Tears

At this very moment, I want to cry for no apparent reason at all. I don't know if you can relate. I am so overwhelmed today and I can only do so much. It seems that I can't take a step forward. It seems that I am confine to a tight room where all directions end to a concrete wall. No door. It is impossible to break that wall with my bare hands. My emotion is so heavy right now. If only I can scream at the top of my lungs.

Self pity

Tired

Hopeless

Alone

Lost

If only I can cry a river tonight then, I will be refreshed tomorrow. Maybe I will watch a movie later tonight until I doze off to sleep. Movies like LOVE AFFAIR starring Warren Beatty and Annette Beaning. Have you seen that movie? Oh, you should watch it.

"It was my own fault, I was looking up.

I knew you were there."

"It doesn't have to be a miracle,

If you can paint, I can walk.

Anything can happen, don't you think?"

That video made me cry already.

 

Anyway, I talked to my mom awhile ago. We talk every night you know. She's my best friend and the one person who knows me. I just feel hopeless that after all these years, I can't process her papers to come visit me here. It is indeed lonely without my mom and my brother, and his family here with me. I want us all to be together here soon. I pray that God will hear my request soon.

 

Okay, I am done with my drama. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to watch that movie.

All Set for Real Estate Market

No thanks to the cold snap for it slows down our #DIY exterior painting job. These pictures shows how serious I am with #DIY. Too much of Drew and Jonathan Scott's Property Brothers and John Gidding's Curb Appeal watching you may think huh? Or, was I a fanatic of #HGTV? LOL.

Three Yes's for those questions of course. By the way, for 3 years or more, John Gidding is my friend in Facebook, yayyy. Anyway, here I was doing the trimming paint job with my 16" extension ladder. Are you scared? My friends in FB was totally frightened, LOL! I am not scared of height for sure. I have new pictures to show you next time. Where did I learn to paint? Back home when I was a teacher. I always visit my classroom during weekends to improve it and painting is a sissy #DIY and I love doing it.  

Just to give you a #humor, here's my hubby taking a siesta and he would say, he is the supervisor LOL. Nah! Actually, he was doing all the painting using the roller. I was in-charge of the trimming because I have a steady hand. I was sitting there too while he was painting most of it. He was all red when he's done.

Here I was pressure washing the driveway. We will paint this today.

The paint will look good, I will be showing you the before and after photos. By the way, I love tools and I am crazy with smart tools LOL. There is a male spirit inside of me I guess. We will list our property this Friday and hoping to get a buyer real fast so we can move to the Gulf Coast. Wish us luck!

Plumbing DIY Fixes

I am a homeowner since 1998, just two years after I landed a permanent job. I was single then and I bought a house in a great working class neighborhood, gated and located up town. I bought the house intended  a home for my mom, she deserved it! I grow up without a father so; when mom and I moved in to our new home, #DIY became part of my routine. I like it that way though because I am learning new things. When bulbs went out, that's easy to fix. When I have a plumbing problem, I fix it myself. But, there are times that plumbing problem becomes overwhelming and messy so; that's the time I hire the expert. Now that I am married, I am still doing it. What the!? I know right? I tell you what, IT IS NOT FUN AT ALL! This is what I did yesterday and boy, I am so tired.

A Good Deed

Few weeks ago, my husband approached a couple who were scrapping at the pile of trash at the neighbors yard. They were normal people but, cannot find work because as you all know, jobs are scarce. But, they need to find ways to put some food on the table.

They were friendly and my husband told them, if they like scraps from our old shed they can take it down. They were so thrilled and wanted to take it down that day. My hubby gave them a schedule and that was yesterday.

The woman came by with her lovely teenager and two young toddler kids. She told us, the boyfriend has left her and moved with his mom. She had nobody to depend on but, herself. She needed the money so; she decided to knock it down with the help of her daughter.

My husband was worried. It was a medium size shed but; after almost 2 hours, they were able to knock the whole shed down. While they are doing those battle, I bake a banana cake and gather some chips, candies and sodas from the pantry. I have full bag of goodies and when they are ready to wrap up, I gave the food to the mother.

She was teary-eyed but, happy to have them. That was my good deed yesterday. How about you? Share in the comment below, I want to hear them. God bless us all.

Teaser: How to Win A Cuddly Ladybug for Free?

