Ayie
Summer is here and it is time to take the kids out ad about. With so many different activities to do, it is important that you are prepared and safe when doing outdoor summer activities. After you set your adt alarm system and leave the house, it is time to put some of these common safety guidelines into affect.


Sunscreen – Keeping your kids – as well as yourself, protected from the sun will help ensure that everyone is healthier and able to play outside everyday. A severe sunburn is not something you want getting in the way of your summer fun.

Lifeguards – While it may not always be optimal to try and find swimming spots with lifeguards, it is definitely safer to swim in a place that has professionals on duty. If this is out of the question, then make sure you are knowledgeable about first aid.

Bug Spray – Keep the kids and yourself free from harmful bug bites on your camping and/or hiking adventures. Remember, if someone is bitten severely, it can halt all your summer fun.

Playground Safety – When entering any playground area, make sure there are safety mats to cushion falls, as well as rubber safety grips on all the equipment. If any of the equipment is rusted out, stay off of it. These and other summer safety tips will allow you and your family to enjoy a summer full of fun.

Written by guest blogger Taylor Fener

Ayie
Thinking of what you can do for your 48 hour tee times? How about last minute booking for a golf outing? Yes, last minute but rest assured your booking will be easy peasy with the 24/7 booking availability.



www.48hourteetimes.com is a full service hospitality group who can help through your bookings anywhere in Myrtle Beach area. No need to worry about late booking, tee times will definitely give you a hand in completing your booking.
Ayie


Let me give you all a wet kiss....

Happy Weekend!!
Ayie




Lately I've been tuning in late night news while waiting for "The Office" which me and hubs love to watch together every night. The news are quite disappointing because of all the shootings, job lay off, economy and most especially the oil spill in Gulf of Mexico. It's been more than a month and instead of hearing good news about it, turns out to be more frustrating with the non-stop spill.



Can you imagine how much damage has it caused already in the ocean? Fishes and other marine life are greatly affected resulting to chain reaction with the people's livelihood relying on the ocean resources. Just like what happened to the Philippines before when there was an oil tanker spill incident. Many people got sick because of the oil that tainted the environment.


Up to this time the threat of the oil spill is on high alarm with the neighboring shorelines. Florida coast is preparing for the worse case scenario but so far the pristine white beaches and seafoods are still safe. The neighboring Carolina shores are also safe and people can definitely enjoy the beaches there this hot summer.



Most people will fear engaging much in water activities but this shouldn't hinder them from enjoying the white beaches of Florida and Carolina. For those who want to just spend good time in the beach and trying to avoid the Florida coasts then Myrtle beaches in Carolina can be your destination. The Myrtle Beach best hotels can take care of your accommodation. Take a stroll or play some golf while enjoying your stay in Myrtle Beach hotel. There are limitless options for you to enjoy the summer may it be splashing around with the waves of the sea or exploring the entire town. Warm weather doesn't come all year round so don't miss the chance, to see more of what Carolina has to offer visit http://www.horizonmyrtlebeach.com.

Ayie
Every Sunday me, hubs and baby head out to the church to attend mass. It's nice that baby's being exposed to the church as he grows. After mass before going home or somewhere else we check out the church thrift store whenever it's open. It's great going there because of all the stuffs they have and your dollars can go a very long way. We just love it when they have a "super sale" like having a bag of books for only $5.00. Imagine filling up a whole paper bag of books and you only have to pay that much.



There are times when they have so much selections for architecture, arts and cooking. These are the books that we often get. We want to also see next time if they have good kiddie books for our little boy. Even if we plan to buy new story books for baby, it wouldn't hurt to get some books from there.

Hubs saw the book Golf for Dummies and I was surprised when he got it. I didn't know he really got interested with golf after practicing putting before. It's fun to have some rounds golfing and it would be nice if we'll get the chance to play. Speaking of which this summer is very ideal to do such activity and www.myrtlebeachseasideresorts.com has golf packages posted in their site. It also has different packages for other recreational activities good for the entire family. To see more about their summer deals and offers you may check out http://www.myrtlebeachseasideresorts.com/.
Ayie


A Dad is a person
who is loving and kind,
And often he knows
what you have on your mind.
He's someone who listens,
suggests, and defends.
A dad can be one
of your very best friends!
He's proud of your triumphs,
but when things go wrong,
A dad can be patient
and helpful and strong
In all that you do,
a dad's love plays a part.
There's always a place for him
deep in your heart.
And each year that passes,
you're even more glad,
More grateful and proud
just to call him your dad!
Thank you, Dad...
for listening and caring,
for giving and sharing,
but, especially, for just being you!

Happy Father's Day

to all dear dads out there!


