Pomelo

I was checking out our refrigerator and found the basket of fruits - pushed way out into the back - that was part of the 13 fruits that I prepared for the Lunar new year.

Seeing that it has been weeks that hubby and I have been reminding each other to eat them but neither of us actually did as we're both too lazy to cut the fruit up or to peel them, I took out a big red pomelo cut it in half, put each half on a plate and placed it in front of hubby and me.

"Eat," I said.

As we struggled to peel our pomelos and fought to defend our eyes from the juices that spray out when we squeeze too hard, hubby tells me, "I have never heard of anybody eating all of these (as he points to his pomelo half) in one day. It's not possible!"

This made me laugh and laugh. I couldn't stop.

You see, that was the last thing I expected to hear from a guy who is known to eat half a watermelon in one sitting :)

All ears

This is *not* a sponsored post but I just have to rave about some products that we recently got to use. Please do not continue reading if you're squeamish - this post contains graphic images and descriptions.

Last January, when we brought Swe-cha to his pediatrician for a sick baby visit and he was diagnosed with an ear and eye infection, we were also told that he has ear wax buildup in his ears and they were getting quite bad. I asked the doctor for advise and she told us to either use hydrogen peroxide or Debrox drops in his ears.

When we dropped by the pharmacy, I checked both out and decided to buy Debrox because it was meant for earwax and I thought that it was the better choice between the two. We didn't use it right away because I had some doubts as to how it really works because when I asked the doctor how we could get the wax out after using it, she told us that the wax "dissolves". Later, when I got home, I checked online and saw that you were supposed to flush the ear out after using the product and the wax comes out with the water. This made sense.

Given that the doctor told me that the wax "dissolves", I wanted to get an otoscope first so that I could check his ears before and after treatment. So I checked out reviews and options and was able to get a shortlist of what I might get.

A month after that sick baby visit (this was 2 weeks ago), we brought Swe-cha back to the pedia's office so that his ears can be checked. Doc has to make sure that his infection is all cleared up. By then, the wax buildup has gotten so bad, his eardrums couldn't be seen. His ear canal was all blocked up. The doctor couldn't see past the wax so she was not able to visually confirm that the ear infection has cleared up.

I quickly made the decision and ordered the otoscope when we got home. Unfortunately, Swe-cha isn't as cooperative as I wished he would be. He fought and kicked and waved his arms about and I just couldn't get near his ear w/ the otoscope so we never got around to using the Debrox on him.

Fast forward to this week, Swe-cha started daycare on Monday and by Wednesday, he was sniffling and by Friday afternoon, he had a fever. It was okay at first and manageable by Tylenol but that night, his fever spiked up to 104+F and it didn't go away even with the application of both Tylenol and Advil alternating every 3 hrs.

Hubby and I decided to break out the otoscope and check his ears out to try and see if he has an ear infection again. One of us hugged him and held his arms down, the other held his head still and peered into his right ear and ack! BLOCKED NGA! His ear canal was almost completely blocked by a solid wall of wax with only a little hole left - this explains his "selective hearing" and how he can easily ignore us whenever he does not agree with us :P

While he was asleep, we decided to apply debrox into his ears. We were only able to put in 4 drops into his left ear and only 2 in his right ear because he kept turning his head and sticking his finger into his ear. Later, he woke up and sat crying but he only seemed like he was bothered, not really in pain - I checked the reviews on amazon later and read that there are crackling and sizzling sounds when you apply the Debrox, this comes from the release of oxygen. Kaya naman pala.

When he woke up this morning, I found a big chunk of earwax just inside his auricle / outer ear - it measured 1/4" at its widest. This was from the left ear which got more drops of Debrox. Ang galing! Super effective, no ?

We took Swe-cha to the doctor to be checked out (for his fever) this morning and doc says that the one ear is completely wax-free! The other one's has been softened enough that she was able to push it to the side, she was able to check out both ears and they're both clear of infection - for now. We were sent home w/ instructions to just take good care of him, nurse his fever and keep him hydrated. Don't make a big issue out of it if he does not want to eat (doc says she wouldn't want to eat if she's down with a cold either).

