Some Weekend

So we did go camping and gold panning again. I still don’t know if we found some gold nuggets because we only dredged and brought back the concentrate. Hubby will surely pan the concentrate any day this week.

We went in the same place. We stayed in the same campsite. And we dredged in the same spot. Having spent almost all our summer every year in this place, it almost feel like home already.

I know the place quite well now.

I’m not scared anymore to go down and up the steep hill with bucket and sluice in my hands.

I’m already familiar with the rocks and know which ones are not steady to step on when crossing the river.

I’m used to being greeted with some pleasant critters and being bugged by some unpleasant ones.

[This little one is checking out my cooler and stayed there the whole time while I was cooking our lunch.]

And for three days… I answered the call of nature at Mother Nature's. Hehehehe

[Well, where else would you do it? And how else would you do it? With a grand view like this! wink*]

Cooked our meals at my improvised kitchen.

[Preparing lunch in my kitchen while hubby is down the river dredging.}

Washed my dirty dishes at 40 degrees cold running water. Yeah, literally running water.

[My nature's dishwasher with plenty of cold running water. Don't worry I used biodegradable dish soap so the environment is safe.]

And amused myself with photography while hubby had his nose underwater dredging for dirt. And yes, we will surely be back soon.

For That Special Guy in your Life Only

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Voctorinox Swiss Army. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s almost Father’s Day. I am not really too crazy about the occasion because my dad is long gone. I miss him so much. He was my greatest fan and my best critic. He was my trusted friend and my worse competition. He was my confidante and my strict guardian. I really miss him so much.

If he was alive I will not find it hard to buy him a gift this Father’s Day. He is a watch collector so definitely I would buy him a Victorinox Swiss Army. It is the only kind of gift that I know he would appreciate and cherish just like the ones he got in his collection. He would never get tired of them.

But since I he is no longer around to appreciate such gift… it’s about time that I introduce Hubby to this one of a kind timepiece. That is why this Father’s Day I am giving him one. Shhhhhh… it’s still a secret. He doesn’t have to know about that now.

For more interesting information about Victorinox Swiss Army… Visit www.swissarmy.com to view their timepiece collection or be a fan of the Victorinox Swiss Army Facebook page and participate in the I Wear a Watch sweepstakes. They’re giving 30 lucky winners a Victorinox Swiss Army timepiece.

So what are you waiting for? Check out Facebook IWAW sweepstakes page and wonder no more what gift should you give that special guy in your life.

Can you?

Hmmmmm... can you hear the bird chirping? Can you feel the cool water of the river under your toes? Can you see in your mind the lush green sceneries of tall trees? I can!

I can hear, feel and see in my mind the camping ground and the river where we dredge dirt. And yes, Hubby and I will go camping and gold panning again soon. And it will surely be a big challenge again.

And by the way... did I mention that we did find gold nugget... a very tiny one and some specks. wink*

I will post the photo next time.

Confession of a Pizza Convert

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

I am not a pizza person. I don’t know why, but I am just not too crazy about pizza. In fact I can live without pizza. Hubby finds it weird because he is a pizza lover. Well, he thought that everybody loves pizza until he met me. hahahaha

But in fairness, pizza is always my saving glory. It always saves my dinner. When I come home late from work, pizza is the first thing in my mind to serve for supper. When I am busy doing a lot of things or chores on a weekend and have no time to make supper, pizza is the way to go. And when a friend pays a surprise visit, pizza is an express meal over chitchat.

Anyway, yes I am really not a pizza person. But it doesn’t necessarily mean I hate it. It’s just that if I have a choice I will not choose it. But, when I was doing my routine grocery shopping last weekend, I found this Freschetta FlatBread in the freezer section. I bought one box because Hubby and I planned to do a movie marathon that weekend. And lo and behold, I was instantly hooked.

I never tasted a pizza that great. No offense with all the famous pizza stores… but this pizza in the box is the one that really captured my heart. I realized that the reason I didn’t like pizza is because oft its crust. And though they do have thin crust, Freschetta is different… it is flatbread. And that makes the difference! Did I mention that it come in different flavors too? Hmmm, Yummy.

Are you hungry yet? Hold on… check out Freschetta website (http://www.freschetta.com/thin-crust-pizzas/flatbread-pizza/default.aspx) and get a coupon for $1 off and enjoy your pizza flatbread.

And as for me… my favorite is Roasted Garlic and Spinach. But you can’t go wrong with Zesty Iltalian or Pepperoni or even their 5-cheese. Hahahaha Guess I already made my point. Yes, I am a pizza convert.

