Happy 2010!!!

To all my bloggy friends and

to all the companies who trusted in me and my blog,

Thank you for making 2009 a great year!

Here's wishing all of us the best in 2010!

CHEERS!!!

On being Featured Online

One of the perks of being on Twitter or on any social media networks and being active is connecting with cool peeps and being discovered. These rare privileges like being featured on TV also got me featured as one of the 75 Tweeterrific Moms in the article 75 Top Twitter Tips From Today's Small Business Moms published in the Small Business section of American Express company website and written by Linsey Knerl, Senior Writer of Wise Bread.com. The best part of this is it came to me as a surprise via Google Alerts which found the article for me! I was contacted prior but was not aware as to when it was going to get published. It's an honor to be included along other influential moms. Check it out and see what other cool moms have shared. I bet you know one or two of these moms.

Find @MaricrisG in the list and you've found me! Little achievements like this does makes all our time online well-spent and worth it. Do you agree?

After Christmas Hop

Thank goodness for After-Holiday Sales! After being cooped up at home for 2 days and our Christmas celebrations going a bit off-kilter, getting out of the house was a huge treat in itself. So, like little kids antsy with boredom, shop-hop we went!

Powered by Whrrl

After frolicking at World Market and going ornament crazy, we hopped on to another Old Navy store where I finally got what I needed (less 10% additional discount!) and where my ON-boredom-induced family decided to abandon me in place of Tarjay next door! All Christmas items were on sale for 50% off. Hubby went mad but frugal as we are, we managed to buy only those that made sense (to us anyway). We're a few dollars poorer but we had fun shop-hopping! It was worth it. Watch out for the 75% Clearance sale of Target next week if you want additional Christmas items for next year. So how was your Christmas?

What is your Christmas Story?

My Christmas story begun on Thanksgiving...

I was sitting on the couch next to the side table at a friends' living room while watching football when this little book caught my eyes because of the title: "Christmas Box" by Richard Paul Evans. I flipped through the pages and stopped on a page where my finger astonishingly landed on a familiar word, my daughter's name!

The book is based on Richard Paul Evans life story that oddly resonated with my own. And his daughters' name being namesake to mine had more so convinced me borrow the book and read it. Was I so glad that I did. This is why...

"I had figured it out. The first gift of Christmas. It just came. It came to my heart. The first gift of Christmas was love. A Parents' Love. Pure as the first snow of Christmas. For God so loved his children that he sent his son, that we might someday return to him. I understood what Mary had been trying to teach me. I stood up and walked up the stairs where my little girl lay sleeping. I picked up the warm little body and cradled tightly in my arms, brought her back down to the den. My tears fell down her hair. My little girl. How foolish I'd been to let her childhood, her fleeting, precious childhood slip away. Forever. But time would prove me wrong. Someday she'd grow up. Someday she'd be gone and I would be left with the memories of giggles and secrets I might have known."

From Zen MamaVentures and Golden Flower Creations :

Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  

Wishing you the best in 2010...

Thank you for being a part of my little bloggy life and making 2009 a wonderful year.

Love,

'Twas theNight Before Christmas...

My little one and giant one is a-stir, even the pots and pans!

The baking pans are graced with cookie cutouts au flair,

While more cookie doughs are kneaded with love and care,

and the hot oven is ready and prepared...

 In hopes that Christmas cookies will come out yummy ala eclair!

As Zen Mama awaits in her jammy on the couch

for that cookies soon a-baking in the oven and smelling so swell.

'Twas the night before Christmas, gifts await and hopes for great surprises galore...And that may this year, Christmas be Merry and bright for all!

It's My Birthday and I'll Cry if I want to...

Well, yes I used to. Being born in December and close to Christmas has been more like a curse to me growing up. I always get 2-in-1 gift all the time! Karen Rinehart who is also a December baby says it best:

Remember as a kid you had to wait ALL year for an excuse to ask for a gift? And then you got the dreaded, "Combo Birthday-Christmas Gift". And if you DID get an actual birthday gift, it was wrapped in Christmas paper. Bet you got a lot of ornaments too...

It is quite distasteful she decided to ask people to vote to stop this epidemic! I wish her luck.

Well, today is my birthday and though scarred for life with this combonic plague that befell all December babies, I've come to terms with it and is at peace with it now that I'm older and can't care any less! I'd rather forget my age and see about getting rid of my wrinkles, grey hair and all that comes with it each year...blech!

Me & my daughter being goofy with our matching doggies.

