Dressing Up Our Mirror on the Wall for the Holiday

To appreciate each and everyone who sent us  beautiful  holiday cards, I displayed them at our  mirror in the hallway.  I used a  short string of  Christmas light and formed it into a tree  in our wall mirror.  I then clipped the  greeting cards that we received from friends and family this year.

I decided to  remove the  feather boa from the scarf that my niece -in-law, Erica, has given me  years ago and used it  to further dress up my display.  I couldn't use the scarf because the boa is itchy so I decided to remove it.

 It looks more dramatic though without the flash and with lights off.  The Christmas lights   give the display the brightness that it needs.

Dressing Up Our Mirror on the Wall for the Holiday is so much fun!

Thank you all for remembering us and for your   your thoughtfulness this  holiday season.

From my family to yours, have a Merry Christmas!  I wish you a happy and prosperous 2015!
Shadow Shots

Early Christmas Presents

Bag and scarf are my early present from daughter and hubby.   I used them when we attended  our daughter's first  performance in Doquesne University.   Since Ms. Burrito was wearing red shoes, I thought of using my red bag to match  embroider in my  top and  also to match my  head piece.  Hubby said that the head piece was to much but I did not care as it kept my ears warm lol.

 I am not into bright   bags but I love how this looks.

Thanks to my lovelies for these early presents.  Hubby also got me  a pair of red shoes but I haven't  tried it yet.  Maybe this Christmas, I would wear it. 

Spa-Lidays from BeautyBox5 - December Edition

Disclosure: The author of this blog was NOT financially compensated to write this review. Opinions expressed is not in anyway influenced by other factors. The product/s mentioned above was provided for FREE for evaluation purposes.

December is the busiest month of the year.  It's very easy  for us to get   stressed out with the  all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  I am so glad that my children are on Christmas break from school already.  Although I still have to get up early  to  make my husband   his breakfast, I am happy that the kids don't have to get up early and  walk out in the cold weather.  They can sleep in as long as they want now that they are on break.  Anyway, the  delivery of this month's box from BeautyBox5 was a little  behind but  I love it's content so I must say that it's worth the wait.  

The five fabulous products that  would give  us spa-lidays  includes Jaqua bath and body collection, Absolute! New York nail polish remover pads, Juice Beauty stem cellural moisturizer, Nanacoco nail polish in gold glitters, and the lucky number 6 perfume.  

 I received the box today and it's a perfect timing because I ran out of moisturizer already and haven't  buy one yet.  I have been staying late night lately which I really don't like but  I just don't have much time during the day to do my blogging stuff.  As a result, an eye bags are showing so this would help  resolve that problem,

 The nail polish remover  would be a great addition to my daughter and I's nail kit collection.  She accidentally  spilled our nail polish remover so  this could have arrived on a perfect timing.  Whenever I  put on some nail polish, it doesn't really last long  so this would make it easier to clean it  up.  

 With the  freezing temperature that we been having lately, this Jaqua Pink Champagne hand creme with meadowfoam seed oil  would be great to avoid  dry hands.  I don't like Winter because my skin    tend to get very dry which sometimes cause my fingers to split open and it hurts.  

As most of you may know, I am not a make-up kind of girl but I love perfumes.  So whenever the box contains a sample of  perfume, I am in heaven.  I love the scent of this Lucky Number 6 fragrance for women.  The infused scents of harmonious lotus,  tiger lily, cashmere woods, and jasmine  is so divine.  It's mild and it smells so good!

 

The last but t not the least is this  Nanacoco Nail Polish in  Gold glitters.  Such a festive  one to use for the holidays.  I had a hard time opening this bottle.  I think, it took me  about 20 minutes trying to open it before it finally opened whew.  

I think that this would look great on top of a red  nail polish.  I will try that later on.  Glad I have the  nail polish remover pads.

Thank you so much once again Beauty Box 5 for another fabulous assortment of  pampering products!

Holiday Excitement

Today was the last day of school for my kinds this year.  We are officially on Christmas break, well except  that my daughter still has one  lesson in Duquesne University for her music classes.  After her class tomorrow, everything will resume in January 5 of 2015,  Thanks God for the wonderful 2014.  We have encountered highs and lows along the way but everything   turned out  well.

