In times like these...

In times like these... [high prices - food, rent, mortgage,education, gas and all other necessities] can people do anything and practically everything to get freebies and have fun at the same time?

Life is already tough as it is but we shouldn't we consider the fact that having fun wouldn't cost us anything? In fact having fun makes tough life bearable, right? We could whine all we want but hey, it's your life and you can do whatever you want with it.

I went home straight from work today. I didn't go for a drive around looking for possible yard sale over the weekends because I still have to go to work tomorrow. I wanted to save gas. But since we are running out of bread and eggs I took a quick stop at the grocery. The price went up again, it seems.

When I got home, I wasn't in the mood for lunch since I got some free donuts at work so I feel that I can get by until 2PM today. So I went to check my emails and check updates on my Hubby's FB. [Shhhhhh... I hacked his account. LOL] Today I found out that a childhood friend of mine died of a heart attack. He was only 48 with 2 kids and a wife. So sad.

That sad news made me hungry [guess the donuts were not enough, huh] so I found myself making a ham sandwich which I chowed down while browsing more updates on FB.

Then, I found this video shared by one of my Sweetest's FB friends and decided to share it here. This is hilarious and awesome at the same time and I can't help but share it here. Although it went viral more than a month ago I still want to post it here because this one really made my day.



Did you like the video? Isn't it so nice to see happy people? Having a few laughs will make a difference. Oh boy, if only I got that talent I would do that every time I need a gas up so I can save money on gas.

Anyway, this video lifted me up and I pray that my old friend will find peace in the arms of our Creator.

Another Blog Series alert?

I don't know about you... but I have the tendency to get carried away easily and quickly. Given the present preoccupation I have, [oh, oh, blog series ALERT!!!!] my mind is working non-stop about blogging and all its aspects. [oh, oh, totally new blog series ALERT!!!]

If you have noticed, I have inconsistently blogging since I started working full-time. And if ever I do blog, I would only post on 1 or 2 [out of the 7] blogs that I own and that caused my [oh, oh, auto-renew ALERT!!!] RBS's domain a big blow.

So yeah, now that my blogs are getting a major revamp there are some fixing that I need here and there. And with fixing comes creation of new things. Oh Yeah, when I am trying to fix something I usually end up creating new ones. And when I am trying to get rid of something I always end up acquiring new ones. It's a never-ending process for me. No wonder I am always tired. LOL.

Well, here is the thing. My mind won't stop thinking. Not because I lost one website doesn't mean I am stopping altogether, right?. I have 6 more left. hahahaha I need to blog.

So what do you think of another blog series?

I told you, it's hard to stop.

Well, I was thinking of creating a blog series that will showcase my... are you ready for this? Party Planning!

But first I need to come up with a LOGO. Oh yes, it's all about the logo, first and foremost... then comes the concept.

And that's how I roll!

Let the Merge begin

If there is anything I learn about blogging... it is very complicated and getting complicated every single moment without you knowing it.

Years ago I thought I am invincible. Managing 7 blogs all at the same time and blogging 5 posts per blog a day, seven days a week [with only bathroom breaks in between and microwaveable meals on the go]... I am super cyber human! So I thought.

But Nah! The long hours of staying in front of the computer took a great toll on my vision. The long days of sitting on an already beat-up swivel chair took a toll on my aching back. And the longer hours of working my brains off to come up with ideas finally took a heavy toll on my sanity. And getting a day job didn't help either. So, I slowed down. Then I totally slacked off and finally lost track of my blogging. This caused me big time!


The fact that I lost my domain on one of my precious blogs finally knocked some sense on my tired brains. It hurts so bad. You see, RBS and I has a special relationship. We have a special kind of bond. It picked me up when I was down. It made me laugh when I was sad. It gave me money when I was broke [quite literally if you are wondering]. And for just 2 words I lost RBS... auto-renew! Darn it!

Oh well, what should I do. There is no sense in crying over lost domain. I need to move on but first... I NEED TO MOVE IN.

Yes, Ruthi's breathingSpace has a new HOME. The Carpenter's Wife gave a space in her Tool Box for RBS. YAY!!! Now, I can keep my sanity intact. YAY again!

Now, let me welcome you to the New Blog Series that will be featured here every MONDAY [drum roll, please]... the Ruthi's breathingSpace: The Blog Series.

Yup, it's now official! We are hosting a New Blog Series here in my TOOL BOX and hoping that you will find it as interesting as my other ones... Letters to Hubby, my AMERICA, and Maine Attraction.

This blog series aims to put bits and pieces of Ruthi's breathingSpace website which was shattered by "auto-renew" fate. LOL. The RBS will still exist as an entirely separate and independent website own and manage by the same Author [a.k.a. Yours Truly] but is now free hosted by blogspot.

