Oct 30, 2010

Halloween.....


Gabsy

Riley
 On Hallowe'en the thing you must do
Is pretend that nothing can frighten you
An' if somethin' scares you and you want to run
Jus' let on like it's Hallowe'en fun.........




Reshma and Sachin
 



 Being born in South America I had no clue what Halloween was all about...that is not until I moved to Puerto Rico (USA)....and boy were we in for a surprise.  My first Halloween was something I will never forget.  My sisters and I did not have store bought costumes like most of the other kids.  My parents at the time did not have that kind of money to spare so we had to "create" our own costumes.

Looking back today I would not change a single thing about those times so long ago when we did not have much money wise but we more than made up for it with love and affection.

Halloween today is still a fun time for kids and actually also for grownups. 

Even though it has become so commercialized, and I hardly recognize the tradition as the one we celebrated when we were kids it is still a fun time.  Today the costumes are extravagant and some just bizarre but still cool.....Even the tiniest member of our family is enjoying Halloween.....



Lilly Vade less than 2 weeks old
 One of the coolest things to do is to go pumpkin picking and to carve your own (Jack O Lantern).  Not so long ago, Arvid and I did do that.  While visiting my sister and family in New Jersey we went Pumpkin Picking.....what a fun time it was....



Pumpkin Picking PA
My favorite memories though are those growing up with my sisters in PR, my parents buying lots of candy to give to the hundreds of kids that came trick or treating to our home and best of all was coming back home with our pumpkins filled with all sorts of candies........

4 sisters..
I will leave you with this...
Halloween was confusing. All my life my parents said, "Never take candy from strangers." And then they dressed me up and said, "Go beg for it." I didn’t know what to do! I’d knock on people’s doors and go, "Trick or treat." "No thank you."





until nxt time.....

Oct 28, 2010

Almost There:)

Patience is the ability to count down before you blast off....


cleaning..

We have our own home but, we have not moved in as yet as it requires a total overhaul. We are still living in an apartment but making the trip everyday to our home to do work and to also make sure that the contractors are doing theirs...getting very impatient because so want to move into our own home.

There is so much that needs to be done and it seems the days do not have enough hours to get it all accomplished...even so we are moving along fairly well.  Our days begin very early and goes on for about 10 to 12 hours.  As you can imagine we are fairly exhaused by nightime...



at Home Depot
  We still have more to do but hope to move into our place in a few days.  Owning a house is completely different than a condo.  I have already started to worry about the grass, who's going to mow it...because for sure it will not be us:)  I have already started chopping off "trees" here and there.  Don't want grass nor too many trees.  I like concrete!!!


checking out furniture
 

 Seems like our newest favorite place is Home Depot, Lowes and furniture stores.....seems like we are there everyday sometimes more than once......



my weakness
  Even though our days are packed with tons to do we still make time for ourselves and to do something enjoyable....

Another busy day awaits us tomorrow so for now goodnight....

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.....enjoy yourself....  It's later than you think

until next time...

Oct 26, 2010

Lfe Goes On.....

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on....

As I wrote not so long ago my grandmother died this past March. 


As her gran daughter her death touched me deeply and left a sadness in my heart.  When I think of her the sadness returns and a flood of memories take over....Memory... is the diary that we all carry about with us....but I will be honest and admit that with all the craziness of my own life these moments are not that frequent.....life goes on be it for good or for whatever reason we just do not spend too much time dwelling on things.

My mom on the other hand spends a lot of her time thinking of her mother.  I never realized how much my mom actually misses her mother until a few days ago when she sent me an email.  A very simple email but by reading it I realized that the void in her heart will never be filled no matter how much life goes on.

All her email said was "Nad I still miss ma on a daily basis even though she was so far away, children change but a mother never changes no matter how old her children are......Sometimes I wonder about all our grand kids.  Sometimes I CRY MYSELF TO SLEEP". My mom also said that it does not matter how old you are....no one can ever replace your mother.

Sometimes I may take my mom for granted but I really hope this is not the case.  She is an exceptional woman and when I read her email I felt the sadness in her heart and I wondered how I would cope one day when I no longer have my mom.  Hopefully that will be years and years from today. As someone once said "my mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being.  I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune".

Mommy, I am so sorry I have not spent more time inquiring how you feel and asking you more about Ma.  I know you spoke with her almost everyday and that was a good time for both of you....I know you miss her terribly and that sometimes you wish you could just pick up that phone and hear her voice...just like when I am having a bad or good day the person  look forward to telling it all to is you.  Your patience is unending and I want to say thank you.....you are the first person to know things we do not really tell anyone else :)......your input is always appreciated.

