Bad Hair Day

Have you ever woke up and declare that you have a bad hair day? Well, it is a common thing especially to women that hair should look good all the time. I had a bad hair day this week and all I can think of is cut it! Then, I had this migraine visits. I just cut it myself and I made it! No regrets coz I feel so good. I still have a shoulder length hair today which is good.

My husband warned me not to cut my hair without consulting him first. This day, I did not! I just took him to the bathroom and showed this "mess" and when he looked at me, he gave me an approval. He loves my hair style now. To all the women, do not attempt to follow my decision. Some men truly are serious when they say about your hair. Ask the opinion of your husband to avoid arguments, okay? OH yes! I am blessed with a loving and supportive husband. And I thank God for that.

Blooming Flowers

For those who are curious what keeps me busy aside from blogging and working, here it is. I have a flower garden in our backyard and I am so excited because they are in bloom.These are actually planted by my FIL and his wife two years ago or so. It always survived for winter and when spring time comes, it always parading flowers.
This is a lily and it smells really good.I remember back in the Philippines, this plant just grow on the river banks. My mother used to plant Roses and I asked her lately if the tall Rose plant is still alive. Nope! It died because it grows as tall as 15 ft and Roses kept blooming. We don't buy flowers for the altar anymore.
Some of our neighbors would asked one or two and we gave them also.
This is Azalea Shrub and this usually bloom in springtime. The beautiful flowers won't last long though. Did you know that Azalea is also the flower of the astrology symbol Sagittarius? Now we know.Anyway, as long as it is a Rose, no matter what color, I love it.
Here is another Rose but, color pink and when it bloom fully it is so huge.
I will landscape the space of Rose area near the entrance this week and I am excited to do my task already.

See you next time for my gardening update.

Canon my Favorite Camera

I love photography even though I do not have a formal lesson about it. My interest in taking pictures started when I was in college. My father hand me down his vintage Canon camera. In fact, it can only take black and white pictures. It was heavy and it can take good shots. That was my first camera and finally, my aunt gave me a digital camera which I used every so often. I usually love to take pictures of the people and places. I use the macro feature when the subject is flower and faces. I took pictures of the faces and wacky moments of my baby cousins which they keep as "memorabilia" of their childhood. I captured funny faces and rare moments of their lives as they grow up. At school, one of the teachers in photography handle the Audio-Visual Resources in the school's library. He usually hold his class in the AVR showing his students the technique of capturing good pictures. I was working as a student assistant and with that, I had fun listening to his class. My interest in photography expand but, my fascination of canon camera still locked me in. I do not own an SLR yet but, I am saving to purchase it. Right now, I enjoyed taking pictures of places, birds and flowers.

Earth Day at Gulf Islands National Seashore

Tomorrow is a big day that I look forward to here in Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi. There will be a National Park Week starting April 17 -25, 2010. The first day is the 40th Earth Day celebration which will be held at Davis Bayou Area in Ocean Springs. I am just less than 10 minutes away from the place and that makes it so exciting. I would surely post pictures and events as it unfolds.This is a free event and everybody is welcome. The celebration starts at 10 AM to 3 PM with so many activities such as Audubon Zoo Wetland Express showing live animals, Guided Boat Tours, Nature Walks and Bird Walks. Here's more: Pitcher Plant Fashion Show with Grand Bay NERR, Kayak Tours sponsored by South Coast Paddling, Children’s Eco-Hunt sponsored by Mississippi Power, Children’s Art Contest by Project Aware and 5K walk with Magnolia Volkssport Club. It would be exciting to participate all those activities right? If you can come, just have a good time!

Saving Water

I am a very sensitive person and I crushed easily whenever I saw malnourished children begging for water. I just can't imagine how terrible it is to live in a country with scarcity of food and water. Have you seen that vivid picture of an African boy crawling to find water and vultures were hovering above him? That was when famine struck Africa.

