Bye 2020, Hello 2021!

The year 2021 is a few hours away. Before this year ends, let me take this opportunity to tell you that i would like to help take away some of the burdens you’ve been carrying on your shoulder. The hatred, bitterness, anger and jealousy you’re feeling right now are just some of the things that you should not be carrying along with you as you move on to the next chapter of your life. 

With the pandemic still on-going, we don’t need any more dramas from the outside, because wether you admit it or not, you already got so much drama going on inside of you. Here’s a helpful piece of advice from me to you:

Small number you say, but it might get smaller in 2021 😊

If you feel some type of way towards me, please do me a favor. Will you delete me from your facebook list? I have nothing but pure happiness, love and good wishes towards everybody. Although i offer you nothing but good friendship and positive thoughts and wishes, i still feel that for some reason, seeing me and knowing what i do raises your eyebrows maybe out of insensitivity or just pure hatred. If you are still here just lurking around and every time you see me hurts your eyes that you feel the need to talk about me to  other people in a negative way? Please do yourself a favor. Stop hurting yourself. The last thing i would do is to become a burden and be the cause of your heart attack. I couldn’t find a valid reason for me to delete you for i know deep in my heart that i did nothing wrong to you. If i ever offended you and you think nothing will ever fix it, cut me loose. 

Nobody told you that life is easy but let’s make it simpler. I am battling my own war and nothing that i post, say or do is about you until this one. Joy and depression cannot reside on the same space. Laugh every chance you get.  Let’s all restart with a clean slate, Ok? You may not love me but I, I love you with the love of the Lord.  Y’all be safe and stay healthy  Happy New Year!!! 2021 is gonna be a great year for all of us!💜💜💜

-MAMA BEAR

I originally wrote this last year. It took me a year to post it hoping that things will change, that we will all be cordial with each other. It’s all good now, so here it is 🥰

Prayer for 2021

God, You know me. Before I was even born, You loved me and knew every detail of my life.

So as I enter 2021, please fill me with Your peace that passes understanding and keep my eyes fixed on You.

No matter what I face this year, give me strength and hope, and help me to dream with You. Even when it may feel like dreaming isn’t possible, show me that nothing is impossible for You.

In 2021, please bless me and protect me. Let Your face shine upon me and be gracious to me. Please give me Your peace and make this a year of breakthrough.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

40 Elf on the Shelf Simple Ideas For Busy "Santas"

The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition is a 2005 children's picture book, written by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell, and illustrated by Coë Steinwart. The book tells a Christmas-themed story, written in rhyme, that explains how Santa Claus knows who is naughty and nice. It describes elves visiting children from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, after which they return to the North Pole until the next holiday season. The Elf on the Shelf comes in a keepsake box that features a hardbound picture book and a small scout elf. The authors say the story is from a family tradition started by Carol Aebersold for her twin daughters, Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts in Georgia, USA.

Our family started this Christmas tradition back in 2017. We first get the female one  and we named her Mangle.  The following year, 2018 we got the male elf and we named him Frost.  This year we got another female and we named her Caramel.  It is an exciting and fun activity to do that everybody in the family gets seriously involved.  I would ask my husband or my eldest daughter to reposition the elves before going to bed whenever i forget or become lazy to do it. Whenever somebody accidentally touches the elves, my daughter will tearfully tell me to help her sprinkle some cinnamon on them to preserve the magic. Until now, she is still enthusiastic and a  a great believer of the magic of christmas brought about by these elves. 

Here are some simple Elf on the Shelf ideas that we did over the years. 

Enjoy the holidays and may you all have a wonderful, magical Christmas!

"A Penny saved is a penny earned"

Catching goldfish in the sink

   Frost on the tambourine, Mangle on guitar, and Caramel on Ukelele in our music rooom.

Playing Tic tac toe

They must be telling Jamesya to read books more often or to increase her vocabulary or trying to tell me to lose weight or whatever, idk

So you're cold, why are you in the fridge?

My daughter's face when she saw them drew a mustache and beard on her picture.😅

My daughter loves to play and eat some ice and leaves them on the floor to melt

Mangle with her homegirl, Barbie

She came in like a wrecking-ball 🎵

They took a selfie with her while she was sleeping

ziplining!!!