Hi peeps! What's up y'all? Don't you think this ladybug is so cute and cuddly? Want to win this for FREE? The good news is, you will have a chance and you can pick any cuddly animal you want.

Watch out for my REVIEW and Giveaway soon. Make sure you have a Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and other social media account so; you can join easy.

Find out why this ladybug is the coolest ladybug ever. You will be amazed!

Oh, did you know that I got this for FREE? That is why, you need to come back soon and watch out for my Review and Giveaway. If you join and win, you will have get 1 animal you want for free. Exciting right?
JOIN HERE:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bathroom Lighting Fixture

Few days ago, a friend asked me about the type of lighting fixtures I want in a bathroom. I told her that I fancy a sleek design and steel accents. We just bought a house and we are still in the process of renovating each space. We are done in the kitchen. I am happy to note that all appliances that we bought are made of stainless steel. Few of our friends did not like stainless steel appliances because they are not easy to clean. I opposed to that premise. The hand print can be easily removed using the right cleaner for stainless decors and of course with stainless appliances. Cleaning is no sweat at all!

The guest bathroom is halfway done. We have to buy a vanity mirror, few accessories and bathroom sconce lighting. Check out the photo above. That decorative wall lighting is really sophisticated don't you think? The glass bobeche accent has a translucent shade so; it will create a cozy ambiance in the bathroom. It does not reflect a bright light so; it doesn't hurt the eyes.

This unique design of sconce is one of the products sold at Waterworks. Their products are elegant and in high quality standard. You may check it out and for sure, you will agree. Waterworks company sells premium brand products for bathroom and kitchen. I have seen their beautiful selections of faucets, tubs, showers and bathroom accessories and they are indeed quality made.

New and Beautiful Mailbox

When we moved to our new house 2 months ago, the driveway was busy with our two cars and the cars of the contractors that we hired. Sometimes, we park our cars on the side of our property giving a space for the contractors. One afternoon, my husband accidentally ran over the post of the mailbox. It was totaled and lay flat on the ground. I thought, my oh my, another budget to consider. I wished we had a column mailbox because it sturdier and it can withstand a slight bump. It seems that the life of the old mailbox go with the owner when they move.

Anyway, we bought a new mailbox that has two doors and I assembled it while my husband digs the foundation for the mailbox post. We did it successfully and the mailman was very happy because he will no longer walk to our house to deliver the mail.

Are you planning to buy a new mailbox? Check out mailboxixchange.com for they have selections of quality and affordable mailboxes in their Website. They offer free shipping, no hassle return and 30-day low price guarantee. This company also has curbside decor which will make your garden and yard amazing. Visit the Website today.

We Got the House

We were about to give up and forget about buying another property when our realtor called us today and said, we got the house! Three weeks ago, we resumed to finding a property nearby NASA. It's been more than 6 months since we were scouting for a new house and all the properties that we bid were gone. On the last property, someone bid too high, was accepted and the seller did not even bother to look at our bid. The listing agent called our realtor if we are still interested to buy the house because the buyer walked out. We said yes of course and we send the documents through email. In less than an hour, our realtor informed us that the seller accepted our offer. The closing will be in two days and we scheduled the inspection on Friday. I hope that everything will turn out alright.

Preparing the Birthday Invitations

If I wish to travel, I have miles that I can use to travel for free towards Europe or Philippines. I am planning to visit home during my mother's birthday on September. She will be 7 decades older and I plan to give her a good birthday celebration.

She does not like surprises so; I have to talk this planning with her. She always wants her brothers and sisters to come on every celebrations happening in the house such as "fiestas" and birthdays. That is not hard to do because they live in nearby towns.

Right now, I am in a dilemma because if I have to be physically home, my expenses will be doubled. If I do not go home, I have an extra leeway to have my budget intact solely for her birthday invitations and the celebration. Every important celebration in the house, I talk to them using the Internet so; I am still there.

Besides, I can't stay longer than 2 weeks so; I would rather use my miles in a reasonable flight that does not conflict my budget. In planning, I can always tap my brother about this celebration and asked my mom the exact number of people which she wants to invite. By doing so, I can make a budget as to how many birthday invitations to give out.

