We caught traffic yesterday in going home. As my husband and I were talking about our hopes and dreams in the future and I mentioned to him the Scottsdale homes for sale, I saw online. Such beautiful homes to have in the future. We have our dream home and we have our dream business and both of which are about real estates. Life is tough here in our country and right now we have our own little priorities. I just hope that God will help us reach our big dreams in the future. I’m all positive about this, my parents are my inspiration.

I saw this over at Trendir and I would one of each for our bathroom.

To make every boring bathroom classy and comfortable, these items will be very nice. I love the new faucet, very cute and unique. Our shower head needs replacement as well and that one in the picture will be the best replacement. These stuff can pass as wall art! Love them, don’t you?

I love Cilantros. I use it mostly for the Indian and Mexican recipes I cook on special occasions. What I observe is that it dries up fast and so I found a way to make it fresh as possible.

1. Before chopping, dunk and swish cilantro in the water bowl, holding it by the stems. For very muddy herbs, change water and repeat this step until it’s mostly clear.
2. Shake cilantro well to remove the excess water.
3. Using paper towels, pat cilantro dry. Set paper towels aside for later.
4. Begin slicing through stems with your chef’s knife. Slice off only as much as you need; the unused portion will last longer uncut.
5. Holding your knife’s tip steady on the board while you rock the blade back and forth, finely chop cilantro. Take care not to over-chop, or cilantro will turn black.
6. Wrap unused cilantro in damp paper towels used in Step 3, and place inside a resealable plastic bag. Your herbs will last three to five days in the refrigerator, as long as you keep the paper towel slightly damp.

A friend once said, that it’s time to buy gold bullion, and decided to invest! It’s been her long time plan to buy gold and use her money by investing on gold and this year, she just jumped right in and took the plunge contrary to some people’s advices to her. She believes that putting her money through gold investment is much safer. That the growth of her money will be better than investing on paper. Gold future added to earlier gains in early February following a jump in the U.S. manufacturing index. Growing concerns over the enormous U.S. budget deficit also whipped up interest in gold sparking the early month rally. Now she is keeping her fingers crossed that her investment will be successful, with her determination I’m sure she will succeed!

Traveling is a nice experience. I learned so much about myself, my husband and especially my son during our recent travel and it was such a wonderful experience that I pray to God that He will let us see more places in the future, to bond and learn about different cultures and different people.

Photo from http://notebookdoodles.blogspot.com/

I haven’t done this in ages. I just want to relax and take away my mind from those blogging paragraphs. Anyway, here goes…

Your Cell Phone? iPhone.
Your Hair? rebonded.
Your Mother? talkative.
Your Father? provider.
Your Favorite Food? mom’s kare-kare.
Your Dream Last Night? none.
Your Favorite Drink? iced.
Your Dream/Goal? happy.
What Room Are You In? office.
Your Hobby? malling.
Your Fear? rats.
Where Do You See Yourself In Six Years? somewhere.
Where Were You Last Night? bedroom.
Something That You Aren’t? hypocrite.
Muffins? chocolate.
Wish List Item? iMac.
Where Did You Grow Up? camp.
Last Thing You Did? eat.
What Are You Wearing? polo shirt.
Your TV? none.
Your Pets? none.
Friends? loyal.
Your Life? grateful.
Your Mood? in love.
Missing Someone? yes.
Vehicle? rav.
Something You Aren’t Wearing? make-up.
Your Favorite Store? 5Corners.
Your Favorite Color? chocolate brown.
When Was The Last Time You Laughed? this morning.
Last Time You Cried? forgot.
Your Best Friend? sincere.
One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? starbucks.
Facebook? overused.
Favorite Place To Eat? many.

Tag yourselves. Leave a comment so I can read your answers!

We all need a cleaning kit at home. The kit should always be complete to be successful in cleaning the house, there are only a few items that made into the list:

Cleaning Caddy - This is the basic item to hold all of your cleaning products. Watch any janitor or maid working and you see they have a cleaning caddy or cart holding all of their products. Makes it easier to not only move around the room but move from room to room.

All Purpose Cleaner - This is a general cleaner for things like countertops, walls, and such. I have a heavy duty cleaner and then I use Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Cleaning Products for my light cleaning. Love the smell!

Cleanser - For the times you need something abrasive. I use a liquid abrasive aka cream sometimes in the sinks and/or tubs.