No one in the world can take the place of your mother.  Right or wrong, from her viewpoint you are always right.  She may scold you for little things, but never for the big ones.....

Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be

until next time.....


Oct 23, 2010

Changes....

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it......Things do not change; we change....

Suddenly it dawned to us.  Our entire lifestyle will be changing in a very short time.  For a minute there we wondered if we were doing the right thing....then we agreed that we will give it a chance and wait and see.

We have always lived in the Fort Lauderdale area ever since we met and we really enjoyed every place we have lived.  The common denominator for each place was water, water and more water views.....resort style amenities, beautiful pool, great location close to everything and all within walking distance.

Now this will all change.  We will soon be living in a neighborhood.  Not much within walking distance.  For instance we are now renting an apartment very close to the beach.  The convenience of being able to just pick up and walk to either a restaurant, pub, beach...whatever is great and we have taken advantage of this almost everyday.

When we feel we have been cooped up enough we just get up and go. I am enjoying this very much as is Arvid. Though we have always lived close to the beach we have rarely been frequenting it...now we go for walks almost everyday......and for Pina Coladas:)


our new scenery

Soon this will all be something of the past.  We will  no longer have the water views, the resort style amenities, the hot tub, gym and the convenience of just picking up and walking over to our favorite restaurant or pub....

Will we miss this? Absolutely YES!!! Do we regret our choice? Absolutely NOT!! at least not right now. This is a new chapter for us....and we are pretty excited and at the same time a little unsure......For now we are enjoying our time close to the beach and all the things acessible to us within walking distance....even Brutus is having a grat time:))


The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.....
Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever....

until next time...


 








Oct 22, 2010

The Worst Restaurant Breakfasts in America....

 It would be nice if the Food and Drug Administration stopped issuing warnings about toxic substances and just gave me the names of one or two things still safe to eat.....


Remember when breakfast was the healthiest meal of the day?   Well it does not seem that way anymore.  Here is a list of so called worst and best breakfast foods in America.....Enjoy and stay healthy!!!


 
6: Worst Breakfast Beverage:
Starbucks Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with whole milk and whipped cream (venti, 24 oz)

720 calories

27 g fat (17 g saturated)

103 g sugars



Pure black coffee is one of the world's most potent elixirs. In fact, research shows that a morning cup can help decrease your risk of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and type-2 diabetes. That’s good news, since 77 percent of U.S. adults over 18 years of age drink coffee on a daily or occasional basis. But here’s the problem: There's a big difference between an untainted cup of joe and the souped-up, sugar-loaded blends (this particular drink contains 26 scoops of sugar) that list coffee as one of the ingredients. And this Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha is the definition of caffeinated indulgence. You can switch to an equally delicious and refreshing drink (Starbucks has plenty, such as the caffe mocha, which is still coffee with chocolate in it, after all), and cut 520 calories in the process!

Drink This Instead!
Iced Caffe Mocha (16 oz, no whipped cream)
200 calories
6 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
26 g sugars



Bonus tip: Daily e-mails (or tweets) that contain weight-loss advice remind you of your goals and help you drop pounds, researchers from Canada found. I'm partial to the instant weight-loss secrets that you'll get when you follow me on Twitter here.


#5: Worst Pastry Breakfast:
Cinnabon Regular Caramel Pecanbun
1,100 calories
56 g fat (10 g saturated, 5 g trans)
47 g sugars






This isn’t breakfast—this is dessert. And an atrocious one at that. The only speck of nutrition to be found in the bun comes from the nuts. Too bad they’re coated in sugar. This dangerously bloated bun contains nearly an entire day’s worth of fat and more than half of your daily allotment of calories.

That’s as much as you’ll find in 8 White Castle hamburgers. The Cinnabon Stix below are far from a healthy breakfast, but they're better than nothing (albeit barely).

Eat This Instead!
Cinnabon Stix
379 calories
21 g fat (6 g saturated, 4 g trans)
14 g sugars



Bonus Tip: Improve your health and lose weight at the same time by adding these 10 Surprising Superfoods to your diet.

#4: Worst Scrambled Eggs Breakfast:
Bob Evans Border Scramble Biscuit Bowl
1,028 calories
57 g fat (25 g saturated)
3,055 mg sodium



Bob Evans also offers a Border Scramble Omelet, which contains nearly 400 fewer calories than this overflowing biscuit bowl. The difference in is the bowl itself (several hundred calories of carbohydrate-loaded dough) and the cheese sauce—this biscuit bowl boasts a Queso sauce that no one in his or her right mind would consider a healthy topping. Instead of switching to the Border Scramble Omelet, however, cut another hundred calories by choosing the Garden Harvest, which is also loaded with vegetables.

