Experience always taught us in a lot of ways, no matter how small or big, either bad or good. As I have said on my previous post, we have just moved into our new house. This experienced taught me a lot. Since we are a first time home owner, everything is very new for us and we are like trying to figure out things by ourselves. I wanted to share some practical tips to those people who will be moving into their new home just like us.
Practical tips before moving in...
1. Contact your utility provider to set up your account. If this is a new home there would probably has power and water already...so builder has to transfer those account to your name. Cable transfer takes a week, so make sure you inform them about the transfer.
2. Order your blinds for the windows. This would take 2 weeks to order if sizes of your blinds needs to be customize. You don't want to move into your new home without those blinds.
3. Order Curtains if you prefer rather than blinds. As a say if your windows need to be customize it takes a week or two to order.
4. Go to the nearest post office and secure your mailbox key. It would take them two days before they could give your keys. You have to bring your purchase documents as a proof for new residence. Make sure to change your address online as well, so all incoming mails will be forwarded to your new home.
5. Shop for furniture and appliances needed a week or two before moving in.
6. Schedule house blessing with the church if you are a catholic.
Saturday, May 30
Tuesday, May 26
One of our greatest dream ever !
This is the main reason why I have not been blogging for two weeks now. We just moved into our new house !!! Yes, finally we did the ultimate decision of buying a house that we could call our home. Not easy though, but if you have the determination and the will to achieved things, you can do it.
Now, from packing things from our small apartment up to unpacking, shopping and ordering furniture, arranging necessary stuff needed in moving in is very overwhelming. Of course, you have to add to the fact that I could not do so much with my belly bulging and walking like a Penguin. My poor husband has to do most of the work, but I guess he is enthused about the whole processed.
I would admit that only half of the house is in order, but bit by bit we are working on it. Gabz loves the new house though. She even sleeps in her own bedroom ! Atta girl !!!
And we have Internet now, so i could squeeze some time blogging now and then.
Maybe, on my next post I could share some tips to make life easier when moving in into a new apartment or house. Got to sort those ideas in my brains still. Hehehe
Now, from packing things from our small apartment up to unpacking, shopping and ordering furniture, arranging necessary stuff needed in moving in is very overwhelming. Of course, you have to add to the fact that I could not do so much with my belly bulging and walking like a Penguin. My poor husband has to do most of the work, but I guess he is enthused about the whole processed.I would admit that only half of the house is in order, but bit by bit we are working on it. Gabz loves the new house though. She even sleeps in her own bedroom ! Atta girl !!!
And we have Internet now, so i could squeeze some time blogging now and then.
Maybe, on my next post I could share some tips to make life easier when moving in into a new apartment or house. Got to sort those ideas in my brains still. Hehehe
Saturday, May 23
It's nice to be back !!
Wow ! I have been out for quite sometime ? I miss visiting other blogs though. I was absent for almost two weeks, can you imagine that ? Oh well, at least Im back....
I will let you know the little story soon....
Have a good weekend everyone !!!
I will let you know the little story soon....
Have a good weekend everyone !!!
Monday, May 11
Tulips Festival
Tulips Festival at Skagit Valley Washington State is very famous with its acres and acres of tulips. This festival runs from April 1 to 30 every year, but this year they extended up to 10 of May due to tulip late bloom and for Mothers Day celebration.
We made a short trip last weekend (an hour from our place) to visit the place. Full of tulips indeed !!! Gosh, I never seen such vast land full of tulips.
It was so beautiful that you wanted to pick all of them. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to pick a single stem nor bring out the fallen petals outside the fields.
We visited one part of the festival, since it was already quite late in its season and almost all of it has been harvested. We paid five dollars at the entrance, otherwise during its full season you could just drive and stop along the road to smell and appreciate these flowers.
Just like what Gabz has been doing to almost all the tulips she could grab. She enjoyed a lot, she loves flowers just like me. In every color of tulips grown, she asked her Dad to took her picture.
This is my favorite shot, look at her eyes, the amazament, awe, bewilderment are all written in her face. She keeps on telling me..."They are so beautiful, Mommy." It was really so lovely.
In the midst of red tulips in full bloom. They are like magnet that pulls you towards them, they entice you, soothed your moods and makes you relaxed. I dont know about you, but flowers always makes me smile and lighten me up !
We made a short trip last weekend (an hour from our place) to visit the place. Full of tulips indeed !!! Gosh, I never seen such vast land full of tulips.