That situation will likely to happen in our place if we do not conserve water and energy. Each one of us should do our share to save water and by doing such, we save our money too. Eco living, green lifestyle and go for green are just few of the community campaigns which gives us awareness to protect Mother Earth.

By being aware, it would mean our participation that starts from our own home. By telling the members of our family to close the faucet when not in use is an initial step to save water. If you are using Dual Flush Toilets then, you eventually lower your water consumption. Your family can save extra money too. Do these things and you can live a healthy lifestyle with a healthy wallet too.

Sonic: Summer Favorite

The weather is very different here in the US compared to the Philippines especially during April onwards. It is very hot and humid as if you can't find fresh air to breathe unless when you are on the beach area or in a forested place. Since our country is located in a tropical zone, summer is hot but never humid. Since it is very hot these days, my husband and I prefer to stay indoor, on the beach and malls. The latest food trip that I have lately is chillin with iced frozen java chiller at Sonic. I always order the Special Trio with it. The heat is bearable once I have the chiller. At home, when I am so thirsty and melting with the heat, I have something to cool me down. I made myself a homemade Coffee Chiller with my favorite macaroni salad made by Amesh.

Despite of the warm and scorcher heat, I manage to chill myself with chillers. Beating the heat so far!

Unlimited Web Hosting at Nexx

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Nexx Inc. All opinions are 100% mine.

Want something new? There is an Unlimited Web Hosting offered by Nexx Inc. This platform is actually rebranded by Nexx to accompany their new launch which they have attached to a special promotion. This is really good news! You can now get one full year of UNLIMITED web hosting and one free .COM domain name for only $10. I am planning to get one myself because my domain will expire soon. Anyway, for each $10 Nexx hosting plan that you will get, it includes the following: unlimited diskspace, unlimited Bandwidth, unlimited e-mail, one domain and 24/7 of Customer Support. It is very important that you can reach them right away if you encounter problems. They have excellent customer service support.

You will also get a $50 worth of Google Adwords Credit, $50 Facebook Ads Credits, and a one-click Wordpress and Blog installations. All these services from Nexx is powered by a top tier North American datacenter. It utilizes clustered server technology which allows proper resource allocation at all times. If you want your website fast and never slow down, get Nexx. This is very affordable and with just $10 for the first year, you will love the experience. This unlimited hosting package provides you a state-of-the-art technology. If you are not satisfied, they also provide a money back guarantee to all new customers. It sounds fair enough, right? Check the Website now.

French Quarter and Bourbon Street

I was having a grand time with my visit somewhere in Alabama last week. We do not stay for the whole day but, we just drive around the beach and eat. Anyway, for the rest of the week, here are the pictures taken at New Orleans, Louisiana specifically the French Quarter. The place is enchanting so; I will definitely go back again and again.Here is the market cafe', we have our dinner here. The food is good but Melissa said Crawfish Pie is really great. I did not took a bite but, if you run to this place, order that. Thanks to the waitress who suggested the food to her. This place is adjascent to the monument of Joan of Arc.
Here we are crossing the street towards French Quarter.
One of the street shows which is common in French Quarter. If you are sitted as an audience, you will see the Catholic Church at the front. See the huge green mascot at the left? Beside the guy who wore pink? He kept waving at me to come near him. I did not! I wanted to take a picture with him but, in French Quarter? There are crazy activities going on. There is a possibility that he will ask a donation once I took the picture. That happened to our companion LOL!

Signage for French Market, truly historic.

2010 Snow in Barcelona

It was the second week of March when my step daughter called us with excitement! " We have a snow!", she told us and posted it in her FB account. She loves snow and so do I. Well, it is not exciting to other places in Spain because the schools were forced to close down as the snow blanket Barcelona. Others were stranded specially the travellers in French-Spanish boarders. Snow in Barcelona is very rare and March is unlikely. Here are some of their pictures:

Their motorbikes covered with snow.

Here they are with happy faces and having fun!Looks like Christmas but no Christmas lights and decorations huh? It is really an odd weather don't you think?

