This is a website I stumbled across almost a year ago and to my chagrin didn't take note of the address.
This morning it appeared again on the morning news and I promptly jumped on it.
Zillow.com is a site that allows you or anyone to search the "zestimated" cost of your or any home or neighborhood that you are interested in buying.
It's alarming!
How many of you owe more on your home than it's currently worth?
*raises hand*
Honey, you were right. We should've sold years ago.
xoxo
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Visual DNA
Here's another quirky test explaining your Visual DNA. Just click on the photo in that category that appeals to you most and continue onward til the end.
Visual DNA
Visual DNA
The most annoying and patient-testing game ever!!!
If you have the time and patience play this never ending level game. Good luck and don't explode!
Never ending level game
Never ending level game
Thursday, March 26, 2009
AYCE KBBQ - say what?
Craving AYCE (all you can eat) Korean BBQ and not wanting to head out to K-town on such short notice we quickly googled this place and, what the hell, gave it a shot.
$17.99 included 4 types of meat- chicken, bulgogi, brisket and pork belly (yum!), sliced onions and a mushroom a person for the grill (wth?!), steamed rice, and about a dozen banchan including their sizzling kimchi and tofu stone pot soup (gye gran jjimand steamed egg soup. MMmm delish!
I suppose anyone else wouldn't mind the lack of veggies but my husby knows that I'd eat more of the veggies over the meats. One mushroom per person, in my opinion, was cheap.
While the banchan weren't bad flavorwise the meats, excluding the chicken, could've used more time marinating. The brisket came out frozen and curled just like the kind you find at mangolian bbq places. The bulgogi was bland-a downside for us since we've had more flavorful tasting beef elsewhere- and the pork belly was just too fatty for my taste. I particularly enjoy pork belly but this tasted off.
The restaurant uses gas rather than charcoal which made it hard for us to control the heat on the grill- that and the ventilation wasn't strong enough to pull up all that smoke. Service was not steller and we had to constantly flag down a waitress to fill our water glasses. There's nothing worse than your glass on empty while BBQ in front of a grill with horrible ventilation and air conditioning at that.
Upon finishing our meal we did notice the sign behind us that noted any parties with leftover meat (whether that meant cooked or not was not clear) would be charged an additional $20 to their bill. That could pose a problem so we were sure to finish what was in front of us for fear of being charged extra. Our bill totaled up to roughly $45 dollars (overpriced in my book) and included a large Hite for my hubs.
Next time we'll plan dinner ahead of time and make the trek over to K-town (maybe to Gui Rim) for a better deal with better tasting food and more options.
xoxo
Seoul Jung Korean BBQ
1431 S Baldwin Ave
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 447-5479
$17.99 included 4 types of meat- chicken, bulgogi, brisket and pork belly (yum!), sliced onions and a mushroom a person for the grill (wth?!), steamed rice, and about a dozen banchan including their sizzling kimchi and tofu stone pot soup (gye gran jjimand steamed egg soup. MMmm delish!
I suppose anyone else wouldn't mind the lack of veggies but my husby knows that I'd eat more of the veggies over the meats. One mushroom per person, in my opinion, was cheap.
While the banchan weren't bad flavorwise the meats, excluding the chicken, could've used more time marinating. The brisket came out frozen and curled just like the kind you find at mangolian bbq places. The bulgogi was bland-a downside for us since we've had more flavorful tasting beef elsewhere- and the pork belly was just too fatty for my taste. I particularly enjoy pork belly but this tasted off.
The restaurant uses gas rather than charcoal which made it hard for us to control the heat on the grill- that and the ventilation wasn't strong enough to pull up all that smoke. Service was not steller and we had to constantly flag down a waitress to fill our water glasses. There's nothing worse than your glass on empty while BBQ in front of a grill with horrible ventilation and air conditioning at that.
Upon finishing our meal we did notice the sign behind us that noted any parties with leftover meat (whether that meant cooked or not was not clear) would be charged an additional $20 to their bill. That could pose a problem so we were sure to finish what was in front of us for fear of being charged extra. Our bill totaled up to roughly $45 dollars (overpriced in my book) and included a large Hite for my hubs.
Next time we'll plan dinner ahead of time and make the trek over to K-town (maybe to Gui Rim) for a better deal with better tasting food and more options.
xoxo
Seoul Jung Korean BBQ
1431 S Baldwin Ave
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 447-5479
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Lyrics Born
Lyrics Born comes out with a new album, As You Were and just released a new music video to his record "Funky Hit Records."
