When I first got here, my father in law immediately wanted me to learn how to drive. It was so much hassle then because I already started working and Dad had to take me to work and then Ryan picks me up from work. Dad was also the one taught me how to drive. I learned a lot from him. I used to hate every time Ryan teaches me because his left hand was always in the emergency break and by him doing that freaks me out even more. When I finally got my license I was nervous yet very excited. Being able to drive means the freedom to go places you want to go without having to depend on anybody to drive you around. Although I only go out when necessary but the thought that I can go anytime is what I like. With driving comes the need for a car insurance and would you believe that you can now <a href="http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/ ">buy cheap car insurance online</a>? I thought you can only buy car insurance through an agent but not anymore with onlineautoinsurance.com. What is even better is you can get quotes and compare to get that car insurance that is within your budget. All you have to do it enter your zip code to get started.

We managed to get to the clinic in Harvey out and safe. I was a little hesitant to which building it is since it was already dark when Ryan and drove up there. There was so much traffic so I got a little confused. We were 15 minutes early but nobody was there so they attend to Papa right away. They asked for an ID and Papa gave them his driver's license in the Philippines. They also gave him a skin test and they took his chest x-ray. After two minutes the x-ray result was clear so they let him go. We will be back again this Thursday for the skin test result and next Wednesday to see the doctor. Thankfully it is all free. We live in Cook county so we get to enjoy such privileges.

I envy those who can dance gracefully. I wished I had the same talent. When I was teaching back home, I used to tutor a little girl who took ballet lessons and every now and then her parents would take me to watch her in her dance recital. I just love watching them dance and looking at the dancer’s <a href="http://www.movedancewear.co.uk/categories/leotards/30/">gymnastics leotards</a> which by the way, I think were so cute. I really thought that getting one of those gymnastic leotards is so hard to find but that was before I found out what www.movedancewear.com.uk has to offer.<br /><br />Do you know what I like about them? Their website is so easy to navigate and finding for that dance wear and dance shoes that you need has never been so easy. In fact they even carry <a href="http://www.movedancewear.co.uk/categories/dance_shoes_jazz_shoes_sneakers/21_38/">jazz shoes</a> and sneakers, ballroom, Latin &amp; Salsa dance shoes and many more. Every dance shoes is pictured, showing the details of each shoes to make you aware of what you are getting. So what are you waiting for? You can shop by brands or browse by category to get started. You can even sign up for their newsletter to get deals right at your inbox. So the next time you need a dance shoes or dancewear don’t forget to visit www.movedancewear.com.uk.

<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qQefQvwE3C8/SV3EehvoWhI/AAAAAAAADu0/GIUPEk1T1PY/s1600-h/1_381377952l.jpg">I envy those who got pregnant and still was able to keep the shape of their face. Just look at how gorgeous my pregnant sister in law is. Well, when I got pregnant besides the stomach, my face also got rounder and rounder. Yep that is how bad it was and even now I still have the fat round face even if I have already lost 15 lbs and 8 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight. Ryan teasingly told me that we need to have another one now that we have the help that we can get but yeah he was just teasing and I am not ready either. Anyways, my sister in law is due this March and I hope it will be a girl but if not we will love the baby regardless anyway.

Did you remember the day and the feeling when you got engaged? I remember it like it was just yesterday. It was Ryan’s birthday and at the same time we had the engagement party. It wasn’t really big but close families and friends were there to witness that momentous event with us. I remember Ryan was so scared when he asked me the question. He was afraid that I was going to say no and won’t leave my family but I did and never been so happy. If you are planning to pop the question anytime soon but you haven’t decided where to look for <a href="http://www.whiteflash.com/Engagement-Rings/1.htm">engagement rings</a> then stopping by www.whiteflash.com will surely help. They have a wide selection of beautiful engagement rings from solitaire rings, 3 stone rings and diamond settings. Start your engagement ring search at Whileflash.com.

Papa is still sleeping some goofy hours. He is sleeping while we are up although he tried to stay up for Frankie because he kept looking for him. He also wakes up really early in the morning and starts doing chores around the house while we are still asleep. He hates to be in one place doing nothing so he keeps himself really busy. He sometimes do karaoke with Frankie and cleans up the house. When we got up this morning, he already got rid of the paint that was on the hallway floor. He did all the dishes and put them away. I am so happy and glad that Papa is here. There are times when I don't feel writing much because we kept talking and trying to catch up on a lot of things. My most favorite time is when we all eat dinner together and we just sit there for almost an hour just talking about anything. Frankie even listens to all of us.

