It's amazing that we actually got this picture taken. It was like pulling teeth trying to get everyone to sit down long enough to pose for this moment! At least 99% of us were ready for the shot. LOL.

What a great family reunion! I just love seeing so many happy faces in one sitting. :)

Merry Christmas!

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My Deal of the Day: Walgreens

$1.00 Money-Maker on Hallmark Cards at Walgreens!

There is a great deal at Walgreens this week when you combine an in-ad coupon, with a Register Reward promo:

Hallmark Register Reward Deal
Buy 2, Receive a $2.00 Register Reward
Buy 6, Receive a $5.00 Register Reward

Here is a scenario you can follow to maximize your savings:
Buy 6 Hallmark Money Holders (reg $0.99)
Use 3/$2.00 in-ad coupon (pictured above), limit 6
Pay $4.00, Receive $5 Register Reward
Final Price: $1.00 Money-Maker!

Thanks Wild for Wags!

 

I don't think Connor knows what to think of basketball yet. I have heard a lot of "high-spirited" kids like playing basketball because it's very fast-paced. He's tried T-ball and soccer now, both of which he did fairly well in towards the end of the season, considering he was the kid that was making grass angels the first few practices. Once he puts his mind into something, we know he can do really well at it. But it takes a lot for him to get interested in sports (or anything that requires moving really, LOL), so we'll see where this leads!

My Deals of the Day: Target

I have been contemplating whether or not I should open a Target credit card. Now with 5% back every single time you shop, it's very tempting. In the past month, I have spent well over $400 and that would have been $20 back already. But is it worth it??! With a high interest rate of 21%, I would have to say a big fat no. I'm not one of those responsible ones that pay off my credit card debt at the end of each month. I wish I was though!

Anyway, I went to Target today and found some great deals that I'd like to share!

(3) Starbucks fusion 11.oz ground coffee - $6.89 each
Buy 3, get a $5 Target gift card
Used (3) $1.50 off manufacturer coupons and $1.00 off Target coupon for buying 3
$15.17 OOP (out of pocket) minus $5 Target gift card
TOTAL $10.17 for three (which makes it $3.39 each!)

Stouffer's chicken stuffing - 79 cents each
Used (1) 50 cents Target coupon
TOTAL $0.29

(2) Quaker oats instant oatmeal boxes - $2.66 each
Used (2) $2.00 off manufacturer coupons
Total $1.32 for two @ 66 cents each

(3) Quaker

Norah Jones - "...Featuring" - Available Now

Norah Jones - "...Featuring" - Available Now

I really liked the new Norah Jones compilation CD, some very interesting duets (especially the one with her and Willie Nelson). I have always loved that "Baby, it's cold outside" song, perfect for Christmas! I do love that she mixed it up with some of the coolest hip hop artists out there. Though I don't think that it's Norah Jones' best, I liked the idea of her singing with some of the greatest artists. My favorite songs are #2 "Turn Them", #11 "Little Lou, Prophet Jack, and Ugly John, and #17 "More than This".

*I am a member of One2OneNetwork and I received this CD free as part of the Norah Jones review project.

2010 Christmas Card

 

This is the picture I used for this year's annual Christmas card. Surprisingly, I didn't have a lot of great family photos to choose from! But considering I'm the token Asian photographer at every event, that's pretty much a shocker huh? So thankfully we were able to take some pics on Thanksgiving at my sister-in-law's house. I don't normally make such a big deal of it (OK, OK, for those who know me well knows that's a lie) but I wanted all of us to color-coordinate and everything...except for the fact that it was too late to realize that my dear son doesn't own anything black in his wardrobe collection. Oh well, burgundish red works right?

Anyway, this is what the Christmas card looked like after I was finished being "creative":
Luckily, Vistaprint.com had a lot of awesome selections to choose from. For $12.99, I ordered 50 photo cards + envelopes with free shipping. Can't beat that!

EDIT: Should have waited, I found a better deal a week later at SeeHere.com. 50 cards for $4.99 w/ free shipping. Should have just gone ahead and ordered some anyway.

EDIT #2: I went ahead and ordered them! I'm a sucker for deals. Lol.

This is what that one looks like:

Humble Beginnings of SLOCM

I posted this on SLOCM's blog when I had access to it. Strangely enough, my access was removed right after I posted it. Hmmmm...