My hubby and daughter kidnapped me after work and drove beyond the border of North Carolina to South Carolina to surprise me with a lunch date at my favorite resto in South Carolina: Red Bowl. I was overjoyed! I love this place and the thought of pigging out on my favorite dishes was a huge treat enough!

SUSHI!!! - Vegetable and Sweet Potato Rolls

and my favorite drink Thai Tea

 Red Bowl Lo Mein with Tofu and Vegetables

Sesame Tofu with Brown Rice

Chicken nuggets, Cheese sticks with Brown Rice

As we got home, my hubby pulled another surprise. A home made Tiramisu Cake (my favorite!) which he made while I was at work! I'm stuffed and so loved! Since today is my birthday, I get to be a Diva Queen all day and no one is allowed to complain! Don't you just love it when it's your birthday anytime of the year?

Now, I can't wait for Christmas...

What do you do if your Laptop dies Today?

Especially when it dies a sudden death and you need it so bad!

a) Go through a withdrawal episode?
b) Go nuts and throw a fit
c) Sulk in a corner and frown all day
d) Ruin the holidays for you
e) All of the above

Don't ask me. My answers are already obvious...

So one morning, I woke up with a dead laptop. Talk about panic! It was dead for 3 days. No Twitter. No blogging. No nothing! What agony! What did I do? (besides being miserable)

a) I picked up a book and started reading. It's been a while since I held a book and actually finished reading it. I read the Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans. In a sense I was glad my laptop died when it did. This book has brought a sense of new meaning to the word parenting to me and has a strong connection to my personal life which I'll blog about later.

b) Spent more Girl's night out with my daughter which brought us both joy and loads of fun. As you know, I blog work and do creative stuffs on the side negating the use of my laptop most of the time. I do so much that it takes a lot of my time which means less time with my one and only child. I'm infinitely a guilty working mother.

c)  Finished up all my custom orders for Golden Flower Creations in no time. I was so happy to get all the items shipped earlier than intended which equals to Happy customers!

Sometimes I get so intensely addicted absorbed online that I tend to miss those little things that means a lot to me offline (I'm no saint!). In irony, I'm grateful that my laptop died and was useless for 3 days. It gave me a reprieve from being "plugged" all the time and gave me a much needed kick in the booty!  I deserved needed that. Yes, "Unplugging" once in a while is required OK. Try it. - And yes, you might have withdrawal side effects like how Coffee caffeine does but it's freakin' fun nonetheless.

What about you, what would you do if your laptop dies right now? "Ah, what a morbid thought!" Vanish the Grinch!

How to Decorate like a Pro for Less

My Frugal decor without the "Frugal look"

I love to decorate but I also don't like blowing up my budget while achieving the look I want. Here are some of my best kept secrets that you can use:

a) Create your own decor. Nothing beats making your own decorations. You set your own price/budget and come up with something you love. Tip:  If you can't, this crafter can make them for you!

I created the centerpiece on this mantel which normally sells for $45 but only cost me less than $10! I used individual ornament pieces and assembled them right on the mantel. Great thing about this, once disassembled, you get a different look each year! The wreaths sells for $40 or more in stores. My better version $5! The Floral arrangements sells for $60. My version, $10! (cost is based on materials only. Add labor fee and of course it's a different story) Key here is, it's cheaper making them yourself.

b) Buy decors on year-end holiday sales. Most of my materials was from previous year-end sales which are incorporated to each upcycled decor that now sits in my living room.

Out of creative ideas? Grab a medium-sized pre-made candle ring, a glass bowl and Christmas balls. Put the glass bowl on top of candle ring, fill the bowl with ornaments and voila! An attractive speaker topper or coffee table centerpiece!

Is my living room looking a lot like Christmas? I hope so! Any frugal holiday tips to share? If you have any, I would like to hear from you as a guest blogger. Up for the challenge? Please hurry and let me know. Otherwise, I would love to hear any of your tips here.

Holy Kaw Santa Cow!

When my daughter started kindergarten this Fall, random things that didn't have no sense to us before has now taken a permanent role in our holy wackomole' life. Things like Spirit nights at Chik-Fil-A. Or to be more precise, I should say that Chick-Fil-A has now become a part of our weekly grind. Yes, Eat more Chik'n! How can I resist? Free wi-fi and a chance to support my daughters' school in the process. Can't beat that. I'm all for charity!