Disinfectant - Mainly for the bathroom. This would be use to clean the outside areas of the toilet, sink, and tub. I also clean my bathroom countertops with this.

Glass and Window Cleaner - To clean your windows, appliances, and mirrors. Glass doors count too.

Mop Microfiber is my choice) - My mop actually has several removable heads. It has dust mop, microfiber scrubbing head, microfiber dry mop, regular loop mop.

Duster - Those disposable microfiber dusters are great. My toddler loves to help me dust with those. I also have a dusting cloth that I treat with a little lemon oil every now and then.

Broom with dust pan - An angled broom gets the floor good. I admit I have several brooms and I bought a mini one so my toddler could help. A dust pan with a handle as long as your broom so you are not stooping is a nice idea. Give it a thought.

Rubber Gloves - Your hands will love you. I didn’t use gloves when I cleaned for years and now I’m paying for it. Protect your hands from the cleaners. Use gloves. My hands were so dry they were peeling. I now have so much lotion in our home…well that’s another story.

Toilet Brush with it’s own caddy - We like to keep this thing separate from all of our other cleaners. It’s an area that has to be cleaned so might as well make it feel special. Give it it’s own special little holder.

Toothbrush - When you replace your toothbrush just hang on to the old one and use it for getting around the sink faucets and other hard to reach areas. I have a separate one for the toilet. Kept separately too (with the brush caddy is a good idea).

Bucket - I actually do my mopping out of the bathroom sink (and then disinfect it) because I can be lazy by the time I get to the floor and then I only make one pass so the dirt from the floor never sees the sink. This is for that daily…okay weekly moping I do. But when the grunge really just seems too much especially on the kitchen floor I pull out a bucket or two and really get in there.

Vacuum - I did my research and opted for a bagged vacuum. I use a HEPA filter. I also have a smaller handheld one for small jobs.

Microfiber Cloths - Microfiber cleaning cloths are great. They have a little scrubbing action so many times, unless you need to remove grease or disinfect, they don’t need cleaners you can just use water. Don’t wash with bleach or fabric softener.

Terry cloth towels - I also like my terry cloths for general all around cleaning. Mopping up after cats, wiping down a wall. When I need to use a bleach product or I just want a good old fashioned terry towel I go for these.

Apron: I just added this as of late because I’ve been thinking of adding one to my kit. Not just any old apron mind you. A half apron that has pockets for hanging bottles and rags. This is not necessary for your kit but I wanted to put it out there in case it strikes you as a good idea. I think it is. The caddy can only go so far.

Is your cleaning home kit complete? Complete your list now!

Organization is the key this year. I vow to be organized as much as possible for 2010. So when my friend asked me to look into some refurbished fitness equipment, I had to take a rain check because I honestly don’t have the budget for another equipment at home and we seriously need to organize our attic and place the stationary bike somewhere else. Speaking of organizing, how do you organize your days? As for me, I am using a Starbucks Planner that my friend gave me. For our bedroom, we have a desk calendar that Jacq also gave me. Anyway, let me share to you the nice 2010 Calendars I saw online…

Thanks to my online friend Jacq, I’m having a nice time at work again. We’ve been talking about her love of buying and looking for more iphone accessories. To some this might be a bore but for me, it’s way better to get my mind off from my boring job. We had a short vacation in Hong Kong and for once I’ve been offline and to tell you frankly, I didn’t miss a thing, well only twitter and YMing with Jacq everyday. But now that we are back to reality, back to working our ass off, we are fine. It’s nice to have a vacation once in a while to relax and not think of anything but to just have fun. We need to do this every year. I have to remind myself to save! Save and save!

