. I have been there once and I know it will not be the last time. I have a friend who just moved in there and she said she is enjoying the city very much. I have in-laws there too that is always talking in my husband to move there. Hubby said that he will only visit them but not live there. But anyways, if you are visiting the Big Apple, there are lots of places or hotels to stay with. You can check out Comfort Inn New York City hotel that is located in the vibrant Upper West Side of Manhattan. The area is strategically located near the main attractions of the city such as the Central Park, Broadway Theater district, and many others.

Firing Up the Grill

Since it's Friday I thought of not cooking and instead go out eat or have a take out. But when hubby came home around 16:30 he said that he will barbecue the chicken legs. It's very sunny outside and having a barbecue would be perfect to end the day. So right now, while making this post, we are waiting for the barbecue chicken to be cooked. I and our DD made rice. She counts the number of cups rice and water and then I let her push the button to cook it. I'll just open and heat some whole corn kernel and baked beans as side dishes.

Pearly White Teeth

I envy people that has pearly white teeth because I don't have. Yes, it's embarrassing to admit but I wish my teeth are really whity-white. I am using a whitening toothpaste but still I can't get it to be whiten. I am thinking of having it professionally done but I have to ask our dental insurance if how much they will cover. Next month I will be going to our Dentist for my routine cleaning and also ask her how much will it cost me if I will change my dentures. I checked online for an estimate how much cosmetic dentistry costs. I found a Plano Dentist that does cosmetic dentistry and they have free consultation. They also specializes in giving back clients' perfect smile. I hope I can find the same services in our area if the dentist that we go to does not do it. I do believe that having a discolored or broken, chipped teeth can really diminish confidence. Having a pearly white teeth can make your smile more natural and perfect.

Philippine Vacation

We have been planning for many times to have vacation in the Philippines. But because of hubby's work schedule, we can't find a good time to pursue it. But this year, we are very happy that looks like we can visit my home country. They are given two weeks leave to use for family time. We are going to utilize those days to travel. Even though it's only two weeks but I will go for it since it's been more than four years that I haven't seen my family. We are waiting for that leave to be approved though. According to his company commander there should be no problem with it. I am hoping so because his meeting with my family is long over due.

Great Maintenance Crew

One of the good things about living in an apartment is having a maintenance crew that will do the fix if something is needed to be done in your unit. If you have leaky drainage, clogged toilet, broken light fixtures, non-working heater, and other similar concerns, the maintenance crew of the complex are there to help and do the fix. One time, hubby was deployed then, our toilet clogged up. Even if I only use it for number one, the flush-able tissue won't flush. I tried using the vacuum like I usually use to, it was to no avail. The next morning, I went to the management's office and told them about it. Their response was so quick. I just came in the unit from the office and then I heard a knock on our door. It was the maintenance guy who came in to solve my problem. He brought me another type of vacuum and after doing the job he left it for us in case we need it in the future. This is not the only time they're quick to respond. Even with our other requests they always come in as soon as there is available crew to work. They respond for any job order requests within 24 hours. This will be a downside when we have our own place in the future.

Packing Another Balikbayan Box

I am now, again, in the process of packing another balikbayan box. Since we did some spring cleaning, I have extra stuffs here that needs to be sent. I am also sending a sexy lingerie to my sister in law as a gift for their wedding anniversary. She does not know that I will be sending one to her. It will be a surprise. When I was still in the Philippines and talked to her if she likes wearing one, she looked at me with that horrified look on her face and said, she can't wear such. But maybe she already changed her mind and will be delighted with my gift. I will be sending also some board games that we bought last December. There was a sale with board games for Christmas gifts and so I bought some. It's supposed to be my gifts for them on Christmas but the box I sent back then were all full. As soon as these two boxes here will be full, then it will be sent out right away.

My Thoughtful Husband

Yesterday was my first test for my Diagnostic Coding class. This week hubby is still on field training and he's staying there overnight. But because we don't have a sitter for our daughter I was thinking of just having a make up test and not go to my class. But my husband, bless his heart, made an effort of coming home just to watch our daughter and then went back to the field after. This is what I posted before about our dilemma. We still have days that hubby will be on field training and hopefully it will not fall on my class days. I am very grateful for his thoughtfulness and understanding. He always find a way so we can work things out. Sometimes I get frustrated because of situation like this, but hubby never fails me that is why I love him so very much. I can depend on him all the time and he won't let me down. To my thoughtful husband, I am saying this again, thank you very, very much. We love you!

