Fish and Potatoes for Dinner

This is what we had last night for dinner. Simple yet so yummy.... Each we've had 2 pieces of prepared and marinated Tilapia (oven cooked) and sliced boiled baby potatoes with butter and cheese. Easy and simple as that!!!

My Baby Blog Is Now Also Engaging in Paid Reviews!

I never truly intended to create this baby blog of mine to accept any paid reviews, thought of jsut concentrating on writing about my pregnancy experiences and my future baby! However, one day I got bored of just writing reviews on PPP concentrated only in one of my personal blogs, therefore, I decided to create another PPP's account for this particular blog.

Luckily, it was approved after few days! Another chance to taking opps and earning money huh? hehehe... Well, why not if you can do it right?

Arch for our Garden

By the time we've done putting up the fence panels between our neighbor's garden and ours, we've decided to have an arch for climbing plants in between the shed and the fence. Though we know it's gonna be easy to build one, but if we could fine a special offer why not buying instead of making one right? But then, after seeing this one (photo below), we changed our mind. This is so expensive for what it is, a £165 job??? no chance.... yet easy to build I should say...

At least this gives us an idea what sort of style to buy or to build.

How To Have a Beautiful Garden on a Budget?

For me, you don't have to be rich to have a beautiful garden! Every one who is at heart a gardener loves to putter about the garden with at least one of their gardening supplies in hand.

Here's how to manage and keep up with gardens or landscapes even if you're on a budget. There are simple steps to follow in order to achieve a beautiful landscape on a budget.

1. The first step is to take a look at your existing landscape and decide what areas need the most attention. Areas to focus on are usually the front of the home or entrance ways. If the plants are over-grown in these areas, then most likely they will need to be pruned. Pruning shrubs or trees is a process of selectively pruning out unsightly branches or foliage.

For example, if you're walking to the front door of your home and if there are plants that are growing over the walkway, this would be an area that needs renovating. Go through each plant that looks unsightly and bring it back to a size which looks proper to the whole landscape. At times some plants may be too far gone where pruning them back just makes the problem more unsightly. If this is the case, removal may be the best option. Here's a little tip to always take in consideration when deciding what to do in regards to pruning or removal of plants. Consider if the plants are over crowded (i.e. growing into each other) if so, choose the plant that is healthier and frames the landscape as a whole. Then decide which plants are anchors in the landscape. For example, in proper landscape design, plants are placed systematically around the home; shrubs should be below the window lines, and entrance doors need to be easily visible from a distance, etc. the landscape should showcase your home, not hide it. It doesn't make sense how some of the most beautiful homes are hidden with too many plants.

The main reason homeowners over plant is because many of them forget how large the plants will grow in a couple of years. They might feel more is better. This is one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make. People need to do research and take into consideration how big each plant will be at maturity. Maybe, at some point, you may be considering adding on to an existing landscape, if so, do the homework and don't over plant the area!

2. The second step to help improve the overall picture of the landscape is to clean-up the beds which surround the home. This can be accomplished by raking up debris such as leaves that are cluttering the garden beds. By getting rid of old leaf debris and fallen branches will increase the over all look of the home.

3. Edge all of the beds, so there is a defined line separating the grass from the landscaped beds. At this point you're ready for the finishing touch. Mulching! Mulching is similar to painting; it is the icing on the cake. Mulch not only gives the landscape lovely curb appeal, but it also helps benefit the plants as well.

These are simple steps for the homeowner to follow. Take the time to review the solutions I provided, and you will have a fabulous looking landscape even on a budget.

White Lily and Peach Carnation Flowers from Hubby

Hubby's choice for this week was LILY and CARNATION flowers. I like the color combination as it reminds me of my bouquet color on our wedding! I love some kinda Peachy-Orange blend. By the way, he actually first reminded me of my bouquet color.

Thanks a lot for your thoughtfulness my love, I really appreciate everything you had to be doing for me.

Pinoy Foods Shopping Online

I was looking for something to eat the other day, but I just couldn't figure what I was looking for!, then I started thinking about the Filipino foods I have been missing... We used to go to Canterbury (an hour drive), to buy selected Pinoy foods at the Oriental food shop, but due to my condition, we never bothered anymore.

Instead, I just ordered online. Photo above, were the ones I bought recently in fact, this was already my 2nd time, first there were Ice Tea, Sky Flakes, Efficacent Oil, Noodles, and Chippy. I really love my Ice Tea especially its getting warmer here as summer is just around the corner, good drink for the season!

