Wine Tasting at Madonna

This was taken sometime last year.  Our parish  hosts  an annual wine tasting at the  Madonna High School.  We have never  experienced attending since we are not really wine drinker but I would love to experience that even for once.  I think that a lot of  people come to this event because the parking lot  at the church, at the St. Joseph grade school, and in Madonna High are always  full when this event is being hosted.

THE BEST PUZZLES FOR KIDS

Puzzles have been a long-lived tradition among both children and adults. When children use puzzles it stimulates their brains. The brain is a muscle just like any other. The more that you use it the stronger and better it gets. Puzzles are a great way to keep children occupied and help them to develop their brains at the same time. But what are the best puzzles for kids? Here are some great options.

The Vee-21 is a puzzle that is very versatile. It has over 10,000 solutions so the children don’t do it just once and then move on to something else right away. They can play it over and over, constantly trying to find a new way to get it right. It also has a creative artistic look that allows kids to make creative designs and use colors to make different patterns. It will stimulate different parts of your child’s brain allowing for maximum development.

The Perplexus Maze it a fun puzzle too. This puzzle is for children ages 6 and up. It has an intricate design with obstacles that will keep the children engaged for hours, trying to find the right way to do it. Once they start they just can’t get enough of it. It is durable so if they drop it that is not a problem. It also aids in the development of hand eye coordination so it is both fun and helpful with childhood development.

Roundominoes, for children of 5 or older, is a game that children can play by themselves or with 1 or 2 friends. It has over a thousand different challenges to complete. It has family games so that everyone can play together and it also has levels ranging from easy to medium to difficult so that no matter how old your children are or what their capabilities when they try it for the first time, they can adjust it for the level of skill they have reached at the time. It is fun for the whole family and something to do with friends on play dates.

Square by Square is a game for kids ages 4 and up. It is a pattern recognition learning tool. It is sturdy and has 60 different challenging games to play to keep them engaged. Noticing where which shape will fit in what spots is great for development. It is a very fun game that has different levels of difficulty and will keep your child interested while learning at the same time.

Mexican Cuisine Craving

A quick snapshot that my husband took as we were leaving the Mexican Restaurant here in our area.

My son had a classmate whose dad works at this restaurant and he would sometimes asked us if we could eat there just so he could see his friend.  Once in a while we would go  just because we crave for some Mexican food as well.  My son was very sad when his friend  left and transferred to another school, he said that he won't be eating there again.  Time  will heal so let us see.

Popular Themes for a Teenaged Boy’s Room

Everyone needs a way to express their personality and essential style, a safe haven away from the pressures of the world, whether they be the crush of a weekly deadline or the stress of navigating adolescence. The bedroom is a retreat, somewhere to escape, recharge, hang out and get a hold of our rolling ideas and our kids are not immune to these needs. Designing a space for your teenage boy is challenging; not because they’ve reached their grunting, yes/no stage (it doesn’t help), but our insight as parents is limited by our perceptions and impressions, expectations of what our boy should be versus who he is and the usual jumble of emotions when you realise he’s reached another milestone before you blinked past the last one. Show some initiative, get the ball rolling and include them in the conversation; this isn’t just somewhere to sleep, but they need to hang out here with their friends and be happy to call it sanctuary.

Color Palette

The first thing you need to do when renovating or redesigning a room is select a theme. What does your son like to do? What are his interests? Is he a gamer, does he play sport, does he read or write avidly, is he fascinated by things that move or things that don’t? This process will draw you closer together, as a starting point for a theme is often uncovered once you’ve figured out what his passions are, right now. Challenge your boy to think long term, however, so veer away from soccer ball wallpaper etc – decorate instead with flourishes of detail and accessories, as these can be changed up, hidden or stored as he grows. At the very base, pick a complementary color that resonates with him (yes, even if it’s black) and try to integrate dashes here and there, to maintain longevity and minimize eyeball assault – there’s nothing more confronting than a fire engine red feature wall!

Clean and simple

Simplicity is elegant, easy and age neutral – in other words, perfect for your son’s room! Modern on a budget is achievable, granted your teenager is disinterested in what you do with his room (just do it already – sound familiar?); minimalism is unassuming and yet eye catching, including fuss-free modern furniture with plenty of storage space, as no teenager in his right mind will respect a theme where he has to keep it tidy ALL THE TIME; adapt your design for his commitment to its appeal, if he doesn’t like it, it won’t matter how many punchy red throw pillows your bought to ‘enliven’ the room. This theme is particularly adaptable and customizable, which may stimulate your kid’s tendency to get bored.

Short on space

Growing boys need room to move; they grow and grow, stretch and stretch, their bodies often outstripping their maturity levels and bedroom furniture. Don’t be discouraged by the bunk or loft bed; while we’re not about to suggest buying a racing car bed, complete with steering wheel and gears, this humble space saver is not necessarily childish – there a great many Bunkers  designs suited to the busy lives of teenagers, including study options (they’ll love that) and social options, making sudden sleep overs a zinch and the limited space of modern living easy to deal with.

Did you have a bunk bed growing up? What do you think; are bunks suited to the bustling lives of teenagers?

Caught in Action!

Aha, somebody could not wait for  dinner.  The sweet tooth is kicking in and  could not resist the  temptation lol.  Caught in Action!

Goodness, look how much satisfaction he gets from M&Ms?  His face looks in bliss hahaah.

It was my fault though, I  cook a little bit late because of my darn migraine arghhh.  Glad it went away and I got to do online tasks before going to bed, whew!  

Music Calling

When we were just planning to buy our daughter a piano, we consider getting  an electric one.  We even looked at the great casio cdp 120 but the  manager from the store where we bought it influenced us to buy the  traditional one, so that's what we did.  Playing piano is really my daughter's calling.  I am so impressed of how much progressed she have made ever since she  started  taking  lessons  ten months ago.  Nothing can beat the  joy of listening to one of your kids  play.

Little Maxxinista

I found a comfy  long sleeve top for my  little miss when we went to  TJ Maxx during the opening.  There are so many fabulous clothing there that  I'd love to buy for my daughter.  There are also many art supplies that this little maxxininista wants to buy from there.  

I am thinking of becoming a member of TJ Maxx so we could enjoy their deals.  I'd think about it and if I see the need, I would.

How about you, have you ever shop at TJ Maxx?