Anyway, we plan to use more of the Debrox on his other ear as soon as he gets well. Don't want to bother him too much right now.

Cord Blood Registry

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of CryoCell International. All opinions are 100% mine.

Our son is 14 months old now and I still remember that it was around this time two years ago - yes, I started looking into cord blood storage options even before I got pregnant - when I first heard about www.Cryo-Cell.com

We did get pregnant a few months later and by then, my husband and I had already heard about the top few choices, in terms of popularity, that parents usually go for when they opt to have their babies' cord blood stored and www.Cryo-Cell.net was one of them.

Being a considerable expense, we did not decide to push through with this until we were in our 3rd trimester. It helped that when we called up www.Cryo-Cell.com, the advisor we talked to was very helpful and sent us an information packet - no commitment needed - and it helped us decide. 

14 months later, we're still happy with our decision and have not regretted anything. So if you're expecting, do consider cord blood banking and talk to an advisor (and hey, get a free bellybag while you're at it, too!).

Daycare week 1 review

This is a recap of Swe-cha's first week in daycare, you can check out our family blog for a blow-by-blow & more detailed account of his daycare experience.

At first, I thought it was going to be a breeze, he immediately went towards the toys and did not even give me a glance when I dropped him off on his first day. There was very little crying and the daycare staff found him easy to pacify.

On day 2, daycare started calling me an hour after I dropped him off. He was crying non-stop and was upsetting the other kids and making them cry too (I had dropped him off an hour before naptime, this turned out to be a big mistake!). I had to go back and pick him up again.

By day 3 and 4, the daycare and I had worked out a plan to bring him in between 9 to 12nn everyday (instead of the original schedule of 3 days a week). We were also asked to adjust our schedule and get him to bed earlier and get him awake earlier as well.

Today was supposed to be his 5th day in daycare but I decided to keep him home because it was raining outside. This turned out to be a good decision because he had a fever by this afternoon.

I experienced a lot of different emotions this week, so much drama w/c was timely in a way because this is Oscars week, after all :) After dropping him off on day 1, I felt so sad and disappointed that he didn't cling to me at all. I felt like an empty nester and would sob every now and then because I was missing my little boy so much.

On day 2, I knew how it felt like to be called into the principal's office and have your child sent home from school. By nighttime, I was feeling so much pressure because I was worrying about the next day - what if he does it again ? what if daycare won't accept us anymore ?

By day 3, I felt such a load lifted off my shoulders when the daycare proposed a different schedule for us to ease Swe-cha into daycare. I was so relieved to see that they were willing to be flexible and work with us. J (daycare owner) tells me that "he wants to be carried all the time!" and that they have to let him cry so he'll learn and when they do put him down, he cries and follows J around - it broke my heart to hear this.

By day 4, Swe-cha did so much better in daycare. They try to avoid carrying him so he does not get used to it but when he isn't being carried, they have someone sitting nearby. They found out that he is okay so long as someone (an adult) is near him.

I had so many great plans to get our house in shape when Swe-cha goes to daycare. As it turns out, between dropping him off, picking him up, stopping by to peek through the windows to see how he is doing (stalker-style), and calling up daycare to check up on him... I haven't been able to get some "me time" yet and I'm even more exhausted than before. Hoping that next week will be better.

Leaky window

The leaky window is finally fixed, finally!

We've been trying to fix this since October, replacing the rubber seals and gaskets around the window. We were doing good until we hit a snag w/ the waterbar weatherstrip. It was supposed to sit at an angle so that it'll touch the upper wall but it doesn't so water started dripping INTO our windows.

Sigh.

Finally had to call some window guys to come in and assess the damage. Guy comes in today, checks it out and tells me that he can fix it today. I also asked him to replace the window operator (crank), it's been broken since before I bought the place years ago so while he's here, I thought better have him replace it.