... and I am proud to have introduced it to hubby's family, while Alfie loves Chippy and Ice Tea too! uummmm I will soon become a regular online buyer of Pinoy Mini Mall.

Traditional Sunday Roast with my In-Laws

Hubby and I had spent our whole Sunday afternoon at my in-laws place. It's an English tradition to prepare a nice meal for the family - normally Sundays' gathering together enjoying any roast meat (beef, pork or chicken) with gravy, apple sauce or English mustard with potatoes, parsnips, Yorkshire pudding, and green peas. Mum cooked it for us, it was only the 4 of us!

We don't normally visit them on Sunday, our last Sunday visit was 5 weeks ago if I am not mistaken. We learned in the end that Mum doesn't prepare any special meal if it's only her and Dad, and that's probably the reason why Dad invited us yesterday, as he missed roast pork and desserts too. LOL, poor Dad....

Spicy Sausage Casserole for Dinner

We had this when we had my parents-in-law one day, when they helped hubby putting up our shed in "Our Shed Has Finally In Place". This is one of traditional English foods. At least I have learned some English cooking already, so having them is not that complicated anymore..

Easy to prepare: All you need is Pork Sausages, Sausage Casserole Sauce in pack, Potatoes, boiled Peas & Sweetcorn, and Onions. If you wanna try just follow these simple steps:

1) Brown sausages in a little bit of oil in a saucepan and add onions for another 3-4 minutes.
2) Add the mix of sausage casserole pack in a glass of water to the saucepan with sausages.
3) Bring to boil and taste, boil peeled potatoes at the same time until tender, and in a separate saucepan boil the sweetcorn and peas altogether.
4) Mash the boiled potatoes, add a little bit of fresh milk and butter to taste.
5) Enjoy the English food!

Enjoy cooking.....:)

Gorgeous Flowers From Hubby

These are some of the flowers hubby had given me, he normally buys a bouquet a week! This one was two weeks ago.... and below was end of last week!People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.

~Iris Murdoch, A Fairly Honourable Defeat

For myself I hold no preferences among flowers, so long as they are wild, free, spontaneous. Bricks to all greenhouses! Black thumb and cutworm to the potted plant!
~Edward Abbey

Who can estimate the elevating and refining influences and moral value
of flowers with all their graceful forms, bewitching shades and combination
of colors and exquisitely varied perfumes?

These silent influences are
unconsciously felt even by those who do not appreciate them consciously
and thus with better and still better fruits, nuts, grains, vegetables and
flowers, will the earth be transformed, man's thought refined, and turned
from the base destructive forces into nobler production.

One which will
lift him to high planes of action toward the happy day when the Creator
of all this beautiful work is more acknowledged and loved, and where man
shall offer his brother man, not bullets and bayonets, but richer grains,
better fruit and fairer flowers from the bounty of this earth.

- Father George Schoener (1864 -1941),
The Importance and Fundamental Principles of Plant Breeding

Creamy Chicken Adobo

This is one of the Filipino foods my hubby loves so much! I know most of us know how to cook this, so there's no need for me to add the cooking procedures here (except that I have added a little bit of coconut milk).

So it tasted like sour-peppery and creamy, yummy though.... Why not trying as well. Enjoy cooking.....

Tropical Mangoes From Brazil

This is what I have been eating while busy finishing opps from SS and PPP. We could only buy this from one place (as far as we know), close to where my in-laws live - in a farm shop. Most mangos we do find in big supermarkets are African mangoes (same taste as Indian mangoes), which I don't like. That's why we do buy plenty every time we visit them (at least for 3-4 days consumption), if they don't last I have no choice but to buy the other type in Tescos.

The taste reminds me of our native mangoes in Philippines.

We Had Thai Masman Curry Last Night

Hubby's favorite - spicy foods....

I used a packet of Masman paste and just followed instructions at the back of it. Have added some vegetables and spices too, to add more taste.


Simple Procedure:
1) Slice of 250g beef or chicken.
2) Heat a skillet and add 1 up coconut milk together with this Masman Curry Paste packet 50g. Stir fry until oil appears on top.

3) Add meat and stir-fry until done. You can add carrots and beans or slice of potatoes (same as what I always do, but I didn't add potatoes this time). Let it boil for at least 5 minutes.

4) Add another cup of coconut milk, bring to boil. Cook until all the veges are tender or depends how you you wanted the veges.

5) Add fish sauce to taste. Serve with cooked rice.

Really easy to prepare, why not to try....

How to Get Along With In-Laws

The word “mother” is as sacred as your country’s flag and constitution, but add “in-law” next to it and it sends shivers down the spine. Did you know that among some tribes in Africa, the males do something to their heads so that their mother-in-law’s shadow doesn’t fall on their heads?

