The Most Versatile Swimwear For the Mommy With Some Tummy

Summer is almost here. Let's be honest. Who among you get a little stressed out about the mere thought of wearing a swimsuit? I'm sure a majority of you do. Me? - It scares me!  

Let's be real. When pregnancy occurs, it does a number on our once pristine bodies and reshapes it into a work of art that uncannily resembles our favorite bakery items! Most famous of them all? The Muffin top! If you don't have them, lucky you! But for most of us, not so much.  And worst part of it? "Traditional" swimsuits out there, they're no help at all. Que horror!

Let's be brutally honest. These regular swimsuits, they do nothing but highlight our mommy-tummy. Others, they make us look like burritos! You've seen moms who fall victim to these curse! You cringe and you die a little inside because you're also a mom and you totally can relate. I figured there must be some way around these nightmare. Well, finally, there is (especially for me anyway). Check my curated board - Ultimate Beach Mom Beach Babe Swimwear Must-have! 

Ultimate Beach Mom Beach Babe Swimwear by maricrismg 

How My Search for the Perfect Coffee Brewer On-The-Go Came to an End!

On the road with the Presse' / Photo: +Maricris G 

It is no secret that I love coffee. My wife loves coffee. And my young daughter, no surprise there, is now following in on the same path. We also love to travel and want our coffee to travel with us. Brewed, hot and ready to go. We love Starbucks too and works great when you don't have time to make your own but most often than not, I'd rather ground and brew our own coffee just the way we want it!

Of course, in the real world, you can't ground and brew your own coffee all the time especially in the early morning hours and you're crunched for time. Unless, of course again, you have those instant coffee-brewing-thingy-ma-jiggy, which we don't like, to speed things up for you. Nothing against it, just not our style. However, I might finally have found the solution...

Top 10 Signs of Aging Women Hates

"Old age is the revenge of the ugly ones" - French Proverb

After doing my rather funny impromptu video about why I hate gray hairs, I was inspired to survey real women about aging and what they hate about it! Their responses were phenomenally unanimous! And they told it like they felt it!

So here's the not-so-hot deal on aging according to you!

Why I Hate Gray Hairs And I'm Not Alone In This

Yes, right on the bat, I would tell you that I hate gray hairs! Seriously. Imagine yourself looking older than you really are! That's what gray hairs would do to you. Then there's the pain in the rears of getting it colored, covered, hidden, camouflaged... Ah my hair! Not only is it time and money-consuming, it is rather very cumbersome!

I can hear you saying "Just embrace it!"  Trust me, I've heard that so many times. Not just from other women-friends but more from my unfazed-by-gray-hairs, indifferent, male peers who would endlessly rag me about embracing it. But no. I can't. I won't. Not yet.

"Nothing ages worse than a beautiful woman's ego" - Paulina Porizkova, Supermodel

Watch Why I hate Gray Hairs directly on our YouTube Channel

SAD Makes Me... Sad

It's raining. It's pouring. But I'm not snoring. I'm actually sad for reason I know not. This happens every year. Right after Summer ends and Fall begins. Each year I wonder what cursed spell the weather have on me this strong that it can manipulate my moods and emotions to its whim and fancies! And it gets worst during the Winter. That unexplained melancholy that washes over my poor awkward self from seemingly nowhere. It sneaks up on me. Most often than not, I'm caught off-guard.

30 Ways To Unplug Your Way Into The Living

Doesn't it offend you when you are talking to someone and their nose is stuck on their phones and their fingers are busy doing its thing while they're "pretending" or "trying" to listen to you? These days, it's now referred to as multitasking. I admit, I'm guilty of this "crime" once too often. Though in certain social circles I belong to, this is unofficially accepted but not totally embraced by all. If any, it's more of an impending demise of a skill our society used for socializing - for we are slowly getting overrun by our addiction to Gadgetism!

10 Things I Can Do Now That I'm Afraid To Do 10 years ago

I tell you, the business of being married had taken the term "Comfort zone" into a whole new different level for me. One thing that I probably will not find myself in if I were still single now. I'm also not sure if you've reached this same Nirvana at this point of your wedded blessedness, but we can compare notes right here, right now if you're willing to dish out some of your own little secrets with me. Alright, I'll start.

I've been married 10 years now but it seem like it was just yesterday. Don't you ever get that feeling? It sure blows my mind thinking how long ago it was and yet it doesn't feel as if it was! Oh trust me, I so prefer the "10 years after" than being at that early stages in my marriage. That thing they call honeymoon stage? It sucks! Tons of awkward moments that I wouldn't even dare try remember or relive. Would you?

I Took a Shot at Couponing and Saved Money Using Apps

I was walking down the freezer aisle at SuperTarjay for our regular weekly grocery shopping and passed this cart parked on the side. Nothing unusual about a parked cart I thought, but what got my attention was this huge, transparent plastic file folder sitting on the cart's "baby carrier" compartment filled with tons of coupons! I immediately looked around to see who this dedicated couponer was, simply to satiate my curiosity. I saw an older couple by the dairy section, flipping through a pile of coupons trying to find the right one for the item they were going to purchase. I was speechless. That's pure smart shopping right there! Ironically, I can't see myself doing coupons that way. I can't keep up with even the few coupons I have. That day, I even forgot all the coupons I meant to bring. Talk about total fail! But there was hope - or savings - to be had in my horizon!

Useful Ways to Utilize Laundry Dryer Sheets You Never Thought Possible

This is my second cover story on dryer sheets. I promise, I'm not obsessed with my dryer sheets. It only happened that I discovered different uses that is worth sharing. My creative brain found ways to utilize the product beyond its standard use and so far they've work to my advantage. This time, I'm pushing the boundaries beyond a dryer sheet's usage. To me, it's no longer just a fabric softener. It is more.