RBS: The Blog Series will only publish 2 [for now] different sub-blog series namely My Philippines and It's-A-Craft. Proper identification of the said sub-blog series will be determined by the LOGO it bears at the end of the post.

So yes, I am moving on because... everybody needs a space and a breather because life is too short not to blog.

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This POST is a special write-up for Ruthi's breathingSpace: The Blog Series

which is published every MONDAY.

For more interesting post about RBS: The Blog Series click HERE.

Moving In and Moving On

After giving it a lot of thought, I finally decided to re-organize my blogs. Well, it took me quite a while before I finally gave in to the idea of downsizing my blogs [I have 7 - 5 with its own domain and 2 under free hosting] and thinking of merging them into one single blog that I can manage well hopefully without guilt. Hmmmmm.... is that possible at all? Let's think positive for now, Okay?

Well, I don't want to over-exaggerate things. I plan to do it one step at a time. And I will start with Ruthi's breathingSpace.

Yes, I finally given up on re-registering or getting a new domain for RBS since I can't really figure out how to reset my domain registration to "auto-renew". I tried my best but my best isn't enough or maybe I am not tech savvy or simply put - already obsolete, getting old and losing some brain cells in the process. LOL.

Yup, I have decided to merge RBS in this blog - a Carpenter's WIFE's Tool Box...

since this is set to "auto-renew" when I registered it the first time. So I am assuming that I will not lose its domain. [Crossing my fingers here.]

Just a clarification, I am not going to "merge merge" it here. I am only going to pick out 2 or 3 blog series that I used to publish on a regular basis in RBS just like this blog's Letters to Hubby blog series, to be specific.

I know it will be a long tedious process to transfer the contents of RBS to ACWTB and I have no plan of transferring ALL of the contents of RBS here because it will be silly to do so. My plan is just to continue some of the "blog series" that I already started there. In that case I can have room for the other blogs I own that sooner or later will also lose their domains because... you guess it right - I don't know how to "auto-renew". Bummer!

Yup, I have decided to move 2 or 3 blog series that I used to host in RBS. I will post and/or re-post [as the case may be] them here every MONDAY. These blog series are basically about the things that keep me grounded when I am having a bad day which is not very often. That is why, I don't post very often either. [LOL] But giving this idea a new perspective will give me a new purpose to write often.

Firstly... My Philippines. This blog series is all about the country of my birth. The My Philippines blog series has 2 different aspects namely:

a. The Beautiful Islands

My Philippines is a beautiful archipelago in the Pacific. It is called the Pearl of the Orient for a reason. It is made of 7,108 gorgeous islands. It is with great pride to write about the different places in my home country and encourage others to come and visit the place and experience FUNtastic Philippines.

b. The Culture, Traditions, Food and Way of Life of the Beautiful Filipinos

My Philippines boosts not only its magnificent beaches or its amazing countryside or its breathtaking mountain or its scenic plains and valleys or its modernized cityscapes but more importantly its beautiful people. The Filipinos' culture, traditions, food and way of life are what we are as a country and as people with great smile.

For these reasons, I want to share to the whole bloggosphere what an amazing country My Philippines is. AND in the process, I hope that this will help me [and other Filipinos all over the world] beat "homesickness" which is unbeatable for any Filipinos living abroad.

Secondly... It-a-Craft! Feeling crafty indeed. When I am having a real bad day, creativity works for me. There is no cure for a bad day [even a bad hair day, for that matter] than working magic with my hands. I can get lost in my creativity in no time and space.

To showcase my masterpieces [wink, wink] I love posting and bragging my work here. I called it "Scrappy Thingy" in RBS. This blog series normally post everything my digital scapbook creations with Haiku poems.

Then about a year ago I discovered the joy of creating functional arts using polymer clay and came up with a website called It's-A-Craft. This blog is created primarily as an online store to sell my art pieces. This online store is still active as of this writing. Eventually, I will lose it's domain too so merging it here is the most sensible thing to do, right?

For these reason, the Scrappy Thingy blog series will assume the title It's-A-Craft and will carry all the different crafts and arts that I am interested in. It will cover all my polymer clay creations, paintings, jewelry making, digital scrapbooking, stamping [this is still in the planning board, btw.] and all other that I am yet to discover.

Lastly... thinking... thinking... thinking! Yes, I am in a dilemma here. You see, I have 2 more blog series in RBS that I am having a hard time deciding on... the FOOD TRIP DAY and the BIGGEST LOSER WEEKEND CHALLENGE blog series.

