Thai it is!

For me and my Sweetest... since we got married 6 years ago - Friday night is Chinese night.

Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)

But not last night. Because last night I had Thai.

Pad Tai with Tofu

But he still had Chinese just like every Friday for 6 long years.

End of Summer

I started my summer with a run. Now I ended it with a colorful run.

Summer is like a race. There is a start line and a finish line. Timing is not important unless you are after the medal. What is important is if you had fun running.

 -Ruthi Orona-Gregoire

To Join Photo Friday Challenge... click HERE.

Comfort Food Mode

The other day I went to see my Filipina friend. I don't usually see her very often but when I do see her it always involves food. So here is the result of my meeting with my dear Filipina friend.

Drum roll please! Cod Fish Sinigang. To get the recipe for this click HERE.

Oh yeah, I made a big pot of this and ate the whole pot. No, what I mean is... I ate the whole pot in batches or several big bowls. I had one big bowl every lunch for an entire week. And I am not bluffing.

I am still burping!

Installing Husband 1.0

This is not a new post. I actually posted it already here years ago. I was checking my emails earlier and suddenly bumped into this and I realized hmmmm.... why not post it again.

So here you go, I am posting it again to remind me and housewives out there that we have choices. We can choose to be happy or sad. Whatever choice me make, we are the only one who will be affected. And taking a little joke is not just fun but a therapy that might somehow help us bounce back to our old self.

INSTALLING A HUSBAND

Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slow down in overall system performance, particularly in the flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0.

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as
·        Romance 9.5 and
·        Personal Attention 6.5, and then installed undesirable programs such as

·        NBA 5.0,
·        NFL 3.0  and
·         Golf Clubs 4.1.

Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system.

·        Please note that I have tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.

What can I do?

Signed,

Desperate.


DEAR DESPERATE,

First, keep in mind,
·        Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while  
·        Husband 1.0 is an operating system.

Please enter command: ithoughtyoulovedme.html and try to download Tears 6.2 and do not forget to install the  Guilt 3.0 update.
·         If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.

However, remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to  Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1.
·        Please note that Beer 6. 1 is a very bad program that will download the Farting and Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT under any circumstances install Mother-In-Law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources.)

In addition, please do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0-program These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend
·        Cooking 3.0 and
·        Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Good Luck Babe!
Tech Support

Yeah, being a housewife is hard especially when things are not going our way. But we need to remember we made "the choice" to be with that important person in our life. And with that choice comes "faith" that we did the right thing. So let's just take it easy.

Frozen

Hold fast to dreams for when dreams go life is a barren field frozen with snow.

*Langston Hughes

To Join Photo Friday Challenge... click HERE.

June Birthday Party 2

Two weeks after my Sweetest's birthday celebration, we had B's 12th Birthday Party. This year I did a MineCraft Theme party.

Just like last year's Dino Video War theme party, I made his birthday invitation which I sent online this time since we don't have much time to mail them anymore.

This year, instead of candy bar I made "S'mores Bar" so we can make our own s'mores.

I got 3 different sizes of marshmallows.

And a propane lamp to toast the marshmallows. The kids enjoyed making s'mores and so did my Sweetest.

And just like every birthday party he had in the past, I made personalized party favors.

I made some "Microwave S'mores Kits" for the guests to bring home. I found something like this in Pinterest. But I made my own version.

I put together graham cracker, Hershey's chocolate bar and marshmallows in a plastic favor baggie and tied it with a string and a special instruction card in MineCraft theme too.

I also made some personalized chocolate candy bar wrappers in MineCraft Theme (same as his invitation card) and wrapped them in Hershey's chocolate bars.

Then I revised the writings on the back of the wrapper. Notice the part where you see the "Ingredients". LOL.

AND I was able to commission my Sweetest to make me a watermelon jug to put the lemonade. I supposed to make the watermelon juice or a concoction of such but I didn't have time anymore so I just put lemonade in it.

B's sisters made The Crawler Cake. As always, they come up with something really awesome and yes, something that B can relate to.