This morning, when my son got up, he told us that he  felt nauseous.  We thought he was playing because there was nothing wrong wqith him, he wasn't fevered, not even  a sniffle.  Anyway, when they were leaving, he  threw up everything that he ate.  We told him that he  should stay home because we did not want to send him feeling sick to school.  He told us that he was okay so we let him go.

 I think that he was just very excited about their Christmas  party that  the nerve got into him and made him sick.  My husband talked to the teacher about our son's situation so she is aware of his condition.  When we went there for the party, he was fine.  

 I am so glad that my husband was off today, we got to  attend the  children's Christmas party.  It made them so happy that we were there especially our son.  

I am thankful that  they seldom got sick this year.  They have had some sniffles but it did not last very long.  Last year, they were sick  many times that we told them that we would try to eat as healthy as we could this year and exercise as well and it worked!

I am sharing infographic below about the cold and flu remedies that I found from PhysicianOne Urgent Care,  In this  infographic, you will find helpful tips on how to  prevent and  remedy cold.  Most of the tips here  is what I do with my kids  which contributed to their  healthy being this year.  

Presented By PhysicianOne Urgent Care

A Look at 2014's Most Popular Diets

Every year brings new diets that everyone goes crazy for. But it can be hard to separate one from the others. What's the difference between them all, and which one is better than the rest? 2014 was no different for diet fads, and there were several that celebrities, magazines, and diet enthusiasts loved a whole lot more than others. If you can't tell your Paleo diet from your low carbs, have a look at the diets below to find out what they're all about. I've even included a bit of expert advice from dieticians about whether they work.

Juice Cleanse

Everyone has started getting into juicing as a way to eat more healthily in the last couple of years. With a juice cleanse, you go beyond the occasional smoothie and drink nothing but fruit and vegetable juice for 3-7 days. The idea is that you take a break from digesting all of the food that you usually eat to detox your body. People who advocate juicing say they have more energy, lose weight and feel healthier. But you should be careful, doing this for long periods. A lack of protein and carbs can you leave you hungry, tired and irritable. Even juice enthusiasts say you shouldn't do it for more than a few days at a time.

Paleo Diet

The Paleo diet is based on what some people think a "caveman" diet would have looked like. They believe that our bodies haven't adjusted to our modern diets and that we should be eating what we ate thousands of year ago. The diet cuts out grains, dairy, and processed food, and promotes fish, meat, eggs, nuts and fresh fruit and vegetables. The basic premise of the diet isn't so bad, but experts from US News think that it's not an adequate diet on almost any level. They say that a real Paleolithic diet would be hard to stick to in the modern world.

Low Carbs

There have been lots of low carb diets for several decades now, including the Atkins diet and the recent Dukan diet. They usually involve swapping carbs for protein and getting your carbs from healthier sources like vegetables. The diet works on the principle that once your carb intake goes past a certain point, your body will start consuming fat for energy. So should you say yes or no to the low carb diet? Well, it's likely not the most efficient diet you can be on. The increased fat intake isn't great for losing weight and can be harmful to your heart too.

Intermittent Fasting

Another popular dieting practice this year was intermittent fasting. These diets include skipping meals or lowering calorie intake on certain days. With the 5:2 diet, for example, dieters drop their calorie intake to 500-600 calories a day for two days a week. Fasting could help to get your metabolism going, but this is a difficult diet to stick to. Feeling hungry all the time can make you tired and moody. A better idea is to reduce your portion sizes and create healthy meal plans, instead of skipping meals.

Cowgirl Look

When a friend invited us over to their farm, we didn't hesitated to come.  Me and the kids put on some cowboy/cowgirl outfit.  My shoes was a gift from a dear friend of mine from Texas.  The hat was  from Wallaroo company that I worked with through a review of their hats, and my coat was  the  deal I  bought  last year for under five bucks.  It was chilly when we went there so the  thin coat really gave me the warmth I need and of course my human blanket, my hubs who is always warm.  As you can see, he is just wearing a shirt and he was very comfortable with it.  