Ironically, these two blog series that I started [on impulse] got a little out of hand. I wasn't able to follow through with the posts for obvious reasons... they don't get along well. LOL. Having the two side by side is doomed to fail right from the get-go. They either eat up so much of my time or put so much weight on my busy schedule. LOL. So this one will have to wait. I need to work around it that will help me benefit in the process. How... that's the big question!

Lastest lastly [there is no such word, I made it up. You know that, right?]... The first 2 blog series namely My Philippines and It's-A-Craft will be managed and published under ONE MAJOR BLOG SERIES - Ruthi's breathingSpace: The Blog Series.

Well, organization is my thing. My OCD side works well for me so I am taking advantage of that. Putting these crazy ideas into one perspective makes it easier for me to manage it. For that reason alone, I created Ruthi's breathingSpace: The Blog Series

I love Ruthi's breathingSpace. It's one of the most important blogs I ever had. Losing its domain hurt me so bad. Letting of is also a process that I don't know how to deal with. So merging it here will give it a new HOME.

If you know me by now, you know that I love making logos. That is why, for this NEW Blog Series, the above photo will be the official logo of the Ruthi's breathingSpace: The Blog Series to properly identify the post. A secondary LOGO will also bear specific post to ID the kind of post published.

--------------------------------------------------------------

There you go. The decision is finally made. The Ruthi's breathingSpace website is now relieved of all its responsibility to publish any post regarding My Philippines and all about crafts [and all about food and weight loss... in the future???] in its original website which is now under "Blogspot" free hosting site. All original posts about My Philippines and crafts in the blogspot account will be deleted and re-posted here under Ruthi's breathingSpace: The Blog Series.

Now, to sum it all up...

1. This blog "a Carpenter's WIFE's Tool Box" will host and take responsibility to manage blogs/write-ups from Ruthi's breathingSpace.
2. All blogs/write-ups originally posted under the old blog series from the RBS website will be re-posted under a regular BLOG SERIES format. These blogs/write-ups will be properly labeled as... "re-post" for identification purposes.
3. This New Blog Series format will be dubbed as Ruthi's breathingSpace: The Blog Series and will be posted every MONDAY.
4. The RBS: The Blog Series will post and publish 2 different blog series namely; My Philippines and It's-A-Craft and will bear specific LOGOs for distinction.
5. All NEW blogs/write-ups about the Author's birth country and her crafts will all be published under this New Blog Series.

NOW... LET'S MOVE ON! FAST!!!

Staycation it is

I am having a blast this summer. I am finally having a vacation or shall I say - STAYCATION since I am going nowhere this year.

So this year, no travels or trips to far away places scheduled for me nor for my Sweetest. Well, as for my Sweetest, I can't tell if we are not really going nowhere since he can change his mind anytime soon so we'll see.

 [Bonding with my Family in the Philippines last summer.]

Surprisingly, he has not mentioned the letter "C" and the letters "G and P" since the start of summer. Normally we would be up north already around this time camping and gold panning. But I am not complaining. I love just staying home for now and organizing.

[Camping with my Sweetest, my friend Medy and Brandon last year.]

Yup, I started organizing the following day the school ended and I am still organizing and not even half-way through. Boy... I never thought it will take this long.

It's only July and I still have more than one month and a half of vacation left before school starts again so I am taking my time. There are lots of things I want to do right now like running...

gardening...

 

bonding with my friends...

and blogging. Did I say blogging?

Well, I am trying my best to keep up with how much time I have on my hand right now because my 12 hours work swift is over - for now. Though I do have a part-time summer job which I so love and enjoy because it's only 3 and 1/2 hours a day and only 3 days a week and I don't feel that I am working at all not because of the hours but because of the people I work with. It's like we are just there to play and meet up with friends. Too bad it will only run for 4 weeks.

So this "staycation" is something I am enjoying now though I do want to go places other than Maine. I do want to go to NY to see Ms. Liberty or Ms. Joey in LA. but I need to stay put for now. Maybe next time.

But for now I just enjoy my free time with my Sweetest even if it is always hot and humid here in Maine.

Bringing Technology to my summer life

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Full Spektrem for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

My summer vacation starts now. Yeah it’s kinda late huh? Here’s the thing. Summer for me is when I get to do a lot of organization and reorganization jobs inside and outside the house. And yes, I do look forward to it. It is not always fun but being an OCD like me, I got to do what I got to do. And that means cleaning, washing, polishing, painting, repainting, repurposing, sorting, throwing and repeat. And summer means busy weekends for out-of-control antiquing and yard sale undertakings. LOL.

And yes, I accumulated a few that I need to repurpose and restyle and revive. Why not buy a new one, you’ll ask? Well, where’s the fun of it when you cannot challenge your creative side, right? So yes, I am so into it because I found amazing revolutionary products that will help me achieve my creative endeavors - the Nano-iT – which is now available at all Safeway family of stores. I am talking about Vons, Randalls and Tom Thumb. These revolutionary cleaners I tell you use nanotechnology to work beneath the surface of whatever project I am planning to do this summer.

