Affirmation: Simplicity

Affirmation:

I will make
my life
simpler.

One of my simple joys on my birthday (22 Jan 2011)...a ferry ride!

Personal Reflection:

Now that I'm older, I base my decisions on consequences that will make my life easier and simpler. 

Nowadays, I stay away from situations I know will bring complications and stress into my everyday living.  I don't mind being stressed as long as I know it will result to something productive. 

I spend my time with people and moments that will make me happy.  Time is precious so I choose wisely on who I want to spend it with and what to do during my spare time.  I don't want a complicated life so I don't like spending time with complicated people.  Life is so short to be spent in negativity.

I embrace technology if it will make work and managing the home more productive and time-efficient.  If it's a product that will truly help me and my Husband in having a quality life, why not?

Simplicity is not just  a matter of wanting the simple and inexpensive things.  I believe it is more about one's mindset in life.  For me, being simple means "un-complicating" things in life.  I believe it's about making smart choices in order to have a stress-free life.
Have a great week, everyone!

Need Some Ink?

This link I found may be useful to those living in America and Canada.  My Husband and I are looking online for great printer ink cartridges bargains for our Canon printer a few nights back and we came across this website called inkgrabber.com.

inkgrabber.com has wide array of printer cartridges for different brands of printers to different models of ink cartridges.   The website is user-friendly as you can shop by printer by brand, monitor the delivery of your orders, the shipping policy is explained well and they have an FAQ page for any more of your queries.  You can easily navigate the page especially that the brands can be easily seen on the left portion of the page.

They also offer discounts and sales on their website!  They are currently running a New Year Sale offering a discount of 10% off your order amounting to more than $55.00.  The code is already mentioned on the website to avail this discount.  If you are wanting to buy printer cartridges right now, this might be a good time to do it.

Back to Exercising Again

At the start of the year, I mentioned that one of my immediate goals for 2011 is to get back into exercising once again.  And that's what I've been doing lately.  I've gone back to exercising, slowly but surely.  While I think that my body is ready for more strenuous workouts, I pace myself to make sure that I'm not doing damage to my body.

I'm not aiming to be reed thin.  My goal is basically to get rid of unwanted fats I gained from the past year that I wasn't able to regularly exercise.  I mainly want to go back to my old and normal lifestyle when my food intake is proportional to my physical activities.  

Other than going back to my usual lifestyle, getting fit would be futile without some goals and here are mine:

(1) lose 3 kilos

(2) go back to having a waistline of at least 27 inches

(3) get used to exercising regularly

And I hope to achieve all those in three months.  

There are so many exercise programs to choose from but since I know my body well, I'll share with you some of my ways of getting fit.

Exercise Gadgets.  an Elliptical Strider, a skipping rope (not in photo), light hand weights and a hula hoop.  Everyday I get on our Elliptical Strider and lift hand weights everyday for a 10-15 minutes.  The hula hoop and skipping rope I do them once or twice a week only. 

Brisk Walking.  Monday to Friday, I average about 30-40 minutes of brisk walking.  I love walking!  Other than a source of physical activity, walking is also a spiritual thing for me.  

Dance Workouts.  I have a copy of the Crunch Cardio Dance Blast and I do this at least once or twice a week, usually on days when I don't have work.  I love this DVD because the steps are easy to follow.

Wii Fit and Wii Just Dance.  I use Wii Fit for my Yoga, Boxing, and Running exercises.  For Wii Just Dance, obviously for dance exercises.  These may just be simulated games via a console but I swear, they give me a good sweat after a few minutes.  

  

So those are my basic physical activities in a week, my very own exercise programs!  I vary my routine every time I exercise because I tend to get bored easily so I find it handy that I have exercise equipments, video games and dance videos that I choose from.

What about you?  What are your exercise routines these days?

She Just Wants Cake

I asked her what she wanted for her birthday. She said, "I just want cake...a cute, yummy cake."


So I decided to bring her to Adriano Zumbo's Patisserie, which she has been longing to experience. Since she wanted something so simple, I knew I had to give her the best.


When I told her where we would go for her birthday, her face lit up and literally jumped for joy. She reminded me of a child, excited and can't wait for a promise to unfold.


This morning, she woke up early even if she slept late. She said she can't wait to have her cake. Her birthday cake.


And so we went out early. I took her to one of her favorite beaches and made her ride the ferry (which she loved). She enjoyed the sun, the blue waters, the crowd, her birthday lunch and most of all she enjoyed her birthday cake. She couldn't stop smiling when she saw it.


According to her, she had a perfect fun day. Even if she only spent the day with me, she felt very loved by people that matter to her because she received lots of birthday greetings. For her that was enough.