She's back in a paper plane

Yep! Tell her!!!

Feeling toasty

Giant elves on our Christmas village

Mangle, girls don't shave facial hair because they don't have them lol

Santa was taking them back with him to North Pole

Merry Christmas!!!

Nothing Compares To You (by SInead O' Connor) Cover by Yayie

This is my cover of the song Nothing Compares To You popularized by Sinead O'Connor.  Sadly, Youtube removed it as soon as I uploaded it back in November 3, 2012 due to Copyright Issue.  

Hopefully it will stay here so I can watch this over and over. 

Exactly 7 days from now, i will be leaving the country that once i called my temporary home, Germany (Deutschland). I am so excited that i will be goin back to South Korea but felt a lil bit of sadness knowing that I have not explored this country/ continent so well and i will miss the snow that we had here :). In my fondness, i included a few video clips where i was enjoying my first experience of snow here in Germany. Oh well, this song by Sinead O'Connor has nothing to do with what i'm feeling right now LOL....I'm just feeling like doin a Sinead cover on this gloomy day :)..PLease enjoy watching. Share it, love it, like it...everything counts! I do not own this song. No copyright infringement intended. All rights belong to their respective owners.

 

Crispy Lechon Kawali (Air Fryer)

                                                     Easy to follow recipe

Lechon kawali, also known as lechon carajay,[1] is crispy pork belly deep-fried in a pan or wok (kawali). It is seasoned beforehand, cooked then served chopped into pieces. It is usually accompanied with a dipping sauce, such as "lechon sauce" traditionally made with pork liver, or toyomansi (soy sauce with calamansi).
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecho...

Ingredients 3 lbs Pork Belly
3 pcs Bay Leaves
1/2 Garlic
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
[sauce] 1/2 cup Vinegar
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
3 tbsp Red Onion
3 tbsp Jalapeno Pepperpreferences)
Pepper to taste
Sugar

Steps: Boil water
Add bay leaves, garlic, salt and pepper
Add pork
Boil it for 15-20 minutes or until meat is tender
Remove the meat from the pot
Pat dry with a paper towel
Poke the meat
Cool it down (you can keep in the fridge for few hours to overnight or so)
Bring to room temperature and season with salt
Prepare Philips Air Fryer
Set the temperature to 350F and set a timer for 30 minutes
Check the meat half of the timer. (Press the middle button on Philips Air Fryer to pause the cooking)
Resume the cooking by pressing the middle button
After 30 minutes of the timer, check if the skin is crunchy enough. If not, set another 20 minutes or so and continue cooking for extra crunchiness.
Once you achieve the crunchiness you want, serve it!

September 1st of 2013, Happiness!

Exactly three years ago, I wrote about how i spent my 1st of September in 2010 alone in Germany.  No family, no friends and nobody with me to welcome the "Bermonths".  Now I'm back and I'm writing again on how I spent my day today, the 1st of September year 2013.

Yes, in the morning i did the usual. I played christmas carols at 8AM to welcome the "Bermonths". But this time i played the ones that my little princess will appreciate,  Nursery Rhymes Christmas Songs  on Youtube.  My pretty Shasha, dancing while singing the songs, started my day perfectly.


In the afternoon, we took a cab to Lotte Mart.  Before we went inside, I made a deal with Shasha.  I told her that if she behaves and not act up like she always  does everytime we go places (ALWAYS as in ALL THE TIME) , I will buy her a toy and lots of stickers.  She quickly replied "Otei" (OK) as soon as i finished my statement.  We entered the mall in peace, walked around until she found a toy that she likes, a Pororo toy car.  I never realized that ₩15,000 worth of a toy and some stickers will tame the tigress in her.









     
She was happily playing with her new toy while eating Chajangmeon, Sweet and Sour Pork with rice .  I know she's been wanting to play at the little play area right next to Lotteria booth but i told her to help mommy finish eating the food so we can both play together.  She again gave me the word "Otei" and stayed sitted at the table until we finished our food.  Then i followed her as she took off to play.

 While we were walking back to our apartment,  we passed by Ccokio store so i decided to stop by and see what they have.  They changed the store's arrangement from my last visit.  They have more live and fake plants displayed on the left side.  I'm tempted to buy the heart-shaped flowering vine plant but i don't have a car to bring it home so we walked around and found, at the kitchen department, a sizzling plate that i've been looking for. I immediately grabbed that one last sizzling plate on the shelf and went to the cashier.

