Carnival was in Town

Every year, the carnival comes in our town and stay  for about 4-5 days.  We went there  one  afternoon when my husband arrived  from work and  the kids had loads of fun with  their friends.  My son's  classmates  showed up there too so  that added to the excitement.  

*Carnival *  - With their friends Luis Ana Yalli

It cost a dollar for every ticket or you can get stamped in the hand for $10 and you get unlimited rides. We chose the  stamp as we know that they would want to try everything.  It cost $20  for the two and plus $ome because there are some   stuff there that are not covered with the tickets, you have to pay individually like the Terror of fun which I think was lame as you only stayed for about 5 minutes  and it's over, it's not worth the money you paid for lol.
ABC Wednesday

Family Walk Routine

Aside from biking, walking as a family is also our regular routine during warm weather days.  Speaking of weather, I am worried of my plants because we had frost last night, oh boy.  Below are some photos of our walks.

We went for a walk after visiting my FIL last weekend.  We dropped by at the park and let the kids be kids!  The photos below  were taken on a different day when we went for another walk.

The good thing about taking the kids for a walk around the neighborhood is that they get the chance to see  other things like baby birds trying to fly, they get to pet  dogs on the way, and  seeing neat things along the way.  It also give me and hubby a chance to be kids again lol.
Shadow Shots

Mobile Phone Trade In

Looking at the most valuable  mobile phone at sellmymobile.com, I learned that Blackberry Porsche Design has the most value if you want to sell it.  You can get up to five hundred and forty seven pounds for it if you try to sell it at the  website I mentioned above.  I also looked at the  my cell phone's brand and type and found out that  there are so many upgraded ones already, whew.  Technology  really advances very fast.  Gone are the days when only few people can have cell phone.  Nowadays, almost everyone can have because they are affordable.

I love my Samsung Galaxy phone and I think I  will  be holding on to this for a long time even though there are so many upgraded ones available already.    What  most important to me is that  I can use the functions that I want in a phone like browsing the internet, taking photos with it when my  camera is  not with me, and  check my opportunities online when we are somewhere and I can't use my computer.  I thought of removing my internet data with it before but after  my internet connection at home got lost for  several hours, I realized how important it is for me to keep the internet at my phone.

5 Tips for a Child Friendly Garden

If you’re keen to join the many families who are realizing the benefits of getting kids involved in the outdoors in a safe setting, here are some great tips for designing your kid-friendly garden.

Space for Play

While it’s great to fill your garden with lots of stimulating plants, features and ornaments, there should be some space left that’s free for play. An open space will be an asset into teenage years. Your child can use this place to run, make believe, play with toys or practice sports and you can make the most of this space to engage your child in play together. Whether it’s throwing a ball, playing fetch with the family dog or having a backyard picnic, a nice open space in the garden will lend itself to all sorts of fun outdoor activities that get you and your kids outside and in to nature. Coral Homes display homes are a great source of inspiration for maximizing the available space on your block of land through efficient house designs – leaving plenty of room outside for the kids.

Hidden Nooks

Encourage an element of fantasy and make believe by including secret hidden nooks and crannies for your child to discover and explore. A cubby amongst the trees is a great place to play, or a little birdbath under a rose-covered archway would make a magical place to splash or catch a glimpse of native birds. Hiding garden sculptures or ornaments throughout the garden will also add excitement to a garden walk and encourage kids to explore and develop a connection with the character of your garden.

You might also like to include garden furniture like a bench, stool or hammock where you and your kids can sit and enjoy nature, listen to birds, watch clouds or tell stories in your own little hidden garden haven.

Engage the Senses

Add a sense of wonder and excitement to your garden by including plants and features that engage your children’s senses. This also helps develop their perceptual abilities by providing new stimuli. Plants with brightly colored flowers, interesting patterns and textures on foliage and quick growth are all exciting elements to include in your garden that your child will love to experience, touch, smell and watch grow. Herbs are perfect because they smell great and your child can help you pick them to use in food. For the same reason, fruit trees and vegetables are fantastic for kids, as they can watch the colorful fruit and vegetables grow and ripen, then harvest them to eat or cook.