It was so beautiful that you wanted to pick all of them. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to pick a single stem nor bring out the fallen petals outside the fields.
We visited one part of the festival, since it was already quite late in its season and almost all of it has been harvested. We paid five dollars at the entrance, otherwise during its full season you could just drive and stop along the road to smell and appreciate these flowers.
Just like what Gabz has been doing to almost all the tulips she could grab. She enjoyed a lot, she loves flowers just like me. In every color of tulips grown, she asked her Dad to took her picture.
This is my favorite shot, look at her eyes, the amazament, awe, bewilderment are all written in her face. She keeps on telling me..."They are so beautiful, Mommy." It was really so lovely.
In the midst of red tulips in full bloom. They are like magnet that pulls you towards them, they entice you, soothed your moods and makes you relaxed. I dont know about you, but flowers always makes me smile and lighten me up !
Sunday, May 10
Wednesday, May 6
Being a parent is tough
Being a parent is tough, you always have to check yourself if what kind of example do you show to you kids. You need to have a lot of patience and understanding to cope up with daily changes they are going through. One day they are just baby's that you cradle in your arms and the next they are teenagers who deal with peer pressures and crushes.
For now, I only have to deal with a toddler and soon to be preschooler. As a first time preschooler you have tons of ideas and expectations on her first day at school. First, you have to make sure that they get enough sleep or rest so they could focus in school. Second, they have to eat plenty and healthy so they would have enough energy throughout the day. That is another challenge for us moms. How would you make her eat healthy food ? For me with Gabz who is very picky, feeding her is always a challenge. I always carry with me lots of patience by talking to her that she need to eat plenty of fruits so she would not get sick and that she would grow fast. Vegetables, I tried to mashed them and mixed it to her rice or smoothies. We don't buy chips and other unhealthy food in the house, if she eats chips and other junk food, it is a treat if she did something good.
Another thing parents tend to worry is that, what if she won't like school ? What if there are some bully in the class and your daughter could not cope with him ? There would be a lot of what ifs in your mind that you have to deal with. If that happens, I will talk to her teacher and make sure that nobody will ever bully my daughter inside the school. If it is necessary for me to talk to the parents of the other kid I will do it to protect my child. This is the foundation of their school life and I want my daughter to enjoy and love the school environment. But ,what if the bully is my daughter ? If that is the case, I would be very sad and disappointed. As a parent I want to know what exactly happened and what triggers the behaviour. I will talk to my daughter and explain the consequences of her action, if necessary discipline and punishment will be imposed. I will try to give more praises and rewards in the future if she did something good, that might lessen the bullying too.
As parent sometime we need help from our families or talk to other mothers to exchange ideas and experiences about our children. Otherwise parents could visit websites for parents to get some tips about parenting, recipes, or join forums and meet other mothers.
For now, I only have to deal with a toddler and soon to be preschooler. As a first time preschooler you have tons of ideas and expectations on her first day at school. First, you have to make sure that they get enough sleep or rest so they could focus in school. Second, they have to eat plenty and healthy so they would have enough energy throughout the day. That is another challenge for us moms. How would you make her eat healthy food ? For me with Gabz who is very picky, feeding her is always a challenge. I always carry with me lots of patience by talking to her that she need to eat plenty of fruits so she would not get sick and that she would grow fast. Vegetables, I tried to mashed them and mixed it to her rice or smoothies. We don't buy chips and other unhealthy food in the house, if she eats chips and other junk food, it is a treat if she did something good.
Another thing parents tend to worry is that, what if she won't like school ? What if there are some bully in the class and your daughter could not cope with him ? There would be a lot of what ifs in your mind that you have to deal with. If that happens, I will talk to her teacher and make sure that nobody will ever bully my daughter inside the school. If it is necessary for me to talk to the parents of the other kid I will do it to protect my child. This is the foundation of their school life and I want my daughter to enjoy and love the school environment. But ,what if the bully is my daughter ? If that is the case, I would be very sad and disappointed. As a parent I want to know what exactly happened and what triggers the behaviour. I will talk to my daughter and explain the consequences of her action, if necessary discipline and punishment will be imposed. I will try to give more praises and rewards in the future if she did something good, that might lessen the bullying too.
As parent sometime we need help from our families or talk to other mothers to exchange ideas and experiences about our children. Otherwise parents could visit websites for parents to get some tips about parenting, recipes, or join forums and meet other mothers.
