Food Trip Friday#2: chicken alfredo

This is my second entry for Food Trip Friday. We had this for snack last week at KFC.


I might try this menu later and hope to share for my FTF. I can cook pasta better than pastries or any sweets.
mY Food Trip Friday entry.

Post It Note Tuesday

I'm late again.. hoping that linky still open.. join us now with Post-It Note Tuesday and have fun.

Head over now to Supah Mommy  for more Post It Tuesday.

Food Trip Friday

This is my first entry for Food Trip Friday,so please welcome me here. Lol.
My entry is Sizzling Sisig from Mang Inasal. We have this for dinner the last time we went out malling.

I hope you like it, this is sizzling so be careful to touch the sizzling plate. :) Please click here for more Food Trip Friday entry.

swimming, tanning and enjoying

just looking outside the window, makes me feel like a melting lava burning in blue fire. whewww! my daughter had her first day in swimming and she already got super tan. I don't know as to how her skin will turn out after the session. I guess, not suntanned or sunkissed but sunburned.






I only wish she could swim freely in different stroke. She is determined to be a swimmer, ah uhh... She already know a little bit and can swim few meters even before she started her swimming lesson. goodluck, you can do it girl!

feast celebration, etc..

Black Nazarene is our Patron Saint celebrated on January 9 but our Feast Day is celebrated every 3rd Sunday of April. There's a story behind how it turned out to be on April. Old folks said that then January 9 fiesta were always welcomed with storm. There was a time of January feast where no visitors came after all the preparations for celebration that even the food they prepared were then spoiled and wasted. So they all agreed to move the feast day in time for summer to spare the feast day from heavy rain and that is 3rd Sunday of April at the peak of summer. So we celebrate feast day two times a year wherein for January 9, mass is being offered for our Patron Saint while every 3rd Sunday of April as feast day celebration.

Feast Celebration

Here in the photo (escort) is my cousin's son, or shall I say nephew to cousin.. (help me google it and translate if you know. (pamangkin sa pinsan) while the princess is my father's cousin's daughter.. (even harder translation I think. whatever. :D)

Also, here is my cousin's son too, (what I mean is nephew to cousin) the escort of the little princess..
The sun was too hot that the motorcade had to stop to give way for the prince who was very thirsty and needed some drink.
Here in the corner of town is our progressive barangay where people live peacefully today.

The following photos were taken a day before fiesta. We had our lunch outside the house and the children had so much fun.
I always love going home where I can spend time in a hammock. This is another hammock post entry, our weekend journey.

* my story about how fiesta was moved to April is based only by old folks story. no official or legal documents to support. :D

Post It Note Tuesday

time to speak up with post it note once again. how fast that weekend passed by like a speeding jet for us. we're back home now!

Head over now for more Post It Tuesday.

MYM: hammock weekend

I'm back from our short vacation. I'll post more stories of our weekend in my coming post. There is no better way to enjoy summer other than spending on a hammock. I'm just exhausted, tired and drained right now because of scorching heat that welcomed us back home. I need a little rest and sleep right now. Nighty folks!

My Mellow Yellow Monday.

BC Bloggers' Party: who's nuts

Known as Nuts in blogging, (not famous though) my real name is Nora (i don't think i need to explain more, as to where my parents got my name and that's certified in my birth certificate. lol. I am comfortable with this blogname "nuts" since I used this pen name already when I started blogging but Mommy Nors is fine with me too. Now, even my very own children call me "mommy nuts" while other bloggers address me as Mommy Nors sometimes. I am a stay at home mom, but not a boring SAHM anymore. I'm blogging about everything and doing some paid post from time to time, giving me a little extra at the end of the month. Don't ask me how much, I say, enough for a SAHM.
I have no recent photo right this moment but you can see some of them in my previous post or in my profile.
Let me introduce my family btw..
This is my eldest who will turn twelve this May. You may call her Meyz, she's bigger than her age and even taller than me now. She loves reading, surfing the net and and active online. Oh teenager..


and my little jill and with our "bunso". she loves playing with our pet. we call our pet, "magic.." they are inseparable. they always play together.


and my husband.. our provider who lives and works in a pharmaceutical company abroad.