Educational Elements

Try to encourage some education about the garden and the outdoors by including elements that provide learning and knowledge. Signposts for different plants are a good idea, so too are stimulating features like sundials. Talk to your child about plants and animals, and encourage involvement in the gardening and education about the care of plants by providing your child with his/her own set of kids’ garden tools, watering can or even a kids’ wheelbarrow.

These are all easy and achievable methods you can use to make your garden more child friendly, whether you’re designing it from scratch or simply making additions to a well established space. You’ll love having your kids outdoors with you and they’ll just adore the magical space that you’ve created for them.

5 Tips for Getting Your Child to Sleep in Their Own Bed

Transitioning from the crib to a larger bed can be a challenge for kids, especially if they’re used to sleeping in the same room as parents. It may seem impossible at first, but with a little patience and a few simple guidelines you’ll make the transition much smoother for the whole family. Here are some tips that have helped parents.

A Sleep-Friendly Environment

Part of getting your child to stay in his/her own bed is creating a sleeping environment where they can settle down without being distracted, disturbed or stimulated once the lights are out. They should also feel safe and secure, if they are scared they may want to jump into bed with you for protection. Bunk beds can be a good way to encourage kids to stay in bed as they enjoy the novelty and for kids with a fear of the dark they can often feel safer when elevated off the ground, sleeping in the top bunk. Have the curtains drawn to keep anything frightening, distracting or noisy at bay. Sometimes some soothing music or the white noise of a fan will help drown out noises. Make sure your child has everything he/she needs for the whole night, like extra blankets and a glass of water, so that there’s no need to come to you in the night.

A Favourite Toy

Entice your child to stay in bed by providing a favourite toy or comforter to encourage a feeling of security and comfort. Make this a special bedtime-only toy that stays in the bedroom, so he/she is encouraged to relate bedtime with this favourite toy and the soothing effect it has.

A Nightlight

Some children get out of bed at night to find their parents because they are frightened by a fear of the dark. All the unfamiliar sounds and shadowy shapes can be scary when misinterpreted by the active imagination of a child. To alleviate this fear you can try installing a night light in your child’s room. If there’s a particular part of the room that your child voices concern over, like the cupboard or a doorway, place the nightlight somewhere that illuminates the area. A nightlight will also make it easier for your child to get up in the night and go to the bathroom, get a drink of water or find an extra blanket without having to call out for you or come into your room.

The Silent Return

If your child does get out of bed during the night or soon after lights out, simply take him/her back to bed calmly and quietly without engaging your child by speaking. This means that your child isn’t receiving any positive reinforcement by leaving the bed and coming to you. If your child needs a drink of water or to go to the toilet attend to their need saying as little as possible so as not to stimulate your child and then calmly guide them back into bed. When you tuck your child into bed for the night, let him/her know that he/she must stay in his/her own bed to sleep. Let your child know that if he/she gets out of bed you will take him/her back to bed without saying anything, that way your child will know what’s going on when you practice this method. It’s not about giving the silent treatment; it’s simply a method of returning your child to bed without creating any stimulation for your child or encouraging him/her to come to you.

A Rewards System

You can try creating a simple rewards system for nights your child stays in bed all the way through the night. This can be something like a sticker on a chart, or a trip to the movies after a certain string of consecutive nights without crawling into bed with you. With perseverance and patience, these steps should help to have your child sleeping soundly through the night in their own bed, leaving you to do the same.

5 Benefits of Outdoor Exercise for Your Children

It goes without saying that outdoor exercise and play are extremely advantageous pursuits for growing kids. Physical activities outdoors have many benefits for your kids that will carry into adulthood, forming healthy habits, healthy minds and healthy bodies.