Of course we need candles to blow. I didn't want to ruin the cake so I came up with gumballs in mason jars and put the candles in it so B can blow them to make a wish.

3 Tips: Getting Hitched

Half of all marriages in America end in divorce. What’s odd is that when it comes to marriage, many couples spend exponentially more time, energy, and passion towards decorations and the look of a wedding than they do working on their own relationships. Am I stating that we shouldn’t plan for our weddings and only attend counseling? No I’m not. But what I am saying is that there are some key areas in our lives that we should address during engagement that shouldn’t be overlooked.

1. Goals

What are your spouses’ goals? Do they want to start their own business? Do they want to be a stay at home mom? Do they want to travel the world? There are many little things that couples can disagree upon and it wouldn’t be the end of a relationship. But there are a few key things in marriage that we have to agree upon to make for a healthy marriage. What are the big things in life that your spouse wants to accomplish and how can you two work together to accomplish each other’s big goals.

2. Communication

How are you and your spouse going to communicate in your day-to-day lives? Are you going to make time before or after work to listen to each other’s days and share victories and frustrations? Many marriages crumble in silence. When communication begins to wane affection follows suit. Are you going to have a date night once a week to talk about each other and not work or kids? Are you opening up communication during work breaks? Establishing a strong plan for communication will pave the way for a healthy and vibrant relationship where each person isn’t isolated but each person is heard and cared for.

3. Fighting

Did you know that your spouse is not perfect? Sure you might know this in your head but do you believe it in your heart? How are you going to deal with the struggles and issues that arise? Are you going to deal with it in the heat of the moment? Are you going to take a step back and collect yourself before you argue? Every couple has to know that problems are going to constantly arise. Your battle plans for these conflicts will help you argue in a healthy way. Talk to your spouse about arguments and the rules for arguing. Maybe there are trigger words that you two never use like “divorce”, or “you always…”. Maybe you’ll lay rules down like don’t yell in the heat of the moment. There are not very many wrong ways to argue but you have to have a plan.

Marriage is tough. Marriage is not the flowery picture perfect story that love movies portray them out to be. Marriage will take discipline, steadfast love, and great grace for one another in order for marriage to work. A lot of women’s issues in marriage and life stem from insecurity issues. A great way to resolve some of these issues would be to purchase a top of the line home security system. I found a company called Smith Monitoring that offers some of the absolute best features available. Smith home security offers an app that can be downloaded to your smart phone that can control your thermostat, light, alarm system, and major appliances.

About the Guest Author:
About The Author: Katie Melendez is a writer for Smith Monitoring. Katie is also a wife, youth mentor, and a health nut. Follow her blogs for all current trends on home, health, and family.

June Birthday Party 1

Yes, this is a very very long overdue post of my Sweetest's birthday party. As I have mentioned in my previous post, I will have two separate posts for that June birthday celebrations so I can share how it turned out.

So here we go. This year we [my stepdaughters and I] decided to make it simple, small and intimate. It was so small that there were only 6 people who attended, including the birthday celebrant. B was not there because he was with his mother.

As usual, the girls made an awesome cake for their father. It was a blue fondant cake with hand-painted flower design.

Aside from the fondant cake, H baked some chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They were delishhhhh. I had 3 of them in one sitting. shhhh.

Compared to last year's celebration, the desert table is small and simple too. I just made a fruit bouquet as the center piece of the table.

While, I arranged the veggie bar in the center of the dining table that served as center piece too. I put the veggies in individual desert stemmed glasses that served as containers.

Having the salad bar in the center of the dining table was as good way to serve the veggies. It was more convenient for us to fix our salad that way when it is at arm's length.

As for the banner, I didn't make a long one that says "happy birthday". I just make letter cut-outs of my Sweetest's name and laid them down on the desert table for a change.

AND yes, I made his favorite bacon wrapped scallops for appetizers.

I think this is the best party we done so far because we didn't do a lot of preparation compared to last year's.