I spend most of my time with my two blogs, Embrace Life and MorethanjustaSAHM with my family as my source of inspiration. BC Blogger's party is one of the biggest event in my blogworld where I can introduce myself and know more of BC Bloggers as well. Let's celebrate BC Bloggers, Kudos!

Dynamometers

The news sometime last month came as terrifying headlines for me, seeing poor miners coping up with the hard hat job and that led me to think about the facilities that they're being used. Production depends on the facilities of miners. Sometimes I think about the miner in the future using only laptop instead with the help of modern technology. Would this automated mining be possible in the future? Manufacturers of engine dyno are not quite sure about it, I guess.

When I went deeper to the stories of miners, I wonder how they perform their task devotedly with this very complicated job. I know they are real heroes risking their lives with this nature of their work. I wonder if the dyno provided by the mining company are in excellent condition too. Although, the equipment are reserved for particular purpose, electric motor must also be provided even it costs more expensive than other types of dynamometers. It is for the good of miners who work hard to reach a productive end.

I was trying to browse more dynamometers online to see and compare the difference and how it works. It came to my mind how about automated mining in the future? Would it be necessary to use more high technology equipment for easier job? Whatever it is in the future, dynamometers work best for miners right now.

Happy Birthday Paula!

I am a certified member of BC Blogger's List community. Look who's celebrating birthday today, "Founder of BC Blogger's List." Join us in BC BLogger's Party and have fun! Happy Happy Birthday Paula!

Save Money for 2010

I always make it a point to keep track of our budget no matter how difficult life is going through right now. With either big or small budget, I always allocate fund for my children's education's need. I believe that education is the best foundation and it only means that I need to invest for their future. Other than tuition fee, I save enough budget for their school supplies too. I'm already planning of purchasing some school supplies online and other supplies in the nearest bookstore to avoid the rush for school opening. Computer supplies are quite expensive and finding cheap ink for them means a lot to save in my budget. My children love to take pictures and even tried printing their summer picture using glossy paper straight from the computer and this consumes much of our ink. By the time school opens, I am quite sure, I'll be needing to purchase a new one again.

Just got lucky today that supplies are now available online and I could even select the brand that I regularly use or even try the ones with high quality yet cheaper in price. The money that I save will be spent in other family needs. Life seems so hard now and we need to save and spend only to things that we think we needed too.

Post-It Note Tuesday

Head over now to SupahMommy for more Post It Tuesday.

Dental Treatment while on Vacation

Have you heard about Cancun in Mexico? If you do, how about Dental Clinic in Cancun? If you love to travel and you want to maximize your time during your vacation, a visit to Dentist is a good idea that one will experience while on vacation. There's a Dental Clinic right in the tourist spot where one can have a dental restoration while on vacation.

I could even think myself visiting the place and forget about the beautiful beach and just have an appointment with the dentist. What an amazing offer of as much as 70% discount in Cosmetic Dentistry and dental treatment and getting your teeth done in a week at Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry.

You need not worry about because German Arzate DDS MS has a 19-year experience in High Cosmetic Dentist. Check on the website and see testimonials and wonders of patients who have experienced this while on vacation in Cancun. Just imagine a Dental Clinic at Caribbean Ocean. What an amazing sight to think about the place at the heart of famous vacation spot.

summer swimming

A friend emailed me this morning about enrolling my kids to swimming lesson this summer. I have been thinking about it last week and finally decided to enroll them to have their summer a worth time for them. My two girls, if there's a perfect slot for them, will start next week. My older one already knew the basic stroke since she did swimming lesson few years ago. While my little one knew a little stroke on her own. I browsed some tips on how to avoid being burnt out this summer. I'll take early morning session for them.

Waterproofing

A house newly built means free from leaks or cracks and therefore a family will enjoy to stay in a new house with a homey environment. A house is a good investment and it is the smartest way to invest your money. If you are renting the house for over ten years, and you have a big family, it is very unwise to think that you rent the house without having the chance to own it. So to say, a house as good investment needs to be maintained well too. Leaks are common problem and paying no attention to it would cause more damage and bigger problems. Waterproofing Basement Walls is another form of investment. The leaks that might cause major problem in the future is no longer to be worried about.

