The Kitchen Remodel was a Piece of Cake

Thanks to my friend Allison Barnes for the post!
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When it was time to remodel our kitchen, we almost didn't do it because of all the horror stories we had heard. I finally told my husband we were doing it no matter what. We did a lot of the demo work ourselves. We took off the old counter tops and removed all the appliances and cabinets. My husband has plumbing and electrical experience, so we saved money with him doing a lot of the work. Once the demo was done we did have to call in the pros, and ended up getting a whole kitchen remodel from Sears.
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The cabinets did a wonderful job, and it didn't take long at all. They said it went fast because we had done the hard part. We chose very simple cabinets; they call it the Amish style. There were very reasonably priced, which meant we were able to splurge a little on the counter tops. We didn't get granite like my husband wanted. I won the argument and we had quartz counter tops installed.
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From the day we did the demo, until the day the project was completed, was exactly 6 weeks. The contractors we used said it would have taken about 8 weeks if they had to do all the demo and electrical work themselves. Doing some of the work yourself does pay off! It did in our case. We lover our new kitchen, and we are glad we did the remodel.

Happy Girl

When I arrived at the office this morning, Tom, my co-worker said; "Here comes the happy girl." Everybody noticed that I always wear a genuine smile and give it away to everybody that I met. My personal policy is not to wear heavy scents when working, because I believe that some people around me may not like it and will cause discomfort to them. The scent that I am wearing is something that makes everybody comfortable and happy to be around me, it is the smile on my face.
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Honestly speaking, I have a conversation with my General Manager yesterday. He told me that my speed (performance) is not good enough. "But you have a very good personality, you always wear a smile, and that is what we need in this company and that is why we want to keep you. We might try to give you another work, and let's see from there on how you are doing." I give God the glory for that! "For we are to God the fragrance of Christ... the aroma of life leading to life." (2 Corinthians 2:15-16)
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Although there are a lot of times that I feel like I am ready to quit my job because I felt like I sin against my body for working too hard to the extent that it made me feel unhealthy. But I cannot decide if I should, because I am thinking that it is God who gave this job to me, and if this is not good for me anymore, then, maybe God knows better when to take it away from me. Do I make sense here? I really don't know what to do, but I know that we ought to take care of ourselves, too. I am praying for this everyday, and laid it on His mighty hand.

Using Safe Insect Spray To Avoid Risks To Human Health And Our Pets.

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

My husband is very particular on organic products. He got it from my Dad-in-law. They are a family with a health consciousness. When we were still in Michigan, we had organic vegetable garden and we make sure that we use safe insect control. Our tomatoes were safe. We thanked God that we didn’t have any bug problems on our plants. Talking about gardening, my husband has a little one here in our new place. He planted tomatoes, green onions, radish and several kinds of peppers. I am happy to say that I always have fresh tomatoes on my breakfast every morning.

For organic gardening safe insect control, EndALL insect spray is the exciting new ready-to-use insect spray. It kills 45 different insects in all stages of life from eggs to adults. Its unique formulation of organic insecticides has been blended to kill on contact. Organic Pyrethrin and soap kill adult and larval stages while Neem oil kills the eggs to prevent infestation. This will help you avoid disappointment with the produce and you can be sure that they are safe for consumption. This product can be safe for use on flowers, fruits, vegetables, lawn, landscaping, ornaments and houseplants. For sensitive species, test a small area of the plant for 24 hours before spraying the entire plant. Plus, it is OMRI®-listed and compliant for use in organic gardening. It is important to have safe insect control to avoid risks to human health, to the birds, and to our pets, too.

If you have a garden, I encourage you to take a look at EndALL for more very helpful gardening tips, products and information.

Tired, Bored or Losing Interest?

It has been more than a week since I last posted here in my blog. Why is it? Could it be that I am always tired, could it be that I am bored or could it be that I am just losing interest lately? Truth to tell is that I don't really know which one I feel right now. It could be all of them. I even didn't do some blog visit anymore. I may need to rekindle the fire of blog passion that used to be here in my heart, but I don't know where to start.
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As of now, I am busy both in my job and in preparing my very soon vacation to the Philippines. I am very excited about it. It is my day off from work today, and I spent it cooking meals for us (my husband and I), watching good movies together and some house cleaning. Right now I am here in front of my computer trying to put into words what I am feeling right now. I don't want to say that I will quit blogging because that is definitely not what I want to happen. Maybe lately I am just in a stage where I feel that the pressure in my job has putting too much weight on my brain that everytime I come home I just want to sit beside my husband and watch our favorite TV shows.
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My passion is in writing ever since I was younger. In fact, I feel better now that I have poured out what was on my mind. Maybe I will be writing more often from now... or maybe not. But one thing is sure, I will never quit blogging. I know, I live to tell God's "Amazing Grace". One proof, God's amazing grace is the reason why I still have my job besides the fact that they are not satisfied with my performance, but God knows that I always gave my best. Whatever will happen, the most important thing is that I can give glory to God's name.
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"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7 NIV)

I Will Learn To Drive. Promise.