Some have Troubles Getting Pregnant

It took hubby and I  almost two years before  conceiving our first baby.  I thought that I would never get pregnant because I was already in my 30s when I got married.  

It is a wonderful ride when you decide to start your own family. However, not every woman is as lucky as other women that get pregnant right away. Even some healthy women are having a difficult time getting pregnant. Have you ever asked yourself this question-  Why can't I get pregnant if I have regular periods and live a healthy lifestyle? When you can't get pregnant, and things look good from the outside, it can be extremely frustrating.

You and your partner may seem to be in perfect health but that doesn't mean you're guaranteed perfect results when trying to get pregnant. The reasons for infertility aren't always visible and observable to people. According to www.pregnancytips.org, one of the underlying factors of infertility for healthy women is ovulation problems. Many women do not realize that they have ovulation issues. Ovulation can take place without a menstrual period, and a menstrual period can happen without ovulation occurring. Many women can appear to be very healthy, and have great health in other aspects, but ovulation problems might still be happening.

Levi's Jeans and a Poof Girl Top

 I seldom buy Levi's jeans because it is expensive but my goal is to  to buy one one sale every year.  Last year, I was able to snag a pair for only $12.99 at Macy's and this year, I found one again at the kid's section lol.  I was looking for new jeans for our daughter when I spotted the white  Levi's jeans in size 16.  I thought, why not try it and it might just fit me, and voila, it did!

 I also found an extra large size top (still in kids section) that fits well on me.  Both of these were on sale which made me so happy.  I seldom shop clothes for me but when I find some great deal, I can't pass them.

Holiday Gift Ideas for the Guys on Your List

Between friends, family, and coworkers, chances are good that there are a lot of guys on your holiday shopping list this year. Thinking up good holiday gift ideas for him can be difficult, especially if you need to shop for men with many different tastes and interests. Use this holiday gift guide to find the perfect present for all the men on your list this year. There are gifts that fit any budget and are great for any personality.

Apparel

High quality clothing and accessories always make great gifts. Even if the recipient isn’t particularly concerned with sporting all the latest styles, a simple leather belt or wallet is a useful addition to any wardrobe. For the guy more attuned to the latest trends, consider an online consultation with a professional stylist. For a flat fee, a stylist will choose some items to ship to your recipient. He only has to pay for the ones he decides to keep.

Kitchen Gadgets

There are lots of items to make cooking and grilling easier, or at least more stylish. Among the unique food and drink items available for guys are meat brands for leaving an indelible stamp on meat on the grill. If your guy’s more a fan of fine drinks, consider an automatic beer foamer for getting that perfect head on every glass.

Tech Items

Tech gadgets make great gifts because they’re fun in addition to being useful. The best part is that there are gadgets available in every price range. For example, if you can’t afford a new iPod for the music-loving recipient on your list, get a pair of noise-canceling headphones instead. 

Sporting Goods

Check the official store of your recipient’s favorite team to find a great selection of clothing, memorabilia, and other gifts. Even if your guy already has a good selection of shirts and hats from his favorite team, check the team store for unique, one-of-a-kind gift that is sure to be a conversation starter as well as a way of showing team spirit.

Collectibles

Toys and other collectibles aren’t just for kids anymore. If you know your recipient’s favorite tv show or movie, look around for merchandise or memorabilia related to it. There are sure to be some fun figures or other items for collectors or all ages, and you may even find a totally unique prop or other item that was used on the set for sale.

With so many unique gifts to choose from, you’re sure to be able to find something just right for every guy on your list.

Firework

Here's another event we attended before that  I neglected to post and I am not just getting around  posting it.  My family and the Howells family started   watching the firework display together.  We started the tradition since last year and we plan to keep doing it every year.  The night before we  went for our summer vacation in Ocean City, we watched the  Firework display in Weirton, together with our neighbor family/friends .  We headed there a little bit early to find a good spot to park since it is always  packed with  cars and people at the venue.

 While waiting for the Howells, I got the chance to take  pictures of my silly daughter.

 While we were waiting for the firework display to start, we   took some photos of us.

Here are some of the snaps for the firework.

 

The moon  have provided a much better lighting  after the firework was over.  It was another great bonding with the Howells family.  We  look forward to do this again next year.