During bad weather or storm, small leaks running in windows or any cracks in the house would cause a serious problem if no action was taken. It is very important to pay attention to small problem to keep it safe from leaks going to the basement of the house. Big problems start from small one. The house we rented before has no good drainage system and when I saw leaks running inside the house, it made me panic and traced where the leaks were coming from. There's an answer to prevent water penetration on the walls. Click on the link above and see more about waterproofing of basement walls.

proud mom blogging

Two weeks after the school break, my daughter went back to school this morning for the scheduled card release. She was happy with the result of her grades especially her English subject. Just please don't ask about Math, I'd say never mind please. Now, moving to a higher level next school year. My daughter is into reading activities this summer and she promised me that she'll limit her time with the Internet.

Did I mention before that she got a superior grade in English and IQ TEST last year? She just made me the proudest mom again! Good luck for the next school year! (it is mom blogging here..)

bad credit

I really hate credit card but I was almost tempted to get one for myself when I saw some of my friends using their credit card and enjoying the convenience of it when shopping. Sometimes I envy them for that sole reason. They only bring small amount of money for small purchases. Maybe they're not aware that sometimes, even if they're under control, they never know that they're over spending already and will only be surprised when the bill comes with much bigger amount than they've ever expected. I am speaking through the experience of my roommate before who was shocked when the bill of her purchases came.

When she was applying for a credit card, she was so excited and even checked for approval but it gave her a totally different meaning when she discovered the other side of owning a credit card. For her, credit card means totally messy life. She just can't imagine that spending much would only lead her to bad credit loans. Honestly, I can't sleep well whenever there's unpaid bills at home. I always prioritize our utility bills because in my thoughts, unpaid utility bills are burden to me. I don't want to mess my life with bad credits. However, there are also advantages to using credit card as long as the card holder is aware of the charges and the consequences of using it. It is safer to use debit card since one can spend as much as he wants. It is how you manage credit card. For me, responsible card owner means happy life.

off to salon

We just arrived home for a little make-over. nah! not me, I was supposed to have a hair makeover but my two girls asked me to go out malling this afternoon. So we went out malling and the two had a total bonding time, not shopping but hair salon.

Already bored and tired with the old hairstyle,
we visited salon.

When it comes to girls thing, the two shares the same interest. They both love the same music, the same artist but extremely different with their personality.

but they compliment each other and ask each other's opinion on

what hairstyle suits best for themselves.

And the result..
Oh.. I still love the old hairstyle.

financial assistance

Managing finances is one stressful task for me especially if the budget does not seem to meet everyday expenses. During recession time in US, a lot of employees had lost their job including my MIL. The company where my MIL is working, has laid off employees, and said it was only part of temporary retrenchment. But just in time MIL had lost her job, husband was hired by the same company and that helps us support our financial needs. I was a little bit scary at first to think about monthly expenses and it happened during the time of enrollment and school expenses are much to be worried about. I honestly do not agree about the idea of acquiring loans but in times of emergency, I have no option but run to personal loans to temporarily fill up our tight budget and help our finances both ends meet.

Having loans means debt, so we must think about the responsibilities when we get personal loans too. When husband was on his vacation a month ago, he used his credit card to pay for our shopping spree. I reminded him to please minimize his use of card credit. He said, he used his credit card in all of his purchases in the US. But then he said, he is responsible enough that even the car he's driving was purchased out of his credit card. He's still on track on his finances. When he returns back to US, he got bulk of mails and checked first all mails that need his attention especially about finances needed to prioritize. Loans are not bad as long as you are responsible and following the right track when it comes to purchasing using credit cards.

golden majestic sunset

I've posted this in my previous entry of my other blog. I was just fascinated and thought of sharing it here. I so love the sunset. It gives me a soothing, calming and different experience whenever I see sunset.


