I Lost a Pound

I checked my weight this morning and I am glad I lost a pound again. I know I should not be rejoicing yet since there are birthdays and invitations for get together and then Thanksgiving and Christmas is just around the corner. I am pretty sure I will be gaining weight again. I jokingly told my husband I can get weight loss drinks after all the pigging out and holidays. I know he is not in favor of it and I am also not as enthusiastic about getting intervention of that sort to loss weight. I still prefer the natural way. But as what I always say, I don't want to say it with finality because I may have to get help when I felt like I really need to. I will just have to wait and see.

Is Your Iphone Protected?

(Photo snagged)
Iphone is one of the must-have gadget to some people. It has lots of cool features that tech savvies want when it comes to phones. It does not only connect you to the ones you love but also enable you to connect around the world through its different applications. The latest model for iphone right now is the iphone 4 and I saw one with my friend. She said it is very cool since she have this feature where she can crank up her vehicle through her phone. Isn't that awesome? Well, I don't have an iphone since our provider don't carry one but I have a smartphone that is for me equally as useful and cool as an iphone. When I got my smartphone I also get a protection plan for it. Accidents do happen and we cannot tell when. So, if you have an iphone do you also carry an iphone 4 insurance for it? It is a valuable piece of gadget and I believe one should have a protection for whatever happen to it.

Breakouts

Yesterday I woke up early because it was my first day to go at work. It was time for my orientation of course, not the actual work per se. Anyhow, when I woke up I noticed something that is painful at the side of my nose and on my forehead. I realized that I had breakouts again. I know that it is acne because it started like inside pain, reddish, and swelling. I really hated it when I have these because it makes me feel so uncomfortable and it is bothersome. I can't afford to have this now while I will be going back to work. I may have to look for an acne treatments now so this will fade away. I tried treating it with the ointment I have on hand but I am not sure if it is working well. I still feel the pain and the redness is visible. Hopefully this weekend this will totally be gone.

My Parents

I do feel like going home to the Philippines right now. Every time I see this picture with my parents it makes me want to go home more. Early this year my father was brought to the hospital because of some health issues. Now, my Mother is in the ICU because she suffered a major stroke.

I know these are all beyond our control and we can't really expect what will happen but I kind of wish I am there by their side. It is so difficult to wait for any news from the family. Every time I receive an email or texts from my sisters I always hope and pray it is not the worst. It is so heartbreaking and nerve wracking to wait for any news or update because you fear about the worst to happen. I can only pray for everything that we are going through and I am so thankful to God for having a supportive husband that fully understand what I am going through.

Dieting During Cold Season

I don't know about you but during cold season my appetite is very good. I love to eat just about anything during fall and winter. This is the time where I always have a hard time of shedding off calories or excess pounds. When you are at home and it is snowing or raining outside you don't like to move too much as well. You have the appetite to eat more and not do anything to exercise. This is the best time to use hgh spray to help you curtail your appetite and still feel more energetic. The very cold temperature can also make me lazy and just love to curl in bed and drink hot milk, tea, or soup. So I expect that if I will not do any portion control this season I will definitely have a problem of losing my weight again. I hope I will be more determined this time and do the best I can do when it comes to exercising.

Wintry Fall

Winter is so early for us here in our neck of the woods. Definitely no tanning lotions anymore since when we go out we are all bundled up. Recently we have some fall storm. It was raining for days, breezy, and nippy. Our temperature is going down to high 30's and honestly we are already turning on our heater at night and early in the morning. The time of high electric bills is here now. I like fall and winter but only if there is no snow. I heard on the news that this winter will be worst compared last year. Two years ago we had a bad winter. We experienced feet of snow, but last year it only snowed for a few minutes and was gone right away. Yesterday it was raining and it rained hail too. That was the first time for this season. I just hope that the weather will not be as bad because I will be driving a lot. I have to drop and pick up our preschooler from school and I will also drive to work mostly in the evening time. Even if it's not here yet but I dreaded the day when I will be driving in the snow.

Taking Care of Oneself

A big lesson learned with what happened to our mother right now is to take good care of ourselves. That morning before her attack she was doing well, no complaints whatsoever. The health issue she was always complaining about was her joint pains and arthritis. Her stroke was the scariest thing that ever happened to us. She is still in ICU right now. Everything she is going through is an eye opener for us. We have in our lineage the heart disease and also obesity. I told my sisters it's time for them to lose some weight. They have the option to lose weight naturally or take weight loss pills but with their doctor's guidance. I can't afford to have any one of them suffer just like my Mom. Our oldest is battling with hypertension and diabetes because she was once an overweight person. I hope they will see the light and make the best to be more healthy.

A Medical Person

My sisters always refer me as a medical person. I guess I am the only one among us, siblings, that is medically inclined. I talked to them every day now because I wanted to get update of our mother's condition. I always asked them what they observed in the nurse's medical cart while they make rounds in my Moms cubicle in the ICU, what are the lab results, procedures to be done and so on and so forth. My youngest sister told me that they wish I am there because they can't sometimes understand the medical terminologies that doctors and nurses are using in reference to our Mom's condition. I do wish I am there too, but I told them as much as possible forward to me any information that they can get so I can also research it out myself. My husband even called me doctor when I talked about medical language. Well, who wouldn't not be into medical stuff when everyday I do transcription with my practice dictation. I am glad I know some medical stuff because in times like this I want to be involved and in the know of what my mother is going to while in the hospital.