I'm happy w/ the labor I paid but feel that we were overcharged for the operator. He charged us $100 for a $30 part but if I consider the discount that I got for $35 for an online coupon that I printed out, the surcharge comes down to $35... pwede na. After all, I do have to order it online and wait for it to arrive and then install it ourselves (and assume that we ordered the right part)... hassle!

Total damage to our wallet was $200 and change. That's very reasonable compared to the other company who gave me an estimate of $199 minimum for the labor only. If I include what we previously spent on the rubber seals and all, we have spent less than $250.

Anyway, for our future reference, I'm writing down our window details: Andersen casement windows, circa 1980, terratone finish. You need to have these details, along w/ the glass dimensions, when you need to order replacement parts.

President's Day Loot

I wasn't really planning on going out today but hubby saw the President's Day deals that Staples had going on and we just couldn't resist.

I went and made hakot the free items that they advertised (shameless, I know!) and got the following items:

2 reams of multipurpose paper

2 packs of Avery address labels (750 pcs each pack)

2 packs of inkjet photo paper (60 pcs 4x6 each pack)

1 pack of 1x2 inch stickies (1200 sheets total)

1 spindle HP DVD-R (50pcs)

We paid $71 and expect to get $61 back in rebates. So this lot is gonna cost us $10 when we get back the rebates (I've never had issues with Staples' easy rebates naman so I'm not worried).

In fairness, I did plan on buying some card stock w/c I can use to print out flash cards for Swe-cha (remember, the laminating machine I purchased recently?) but they only sold the card stock in reams as huge as the multipurpose paper. So even though I didn't plan on "buying" the free photo packs of photo paper, I got them instead and I just plan using these for Swe-cha's flash cards.

For someone who has not brought home a paycheck in more than a year, I've sure spent a lot recently. Sigh.

Irresistible eh.

---

btw, if you're reading this on or before 2/21 and you're in the US, you might still be able to get the same deals if they're being offered in your local store.

Vacation

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

I've been talking on and off about how Swe-cha will be starting daycare next week. I really am excited and looking forward to it on some level and yet, I'm dreading the day on another. We haven't really been apart more than a few hours ever since he was born... nay, ever since he was conceived, even! 

I do get to go out alone when I run errands (grocery, mail packages, go to the bank, etc) but I always leave him with his Dad, who I'm sure he's okay with. And the one and only time I ever took and spent on a purely-me time, I left him with his paternal grandmother, his Di-pe (uncle) and again, his Dad. 

When we attend gatherings and he deigns to let other people carry him, I am always in the background, hovering. Yes, I am one of *those*. Sigh.

So now, with him starting daycare next week, hubby has been reminding me every day to not immediately tackle my to-do list first thing. Hubby wants me to just take it easy - nap, rest, relax - on our first day of daycare and sort of treat it like a vacation because I do need one (kinda makes me wonder if I look *that* haggard, no ?).

And I tell hubby that he's not gonna get away that easily... one of these days, he's going to have to bring me to Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing or to Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel for a REAL vacation. This ? Getting to rest and relax a little bit next week is just a breather. Their Romance Package is available all throughout February and with both Valentine's Day and our wedding anniversary falling in that same month, this is really the ideal time for us to be spending some time alone together. I'd love to just stay in and have an in-room breakfast for two and then celebrate dinner at Level 2 Steakhouse with a couple of ribeye steaks (and probably a taste of that duck breast, yummy!). 

I wonder if my mom can come over and babysit for a few days while we go on that romantic escapade ? Hmmm.

Mommy's new toy

Look who's checking out Mommy's new toy.

I love office supplies - staplers, post-its, different colored pens, stickers, rubber stamps, ring-binding machines, postal weighing scales ...

If I had the money (and the space), I'd probably have all of them at home! Anyway, I've been longing for my own in-home thermal laminator for the longest time but it wasn't really practical so I would just buy those self-sticking laminating sheets whenever I needed something laminated but those weren't cheap either.

So now, with the excuse of "making flash cards" for Swe-cha, I happily ordered one :)

Christmas and birthday loot

My boys checking out their Christmas loot.

And yes, I know, our living room is such a mess! That's one of the items on Mommy's list of things to do when Swe-cha goes off to daycare next week.