Every time you wake up and ask yourself, What good things am I going to do today? remember that when the sun goes down at sunset, it will take a part of your life with it.
-Proverb

Personal Loan

Life seems to be perfect for me when I have no debts to worry about. Whenever there's an offer for me to apply for personal loan, I immediately declined the idea and answered them a big no! But when an emergency arises and there is a need to depend on personal loans, that's the only time I applied for it. I am afraid to think about the idea of drowning myself into debts so loan is a no no for me. Some people never think about it and they're just happy spending without thinking the consequence later. And they're caught by surprise when they found up to neck in debt and helplessly running for personal loans. Too bad, those people who spend much need to control themselves from spending too much.

I salute my sister who owns and maintains her budget wisely. She knows when to shop and when to stop. She is a responsible credit card holder but if she failed so, I'll ask her to check the website for bad credits. I admit that I love shopping and have no control with credit card but since I don't own one, I am in full control of my own budget. I spend cash but limited only to allocated allowance. I only have debit card and I know that hard earned money needs to be spent wisely. Life is happier when you're debt-free, do you agree?.

WW: the house upon the rock

Do you love the place? I love the house built on top of mountain or house upon the rock. I would love to stay there but only for two days and three nights package. Lol. I can't bear to think about living myself in an island. I just love to hear the sound of the water kissing the rock.

More Watery Wednesday entry right here .

Web Hosting

Hurray! You can still see smiles in my face because of the recent page rank of this blog. Bloggers know the reason behind and the importance of having a page rank. When I opened this blog, the first thing I did is hire a designer. After deciding about the layout of my blog, I purchased my own domain, opened my blog to search engine and then launched my baby blog. In few months time, I gained my new PR.

When I start blogging, I only know a little and my knowledge is limited only to posting. I don't even know the page rank. But when I discovered blog world, it opened my eyes to more opportunities. I am grateful that some bloggers were kind enough to assist me. They are real friends for life not only virtual. I've learned now the tools in blogging. I am more aware now and even discovered site for web hosting.  I thought that I have no place in the web, but I got mine, even bigger than I expected. I gained friends and opportunities. You don't need to be a geeky to host a website. It only takes one click for the right site. Let's all enjoy the world wide web.

coffee, anyone?

Certainly, I'm an addict, a confessed coffee addict. So If you ask me for a coffee anytime even hot summer day, I would definitely say yes! I Let''s be friend. Let's start with coffee. Never mind about the result of the test, it has nothing with my coffee. Let me just reveal the result. A two in one post. My coffee and cafe test. lol. I am just expressive.

You Are Expressive

During your downtime, you like to develop ideas and work on creative projects. You secretly wish that you could be a more successful person. Being rich is a dream of yours. You feel easily overwhelmed and tired by the world. You can only get by if you are patient and take problems one at a time. You are inspired by a mismatch of things. You never know what is going to get you thinking, and your mind tends to be racing.

ipod for my daughter

While my younger daughter is enjoying her vacation with her best friend, a pet shih-tzu, my older one is busy with her laptop. My two girls definitely have extreme differences. One loves to go out,while the other one would rather stay home. When husband called last night, my older daughter asked her dad an apple ipod for her birthday. And this made me think that we only need one ipod since my younger daughter prefers to just play around with our pet. But no! I was wrong, she's into electronic gadget too. She asked me then, "can I have one too?"

What could be the best gift for teenagers other than ipod? Generation today are luckier that new technology is being discovered everyday. I remember when I was a kid, I only used recycled materials to play. I only have rug dolls which my mother created for me. How I wish I have ipod too in my younger years. I'm contented by just sitting in one corner watching the children playing outside. Oh well I think I need to start browsing the page now and see ipod and accessories for my two precious girls.

claim blog: another closet

Another closet corrects the cry.

pension for me

Lately I realized the importance of social security in our life. I can't imagine myself getting old without any assurance about the future. I pitied senior citizens who were not given enough attention and even neglected by their own family. I checked my old social security and now planning to renew it with hopes that someday it will help me when time comes that I cannot do anything but sit in a rocking chair with my grandchildren around ready to listen to my story of my younger years. If only I can do blogging when I get old, then I will. Well I hope I can still blog when that time comes.