Bringing it back with an 80's flavor. He does not disappoint.
Bringing it back with an 80's flavor. He does not disappoint.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Recap
So here's a recap of all the goals and tasks I wanted to accomplish or rather follow religiously. I'd say I'm in the red at some items. Some things have got to give.
a)PP diet and weight loss: I found that the more I lost, even though it was a few pounds in a couple of weeks, my milk supply diminishes (not so good). Lord knows water weight is hard to lose especially when I'm thirsty while feeding my nugget.
Not only that but I think my mother in law is secretly trying to keep me plump. She came by on Sunday to drop off lunch; Lechon, Pancit, Shepard's Pie, Baked Mac N' Cheese, Italian Salad and chinese strawberry sponge cake. Ugh.
It's a catch 22 in the world of dieting and breastfeeding. I still can't fit into my post pregnancy jeans but that comes way last when it comes to nourishing my guy.
b)Living within our means by spending a strict amount each week: Geez. That went straight to hell several days after I made that proposal. It's gotten better here and there but we do and have dined out occasionally.
Last week for example, I purchased some amazing produce at the Santa Monica Farmers Market and yet for lunch that very same day spent $50 on shrimp at none other than Bubba Gumps the epitome of tourist trap dining. Hmph. I'm embarassed.
This one's a tough one to keep on track since I love dining out and experiencing all the wonderful cuisine and new restaurants Los Angeles has to offer. Better than NYC right honey? :P
c)Making meals at home: Spending time with my family is my absolute favorite thing to do and what we do together doesn't matter as long as we are together. Cliche isn't it?
We've made some wonderful meals together and dined al fresco in our lovely backyard patio. Matter of fact Husby just bought a awesomely new BBQ grill (totally going against my previous point) which we've already put to good use. The weather in Pasadena has just been beautiful minus that one Sunday that brought in rain. With spring already here I expect to spend more time outdoors with my family before the real heat comes.
a)PP diet and weight loss: I found that the more I lost, even though it was a few pounds in a couple of weeks, my milk supply diminishes (not so good). Lord knows water weight is hard to lose especially when I'm thirsty while feeding my nugget.
Not only that but I think my mother in law is secretly trying to keep me plump. She came by on Sunday to drop off lunch; Lechon, Pancit, Shepard's Pie, Baked Mac N' Cheese, Italian Salad and chinese strawberry sponge cake. Ugh.
It's a catch 22 in the world of dieting and breastfeeding. I still can't fit into my post pregnancy jeans but that comes way last when it comes to nourishing my guy.
b)Living within our means by spending a strict amount each week: Geez. That went straight to hell several days after I made that proposal. It's gotten better here and there but we do and have dined out occasionally.
Last week for example, I purchased some amazing produce at the Santa Monica Farmers Market and yet for lunch that very same day spent $50 on shrimp at none other than Bubba Gumps the epitome of tourist trap dining. Hmph. I'm embarassed.
This one's a tough one to keep on track since I love dining out and experiencing all the wonderful cuisine and new restaurants Los Angeles has to offer. Better than NYC right honey? :P
c)Making meals at home: Spending time with my family is my absolute favorite thing to do and what we do together doesn't matter as long as we are together. Cliche isn't it?
We've made some wonderful meals together and dined al fresco in our lovely backyard patio. Matter of fact Husby just bought a awesomely new BBQ grill (totally going against my previous point) which we've already put to good use. The weather in Pasadena has just been beautiful minus that one Sunday that brought in rain. With spring already here I expect to spend more time outdoors with my family before the real heat comes.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Scariest places on Earth
Remember MTV's Fear? This show aired in 2000 when a group of 5 participants were placed in an alleged haunted location to investigate whether or not the place was indeed haunted. Channel surfing during lunch lead me to SciFi's very own rendition, Scariest Places on Earth.
The show is hosted by The Exorcists' Linda Blair and narrated by Zelda Rubinstein who is best known for her distinct voice. You may recognize her voice from the movie Poltergeist.
The concept is still the same except where the particpants aren't related in the MTV show, SciFi's places families in haunted locations acroos the globe. Today's mid-day episode is a two parter where the family returns to a cursed italian monastery: Return to Lucedio.
Some of the family members are characters taunting the spirits and even asking them the ultimate question, "Why can't we be friends?"
This show makes for good lunch time television.
xoxo
The show is hosted by The Exorcists' Linda Blair and narrated by Zelda Rubinstein who is best known for her distinct voice. You may recognize her voice from the movie Poltergeist.