Ayie

I grew up just like any other kid playing outside with kids, running around the neighborhood, enjoying a bath in the rain and most importantly going to school and meeting new friends there. I can proudly say my childhood was great and I'm very thankful to my parents for that. They gave me all the chance in the world to enjoy being a kid.

I have many fond memories in school and can still clearly remember the good times. I can say that I am fortunate enough to be sent to private schools. My parents really worked hard for all of us. My life may not be how it is now if I never went schooling. Being exposed to many people back then helped so much in my social development. I don't think I'll have the same say if I did homeschooling instead of being enrolled to a regular school.

I am not against homeschooling or what they refer to as K-12 here but personally speaking, I prefer to send my kid to a regular school where he can have classmates and get the opportunity to be more exposed than being confined at home. I think you'll grow more when you get to experience more things. Maybe that kind of schooling can work for other people but not for me.

K-12 was derived from shortening Kindergarten all the way to 12th grade. It's an online system wherein a student undergoes schooling through online lessons. Sounds fun but it's also not as easy as it sounds. Discipline is very important with this kind of thing. But believe it or not, many people are doing this kind of schooling. Well it's not that impossible considering everything can be done online now. Take for instance if you are taking Algebra 1 or Algebra 2, getting Algebra 1 help and Algebra 1 answers can be through the aid of online tutoring. A student gets to be taught one on one by a highly trained professional. Same thing goes for Algebra 2 help and Algebra 2 answers. This I think is the edge of homeschooling, the convenience of learning and doing things right under your roof.

Ayie


Last April we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary just at home. I cooked some special dishes which we shared for dinner. We didn't get to prepare for that day because it's a regular work week day and also having baby around is just another thing. He's been our top priority so we avoided going out much and being too exposed with the chilly weather. I managed to cook for hubs but didn't have the chance to buy any gift. It's the first time that I was not armed for an occasion but I compensated for that later on with a gift he personally chose.



Simple as it may be, it was a happy anniversary celebration for us. Baby made it even more special. He's our biggest gift for our anniversary this year and other things come second or third. Hubs picked up some white tulips and tasty cookies before coming home from work. He surprised me keeping it tucked in his jacket, so imagine how bulky it was being hidden there. Another thing that came that day was the new custom laptop that we ordered online. Finally it was delivered and so timely it's like an anniversary present. I gave hubs the honor of opening the package while me and baby excitedly watching him. That laptop is now my official work toy. It has great specs among all those custom laptops being sold out there.



See our little boy right there smiling so sweetly as if all the gifts were his? =) Mommy and daddy were also smiling the same. The laptop will help with my work flexibility, I can work even on bed or while nursing baby. Even if it's not as powerful as hubs custom computer / desktop, it works just fine with us. It's still a powerful unit in a very compact size. It has the capacity like those usual custom computers in computer shops and can even support my work programs. Even if mommy's full time with baby I get to sneak a little time to do some works now. Not much with blogging yet but hopefully I will get back there in time.

Ayie
There is one simple way that you can improve the security of your home, and it is by keeping the shades down. There are plenty of homes with ADT, but shutting your shades helps to make sure your life is private. This may seem very simple, but the truth is that keeping your shades or blinds down in your home restricts what outsiders view of your home. I have discovered that pulling the shades down and keeping blinds closed has acted as a great addition to my home security alarm system. If you have not done so already, I highly recommend that you try out this tip to increase the feeling of safeness in your home.

Many people do not realize that keeping blinds open can invite a whole host of uninvited guests into your home. You are giving people the invitation or ticket to viewing what goes on inside of your home. Instead, you should try to be conscious of your own security and be proactive in making your home feel more secure. Many people complain that their homes feel so unsafe, yet they do not realize that they are actually making it feel that way. All too often, people leave blinds open and doors unlocked. However, to increase the security of your home you need to be conscious that these small acts influence the security of your home. Take steps to increase the security of your home today by closing blinds and keeping shades down.

Thanks to Reed Fowler for the guest blog entry

Ayie
Creating financial security is very important to any individual or family. It may come in different forms like bank savings, stocks or insurance. This way you can ensure support financially when you are no longer capable of providing.

Life is very unpredictable, things can happen in a snap. It can be good, it can be bad but who really knows? Should you wait for the that time when you can no longer do as much than when you had the means? Worse case scenario if something happens to you, all your loved ones being left behind unprepared. This is when you can make use of life insurance Australia. It also covers accident insurance and income insurance, it can be a a good hand in urgent time.
Ayie
Is my title confusing you already? Why is there no roasted chicken in this post? Well, it's because there's a "blooper" out of that title with this Afritada dish I made. But before I proceed with the sotry, Let me share the recipe for this dish. As you all know I hate following exact recipe measurements and ingredients so I also customize my dishes so this recipe is from Filipino Food Recipes to better guide you with the measurements and instructions.



