Last-Minute Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Him

Well, well isn't Valentine's Day creeping up on us? I've mentioned before that I have nothing planned but having a list of back up plans sounds like a great idea right now. We honestly don't make a huge thing about v-day but we make it a point to recognize it. So here is a short list of my most favorite ideas that I know and am sure that my dear husband would appreciate.

Busy, Busy, Busy

It has been a busy, busy holiday season for us. From our annual Christmas party with our friends whom we met from Ron's basketball leagues from years ago, to multiple parties with either of our families to an afternoon at Knott's Merry Farm to a quick trip to San Diego. I would love to share everything at once but I'm afraid that would be an overkill and will definitely slow down your computer as my post loads. With all that said, here are some tidbits!

12/19: Our 5th annual couple picture at our annual holiday party in Fontana. 

12/20: For the first time ever, we made an effort in setting the table for our family holiday dinner. :)

12/21: Doggies giving each other love as they rest and recover from the busy two days we just had.

12/24: They were confused as to why we had a rug in the middle of the house. 

12/25: A picture of one of Ron's tricky presents. I shake gifts too much that he felt obligated to do this.  

12/26: Taken in one of the little (overpriced) stores at Knott's Merry Farm.

Ron and I wish everyone had a busy yet fun holiday season with your loved ones and a fruitful new year as well!

Thanksgiving 2014

Thanksgiving was a success! I did not prepare anything though so who am I to say that?! LOL I woke up with sore throat and a headache and was useless pretty much the whole day. Thank God for my sister and her fiance for helping Ron out. Ron went to a quick grocery store hopping trip during the morning to look for good stuff we can serve for lunch and dinner.

We also took some time to take family pictures during dinner. It was a little tough to keep the crowd focused when you have a dog who's in a humping mood. Hahaha! I hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving! :)

Tree is Up!

Sundays are made for family lunches and lazy days. After a great nap on Sunday afternoon and Ron's walk with the dogs, we finally got the courage to put up the tree. We did it in more or less an hour and that includes rearranging some furniture. (#recordtime) We tried not to make the tree look like it's vomiting ornaments and kept it minimal this year. It's still as pretty and it will for sure get anyone who comes to our home in the mood for the holidays.

The dogs were not as happy because we're not cuddling with them instead. Chippy was looking extra unhappy for being our little elf this year while Fox gave me a little pose...probably to show how thankful he is for not being this year's elf. Hahaha!

Holiday Wish List Idea

I have been spoiling myself as of late. In my mind, I have never had a normal job for so long that I need to make myself feel that I can again get what I want for myself. I am also in the process of breaking away for everything trendy and rebuilding my closet to what I feel comfortable wearing. I think I have had enough with buying statement tops and now aim to make every top a blank canvas. Yay for changes!

So back to my point. The holidays are here and for the first time ever, I don't have a loooong list and I really know what I want. Everything else I want, I have decided to get for myself which I think is fair that now, I am employed. So here goes.

Canon | Skagen Ditte | Sam Smith Vinyl | Parka

• My love for taking pictures is pretty intense right now and the moment I found out about the new lens Canon is releasing, I got super excited. It's gotten great reviews too!
• Skagen Ditte is a good replacement for DW watches. You get the same vibe for a (much) lower price. 
• Do I really have to explain why I love Sam Smith's album? #EARGASM
• I don't think I could go through another cold season without a parka. But I heard from a little (beautiful) birdie that she already ordered this for me. :D

What's in your wishlist for the Holidays?

Christmas Day

Considering the timing of this post, yesterday was a special day to a lot of people around the world. It's the day our Savior was born and because of that, we have a reason to celebrate.

This season is also all about family. This year is my first Christmas without any of my siblings. Ever. Luckily, I now have in-laws who I can have really loud conversations with  LOL The set up of both Ron's and my family this Christmas is very different. Ron's dad is in New Jersey while his mom, sister and nephew are flying home to Manila on Christmas day. On my side, my sister and her girlfriend flew to the Philippines to spend Christmas with family there. Despite that though, I feel very fortunate to have loved ones to spend Christmas eve and day with. I am nothing but thankful for everything this year. Honestly, unemployment sucks but knowing that we got through the holidays more than "just fine" is a huge blessing already. The cherry on top is that our loved ones are into the fact that it's the season for giving, because of that, we are even more than blessed than we were; knowing that we have them and of course, we got awesome presents.
My mom, Ron and I spent Christmas eve with Ron's family in San Bernardino and started our drive home at around 11pm. We spent the first hours of Christmas day doing the traditional gift giving. We don't do stockings so the stocking stuffers were wrapped as little presents with the other "bigger" gifts. This gift exchange took up an hour or two. We all have a very bad shopping problem during the holidays. Hahaha! It's always like, one present is not enough to show how much we love each other. I know, we are victims of consumerism, and as a result...