Fitness

Kids that spend all their time indoors and being inactive are far more likely to have trouble with weight, physical and mental health and energy levels. Getting kids outdoors and regularly engaging in activities that require physical exercise will help them increase their fitness levels. They’ll build muscle, burn fat and improve their cardiovascular health too. Sports and games are the ideal way to turn fitness into fun, giving kids a workout that’s enjoyable and exciting. Physical activity will lead to better fitness levels and develop healthy habits when it comes to getting regular exercise.

Stress Reduction

Health and fitness professionals from many differing fields agree that outdoor activity reduces stress levels in children. Staying pent up inside all day, whether it’s in the classroom, in front of a TV or playing with electronics, can cause real health concerns, including increased stress levels. Getting kids outdoors and physically active lets kids engage with the wider world, work out their pent up energy, and gain perspective, opening their senses to the natural world and developing a connection with their physical environment, both external and internal.

Engaging the Senses

Allowing young children to explore the natural world helps to develop their perceptual abilities. Time spent indoors limits the range of stimuli they get to experience, while getting kids outdoors means they get to experience lots of engaging and stimulating new sights, sounds, smells, textures – all sorts of sensations that help them learn and develop. This kind of interaction helps them learn about the world they live in and develop a connection with their natural environment; a connection that they can cherish into adulthood. Some sports can also help develop physical skills like flexibility and coordination. Learning to ride a Merida bike or catching a football are great ways to help young kids develop important abilities.

Letting Off Steam

Kids, naturally, have lots of energy, far more than most adults, and that energy needs to go somewhere. Getting kids active outside gives them a chance to let off some steam and burn all that energy in an environment that lends itself to vigorous play and exercise. Running around outside means less hazards and less things to break, and making lots of noise outdoors is much less disruptive. Getting outside for some action and excitement means kids will get rid of their energy at the appropriate time, meaning they’re not trying to expend that energy at a time or place that’s not appropriate. It should also mean they settle down for bed much more easily and get a much better night’s sleep. Their levels of concentration and focus will also improve.

Social Development

Outdoor sports and games create lots of opportunities for kids to make friends and play with others. Team sports are a great way to help kids develop bonds and learn teamwork. Playing at a local park (with adult supervision, of course) can also be a great way to make neighbourhood friends. The unstructured setting of an outdoor play area can be much more relaxed for children and encourage interaction without any pressure or expectations, which can be especially advantageous for shy kids or kids who might have trouble behaving in a classroom. The benefits of outdoor exercise for kids run deep and it’s not just the children reaping the benefits, all of these advantages benefit parents too. Some outdoor play time will help you bond with your kids and develop healthy habits for you too.

Weekend activity ideas for your family

Weekends provide the perfect amount of time for families to engage in fun and wholesome activities that will strengthen the bonds between family members while also leading to man wonderful memories. For this reason, it is always important for you to have a few ideas on hand so that you can gather your family and enjoy the beautiful weekend days. By inviting your family along on new activities, you will be able to keep things interesting. If you are looking for some new ways to spend time with your family, then you will want to check out these ideas.

Visit a Museum

On days when the weather may be slightly gloomy, it can be tempting to stay inside. However, there are many fun activities that can be enjoyed inside of your community’s buildings. Museums are a popular attraction that can offer you a way to provide an educational experience for your family without being boring. People of all ages can enjoy viewing art, scientific discoveries and relics from the past while enjoying their tour of the museum.

Take a Road Trip

Although a major vacation may be out of the realm of possibility for a weekend jaunt, it is still possible to enjoy a short road trip. Simply check out your local map to find a location that will be interesting to your family. Campsites, hiking trails and historical markers are all a few of the most popular places for families to travel within only a short drive. If your family enjoys music, then a trip to a nearby city could offer you a chance to enjoy seeing your favourite artist.