The concept is still the same except where the particpants aren't related in the MTV show, SciFi's places families in haunted locations acroos the globe. Today's mid-day episode is a two parter where the family returns to a cursed italian monastery: Return to Lucedio.
Some of the family members are characters taunting the spirits and even asking them the ultimate question, "Why can't we be friends?"
This show makes for good lunch time television.
xoxo
Monday, March 16, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Easy TJ meal
Trying to get back to cooking meals at home, spending time with family and saving moolah along the way I looked in the pantry, fridge and freezer to find some items that would create a quick and delicious meal most of which are Trader Joe products.
I still have some non-organic products at home so we are not yet a full organic product home. I believe it will take some time before we get to that point especially if I'm not keen about throwing food away. Which reminds me, husby forgot to freeze a pound of organic ground beef. It went bad after discovering it in the back of the refridgerator several days later. Grrrr...Didn't mean to put you on blast honey.
Back to the food shall we?
Slice up chicken breasts into strips (I used two, one per person) and season with salt and pepper. Heat up some olive oil and cook chicken. Add a medley of veggies ( I used TJs' sliced zucchini and eggplant and some crimini mushrooms), slice onions and minced garlic, saute until tender and golden brown, add your choice of curry sauce (we had yellow). Simmer for a few minutes and serve over rice.
I LOVE using their brown rice. Two minutes in the microwave and you're done. No more waiting 20 minutes to cook rice the traditional way.
Voila! Dinner in less than 30 minutes.
xoxo
I still have some non-organic products at home so we are not yet a full organic product home. I believe it will take some time before we get to that point especially if I'm not keen about throwing food away. Which reminds me, husby forgot to freeze a pound of organic ground beef. It went bad after discovering it in the back of the refridgerator several days later. Grrrr...Didn't mean to put you on blast honey.
Back to the food shall we?
Slice up chicken breasts into strips (I used two, one per person) and season with salt and pepper. Heat up some olive oil and cook chicken. Add a medley of veggies ( I used TJs' sliced zucchini and eggplant and some crimini mushrooms), slice onions and minced garlic, saute until tender and golden brown, add your choice of curry sauce (we had yellow). Simmer for a few minutes and serve over rice.
I LOVE using their brown rice. Two minutes in the microwave and you're done. No more waiting 20 minutes to cook rice the traditional way.
Voila! Dinner in less than 30 minutes.
xoxo
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Momma Like
Spring's here and from what I've seen, me likey.
Maxiumum Fringe Necklace.
Yummy candy colors of Gabriel & Schwan's "Knot" Necklace.
Husby wants to get me a new laptop. Oh honeeey...
or maybe just the wireless mouse
HP.com
I saw this in red. Killer. Very Palm Springs-esque.
net-a-porter.com
Drools.
pinkmascara.com
Happy shopping!
xoxo
Maxiumum Fringe Necklace.
Yummy candy colors of Gabriel & Schwan's "Knot" Necklace.
Husby wants to get me a new laptop. Oh honeeey...
or maybe just the wireless mouse
HP.com
I saw this in red. Killer. Very Palm Springs-esque.
net-a-porter.com
Drools.
pinkmascara.com
Happy shopping!
xoxo
Friday, March 6, 2009
Living within our means: Day two
Fail.
We broke budget by spending close to $50 on a sushi dinner last night.
At least I got leftovers for lunch out of it.
xoxo
We broke budget by spending close to $50 on a sushi dinner last night.
At least I got leftovers for lunch out of it.
xoxo
Free day at the Huntington Library
I waited a whole month to take part in the Huntington Library's free day.
The Huntington Library and Botanical Garden is located in San Marino, Ca and situatied on 207 acres.
Hours and Admission
Monday
12 noon to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
12 noon to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday
12 noon to 4:30 p.m.
Friday
12 noon to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday
10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday
10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Weekdays Weekends, Monday holidays
Adults $15, $20
Seniors (age 65+) $12, $15
Students (age 12-18,
or with full-time student I.D.) $10, $10
Youth (age 5-11) $6, $6
Children (under 5) free, free
Groups (15 or more) $11 (per person), $14 (per person)
Members free, free
Of course there are free days (every first Thursday of the month) and can only be reserved a month in advanced. Tickets sell out fast and can be requested 5 at a time so set your alarm and get them resereved. Their website is provided after the jump.
Thursday, March 5th proved to be a beautiful day and well worth the wait.