Saving On Coupons

Lately I was slacking in clipping coupons. The hectic household schedule we have kept me from sparing time to go through the coupons we received through the mails as well as the online coupons that I always printed out before we go grocery shopping. When I saw the increase of our grocery expenses this past weeks, I decided that I need to get back on track bringing that coupons during shopping. Even small amounts of discounts helps in curbing down any expense. I love discounts, bargains and sales. Every penny we can save helps especially so that we are growing as a family. Now that I have additional expenses in helping my parent's medical bills back home, I can't afford to let a dime slip through our savings. So, now I will go back to clip coupons and shop wisely.

God is Good

I do believe that everything has a reason. Before my husband's block leave we planned of going somewhere for a vacation. Then we were caught up with school work that we decided to put it off and prioritize our classes. I also applied for a job and I was hired so I can't just took off because I have to wait for the calls for my orientation and trainings.

Then on Monday, I got the saddest news in my life about my Mom who suffered major stroke in the Philippines. It is very devastating to know because I am not there to help my sisters to take care of her. She is not getting any younger and anything can happen. I can't help myself but cry every time I am alone and think about her all the time. I have this ache inside of me to go home and be with my family but it is so impossible to do it as of now because we are too far away from them.

Amidst of the going-ons in our life, I am still very thankful that God is always there for us. He gave us the reason of not going for a vacation because the money that we will be spending there will be used and can help for the finances for my Mother in the hospital. Also, the time that I will be away will be used for me to look for a job, got hired and now I am starting to work.

Everything has it's purpose and I don't have any regrets for not going for a vacation. The place that we are going to will always be there. The hurts and pains and trials will be eased away and in the end we will see that God will reward us for whatever we've been through. He did not let us feel all the trials if He don't know that we can get through it. Right now, I can still say that I am so blessed and I can't thank GOD enough for everything that He had done to us.

ATETV - An Excellent Resource in Technological Education

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ATETV.org. All opinions are 100% mine.

We are now in the era of technological advancement. In a not so distant future, most jobs that will be offered in the marketplace will have something to do with cutting-edge technology. As we all know that right now technical education is being promoted by different community colleges in order to train workers for the future and keep up with the demand of high technology.

If you are interested in high tech stuff and is planning of continuing your education, or if you have kids that has not decided yet of what to take up in college, check out ATETV now. This is an excellent website that is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that offers wide and varied information on real job opportunities as well as in education. They have different educational videos that showcase interesting high tech fields that will be in demand in the future.

I watched the videos at ATETV site and I find it so interesting knowing about cutting-edge precision farming using new technology. These free videos they have were being given a grant from the NSF in order to attract young students to consider the fields of Science, Engineering, Math and Technology. These fields will be the dominant areas as we go forward. They also emphasize that there are training options available for those who are willing and interested to take up these programs. This excellent is free for all to see. No registration required. So check it now and see what opportunities are in store for you to prepare for your future.

Exercise Pact

Hubby and me made a pact to diligently do our exercise routine daily. He runs every other day and do his upper and lower exercise regimen daily. I am only doing crunches daily and dance exercise that I follow on exercise tv every other day. We encourage ourselves to exercise because we both felt that we need it. I gained some pounds since he got back because we always eat out and cook at home as well. Sometimes I wonder do diet pills work faster than what we are doing. I know I can't pretty much say that I lose the pounds I gained this past weeks but I am hopeful and confident that we can do it and not resort to anything that is to be taken by mouth. Now that we are here to remind each other I am so sure we can reach our goals.

In My Kitchen

Since my husband came home from deployment I have more time in my kitchen cooking. I can now prepare almost every meal from scratch rather than just throwing quick and ready to eat meals. Cooking for my husband, our daughter, and myself is better than just cooking for myself mostly before when he was not home.

The other day as I was cooking, hubby mentioned of cleaning up the cabinet under our sink. He also tightened the kitchen faucet that got loose from switching from one sink to the other; we have a double sink. After I cooked, I left him in the kitchen. When I returned I felt something different. Then I realized that he also cleaned up the kitchen counters and decided to throw away some of the canisters and the spices rack that just cluttered the space. I am so glad he did and it made a big difference in the kitchen.

Updating My Camera

I almost reach my goal in saving for another point-and-shoot camera. I have been meaning to update my old one for a new one with higher megapixel. I already found the one I am looking for in the many digital cameras out right now in the market. I wanted a professional camera but I can't afford to get it right now. I have it in my wish list though. I love to learn photography in the future, so hopefully I will be able to save money for it. For this Christmas, I will only fulfill one in my list, that is to update into another shutter that is easy to use but with good quality for a point-and-shoot digital camera.

Skin Drying Up

One of the few things I don't like during cold season is for my skin to easily dry up, especially in my face and my legs. I also get winter rash when it gets very cold. My skin will get itchy because of the rash and dryness. I need to lather up more and more moisturizer and cream to at least ease the discomfort and preven my skin from cracking up and wrinkling. I will be checking out wrinkle cream reviews as well as good moisturizers since the one I am using right now is not so creamy. I read from a beauty magazine that a creamy moisturizer can really help dry skin. In as much as I love fall and winter, I also dread its effect to my skin.