           While walking on our way home i asked Shasha, who was quietly sipping on her strawberry juice, if she was happy.  "Sha-sha, are you happy?".  I was expecting her to answer, "Otei".  Amazingly my 2 -1/2 year old daughter anwered, "I'm happy, mommy". 

I almost cry with what i heard.  I never hear her clearly utter a 3-word phrase. Well I guess this year's 1st of September is another memorable one.  No amount of money can beat the time spent being alone with my daughter.  She showed a little bit of maturity by the way she behaved and talked this afternoon.  My heart is overwhelming with gladness as I am writing this blog knowing that a little walk around, a ₩9,000 Pororo toy car, a time well-spent with Shasha will make our day perfectly and amazingly happy even though Daddy is not with us once again on the 1st of September. 

"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions."

Dalai Lama

Sa Araw ng Mga Dakilang Ina

Ina, Nanay, Mommy, Mama, Madir o Mudra?  Sa paanong paraan mo man tawagin ang iyong ina, iisa parin ang kahulugan nito.  Ang tao na walang takot nagbuwis ng buhay maisilang kalang sa mundong ito. Sabi nga ng Mama ko nung dalaga pa ko, kapag ang babae ay nanganganak, ang isang paa daw natin ay nasa hukay.  Nakakatakot naman po! Nakakatakot naman talaga kaya nga dalawa lang kinaya ko eh.  At ang takot na to ay magiging parte na ng buhay natin bilang ina.  Takot na hindi mapalaki ang mya anak ng maayos.  Takot na di natin sila mapakain ng tama.  Takot na baka magkasakit tayo, hindi natin sila maaalagaan ng maayos at hindi tayo makakapasok sa trabaho at wala tayong kikitain para ipambili ng pagkain nila, ng damit, pambayad sa matrikula, pambaon sa eskwela, pambili ng pangangailangan nila.  Takot na baka di sila mag-aral ng mabuti.  Takot na baka makapag asawa sila ng wala sa tamang panahon.  Takot na baka may manakit sa kanila. Takot na magkasakit sila.  At napakarami pang takot na hinaharap at haharapin natin.  Ang hirap ano po? Nabubuhay ka araw araw, bilang isang ina.  Isang ina na ayaw magutom ang pamilya kaya ka nagtatrabaho, kaya ka nagluluto ng makakain sa araw araw.  Isang ina na ayaw  malait ang mga anak kaya panay ang laba ng damit tapos plancha para paglabas nila maayos sila tingnan.  Isang Ina na ayaw magkakasakit ang pamilya kaya araw araw kung maglinis ng bahay, kuskos dito, kuskos doon hanggang sa gumaspang ang mga kamay hanggang sa makalimutan na ang sarili rin ay dapat alagaan. Sa araw-araw yan ang paulit- ulit mong ginagawa. Nakakasawa ba? Minsan pa gusto mo na mapagod di ba? Gusto mo ng sumuko? Nagagalit ka kapag di ka makatapos ng gawain sa bahay kase ang kukulit ng mga anak mo.  Pero ano mang galit ang dumapo sayo, sapian ka man ng masamang elemento sa init ng ulo mo sa kunsumisyon, lalapitan mo pa rin ang anak mo na napalo at nasigawan mo.  Ikaw pa magsosorry  dahil sa totoo lang  ikaw ang totoong nasaktan sa ginawa mo at hindi sila.  Ikaw ang nasaktan kase mahal mo sila.  Takot ka nga masaktan sila di ba? Kaya ang pagiging ina, kung di mo sasamahan ng panalangin sa Dyos na bigyan ka pa ng lakas at mahabang pasensya, kung walang katatagan ng loob, kung walang pagmamahal, ay isang malaking napakabigat na katungkulan .  Pero sa tulad nating mga  dakilang Ina,  pagmamahal ang syang nagpapagaan ng lahat.  Kaya para sa katulad kong Ina, na walang sawa mag mahal at mag aruga sa pamilya, saludo po ako sa inyo.  Happy Mother's Day, beautiful mommas!!!