I Need The Low Carb Grocery!

Few months ago, my doctor found out that I had a high blood sugar, way back while I was having my vacation in the Philippines. After her brief interview on me, she then advised me to lower my carbohydrates intake...and yes, I was so guilty having huge intakes of carbohydrates in my diet those previous days before my blood works were done! Bad indeed! :(

I was further advised to go back to her after a month to check on my blood works again. It was just like a big challenge for me because I love to eat rice. In the Philippines, a meal wouldn't be complete without a bowl of rice on the table...and I eat lots of it. Lol! But, of course, this time, I thought discipline is the key.

I didn't have any single idea that I can find low carb foods online. But this one is a perfect link I shouldn't miss! So, I am bookmarking it. I do shop online often, so I thought, why shouldn't I be shopping for grocery this time? I would be calling it a grocery shopping  the healthy way! Thanks a lot for the link. ;)

The "Little Helper"

My niece, Martina

It's just so heartwarming to see little kids grow as they show interest in helping do household chores. Whenever I see little kids as young as her doing chores in their own little way, I can see myself in them. As early as 6-7 years old, I was taught by my mom to do basic things in the kitchen such as washing the dishes. And those were the days where most of the chores we do at home are all done manually. No dishwashers, no washing machines, no rice cookers, no electric stoves, etc...

Good job for my niece Martina for helping her mom. According to her mom, she pretty much is slowly learning how to iron clothes. ;) Those are just but ideal things for her to practice and chores would be added as she grows older...:).

Oh, and look at those sandals! Good balancing will just do the trick!

Discounted Home & Kitchen Appliances

Late last year until this year, I have been noticing that my home appliances have been breaking! Ugh! Five months ago, I have to replace my washer because it broke in the middle of my laundry. Then, couple months ago, my cooking range's burners are starting to break too! Not to mention that my dishwasher never works since I moved in the house. 

 I told my husband, we don't need repairs because the damages are bad, to the point that repairs are costing more than the actual prices of buying new ones. So, this year is a big challenge. It was perfect that I saw goedekers.com for discount appliances. Maybe, it's worth considering this time. It would not be easy buying 3 appliances at one time. It will take a while for saving some for them. But for sure I am bookmarking this site. 

Closing The Deal!

We finally were able to have our mortgage closing deal done! From the time we applied and on to the processing, it was more or less a little more than  week. This is our 3rd mortgage refinancing with Quicken Loans to lower our payment. The signing was done at home by the company's representative, so it was just convenient for us. 

We will start our new first payment with this company in May, and we also had lowered our payment with an amount difference of $550. Big savings for a year if you would sum it out!

There would be no increase until after 7 years. We thought we would be moving before that year anytime soon, since the hubby is close to retiring. It is either that we will be getting a smaller home or staying longer in the Philippines (if not for good.)

There will be a refund for us awaiting from the mail...whew! Thank you Lord!

Cigar Lover?

Honestly, I am not fond of cigars and neither any type of smoking. But me and my husband have friends that are cigar lovers. What's so interesting, is that one friend of ours does not smoke cigars, but got amazing collections! So, it would be great to recommend him a good link to expand his collections the next time we will meet ;). 

 Padron cigars might be one of those worthy of recommending...both for cigar smokers and cigar collectors, don't you think?

Sagging Gutters?

It was summer more than a year go when one of the rain gutters at the back portion of my house started to sag. It was half of it was down hanging and so I requested my husband to find one that can fix it.

But on the other hand, a minor repair such as this can be a D-I-Y thingy if you don't want to shell out money for that. And yes, it can be expensive hiring a professional to fix a simple hanging gutter {sigh!}...

Here are the things that you can do if one of your rain gutters start to hang down. (Just a quick note: Don't do it yourself if you are not sure what the main culprit is.)

If the gutters started sagging, it might be that one of the spikes securing it to the fascial board may be loose. Be sure to check it first. Once you find the main cause of it, take a 2x4 block inside the gutter to act as a brace and wedge it in, then remove the spike.

Start drilling a pilot hole through the back position of the gutter and into the fascia board which is about at least an inch from the original spot.

Reinsert the spike and direct it on the new hole and hammer it in place.

Cover the old hole with a gutter sealant to prevent water damage to your soffit.

There you go...it will be good to go the next time it rains! Your mind will be at peace without even have to sacrifice heavy expenses out from your tight budget.

Talking about savings!