We arrived right on time and took advantage of the grounds first rounding our way to the palm and desert garden. Unfortunately for me I didn't bring my macro lens. There were many beautiful cacti blossoms that I would've jumped on.
From there we cut our way across to the jungle garden and made a pit stop at the lily pond.
Our mid way stop was the acclaimed asian gardens, Japanese and the newly built Chinese garden.
Here's my view from the wheelchair accessible trail. I would've loved to come in closer but I was pushing nugget up the hill.
This particular themed garden included a tradition japanese home. During park hours the door panels were opened to give visitor a glimpse of a 19th century Japanese dweling. Here's a picture of the japanese tatami dining room.
Here's my little monkey who slept through the entire trip. Apparently he's unimpressed.
Just a little north of the japanese garden was the chinese garden. We could see the arched rooptops in the horizon. Here we were able to enjoy a nice cup of loose leaf tea from their tea shop. The seating was so peaceful as it overlooked the lotus ponds.
Peach blossoms
We were pressed on time so didn't take too many architectural shots of each themed garden. After soaking up the scene we made our way to the conservatory but quickly made our way out. The humidity proved to be too harsh for us. At outside temperatures nearing 80's the last thing we wanted to do was be someplace hotter. I can only imagine how monkey felt about it. The conservatory also house a childrens garden. I can't wait till monkey is old enough to understand the science and biology taking place here.
Our final stop, the north vista, is where I found most if not all the parents and their younger children. This long narrow way had a large and beautfil fountain with statues lining the pathway to the mansion. Swimming at the base were ducks and swimming beneath were koi fish. These kids absolutely loved it!
I wish we had spent a little bit more time to tour the libraries and view the artwork but my husby had to be on his way. Hey, at least it was free and a gorgeous day to boot.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
626.405.2100
www.huntington.org
The Huntington Library and Botanical Garden is located in San Marino, Ca and situatied on 207 acres.
Hours and Admission
Monday
12 noon to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
12 noon to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday
12 noon to 4:30 p.m.
Friday
12 noon to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday
10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday
10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Weekdays Weekends, Monday holidays
Adults $15, $20
Seniors (age 65+) $12, $15
Students (age 12-18,
or with full-time student I.D.) $10, $10
Youth (age 5-11) $6, $6
Children (under 5) free, free
Groups (15 or more) $11 (per person), $14 (per person)
Members free, free
Of course there are free days (every first Thursday of the month) and can only be reserved a month in advanced. Tickets sell out fast and can be requested 5 at a time so set your alarm and get them resereved. Their website is provided after the jump.
Thursday, March 5th proved to be a beautiful day and well worth the wait.
We arrived right on time and took advantage of the grounds first rounding our way to the palm and desert garden. Unfortunately for me I didn't bring my macro lens. There were many beautiful cacti blossoms that I would've jumped on.
From there we cut our way across to the jungle garden and made a pit stop at the lily pond.
Our mid way stop was the acclaimed asian gardens, Japanese and the newly built Chinese garden.
Here's my view from the wheelchair accessible trail. I would've loved to come in closer but I was pushing nugget up the hill.
This particular themed garden included a tradition japanese home. During park hours the door panels were opened to give visitor a glimpse of a 19th century Japanese dweling. Here's a picture of the japanese tatami dining room.
Here's my little monkey who slept through the entire trip. Apparently he's unimpressed.
Just a little north of the japanese garden was the chinese garden. We could see the arched rooptops in the horizon. Here we were able to enjoy a nice cup of loose leaf tea from their tea shop. The seating was so peaceful as it overlooked the lotus ponds.
Peach blossoms
We were pressed on time so didn't take too many architectural shots of each themed garden. After soaking up the scene we made our way to the conservatory but quickly made our way out. The humidity proved to be too harsh for us. At outside temperatures nearing 80's the last thing we wanted to do was be someplace hotter. I can only imagine how monkey felt about it. The conservatory also house a childrens garden. I can't wait till monkey is old enough to understand the science and biology taking place here.
Our final stop, the north vista, is where I found most if not all the parents and their younger children. This long narrow way had a large and beautfil fountain with statues lining the pathway to the mansion. Swimming at the base were ducks and swimming beneath were koi fish. These kids absolutely loved it!
I wish we had spent a little bit more time to tour the libraries and view the artwork but my husby had to be on his way. Hey, at least it was free and a gorgeous day to boot.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
626.405.2100
www.huntington.org
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Kashi: Free frozen entree
I love Kashi!