I'm amazed at how she craves for the simplest of things even on her special day when she deserves all the best the world can offer. I feel blessed knowing I have someone like her who always choose the things that matter most rather than the superficial. And the greatest thing about her is that however small a gesture may be, she will make you feel how she truly appreciate you.

Happy birthday, dearest Wife. xoxo *C

Some Things Are Certain

We didn't know we would end up here.
 
We didn't know that we'd complement each other.
 
We didn't know that we would make a good team.

We didn't know that we would have enormous mutual respect towards each other.

We didn't know we'd have this much fun! 

We didn't know that we would share each other's passion and be other's champion.
 
We didn't know that we would become the best of friends.

We didn't know that we would end up being together.  For the rest of our lives.


Ten years ago, we met and our lives changed.  Four years ago, we took that biggest leap of faith and said "We do".  Today, we still know not a lot of things.  Most times, we still take each other by surprise! 

But some things are certain....
that we will always make each other laugh
that we are each other's confidante no matter what
that I've got his back and he's got mine
that we will never get tired of holding hands
that we never like complications
that we find joy in the simplest of things
that we love each other...truly, madly, deeply.

To my dear Husband, thank you for four wonderful years of good-sweet-lovin'.  I love being married to you!

Pretty Window Box Planters For The Home

If you want to beautify the windows of your home, one suggestion is getting window flower boxes or garden window boxes.  Once I was surfing online the other day, I saw this dainty window box and led me to WindowboxPlanters.  They have different kinds of window boxes to choose from but these two photos are my favorite.

These window plant boxes can turn a boring window look charming and stylish.  You can also place them in the rails of your balcony.   Other than make your house lovely, it gives more character to the look of your house.

Wouldn't it be lovely to look outside your window or balcony and see beautiful flowers?  If it were me, I'd always sip my tea looking out the window if only to see the flowers by the window or maybe hang out by the balcony more often.  Seeing flowers outside my window or balcony will surely help me relax.

Cafe: Beach and Bush Gallery Cafe (Kiama, NSW Australia)

Part of our Grand Pacific Drive trip last year was a visit to Kiama, a place for water lovers as it offers surfing, diving, fishing, canoeing and windsurfing.  Kiama is also known for the "Kiama Blowhole", the town's major tourist attraction.   Under certain sea conditions, the blowhole can spray water up to 25 metres (82 ft) in the air, in quantities that thoroughly drench any bystanders. 

We arrived an hour before lunch so we took lots of photos by the lighthouse.

And lots of photos of blue, blue seas!!!! 

Lunch was at the Beach and Bush Gallery Cafe.  This cafe is a feast to the senses as they serve good food and has photography gallery.  The photographs were by internationally-known Australian fine image photographer, Gary Barnes.  His work is amazing and breathtaking.

You can find his photographs posted all over the cafe.

I vaguely remember what we ate that day.  We had a bowl of Caesar Salad and (based from the photo we took) Grilled Chicken (not sure!).  The name of the dishes we ordered escapes me right now but I assure you that they served us a delicious meal.

I love this reminder they have by the counter.  Not only do they guarantee that they will serve quality food but they also encourage everyone to appreciate the gallery and views of Kiama--it's like encouraging us to live in the moment and enjoy being!

Some of Gary Barnes' photographs are available in postcard format so I bought one as a souvenir.  This was the photo I bought....

If ever you are in Kiama, visit the Beach and Bush Gallery.

"A Wife's Charmed Life" visited Beach and Bush Gallery as an anonymous guest on 21 January 2010.

Beach and Bush Gallery

Blowhole Point Road
Kiama
New South Wales 2533

Ph: 02 4233 1734

Restaurant: Harbour Front Restaurant (Wollongong, NSW Australia)

After our afternoon tea at lee and me, we went back to the hotel to rest a bit and freshen up.  Still had no idea on where we will have dinner, we surfed online and found that there are a few good-looking restaurants near Flagstaff Hill. 

We went out to dinner early so we can hang out by the beach and get ourselves a good table before dinner time.

It was nearly sunset when we arrived and this was the view that welcomed us...

Wollongong is known as the only place in the east coast that has two lighthouses.  A small, old lighthouse is located at the end of the breakwater.

The big light house is located at Flagstaff Hill.

It was near the small lighthouse where we found a place to have dinner.  Harbour Front Restaurant is a lovely and romantic place with a view of the harbour. 

Since we were still full from what we had during afternoon tea, we just ordered two mains and shared both dishes with each other.

We had the Crispy Skin Snapper Fillet with white anchovy caper escabeche.  It came with sauteed fennel red capsicum and zucchini.  Light and flavourful.  Perfect for the summer heat.

Dinner won't be complete without some meat so we had their Prime Rib Eye Fillet Steak

with luscious mushroom sauce.  One of the best steaks I've ever had.  Tender and perfectly cooked.

