Changes of Schedules in Music and Sports for our Minions

During summer break, my children's  piano teacher conducts her lesson at her home.  It's a walking distance from our house and we like this arrangement because it adds up to our  outdoor activity. She lives by the woods so we enjoy seeing wild  animals.  

 Back in June,  cicadas were thick so  my daughter wanted us to stay  at the teacher's porch because she is  scared of  cicadas.

 My son on the other hand ain't afraid of those critters.  He picks them up and  lay them in his hands.

 So we had more fun  walking around the grassy area and explore what is out there.  We usually see deer, different kinds of birds and  a lot of turkey.

 Kids nowadays don't normally go in the woods anymore.  With the  gadgets around, they tend to bury their faces in their gadgets all the time.  We discourage that for our kids.  We see to it that they go outside and enjoy what is out there to see and learn.

 Our young man love any critter out there.  I remember when he was a toddler, he picked up even a wasp lol.  He cried but that did not scare him from exploring with bugs though.  

 These mushrooms on the tree  is always his favorite thing to see.

 He always asks a bunch of questions so I always have my phoone for a backup when I can't answer his questions lol.  

 I am bummed out that he  stopped taking piano lessons but I don't want to force  him to do anything that he doesn't want or not passionate about of doing.  

 On the bright side, it works great that he stopped  taking lessons because it conflict with the time schedule of his  football practice.  They can't even do the tennis this Fall because  it is also conflict with the schedule of other things that they are doing.    

 He loves football and he wishes he can still do the tennis this Fall.  I told him that maybe, we can do it again next season.  We are however, see to it that we go play tennis  every weekend so that they won't forget what they learn during the first season that they  signed up for it.  Hubby and I learned how to play tennis through them so  that is something tht we can all do every weekend while the weather is nice.

Start A Healthy & Fun Walking Regime

Are you ready to get off the couch and launch a healthy new lifestyle? Are you intimidated by all the bikini clad models on magazine covers? Crash diets, toxic pills and insanity workouts will produce short term effects, but not a sustainable, healthy lifestyle.

#Kicking our 13th year with a morning #walk👣 . Here's to more #anniversaries. Thank you for these wonderful years. I love you!!!

A photo posted by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Aug 11, 2016 at 4:28am PDT

As you commit to getting off the couch, beware that your body will go through serious changes. You’ll experience more energy during the day. You’ll sleep better at night. You’ll increase your positive outlook on life. All these changes will be accompanied by increased cardiovascular capacity, higher levels of endurance, stronger muscles and slow, steady weight loss. Know that as you increase muscle mass, you’ll be decreasing fat reserves. Muscle weighs more than fat. Focus on how your clothes fit and the new energy levels you’ve attained – not a number on the scale.

I miss doing fitness activities outdoor. Winter is my least favorite season.

A photo posted by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Feb 25, 2016 at 4:22am PST

Grab your gift cards and invest in a pair of quality, comfortable walking shoes. Your feet will thank you. Commit to starting tomorrow. Don’t wait until Monday or the first on the month. It’s never too early to get moving. If the weather isn’t cooperating and you’re not a fan of gyms, head to your nearest big box store and start to walk the perimeter. The management will welcome you.  Plan to walk at least one hour a day. While this may seem like a stretch, it’s much easier if broken down into three twenty minute intervals. Walk in the morning, at lunch and either after work or after dinner. You’ll begin to feel changes in your body in just a few short days.

My #walking buddies. @ryestein_

A photo posted by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on May 27, 2016 at 7:06am PDT

At the beginning of your new walking regime, don’t worry about speed or distance, just concentrate on frequency and length. The speed will come and your distances will begin to increase accordingly. Have fun – you’re treating your body every time you don your tennis shoes and head out for a walk. To spice it up, change your route, include a friend or bring your favorite canine companion along. The more fun you make your walk, the more likely you will be to continue. Many walkers enjoy books on tape, podcasts or just an inspirational playlist to add to the pleasure of being outside and walking. Enjoy your walk to a healthier new you!

Hubby and I went for a #walk. It's a #beautiful day today!!!