Breakouts

I was wondering why my scalp hurt every time I comb my hair. I asked my husband to check it and when he looked at it he told me I got pimple in my scalp. This is something that I am wondering right now. This is new. I have breakouts in my face occasionally but not in my scalp. Aside from the scalp I also have in my forehead area where it is constantly prick while combing or brushing my hair. I need to get best acne treatments to get rid of these once and for all and stop it from coming back. This week I will be going to the hospital for check up twice and I will ask my primary care giver if I can get a referral to see a Dermatologist. I needed one and I need it as soon as possible because I don't want more pimple in my face or in my scalp. It's bothering me and it hurts, literally.

Summer Body

We will be going to Hawaii in summer time and if you say Hawaii the beach is gorgeous there. The older daughter will be coming with us too and its her first time to go there. I told her to bring her swim wear because we will surely go to the beach. But I have my issue here, I need to lose some of my flabs so I will look good in a swim suit. I wish I can find diet pills that work for me so I will lose these fats easily. I bought an exercise ball last week hoping I can do more exercise here at home but I can't hop on it while our DD is awake. She wants to be on the ball as well I can't do my routine properly. What I am trying to do now is do the exercise while she's asleep so I can concentrate. I am thinking even that since it will be months till we go there, I can still enroll in a gym. Oh well, there are so many things I wanted to do but sometimes my laziness overtakes it. I need more encouragement to do the things religiously.

Philippine Travel

It has been four years and four months that I haven't seen my family in the Philippines. We had planned travels to go home in the past but due to my husband's line of work he can't get a good timing to go. I could have travel myself but I don't want to go home without hubby since he haven't been to Philippines yet and I promised my family that I will bring him there on my first Philippine vacation.

In 2007 we already planned the vacation after he knew we're to move to Hawaii. But at the last minute it was changed because instead of going to Hawaii he was ordered to come here in Washington. We moved here and after a month he was deployed. Everything was quick and so much going on. When they redeployed back he was able to get a leave and we went to California and Hawaii.

This year I told hubby that we need to find time to visit Philippines. So last Tuesday he submitted his leave and hopefully it will be approved. I have apprehension on it because the date of arrival from Philippines that he put on his leave is only two weeks before their deployment. His leave for our trip to Hawaii is already approved and he's waiting for the other one. He already talked to his Commander and was told he should be okay.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma

During summer when I was young I usually went to my sister's house. I spent the whole summer break there and helped baby sit her kids. They live in a housing complex provided by the company she worked for. It's a nice two bedroom fully furnished house and it's free :-) Then I heard then that during construction there's asbestos being used especially on its roofing. And just recently I learned that exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma. Now that I learned that it can cause cancer is very scary. I think they already torn down the housing and built new ones. I tried looking for more information about mesothelioma and came across mesothelioma-data.com. They have information about this disease and also statistics that shows about 2000 cases are diagnosed each year. It is a rare form of cancer and according has a survival rate of approximately nine percent as to its 1998-2002 study. I am glad I found this site because it explains and gives more information about this disease.

Our Dilemma

There are times that I wish I'm in the Philippines right now and have somebody to watch our DD without hesitation on our part. Yeah, this is our dilemma right now of who we can trust to baby sit her while I go to my class. Right now our arrangement is I go to school every Tuesday night and hubby will look after her since he's already home that time. Also during Saturday hubby will just be home. Now, by next week hubby will have a ten day company training and it will start on Saturday. We discussed about this beforehand but the day cares that were recommended to us by the CYS on post are only taking care of kids during weekdays from 6am to 6pm. We don't have anybody to be trusted here since we're new in the area. A Filipina friend recommended someone but they live so out of the way from where we are. It is a long drive for me to drop and pick up our DD. I hope we can settle this soon since I don't want to miss any of my classes. This is really a downside of not having a family member around whom you can trust to leave your kids with.