Hopefully, it wouldn't take long before our house is clean, organized and presentable again - note that I'm being kind to ourselves when I say "again", our place has not been neat and organized since Swe-cha was born a little over a year ago.

I also can't wait to go all-out on job hunting and get employed once again. Hubby and I have so many plans and a loooong list of what we want to buy and do, one of which is to replace that sofa in the picture with a new one, preferably with a leather furniture set.

But then again, we might just wait until we can afford to a new place (that house w/ a backyard that we have been dreaming of for the longest time) before we start investing in new furniture. The less we buy now, the less we have to move (and less chances of our stuff getting damaged in the move) in the future. Oh, and I have to also mention that the more big furniture you have, the less friends you have ;) - just kidding, our friends here are the greatest.

Peyton Place

While talking (translation: gossiping) about some family drama going on in Manila right now, my sister made a comment that made me laugh.

Sister: ... ang gulo nila, parang Peyton Place, no ?

huh ? after a few seconds, I realized what she meant...

Me: Peyton place ? Do you mean to say, Melrose Place ?

Sister: Ah, oo nga pala. Yun! Melrose Place.

Heehee. Funny ka!

Sweets

We celebrated our nth wedding anniversary last week and as I always say, we're not big on celebrations - we don't exchange gifts, walang flowers but we sometimes exchange cards. But hubby does manage to surprise me every now and then by gifting me with nice things for our anniversary - usually during those years w/c have significance with us.

This year, our friend R dropped by the weekend before our anniversary to pick up some coupons. I was so happy because she picked up a cake for us - an advanced Valentine's day cake - she was not aware that it was our anniversary. It was so sweet and thoughtful of her! And thanks for R, we do get to have something special and sweet for our anniversary dinner (w/c happened to be Japanese takeout, haha!). We're kinda overdoing the tipid thing, no ? But seriously, the Japanese takeout wasn't cheap.

While we did not really plan to celebrate other than ordering something extra-special to eat at home, I was happy to have cake. Hubby leaves the office late and does not have time to pick something up for dinner and I do not like having to go out to get something because that means that I'd have to bring the baby out with me and it does get too cold outside and Swe-cha hates to get bundled up because his movements get restricted.

Anyway, next anniversary, if and when I'm no longer breastfeeding, we should also probably do some online wine shopping and get something to help celebrate the occasion.

Baby Gate

Materials used:

- munchkin top of stairs baby gate (hardware installed, not tension-mounted)

- melamine board (3/4" thick)

- Kidkusion Gummi Crib Rail

- nuts, bolts and screws

Tools used: measuring tape, level, pencil for marking, stud finder, power drill.

I'm glad that we decided to "finish" the edges of that melamine board that we used with Kidkusion Gummi Crib Rail protection instead of buying a thin sliver of melamine edging that you glue on the edge. Last night, I watched Swe-cha crawl to the board and bite the edge, right where the gummi covering is.

Effective, no ? Sulit na the $12.99 we paid for each box of the Gummi (we bought 2).

A Valentine's Day Story

If you've been following my blog, you'll notice that my husband and I aren't big on flowers and gifts (we normally just exchange cards) and apparently, this is about to change this year.

Coming home from running errands last Sunday, I rushed into the house shouting "Baby, I'm home and I have a Valentine's day gift for Daddy!"

Hubby froze upon hearing this, "sh*t,... I had not gotten you anything." and he started to look really guilty.

"It's okay, I don't mind not getting a gift this year," I said.

and then I whispered, "So, is it gonna be a surprise ? Excited na ako!"

[hubby looked even guiltier]

"No, I'm serious, I really did not get you anything. There really is no surprise."

Then, in a really small pathetic voice, I asked, "ah.. sige, okay lang. Tipid-mode pala tayo. Okay lang na walang anniversary gift and walang V-day gift." and I started to walk away.

When I showed him my gift a few minutes later - a NY Jets shirt - he started laughing, "SALE YAN NO ?".