On November 9th will be officially 6 years since this moms' group has been together. When we first started on Meetup.com, it was so much easier to get to know everyone. It was so nice to be able to make friends from all over the county and hold each other accountable by calling one another to attend events and join activities. Now with over 600 members (there were over 1,000 members at one point!), it's so hard to try to get to know everyone. It makes me miss the smaller tight-knit family that was once called the Momma Bears.

After switching from Meetup.com to Yahoo Groups, the group started becoming more known so the group was growing bigger and bigger each week but it was still manageable. People from all over would still meet up and gather amongst friends. There wasn't a separation between areas or a battle among boundaries, it was just one cohesive unit of friends that seemed to genuinely like each other.

But as SLOCountyMommies became more of an online entity rather than a face-to-face encounter, a lot of that closeness dwindled and the anonymity behind the screen became prevalent as hateful posts and disrespect became a norm. It is a sad thing really, knowing so many original members have left and gone on with their lives, some filled with hatred for the group because of a minority.

I look back at the past 6 years and think how grateful I am for having met soooooo many wonderful women and families through this group. As I sit here reminiscing over some old photos, I can't help but wonder if things would have gone differently if I never joined the Mommies Network and just kept things the way they were? Would that have made a difference?

Regardless of some of the negative things I've heard about SLOCM in the past and present, I think there has been definitely been more good that has come out of it than bad. Now that the group is essentially separated by areas, it has made it easier and more convenient for all to make friends with those who live closer to them. I mean, we still have friendships in other areas, but it has definitely made it much easier to develop a friendship with those who are nearby. It's so nice to see how many friendships have formed from SLOCountyMommies and how many women's lives have changed because of it. Still to this day, people will come up to me and thank me for what I've done and it means sooooooo much to me to know that all those days filled with sweat and tears were all worth it.

As I sit here and ponder over these photos, it makes me realize how much I miss feeling like a part of something larger. My kids are too big now to attend playgroups and other events. We now have school activities, gymnastics, soccer, t-ball, cub scouts, and so many other things to keep us busy. I realize that life goes on but I sure do miss the days when Momma Bears was once a family. It wasn't just a support group, it truly was a group of wonderful women from all walks of life that came together that just truly enjoyed each other's company. Gas mileage wasn't an issue back then, it didn't matter where we had to drive, we just drove to be with our friends.

I'm no longer an active member of SLOCountyMommies but it will always have a special place in my heart. I have met some lifelong friends and have the best group of girlfriends because of it. I don't regret any thing other than the fact that I wish I had more time and energy to develop/continue some of the friendships I have made through the group. I see so many of you out there and I just kick myself for not doing MORE. I just hope to meet new friends and rekindle some old friendships along the way. I'm just glad to see that so many are happy with their families and friends. Because in the end, that's all that really matters!

Black Friday Tips & Tricks

Here are some tips on how to make Black Friday a sucess!

- Research the weekly ads on GottaDeal.com or BFads.net and start looking for the things you want to buy and make a list of brand names, model names, prices and stores they are being offered at (including opening times and when doorbusters end).

- When the ads come out in the paper (usually the day before Thanksgiving), go through each ad and circle the items you would like to buy with a bold marker. Make your shopping list!

- If the store has a price adjustment policy, it would be smart to buy the items on the day before Thanksgiving and just get the price adjustments done on Black Friday or just make sure to get the price adjustments on the days the prices are good for. I shopped at Target from 8 pm until 11 pm on Wednesday and purchased all the items that were listed in the Black Friday ad. As long as the items are not doorbusters, you can get the prices adjusted. I went up to the Customer Service desk on Black Friday morning and received $60 back just in price adjustments!!!

- If the store has a price match policy, then you can do one-stop shopping at that particular store. All you need is to have the original ad from the competitive stores with you and point out each item to the cashier as you check out. They will match the price right then and there! Some stores require you to go to the Customer Service desk, Target does not. I also shop from other stores' ads while shopping at Target and hope that they have the same exact item! As long as it's not a limited time sale (ex: early bird specials, doorbusters, available between 4 am and noon, etc) then you can price-match other stores! It's an awesome way to get the deals other stores are offering without having to drive all over the place.

- Don't forget to use coupons if you have any!!! I go into each store (that takes coupons) armed with my coupon binder, tote bags and all the weekly ads from all the stores. Search for coupons online prior to shopping and print them all out then take that along with your shopping list!

- Make sure you go shopping with people that have the same agenda as you. There's nothing worse than shopping with someone on Black Friday that is ready to move on to the next store when you're not. Make sure to work out a map of all the stores you would like to go to days before just to make sure you're on the same page.