Vacation Planning

Planning a vacation can really be daunting. This past Easter weekend we were not out too much because of the rain and we were just at home chilling and planning for a vacation in June. My husband don't like to be cooped up in the house too much but who wanted to go out when its chilly, wet and soggy. And in fact it's Easter so we have to set back and reflect. While at home, we were also making vacation plans. This is not really just a vacation but kind of must go because we need to. While surfing for best vacation deals I stumbled upon Westgate reservation. How I wish we are planning for a Florida vacation because they have great deals for a package but we are heading for Hawaii for four days and three nights. We found though good deals going to our destination but still a lot of money to shell out for it. We started our scouting last week and we finally decided to buy the vacation package yesterday. I am glad it is now out of the way.

Hubby's Four Day Weekend

I observed in the military, every time there is holiday during the weekend they usually make it four day weekend; from Friday to Monday. So this Easter weekend hubby is off from Friday until Monday which is great so he can spend more time with us. We don't know what we are going to do yet but we are gauging our activities to the weather. For the weekend's forecast there will be occasional shower and the temperature will be in higher 50s and low 60s. If the weather cooperates and the sun comes out I will ask hubby to bring us to the park so our DD can enjoy the outdoors. We might also check out the community center near us since they are currently registering for spring and summer classes for babies, kids, teens and adults. I have seen in their listings classes that I am interested for our DD to enroll. I hope it will fit our schedule since we have a kinda tight schedule from this month until July.

Diet Pill That Works

My niece who works as a nurse in Riyadh texted me if I can find a diet pill that works for her. I told her that I cannot just recommend anything to her unless she ask her physician first. I gave her this site, dietpill.net, so she can read reviews of different diet pills and have an idea about what she needs to look into when choosing a diet pill. There are so many out there and it is hard to pin point what works best for any individual. The first thing one needs to understand is what their body needs and what is allowed for them as prescribed or approved by their physician. Hopefully my niece can check the site out and she can find the best diet pill that will work for her.

Pacific Science Center

This past Saturday we went to Pacific Science Center in Seattle. It was a fun day for us exploring the science center. There are lots of exhibits and our DD only enjoyed the area for toddlers. But me and hubby enjoyed the different exhibits, the butterfly sanctuary, the reptiles exhibit, insects, different inventions, GPS Adventure, planetarium, Jurassic Park, and other stuffs. There was showing of Monsters vs Aliens at the Boeing Theater but all the tickets were already sold out. We were hoping we can also see other 3D movies but we did not reach at their showing times, we were always late :-) I am not really sure also if our 22mon old will behave inside the theater. It was a great experience and also a learning one for children and adults as well.

Car Service in New York

I mentioned in my other blog that we are planning of going to New York to visit family and relatives this coming summer. Since we fly going there we will surely need transportation that will take us to and from the airport. Last time my brother-in-law picked us up at the airport but this time we are looking for Car Service NY as our means of ground transportation. I checked online and found goairlinknyc.com that offers safe transportation services throughout the Big Apple and its surrounding suburbs. They have airport shuttles and even private vans that can provide transfers from any airports to different destinations. They are giving guarantees to all their customers that they have new, modern vehicles and courteous drivers, reliable and on time dispatch, 24/7 on line reservations and excellent customer service. They pride themselves also being an official permit holder by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that authorizes them to load just outside the baggage claim thus passengers will easy to locate them. So, I think we will be using their services once we go to New York since we are not going to rent a car. I like to arrange ourentire itinerary and transportation once we go places. By doing so, it will eliminate any hassles and we will have a smooth sailing vacation.

Sari-Sari Store

I took this picture inside the Children's Museum. No, it is not a real store but a miniature store as an exhibit inside the museum. They showcase different countries and culture that are dominant in Washington. I was shocked when I saw this and I introduced it right away to my husband. I was really excited. I wish that our DD can already understand so I can also explain it to her. But I know I still have chance when she grows up.

In front of the store was a "tri-sikad". It is one of the modes of transportation in Philippines. It was also showcased at the museum. I told hubby that because of it we were able to go to different places within our barangay or town.

Behind the tricycle is a typical Filipino home. It's like a big play house. Kids can explore it and pretend to live in it. I am glad to see the exhibit and I miss home when I entered inside the house.

I Forgot to Buy the Ingredients

It was very funny when we went to a store to buy the ingredients for my green bean casserole the other day but when we got in the car I realized that I forgot to buy what we went there for. What happened was, we were getting off the shelves some stuff that we needed to replenish our pantry. I told hubby to remind me but he forgot to do so as we well. When we loaded the groceries at the back of the truck it struck to me that we did not buy chicken stock, grated cheddar cheese and mushroom. So, hubby ended up getting back in the store and gets it. He's getting three things only but it took him a little bit to come back. So I called him up. He answered and told me that he went to the pharmacy aisle to check out over the counter diet supplements. Since he was already at the counter I just told him we'll talk in the car. He gave me the receipt and saw that he bought Hydroxycut. I don't know why he bought it and until now he's not taking it yet.