A photo posted by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Feb 20, 2016 at 6:16am PST

Alcoholic Mixer Options and Serving Suggestions

Alcoholic mixers are very popular in many cities; this is why dozens of bartenders are now giving their customers healthy options. According to experts, vodka soda and whiskey and gin are worth trying because both beverages have a lot of nutrients and vitamins.

Vodka Soda

Vodka and soda is the best choice for people on a diet. The beverage doesn’t have many calories, so you can drink it once or twice a week after you finish your fitness routines.

Whiskey and Gin

A whiskey and gin mixer is a very healthy drink option because it can be made with bourbon, which has around 97 calories per ounce. If you like flavorful beverages, this mixer won’t let you down since you can modify the ingredients to make the drink more sugary. However, before you make any adjustments, always consider the calorie count.

Serving Suggestions

If you’re going to make healthy mixers in your home before a party, try to select delicious options that will please your guests. Fruity, frozen drinks and various wines are great options for small gatherings and luncheons.

The amount of drink that you should serve will depend on the time of the day and the party theme. If everyone will attend the party at night, you can prepare and serve plenty of beverages. A great host, however, always creates a starting point so that each guest can enjoy all aspects of a party. During the first hour, all guests should get two drinks. Later, each individual should get one drink every hour until the end of the party. This formula works well during parties that have 12 guests or less.

Important Advice

When your party is over, you’ll probably have a few bottles of alcohol that are half full. If you store everything correctly, you won’t have to toss various alcoholic beverages in the trash.

After a bottle of alcohol is opened, the liquid slowly evaporates. When this process happens continuously, the favor of the beverage will be affected. This is why you may want to buy products that can seal all of your bottles efficiently.

Healthy party beverages are worth buying, but you must practice wise drinking habits since most mixers have a lot of sugar. Over time, many bartenders will develop new healthy alcohol mixers because their customers have discussions often on social media.

Do Not Disturb: Pampering in Progress

We just had our 13th year Wedding Anniversary a week ago and I couldn't be more happier  with this guy who still gives me butterflies to my stomach everytime.  I know that sounds  cheesy but it's true and I am not shy to tell the world that.  He makes me smile and laugh all the time and I love him  very much for that!

 So on the day of our anniversary, I was very happy that he took a day off, I thought that was very sweet.  I have been bugging him to goo to the doctor and have his skin lump checked and he has been putting it off.  I am glad he  scheduled one on our anniversary so that's what he did in the morning.  The doctor was worried about the lump  growing on his skin so he was advised to go to a specialist.  He had his blood work done but we have yet to get the result.  I hope and pray that it's nothing serious.

I was gonna cook at home but he suggested that we check out this Thai and Japanese restaurant  called Papaya out in Robinson Mall area. So after his doctor's appointment, we head out to the place and it was already 2:30 at that time.  When we arrived,  they just closed and won't be opened  again  till an hour after.  Such a disappointment!  We drove all the way there but  only to find them close, ugh.  We did not wait  because our son had a football game later that day so we just went to another restaurant to eat.

These two kept us entertained while we waited for our food.

I was already stressed out because we didn't have much time to eat and drive back home for our son's game.  I tend to mess my hair when I am stressed out  and it is evident on the photo. 

Watching the  football game with  our son's team relaxed us a bit.  I am glad that I have this Beauty Box 5 to have a little me-time time after a  long day.  The August box contained Retinol spa treatment mask which was my favorite.  It  also includes  hair ties which is perfect for my long hair, an olive natural  beauty elixir that is perfect for my skin, a hot oil therapy treatment, and facial exfoliating brush.  I don't exfoliate that often but glad to have this brush.

So that night, I put the sign Do Not Disturb: Pampering in Progress on my door and I had my 10-20 minutes me-time pampering my skin and hair.

 

BeautyBox5 is really a good subscription if you want to try  5 different products every month.  I love trying new product especially for my hair and skin.  I hope they include some  type of new perfume  next month or lotion that I haven't tried yet.  

Disclosure:   The owner of this blog was NOT financially compensated to write this review. I was provided with the product/s mentioned to help me facilitate this review but opinions are my own.

13 Years and Counting #LOVE #Marriage #WeddingAnniversary

"As lace signifies refined beauty and elegance, so a marriage of thirteen years exemplifies polished and perfected love.  The passage of time has created a delicate but strong object of beauty."