Reward Yourself

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

Did technology already conquer the world? Are you high-tech in more ways than one? Can you still live without technology? Is your day complete without facebooking or twitting? Do you use technology to make money or earn extra income? Can you live without internet and mobile phone?

I had to admit there are lots of advantages that we can get from technology. It’s one of the best things that ever happened to me [sort of]. LOL. Well, I had to admit too that I use it to monetize. Since I learned how to blog and make descent income out of blogging through some social media network like Izea, the internet is the best monetizing niche that can help a lot of people make both ends meet especially in this tough economic situation.

And now, you can make extra income through your mobile phone. Yup, this is another great possibility through WeReward.com. This is a kind of social media network using mobile incentive platform where consumers are being paid in cash for doing certain things and earn rewards for patronizing products and services from some local businesses. This is a new monetizing system meant for mobile phones where consumers can Download the App that will allow them to use the platform.

Here is some important information about WeReward:

WeReward is a new mobile application from IZEA, the company behind SocialSpark and Sponsored Tweets.

WeReward pays you for check ins and tasks you complete in the real world. It integrates with Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, so you can still get your badges and share the way you always have.

If you have an iPhone you can download the app and give it a try or watch this video for the overview of WeReward.

So what are you waiting for? Take advantage of your mobile phone and start monetizing and start rewarding yourself.

Hubby and Procrastination

And so we went gold panning up north. It was my birthday gift to Hubby... along with a new set of golf clubs [hoping that he would use it one of these days].

You see, I am not really too crazy about camping and gold panning since I prefer Hotel camping. wink* But since it was his birthday I want to make him happy because I know how much it means to him. And so I suggested two weeks before that Memorial weekend to make the necessary arrangement for the trip up north.

And guess what, as usual, he waited the last minute to do what he has to do. We almost did not make it because his truck which sticker  will expire on the last day of the month [which will be the day we are coming back from camping] encountered some problems. He had his windshield changed so his sticker was removed. When he brought the truck to be inspected he had to change his tires and a bunch of other things. So we went without a car sticker on. He wasn't able to call the campsite for the reservation so we went up without a plan B. Good thing someone cancelled their reservation so we got it.

Hays... good thing it was his birthday or else I wouldn't be a happy camper. LOL

Make your Road Trip a Breeze

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

Time flies so quickly. And I am on a countdown. School will be over soon so it means that summer is just around the corner. It felt like summer already and we are taking advantage of the nice warm weather whenever possible. Just last Memorial weekend Hubby and I spent the long weekend up north camping. It was indeed nice to be out-of-town once in a while. Our brief vacation was almost perfect if only we knew where we were going.

Well, we were very confident when we left. I always have a check list for everything so I thought everything will be alright. We got the reservation of the campsite online and we programmed the direction on our GPS. And guess what. We got lost. We almost ran out of gas because we cannot find the nearest gas station. We cannot locate the closest restaurant to eat. And we spent the whole day in the car running around in circle instead of already relaxing at the campsite having a barbecue. That was all because our GPS gave us wrong directions. We didn’t realize that we need to update our navigator. Too bad I only found it out now when I stumble upon www.updateyourmap.com.

Here is some important and helpful information about updating your car-navigator:

NAVTEQ is the company whose technology and maps drive most of the in-car navigation systems and the leading brands of GPS-enabled devices in the U.S., so chances are yours is one of them.

Updating is easy, just go to this website and follow the drop-down menus which correspond to the built-in system or portable device. Installing updated navigation maps takes just minutes, but can save hours, fuel and the frustration of getting lost or being late. Mom’s taxi service has to stay on schedule and stick to a budget!

With the newest and best alternate routes received with your map update, you’ll be able to find a route around traffic so you can get to your destination on time! Because there are more than 100,000 points of interest updated, you’ll find the most convenient gas stations, ATMs or restaurants along the way.

Talking about stress-free vacation and road trips, you’re never go wrong or get lost with an updated GPS. So, start with having your car-navigator updated. Check out www.updateyourmap.com now to make sure that your next trip will be a breeze. Take if from me… I am speaking from experience.

Happy Birthday My Sweetest

Today is my Hubby's birthday. We spent his birthday out-of-town camping and gold panning. It was a long weekend and spending it up north without access to internet and cellphone made it more exciting if not challenging.

We spent long hours in the river gold panning. It was one of those moments where "patience" was put to test. Hubby was so patient with his hobby. He spent 8 hours dredging underwater. And I spend 8 hours too... waiting, picking rocks from the sluice, and taking photos every now and then. It was tiring but I already psyche myself up that it's Hubby's birthday so I need to be nice.

Dearest Sweetest,

Happy Birthday. Hope you had a wonderful time camping and gold panning with me.