It started with a sample of Kashi's GoLean Blueberry cereal which held me over on a long layover in Taiwan.
Then I got another sample of their TLC oatmeal dark chocolate cookie. Mmmm fiber! But now on a voluntary product recall list. Hmph.
We've been eaters of their TLC cruncy honey 7-grain granola bars. These are perfect for that extra boost of enegry!
Now they've done it again. Kashi is offering a free frozen entree made with all natural ingredients.
click here for your sample and be a believer of 7 whole grains on a mission!
xoxo
It started with a sample of Kashi's GoLean Blueberry cereal which held me over on a long layover in Taiwan.
Then I got another sample of their TLC oatmeal dark chocolate cookie. Mmmm fiber! But now on a voluntary product recall list. Hmph.
We've been eaters of their TLC cruncy honey 7-grain granola bars. These are perfect for that extra boost of enegry!
Now they've done it again. Kashi is offering a free frozen entree made with all natural ingredients.
click here for your sample and be a believer of 7 whole grains on a mission!
xoxo
Get Frugal
I owe my frugality (is that even a word?), to my mom. She's an amazing woman who stretched her dollar, lived within our means and was a part-time iron chef who could whip up amazing dishes with what was readily available.
For one week I will try to live on a grocery budget by making meals at home and using ingredients already in our pantry. This eliminates the multiple trips to the market per week, cuts down on costs and helps us use ingredients that would normally have been neglected, left for spoiled and thrown away.
Today we started off having veggie fritatas for breakfast, hot tea (-$6) and honey oat granola bars as a snack and for lunch I had a 7-grain turkey and cheese sandwich. Dinner will be interested as I will attempt to make my ultimate favorite dish I remember having at Olive garden (R.I.P. chicken vino blanco).
There are great sites that offer recipes and weely budget menus to help save money. Aside from www.foodnetwork.com and www.recipezaar.com, www.frugalmom.net serves a great starting point for tips on frugal living.
One great tip for helping you keep on track with that grocery list is to come with an exact amount, in cash! In my case with just the three of us, one of which is still breastfeeding, a reasonable amount that I've budgeted for us is $40 ($20 per person) a week.
I can easily spend over $40 on a dinner out but with this challenge I hope to spend more time with my family, get creative and try out new recipes, and save money for one of our many dream trips we've been oogling.
xoxo
For one week I will try to live on a grocery budget by making meals at home and using ingredients already in our pantry. This eliminates the multiple trips to the market per week, cuts down on costs and helps us use ingredients that would normally have been neglected, left for spoiled and thrown away.
Today we started off having veggie fritatas for breakfast, hot tea (-$6) and honey oat granola bars as a snack and for lunch I had a 7-grain turkey and cheese sandwich. Dinner will be interested as I will attempt to make my ultimate favorite dish I remember having at Olive garden (R.I.P. chicken vino blanco).
There are great sites that offer recipes and weely budget menus to help save money. Aside from www.foodnetwork.com and www.recipezaar.com, www.frugalmom.net serves a great starting point for tips on frugal living.
One great tip for helping you keep on track with that grocery list is to come with an exact amount, in cash! In my case with just the three of us, one of which is still breastfeeding, a reasonable amount that I've budgeted for us is $40 ($20 per person) a week.
I can easily spend over $40 on a dinner out but with this challenge I hope to spend more time with my family, get creative and try out new recipes, and save money for one of our many dream trips we've been oogling.
xoxo
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Daily intake
I began my post baby diet on Sunday, March 1st. It didn't start off the most healthiest of feats but it's only day three.
A thread on a baby forum asked what each of us women took/ate daily.
As of 1:30 p.m. today here's my list:
-cup of orange juice
-large egg fritata made with bean sprouts, fresh flat leaf parsley, sliced green onions, button mushrooms
-water throughout the day
-2 fried chicken thighs (dark meat rules!). Hey, it's Popeye's Tuesday YET not organic. Hmph, we keep slipping...
The day is young. What have you eaten today?
xoxo
A thread on a baby forum asked what each of us women took/ate daily.
As of 1:30 p.m. today here's my list:
-cup of orange juice
-large egg fritata made with bean sprouts, fresh flat leaf parsley, sliced green onions, button mushrooms
-water throughout the day
-2 fried chicken thighs (dark meat rules!). Hey, it's Popeye's Tuesday YET not organic. Hmph, we keep slipping...
The day is young. What have you eaten today?
xoxo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