Enjoy a Bicycle Ride

For many families, fitting in exercise throughout the week can be challenging because school and work responsibilities often get in the way. This can be remedied by encouraging your family to get some physical activity while also keeping it fun for everyone. A bicycle ride is one way to engage your family while getting outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. Simply make sure that each member has a bicycle equipped with safety gear, and everyone has a bike best suited for them, so the adults have bikes suited to adults and the kids have bikes for kids. Then, head outside and have fun on your ride.

Pack a Picnic

Most families eat together every night; however, eating in the same place can quickly grow old. Instead of dining at the dinner table, take your family to a nearby playground and have a picnic. To do so, be sure to pack an ice chest with plenty of delicious treats that everyone will enjoy. If you prefer to eat a hot meal, then take along some meat for a barbeque. Then, enjoy the fun and conversation while you cook. For active families, taking along a bike or flying disc can provide hours of entertainment that can keep your picnic going on well into the evening.

Finding new ideas for a weekend adventure will help you to keep your family fun days exciting for everyone. When doing so, be sure to let some ideas become family traditions such as weekend bike rides. This way, you will always have something special to do with the people you love most.

Miracle Gro Fun Garden Projects

Gardening is one of the most therapeutical hobby that I enjoy doing during  warm season.  I can't afford  to hire a  professional landscaper so I  always look for ideas online about gardening and apply it in my garden  with my own twist to it.  I am so glad that there is the   The Gro Project from Miracle Gro where I can get inspiration and ideas on  how to improve  my gardening projects this year.  The photo below was one of the  projects I did in my backyard last year.  My husband  ask me sometimes if I ever get tired of changing the design of our garden coz I constantly change  it.  

There are so many fun garden projects that you can do at your yard if you have the righ mind set and tools for it.    You do not have to be a pro to beautify your  garden.  Just like I said, there are so many great ideas that you can look at in the Internet.  Miracle-Gro  helps my gardening project much easier.  

  

Here are some steps that I did with the said project.

1.  Looked for some gardening design online.

2.  Outlined and invisioned  the design that I like.

3.  Listed all the  materials I need  (rocks, mulch, plants, shovels, rake, etc.)

4,  When everything I need was ready, I started  doing it and that's what I came up with in the photo.

I make sure that my plants have food  so they would give me beautiful bloom in the summer time.  Last year, I used the expand 'n Gro from Miracle Gro and I got a very good result both from my veggies and flowers.  This year, I  am planning to use Moisture Control Potting Mix for my indoor plants because some of them died.  

Rectory of St. Joseph Church

Photos were taken at the back of the Rectory of the St. Joseph Church a couple of  weeks ago when the weather was nice.  The kids were riding bikes while hubby and I sat nearby.

The kids met a boy who  was riding a bike too so when my husband  started to throw the football, they all played.
ABC Wednesday

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Just having fun with my husband while our daughter was taking pictures at St. Joseph football field.

Laughter is the best medicine ain't it.  A time spent with my family having fun is just precious  that any money can't buy!

Digital Luggage Scale for Travelers

We booked our  summer vacation for next month.    We will be traveling when I turned 40, yay!  That would  be an exciting journey for all of us.  We will be going to a state that all  of us have never explored yet.  I set foot on this state several times already  but only in the airport so this would be our first time to enjoy the beautiful  state of................................. That would be revealed after our vacation lol.  Me and the kids are all excited.  

 I would like to  give thanks to Eat Smart for sending me this Precision Voyager Digital Luggage Scale, an easy two handed operation that is really  useful for travelers.  It has a soft grip handle, a double strap and easy clip buckles.  

It has a large backlit  LCD with a Lithium battery included.  It is compact and lightweight and can  carry a maximum weight of 110 pounds.  As you can see in the photos, it is very easy to use.  all you need to do is attach it at your luggage handle and lift it to see how much weigh you are carrying in a luggage.  For my  empty luggage alone, ,it weights 11.7 lb. already.  