Tuesday, May 5
Finding Ways to save money....
In this challenging economic state of affairs, we have to be mindful of every dollar we spent. We have to be conscious of what we spent and on how we could save. Finding ways to save money no matter how small it is will accrue in time. I am a person who is not so good in budgeting and finding means to save. But little by little I realized that I must, as it give us benefits on the long run.
1. Coupons
We all know that we could save tons of money in coupons. Spare a couple of minutes going through the junk mails you received in your mail. There are tons of coupon in those junk.
Or, check the Internet for any coupons every time you heed out to purchased something big, USD 10 or 10% will make a big difference in your budget.
2. Enroll in rewards programs
Almost all grocery stores offers discount or reward programs. Don't forget to check out those. You could save 10 to 20 dollars in your weekly groceries. Of course not only grocery stores other shops offers them too. Even credit card companies has this program.
3. Buy second hand items/furniture
Last weekend, we went to this huge kids garage sale by JBF (Just Between friends). They sell all kinds of baby and kids stuff. We were able to bought a baby swing for our second baby for 25 dollars. The swing is still in very good condition. Since this is the item where you could only use in a very short time, for me it's not worth investing money on it.
Things that you think is seasonal in nature or could only be used in a very short time, try to consider buying a second hand. In that way you could save a lot of money. Summer is coming up and there will be plenty of garage sale around.
4. Garage Sale
Have closets and storage rooms full of unused items ? Why not do a garage sale or participate one in your community ? You have invested money on those items and does not give you any returns at all. Instead of a mouse and rats feasting on them, why not make some money out of it ?
5. Make a grocery list every time you shop
Try to go over your cupboard before you go to the grocery store. From there you would know what is missing and what you need to purchased. Better yet, make a menu for the whole week and list down ingredients needed. In that way, you don't spend time going around the store and end up buying things you don't need.
6. Learn how to say NO to your kids
This is one of the things I learned as a mother while Gabz is growing up. When you are at the grocery or at the mall, kids tend to tell you they want this and that. As a mother or parent our first impulse is to give in no matter if they already have this one at home or not. But in time, learning to say NO to your kids, teaches them discipline and that they could not have all the things they want. And of course you save money in impulse buying.
7. Be practical in every purchased; ask yourself, "Do I need this ?"
We have to learn how to make a distinction of the things that we want and the things that we need. Before you buy something at the mall ask yourself, are you buying this item because you want it or it is because you need it. Learn to let go from time to time that things that you want, but not all the time as you need to buy things for yourself to make you happy and feel good.
8. Buy out of season clothes
Honestly, I bought Gabz clothes during sale season. Usually, those items on sale are out of season, but who cares as you could use them next year, right ? Just make sure to buy the bigger size than usual to anticipate the growth of your child. Out of season clothes are on 50% off, you save half the price already.
9. Shop Online
If you are an Internet person, why not consider buying stuff online ? Some items online are tax free and way cheaper than the store.
10. Use of the Library or Buy used books
I love to read books. Me and Gabz go to the library almost every week to borrow books, DVD, CD or Magazines. If you love to read books, register at your local library. You could borrow all types of books for 30 days and still renew it if you are not done reading. You can go to Half Price Books as well or Goodwill, they have tons of books sold in a very very low price.
So far these are the things I could think as of now. If you have more in mind, feel free to share and link on this post.
1. Coupons
We all know that we could save tons of money in coupons. Spare a couple of minutes going through the junk mails you received in your mail. There are tons of coupon in those junk.
Or, check the Internet for any coupons every time you heed out to purchased something big, USD 10 or 10% will make a big difference in your budget.
2. Enroll in rewards programs
Almost all grocery stores offers discount or reward programs. Don't forget to check out those. You could save 10 to 20 dollars in your weekly groceries. Of course not only grocery stores other shops offers them too. Even credit card companies has this program.
3. Buy second hand items/furniture
Last weekend, we went to this huge kids garage sale by JBF (Just Between friends). They sell all kinds of baby and kids stuff. We were able to bought a baby swing for our second baby for 25 dollars. The swing is still in very good condition. Since this is the item where you could only use in a very short time, for me it's not worth investing money on it.
Things that you think is seasonal in nature or could only be used in a very short time, try to consider buying a second hand. In that way you could save a lot of money. Summer is coming up and there will be plenty of garage sale around.