Today, when I visited my ob-gyne for annual check up, it came to my mind about my health condition. It gave me an alarming moment to think about future when I don't even have any insurance to rely. If I have pension then life in the future would be easier for me. Other senior who have the option to receive cash for pension are luckier and I think they deserve it. Now, I think about my future and how life would be when I reach the last stage of my life. I just can't imagine myself as a burden to my children. If only my parents were still alive, surely I will give them an insurance policy as a gift for them where they can enjoy on senior years. But of course, it will not happen anymore. It's only a dream now. I can only get one for myself. Life just passed by so quickly so we all need to prepare for our golden years.

a girl, not yet a woman,

I seldom post picture of her. She's not the typical teenager who loves going out with friends. She rather stays home and order pizzahut delivery. And she only wish one for her birthday, a pizza party.
And she's only eleven. She'll celebrate her twelfth birthday in few weeks time. I grabbed this photo in her account, and yes with her permission. She asked me, "Mom, are you gonna blog this?" "Yes, honey." I smiled. "I'll just blog that you're slimmer here, ok?"

Summer Vacation

I can feel the heat now, and this only mean one thing, SUMMER!! People flock to beach resort or a cruise vacation while other chose to spend abroad with a much colder temperature. Some travel/photobloggers discovered an island somewhere in south and when I browsed the page, I can't help but envy them, looking at their pictures having a good time at the beach with white sand . It's an eight-hour travel by land and 2 hours by boat. Whew! I think the island is good for a group of backpack traveler but I think it is not really fit for family outings since there's no facilities or hotel for accommodation. Truly a paradise as I can see online, the hidden Bora or Bora in the future. I guess once the investors discover the place, sooner than soon, this will become the first class resort in the Philippines.

I just love summer. Other than school break, this is the time where we can go to beach and spend time with family without thinking about school projects, meetings and appointments. The family in our neighborhood is planning for a cruise vacation. I was wondering if they know cheap caribbean promo code. When summer starts, the first thing in my mind is look for promos, or any vacation package that we can afford. I just love summer and hope this summer will be a blast for all of us!

Post-It-Note Tuesday!

how's your long-weekend? i guess everyone is excited posting weekend getaways. summer has just began, and the sun is toasting my days up. tremendously 36 degrees and 40 up is yet to come as what PAGASA earlier predicted.. well, i hope not..here's my post-it guys.. just dying to see Batanes.
hubby will laugh about the idea when he read this post.

Head over now to  Supah Mommy for more Post It Tuesday.

yihhaaaa!!! pagerank for my site!

Another blessing for my site! Woohoo! My www://morethanjustasahm.com has gained new page rank, and that's two months after the launch date. Thanks to my BC Blogger friends, to Paula, the genius behind the links, to Kaye for the perfect layout, readers, regular visitor, my dearest follower and Rose with whom I consult when it comes to network blogging. I can't thank you enough. I didn't really expect this to happen very soon and I'm so thankful that in a matter of two months, this blog was able to gain Page Rank 2. Wooohoooo! Thanks Mr. Google for granting me this. If not because of of the email that my blog was approved in one paying site, I wouldn't really know that this blog already has gained PR 2. It's overwhelming! Thank God for the blessing!

where life begins

I'm nearing to stage of life where they say that life begins. Probably you're guessing how old I am now. Every time I look at the mirror, I always find it scary when I see wrinkles in my eyelids. Admittedly, I used anti-wrinkles and it is not that I'm afraid getting old but I just want myself to feel good and gain confident more. When I saw some of my old friends online, I hardly recall their face since a lot of them changed their look after more than twenty five years. And so I asked myself as I turned myself in the mirror as to how do I look now. I want to think that I need a provillus reviews too at my age. When I visited salon last week, one staff approached me and suggested for some treatment but I immediately answered a big "no" since I was not sure about the hair treatment they will be using for my scalp treatment. Because of being too conscious, I didn't let my hair touched by anyone except for my regular hairstylist where I really spend much for it. It has been a year already since then and I'm still afraid whether to let my hair rebond, relax or any hair related treatment. I wouldn't want to take any risk for any cosmetic surgery or other beauty enhancing program where my health will be put at stake.

walk along the beach with bestfriend

Aside from slide that attracts to my little one, she was able to swim for a while at the beach but the heat of the sun didn't get her to stay there for long. She opted to swim in the pool where there's special net to protect the skin from direct sunlight.