Traveling with two kids  is a bit challenging as you have to  bring extra stuff that  they need during the trip including extra clothes, books, coloring books and crayons, board games  and other   travel kit.  With those extra  things, we  sometimes pay extra amount when our luggage is overweight.  Having this luggage  digital scale would help us determine the weight of our luggage  hence would eliminate the chance of  paying for overweight luggage charges.  

Photo was taken  two years ago when we had our vacation in Disney World.

Check out Eat Smart through the link I have provided above, they not only sell  digital luggage scale but they also  provide  bathroom and kitchen digital scales.  Thank you once again  Eat Smart for giving me a chance to review one of your products.

Disclaimer:  Products mentioned above   was received for FREE in exchange of a fair review.  NO monetary compensation was received in facilitating this review.

4 Reasons To Create A Family Photo Album

Family is a very important reason to create a photo album. You will want to remember each event or each person in a special way. The years go by so fast, but if you have taken the time to create a special family album, you will be able to look back on all the memories that brought tears and joy to your life.

Organise Memories

Many people store photos in boxes through the years. A better alternative for organising photo memories is to create a family photo album. These photos will be more organised, and you can display the albums so that you can share the memories with others. Each photo can be labelled with captions to record the names, dates and occasion for each photo. In addition, a photo album will take up less space than the boxes do, and the photos can be arranged in chronological order or in categories making them easier to find and view.

Relive Events

You can relive happy events such as beautiful weddings, special birthday parties, new babies, graduations and other events with a tangible photo album. The album allows you to remember these events by providing you with a tangible source to view the event. You will be able to relive each event and celebrate the special memories in a unique way.

Unique Gifts

Family photo albums make unique gifts to give to children, grandchildren and parents to remind them of happy times. You can make a photo album of your child’s life events to give to his or her spouse as a way to include him or her in your child’s growing up years. This unique gift allows families to preserve all of the important moments in life. In addition, if someone moves away from home to go to college or to create a new family, the gift of a family photo album can help him or her feel closer to the family when he or she is far away from home.

Inspires Conversation

A beautiful displayed photo album on a coffee table can inspire conversation between family and friends. The album will be a chance for you to show off your family to friends when they visit. You can show them what each family member has achieved in his or her life. In addition, children can be entertained with a small photo album during car rides or other events. They love to look at family pictures of fun times together.

The main reason to create a family photo album is to preserve precious memories of important events in the lives of each family member. You can start by collecting photos, and create a special photo album to share with others throughout the years to commemorate those special days together. You can create a photo album for each event, or you can create one to preserve each family member’s life in a special personal photo album. You can design a beautiful cover for each album to make the gift of a family photo album more special.

For further help you can check out a local photographer in brisbaneand let them take control of those special moments shared at birthdays, parties, basic family photos or even anniversaries.

Author Bio: Joanna is a Brisbane resident who is currently studying photography herself. She writes blogs to inspire other beginner photographers and loves travelling, shopping and hanging out with friends.

Communion Rehearsal at Church

We just got home from the Communion Rehearsal. It took longer than we expected but everybody finally got figured it out, whew. We will just rest for a couple of minutes and we are heading to Ms. Burrito's Piano rehearsal this time. Tomorrow will be a busy day for us as well for the communion rites.

We are leaving  now so I will "see" you guys later.

Three Mile Walk

This was taken a couple of weeks ago when we went for a 3 mile walk  to a place we have never been to  in our area.  My husband saw this house for sale online so  he wants us to see it.  Since it was warm that day, we decided to walk instead of  riding the car.  It was an exhausting walking adventure  but  worth it because the trees were blooming and we  all enjoyed the  talk, the bonding, and the sight seeing.  Will post the rest of the photos next time when I update this post.  

This is the house that we  looked at (just the outside part of it).  We love where it is and like the   exterior look of the house but I am not so fond that  the other side of the house is right next to a hill.