Then, I can budget how much to spend for the birthday celebration that is why I need the number of invited guests. I have few months for planning which is really good. I can check out the different designs of the invitations and have my mom choose what design she likes.

Of course, she has enough time to give the invitation at her convenience. She will enjoy it more. I am looking forward on her 70th birthday celebration at home. She will definitely enjoy it.

Kids

Contribution by Kennith Griffin:

My husband and I have 6 children. I know you are probably thinking, "Are you crazy!?" We have always wanted a large family despite the obvious challenges it presents. My husband has a very good job where he makes plenty of money to support us. I do not work, I believe it would be impossible to keep up with laundry, dishes and everyday house hold chores if I had to work. We also recently bought a van, which another necessity for families with large children. Between soccer practice, piano lessons and dance lessons we keep it on the road pretty regular. Vacations are always fun, but can be trying with so many children. Before we went on our last vacation, my husband and I were discussing investing in a security system and some security cameras to monitor the house while we were gone. He found a great deal on a security system at homesecuritysystems.com. The technicians came to our house and promptly installed our system. I will feel much better while gone on vacation, knowing that this is taken care of.

Evergreen Cemetery in Ocean Springs

Every time we visited Mississippi, we always came by to Evergreen Cemetery. When my father-in-law was alive, he loves to buy flowers for his wife and bring it here. The three of us would spent the time pulling the weeds and water the grass in their 4-lot space. When my father-in-law died few days before my birthday, we were in Orlando having a vacation. I celebrated my birthday a week earlier in his bedroom in the care facility. He ate pizza and he was having a good time with us. Before we left to Orlando, I washed his feet because whoever was assigned with him, did not do the right job. He was tickled when I tried to washed his feet with soaps. He always asked me if I was happy living with him in Mississippi. I missed him. My husband missed him a lot. He was sad when we leave for Orlando, he doesn't like us to leave him, afraid that we will not see him alive. We were traveling back to Mississippi when my sister-in-law called us that he's gone. He died on his sleep.

Affliction of a Mom and Wife

Guest post written by Vivian Besas:

I left home for the fourth time on February 7, 2012 after spending a 2-month holiday with my husband and our 4 girls, Ysabel, Yleiza, Ymealle and Ylleine ages 9, 5, 4 and 3 at my parents' house.

As soon as my husband and I together with a friend arrived at the Airport I faltered and felt butterflies in my tummy that sent me crying saying to my husband: "Please don't let me go. I don't want to leave anymore"..But we both knew I needed to so I helplessly took my suitcases with me and checked-in which after I did, went to the exit taking my hand-carry luggage and rushed out straight to the waiting area not bothered about the time which gave me barely 5 minutes till boarding schedule just to kiss and hug my husband goodbye again.

Tears were running down my cheeks from when I entered the airport again until I was seated in the plane. He painfully watched the aircraft with a heart crushed as it took off while I cried incessantly, defeated by the need to go.

It was a very long and agonizing journey as I'm bound for Europe where I work for an English diplomat. During the flight I couldn't stop thinking about my family. If I dose off all I dream of are the girls and my Hubby. I lost the appetite to eat as well that I refused the airline meals. I survived the entire flight with water, coffee and tea one after the other.

I reached Switzerland in an extremely freezing weather of minus 10 degrees centigrade bringing me right there and then winter blues which mercilessly added insult to my injury. It was nonsense as it is impossible but I wished for the snow which covered every roof of every house I saw and everything around to cover me as well and make me numb to ever feel the pain of having to leave my life - MY FAMILY.

It was too impossible to get myself to sleep on the night I was back. Apart from jetlag, I was crazily suffering from homesickness - the worst enemy I believe of people going abroad without their families. I was awake from half past 12 midnight on. Same thing happened the second night

Today, February 10, 2012 I was fumbling through my suitcase which hasn't been touched since I arrived when I found 3 unfamiliar things as they aren't mine:
1. a small blue rosary
2. a yellow-colored smiley eraser
3. a note saying:

"mama I will miss you
ingat diha I love you
I miss you
we love you
we will miss you
from Ysabel, Dagz, Winwin and CS".