4. Garage Sale
Have closets and storage rooms full of unused items ? Why not do a garage sale or participate one in your community ? You have invested money on those items and does not give you any returns at all. Instead of a mouse and rats feasting on them, why not make some money out of it ?
5. Make a grocery list every time you shop
Try to go over your cupboard before you go to the grocery store. From there you would know what is missing and what you need to purchased. Better yet, make a menu for the whole week and list down ingredients needed. In that way, you don't spend time going around the store and end up buying things you don't need.
6. Learn how to say NO to your kids
This is one of the things I learned as a mother while Gabz is growing up. When you are at the grocery or at the mall, kids tend to tell you they want this and that. As a mother or parent our first impulse is to give in no matter if they already have this one at home or not. But in time, learning to say NO to your kids, teaches them discipline and that they could not have all the things they want. And of course you save money in impulse buying.
7. Be practical in every purchased; ask yourself, "Do I need this ?"
We have to learn how to make a distinction of the things that we want and the things that we need. Before you buy something at the mall ask yourself, are you buying this item because you want it or it is because you need it. Learn to let go from time to time that things that you want, but not all the time as you need to buy things for yourself to make you happy and feel good.
8. Buy out of season clothes
Honestly, I bought Gabz clothes during sale season. Usually, those items on sale are out of season, but who cares as you could use them next year, right ? Just make sure to buy the bigger size than usual to anticipate the growth of your child. Out of season clothes are on 50% off, you save half the price already.
9. Shop Online
If you are an Internet person, why not consider buying stuff online ? Some items online are tax free and way cheaper than the store.
10. Use of the Library or Buy used books
I love to read books. Me and Gabz go to the library almost every week to borrow books, DVD, CD or Magazines. If you love to read books, register at your local library. You could borrow all types of books for 30 days and still renew it if you are not done reading. You can go to Half Price Books as well or Goodwill, they have tons of books sold in a very very low price.
So far these are the things I could think as of now. If you have more in mind, feel free to share and link on this post.
Monday, May 4
Once Upon a Time ....
Almost every woman had gone through teenage life, high school, crushes, first love, first date and prom. Unlike most teenage girls who are looking forward to the prom night, I dreaded just the thought of it. I was not the typical girl who loves to wear a dress, talks about make up and other girls stuff. I was the boyish type during my teenage years. Prom is quite inevitable to every teenager, every girl has to attend or rather during my time, we are required to attend this event.
I was thinking back then that one night inside a dress would not hurt me ? So, the next challenge was finding a dress that would suit me. Since we are financially challenged back then an older cousin of mine brought me to her house. She has a closet full of formal dresses, shoes and lots of stuff. The moment I saw a blue strapless tube dress that is just so beautiful, I did not made any second thoughts. I tried it on, and for the first time in my life I wanted to wear a dress ! Maybe because the dress fitted me perfectly, and I felt good about myself. It made me feel confident wearing it !
This Fuchsia strapless tube ruched drape long dress below almost looks exactly the same as the one I wore before aside from the ruched drape. Love this dress, as it brings back good memories to me. For me this dress will look perfect to anybody, simple yet elegant no matter how young or old you are. The cloth emphasizes the figure of your body, and if you are on the plus size, it would make you look slimmer !
Prom is one of the best event in every girls life, choosing the right dress is very essential. You have to find the right dress that would make you look good and feel good about yourself. Of course, having fun and making the night memorable is important too !
I was thinking back then that one night inside a dress would not hurt me ? So, the next challenge was finding a dress that would suit me. Since we are financially challenged back then an older cousin of mine brought me to her house. She has a closet full of formal dresses, shoes and lots of stuff. The moment I saw a blue strapless tube dress that is just so beautiful, I did not made any second thoughts. I tried it on, and for the first time in my life I wanted to wear a dress ! Maybe because the dress fitted me perfectly, and I felt good about myself. It made me feel confident wearing it !
This Fuchsia strapless tube ruched drape long dress below almost looks exactly the same as the one I wore before aside from the ruched drape. Love this dress, as it brings back good memories to me. For me this dress will look perfect to anybody, simple yet elegant no matter how young or old you are. The cloth emphasizes the figure of your body, and if you are on the plus size, it would make you look slimmer !
Prom is one of the best event in every girls life, choosing the right dress is very essential. You have to find the right dress that would make you look good and feel good about yourself. Of course, having fun and making the night memorable is important too !
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