West Virginia: Wild and Wonderful

Weirton belongs in the Tri-State area (Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia). Our city, Weirton, is close to Pittsburgh, about 35-45 minute drive, depending on the traffic, and very close to Steubenville Ohio. Shopping in Pennsylvania is nice because there is no tax, however, we usually shop in Steubenville because it is closer.

West Virginia Side, photo was taken at Ohio side.

Crossing the bridge going to Weirton, leaving  Steubenville Ohio.

This and the shot below are in Steubenville, Ohio.

We don't go on a road trip during Winter because it is hard on the  car.  Even when the road is clear from snow, the salt on the road  makes your ca so dirty.  So we only  go for a drive when we have to.  

What To Do in Barcelona: Awesome Activities for Families

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If you’re stuck for ideas on where to take the family this summer, then I recommend Barcelona!

Barcelona is a fantastic place to visit for a family holiday. There are plenty of things to do that involve the whole family, and here’s why.

Group activities are clearly the main priority. The kids will obviously be drawn towards high-energy activities, like the zoo, cable cars, amusement parks and even some museums! But the great thing about Barcelona is it has been designed to accommodate families and has built to encourage everything to be done as a family. 

Choosing the right hotel is pivotal before you get to Barca, so make sure you do your research. If waking up to the sight of the city is your kind of thing, then I recommend looking for hotels in Barcelona with Venere. 

Getting Around

First of all, public transport in Barcelona is well developed in most areas, so if you’re worried about pram access, or wheelchair access then there’s no need. All trams, metros and cabs are perfectly accessible to accommodate your needs. Due to Barcelona being such a compact city, there’s generally no need for a car, as everything can be found within a short stroll. 

But should you need a car from the Airport, there are rental cars for only €40 per day at rental services throughout the city. 

Attractions

Camp Nou. A must-see for any football fan. The 98,000 seater is the largest stadium in Europe and home to one of the greatest teams ever. Take the tour and see the club museum, it’s truly breathtaking. 

Aquarium Barcelona. Europe's largest and most important Museum of Marine Science of the Mediterranean, maritime habitats are emulated in over 35 different water basins. Here you will find over 10,000 marine animals from 450 species and an 80-metre-long underwater tunnel through the shark basin. For €300, visitors can dive amongst the sharks!

Museu De Cera. This is the perfect place to brush up on your Spanish history. In the Museu de Cera you’ll see more than 300 figures of kings, murderers, popes and other famous personalities with an almost lifelike feel, similar to the waxworks in Madame Tussauds in London. 

Although the focus is on historical personalities of the Spanish-Catalan region, there are also many internationally recognised figures here too!

Parque Zoológico de Barcelona. The zoo covers around 13 hectares of land is home to over 5,000 animals in over 400 species. 

The zoo has something for all you animal lovers. Gorillas, Dolphins, Giant Snakes, Poisonous Dart Frogs, Monkeys and even a farm animal section!

It’s perfect for kids and adults, and very well sign posted. 

Museu de la Xocolata. Everybody loves chocolate, right? So a museum dedicated to chocolate has to be one of the first places you visit! 

Museu de la Xocolata shows its visitors the history of chocolate in Europe. The origins, how it got to Europe and how it was traded between medicine or food as well as an aphrodisiac. The museum not only reeks of chocolate it also shows the manufacturing of chocolate, from the cocoa bean up to industrial production processes.

So there are just a handful of things you can do in Barcelona that are fun for the whole family. There’s nothing quite like discovering fun and exciting things to do, so I’ll leave the rest you. 

Happy holidays! 

12 Things to Try Before You Die: For Thrillseekers

Life is short, so it’s important that we fill it full of activities and things that make us feel happy and accomplished. For some, that might just mean getting a great job and buying their own house, but for others it might mean stepping into the cage of death or kayaking over a waterfall. This post is dedicated to the thrillseekers out there; here’s 12 things to try before you die:

1. Volcano Boarding

Snowboarding isn’t the thrill to seek anymore - volcano boarding is! Take yourself to Cerro Negro in Nicaragua (which last erupted in 1999), take a hike over the landscape, board down the slopes of the mountain and then enjoy a cocktail or two to chill out.

2. Step Into The Cage of Death

The ‘Cage of Death’ in Australia puts you in the middle of some of the country’s most dangerous crocodiles for 15 minutes, separated by only a few inches of perspex material. 

3. Do an Everest Skydive

Sure, you could climb Everest with a company like Private Expeditions, or you could get in a plane and do a skydive above it!

4. Free Dive in Dean’s Blue Hole

Dean’s Blue Hole is a deep, dark, scary pool of water. Freediving here can be very liberating indeed if you think you can handle it!

5. Have a Go on The World’s Steepest Rollercoaster

The world’s steepest roller coaster is located in Japan at the Fuji-Q theme park. You’ll love the g-force that holds you back through 7 twists and a 43 meter drop!