I bought it for him to use as a pambahay because it was XL (he loves huge baggy shirts), it was on sale (they didn't make it to the Superbowl), and the material (cloth) felt nice. I didn't really buy it for V-day.

That was Sunday.

Come Valentine's Day, we greeted each other as usual and he left for work and Swe-cha and I spent the day together. The day pretty much went like other regular days except that I didn't get to nap with Swe-cha in the morning because I prepared some Pearl Barley broth for his lunch (it's a home-remedy for constipation). When he took his 2nd nap of the day and commandeered my arm for a pillow, I fell asleep right alongside of him. Now, hubby usually calls when he leaves work but tonight, he did not call so I didn't wake up in time to prepare dinner.

Hubby arrived home to find Swe-cha and me cuddled together and sleeping and NO food. He was good-natured about it and went out again to pick up some Chinese takeout. Swe-cha and I woke up just as he got back home again.

Later, while watching TV... he handed me a card. I opened it and I read the sweetest message from hubby and Swe-cha. I was so happy because I felt that he really looked for a nice card that reflected our lives together. I usually just pick the nicest-looking card I can find but hubby does take his time, he is thoughtful that way.

I smiled the widest smile ever.

After I read the card and put it back in the envelope again, he then shouted "GIFT!" (mala-Price is Right tone na "A new car!") and handed me a pack of Kit-Kats. I didn't think it was possible, but my smile went even wider and I said, "Wow, sakto, I just finished the last of my Lindt's dark chocolate this afternoon."

Hubby then said, "ah, ganon ba ? ANOTHER GIFT!" and handed me a pack of Lindt's dark chocolate. I was so giddy with happiness and said "Thank you! Wow, puro chocolates."

And hubby then said, "sige, para maiba naman, ISA PANG GIFT!" and handed me a box of microwave popcorn. YAY!

I'm sure I have... but I don't remember laughing or smiling this much. While all this was happening, Swe-cha was right beside me and acting all excited. He would pounce on my gifts as they were handed to me, kala mo marunong na.

Other girls get flower arrangements, jewelry and other fineries on V-day, I get to spend it with my loving husband, my son and all my favorite things. I felt like I just won the lotto (well, actually winning the lottery would be good too)

We ended the day on a high note - hubby and I munching on the KitKats and Swe-cha playing with the wrappers. Gosh, if hubby keeps this up, I'm gonna have to get him to enjoy Monaco grand prix hospitality just to keep up.

How to install a baby gate (Part 2)

This is the 2nd part in the baby gate series brought to you by guest blogger, Swe-cha (with Mommy translating). To read the first part, click on this link.

After measuring and marking where things will go, prep the cordless drill.

Let's make some holes!

[Mommy: This is where Daddy had to wrestle Swe-cha for the drill, my boys do love their power tools!]

Attach the panels with bolts and nuts.

Make sure all the bolts and nuts are nice and tight.

Attach the gate and test for stability.

Supplementing with Formula

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

We just got back from our 12th month well-baby visit to the pediatrician yesterday (we're a bit late because Swe-cha was sick when he hit the 12th month mark and we decided to postpone his immunizations until he recovered).

I was happy to see him tip the scales at 20 lbs 2 oz - my son is no heavyweight at this point but this was such a relief because he has lost so much weight when he got sick twice in December and January - almost 3 full pounds since exactly a month ago. That wasn't too shabby, considering that we've been gaining around an average of 1 pound a month for the last half year

Unfortunately, when his weight was plotted on his growth chart, his rate of weight gain since birth didn't look so well. He started out at the 50th percentile and in the last few well-baby visits, he's gone down slowly and is now in the 10th percentile when it comes to his weight. *sigh*

Pedia says we have to monitor his weight closely now. I'm sort of confident about him being on track in terms of weight gain because he is eating again now (he also went on a hunger strike around November that lasted a few weeks during which he hardly ate any solids at all). But he will go into daycare soon and I fear that there will be a period of adjustment where he'll eat less and I'm also sure that they won't be able to feed him as diligently as we do at home.