Keeping an Empty Office Secure

There may be a time, such as during building work or in the process of a change of office, when your office could be left empty for some time. Even over the Christmas break, your office may be a target for burglars who will know that the site will be left vacant. Offices can contain lots of expensive equipment, so it’s absolutely essential that you do your best to look after the space and keep it safe during empty periods.

Firstly, you need to make sure you have a good security system in place, including top quality CCTV cameras. There is no point in having CCTV cameras if they’re not going to help the police identify trespassers or burglars, so go for the best you can afford, ideally including night vision. A security expert will be able to help you find the best locations and angles for these cameras to focus on the most important areas.

If you have a lot of vehicle entrances, make sure these are blocked off if you’ll be out of the building for some time. A barrier system placed across the driveways or vehicle routes will ensure nobody is able to drive through and cause any security risks. If you have a gated entrance, make sure you have informed the person manning it that you are not expecting any visitors and that anyone claiming to be there as your guest should be denied entrance.

Unfortunately, burglars are always coming up with new tactics and methods to gain unauthorised entry to your office, so you need to be prepared for this eventuality. Set up a good alarm system which you set after everyone has exited the building, and use a ‘smart water’ system to mark all your expensive electrical equipment so that it can be identified by the police if they find it elsewhere.

Most offices have their own security guards, so if you’re on a site with other offices, find out if your site guard can check up on your office from time to time to make sure everything is in order. This way, if anything has happened in your absence, you will know as soon as possible.

Also, to use a classic holiday trick, you could set the office lights on timers to make it look like there are people inside. Likewise, you could even play a track of ambient office sounds and voices so that anyone walking past would assume the building is occupied, making it less likely to be targeted by burglars or trespassers.


About the Guest Author:
Claire Fishwick is a site security consultant who advises landowners and developers on the most effective means to secure vacant land

The Gregoires went picking

Last Wednesday my Sweetest didn't go to work and since it is still vacation for me and B, I decided to plan a blueberry[slash]raspberry picking for the three of us. Good thing my Sweetest didn't really have a plan to go anywhere that day so he said yes.

raspberries

blueberries

We went back to Libby's and Son U-Pick in Limerick because it was shouted out in their facebook page that raspberry picking is open for the day.

back to the orchard

We came a little late because my Sweetest wanted to finish his coffee first. So when we got there the raspberries were all picked out already. But I insisted to see the bushes hoping I would be able to find even just half a pint of raspberries. I just need to have raspberry. It isn't that hard to ask, is it? [wink*]

my Sweetest and B getting ready to be transported to the blueberry/raspberry fields

the view of the raspberry field from top of the hill

So yes, I could see from top of the hill that the raspberry field was already deserted. But when we got there, there was one old lady patiently picking some berries. I decided to go to the farthest end of the field where the bushes are all low and smaller.

the only soul I found in the field combing the bushes for some sweet ripe raspberry

And yes, I found some ripe ones enough to fill a half a pint container. And I was happy.

there you are

and there are more to go back to

At the other side of the field, my boys were busy picking blueberries. My Sweetest and B are not big fans of raspberries but both are fanatics of blueberries so they really went with me on a different mission.

my boys picking some blueberries

Hubby picking the ripe ones

So yeah, we had fun at the orchard and enjoyed our berries.

the pick of the day

A pint of blueberries and half a pint of raspberries... mission accomplished. The Gregoires are happy.

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This is a SPECIAL POST for MAINE Attraction... a regular Blog Series that features everything and anything about my home - Maine.

Secure your Premises with Security Cameras Merseyside

The world today is a 24 hour world allowing for flexible hours of work for employers and employees. This means that businesses can offer 24 hour service as goods and services are also available online. Security needs have therefore changed and must keep pace with a world that never stops.

Security cameras are an integral part of any complete security system. The benefits to be had from integrating 24 hour security into your home and or office are readily apparent. 24 hour surveillance provides unprecedented access and control. The benefits of these systems far outweigh the cost.