These products works wonder with woods which I am so excited about because the two wood cabinets that I got for 5$ a piece at the yard sale now look amazing while my stainless appliances who were shouting “help” quite literally since winter have a blast when they were polished shiny into their old happy surface, and yes, I can hear my kitchen counter singing for joy like it used to when they were scrubbed good once again. Yes, I have a happy kitchen now again. Woot! Woot! Woot!

So what are these products I am talking about? Here is what I found out and what I want to share with you my dear friends.

Nano-iT Woodplus is specifically formulated for cleaning, polishing, and protecting wood cabinets and furniture. It will work on all painted, stained, or unfinished wood surfaces. It utilizes nano based technology to penetrate below the surface where conventional cleaners can't.

• Restores the original appearance and luster of wood
• Oil free hydrophobic formulation of waxes and photo oxidation inhibitors for protection against the adverse effects of UV light
• Provides a shiny gloss surface protection
• Long lasting, easy to use, works on many types of wood surfaces

Nano-iT Stainless Cleaner is a next generation stainless steel cleaner and polisher. It uses nano based technology to clean, polish, condition, and shine stainless steel without any streaking. The oil-based formula leaves a micro-thin protective layer and resists fingerprints and smudges.
• Use on copper, chrome, aluminum, fiberglass, kitchen appliances, outdoor grills, automotive trim or bathroom fixtures
• Oil-based liquid formula
• Provides a micro-thin protective layer that resists fingerprints and smudges to make future cleaning easy
• Leaves microscopic coating which absorbs into the surface
• Nanotechnology encapsulates dirt and lifts it away like a magnet
• Makes your stainless steel shine like new

Nano-iT CounterTop Laboratory is proven to be the new generation, environmentally friendly kitchen countertop cleaner without the need for abrasive cloths. It provides a unique method of removing the most stubborn dirt, grease and stains such as coffee, wine, oil and even chewing gum..
• Bio-degradable and environment friendly
• Cleans deeper than conventional cleaners
• Removes heavy grease without scrubbing
• Will not scratch any surface and is safe on all coated surfaces
• Does not harm any water tolerant surface or protective coating

Well, don’t just take my words for it check out their website: http://www.nanolia.com/ for more information and learn more about these amazing products. Check out also their downloadable coupon which you can use at any SafeWay and their family stores.

Yes, summer it is in my household for the rooms are beaming and shiny and well polished and happy because I brought technology into my home. Hope you are all enjoying your summer too.

Not just another Anniversary

Six years and counting. Yes, we are celebrating our 6th year wedding anniversary today. And we celebrate it like any ordinary day.

Unlike last year where we celebrated it separately... him - here in Maine and I - in the Philippines, this year we are together again. Maybe next time we will be able to celebrate it outside of Maine... together... on a cruise? Dreaming here!

Anyway, since I don't find time to blog as often as I plan to, it's about time to do another open letter to my sweetest. Here you go!

Dearest Sweetest,

I can't believe that we have been together for 6 years now. It may not be long enough compared to other couples who might be celebrating their silver or golden or platinum wedding anniversaries but compared with Eva Longoria and Tony Parker [who were married on the same date we did... 07-07-07] we did a great job reaching this far. wink*** And I am grateful that we are still holding on despite all the trials.

We did have our fair share of ups and downs and countless disagreement from choice of movies to watch to places to eat breakfast and we do have tons of arguments over silly things from my VS shopping galore to your gold panning fixation - yet still we manage to reach this far without involving the cops or legal counsels. Woot... woot... Of course I'm only joking. LOL

Ours is not a perfect marriage but it is perfectly made for imperfect people like US and I thank God for helping us keep the promise we made 6 years ago. I thank God for you because I believe you are the only person on earth who has the tolerance for my craziness. And yes, I thank God for having you in my life because you are one of the reasons why I am crazy. [double winks***]

So, it's our wedding anniversary and I am surprised that I didn't get angry or worried or sensitive when I didn't get a bouquet of flowers from you or a card that said "you love me and that you are crazy about me"... nor a familiar baggie with purple tissue paper that said "G.M. Pollack" with a box of "pandora charms" in it... or even just an ordinary and seemingly harmless candy bar. How is that possible? Well, 6 years is probably enough proof that material things are just that... materials and our love for each other is more than enough. Or is it? LOL

Yeah, we have been together for 6 years now and we were able to stand the test of time and material things. Thank you for sticking with me. I really appreciate it. And yeah, as far as you are concern... you're welcome! I love you more than you ever know.

Love you always,


Your Sweetie