Fun Time at the Beach in Jamestown, Virginia

Going to the beach is such an exciting  thing to do for my kids.  We live  very far from the beach so once we get the chance, we make the most of it.  This beach trip  was not in our plan but thanks to a good friend  for telling us different things we can do in Virginia, we got to enjoy  amazing things!

I know that they were so excited to go to the water park but nothing is compared to the beach.  They told us that this was  better than the  water park.  I can tell also because they did not want to go back to the hotel.  I just wish that we  would have went there earlier so they could have enjoyed it longer.  

These two are like peas in a pod.  One moment they   bicker with each other and most of the times they are best friends.  I guess it is normal for siblings.  It reminds me of the times when I was growing up.  MY older brother  was very strict and always  scolding me and giving me sermon about things but  at the end of the day. he was  biggest supporter, a hero and a confidante.  

They are only 18 months apart in age so they are almost like twins!  I am glad that they are the way they are for each other.  

I love watching them when in the water because they take care of each other.  They look out for each other so I am always confident when they are  with each other in the water.  

The fun is not complete without my husband in there.  He is the biggest kid among the three hehehe.  

I always thank God for introducing me to a wonderful man, the father of  my children and the love of my life.  I love how engage he is when it comes to our children.  He will do anything for them.  

One thing about my husband that  not a lot of people know is that, he is the most caring person I know.  Some  call him names but I really don't care because what is important is how he is to us, and that's the only thing that matters.

This is  far better experience  that we have, it was better than the  one we had in Ocean City.  Jamestown beach is a lot cleaner and a lot family friendly because it wasn't too crowded.  Perfect to take your kids, even pets did have fun swimming on that beach.  I would love to take our pets on this beach!  I wish that we can go back there again someday.  

Reasons Why You Should Subscribe to Shopping Catalogues

If you are drawn to online shopping because of convenience, there is another reason why you should give it a try – shopping catalogues.

The retail shopping industry is a massive blackhole that lures in consumers from all demographics and it can be overwhelming and intimidating to shop, moreso if done online, when thousands of choices are just available right at the tips of your fingers. The uncertainty of not being able to get a great deal, not receiving the exact item you saw online or just plain experiencing buyer’s remorse is enough for a shopper to not continue.

That’s why pay monthly catalogues were made for all shoppers. It has simplified the browsing process and allows you to conveniently shop through hundreds of items at one convenient place. Think of being in a virtual mall – anything you need from clothes, electronics, home furniture, appliances or gift items – can be brought at this safe place.

Still not convinced? Here are more reasons why you should consider giving shopping catalogues a try:

1. Better options. You have hundreds of products to choose from – that’s true – and all of them are of quality. Think of filtered choices. Catalogues give you those choices. And one more thing – these filtered choices have your sizes. They almost always carry complete sizes in stock of items they offer.

2. Delivered at your doorstep. As with all online shopping products, these are delivered right at your doorstep. There is no need to even go out!

3. Friendly payment methods. This is what sets shopping catalogues from the rest. When you subscribe to them, you would need to open a credit account that allows you these options:

Load them up as you wish, and spend it like debit (prepaid cards).

Spread your payments, depending on terms most convenient and doable for you.

Buy now, pay later. You can also opt to defer payments until a set number of months and start paying with interest on the agreed time period. This is a strategic way to map out big-ticket purchases.

4. Return for replacement or refund, guaranteed. This is something online shoppers inadvertently experience at least once. With shopping catalogues, you can easily return it for replacement or refund, without no questions asked.

Computer Savvy KIds

Raising two very different child can be quite challenging but we make it work.  They have a very different personality and different interests but one thing for sure that they are very similar is being a computer savvy.  They know more about computer stuff that me!  Too bad, they are not here  to help me out  because I have  no clue what korg legacy collection is lol.  Sometimes, they would tell me things that they know how to do and ask me "Did you know that Mom?"  Makes me feel like  I was born in 1800s  ha ha ha.  However,  their use of gadgets and computers is limited and monitored  because  we have to, as parents we have to stay vigilant of what our kids are doing online. They are  real dangers out there and it is our responsibility to protect them.  

Jr. Dons Football Team First Scrimmage

Our son is very interested with Football.  He tried to sign up last year but  only 4th graders were allowed to  sign up to Jr. Dons football team.  So after the  tennis season  have ended, we signed him up for the  football camp  that Madonna High School offered.  They offered 8-week football camp for free so he  had fun with that one.  

Another day of #football camp. #sports

A photo posted by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Jun 8, 2016 at 10:15am PDT

This month, they began training for football, he is officially  on  the   Jr. Football team which  he is very excited about.  They have practice everyday of the week  so that is kind of tiring for him although we encourage him to stick to it since it would benefit him as he would be stronger.  