Before I let you go wander off in the other parts of the interwebs, please know that I truly hope you had a wonderful Christmas and may the spirit of giving and being thankful stick with you until the next holiday season.

PS
Ron's sister haven't posted pictures from our Christmas eve dinner yet so I have nothing to share...yet. :)

From Our Little Family to Yours

Fall to Winter

It's been quiet here on the blog but trust me when I tell ya, life has not been quiet. Although we're done holiday shopping, there is still some sort of holiday rush that we're feeling.

I've been trying to insert more exercise throughout our day, meaning Fox and I try to go for an extra midday walk especially when it's cold because the dog would rather sleep than do anything else. These walks made me love fall even more. We also found a new walk route that is a perfect setting for the season.

Then we headed out to Glendale.

While there, the water fountain dance along Christmas carols while little bubbles that looked like snow fell down to the ground. It was pretty. It was magical. And this is coming from a girl who has lived in snow-deprived places all her life. Everything there reminded me that winter is coming. We don't get tough winters here nor the country I came from so I'm for always dreaming of a white Christmas. Maybe soon, I'll act on this little dream.

I hope everyone's having a great holiday season already. But if not, I hope things get better soon. Sending you all lots of love. :)

Gifts for Mom

My Mom is the easiest person to buy gifts for. I like whatever she likes and I guess because she was there when I was growing up, I get and understand her style. Also, she likes my stuff. Even if we live miles from each other, we still manage to borrow each other's scarves. LOL

Scarves - I just said it, my mom likes scarves but who doesn't? They're comfy, you can hide your hands in them, you can wrap it around your head (and look silly) to warm up your ears, you can wrap it around you and of course, keep your neck and chest warm. My mom found that Macy's has a great selection. 

Coats - There are tons on the internet that you can find. It is best to pick ones made with wool or has thinsulate to make sure that the coat keeps her warm. Or at least be able to try them on so you know if the weight and the thickness of the coat is prefect for her. I'm a little picky about my coats that's why I only pick ones that are in my mom's closet. NOT KIDDING. I already have two and I plan on stealing acquiring more from my dear mother. If I could though, I would give my mom all the Olivia Pope coats I could find in the world...and then "borrow" them afterwards. LOL The ones above are from H&M.

Watches - I browsed Nordstrom for their best sellers and what I found were pretty much what I expected to see. Lots and lots of Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors. Make sure to pick one that's perfect for you mom, some moms like thicker watches with bigger dials and others, smaller dials and thinner chains. Does she like leather straps? Does she prefer to wear gold over silver? It can be a little intimidating but I'm sure you know your mom's style. :)

Jewelry - I think every girl needs a pair of diamond studs. Maybe that will be in my list next year. But seriously, I've been seeing diamond studs with screw backs everywhere I browse so if you have the money, get it for yo mama. Amazon has great deals for them and if you're a Prime member, lucky you, you can get them in 2 days after ordering.

Purses - Have you guys heard of MapleandWest.com? It's one of the best sites I found for purses. They also sell them at a discount and also sometimes have discount codes - best one I received in my email is a code for an additional 50% off. I think that was on Black Friday.

Gifts for Him

Ron is THE hardest person to get a present for because one, he has everything, two, the stuff he does not have are way too expensive for a currently unemployed wife. Actually, even when I had a job, it was still too expensive for me. More on what I am talking about in another post.

Watches  - You can never go wrong with a good watch just make sure it's his style. I found that Nordtsrom.com has a great variety of styles. If ever you decide to purchase though, make sure to check Amazon.com if they have the same watch available. Why? Because they usually sell watches at a cheaper price.

A Good Pair of Shoes - I married to a guy who has a thing for shoes. A big thing for shoes. I am pretty sure he has more pairs than I do considering I just purged my closet of old, unused shoes that I have no idea why I have been keeping. Anyway, I always find amazing shoes for guys at Gilt.com. The site recently held a sale for John Varvatos shoes and they were amazing!

Kindle Fire HD - I know, not everyone reads and almost everyone has a tablet but if your guy is a big reader, this little thing will be well appreciated. The capabilities of Kindles have evolved so much ever since it was first released so do not underestimate this little gadget. You can get them at Amazon.com or Best Buy if you will.

Cool iPhone Cases - There are tons at Fab.com that are beyond cool.