We enjoyed the relaxed environment as we savoured the dishes we ordered.  We hope to dine here again when we visit in the future.

After dinner, we hung out by the harbour and walked a bit, took photos.  The photo below is one of the best photos we took on this trip and will always remind us of how beautiful Wollongong is.

Harbour Front Restaurant
2 Endeavour Drive
Wollongong Harbour
Ph 02 4227 2999

"A Wife's Charmed Life" visited Harbour Front Restaurant as an anonymous guest on 20 January 2010.

Cafe: lee and me (Wollongong, Australia)

Before I move some of our photos to another hard drive, I'll share with you some restaurants/cafe we dined in during our Wollongong Summer Getaway last year (can't believe that was already a year ago, memories of that road trip still vivid in my mind).

The trip to the south turned out to be one hell of a gastronomic surprise.  We went on this trip with no idea on where to eat and no reservations in any restaurant.  Very brave to say the least, we were celebrating our 3rd year wedding anniversary then and we left it to the fates to bring us to wherever we will have a sumptous meal.  The fates did not disappoint.  Our first meal in Wollongong was at a pretty cafe called lee and me.

A two-storey building in Crown street that house a cafe on the ground level and a fashion store on the 2nd floor, lee and me is a great find to any traveler in the area.

We decided to dine alfresco so we can feel the laidback atmosphere of this charming city.  Outside the cafe are cute orange chairs and makeshift tables made of crates.  The Husband and I opted to sit ourselves in normal tables and chairs so we can relax more.

 
I had a regular cup of sweet Cafe Latte, smooth and rich, while the Husband had the same drink only in a bigger glass.

We shared a slice of this chocolate cake.  I don't remember the name anymore but it is a nutty kind of chocolate cake.  Sweet but not too rich.  They have a whole range of yummy-looking cakes and pastries on the counter, took me awhile to choose.  They also serve breakfast and lunch.

The Husband left me for awhile and walked around only to surprise me when I saw him on the other side of the road taking paparazzi photos!

If you're ever in the area, stop and have a cuppa in this charming coffee haven. 
 
"A Wife's Charmed Life" visited lee and me as an anonymous guest on 20 January 2010.

lee and me
87 Crown Street
Wollongong, NSW 2500Weekdays 7am - 5pm
Weekends 8am - 4pm
Ph: 02 42440695

Note:  Two more restaurants in the south to be shared later!

Address Plaques for the Home

Who would have thought that something as simple as an address plaque would have an impression on your home and/or business?  

One of our (my Husband and I) dreams is to one day own a house.  On days when we are in "dream mode", we like looking at photographs of houses.  It gives us an idea of what we would purchase some day.  Nowadays, we are taking our dream to own a home a little more seriously.  When we look at photographs of houses, we look closely on the structure and details of each one.  We also look how address signs and mailboxes are placed outside a certain home.

What we discovered recently from looking at house photographs is that address plaques has a certain impact in one's home appearance.  It can set the mood or theme of your home.  The color of your address sign and where you will place it is also something to be considered.

I know I may sound like I'm thinking too far ahead but we will never know, right?  Maybe our dream home will happen sooner than we think.  My Husband and I are very hopeful and positive about it. 

My melissa Shoes Are Here!

These were residues of my online shopping last year.  Due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, they only got delivered today.

I've been wanting to try these shoes for awhile now because their shoes look cute, fashionable and comfortable.  According to the website:
 melissa plastic shoes are like sweet treats for your feet. As well as looking absolutely gorgeous, they are:

• super comfortable
• incredible works of structural design
• sweet smelling – each infused with a delicious bubble gum scent
• cultural icons for contemporary living
• designed by the most exciting and innovative designers working today, across all fields, including furniture, jewellery and design
• fun, beautiful objects of desire
• objects of sustainable living
• the best technology of renewal

melissa is a leading brand of the internationally acclaimed footwear manufacturer Grendene. The thermoplastic technology for melissa was developed exclusively by and for Grendene and is leading the way for sustainable practice for design, fashion and manufacturing.

All melissa plastic shoes are created with a zero waste ethos and particular attention to the life cycle of materials. melissa recycles 99.9% of factory water and waste, and they recycle overstock styles into next season’s collection.

melissa is also a proud partner of many non-profit organizations, donates monthly to support local homeless children and pregnant women (as well as massive donations of shoes) and also donates part of its monthly income to developing green urban areas.

For more about melissa shoes, please read here.

It's my first time buy shoes from them so I only bought two pairs to maximize payment for the courier and I thought it would be easy to return just in case they don't fit me well.  I also chose two simple-looking designs for now: a pair of ballet flat with straps and a pair of black shoes with a half-inch heel.