I didn't know how to react. But I thought I felt anger. Anger because it hurts! It's Ysabel's and I literally felt her pain too from being left behind. Anger because it filled up that chamber in my heart for keeping my pain in and made me want to scream and cry! I quickly got my phone, navigated to the notepad to write something about what she'd done when a page appeared, caught me completely off-guard and gave me a real painful blow when I read:

"Mama I love you i miss you
Ingat ka diha@"

This time I was sure I was feeling guilty! Guilty for letting her undergo this kind of pain! My mother worked away from home when I was young and is back home only on weekends. But the pain of not being with her over the weeks sent me crying almost every night. How intense is Ysabel's pain then seeing me only for a month twice in a year! Awful lot of pain!

I can no longer allow our pain to go on. My husband feels incomplete, I do too! I'm going home for good before I ruin my children's emotional stability and live my life in regrets. And besides, there's no other place better than home.

A Valentine Gift

After graduation, my brother landed a permanent job and got married. He got a beautiful family and he works harder to provide for them. His wife is a professional and licensed engineer but, taking care for her children is more important than being a career woman. I admire them for that. I know being a parent is 24/7 career and I know it is tiring but, wonderful. I thought, they needed a break so; I booked their hotel accommodation (4-star hotel) and an airfare for 6 which is my Pre-Valentine gift for a deserving family.My brother chose an Educational Tour to Manila and the kids enjoyed it the most.These pictures were taken at Museo Pambata which is an interactive museum for children. I was here 18 years ago, whewww...that was a long time.I talked to my nephews and niece on skype and they have so much stories to tell. I was really glad to see them having fun and learn something on this short vacation. They went to explore some historical places such as Intramurus at Fort Santiago which is a defense fortress structure in Metro Manila. They also explore the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica which according to my mother, a huge place full of statues, carvings, beautiful portals, with 6 chapels, grand stone arts, and beautiful artistic designs of stained glass windows.They also went to Enchanted Kingdom and took their favorite rides, shop at Mall of Asia, dine hearty meals and just enjoy the time with the kids. Spending time with family in leisure trips like this is worth it.

Family Adventure

I love to travel but, I do not have the opportunity to do it with my family. Back in the Philippines, I travel with my friends by chance though I really wanted to "tag along" my family, the financial aspect hinders my plan. When I came to the US, I was just lucky to live in Florida which is one of the major tourist destinations of the world.Anyway, I had been to so many places but every time, my thoughts would bring back to my family back home. I wanted them to explore the places that I had been. I wanted them to see what I saw and experience the same way as I did.Last October, I decided to book their air travel for them to have an Educational tour in Metro Manila.It is just so good to see their exciting escapade and adventure. I had fun watching them enjoying their short vacation even though I am not with them, I am happy.I made a hotel reservation for them and so far, they are having a good time. It is really fun to have an adventure with family right? I sensed that my mother was comfortable in her flight to Manila and I told her that she will be fine to travel to the US. I am hoping that anytime soon, they can travel here to join me in Florida. In God's time and I pray that they can come here soon.

Backsplash: Mosaic Tile

I have been scouting for mosaic tile for our kitchen because the color around it is monotonous. By adding quick fix such as the backsplash, it simply adds elegance, texture and it gives that striking element to the existing kitchen design. This particular glass tiles have different features and the slate has all the color elements that I needed for it has gray, amber and rustic feel to it.

I like earth colors but, I also want a modern and clean look to it. I found the Website edenmosaictile.com and this company has so many selections of glass mosaic tile and the price is just right on the family budget. If you are having a kitchen renovation, check out this site today so you can avail the on sale products that they have for this holiday. This particular mosaic is 50% off and good until supply lasts. This will be my first project for the New Year and I am looking forward to it. With the help of the tape measure, grout floats, putty knife and wide trowel, installing the backsplash is a no brainer. My tile cutter and safety glasses are ready, and I only need to buy grout, pre-mixed tile adhesive, caulk and caulking gun, grout sealer and paintbrush. I renovated my house last year so; this is a small project for me.

Moving to Hawaii

I was searching for a home property in the Oahu real estate in the island of Hawaii, and I found a property listed at $69,000. I did not expect it because I know that Hawaii is an expensive state to live. The charming property below is listed as a foreclosure home for $199,000 and it has a 1,335 sq feet living area. It has the good size four bedrooms and three baths with a huge backyard fully fenced in. My husband and I are still looking for a property and because of that, I was checking the properties of other states as comparable. I just want to know how much our budget goes in other places. Anyway, if you want to move to Hawaii, you can check out the listing of properties in Maui Real Estate Website. Hawaii is a beautiful place to live and it is close to nature. If you love the fantastic view of the beach which is inviting for all season then, find a beachfront property in Hawaii. This place is blessed with lush green mountains and you can find home properties too in the mountainside. For more information, just visit the link above or you may call them at 1-800-291-5535.