5 Effective Ways To Extend The Life of Your Veggies and Save You Money

I'm one of those they call "Flexitarian". I consume more vegetables but I eat meat on occasion. It happens when we go out to eat which doesn't occur often. My daughter is the same way but my husband is a full-pledged vegetarian. Clearly he have a huge influence on my diet. Now living on a diet that calls for more veggies than meat have its disadvantages. No, not on the health benefits side of it but specifically its storage. Vegetables easily spoils when not properly stored or not used quick enough. It turns into waste and translates to more money wasted. If you are faced with the same issue "like I used to do", then you'll want to know these simple ways that's worked magic for me!

The Concept of ll

You're probably confused as to what those two vertical lines that seemingly look like either two lower-case "L's" or the Roman numeral version of 2 in the title truly represents. Have a guess? Your perception could be totally unrelated to the truth. Take a moment right now and think? What does your mind tells you?

I will give you the answer at the bottom of this post. I shall make this short and sweet. After all, this is all about perception. Nothing serious. Just a mind-boggling exercise at how we all perceive the things around us. One classic line that correspond well with perception is the infamous "the answer/or right person, is right in front of me but I'm too blind to see it!" Yep. Perception.

How Do You Embrace Gray Hair?

I know we all grow old and end up with gray hairs BUT discovering I suddenly have "multitudes" of gray hair was like waking up from a nightmare inside a nightmare! How did this happen and when did tons of gray hair happened? Why me???!!!

Watch the Vlog directly on our Channel: Gray Hair Dilemma Henna to the Rescue!

 "Aaaahhhhh!" I screamed like a loud siren, sounding like someone murdered me in the bathroom. Well, that was what my hubby said anyway. After giving him the litany of my discovery, he just matter-of-factly said, "Oh honey...just embrace it." Say what!? "Embrace?"  I snapped. That is like totally telling me to embrace my mother-in-law! I'd rather scream than embrace it. So, I screamed. Again. Watch my video. I will attempt to hide them. Have you embraced your gray hairs? Or are you like me, waged war with it?

Simple Steps to GREEN Your Workspace aka Mom Cave!

You asked: I have a small room I'm converting into my studio and wanted it to reflect my creative side and making it a "responsible" work area without spending too much money in the process. Where and how do I start?

My answer: I should tell you now that I have this personal mission to be "green" in every possible way I can. Call me Eco-freak but I love the principle of being green and living it. I'm not a tree hugger but I do have trees waiting to be hugged in my backyard -- maybe later. And then, I'm also frugal and I finally have a studio/workspace, all of my own, that I spent most of my daily, breathing life in since we moved. What's an Eco-freak gotta do? You got it babe, Green it frugally! How? Read on...

In Moving Purgatory

These couple make moving look good! If only it was real.

Lately, my days are surrounded by a growing number of boxes. Big, small and little ones in between. It's making my house look like a cross between a warehouse and a sardines can. It's getting tight in here so fast and we've just about started packing! All 10 years worth being squeezed in moving boxes.

Unreal. Just like the process. Put together box, sort, toss, fill, tape, pile, repeat.

It feels endless. Like a broken record, it's almost annoying. If this was Lord of the Rings, I'm in middle earth right now. Not hell. Not heaven. Purgatory. 

20 Bad Habits Drivers Do While Driving

A few years ago, My family and I have been a victim of a driver who was texting while driving and got us in a bad wreck in the highway.  That accident left me with a trauma, a whiplash and a heightened sense for bad behaviors on the road. Thank God, texting and driving had been illegalized {that's a proper word, right? LOL} but there are other stupid acts factors people do that should be placed in the same category because they are equally harmful, highly distracting and very annoying! See if you agree.

Mom to Mom: A little Secret to Make YOU Feel Good!

A Eureka moment too good not to share. I would like to say that "a little make-up can go a long way!" and that "the reflection you see in your mirror, most often that not, plays a crucial part in how you'll feel the rest of the day".  Watch on.

50 Unique Valentine's Day Date Ideas

Valentine's Day is tomorrow which means millions of couples all over the country will be on the lookout for out-of the-ordinary, not-the-common-go-out-to dinner-date-night ideas. Besides, most restaurants will be fully-booked you might not even dine at your favorite one unless you booked a month before. No worries. Here are 50 unique "date" activities that will guarantee you'll have some lovey-dovey time in no time!

Husband Reveals Secrets: 4 Tips For The Care, Feeding and Support of your Bloggy Wife

Editor's Note: My husband has finally broken his silence and is revealing his greatest secrets {maybe dishing me out a bit here}. He's got the bloggy wife described to a tee but I should say, he is my number one fan and my greatest supporter! I urge ALL you husbands out there to READ and LEARN. And you, BLOGGY WIVES, make sure your husbands read this! 

True as it gets...

No BS Life Lessons From Wreck-It-Ralph

It was nice to spend Martin Luther King day at the movies with my family. Our unanimous choice was Wreck-It-Ralph. My daughter was pretty excited to see it of course. It was more for her enjoyment than ours, yet I was the one who came home with tons of takeaways from the movie. I even cried for crying out loud! But the movie had lots of lessons to impart, if one's heart and eyes are open to see them.

The Day in Photos: Incorporating GREEN during the Holidays

Holidays are done and over with but I was rather proud to have been able to incorporate my green initiatives during the Holidays in the form of cute upcycled tote bags created from previously displayed Toyota billboards.