In the meantime, I've decided to up his calorie-intake as much as I can so that we can get a head start on the weight issue. Sis suggests I supplement our breastmilk with powdered formula (i.e. add powdered formula to breastmilk before giving to Swe-cha).

I haven't decided to go through with this plan yet but I am very tempted to go ahead and buy on diapers.com. Who knew that despite being blessed with an abundance of breastmilk, we'd be supplementing with formula at this stage ? *smile* I don't really have any issues as I (and my husband) grew up on infant's formula. I also did plan on switching Swe-cha to Toddler formula instead of cow's milk when our breastmilk supply dries up.

Do check out Bright Beginnings infant formula and like Bright Beginnings on Facebook and please feel free to leave me some comments on what your thoughts are about our plan to up my toddler's calorie intake by adding formula to breastmilk.

Zooper

This was the Zooper stroller that we got for free when we signed up for cord-blood banking when Swe-cha was born. We've been using this since we outgrew the baby-carrier plus snap-n-go combination and other than the lack of a nice cup holder, I haven't been disappointed.

This stroller has amazed me yet again this winter. You see, it came with its own cozy winter boot so the baby is kept nice and warm while you stroll about outdoors. Aside from this winter boot, it also came with a rain cover and sun shade attachment. Ang cool, diba ? No need to shell out extra $$$ for accessories that you may or may not use. As I'm sure you already know, I'm a sucker for anything free (or cheap, heehee).

We've been house-bound all winter long because of the extreme cold (and the fact that Swe-cha was on & off sick in early December till January) but we did venture out the other day to visit this nearby daycare place the other day when it got a little bit warmer (40s fahrenheit).

He still does his usual complaining, squirming and screeching when I bundle him up and strap him in the winter boot but he quiets down and starts enjoying himself as soon as we are outside. He goes back to complaining again when we are indoors (methinks, he is mad at being restrained).

Swe-cha will start daycare in the next couple of weeks and as I don't plan on carrying him all the way to daycare and back and considering that he also resists getting strapped into his carseat, this is the next best thing. I do hope that he gets used to this and stops fighting me when I put him in, I am not looking forward to fighting with him twice a day.

Daycare

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Boudreaux's Butt Paste. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

We've decided to start Swe-cha's transition to daycare and I've been calling up daycare facilities in our area these couple of weeks. So far, most of the facilities I've called are fully-booked, the earliest opening that they have is in July 2011! I guess there are that many babies in the area, huh ?

 

I did find a couple that had openings and fortunately, one of those that had an available slot is within walking distance from home. Swe-cha and I visited them this Monday and we liked what we saw. I'm currently getting Swe-cha's schedule synchronized with the daycare's and we hope to get him in by next next week at the latest.

 

Last night, I sort of broke down crying, I was having separation anxiety. I also had a lot of concerns about his care - will he eat ? will he take to the caregivers ? how will he interact with the other kids ?

 

I was also concerned about him getting diaper rash. He has been diaper-rash free for most of his life. He only had diaper rashes when he was a few days old (Mommy and Daddy didn't know how to take good care of his bottom) and again last month when he got sick and got diarrhea from taking his medications. I guess I just have to remind the sitters at the daycare to make sure that they put Boudreaux's Butt Paste on him every diaper change.  We've tried other brands but none seems to work as well as Boudreaux's Butt Paste when it comes to healing and preventing diaper rash and best of all, it goes on and off easily! No additional irritations just trying to wipe it off his bottom.

 

Which reminds me, I gotta go get a 4oz tube which I can leave for Swe-cha's use at daycare. The 16oz jar is probably too big to leave there considering that we're only going for part time care at the start.

 

If you haven't tried this yet, get on the Boudreux website and request a free sample, that's what I did before.

Deep fried stuffed tofu

This is yet another dish in our "quest for the ultimate tofu dish" series.

The filling came out dry. Need to adjust that some more. If the filling were moist, that would've contrasted nicely with the crispness of the tofu.

Recipes

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kenmore Live Studio. All opinions are 100% mine.