All of my three Filipino friends here in Merritt Island can drive already, and in fact, two of them had just recently granted a driving license. That's cool! They all convinced me to start learing. I promise to my husband that after my visit to the Philippines this summer, the first thing I will take care is learning to drive, so that he don't have to drive me to work and pick me up again at the afternoon. I have to accept that I am living here in Florida where everybody drives. My dilemma is that I hate car mechanics trouble, but with auto repair like Chicago Auto Repair, I guess it will save me from some headache. There are many services that they can do, among with so many services, one of them is replacing your water pump. For whatever you need for your car, just check out RepairPal website and be amazed with their great pricing and and their excellent customer service. This website gives you independent and unbiased repair estimates, user ratings and reviews... and not just that, they also provide honest advice you can't get anywhere else.
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Due to the fact that I have to have my own car soon, I started to become interested in cars. I am looking around for a good car that I can purchase for myself. I always love red car. There are many good cars around here in Merritt Island. Somebody suggested me to consider Toyota Corolla . I have to admit that this gives me a whole load of pressure because I know that purchasing a car should involve big and serious decision making process. It needs thorough reviews. I hate regrets. I am telling myself that this is way bigger than buying an iPhone or maybe iPad.

Noseeums (No-See-Ums) Bites

The first time I came here in Florida was during our honeymoon almost two years ago. I had bites all over my legs just like this picture (this image is taken from Google Image). It started when I was trying to make pork barbeque outside. The amazing thing was that, even after a while of that day that I was outside, the bites keep going on. I figure that the noseeums sticks to my clothes and that they are around inside the house keep biting me even when I did not go outside anymore, and even if I was wearing sweat pants, too. The worse part is that, after almost two years I am still carrying the scars on my legs now. Very frustrating. I am really desperate for a way to vanish the scar very soon.

Definition of Noseeums - Noseeums are nasty little bugs typically found near the ocean and around rivers, lakes, and swamps. Also known as biting midges, these tiny bugs can be as small as .04 inches long. It is the female that inflicts the nasty bite because she needs blood to complete her egg laying process. Consequently they go after any exposed skin, be it human or animal. A normal walk is fast enough to outrun these slow flying bugs, and a slight breeze is enough to cause them to lay down in the grass and not be a bother. On a still night noseeums can wreck havoc in the campground. Your best defense in this situation, beyond using Deet products, is to have a tent with noseeum netting.

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Just few days ago, my Filipino friends and I were having a cook out by the pool and all of us were getting noseeum bugs again. Ouch! I should have listen to my husband to apply some Deet products before going out. Stubborn me. Somebody said to us that the noseeums obviously didn't like Filipinos here in Florida. I guess he was right.

Purchasing A New Camera

This is a guest post by my friend Kathy Right
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Before my husband deployed to Iraq last year, we knew he needed a camera to take along on the trip. We didn't want anything too expensive, but needed it to take decent pictures. We were able to do all of our research at home online with our wildblue satellite internet. This made it so much easier.
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We started out by searching online for the different options. There are so many cameras out there so it was hard to make a decision. We wanted to spend around $100 maybe a little bit more. We looked on various sites and read a lot of reviews.
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We finally ended up on the Kodak site. They had a lot of options available and also a lot of specials. We found a Kodak 7.0 mega pixels camera. This camera even takes short videos. We were able to get the camera, case, and memory card as a package deal. We ended up spending only about $150 for all of it. This also included having it shipped to our house. We saved a lot of time and money by shopping online. We were able to look at reviews for this exact camera and everyone said good things about it.
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While he was deployed, he used this camera a lot. He took pictures of where he was stained, camel spiders, and a lot of himself to show the kids. He was able to just quickly upload these to the computer and email them right to me. This really helped us to stay connected during the deployment. It also gave him lasting memories of his time away from us. We were very happy with this camera and still use it at home.