We are so excited for the arrival of our Papa from the Philippines. I can’t wait to fetch him at the airport. After he had all his papers ready, I specifically gave him instructions to have his teeth checked and cleaned there because it is way cheaper. I also told him to get another pair of eyeglasses but instead of having two I asked him to get one. I really would like to try and order at Zenni Optical, <a href="http://zennioptical.com/cart/home.php">the popular online eyeglasses shop</a>. You see, they have <a href="http://zennioptical.com/cart/home.php">$ 8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses </a>with a lot of unique and beautiful eyeglasses to choose from. As long as you have your prescription, you can order yours right now. They even have <a href="http://zennioptical.com/cart/home.php?cat=31">Holiday Glass Frames from Zenni Optical</a>. I will definitely be getting one for Papa.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qQefQvwE3C8/SVQ_M0lh4dI/AAAAAAAADr8/IoW7K-scMDQ/s1600-h/d_7588.jpg">

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mycutechristmas.com/" target="_blank">What a long day we have and I am glad we are home and resting. As usual, instead of moving stuff around we ended up putting it off again. We won't make it in time but at least we will have the extra help. It was nice to see the family once again and the drive wasn't that bad. We took the tollway both ways and there wasn't any traffic at all. Frankie and I slept both ways, it was truly nice. Anyways, Frankie was so excited when other kids (relatives) joined us during the get together. They were all so friendly and nice that Frankie really had a good time playing and watching them play. I will try to post some pictures later when the craziness around here subsides. As for now, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

Ryan and I have been to many places inside and outside the US before we had Frankie. There were a couple of times too when we just got up, went for a drive and stayed overnight somewhere. I loved doing spur of the moment getaways with Ryan. When we go somewhere we tend to be very picky with the hotel because after a long day of exploring the place, we want to relax but there were also a few times when the hotel we thought it would be wasn’t what we expected. Have you ever experienced it when you booked for a hotel online because everything looked great but when you get to the facility it was really bad? Yep, it happened to us a few times before and even if the place was great, it ruins the entire trip. We have been to many states here in the US and I can only count in my fingers the good hotels we stayed in.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qQefQvwE3C8/SU8cI3mRN5I/AAAAAAAADrc/tuz34N4c7g4/s1600-h/003.JPG">Frankie is in the age where he can amuse himself. He likes climbing and using just about anything to get something especially on high places. That is why he is also in a stage where he needs to be supervised all the time. Our living is so bare right now. I missed it when we have almost everything there. We even decided not to put up the Christmas tree this year. He doesn't know any better anyway and he will just be pulling everything that we will hang there. At least next year he will be a little more aware of what is going on. I missed it last year that we had our tree up but Ryan decided to pass this year. We are so busy with the moving around stuff anyway. So on Christmas Day we will just have all the gifts for him ready on the living room floor.

Do you have a job rather than a career? Do you feel like you are stuck and you are not happy with what you are doing? So why not check out the different <a href="http://www.findabeautyschool.com/">cosmetology schools</a> and see what they have in store for you. I have always envied those people who are doing something that they like. I am sure going to work for them will never be a drag. At Findabeautyschool.com it is so easy to find different cosmetology schools that you might find interest in. They have the most complete directory for beauty schools. You can choose by state to get started. People worry a lot on how to pay for school but at Findabeautyschool.com they have suggestions on how to do it. So if you want a career rather than a job, you should check them out.

I can't believe that it is time for my teeth cleaning again. Time surely fly by fast. I am scheduled to see my mother in law this January again and Ryan will come along with me. He will also have his teeth cleaned after I have mine cleaned. Most of all it is free. Thanks to my mother in law for doing this to us. Six months ago, I was a little worried on who will watch Frankie but not anymore. We can now see Noelle together. The clinic is quiet far from where we live and I don't think I will ever find my way going there. So Ryan will take off from work and he will take me to Indiana.