Our future #football #star ... They are training today with girdle and padding. #sports

A photo posted by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Aug 4, 2016 at 3:08pm PDT

Football is something I never thought I would let my son  play because based from the  games I have watched, it looks very dangerous but since he is passionate about it, I am letting him try it.  Besides, it's one of my husband's dream for EJ, to be a football player.  He said that he really wanted to play football when he was young but  since his Mom did not drive  and his Dad was always at work, nobody could drive him to practice and games.  

Last day of #football⚽ practice this week. We bought him new pairs of #socks today. #sports

A photo posted by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Aug 5, 2016 at 2:39pm PDT

He said he practiced and got good at it but when it was time to got to a game, he dropped out since nobody could drive him to the place.

She's ready for #football⚽ lol. Supporting her brother.

A photo posted by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Aug 2, 2016 at 4:48pm PDT

I never could understand the rules of football  before but now, I am starting to get it slowly just listening to my husband and son talk about it.  Even my daughter  is excited that her brother is playing.  

My little man needs new glasses, he can't #read these letters.

A photo posted by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Jun 11, 2016 at 6:23am PDT

To play football, every player is required to have a medical certificate so we took him to Weirton Medical Center when they conducted their free  exam for it.  It is nice that  WMC does it annually for free.  We will need to buy him a sports goggles because he has an eye condition like me.  

Go Jr. Dons! #goofball #football⚽ #player #sports

A photo posted by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Aug 10, 2016 at 2:39pm PDT

On our 13th wedding anniversary , we had to cut our  dinner date because  our son's team had their first scrimmage .  The team from Follansbee came  and played  with the Jr. Dons team.  

EJ was very nervous as he hasn't learn a lot of technique in playing the game but we told him to just enjoy the experience.  

The coaches told  us that the team they are playing against has been playing for  few years now  as oppose to our team who had just began training this year so we might not get the result we want in a game but he said that it is okay because  they just want the kids to  experience how it is to play in a game.  

As expected, they did not win but  it was a a great learning experience.

It was really nice  to watch.  I was surprised of how come I was.  Usually, I get really nervous when the kids gave to perform or play a game but this time, I was calm and  just  totally enjoyed watching.

My daughter however was very nervous.  She was scared that  her little brother will get hurt but the coach assures us that no big kid will tackle  the small kids which was  a relief for me.

I am not sure if my so is suppose to be a wide receiver but he never got the ball, it was never pass  to him.  I think part of me was hoping that he would catch a ball and do a touchdown lol.

It's funny how serious other parents are from the other team.  They brought cow bell and  were yelling and screaming.  We, on the other side was just quiet and  was enjoying the game.  I cringed when I heard someone screams at their kids  to put the other kids in a hurt locker.  I mean, they are just kids, I think we should just chill  and let them play.

It was a really nice game to watch, what a way to end the day to our 13th wedding anniversary .  It was very special.  They will be having a game every Wednesday now so  they have been training every day of the week.  The kids won't be able to attend the tennis this Fall so we  have been bringing them to the tennis court and play with them every chance we get.  It's a great family bonding as well.

Back-to-School Excitement, Preparation, Organization and More #ShopletReviews

A couple of weeks before  the kids went back to school, my daughter and I started gathering the school supplies that they need.  We do recycle things that they can still use like   pens, pencil, coloring materials and more.  School supplies are not cheap so as much as we can we can, we are  reusing supplies that aren't used from the previous school year.  I am just glad that both of my kids are okay that not all their supplies are  newly.  I mean, what's the point of buying new ones if the  old ones are still okay to use right?

The school registration was on August 17 and 18, we chose to register on the second day.  We brought  all the supplies they need in their respective classrooms and paid the tuition.  The tuition hiked up again this year, we paid $4,170 for both of  them  for the whole school year.  

Their first day of school was August 19th and that is always the exciting part for them because they get to go to school without wearing their uniform.  We bought them new outfits  to wear for that specific day.  

I can't believe my babies are now in 6th and 4th year!  Where did the time go?  I can still remember when I was nauseated  sending my first born to kindergarten lol.  Now, they are bigger and act like they know everything sometimes ha!

I am glad that their school uniforms still fits, at least I don't have to buy them new ones yet.  Uniforms are expensive too but the good thing about wearing it  is that, you only need few pairs of them unlike when you have to wear  regular clothes, you have to buy   a lot.  

My husband  wanted to go to work on that day but I asked him not to even though we need  the moolah these days.  I don't want him missing a lot of the kids school  moments because they sure are growing up so fast and they won't be  kids forever.  

It's also nice that they still want their pictures taken in the classroom with their parents hahaha.  I am glad they aren't  that cool yet to be with their Mom and Dad.  