Know This Person

Know this person.
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This person is somebody who we don't want to trust. We don't want to hear anything that comes out from this person's mouth. This person is somebody who always messed up around and causes troubles to everybody.
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I should suggest, hate what this person habitually does, but love this person enough to show the right thing ought to do.
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"Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit." Psalm 5:9 NIV

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Reposted from 12-09-08

Wordless Wednesday - Dawn At Cocoa Beach

My New World

Thanks for the guest post by Alex Stanton!
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As time moves forward and digital technology pushes us further and further into the future, it comes as a surprise to many the early hearing aids were nothing more than a cylindrical wooden or metal horn. These designs, nothing more than sound funnels served their purpose for centuries before finally being superseded by modern technology . Modern digital hearing aids are the product of an astounding evolution in technology, the product of decades of research and hundreds of top notch scientists working together for a common cause. Most everything in this day and age seems to have gone digital, and we are reaping the benefits of this modernization. Digital hearing aids are no exception to this rule.
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To date, there are over 20 leading manufacturers of Digital Hearing Aids . With the average person developing hardness of hearing at some point in their life, most everyone will need a hearing aid, and these companies are ready to help. These firms are in a constant state of research and development, competing to develop the next best generation of digital hearing aids. Recently, these later generations have seen tremendous success in the marketplace. Due to their small size and superior functionality, more and more audiologists are recommending them to their patients, friends and family who are hard of hearing . While these are medical devices, and come at a medical price, there’s little reason to second guess or sacrifice your hearing.
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The operation of digital hearing aids is strikingly similar to the old analog versions from centuries past. In many ways, it’s tough to imply that they are completely separate or different in anyway, as they’re simply devices that attempt to amplify catch and transmit a greater number of sound waves. Digital technology in this sense is not better because it is digital, but instead is a superior choice as it collects, augments and amplifies these signals rather than just passing on whatever passes through the hearing aid’s cone.
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All in all, while it’s been a long, expensive road for these hearing aid buyers, they are finally accessible to most every consumer in the western world. From the subtle lows to the vibrant highs, modern hearing aids can return more than the ability to hear, but also keep the voices of your loved ones flowing through your mind. This connection is important, and should be maintained by everyone in need, regardless of their income status.
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For Senior Citizens hearing loss can be a very hard event to deal with since our world is socially aimed at the hearing. If we go to church or a club meeting we have to sit and try to look interested even though we can not hear anything being said. This can be very frustrating to say the least. Then there are the people who simply do not understand that we can not hear but we are not dumb. So speak to us as if we are unable to understand simple English.
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Me for instance have lost my mid range tones, as I found out from a free hearing test earlier this year. So certain mid-tone voices can not be heard no mater how loud people yell or irritated they become. Simply changing to a deeper tone and looking directly at me would solve the problem, some what at least. I do not understand the difference of tolerance in someone being blind and someone being deaf. Both have lost a major ability. You would think both would be looked upon similarly. But the majority are very intolerant of the hearing impaired.
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There are many styles of hearing aids available. For me over the ear with a tube into the ear canal work the best. Still not the same as good young ears but much better than before. Hearing aids tend to make noisy situations hard to deal with. Even when you can push a little button to only hear from one direction. And people who do not look at you to project their voice to you are still hard to hear. Still by and large my Miracle Ear Hearing Aids have made my world much more enjoyable. I can now hear and understand my daughter-in-law of 26 years without asking my son what she said. The Grand children's school programs are now enjoyable to attend. So many events such as hearing the chick-a-dee calling just today are things I could not hear before acquiring the aids.

Knowing The Bible Characters - Eve

I realized that I haven't post again on this series, so here it is now. Since tomorrow will be the "Mother's Day", my featured Bible Character for today is the first woman and the first mother on Earth which most of us knows. Eve.
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Next to Adam, Eve was the second human being that lived here on Earth. Eve is called the “Mother of Mankind”. She was created in the Garden of Eden to be the “companion” of Adam, because God sees that “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a companion fit for him.” (Genesis 2:18) "And God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man." (Genesis 2:21-22) Eve was given to Adam to be his “helper”. I know a lot of women who reacted negatively on this statement. But relax, women. This kind of “helper” is with the “higher call”. Look at it this way; God knows that Adam (Man) is not good to live alone, and that was how God decided to create Eve (Woman) to help the man become good as himself. Eve was the one who complete Adam and share equally in his responsibility over creation. She too was made in God's image, displaying a portion of the characteristics of God. Together only could Adam and Eve fulfill God's purpose in the continuation of creation. With Eve, God brought human relationship, friendship and marriage into the world.
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Of course, who can overlook the most popular mistake that Eve did in the Garden of Eden? She succumbs to the serpent's temptation by tricking her with the suggestion that to eat the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil would make her wise as God, and that she would not die, and she, believing the lie of the Serpent rather than the earlier instruction from God, shares the fruit with Adam. As a result, the first humans were expelled from the Garden of Eden and are cursed. Although she shared a close relationship with God and her husband, Eve failed to consult either one of them when confronted with Satan's suggestions. She acted impulsively, independent of her authority. Once entangled in sin, she invited her husband to join her. As a consequence, God told the woman, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." (Genesis 3:16)

Happy Mother's Day

Mothers are the sweetest gift from Gods to us. There is no way we can ever really thank our mother for all she does for us nevertheless we must make it a habit to keep reminding ourselves of the various sacrifices she made while raising us. Mothers' Day is the best time to say in words how much you love and care for your mother.