- Use a credit card that is a rewards card. Christmas shopping is a great way to accumulate points to exchange for rewards! It's even better if it has a great interest rate. I use my Citi Mastercard that has a 0% interest rate until April 2011 and I also rack up points each time I use it.

- Make sure to browse for sales online as soon as Black Friday ads get leaked. If you find a better price than what's available on the ads, buy them right away! It's a lot better to shop from home than having to stand in line at the store. Always look for free shipping, promotional offers, coupon codes, etc. There are plenty of sites you can use to find these. I just google what I want (actually I use swagbucks.com) and I usually find what I'm looking for.

- If you are going to purchase items online, make sure to use cash back sites like Ebates.com, Fatwallet.com or Shopathome.com! Cash back sites usually offer double cash back or better on Black Friday!

- Be sure to get plenty of sleep, bring snacks and water for your shopping trip and get everything packed in the car the night before so you can make sure not to forget something in the wee hours of the morning. Drink coffee!

- HAVE FUN!!!

Black Friday 2010

Has it really been exactly a year since I last wrote in here? What a coincidence that I would post about Black Friday again. Actually, I have been thinking of posting in here for quite some time now. Originally, I started my blog to be able to just keep in touch with friends and family. Then I realized what a great concept it really is, a diary online, to keep track of all the wonderful (and not so wonderful) memories. It has been too long since I've updated this thing. So much for keeping friends/family up to date huh? Thank goodness for Facebook! Lol.

So here we are again, exactly one year later, talking about Black Friday. You know, when I started shopping on Black Friday a few years ago, I considered it a "special" shopping event. Now with stores opening on Thanksgiving Day, most having opening times of 3 or 4 or 5 am, and with deals being offered online basically all week long leading up to Black Friday...what's the point of going out on Black Friday anymore? I found that some of the best deals were offered days prior to Black Friday and I was sure glad that I took advantage of those deals while they were available. I just couldn't imagine camping on Thanksgiving night to fall in line for something that the store only has a limited quantity of (like 6 total!).

This year, I went out with Corinne again and her sister Tiff. We didn't even head out until 8 am and luckily, the stores weren't jam-packed crazy like we were expecting. The employees said that most of the craziness happened right when the stores opened so I guess that's one good thing about them opening so damn early. We ended up going to Target first and I was really surprised to see so many of the doorbusters still available. I don't know if it's due to economic hardships or what, but there simply weren't as many shoppers as prior years. Let's put it this way, we were able to park right in front of the store! We usually have to park way back in BFE at Target. Thank the Lord for 4 am opening time, I guess.

We only went to a few stores and I would have loved to keep shopping but there was just no way I could keep going. I was just too tired...and well I didn't really want to spend any more money. The best part about Black Friday honestly is just Corinne and I continuing our tradition. :)

Thankfully, my shopping list is always cut short due to Black Friday. I am able to find some awesome deals and leave the rest to shopping online. I only have 2 more people to shop for and I am done! Woo hoo! I even wrapped 90% of the gifts already. Yeah I know, I rock. Hopefully Cyber Monday will offer some great deals and the websites all don't crash like they usually do. As much as I love to shop, I just hate it when you fill your shopping cart online with all of what I think are super steals, only to have the website crash at the end and lose some of the items in the cart! Crossing my fingers!!

Black Friday is so fun! (NOT)

Every year, thousands upon thousands line up outside the retail big box giants like Best Buy, Costco, Old Navy, etc hours before the store even opens. But with more & more deals being offered online a few days or hours before "doorbusters" are even offered at the store, then what's the big hype about lining up before the 5 am opening time??? Is it the adrenaline rush you get from getting one of the best "limited quantity" deals or do you just like getting trampled by masses of strangers?

I admit, I am one of the Black Friday crazies that gets up super early to try to snag one of those deals. For the past two years, my best friend and I would leave our house before the crack of dawn and attempt to find everything on our list before the dreaded end of the doorbuster specials. This is one of the many traditions we have created for ourselves but unfortunately this year, she had to go to a wedding so I was left to confront the masses on my own.

However, I purchased many of the doorbuster specials online early on and didn't have to show up with the other crazies bright and early at those big box stores. I was really tempted to go to the 3 am opening at Old Navy, considering I'm still up most nights (or mornings) at that time. But I decided to sleep in (YAY!) and head out instead at a decent hour (9:30 am). To my dismay, ofcourse, a lot of the best deals were already out of stock and after standing in line at the 2nd store I went to (Kohl's) for almost an hour...I was DONE.