Anyways, back to the ingredients I am glad I was able to notice before we left the premises or else I will have to wait another day to cook it :-) I have the tendency to sometimes forget what I went to the store for. It wasn't the first time. That is why when we go for grocery shopping I usually make a list. I did not make a list that time and so we ended up forgetting a lot of things. It maybe a sign for me to have more brain exercise, eh?. Lesson learned that I have to get first what we intend to buy before anything else :-)

TGIF

It's amazing how time flies so fast. We are now in the second quarter of the year but it seemed like we celebrated new year just yesterday. Now it's Friday again and I am so welcoming the sunny day for tomorrow as what the forecast indicated. We are planning to go somewhere again and have a great family time.

I slept in our daughter's bedroom last night since hubby is having a slight flu. I just avoid to catch flu too because we have a little girl here that is susceptible to it. I also want him to sleep without disturbance so he will get a good rest. When I woke up this morning at 6:22am I almost jumped out of the bed and was calling hubby. The apartment was so quiet and he should be off to work. He leave for work before 6am and so far I did not hear him leave nor he did not wake me up and kiss us goodbye. So I got up and went to our bedroom to supposedly wake him up but found the bed empty. He left without letting me know.

I called him on the phone right away asking what happened, why he left without saying goodbye. He said he was so in a hurry because he woke up late too. He did not want to wake me up since I was so sound asleep and he can't kiss us coz of his flu. I let him get away with it :-) He told me that he will come home at 8am for breakfast anyway. When he got home he told me that he did not go in for PT but instead he went to see Medics and he was given medicines for his flu and also for his sore throat. He has a very harsh voice right now and he is feeling so uncomfortable with it. But gladly he don't have fever anymore and his colds and headache is fading.

St. Joseph University Professional Home

With the economic downturn that the nation is facing more and more people, professionals and non-professionals, are losing their jobs. In order to become competitive to be hired again there is a need to step up to the plate and rehash the resumes. Most advices I heard from career coach and experts is to retrain oneself or take certificate programs that enhances ones skill. So if you need to do it, you can check out St. Joseph University. They offer an online Management Certificate Program that helps in preparing professionals in applying project management principles as well as in leading project teams towards successful project completion. After completion of the curriculum program, SJU also helps in PMP exam preparation. If you are interested, you can go to their website at sjuprofessional.com. They have an outline of their program curriculum at their site so you will know what the course is all about. You can find a form at their site to request more information about their different program, where to apply and also your payment option. Check them now and move up your career to the next level.

March Top Droppers

I am so thankful for all my visitors and also for those who continuously made an effort to drop here at my blog. I appreciate all the time that you spent here and I will do my best to get back at you as well. Here's the list of my top droppers for the month of March.

Dropper	# of drops
FickleMinded-A Life That Is Less Ordinary	28
Eating in New Zealand	27
My Written xPressions	23
Spicybugz World	21
Rare Ordinary Thoughts	17
Hip to be Mom	16
Whatever Comes To My Mind	15
happy steps	15
My World in My Own Word	12
Eclectic Electronics	11

Pool for the Summer

I am wishing to have a pool this coming summer. Our problem though is we don't have space to put it. If ever we get one we can only opt for a kiddie pool for our daughter. The apartment complex we are living in has an outdoor swimming pool as well as a covered spa. But since its for all the residents and our DD is still little to enjoy it getting a kiddie one would be nice. I am already looking at pool supplies that we will need in stores and online. Even if it's still spring yet you can find lots of summer fun items already. Our previous apartment in Georgia is really great because they have more than one swimming pool. They have a pool for kids complete with slides and man made falls. During summer the residents can enjoy the pool without feeling so crowded. There are total of five swimming pools and a jacuzzi that everyone shares. Unfortunately we didn't find that kind of apartment complex here in our area. Anyways, one thing that I am planning so our daughter will enjoy the outdoors this summer is getting her a kiddie pool. She likes to play in the tub during bath time more so I believe when she is in a colorful kiddie inflatable pool.