Our marriage is not  flawless nor perfect but I can say that it becomes stronger and stronger  as years passes by.  Some people have  predicted that we won't last long but here we are, we have known each other for 14 and married for 13 years.

We are so different in so many ways but we somehow work together so well. Here are 13 things that we are so different.

1. He is opinionated, I am not..

When it comes to certain topics like politics, he voice his opinion of what he believes in and I like it because I am not into politics but he gives me plenty of ideas.  Being a former military guy, he always based his  opinion on facts so you can't really argue  with him about it.  Politics is something that his family don't really talk about because they often clash.

2.  He is a talker, I am not

What I love him being a talker is that, he doesn't just talk of nonsense, everything that he talks about  make  sense.  I am a very good listener so I love when I can learn  things from somebody who love to talk like my husband.  

3.  He is a spender , I am a saver.  He love to shop more than I do.  What I love about it is that, he can shop but he always asks my permission  about things that  he wants to buy before purchasing it.    When I was single, I live off of what I can afford, I never had a single credit card but that chanfed when I came here.   I don't like having debts as it stresses me out.  I remember when I firt got here in the US, his credit card debts is almost 14 thousand and it made me worried.   So I straightened out our finances and within a year, we paid off his  14k credit card debt.  

4.  He is a planner, I am not.    When it comes to doing trips and vacations, I always  rely on him  to do that.  He is really good in finding deals and setting up things. I do the packing and prepare all the things that we need for the trip.

5.  I love  fish, he  doesn't.  But he loves sushi  and I don't!  Wheneer  I cook fish at home, he is not  into it although he etas what I cook lol.    When we dine out though, he always  eats sushi and I have nothing to do with it.

6.  I love to  organize, he does  not.  It doesn't bother him if the house is messy but it drives me crazy.  I want things in order so when things are at mess, my brain is scattered all over the place and I can't work like that.  

7.  He is a generous gifter, I am more practical.  When I give gifts, I always  think of practical ways of what the  person needs but he loves to spend on expensive stuff.  I grew up without any  fancy stuff so it doesn't really matter what I receive as a gift.  He made me realized that over here it's different.  

8.  He tend to have Mañana Habits, I love doing things "Right now".

Whenever I want to  do things, I want to do it right away because if you put it to the next day, chances are you'll forget it.  He drives him crazy  sometimes but it makes  the things needed to be done, DONE right away.  

9.  He loves to drivem I do NOT!  When we go on a roadtrip, I feel bad for him because he does all the driving.  I have no desire in driving.  I feel like the world is a better place if I don't drive so I would love that to stay that way.  I know it is necessary as we have kids but as long as I can avoid it, I would.  My driver's license is only used for identification purposes.  I love that he respect my decision about it.

10.  He is a big Kid at Heart, I am on the Serious side  .  He loves to play with kids and I love that about him.  I am more laid back and  love to do serious stuff with the kids.  

11.  I love to cook, he does not.

My love for cooking did not start until I met him.  When I was single, I never liked to cook.  I usually buy  ready-to-eat food  because I was just living by myself.  My husband love to eat so when I met him, I thought of  learning how to cook  because my Mom used to tell me that  my husband wouldn't like it if I can't cook.  Now, I love cooking for  my kids and my husband.  He is not fond of cooking.  Although once in a while, he offers to make breakfast for us.  

12.  He love to bake, I do NOT!  
Baking is not my forte, although I bake  sometimes but I don't love it.  I think that has something to do with what we had  growing up.  We didn't have oven at our home, the very first time I  experienced baking was when I was in high school because it was one of the majors to choose from when you reach 3rd year.  I  would have loved to choose dress making but I couldn't afford to buy materials so I chose food trades as  we  do contribution for every  meal we cook or bake.   My husband on the other hand love to bake, I am so glad my daughter  got my husband's interest in baking.

13.  He love SWEETS and SALT!   Me, not so much.
When it comes to sweet, he doesn't say NO.  That's his biggest downfall in maintaining  weight (or losing).  I  can eat sweets but not too much.  My level of salt is low but  his is pretty high.

Well, that sums  up our 13th year for now.  Our differences  is what makes our relationship stronger.  Here's to more years of  love and happiness!  May God gives us both a long and healthy lives to enjoy our future grandkids.