The picture on the left is my Mama which live in the Philippines and the picture on the right is my Mom-in-law which live in Michigan.
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Both are great mothers. I am so happy and blessed that God gave me these two wonderful mothers.
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Happy Mother's Day, Mama and Mom.

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Motherhood is tough 24 hour job,no pay,no day off, sometimes it is unappreciated, but yet resignation is impossible. A mother is a woman who created by God to bring love, joy, happiness and caring into his world. I am so glad God has created a woman to be a mother, even though motherhood is a full time job, a mother's work is never done. Happy Mother's Day to all mothers in the whole world.

A Trip To Cancun

This is a guest post by Krista Elix
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I never thought I would ever visit anywhere outside the United States. But the company my wife works for set up a trip for all the managers and their spouses to go to Cancun, Mexico. I was excited and scared at the same time. Sure, I’ve heard of Cancun and all the fun things to do there, but being a visitor in another country kind of worried me.
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I checked out the hotel we would be staying at online, and it was gorgeous. It has sandy white beaches and plenty of entertainment to keep us busy. It was also an all inclusive hotel, which meant that food and drinks were free. I had never been to an all inclusive hotel before, so I was fired up about going.
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The day of our Mexican getaway had finally arrived. We had packed the night before, so all we had to do was shower and load the car with our luggage. I set our ADT in Houston for the house and we were off to Cancun.
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When we got there I immediately realized that I had too much clothing on. It was 29 degrees when we left home, but it had to be 90 degrees in Mexico. I sweated through the bus ride to our hotel and could not believe my eyes when we arrived there. It was even more beautiful than the pictures on the internet showed it to be.
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We got our wristbands that we had to wear to get the free food and drinks, unpacked and headed for the bar closest to the water. We ordered drinks and sat there in the glorious water and just soaked in the atmosphere. We’d swim a little and get another drink. I forgot all about being in another country and just had fun.

What Matters Most... Are Their Souls

A couple of weeks after my parents-in-law arrived here in Florida to visit us, I asked my supervisor for Sunday off so that we (my husband and I) can take them to Church with us. I was glad that it was granted to me. I was so excited about the thought of going to church with the whole family. The whole family was excited, too, because it has been a while that my parents-in-law were attending church service. I have been praying for that for a long time. It was my wish to see all of us going to church service. Everything was set. There were three relatives that were committing to go with us, too. Then... on Saturday (the day before that expected day-off), one of us was terminated from work. I was worried and suspicious. I was right. They asked me to work the following day because of short of personnel. Too bad, the one who granted my request was on a week of vacation then. I don't think I was in a right position to complain or refuse being a new employee with the company. I was so frustrated, disappointed and heart-broken. However, my husband comforted me by taking in-charge. He told me that they will still go to church even if I can't be with them. They did. Praise God! I was really happy that they did, though I was not with them, because what matters most are their souls, and I am happy with that.
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"...But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15b

Top 10 Entrecard Droppers- April '10

Yes, I am late again on posting my top 10 EC droppers this month. It is not because I forgot again, but it was because my Entrecard page didn't work for a couple of weeks. And since I was very busy working, I didn't have time to figure it out until this day. I emailed the webmaster of EC and told me what to do, but none of them worked. Finally, my husband had it figured out that we have a problem with firewall stuff. I can open my EC account now. I am so thankful, and thankful to my husband, too.
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Anyway, here is my post of expressing my sincere gratitude to all my EC droppers again, especially these top 10 Entrecard droppers of the month of April '10. I thank you on helping me be where I am now. I acknowledge and appreciate your dropping very much. I also wants to thank even to those who are not in the list. I know who you are. May all our websites/blogs be successful always.

My Top 10 Entrecard Droppers of April '10
1. Rate T-shirts

2. Urban Art by Paul Baines

3. Michelle's Menagerie

4. Art Shout!

5. comatised

6. Lainy's Musings

7. Computer Aid

8. T-Shirt Reviews

9. Urban Art Blog

10. Crimsonsparkle.net