6. Go Zorbing

You might feel a bit like a hamster, but zorbing can be a great way to bring the child out in you. Simply climb into a big ball at the top of a hill and get pushed down it at top speed!

7. Run With The Bulls

Who doesn’t want to be chased by bulls? Run as fast as you can as the large, heavy beasts try to trample you!

8. Kayak Over a Waterfall

Kayaking over waterfalls is something the Americans love to do. Have lots of fun taking on waterfalls higher than Niagara falls!

9. Eat Dinner in The Sky

Eat dinner from 50 meters in the air; what a view! Choose 21 friends to take with you and enjoy your dinner in the sky (just go to the loo before you ascend).

10. Climb Harbour Bridge

Climbing the harbour bridge in Australia can be done many ways but is plenty of fun no matter which you choose.

11. Swim With Great White Sharks

Head on over to Cape Town and swim with great white sharks. Just make sure you stay inside the cage at all times!

12. Go Cheese Rolling

Gloucester in England is famous for it’s cheese rolling tradition. Chase a round block of cheese down a hill and perhaps fracture a few bones while doing so!

Can you think of anything to add to the list? We think the 12 things listed here are some of the most thrilling out there - don’t miss out!

100 Days of School

The kids have celebrated their 100th days of school on Valentine's day. Prior to that, we helped Mr. Burrito make something for the celebration. We used these small bands to decorate her 100 poster.  When it comes to project like this, Ms. Burrito is always willing to help her  brother.  Mr. Burrito does not mind at all as he is not  very crafty.

When I was a kid, we  never had this kind of  stuff.  All we celebrate  was  Christmas.  We did not even have a party for Valentine's lol.  Over here in the US, there are so many celebration for the kids such as St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's day, Easter, and a lot more.

Valentine Treats in School

The day before Valentine's Day, me and the kids were busy preparing their treats to their classmates and friends. We bought some candies and cards and put them in Valentine bags.  They also made  a Treat Bag in their art class.

I  don't know why  this is being  done to school anyway.  It's kind of  useless if you think about it.  Every  child buys  the same things to give out to their friends and then they get back the same thing.  I personally think that it is kind of silly.  But the joy of giving and receiving I guess that's what matters.

Anyway, I took these photos when they arrived from school after their Valentine's party in their respective classrooms.  They were making inventory of what they got and trading   sweets  that they like.  Most of this went to the  "store it" basket as I don't let them eat too much sweets.

One of the Mom's prepared  a treat which I really liked because it is healthy, an orange, such a clever Idea.

We also bought some   gifts for their teachers (rose and chocolate).

Why Zermatt Will Never Host the Winter Olympic Games

Zermatt has so much going for it as a venue for winter sports that you might be surprised to read that we think it will never host the Winter Olympic Games. What could possibly be stopping this lovely Alpine village from serving as a host for the Winter Olympics? 

It certainly deserves to – Zermatt is a top-rated ski and winter sports resort. What better place could be found to hold all those exciting Winter Olympics competitions?

So what’s the problem? It’s not like the Swiss aren’t able to pull off hosting such a complex, immense event. St. Moritz has hosted the Winter Olympic Games twice, once in 1928 and again in 1948. So why shouldn’t Zermatt join the list of Olympics venues? Here are a few factors in favor of Zermatt, followed by one big drawback.

Factors in Favor of Zermatt Being Selected as an Olympics Host

The main things in favor of Zermatt are its climate, terrain, and excellent winter sports. When it comes down to it, there aren’t many resorts that offer better skiing and snowboarding. Zermatt has some of the best winter sports conditions you’ll find anywhere.

And then there’s the Matterhorn. It’s probably the world’s most immediately recognizable mountain, and it’s visible from many parts of Zermatt. The Matterhorn is hard to beat as far as sightseeing is concerned.

Zermatt also has comfortable, cozy hotels, restaurants that serve appetizing food, interesting shops, and a festive nightlife. There’s enough to do in Zermatt that no visitor is ever bored.

Factors Working Against Zermatt Being Selected as an Olympics Host

The factors working against Zermatt’s selection are mostly related to its small size. For example, although there are more than enough Zermatt hotels to accommodate a normal number of visitors, there isn’t enough room to build an Olympic Village (the area where the athletes traditionally stay). 

Likewise, while there are plenty of challenging ski runs and snowboarding slopes close to Zermatt, there isn’t enough room to build the big structures that are needed for some of the other winter sports. For example, there’s simply no room in Zermatt to build the big enclosed stadiums that would be needed for ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, curling and so on. 

Plus, even though Zermatt hotels are plentiful – plenty to handle the resort’s normal number of visitors - there aren’t nearly enough to accommodate the huge numbers of spectators at any modern Winter Olympic Games. It’s the same problem with Zermatt’s restaurants, pubs and cafés. There just aren’t enough of them to handle tens of thousands of visitors at any one time, and there’s not enough room to build many more. 