Tonight after attending and buying books from my daughters' school Book Fair, we went to celebrate Family Night at Chik-FiL-A and got to meet Santa Cow for the first time! His trusted Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was there too! Ok, I was never ecstatic about a cow before but this is Santa Cow! It didn't matter if I look disheveled and frumpy, a picture with him was a must! Ack, how can I have forgotten my E.l.f.!!!

It happened to be Chik-Fil-A's Annual Christmas party. We got lucky! They had Carolers from another school in the area singing as we eat and they've also got games and free gifts for the kids.

We definitely had a blast especially my little one who is not that little anymore...

What a way to spend the night. What about you? What new activities did your family picked up after your kids went to school? I would be delighted to hear about them and possibly learn from them in the process. Besides eat mor chik'n!

To be a SAHM or Not to be

It seem like the general consensus among moms especially those working like me, is the wish to be a stay at home mom (SAHM). I previously posted a poll where 163 moms responded. 137 voted and 26 commented. Out of this results, 35.77% would have rather preferred being a SAHM. 

I'm astounded by this result. I thought I was an isolated case as evident on my article "A Mother's wish". This being said, at which spectrum in the graph do you fall into? And if being a SAHM is not an option, what do you do?

Your thoughts and ideas are welcome. Please speak your mind. After all, we're all mothers here...

*Here's the rest of the story on this Poll and read what other moms are saying.

'Tis the Season to be Jolly Fa la la la...

due to the recession Mr. & Mrs. Claus employed my daughter

only as a part-time elf this year

la la la la la! (hitting high notes and clearing throat) Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon! This is how we say it in the Philippines which of course means Merry Christmas and a Happy New year in America. A simple wish to all my SITStah who are participating in the 2nd Merry SITSmas card event. My first year was fabulous & I'm sure this year would be as exciting and full of fun, if not more.

So to all my SITStah from Santa Claus & Mrs. Claus, my Family and my blogs, A merry SITSmas! And to all a good night (ok, I got carried away there for a minute). Seriously, I wish everyone a wonderful and fruitful holidays ahead! Hope all your wishes come true! Thank you for stopping by and bringing me great tidings today!

For those who hasn't experienced the joy of SITSmas, come chime in your silver bells and win great prices in the process! Fa la la la la la la la laaaaaahhhhh!!!

You Call this Ugly?

Holly Home Sweet Home

I was ecstatic when my daughter and I won Holly Moose and a $10 Build-a-Bear Workshop Gift Card during the BABW Twitter Party 2 weeks ago. I was quite overjoyed when I finally got Holly last week. I truly thought she was cute and adorable!

But then there's this Ebenezer Scrooge of a guy who thinks otherwise. Seriously, would you honestly consider Build-a-Bear Workshop's new character Holly and Hal Moose plain ugly? I kid you not! This despicable nameless grinch guy actually think they are! Whaaatt thaaa??? yeah right? Who in their right mind would think they're ugly? They're Moose for crying out loud. How much cuter would someone want them to be - to NOT "look" ugly?

Here's an excerpt of the article this person published: "To be blunt, the main characters in "Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure" (7 p.m., Eastern, 6 p.m., Central, Family) are just plain ugly. OK, to be kind, let's call them homely." *

Can you believe this guy!? I don't know what his problem is but I can't care less about what he thinks for if you ask me, I think they're cute and cuddly and I'll stick with that! Yes I know that we are all entitled to our own opinions but really, does it negate the need to be harsh to send a message across?

Nonetheless, My 5 year old likewise agrees with me 100%. Is this evidence enough?

I tell you, she never parted with Holly the minute she got hold of her! She doesn't go to sleep without her. She loves her to pieces and she thinks she's the cutest of them all. Now dare tell me Holly is ugly!

 *I bet you're wondering why I didn't include the link to the article. Simple. I don't want to give him link credits. But I'd be more than happy to point you where this article is if you want to read the entire story. You can send me an email or you can DM me at Twitter via @MaricrisG and I'll give you the link. 

Sigh! Some people. Seriously.

8000 Hands for Unity

I don't see Franco and Gloria a lot considering their utterly busy lives that when I do see them it is always a treat especially Franco. Just this Thanksgiving was one of them. Franco is a crooner and will sing at a heartbeat when asked to. The ultimate Mr. Celebrity if you must! Well-known as one of  the singing sensation in the Latino community.

Over Turkey and stuffing, he proudly narrated his latest project singing the theme song for Edwin Gil's infamous art which by the way is the catalyst for this post. Edwin Gil is a famous painter in Charlotte and awardee of the National Latinos of the Year alongside Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and NASA Astronaut Jose Fernandez this year.