The best part was that I made it home just in time to purchase some of the specials online! With Bing cashback or Ebates, coupon codes, free shipping and the convenience of not having to deal with the crowds...I think overall that my experience shopping online was far better than having to go to the stores. But even with all my frustrations waiting in line (I just don't have the patience for it), my best friend and I will continue our tradition next year. :)

Any other Black Friday crazies out there?

Back to my "roots"...

Maybe I'm crazy for signing up to do the blog for SLOCountyMommies (SLOCM) but I am actually pretty excited about it. I know I have a hard enough time to keep up with this one, but I just needed something else to keep my mind stimulated. I love to write but just never have a chance to do so. I am hoping that the SLOCM blog will keep me motivated. :)

Check out my debut:
http://slocountymommies.blogspot.com/

Seriously???

Read this 1st:
http://www.mybottlesup.com/tsa-agents-took-my-son/

Then this:
http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2009/10/response-to-tsa-agents-took-my-son.html

My good friend's Jenn's blog post in response to this:
http://jennnster.blogspot.com/

It's insane that this woman would make such a story up. I mean, it's quite clear that her baby was NOT taken away. Was this woman hoping she could lie about it, get people to validate her emotions, rally up support...in hopes to sue TSA and get $$$? I mean, obviously, she did not realize that TSA was going to respond with real-time videos. I can understand being frustrated from having to wait, being humiliated while being searched, worrying about missing your flight, etc. But why lie about having your baby taken away from you?! It's obvious her baby was there the whole time. Mental issues maybe? I don't know...

My friend is right. It makes you think twice about reading blogs & such. I mean, I have a blog and I couldn't even fathom writing false stories about my life on my blog. Really, how could that even cross anyone's mind? It's like saying "Dear Diary, be prepared to 'hear' my story, real or not, it's not like you know the difference". Maybe when this Nic woman reads her blog today, it just makes it even more real now because she's read it somewhere. LOL. Ok, sorry, that was being insensitive. But seriously??

Then again, I know people personally who make stuff up in their head and think that it's all real. Yes, it's real in THEIR minds, but everyone else knows the truth (hello, it's called REALITY). Who knows, maybe I'm the one leading a fictitious life?

Anyway, I am curious though to see this woman's response. It'll sure be interesting!

On a side note...such horrible "customer service" TSA!!!

Joshua Bell At Home With Friends

This would have been a great CD to listen to during my college days. I used to listen to Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Strauss, etc while I studied and just to relax after a full day. Joshua Bell's "At Home With Friends" is a great compilation of music with some great artists. "Come Again" with Sting is such a beautiful song. I can already imagine it in a soundtrack of a movie. Joshua Bell is such an amazing violinist. He incorporates such emotion into his music and it just moves you. #8 is such a beautiful song, it touches your soul. This would make a great CD to play while drinking wine and relaxing with friends. Overall, it's all beautiful music!
(Review posted on Amazon.com, Borders.com and BN.com as Megaland)

*Thank you so much again One2OneNetwork for giving me the opportunity to listen to this CD for FREE!!!

Harry Connick, Jr. “Your Songs” review

"Your Songs" is such a classic Harry Connick, Jr. style selection of music. He usually chooses songs that have a jazzy feel to it and is of the oldies but goodies world. Though I am a fan of his, I just didn't feel that this was original in any way. It just sounds like all of his other CDs. I loved walking down memory lane with some of the songs he chose. I especially liked "Besame Mucho" from one of my favorite movies of all time (Great Expectations) and "The Way You Look Tonight" from another favorite movie of mine (My Best Friend's Wedding). Although I appreciate listening to some classic songs of some of the greatest artists of all time, I just wish he could branch out more and make his OWN music. But then again, I wouldn't mind him singing "Oh Danny Boy" like he did on another favorite movie of mine (Memphis Belle). Can't you tell I love movies?

Important Links to more Harry Connick, Jr.

Behind the Scene look at ‘Making of’ the album: http://bit.ly/HCJrVideo

Harry’s website: http://www.harryconnickjr.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/harryconnickjr

For more info about Harry and Your Songs listed in our Harry Connick Jr. Newsletter: http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1410033033

Album Tracklisting (Originally performed by):
All The Way (Frank Sinatra)
Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)
And I Love Her (The Beatles)
(They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)
Besame Mucho
The Way You Look Tonight
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)
Your Song (Elton John)
Some Enchanted Evening
And I Love You So (Don McLean)
Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)

*Thank you One2OneNetwork for this great opportunity to listen to this CD for FREE!