It was not the first time we spent time together on a weekend out-of-town. It was not the first time we spent time together doing what you love to do. And it was not the first time that we really had fun together.

It has been 3 years already since we started doing things together. It has been 3 years already since I first came here to the United States. And it has been 3 years already since you said that "I was the greatest gift" you ever received on your birthday because I came here 2 days before your 50th birthday.

Three years may not be long enough to measure how much you mean to me. Three years may not be enough to know how much I care for you. And three year may not be enough for you to realize that I do need you.

I maybe like any other wife who nags when I see a thing to nag about. I maybe like your mother who criticizes when you procrastinate things. And I maybe like your old teacher who corrects when I know that you did something wrong. But still, you know that I am the woman that you married, despite my imperfection.

Today is your birthday and I wish you a very happy birthday. May God give you good health so that you will be spend more birthdays with me. May God give you the strength you need to be able to do the things you love doing with me. And may God give you more years so I can spend more weekend getaways together doing what you love to do.

I love you and Happy Birthday my Sweetest.

Always

Your Sweetie

 The dirt road.

Swift East river

Hubby dredging.

This beats the boring sound of the dredging motor.

Viva Las Vegas

My parents-in-law love Las Vegas. They spend a couple of week’s vacation in Las Vegas almost twice a year. This year, they stayed longer… almost a month. They just love the weather there and the lights and the sound, especially the sound of the slot machines ringing. “They are just music to our ear”… they said. Hahahaha

This year, I was trying to convince dear Hubby to try Viva Las Vegas for our Wedding Anniversary getaway. He is a very quiet person and he loves nature. That is why he is more into hunting, fishing and gold panning. But I love the city, the lights, the sound, and the shopping, of course. I just don’t know how I can convince him so I can cruise the city in style. Oh how I wish I could go around the city in a Las Vegas Limousine.

I want to ride one of those Las Vegas Limousines or maybe try the Exotic Limo Las Vegas that I see in one of those travel shows on TV. I think they are just gorgeous.

I don’t know. I just love to try the good life of the rich and famous. Hahahaha It’s a dream but if I could make it come true just for a day or two… why not, right? I just want to experience Viva Las Vegas in style.

I was once a Mom... for a brief moment

It's Mother's Day again. This is the day when I can't help but feel touchy. I can't help but feel too sensitive about a lot of things. And I can't help it if I feel like crying.

Though I have made the decision not too long ago not to have a child no more... I still feel that empty hallow feeling at the pit of my stomach every time this special day come. But trust me, the feeling passes by so quickly as that special day does.

No... don't feel bad for me. My decision to remain childless is final, unless otherwise God has other plans for me. Don't pity me. I am all set with being childless and I don't feel bad about it. Don't judge me. It is the best decision I made for myself and I don't regret it.

Yes... I love children but having one is not for me. I love children... but maybe  I am not meant to be a mother. I love the child that I once had and it will remain in my heart forever.

I am 45 year old... and though I am still capable of bearing a child... the risk for me to have one is so high. And if I do get pregnant at this age and give birth to a healthy baby... the responsibility of raising a child is too overwhelming for me. I am not getting any younger. If I have a baby this year... I will be 55 years old when she or he turns 10... and 65 years old when he or she turns 20. I'm not just doing the math here... I am just accepting the fact and making sense of the reality of life. At 65 years old I wanted to retire and relax and enjoy life. It will be too selfish to do so if I have a child going to college.

Though, I believe many won't agree with my reasons... I believe that I am responsible enough to not have one if I cannot be a good mom. Life is too short and I want to make the most out of it. I salute all mothers in the world and the sacrifices that you are doing for the sake of your children. And to you... my deepest respect I offer.

I was once a Mom... and for that brief moment in my life as a woman... I did feel being a real mom. My little angel though is just watching me from up above... will remain in my heart to treasure. And I will always cherish that special moment that I had with him no matter how short and vague.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in the world.

the lake, the rain and the chores

It's another weekend. It's another soggy weekend. And so, it's another weekend blue for me. Hubby is out in the lake today... fishing. And I am not really very impressed to be honest with you.

First of all... it is raining. I don't want to think of the worse case scenario... but anything can happen... in the lake... when it is raining... and when the water is freezing cold.

Second of all... he may be having a beer or two with his buddy. I don't want to think of the possible think that can happen... but anything can really happen... when one is tipsy or drunk... when friends are having fun... and when they are out in the lake.

And third of all... I am here alone. I don't want to state the obvious... but it isn't fun when you are at home... when the laundry is piled up... when the bedroom is a mess... and you have tons of backlog to blog.

A Yay! Yay! Yay!