Last weekend was Superbowl weekend and seeing as how there are lots of Superbowl parties during this time, I am suddenly reminded of how long it has been since we entertained. As dinner time approached, it was then that another realization hit me, I do not have any Super Bowl Recipes in my repertoire and on that note, I also realized that it has been so long since I tried out a new recipe at home.

Hubby, thankfully, knows better than to complain about my cooking.

So I started looking and looking and found this video:

I love popcorn (my blog title and blogger name are obvious indicators of that fact). I love it sweet, I love it salty. I love it buttery. But who knew that popcorn could be so much more ? So I rummaged around for some corn kernels in my kitchen but all I found were some leftover kernels from around 8 years ago - uh... I decided to toss them out before I get tempted *snicker*.

So I decided to do some more searching and found this video for shrimp skewers:

Now, that is more my taste. Perfect for regular meals and perfect for entertaining. I'm gonna be trying this out real soon.

 

Milestone

I was out doing errands last week when I noticed the odometer and I just had to snap a picture.

Our SUV has now logged in 8,888 miles in a little less than 2 years.

Super Bowl XLV

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

We're not really fans of the Steelers or the Packers but we love Superbowl-food.

So, we ordered pizza and munched on them while watching the Superbowl commercials. I don't really buy or eat pizzas that often but every now and then I do get the cravings for it and I sure can put them away :)

On SuperBowl night, we ordered two pizzas, one had a white sauce base while the other had a tomato sauce base. We also ordered in some warm chocolate lava cake.

I enjoyed my pizza with lots and lots of TABASCO® Original Red sauce drizzled over it, hubby's eyes (he cannot tolerate spicy foods) went wide and suddenly, I am reminded of home back when I was still a young girl and we'd order pizza for midnight snacks and my sister would do the exact same thing and declare her Pizza Perfected.

In any case, I now have this newly opened bottle of Tabasco and I'm checking out other simple food ideas and recipes which I can prepare.

RIP

Rest in Peace Uncle Will. You will be missed.

Baby Gate

I finally was able to nag talk my husband into installing the baby gate. Yay!

We've had it since around October or November last year and it has taken all this time to get started on the project. It helped to jumpstart this project when I stopped nagging him and gave a flexible deadline which is "before Swe-cha falls down the stairs".

I do understand hubby's delay, it does get hard to get anything done around the house with a toddler in running and crawling about. I tried to keep Swe-cha away from Daddy while this is going on, but look at the pictures, they look so cute together!

I think hubby enjoyed doing this with his son too. He keeps looking at the pictures that I took and I find him grinning from ear to ear.

This photo below is one of hubby's favorite shots, they just found a stud on the wall and Swe-cha is marking the location (he is fascinated by the red arrow that comes out of the studfinder).

and this is my favorite shot :)

The gate goes here and should be around this high.

I wonder,... when all this is done and completed, can I rely on my boys to finally get that Flooring installation project that I've been dreaming about for the longest time ?

Paper Shredding Heaven

Our old paper shredder w/c looked exactly like this in the picture (the bin is a bit different) died a couple of weeks ago. The LED light still lights up when you turn it on but it won't run or shred paper anymore.

It was a sad sad day for me as I thought about all the good times we've shared. I love my shredder and this one has served me well for more years than I can remember since I won this in a dice game during a mid-autumn festival celebration with my friends ages ago.

So I went off to search for a good replacement. I made it just in time for the last day of Staples' recycle your old shredder promotion - $50 credit if you bring in your old shredder when you buy a Staples' brand shredder with an original price of $149 or more.

I purchased this 12 sheet cross cut medium-duty model. Original price was $149 but it was on sale for $109, less a $10 coupon I had and less $50 for bringing in my old shredder. I got it for $50 + tax. Not bad for a day's work.

We've had this for a week now and I'm happy with it. The only complaint I have is that it is heavy! But what do you expect ? A powerful motor has to be cumbersome. I also love the huge bin, it has a capacity of 3.5 gallons (compared to our old one that is barely 2 gallons).

*smile*

See how a paper shredder makes me so happy ? I'm easy to please this way :)