My friend is talking endlessly about their motorhome and their first motorhome towing experience. It was a funny story but as much as I want to concentrate in listening to her story, I kept thinking of a small issue my husband and I had during the week. It was a cute situation, we’ve been battling about a workstation chair that we’ve been meaning to buy. I am in the process of pimping our small working nook and we are debating whether to buy a cheap chair or a little expensive one. I’m actually voting for the expensive one that can last for years rather than those less than 1K bucks a piece but might only last for months. I want a red chair since I’m actually having the color red as an accent for our dark colored table, that, he didn’t complained about since he thinks red is okay but he suggests we get a black chair and just have it accented with maybe a red pillow or something. So I had my little research and found this…

*I want this kind of chair but only a little more cushion-y if possible.*

How good is your office chair?
Given how much time you spend in it, the fit needs to be just right.
by Kathleen Squires

If you spend a lot of time in your office chair (say, even more than in your bed), be sure it’s not damaging your body. “Ample lumbar support that adjusts as your lower back moves is the most important factor,” says Alan Hedge, a professor of ergonomics at Cornell University. The seat size should fit your frame, neither constricting nor so wide that using the armrests strains your shoulders. Your feet should be planted firmly on the ground to support proper spine position and prevent disk injury, and the seat shouldn’t restrict circulation in your legs by cutting into your knees, says Jerome F. McAndrews, a spokesman for the American Chiropractic Association. The arms should be at a height where your shoulders are not hiked up but, instead, “relaxed, as when you’re at rest,” says McAndrews. If you push down on the seat cushion and it doesn’t spring back, says Hedge, it can cause you to sit awkwardly?meaning you should go chair shopping.

Article and photo from http://www.realsimple.com/

I don’t deny my coffee addiction. I particularly love Starbucks coffee. As for our online Christmas exchange gifts, I asked for a coffee press in my wishlist and I got it last December and I’ve been pressing coffee almost everyday to perk me up. I usually consume just 1-2 cups a day, depends on the workload I have at work. I don’t usually drink coffee during the weekends unless I really want to be awake on a Saturday morning after a movie night with my boys on a Friday night. I bought these ground coffee samplers from Starbucks last December so I can use my coffee press right away…

Already tried the 3 samplers and so far among, Italian Roast (extra bold), Guatemala Antigua (medium) and Espresso Roast (bold), the last is my very fave. I have yet to try, Sumatra (extra bold), Cafe Verona (bold) and Starbucks 2009 Christmas Blend. Starbucks coffee is love! And I’m glad I learned drinking brewed coffee instead of just the usual frapps which give me so much calories.

We had a talk about mesothelioma and I admit, I need to have more knowledge about this condition. Speaking of more knowledge, I need to read more about photography and to practice photography again. I have no plans in taking it to the next level and have it for a business, I have friends who are better than that, let’s just live that to them. Mine is for more personal gain. I want to take better photos of my son. I am having problems with the actions shots especially during the night which led me to buy an external flash which somehow helped. Now I take nicer photos than before, not very professional but enough to treasure great memories.

Two of my Ophthalmologists friends were talking while we have free time at work and while waiting for more patients for consultation last Monday. They were male doctors and I overheard them talking silently about vigrx plus which they thought I didn’t hear but I was smiling when they looked at me and they seemed embarrassed when they saw me and diverted our conversation with so many topics. From dating a girl to buying a cellphone, they asked my opinion. I even showed them my Apple laptop and for guys their age looking so amazed over a laptop was fascinating, oh more of entertaining. HAHA. Time flew so fast and it was 5pm before I know it.

I certainly don’t take my vitamins everyday. It’s still something that I have to get used to doing routinely. I always forget that I should take my daily dose of vitamins and minerals. I saw this article at RealSimple.com and honestly, do you get everything that you need in a day?

Calcium

Recommendation: 1,000 milligrams a day.
Benefits: Bone health.
Sources: Dairy products; fish with bones; dark, leafy greens.

Fiber

Recommendation: 25 grams a day.
Benefits: Protects against coronary heart disease and reduces the risk of diabetes.
Sources: Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains.

Magnesium

Recommendation: 310 to 320 milligrams a day.
Benefits: Helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function and develop and maintain bones.
Sources: Nuts, seeds, bran, halibut and other fish.

Potassium

Recommendation: 4,700 milligrams a day.
Benefits: Helps maintain healthy blood pressure and reduce the effects of salt; may reduce the risk of recurrent kidney stones and possibly decrease bone loss.
Sources: Potatoes, tomato paste and puree, white beans, yogurt, soybeans, bananas.

Vitamin A

Recommendation: 2,310 international units a day.
Benefits: Important for vision, red blood cell production, embryonic development, and immune function.
Sources: Organ meats; orange vegetables; green, leafy vegetables.

Vitamin C

Recommendation: 75 milligrams a day.
Benefits: Acts as a disease-fighting antioxidant; may help to maintain a healthy immune system.
Sources: Fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits, red and green peppers, kiwis, and guavas.