Eat This Instead!
Garden Harvest Omelet
542 calories
38 g fat (17 g saturated)
1,762 mg sodium


Bonus Tip: Walking into a restaurant doesn't have to feel like a stroll through a minefield. Check out these Top Restaurant Swaps for Instant Weight Loss, ripped straight from the pages of the all-new 2011 edition of Eat This, Not That!

#3: Worst Breakfast Sandwich:
Denny’s Grand Slamwich
1,320 calories
90 g fat (42 g saturated, 1 g trans)
3,070 mg sodium

Word to the wise:  If a restaurant menu item is named for its monstrous size, there’s not a chance it’s good for you. Words like “Grand” and “Big” and “Double” are all tip-offs: Steer clear of this Frankenfood at all costs. This ginormous breakfast sandwich comes with a day and a half worth of sodium, as much saturated fat as you’ll find in 42 strips of bacon, and the caloric equivalent of four and a half cheeseburgers from McDonald’s.

Eat This Instead!
Veggie-Cheese Omelette
500 calories
37 g fat (12 g saturated, 0 g trans)
940 mg sodium



Bonus tip: For more freaky food inventions like the Grand Slamwich, check out our shocking list of the Worst Food Creations of 2010.



#2: Worst Pancakes:
Friendly’s Apple Caramel Walnut Pancakes
1,540 calories
30 g fat (11 g saturated)
2,290 mg sodium

Friendly’s has one of the worst breakfast menus of any restaurant we’ve seen—we had to customize the “Eat This Instead” order below to make it even worth considering. Quick tip: When eating at Friendly’s, never order anything sweet or pastry-like, like these pancakes. No matter what you’ve ordered, you’re guaranteed at least 900 calories. And that’s before you get to the sides. For the best breakfast meal, choose protein-rich foods, like eggs, and skip all sugar- and carbohydrate-laden sides, like toast, muffins, or pancakes.

Eat This Instead!
Super Sizzlin’ Bacon Combo (with 3 scrambled Egg Beaters, hold the toast)
570 calories
29 g fat (5 g saturated)
1,310 mg sodium

Bonus tip: Most people wouldn’t assume pancakes are a healthy choice. But what about those who are trying to eat healthy and end up with a plate full of calories and fat? To see how that’s entirely possible, check out our list of 20 Salads Worse Than a Whopper.

#1: The Worst Breakfast in America:
Cheesecake Factory French Toast Napoleon
2,460 calories
61 g saturated fat
1,769 mg sodium
246 g carbohydrates

The Cheesecake Factory never fails to amaze us. This outrageous restaurant consistently earns the title of “Worst” on nearly every list we create. Their French Toast Napoleon is no exception—it contains well over a day’s worth of calories (that’s about the equivalent of 19 bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, to give you some idea). It also has 61 grams of saturated fat (three times your daily limit). The only saving grace here is that not all of Cheesecake’s breakfast items are inedible. You’ll be safe if you stick to the healthy (and healthy sounding) scramble, below.

Eat This Instead!
Shiitake Mushroom, Spinach and Goat Cheese Scramble
570 calories
16g saturated fat
994 mg sodium
13 g carbohydrates

Bonus Tip: Improve the way you look and feel—fast and forever—with these 25 Best Nutrition Secrets Ever! They've helped people lose 10, 20, 30 pounds or more in record time--and can help you too! (Bonus: You don't have to stop eating your favorite foods or go on a diet.)
One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.....

until next time...

Oct 19, 2010

Can You say Tamarac....???

I'm glad we did it, partly because it was worth it, but mostly because we shall never have to do it again....


Good news for us.  We have finally found a place to call our own and after much debating we have decided to go with a house.

Very different lifestyle from what we have had but something the three of us look forward to experiencing....

I know many are curious to see what we will be getting but be patient....we are not telling until it is a done deal:) so to those trying to pry information out of us not happening:)).   I am less likely to keep a secret (so maybe my family already knows or maybe not)... but Arvid sure can keep secrets.....

We have decided on an area called Tamarac..that much I will say.  No waterfront, no pool, no hot tub:(
but, even so very excited to begin this new lifestyle...if we get bored there is always Eleuthera.....where we plan to go as soon as boredom sets in:)

So much to do....but when will the deal be finalized is something else:).....hopefully VERY soon!!  One only needs two tools in life:  WD-40 to make things go, and duct tape to make them stop...the joys of owning a house....all we know is that Brutus will be HAPPY!!!

Let's take the good times as they go, and I'll meet you further on up the road...

until next time....