And what makes that vacation complete? She was able to walk along the beach with her bestfriend. It was the first time she spent vacation with Magic. Everytime we go home for a vacation, she would always worry about Magic and how he's doing alone in our neighbor here in Manila.

Los Angeles Insurance

It is a must for all of us to have insurance if we really care for our loved ones. I really don't know the real importance of having one until one of my friends told me how insurance had helped her husband who was ill and bed ridden for almost a year. She said, if not because of health insurance, her family might be somewhere else now, begging for help and assistance.

When husband first came to US, one of the first thing that he checked was insurance. Since there are many insurance companies that offer different kind of insurance, he had a hard time analyzing the best plan for him. He checked Los Angeles health insurance and the best thing there is that he was able to ask for quotes online and spoke right there with agents and staffs. Husband has been blessed getting the job based on his experience, maybe not the best job but at least he was able to get the job even during recession time in US. He was luckier that he got the best insurance policy this time. Insurance is important to protect ourselves and if you care for your loved ones, then think about the insurance that you can count on and will always be there during those tough times of life.

And she did it again

and this time with her cousin... :) go! you can do it, c'mmon...

New Printer

When I first bought my desktop, printer was already included in the package and because of that, it gave me no chance to pick the brand that I really wanted. I am inexperienced before in installing software in my computer so I asked an expert to do simple installation for me. My printer works well for the past year but then it acted up late last month because it was overly used for paper works of my daughter at school. Or maybe the printer has served its purpose already. Now, I was thinking of buying a new printer to replace the old one. If I purchase a new brand online, then a Lexmark Ink Cartridges would be a better replacement with hope that ink lasts for another month. There's a website that offers different kind of printers and the link provided will take you to a site where you can choose the printer that suits your need.

Today, while browsing the pictures stored in my desktop, I thought about printing our summer vacation album in my archive. I already have glossy paper to used for my printing and the photos that I selected in my archive will be kept in one album. Husband called last night and asked to print some copy of our photos last vacation. I might send some of the pictures tomorrow when I'm done with my printing. I just wish I had the new printer already to keep me going with this printing job.

SPLASH!!!

Look at her big smile. I was not ready enough to take photo in her splash mode, but just imagine how she enjoyed her slide..

Postcard Services

I am truly amazed with one of my blogger friends who really did a great job when it comes to postcard. He's very creative that he even creates his own postcard and exchange cards with other friends abroad. Through that he was able to gain more friends, not only online but real and personal friend. It was such a great hobby that I think I'll enjoy too. It's been years already since I received a personal postcard. There's something in the card that really made me smile. Now I was thinking of sending back something for my friend and I'll try postcard mailing services that I have found online and definitely, I'll recommend this to my friend too.

Since their online service is not limited to mailing, I might as well order some personalized postcards for list of my friends that I haven't seen for a while now. I'm still in constant communication with my old friends and I know the feeling when someone receives a card. It wouldn't take much amount from my budget since it is so inexpensive and one can choose designs for their own greeting cards. I can see from here the smile of a receiver because it's how I appreciate receiving one greeting card too. You don't have to worry if you're not experienced with their graphical tools since Customer Service Staffs are ready to assist you. Wow, this is just one step postcard that after printing, you have the option if you want to mail it directly to your friend. Amazing! Everything is made easy from ordering, creating designs and mailing.

Happy Easter Everyone!!

While different nations celebrate Easter in their own traditions, we only have one in common to celebrate at the end of the day and that is, to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the son of Mary. In some countries, they celebrate it with colorful parade, eating traditional food for Easter, decorating churches for Easter Spring and other festivities. The most common for children for Easter is the custom of playing Easter egg roll and here in the Philippines, it is Easter Egg Hunting.

(image source)
Happy Easter Everyone!!

Vacation at Amanpulo

I'll be leaving this weekend for a vacation at Amanpulo. Will stay at private resort for three days and two nights. Will just enjoy the wine, relaxing spa, sunset, luxury food and BP will welcome me with garlands and a welcome drink. You can come with me and yes, it's free. Just comment here if you're interested and I'll do all the bookings and reservation for you for free.

Did I say it's April Fools Day?