Short Vacation at New Orleans

We are supposed to be in Destin and Panama City, Florida today but, we put it on hold because of the incident happened last Friday night.
It was Tuesday when three of our friends from Orlando visited Mississippi and came to see us. They stayed at Hard Rock and the whole time, we were with them. We showed them the city of Ocean Springs and Biloxi. We let them try crabbing and we went fishing Thursday afternoon. During lunchtime, we had a good time having a picnic at Fort Maurepas. At night time, we went for a casino hopping. We even went to the farthest casinos Island View and Treasure Bay. By Friday, we went to New Orleans, Louisiana because everyone wanted to visit the French Quarter and dine in Cafe du Monde. We stop by at Pat O'Briens bar and have a little drink. We then went to Market Cafe and have our dinner. They went shopping but, my husband and I wanted to play at Harrah's Casino so; we decided to met them there.
Actually, it was only hubby who played the slot machines while I stayed in Starbucks. We were so exhausted when we travel home and planned to drop by at Beau Rivage Casino.

Phone rang and it was my sis in law informing us that FIL had a bad fall on a ditch. She brought him to emergency room (hospital is just 5 minutes away) and he was doing okay when we arrived home

We left our friends in Hard Rock that night with full of memories. We will be going to Destin this week but no over night stay.

Divine Mercy Sunday

Today is the Divine Mercy Sunday, a big celebration for Roman Catholics in the whole world. In the Philippines especially in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental, pilgrims gather to give reverence to the mercy of God and its power. The pictures below were taken at Ulaliman, El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental, Philippines at the Divine Mercy Hill.
Divine Mercy devotion which is known today can be traced to a Polish nun and canonized saint, Sister Faustyna Kowalska. Just this week though, a tragic plane crash accident happened which ended the lives of 92 high ranking officials in Poland. Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife were among the casualty. This accident was believed to be the worst disaster in Poland since WWII. Today, is a day of mourning in Poland and the whole world join in prayers for the eternal repose of their soul. God's mercy will not be turned away from them.

Ten years ago, Pope John Paul II officially instituted the Feast of the Divine Mercy universally for the Catholic Church. It is done on the same day that he canonized St. Faustina. The Divine Mercy is also recognized and celebrated by the Universal Anglican Church and adapted the chaplet and the rosary.

The Image Symbolizes: Blood and Water

Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus I trust in You. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and throughout the world. (Diary 47) -

source: ewtn.com

I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I myself will defend it as My own glory. (Diary 48) -

source: ewtn.com

I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature" :Jesus, I trust in You." (Diary 327) -

source: ewtn.com

The two rays denote Blood and Water. the pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. (Diary 299) -

source: ewtn.com

Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush, lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace. (Diary 313) -

source: ewtn.com

By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works. (Diary 742) -

source: ewtn.com

Jesus, We trust in You!

By The Beach

This is the Harbor in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. We have friends from Orlando who came for a short vacation here in Mississippi. They stayed at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino which is my favorite casino in this area. Spring Break season right? Supposedly, hotel rates are high but not in this area. They actually get an $89/night deal and their room is facing the Gulf of Mississippi. Thinking to have a vacation? Visit Mississippi and take your pick from these hotels: Hard Rock, Beau Rivage, Palace Resort, Grand Hotel, Imperial Palace, Treasure Bay, Island View and Hollywood Casino. Well, all of these hotels have casinos, and the buffet and steakhouse are fabulous. Free ads huh? LOL!.Here they are by the beach at the harbor area catching crabs. Beautiful scenery that your eyes can absorbed!
Aiming the scenery with my models, lol! This is my only regret when I hold the camera, I am not in the picture.
Here they are enjoying the view and having fun! What a beautiful people huh!
Wow, he caught one blue crab, amazing!
A happy face of an aspiring fisherman, LOL!
Such a beaotiful place to visit huh? Visit Ocean Springs and Biloxi, Mississippi to enjoy this wonderful view by the beach.
If you want a good restaurant to have your meals without leaving the area, Harbor Landing is a good place to hang out. The view from this deck is truly amazing!