Vitamin E

Recommendation: 15 milligrams a day.
Benefits: Acts as a disease-fighting antioxidant; may support eye health.
Sources: Some ready-to-eat cereals, some oils, almonds, peanut butter.

Now I have to keep everything in mind so that I can keep myself healthy every single day!

Freckles when I was in high school was never a problem, in fact I find it so cute that I have some in the nose and in the cheeks, I don’t mind. It’s in our genes, my grandmother was half-Spanish. But when I started having acne when I was in 4th year college, it became a problem. You bet, I went to so many dermatologists just to get a solution, the worst was when I started having acne scars after the acne. Nowadays, I still get pimples once in a while but my main focus is not to get more acne scars after the pimples. A friend told me about an acne scar removal and you bet I will look into this, I just hope the treatment isn’t very expensive or else, I will have to do with my scars. Everybody deserves a flawless skin, I sure hope I get mine back.

I was talking to my husband and was complaining of some body pains here and there. He was joking that I should find natural arthritis treatment already, my age is no secret but I don’t think 33 (almost) is very old. I was chatting with my online friend, Glo and got a few advice in maintaining a good posture when I’m using my laptop. She doesn’t think I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome but might have Tendonitis instead but could lead to CTS if I’m not careful and wouldn’t do anything about it. So right now, I have 3x a week of paraffin treatment at work in our PT section and as much as possible I regulate my time online. I don’t go online unless I really need to do something and manage my PC time to relax my wrists. I need to find ways to practice good posture, I tend to slouch a lot and search the right ways in positioning everything on my workstation including the chair and the laptop.

Photo from www.peopleclipart.net

As much as my skin gets very oily on a hot humid day, it can also dry up very fast when exposed to dry and cold weather and since we will be staying in a very cold weather for 4 days, I am actually looking for possible face moisturizers that can keep my skin moisturized. I actually came across this article about moisturizers.

How long does a moisturizer stay good?

Most skin-care products, even those with natural ingredients, contain preservatives to keep them fresher longer. “But like anything in nature, even preservatives lose their optimal function over time,” says Fran E. Cook-Bolden, a New York City dermatologist. When it comes to body moisturizer, throw away unfinished containers that have been open for more than two years. (If you’re using a lotion on a regular basis, though, odds are you’ll need to replenish it before it expires.) An expired lotion doesn’t hurt or damage skin, but the product won’t lock in moisture or hydrate as thoroughly. Sealed and unopened bottles should be good for three years.

And since I don’t use moisturizer very often, I have to learn more about it, I don’t want to use it for just 4 days and get pimples after using it.

Article source.

Our bathroom’s color is way too far from the bathroom inspiration I’m posting below. I dream of having a red walls in our dream home and this is a very cute way to do it…

It will be nice to hang around our bathroom with the bright reds and whites. I won’t be lazy in putting the best face cream that I’m using right now if this is how our bathroom looks. I love the red towels to accent the white wall plus the cabinet under the sink is a pretty idea for storage and that vintage lamp above the window is awesome. I just love this bathroom. I hope I can make over our tiny bathroom this 2010, after I finish our workstation.

Photo source.

I’ve been alone at work for this week. My colleague took a week off from work because she going to some provinces in Visayas. Still very relax even alone, I still have a few workload not to mention my husband asked me to help him on something about some custom mouse pads. Sometimes, my Husband surprises me with all the unique favors he is asking me. I think the mouse pads will be a souvenir from a conference or something. Anyway here are my remaining tasks at work…

• Weekly report (as always)
• Dispensing of 4 patients (yey moolah once more)
• Follow up the Husband’s boss PE papers
• An appointment with a VIP
• Weekly conference (I have to since my senior is on leave)

Very relax list right? Which gives me more time for my online work. Thank God

I asked for some advice with regards to our workstation and the nicest think I saw is to put the color red as an accent. I’m thinking of putting a red lamp on our table and I saw 3 nice table lamps that can be used in our small space…

Kulla $49.99

Tallvik $24.99

Lack $24.99

They are even affordable. They are all from Ikea by the way, which has a store near my workplace. I think I will visit this store soon. I’m too excited that a store now distributes Ikea items, you bet this is heaven to me!