We are still looking, we are not in a hurry anyway.  I think that a right house for us will  arrive at a right time.  

Picnic at Tomlinson Run April 2013

We had  a beautiful warm weather last  Saturday so we decided to go to Tomlinson Run, one of West Virginia's State Park.  We invited my father-in-law and he went with us.  I did not have  time to cook food to bring so we bought  a bucket of  chicken and some side dishes (coleslaw, mashed potatoes and gravy, and biscuits) to eat for our picnic.

Ms. Burrito planned to  catch some cray fish so she took an empty coffee container  and my husband accompanied her to the creek.  Unfortunately, they came back empty handed but they saw a  garden snake  swimming in the water.

Mr. Burrito on the other hand got busy meeting other kids and played with them.  Ms. Burrito is  like me when I was a kid (even now).  I was  very skeptical in meeting other people.  She love to stay  and spend time with us  which is  the complete opposite of the  little man.

I am so glad that Dad went with us, he got to exercise a little by walking around the park.  I love to see  how my husband  really bond with my father-in-law.  I think  when you get to that age, you  always want too spend time with your family and have someone to talk to.  We are planning to take him again sometime this May after my daughter's communion and hubby's graduation day.

After we spend   a couple of hours at the park, we decided to visit my brother-in-law in Chester.  I'll post about it next time.

How to Select the Perfect Colour Scheme for Your Kitchen

Choosing the right colour scheme for your kitchen is a great way to create a kitchen decorating scheme that will suit you perfectly and that will make your kitchen a place where you will want to spend time cooking and dining with loved ones. Although you might be overwhelmed by all of the colour options that are available for you to choose, following these tips can help you make the right decision.

Look At Existing Colours in Your Kitchen

If you aren't trying to spend a lot of money redoing your kitchen, it's smart to look at any existing colours in the room when coming up with your colour scheme. Looking to the colours that are used in your flooring and on your counter tops can help. You can choose to incorporate these colours specifically, or you can choose to mix and match them by choosing contrasting colours that look great with the theme.

Look At Your Dishes

Looking at your dishes and pots can be a great source of inspiration when it comes to choosing a kitchen colour scheme. If you go with colors that can be found in your pots, pans and dishes, you will already have matching sets that will look great with your new kitchen decor.

Use Decorating Themes as Inspiration

A lot of people choose to use themes when they decorate their kitchens, such as roosters, apples or happy chefs. If you think you might like to use one of these themes in your own kitchen, take a look at the colours that are commonly used in these themes. This can help you put together a very chic and comfortable kitchen quickly and easily.

An accidental art piece created at my kitchen when I placed the  chopping board on a burner that was on.  I couldn't  separate the two so I just decided to use it as an art piece in my kitchen to remind me not to do the same mistake again lol.

Go for Colours That Make You Happy

If you aren't happy in your kitchen, you probably won't want to spend time cooking and gathering in it. Therefore, use what pleases you as your inspiration. For instance, you might want to use a mix of your favourite colours in your kitchen, or you might choose to use colours that are happy and cheerful, such as yellow or orange.

Look at Pictures of Kitchens

There are countless books, magazines, websites and blogs out there with decorative inspiration, and many of them are specifically about kitchens. By taking a look at the pictures that are available in these various media sources, you can get loads of ideas and tons of inspiration. Although you don't have to copy these looks exactly, you can mix and match your favourite pictures with your own ideas to come up with the perfect colour scheme.

Look at Paint Samples

Heading to a home improvement store and looking at various paint samples is a great way to get ideas. You can hold different swatches together to see how the colours look alongside each other, and you might find a paint colour that simply speaks to you and that will look amazing in your kitchen.

About the Author

Natasha is a professional renovator from QLD, Australia, who specialises in kitchen make overs. She recommends using Metro Steel in Brisbane for any projects relating to home renovation and general building needs.