Security Cameras Merseyside can provide 24 hour access to your factory school, home, hospital or office. Security guards are only human and they need coffee and bathroom breaks. They are limited by the fact that they can only see what is in front of their eyes.

They cannot see around corners, through walls or very far distances. Security cameras are able to do it all.  There is no downtime based on human limitations. There are no shift requirements based on labour laws. Security cameras are all seeing and omnipresent. They can be everywhere and see everything.

Being able see it all is a definite advantage, but the ability of perfect recall is definitely an added bonus. The limitations of the human vision and memory can now be eliminated by using Security Cameras Merseyside. Information is now digitally recorded and available for easy and convenient at your fingertips access.

Falls, accidents and theft are commonplace in business.  There is no further need for he said or she said in insurance matters. Security cameras record information constantly and accurately. Information is always readily available and at hand. Claims and disputes can now be easily and conveniently settled.

With the necessary systems in place, security cameras work while you sleep always alert and on the job. The cost associated with security systems can be expensive and security fences and all its associated costs. Security guards around the clock would entail three different shifts.  Security is an expensive but necessary part of doing business.

Security systems are a deterrent to thieves and mischief makers who would try to profit from doing harm to your family or business. Without a security system in place your business is vulnerable to attack and fraudulent claims.

The presence of security cameras Merseyside can provide peace of mind. For more information get in touch. 


About the Guest Author
Written by Arthur Blackwell for http://www.accsecurity.com/

What Summer?

I'm on a countdown now. This is my last week of summer and work starts next Tuesday. Where does summer go? Didn't even feel it.

Camping it is.

Anyway, last weekend I went camping (yes, finally) with my boys and hubby's friend. It was not like the kind of camping that I was used to. No, we didn't go up Byron like we do for the past 5 years. We just camped out at Hubby's friend's property in Newfield.

Where the bumming-out happened.

It was just like bumming-out-camping where I just watched Monk the whole day. Yup I just did a Monk Marathon and I loved it. I don't really watch TV very often and having nothing to do at the camp just gave me that opportunity to watch the DVD I bought years ago.

Relaxing and bonding with Tony Shalhoub

And yes, I also spent uninterrupted hours on my kindle just stopping to get something to munch or take a quick trip to the bathroom.

My Kindle Fire taking a break and giving Monk the center stage.

Took a little photo walk around and saw some wild berries that are not yet ready for the picking.

 The dirt road

 Bugs are bugging. Poor beans.

Wild flowers

Wild berries along the dirt road.

I'm not the RV-kind-of-camper. I am more of a  "hard-core" camper. And when I say hard-core I mean "100-feet-away-from-bear-trap-kind-of-camping"camping. 

 Keeping my camp chair handy when I get tired of laying down

But last weekend's camping was not hard-core enough in the real sense of the word because if there was a bathroom at my convenience, "that ain't hardcore!" (Hubby's word, not mine.) As for me, it was just your-regular-grandma-camping where the most important part is - not making your bed! Woot! Woot!

My messy room and I love it.

Sweetest's friend's off-the-road property is very convenient because it has a nice veggie garden where I picked out some fresh summer squash and tomatoes for supper.

 Hubby checking the garden.

Ready for the picking.

Fresh summer squash and tomatoes stir-fry, anyone?

Well, even if it was not my-kind-of-camping, I still love it because... I didn't have to do a lot of things except cooked dinner.

Steak and chicken wings

When we are camping, I can make Hubby do things that he doesn't normally do at home. Like making breakfast and washing dishes at the same time. AND more importantly, he won't be bothering me for simple things he needs because he can find what he needs all by himself. Really strange. LOL

 Watching Hubby making breakfast while I was still in bed watching Monk.

Spying on him as he went down to the well to fetch a pail of water. La-la-la-la

As for my Sweetest and his friend... they just hanged out, drank some beer, trying to figure out how their new toy [game cameras] work and yes, did some target shooting.

Yes, that's me shooting some empty beer cans.

And they made me shoot target too.