When you add it all up, Zermatt’s winter sports are magnificent, but the village just isn’t large enough to serve as a host for a modern Winter Olympic Games. Of course, its small size makes it an ideal spot for a winter vacation that isn’t related to the Olympics.

Air Force Base in San Antonio Texas

Some  of the few shots I took when we went to Air Force base in San Antonio Texas last year.  We went there to buy our tickets to Sea World.   If you are a veteran or  in the military service, it always  good to  buy your tickets from the military base because they have discounts.  That's what we did too when we went to  Disney World in Florida in 2011.

Although tired from our very early flight, our  kids are still enthusiastic in looking around while we were driving towards the base.  The little mister  was adoring all the planes we saw there.

Football

I never watched football  game when I was still in the Philippines so I have no idea how this sports work.  My husband tried to explain this to me a couple of times but I can't grasp it's concept lol.  I love sports but this one is not  my cup of tea as I can't understand the rules.  Anyway, last September  14, we went to Jimmy Carey Stadium here in our area to support the high school team (Madonna) who were  playing  that night.

The long  queue getting inside the stadium, the  full parking area, and the anxious  Burritos  wanting to get in, was a bit overwhelming lol.  The lady who was selling the ticket  hooked us up.  She only charged us for three ($18) instead of four.  Aside from that we also have to pay for parking..

It was my first time watching  football.  I mean, I watched it on TV but since I wasn't interested, I never really enjoyed it.  I must admit though that I enjoyed watching this with my husband and kids.  I think it is different when you are cheering for a team.  

The kids are more excited of  playing with their  friends and classmates rather than watching the game.  The hard part is getting them to leave.  See the other parents at the bottom?  They find it hard to get their kids to leave and so was mine.

It was late  when we  went home.  We did not even finished the game.  IT was  a nice experience for all of us.  And the great thing is, our team won, wohooo!

Wellness Check Up

My children's doctor sent us  a reminder  that our  kids are due for   the wellness check up.  We haven't  set our appointment for them yet because we are avoiding the sickness-pit.  With the nasty bug going around the area, I am sure that there are so many sick  kids are going to the doctors office so that's why we prefer not to take our kids yet.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that the Winter  will pass and my kids won't get sick.  So far, healthy eating and exercising helps them   not to get sick this Winter. 

Onto another topic, lots of people are affected by the ObamaCare so some of them are looking for a good  policy.  Looking at the   www.nchealthagency.com website, they have affordable health care insurance policy, so if you are planning to switch, you might want to check them out.

Longing for a Warmer Weather

Sometimes, when Ms. Burrito's teacher reschedules her  piano lesson, she  would ask us to drop of Ms. Burrito at her house and not at Torrence Music place.  We always hangs out at their big yard and enjoy the  beauty of the nature  instead of going somewhere.  They have a beautiful and wide  property.  

Looking at these pictures on my phone makes me  wish for a warmer weather.  Winter can be so  depressing.

Photos were taken by my Samsung Galaxy phone.  These were taken last year.  I can't wait for the Winter to be over and Spring to start and better yet, for the Summer time again so we could fully enjoy outdoors.
Shadow Shots

Sailor's Journey

I told my husband that he should write about his experiences   when he was still in  active duty.  I think that a book about his lifew wuld be a good read for our kids and the next genertation.   He said that he doesn't have the skill to write but I know that he has it  because he used to  send me   tons of well-composed love letters when were still miles apart.  I think the problem  is not  due to lack of  skills or passion but the fact that he is a perfectionist.  When he writes something, it  gets so long and then when he proofreads it, he will delete a lot of it.  He is really good in finding errors or mistakes when he reads or compose an article.  

It would be really nice though if  he can  write a story about his journey as a  sailor.  I think that  promptessay.com can  help him  with this.  All he need is time and motivation.  So you see, my husband is a talker, he used to give lessons  to  junior  guys with  some training when he was still in the ship.  He would rather talk his ideas than sit and write it.  That is why him and I are  a very good match because he talks and I listen.

Embark on a New Adventure

When our two children are  getting to the age where  they need to go to pre-school, hubby and I decided to just teach them at home using   some  resources that we  bought from the store and some resources we found online.  It turned out really well, they enjoyed it and we also enjoyed  the experience. We  encountered some   difficulties along the way but overall, it was truly  a preceous journey for all of us.  When they started  kindergarten, they were   very much ready.

I wish  that I could have known the EmbarK¹² program online.  It could have have been a great tool for us.  Lucky for those parents who are planning to  teach their  pre-schooler at home because they can try their online programs.  The good thing about their program is that, the curriculum is  designed for both  public and private school. The private curriculum could have have been a perfect choice for my kids since they are now attending private school.