Chicken Afritada Ingredients:

  • 1 kilo chicken, cut into pieces

  • 5 pieces potatoes, peeled and halved

  • 1 red onion, diced

  • 1 head garlic, minced

  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips

  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

  • 2 cups pork or chicken stock (broth)

  • 1 cup tomato sauce

  • 2 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce)

  • 3 tablespoons of cooking oil

Chicken Afritada Cooking Instructions:

  • In a cooking pot or wok, heat oil.

  • Sauté garlic and onions.

  • Add chicken and slightly brown.

  • Pour the tomato sauce and stock. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked.

  • Add potatoes and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.

  • Add the green and red bell peppers, simmer for an additional minute or two.

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Serve this chicken recipe hot with steamed rice.



One night after cleaning up the table and doing the dishes hubs went to the living room to watch America's Funniest Video. We love staying for a while in the living room after dinner to watch and relax before we retire for the night. I was tidying up the kitchen so I started preheating the leftover Afritada. I was just looking and watching from the kitchen then hubs called me and made me stay there and sit with him. At first I was hesitant since I was still doing something in the kitchen and I might forget about it. Eventually I gave in and just watched with him there and about 30mins later we started smelling such savory food. Our door was partially open so I thought it could be the Filipino family downstairs cooking some roasted chicken.

It's been a while and still the aromatic smell of that food was getting more and more. I was complementing how good it smells and that they must've marinated their chicken so well to roast with that smell. That's when I blurted out, "damn that roasted chicken!" as i was starting to crave and hate the fact that we already ate dinner and it felt like a torture smelling it the whole time we were in the living room watching. Hubs was just laughing because he too admits the it smells so so good. Later on hubs went to the kitchen to get some water, then busted! He asked me if I'm cooking something and he smells like something's burning. Then it got back to my senses that I was preheating my Afritada and totally forgot about it when I sat and watched with hubs. Hubs was bursting out of laughter and said "there's your roasted chicken!, to think you're even accusing the Filipino Family downstairs of roasting such delicious smelling chicken this late at night!". Oh well good thing I put the fire very very low when I left the kitchen to make sure it won't burn without constant stirring. I hurriedly checked the pan and see if it's really burnt and good things it was just the sauce and we're still able to have the rest of the Afritada the next day.



Moral of the story? If you want your home to smell like savory roasted chicken, leave your afritada to burn =P hehehe of course I'm kidding =) But seriously, that accident also taught me how afritada could taste if I use fire roasted tomatoes instead of just a regular tomato sauce. By the way, you can also use pork or any of your desired meat for this dish.

How about you? Any cooking "blooper" experience too?

Enjoy your weekend!!
Ayie

There are many things that you can do to stay safe this summer but one of the most important safety measures you can take is to remember that even while you are out having fun in the sun there are also lurkers out there who are scoping out your home to see when the best time is to rob it. Not to rain on your parade for the summer festivities, but these people do exist and in order to prevent them from coming to your door or window and climbing right through to rob you blind it is important to have your home security alarm. I got mine from atlanta adt security systems.

Having a security alarm installed does not take very much time out of your busy summer schedule at all and can usually be done in a morning or afternoon. It is only one day out of your summer schedule so it should not be a terribly difficult appointment to schedule. This will only take a few hours and it will save you the worry of leaving your house unattended while you are gone for long weekends visiting family and at your friends beach house in July for the fourth of July BBQ party.

Guest Post by Marshall Stuarts

Ayie
I heard on the radio yesterday that Tina Fey just turned 40. I guess some things just get better with age, because I think she's hotter than ever! I also think she writes and stars in the funniest show on my Los Angeles area satellite tv, bar none: 30 Rock.



First off, the show's writing is very dense. I don't mean that it's written for dense people, but that it packs a lot into every interaction. Characters are constantly making clever asides and comments within the context of whatever they are saying. The remarks are generally hilarious, but a lot of it goes by so fast you don't even notice what was said until you replay it in your mind.

Second off, the cast is brilliant. Tina plays a harried network show producer. Alec Baldwin, her boss, delivers his cutting lines with perfect timing and glib sarcasm. Tracy Morgan plays a total nut bag actor who is inexplicably rich and famous. My favorite scenes are those involving his doctor/psychiatrist Dr. Spaceman, played by Chris Parnell, who appears rational on the surface but is as likely to recommend a lobotomy or a dose of speed as any legal medical technique. Last but by no means least is Kenneth Parcell, the "Radar"-type simpleton who always says what's on his mind, with no thought of the consequences. The overall result is priceless!

Big shout out to Joel Pearcy for the guest post
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