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Michael Buble's new CD comes out today!

Happy 3rd Birthday to my little girl!

I just can't believe it. Our little girl is now 3 years old. Today is a big day! She turns 3 AND it's also her 1st day of preschool. Happy Birthday Isabella dear!!! We love you so very much!!!

California...UGH

So I was reading Sam Blakelee's (33rd District Assemblyman) newsletter email and was reading one of the articles in this newsletter. It sparked some concerns regarding the California budget and it bugs me to no end how bad our government really is. So I sent him an email and we'll see if we get one of those automatic responses. haha

In response to "Early Release of Prisoners not a Safe Solution" - California's problems could be easily solved if criminals were treated as that...CRIMINALS. They shouldn't have the same rights as regular citizens. Committing a crime and being found guilty for them ensures that those rights be taken away. But are they? No they are not. Instead they are rewarded with fully accessible libraries and education, cable television, exercise equipment, and other benefits that should not be given to those who CHOSE not to follow the laws of the state (and the country). When our founders stated that all men be created equal and be given the freedoms (of speech, the right to bear arms, etc), I highly doubt they meant that people were free to do whatever they want whenever they want without any regards to the laws. If California and other governing states just followed what Sheriff Joe Arpaio did in Arizona, the budget crisis could easily be solved. Millions upon millions of dollars are being thrown into the wrong direction, taking care of those who are hurting the economy and society, rather than towards those who are helping (education, health depts, social depts, etc). I am all for treating people with respect but I think it's a little overboard when those who chose to break the laws get treated better than those who actually pay their taxes and obey the laws. The state is in HUGE trouble. The country is in HUGE trouble. You need to start thinking about the future. Where would our kids be when there is no more money to fund the schools? They will end up on the streets, doing the things that will probably have them end up in jail. Thus, the vicious cycle continues. It's time to start thinking about what's right vs what's wrong. Put money where it matters. The US was a dominating leader in the world and is slowly losing power because of the democratic stance it has taken in the past 30 years. Remember what happened to Rome???

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/m/miracopjail.htm

http://www.mcso.org/

Time flies!

Wow, I didn't realize it has been since Mother's Day that I last wrote in here. Has it really been that long??? Summer flew by fast and I can't believe it's almost September already!!! So much has happened this summer that I'll have to gradually add a little bit of history about what's been going on. Time flies when you're having fun!!!

Here's a little summary of our summer fun:

- Kids took swim lessons for one month straight and truly enjoyed them. They were really afraid in the beginning but now you can't take them out of the water! I will probably do the same thing again next year. A whole months is a long time but well worth it!

- Two of my Sarah's had babies this summer. Sarah (SIL) had her baby boy in June and my friend Sarah had her baby girl in July. It's been a summer filled with the new joys of parenthood for both and we are extremely lucky to be in their lives. Can't wait to watch those kids grow up over their lifetime!!!

- We took our annual family vacation to San Diego this month. We went to Sea World, Balboa Park, Belmont Park, Mission Beach, Del Mar, etc. Jeramy had to leave mid-week to go back to work but the kids and I stayed for an extra 5 days with Auntie Charmie. So all in all, it was 8 days of great fun!

- The biggest most recent news is that our dear boy Connor just started KINDERGARTEN!!! He started this past Monday and he is loving every minute of it. So far, he has come home and said "It is the best day ever!" He truly enjoys school and we hope that excitement continues. I mean, shucks, he's only got 11 more years of school left. Little does he know. HAHA

- The next biggest news is that our little girl will be starting preschool in a few weeks!!! I can't believe both kids are now in school! Isabella will be going to the same preschool Connor attended for 2 years and I am very much looking forward to a few hours to myself a week. I don't think I know what to do with myself! I am hoping Isabella will enjoy school. She will be going with her boyfriend Jax and her girl Avery. So it should be super fun for all of them!!

So much has happened this summer. I will definitely have to write a separate post for each event to give the details and show some photos.

Jeramy and I are leaving for Hawaii this coming Monday. We'll be spending the night at a hotel close to LAX since we have to be at the airport by 8:30 am on Monday. We'll be in marital bliss for one week and we cannot wait for some much-needed (and deserved) relaxation. I'm all about doing everything we can while we're there but he'd rather lay out at the beach and drink all day long. We *might* just end up doing that. LOL. The kids will be with Grandpa and Grandma all week...so good luck Grandpa and Grandma! ;)

Anyway, hope everyone is having an awesome summer so far!!! :)