When we first moved in our new house, I thought of myself, “now what?” You see, Ryan and I used to live with my father in law when we got married. We stayed with him for three years. We have bought things during the course of the two years but not many. We only stayed in that small room and we didn’t feel the need to get some when my father in law already provided us with everything. Besides where are we going to put them? So when we finally moved out and had our own house, it was pretty empty.<br /><br />Ryan is an American and I am Asian. We have been looking for something that will compliment both of our taste. We have seen some before but we didn’t like the quality. I was browsing the internet and found these <a href="http://www.moroccan-furniture-decor.com/">Moroccan decor</a>. They have a wide selection beautiful decors and furniture. Plus, you can easily search the product by clicking on the different category that is located in the left side of the website. The different <a href="http://www.moroccan-furniture-decor.com/cat_moroccan_furniture.cfm">Moroccan decor</a> is surely an exquisite work of art. You should check them out too.

This will be his third weekend in a row that he worked overtime for Saturday and Sunday. He certainly is not complaining but I feel sorry for him. As I said before, it doesn't bother me and Frankie because he usually comes home around noon or at 2:15 p.m. Then all three of us take a nap together in the afternoon. It gives me time to get some rest and as well as Ryan.<br /><br />It is starting to snow outside again and I work. I hate that every time it happens. I am sure the store will be packed today but they always have enough people to cover every section so I am not worried. I don't know how big will be the ad today and hopefully we got everything covered. It reminds me I need to go in early so that I can go shopping for my gift for Ryan. It is so ironic that I work in a store and haven't have the chance to get him our gifts. I wish I could Frankie because it is always fun when he is around but for our gift for his Dada, this will be my call. Got to go, it's nap time.

I was so naïve when it comes to credit cards when I first got here in the US. I never had any credit cards back home because I don’t feel the need to have one. While I was teaching we were asked if we wanted to apply but I never did. A couple of my co-teachers did and they regretted it. They didn’t read the fine prints and they were fees after another. Now that I am here, my husband Ryan has been really good in educating me regard credit cards. I also have learned to keep a few in my wallet in case of emergency and on times when low in cash.<br /><br />Credit card always comes in handy but just to certain extent. Selecting a credit card to apply for also has so many factors to consider that is why I like going to Smartcreditchoices.com to read. They have valuable <a href="http://www.smartcreditchoices.com/blog/">credit card articles</a> that can be very helpful on your next credit card application. They also have a lot of interesting points about the credit card companies that I sure didn’t know before. So the next time you thought of applying for another credit card, don’t forget to give them a visit. I am sure you won’t regret it.

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qQefQvwE3C8/SU07OxBaDsI/AAAAAAAADq0/sUYQYlAM288/s1600-h/007.JPG">We really need to go shopping for Frankie. All of his clothes still fits him but they are so short on him. The coat he is wearing fits him perfectly now but would you believe that its size is 12 months. That is surely one advantage because he is not fat at all and he can still wear his clothes from last year although they have been so short. The gloves that came with the coat won't fit his hands anymore so we really need to get him that. He has a couple here but he hates wearing them. Maybe it was too tight for him. He also need new hat. I checked his thermal underwear and they are still fine although most of them are on his knee but they are not tight at all. I am just happy that he doesn't get mad every time I tell him to get ready because we are going outside. It makes him excited and usually cooperate. He was so excited to go out with this one when we were about to go shopping. *Sigh* I wish we were in Cebu right now and enjoying the warm weather.

There is a drawer in our second bedroom which is full of pens that Ryan accumulated through out the years. I don’t know why he hasn’t used them but each of them has different logos from different companies that he has dealt business with. He all got them as a gift. There are a few from our bank, from the part-time job that he is working that he gets every Christmas and other places. We call this kind of gifts as <a href="http://www.usimprints.com/">promotional products</a> or items and it is not only limited to pens but there are a lot more. It is one of the most effective ways to promote your product or services for new clients and returning clients. That is why all of them will always have a logo in it. If you own a business, you will be surprised to see different items to use as a promotional products at Usimprints.com. This calendar below will be perfect to give away for the holiday to your existing clients.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qQefQvwE3C8/SU053tGjsKI/AAAAAAAADqs/ebC6lfiheYQ/s1600-h/calendar.JPG">Ryan and I always get a calendar from our real estate agent every year. Who doesn’t want to get a calendar anyway? So, browse through Usimprints.com and check out the different products that will be perfect for you and your business at the fraction of the cost.

I was so surprised to get something from Kohls the other day. I got a card, not an insurance that I can use to get my prescription eyeglasses. It was 15% on a new pair and 5% on eye check up. I was so happy that the place where Ryan and I usually get my eyeglasses in Olympia Fields is also covered. For someone like me who wears glasses all the time, this is indeed a great savings. When I came to work that night we were all talking about what we got in the mail and we thought since we are only part time workers we don't get benefits like that at all. We got another thing which is like an HSA where a little of my paycheck can do there depending on the amount I want to set aside that we can use to buy health related stuff without having to pay for the tax. I am surely glad to be a part of this place.