According to the website this pair is called "Hoop".  Perfect for walking because even if it's flats, it's well-cushioned inside so it doesn't feel like I'm wearing ballet flats.  Sometimes even if I wear flats, my legs hurt from walking because some ballet flats are not well-cushioned.

This pair is called "Silks + Neon".  This one's perfect for going to work as it has half-inch heels.  I seldom wear high heels to work because I don't like causing stress on my legs.  Plus, life here in Sydney is all about walking and running after trains and buses.

My photos look bad (sorry!), not really in the mood to take photos today as I'm so tired from work. But I found good photos online.

The shoes fit me perfectly and they smelled like sweet bubblegum.  They are so comfortable.  Each pair comes with a shoe bag (seen on photo #3 above) too! 
 
If you want to buy melissa shoes here in Australia, shop via http://www.melissaaustralia.com.au/

Car Issues? Try RepairPal

Technology is such a wonderful tool if used right.  Nowadays, everything can be found on the internet.  For my Husband and I, we appreciate all the ideas and suggestions we can get from loved ones and online when there are things we need information about.

Just recently, we were looking at information about annual car check ups. We found this very useful website on auto repair called RepairPal.  I believe that this is an American website as the cities mentioned are New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston and Chicago Auto Repair to name a few.  For my friends in America, this website can be very helpful to you. 

RepairPal is an independent resource giving unbiased solutions to your car problems.  You can use the website for getting price estimates for car services and parts.  For example, if you have a Toyota Camry, just find the list of Common Car Models and click on Toyota Camry and you will find information regarding the car's repair and maintenance. 

They also have a list of Common Auto Repairs that has info on what you need to do when a certain part of your car needs repair.  Its list includes Check Engine Light, Engine Oil and Filter Change, Brake Pad Replacement, etc.

Even if you don't live in America, I believe that most of the information about auto repair is very useful to anyone who owns a car.

My New Year Song

A part of me is still celebrating the New Year so let me share with you my New Year song. 

"This Year" is from the soundtrack of the movie "Serendipity" which is one of my favorite movies.  The movie's OST is also one of my favorite OSTs.  A romantic movie with a good story and really great selection of songs.

For a long time now, "This Year" has been one of those songs that makes me feel better whenever I'm feeling a little low.  I listen to it not only during the start of the year but even in times when I need a little cheering up or when I'm having a bad day.  The song's message has been a source of positivity and hope for me.  This song always reminds me to enjoy the moment even if I may have challenging situations throughout the year.

 
THIS YEAR
by Chantal Kreviazuk


This year, is gonna be incredible
This year, is gonna be the one
All the planets are lining up for me
This year, I'm gonna have fun


This year, I'll paint my masterpiece
This year, I'll be recognized
I can feel like I'll fall in love for real
This year, this year


January, I'll learn to fly
February, love's gonna find me
March, April, May, I'll get carried away
Oh, oh...


This year, I'll reach the pinnacle
This year, I'll get to the top
People will ask where she get that energy
This year, I'm never gonna stop


January, I'll learn to fly
February, love's gonna find me
March, April, May, I'll get carried away
Oh, oh, oh, oh...

This year, is gonna be incredible

This year, is gonna be the one

All the planets are lining up for me

This year, I'm gonna have fun I'm gonna have fun


Just watch me now
This year
This year
This year

Do you have a New Year song?

Welcome 2011!

While I almost didn't prepare anything for our Christmas Noche Buena, I was very much prepared for the New Year Media Noche.  Celebrating New Year is more of a big deal for me because I love beginnings, I love starting anew. 

Our table spread on New Year's eve consisted mostly of fruits, a noodle dish, leche flan (for dessert), champagne to toast to the new year and my main, Baked Ham.

It has been my dream to bake my own ham so I decided last year that I will try my best to make one for the new year.  Thank God I found half of a leg ham in the supermarket a week before Christmas.  It's so hard to find a small whole leg ham here (everything is so big!) so our best option was to get a half leg.

I started preparing the ham on the 30th December.  Boiled the ham in pineapple juice, beer and brown sugar for an hour (no precise measurements, just "to taste").  Then sliced off the skin, scored the ham and pushed whole cloves unto the ham.  The cloves add flavor to the ham and at the same time serves as decoration.  Covered in foil, I stored the ham inside the fridge overnight.

Three hours before midnight of 31st December, I baked the ham (180-200 degrees) for an hour while brushing sauce from boiled ham unto the surface of the ham every 20 minutes.  On the last quarter of the hour, I placed two pineapple slices on top of the ham.

It was a good first try and the Husband approved!

I cooked one of our favorite noodle dishes, Sotanghon Noodles with Scallops and Snow Peas.  If you want the recipe, you can find it here.

At the stroke of midnight, we welcomed 2011 with hopeful, happy faces as we toasted "Cheers to a brighter 2011!"