Wake Your Garden Back Up To Life

Well, spring has finally come! Garden fanatics will soon be crowding outdoors for their gardens. Then, the colors would soon start blooming.

For me, it's a big yey! for the season. I do love flowers and gardens. I am highly appreciative of them. But the fact that I can't seem to have that "green thumb" effect of planting made me avoid myself being a gardener. So, I am just on that part where I become the "encouragement" for those who love to do gardening and those gifted with a "green thumb" so to speak ;).

I hope you can gain a bit of help (if not all) from these tips I will be sharing.

So, after the threat of frost has finally ended, you should begin pruning your garden, trees or shrubs around your home and start fertilizing the roots.

Start sowing your seedlings if you feel that the soil is already soft enough to crumble in your hand. The most ideal ones to grow would be pansies. They do well in sunny areas. Try primproses as well which are very ideal in shade. They can add early colors to your garden as well.

Have fun in the garden...happy spring!

Can't Wait For Summer

It has been only 5 days since Spring has started, but I think it's still gonna be a long wait before summer begins. Ahhh, how I wish I can just push the days fast forward! I have always wanted to try outdoor camping in the summer. I haven't done this yet, so I want to experience how is it to be in a campsite. It would also be good doing it with friends or family members...another way of spending a bonding time together. 

One time I was telling this to my husband, and he said we have to buy our camping materials for that. For sure, I would be packing like a freak, lol! I thought of having foam pads for camping as well. That would be one of the priorities. Of course, comfort is still an important aspect, so much so that we will be sleeping away from a real bed in the outdoor! ;) And I bet, there will be a lot of food as well. And no, I would never forget to have them.

It's always nice sharing what I would always be looking forward to. Summer come home soon...fast! ;)

My Bedroom Spring Theme!

This was the most perfect design I found for my bed sheet, a floral design for the spring! :) I got attracted mainly for the big floral design on the comforter and is really ideal for those who love flowers and colorful combinations. The fitted sheet ,blanket and the pair of pillow case that go with it are both designed with colorful small floral designs with bright color pink. 

Bought it for $30 bucks...complete set! Isn't that amazing? It's already quite cheap yet very pretty! I guess I hitted the jackpot when they were having a sale at Wal-Mart ;).

Promoting Your Business At Its Best!

Wherever you go, one of the most common things you see around you are brochures or business cards. I travel a lot and being in so many places, like hotels, restaurants, parks, tours, etc...I see brochures and flyers. So, it made me think, these are really of great help in promoting ay kind of business and/or valuable information to the public. 

If you are a business owner, just imagine yourself spending a lot of money for these, that ca possibly lead you to financial constraints some times. But you don't need to experience that when you will be smart enough to find a good company to help you produce your cheap flyers online without shelling out a lot of money, right? But it doesn't mean, being cheap is bad quality! In fact, today, you can have affordable services and yet getting a high quality product at its best! 

Raise your hand if you agree with me..lol!

Do Your Little Kids Practice Basic Etiquettes?

Today, while I was in a public restroom, there was a lady infront me and another one at my back. The line was getting long and all the rooms were occupied, so the line got a bit longer.

At the end of the line came a mother with her 2 little kids. After a few minutes, 2 doors swung open and became vacant. It was suppose to be for the lady in front of me, and then me.

The first door that became vacant was at the end, so the lady was aiming for that, while the door at the middle was where I went. It was in a matter of seconds that the younger kid went running to get the door at the end, and she went in as fast as a bullet! (Take note that they are at the end of the line!)

The lady in front of me said...."really???" Am I inline?" I was caught by surprise that the mother of the kid did NOT even reprimand her kid at the second she started running towards that door! I was already inside the room and I can hear the mother saying her very delayed "sorry". I heard her talked to the lady and was sounding apologetic, fine, she asked apology. But the fact that she could have still told her kid to stop running and let other people in front of the line go first should be a matter of concern. I wasn't sure if she told her kid the proper thing to do when waiting in line after she used the bathroom.

What the kids show reflect on how the parents' manners are! It was just ridiculous seeing like that in America, knowing that most kids are trained to practice basic and simple etiquettes like that...at least in my neighborhood that I have been for 7 years, I haven't seen any kid behave like that in public places.

Parents, watch out for your kids! The more your kids are trained to practice proper ethics during their younger years, the more they stick on to them and practice them until they get old.

If you happen to see more kids behaving improperly, nothing could come up into your mind and wonder..."where have all those proper etiquettes gone??? Isn't that alarming?