Every time I go to our second bedroom I can’t help but wish we have a theater room or any room where we can put all of Ryan’s DVDs, VCDs, Games and CDs in one place. Yes it is all his collections that some he got when he was with me in the Philippines and some he bought in Singapore. They are in 3 different places and not neatly arranged. Frankie always loves going through them and taking them off the cabinets and opening them. I wish in our next house we can spare a little movie room where we can have it all in place, a nice TV complete with <a href="http://www.stargatecinema.com/">home theater furniture</a> to give it that theater like experience. It would be nice to be able to relax at the convenience of your home with your family without spending a buck. That would just be lovely.

We have been really busy lately that I can't wait for it to be January. I will make an appointment to use the gift card that my father in law and mother in law gave me for my 30th birthday. I will definitely have the massage, a hair cut and be pampered just for once. I will make sure that it will be on a weekend so that Ryan can just drop me off and pick me up while Frankie will be at home with Papa. We saw one in Indiana that is not too far from here. I can't thank my in laws enough for being so generous to me. I love every moment that I spend with Frankie but mama needs to have her own time every once in a while and this will be it. Just thinking of it really makes me excited.

I can’t wait when the upgrade of our house starts. Ryan and I have been looking forward to it and of course saving for it. We might have Papa to work on it but we still need to have the money in the bank to supply him with the materials he will need. One of the many things that I will definitely want to get rid of, are some of the outdated <a href="http://www.lightingshowplace.com/">lighting</a> we still have in our house. The ceiling fan in the master bedroom needs to be replaced so badly too. We just have the ceiling fan without the lights in it. If Ryan will let me pick it, I would love to get this one below to replace what we have.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qQefQvwE3C8/SUyqnMEhHrI/AAAAAAAADqk/4R-eWzcpO-I/s1600-h/CF711PB.jpg">I found it at lightingshowplace.com. I like their wide selections of decors, ceiling fans, lamps and other lighting that you can add to your home. Plus you can take advantage of their 90 days to pay on orders over $250.00. Isn’t it nice? I will definitely show the one ceiling fan I picked to Ryan.

I am not really sure what the store is doing but the ad set team are doing a little get together. We haven't decided what day to do it but I will tell them tomorrow that it should be on Monday since most of us are going to be there. Besides, our supervisor will now be back from his vacation and probably won't know about the plan but it should be ok if he will be unable to bring anything. I am sure with the moving, he is still not able to unpack his cooking utensils. I already decided what to bring to work. I will have chicken macaroni salad as usual, empanada, pansit and macaroons for dessert. I hope I will remember to bring the camera as I would like mama to see the nice people that I am working with. I really love them all. We are a small team but we help each other and that is what I love about it. Sometimes when I don't work for consecutive days I kind of miss them. They are just nice to be around.

Ryan, Frankie and I have been going to a couple of places to check out different <a href="http://www.importadvantage.com/TV-Stands.htm">tv stands</a> that they have. We used to have a TV stand that we bought from a local store but the quality was really disappointing. Ryan had to put everything together. It wasn’t hard but it was really of bad quality. Never will we ever buy furniture from a box ever again, that’s for sure. We need one for Papa’s room so that he will have something to put the small TV that we have here as spare. For now it is on the floor because we have nowhere to put it. We really need to find one before he gets here.

Ryan is cleaning the van right now so we can have it fixed and checked before it's warranty expires. We have been trying to put it off for a long time. We just didn't have the time to take it because either Ryan works over time or I work and vice versa. Would you believe that we had the van for 3 years this Christmas eve already and we are a couple of payments away to pay it off. No more getting another car for us that is for sure. It is getting so cold outside and the snow is still very thick. I wanted to do something productive today but I was looking at the things that I need to write. I did some cooking though that Frankie really liked. I will try to finish the writings today so that tomorrow I am free. It is supposed to be really bad tomorrow so at least I can do the things that I have been wanting to do because I also don't work. After we drop off the van we will also go shopping so we have something to munch here in the house. We also have movies piled out that we can watch. Ryan already sent in his vacation for tomorrow in case the snow gets really bad. Then we can just stay home and chill. Anyways, got to go...