The infamous art in focus is a 70 by 30 foot mural aimed at uniting displaced Colombians all over the world. Hand prints and signatures of 8,000 Colombians across the globe painted the canvasses using the colors of their flag and of which will be assembled in Colombia next year to form a huge flag and displayed in a museum there!

Edwin Gil and Franco Londono

The story behind this is that Edwin himself is a displaced Colombian who moved to North Carolina after he was kidnapped at gun point in Medellin, Colombia and spent the night locked in the trunk. That harrowing experience led him to fled his own country and found exile here where he later became a painter. This is the inspiration behind his huge project. What a way to send the message of unity across!

Being an immigrant myself, I know exactly how it feels to be away from the country & culture you grew up in. Sometimes, there's just no place like "home". To my Latino Friends, I raise my hands for you!

Real Holiday Helpings from Hellmann's® and Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay plus Giveaway

**UPDATE**

Winner via Random.org is number 22

POST-MODERN JEN - CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Thank you to all who participated

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If you're a mom like me, you know how insane it can get just planning a simple yet sumptuous meal that the entire family will actually eat. Top that with a picky eater that is hard to please! It is enough to make you pull all your hairs out right?  Now with the big holidays approaching, leftovers are making a huge comeback too. Do you still have leftovers from Thanksgiving? ( I do!) Not sure what else to do with it but turn it into that old, boring turkey sandwich? Pulleeeassseeee....

Ok you're not alone! And here's great news for you and me! You do know Bobby Flay, don't you? Of course you do! Well, Hellmann's® and Best Foods® Mayonnaise has teamed up with this critically acclaimed chef, author and TV personality to create the Real Holiday Helpings program filled with great recipe resource for us moms on how to recycle leftovers into sumptuous dishes and easy to make holiday recipes! Its' like having your own personal little elf helping you out. 

I should tell you that I've already printed out (yes, they're printable) several recipes that I wanted to try. Just thinking of the Turkey Fajitas with Creamy Avocado Sauce is already making me salivate. Yum! And I should tell you too that the site is addictive. Not only do you get awesome recipes, watch outstanding how-to-videos but you also get tons of fun playing the match-up game while being entered to win fabulous prizes! How does $50 Grocery Gift Card and FREE GROCERIES for a year sounds? Is that cool or what? If you couldn't guess, I'm going to be a constant visitor of the Real Holiday Helpings program site for a while!

Now let's up the ante of coolness by giving away a $25 American Express Gift Card to one of my fabulous readers right now to help you with your own holiday shopping too courtesy of Hellman's Real Holiday Helpings program . Are you game?! Alright! 

1. You need to do these 3 things to be entered:

a- Visit Real Holiday Helpings program and tell me which recipe you'll try.

b- Follow Zen MamaVentures

c- Follow @MaricrisG on Twitter and tweet this: I just entered to win $25 AmEx Gift Card to Hellman's Real Holiday Helping Program with Bobby Flay http://bit.ly/4SQLsR via @MaricrisG

For additional Entries:

2- Subscribe to Zen MamaVentures RSS

3- Follow Maricris on Facebook

4- Tweet about the Real Holiday Program & Giveaway each day. No limit.

Good Luck everyone! And make sure you leave a valid email address so I can notify you if you are the winner. Contest will run from Dec 3 to Dec 10, 2009 @ 12 AM EST.

*A $25 American Express Gift Card was received as part of Hellman's Real Holiday Program and sponsored the giveaway via Mom Select.

Distracted Driving And Oprah

Photo Courtesy of Oprah.com

I was privileged to share my own terrifying story as a victim of the fatal effect of distracted driving via Mom Sends The Msg through Emily and Cooper of TheMotherhood.com, who are also the force behind this campaign. They have done a fabulous job in spreading the word and creating awareness on the deadly outcomes caused by one using their mobile phone either talking or texting while driving that even Oprah featured their initiative on her show.

I made this my life-long Mantra! (besides my love for Coffee)

As moms, we should be the ultimate role model for our kids and those around us and the effective Ambassador for safer roads for our families and communities. If you care for your family, I urge you to sign the PLEDGE today and help make the roads a safer place for all of us!

Lucky (for a lack of better term) for me, effective today, texting while driving is illegal in North Carolina (though I would have prefered if calling was included. Seriously). As for us moms, let's keep our minds on the wheel starting right now...Are you with me?