You wanna know where we go from here? Casino hopping! One of the things that I love being in this place!

iLasik Video Contest by Abbott Medical Optics, Inc

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Incendia Health. All opinions are 100% mine.

Few months ago, Abbott Medical Optics Inc. which is known to be a global leader in laser vision correction launched an iLASIK Video Contest titled "You Gotta See This". Talented participants submitted videos of people with improved vision and showed how it impacted their lives. With so many entries submitted, the company announced the winners of the “You Gotta See This” iLASIK Video Contest. The Grand Prize winner is Alex who won $5,000 for his entry titled: “You Gotta See This Music Video”.

For Category 1 which is about "My Contacts Are Getting In The Way Of My Good Time", the first prize goes to the entry titled: “You Gotta Be Kidding Me! A True Story” by Robbo. He won an HDTV package worth $2,500. The entry titled “Contacts Stink” by windysail won the second prize. She received the Flip UltraHD camcorder worth $199.99.

Meanwhile, Category 2 is about "My Favorite Sport Or Activity Would Be So Much Cooler With Better Vision". The first prize winner is the entry titled: “iLASIK Would Make Surfing More Enjoyable” by jhbmw007. An HDTV package was given to the winner. For the second prize, the entry of Snowman won and the entry was “Foggy Riding”. Snowman won a Flip Ultra HD camcorder.

Finally for Category 3 which is about "You Should See Life After The iLASIK® Procedure", it was Danny V who won the first prize. His entry titled “Orbs Of Perfection” won an HDTV package.

Last but not the least, “Army LASIK” by ahowalton won the second prize and he won a Flip Ultra HD camcorder. By the way, this post is sponsored by Abbott Medical Optics Inc. (2009.12.01-IL1512). Congratulations to all the winners!

My Brick Garden

Winter had gone and I am ready for spring, and gardening. We bought this tulips flower yesterday to display for centerpiece on the table for Easter Party tomorrow. It will served as a double purpose because when the party will be over, this will be planted on the ground. I noticed that my tulips last year, survived the winter. So, this might last for the years to come to. Last February, my FIL received this orange tree as his birthday gift. Now, eventhough it is small, it bears so much fruit already.
Here is the plant, it is like 3ft tall and blooming with flowers.
On the right side, the center of our front yard is my little circular flower spot. Some of the flowers survived the winter and it is blooming. I took this picture just now, thanks to the clever innovation of technology.
This week, I just decided to landscape this portion using curve with arch bricks design. I only use 36 pieces and hey, you can buy it at Walmart with unbeatable price.
Well, I am not done planting as you can see some part of it is still bare. I will be posting pictures as it progress. Thanks for dropping by everyone. Happy Easter!

Spring Vacation at Branson

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

Are you planning for a spring break vacation with your family? I recommend that you visit Branson, Missouri and stay in the luxurious rooms of Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing or in Hilton Branson Convention Center. The majestic and beautiful scenery of the river banks, lakes and golf course which are located nearby would entice your vacation moments. My cousin told me that the activities and entertainment in Branson is endless. If you love shopping, dining and enjoy a relaxing spa, Branson has all that for you. As my cousin showed me their pictures while staying at Branson, I was really excited to see the beautiful places that they have been.I would probably visit the museums and theme parks because they have so much fun in these places. Since Branson is the entertainment capital in Midwest, I am not really shock to know that Branson has 49 live entertainment theaters. I would definitely visit this place and watch Branson’s Best Boat and Recreation Show. That event would be exciting to see and mingle with the crowd. If you will visit Branson now, you will enjoy the Silver Dollar City’s Family Spring Break Day. That will be fun for the kids and they can also join the Young Christian’s Weekend activity. As for me, I would really love to see any live entertainment in the area, shop, dine out and take pictures. How about you? Visit Branson this spring and I might see you there too.