Residency or No?

Written by Fermin Washington:

I recently received a job offer as a resident at a hospital. I have the night shift, which makes me feel worried about being gone during the night. I checked out Home Security santa ana to make me feel a little safer about leaving my wife safe at night. I want to someday be the chief of the entire staff, but that means that I need to take this job on the night rotation staff. I wouldn’t even be worried about it if my wife hadn’t told me literally 2 days ago that she’s pregnant with our first child. She’s a night nurse, so my offer to go on nights would have been perfect, but now she’s going to step down from her position to be a mom. I’m already worried about leaving them at home alone at night. I guess we will deal with all of these things within the next few weeks- and I need to decide if I want to take this job or not! It always seems like everything happens at once! I’m praying for guidance in this situation.

In a Home

In a HOME:

The head of the family is the overseer of the family problems and that includes budgetting, paying the bills, delegating work, providing the needs of every member of the family.

Say, there was a problem like delegating the work at home. Some members of the family did not attend to their supposed work.

The overseer just leave the problem unsolved and went to a vacation.

The overseer came back after 9 days still, did not do something about the problem.

He then suggested another rule in the house like scheduling who can use the extra car at certain time.

Some members of the family tried to tell him about the unsolve problem. He just look at them as if it doesn't really matter.

If the going gets tough, he blame it to everyone in the house but, not himself!

Then, to get away with all the tension in the house, he went out and enjoy the beach and play the golf!

Get the drift people!

New Jersey Properties

If you are planning to move to New Jersey and looking for a new home, consider checking the properties listed in demblingrealty.com. Of course owning a traditional home in a traditional neighborhood does have its advantages. The price per square foot of a condo in New Jersey will be much less than the cost of a similar size if you are looking for a home. Your monthly mortgage payments will generally less than you would pay on a traditional home.If you own a condo, you will not have to worry about roof repair, mowing your lawn, painting, or maintaining your exterior of the building. The amenities that come with a condo are far more than with a traditional home. A swimming pool is pretty standard but there are other amenities such as a weight room, racquetball courts, gas grills, and club houses not to mention exercise rooms that are included with your condo.

The disadvantage of having a condo is that, you will not be able to remodel the exterior of your home. But, if you buy a single family home, you may landscape your yard, paint the exterior of your house in the color of your choice and are not limited to making improvements on your lot. There are many traditional homes located in the suburbs but also, many condos are located much closer to the city hub which saves you time and puts you in the middle of all the action. In the state of New Jersey, condominium ownership also has a significant tax deduction similar to a traditional homeowner. If you later decide to become a traditional homeowner, your condo could prove to be a source of rental income.

There are pros and cons to condo ownership versus traditional home ownership but remember, there will be a condo fee to cover the amenities and the upkeep of the common areas and you will not have this with your single-family dwelling. So before moving to New Jersey, check with your realtor or visit the Website which I mentioned above.

Online Shopping

I was browsing the Website of brylanehome.com and I must admit I love their online store. They have beddings, kitchen wares and gadgets, bath fixtures and decors, home furniture's, Kitchen Curtains and many more. If you order a $50 worth of items, you can avail FREE Shipping if you sign up thru emails. Here's another tip for you too, if you apply for a brylanehome credit card, you can avail the 20% discount on the expensive item you bought. That is good savings which you would not dare to miss right? I just finished requesting for a FREE catalog and I am now excited to have it on the mail probably next week. I find it interesting and fun to shop online because I can find good deals easy and even compare one store to the other. Almost anything that you need in a home, you can find it here. Do you love to update your kitchen area? According to some experts in Real Estate, if you upgrade your kitchen and bathroom, the price of your property will go up depending how big the renovation is. If you need curtains, wall decors, amazing designs of curtain rod and beautiful stylish metal rings, this Website has it all. Check this site today and I guarantee that you will enjoy your online shopping.