Our 4th grader  has a new teacher this year  so he wasn't comfortable going in the first day but I am glad that their teacher is really nice.  She made the kids feel at home in her classroom which is a big relief for me.

Our daughter is now in 6th grade and she is still the  smallest among her class.  Compared to her classmates, she is so tiny.

I was able to go to her classroom and snap some photos before we left the school.  First day is always exciting for students as they get to see their friends after a long summer break.  For some, it is a bit stressful because it's hard to go back to everyday routine of going to school as oppose to staying  at home and relaxing.  My son feel that way, she always  dreaded going back to school for the first week but after that, his anxiety settles.  

We have been busy getting all their #school supplies . We just need a little more from the store , #supplies that we don't have at home.

A photo posted by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Jul 31, 2016 at 10:41am PDT

On the first week, a lot of teachers send out paper communication for parents  but after that, they  do communicate online.  A lot of teachers nowadays are using an app to communicate with parents as well so it eliminates the  bundle of papers to keep.  There are however, important papers that needs to be  kept so I am glad that I have a new office supplies to use from Shoplet. 


 I got a pack of this Supertab Section Folder which is perfect for my son's needs. This year, they are doing a a color coding technique for their notebooks and folders to easily identify their subjects and the things that need to be sent out home for signatures and the things that they need to keep in school.  I love when a teacher is very organized because it makes it easier not only for the students but for parents as well.

The vertical expanding file is great  for my office use because  I get to organize all their  schedules  not only in school but for their extra curricular activities.  

Shoplet is a one-stop shop  for all your need in your home office or business.  They have  Office Supplies,   Medical Supplies, Cleaning Supplies and many more.  

Disclosure: The owner of this blog was NOT financially compensated to write this review.  I was provided with the product/s mentioned  to help me  facilitate this review but  opinions are my own.

Ryestein's 11th Birthday

 I wasn't able to write a special post for my daughter's birthday this year and I feel bad.  I do however appreciate the fact that she completely understand our situation.  We were so  busy trying to organize our  new home as we just newly moved.  At eleven, she is so mature and I always thank God  for  having a great daughter like Ryestein.

German chocolate cake was her choice.  She didn't want a traditional birthday cake.  We pre-celebrated her  birthday two days before the actual  day.  We were schedule to go on a road trip two days after that.  When my kids started going to school. we decided to just take them on a road trip or go somewhere  fun rather than having a  party.  It's more fun for the whole family and less stress for  Mom lol.  

Ryestein, as you turned 11, I can't help but truly appreciate Motherhood. 

You taught me so many things that I did not know befire I became a Mom. 

You taught me to be patient and how to love unconditionally.

Thank you for being my daughter, I am blessed.

We love you very much!

Why Learning to Drive is Great for Your Family

Have you been thinking about finally getting your driver’s licence, especially if you are planning on starting a family? Then rest assured that this is a decision that you will not end up regretting. There are a host of benefits that come with learning how to drive if you have a family. Plus, it has never been easier to learn the rules of the road and driving theory, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t pursue your licence today.

Keep reading to discover a few of the reasons why learning to drive is great for your family.

Go Wherever You Want, Whenever You Want

When you have a family, it feels like you are constantly on the go, and sometimes you really are. You have to get yourself to work, and get the kids to school and to their after-school activities. On top of that, you have to sometimes bring your kids to the doctor, go shopping for clothes, groceries, and toys, and make time for your relatives and friends.

Without a car, you will need to rely upon public transportation, which leaves you waiting on the bus or the train to get to wherever you need to go. But with your own licence and vehicle, you can head off whenever you need to, and you can go wherever you need to go, however near or far from home.

Family Road Trips Become Possible

In addition to making your life a lot easier on a day-to-day basic, having your driver’s licence will also make it possible for your family to take some fun and unforgettable road trips whenever you want to go on a much-needed getaway.

You can pack everything you need into your car and follow the driving directions on your GPS to head off to a brand new place that none of you have seen before, and you can even stop along the way and enjoy the sights that you come across.

Driving for Pleasure Beyond Convenience

Ultimately, learning how to drive will give you a lot of freedom, but it will also provide you with a lot of convenience, as mentioned above. Beyond that, though, you can also drive merely for the pleasure of it.

Sometimes going on a short drive with your family could be just what you need to unwind for a bit and give yourself a change of scenery. You never know what new places you will find, and you and your family can make these discoveries together. So rather than sticking to the same old routes all the time, go someplace new, go shopping someplace new, and enjoy new experiences as a family in order to make new memories.

Being a busy parent requires that you have a reliable form of transportation. In addition to being able to go to work and take your kids to school, you will also be able to use your car for pleasure, such as for taking road trips or going for a drive to a scenic place on the weekend.