Dealing with your in-laws is twice as difficult as dealing with your own family. The snide remarks, the gossip, and the bickering are at their most intense when the in-laws come to visit.

• There can be no divided loyalties. When you married your spouse and spoke your wedding vows, you promised to put your husband or wife as the first and primary person in your life, and that’s where your loyalty rightly belongs. If your wife has a problem with her mother-in-law, it’s the husband who needs to step in and work on fixing it. The same applies if a husband has a problem with his in-laws, his wife must speak up on behalf of her husband.

• Good fences make good neighbors. Clear boundaries, as in really good fences, need to be established and set in place about when in-laws are and are not invited into your lives. Negotiate the boundaries with your spouse regarding the role you want your in-laws to have in your life, being as specific as you feel is necessary. Write it all down on paper if that would work well for you during discussion and negotiations.

• Your parents and in-laws only know what you tell them. Set boundaries so you and your spouse know what specific information will or will not be shared with your family. If you go to your parents or family members every time you’re angry, frustrated, or having problems in your marriage, they hear that but they don’t hear when you’ve resolved the issues. If you’re having a problem in your marriage, you need to resolve it in the marriage, privately.

• Set time boundaries so that you both will know how much time will be spent at the in-laws’ house and how often they will be in your home. Sometimes husbands and wives argue because the in-laws are always at your house and you don’t seem to have a moment to yourselves. Or, the wife is almost always at her parents’ home and not taking care of responsibilities at home, or constant phone calls by the in-law to find out personal details that impose upon the time and privacy of your marriage.

• Set decision-making boundaries so that both husband and wife understand that they will make the decisions in their marriage without having to consult the in-laws first. Once a decision is made you should not allow your mind to be changed because one of the in-laws voices disapproval. You have a backbone, so use it.

• Set boundaries about the care and discipline of your children, so the standards and rules established in your home are not contradicted by your in-laws. If boundaries are not set, clearly communicated amongst the family, problems and conflicts will arise. Problems and conflicts also persist when the husband or wife fails to correct their unruly parent or family member when boundaries have been breeched.

• Once the boundaries are decided upon, you must now keep to them. If one of the marriage partners violates the agreement then the whole process breaks down and sends a double message to the in-laws. In addition, failing to keep an agreement with your spouse is a violation of your word and his or her trust. You must realize that if you violate your mate’s trust you have betrayed your vows to honor your spouse above all others.

• Talk to your parents (or the in-law that is driving you crazy) about the boundaries you’ve decided upon together. Make it perfectly clear that the boundaries set have been decided upon and mutually agreed to by both husband and wife. Believe it or not, some mother-in-laws may not even realize how their intrusion and criticisms hurt or belittle you, so you must learn how to be assertive, using assertive techniques to express how you feel when she says or does x,y,z.

• If holidays with in-laws are so difficult that it’s obvious your parents and in-laws don’t get along, it would be best for you and your husband to talk to your own sets of parents separately. Explain to them that while you understand that they’re not going to be the best of friends with the other couple, that it will make you and your husband happy if they can at least be civil.

• When it comes to social settings, it may be better to keep them apart than to deal with the stress of potential bickering. If it’s a small holiday dinner, consider celebrating on two separate nights. Bigger parties should have enough people that both sets of parents can avoid each other. But keep in mind that they are all adults, even if their behavior suggests otherwise. And if you’re given an ultimatum such as, “If they’re coming, we’re not”, simply reply, “We’ll miss you.”

• Never attempt to force your spouse to choose between his or her parents and your marriage. Understand that the other woman in every man’s life is his mother. If your husband starts in on you with something like, “Well, my mother does it this way…”, then tell him to go over and sleep with her.

• Pick your battles. Sometimes you just have to agree to disagree in some situations, politely telling them that you appreciate their suggestions, but you and your spouse make the final decisions. Be considerate, controlling your emotions and temper as much as possible, being careful to think before you speak those venomous words swirling through your mind at the time.

Are you having difficulty getting along with your in-laws? Would you like to share your story or ask a question related to your specific situation? Or, if your relationship with the in-laws has been virtually flawless, to the point where you simply love and adore your in-laws, what further advice would you give couples dealing with in-law problems? Comments, questions and suggestions are welcome in the comment section below.

HP Photosmart A256 - My New Toy

TINY, VERY HANDY, A MAKE UP KIT SIZE Photo Printer which you never get wrong of buying this!

We bought this one in Amazon UK site, a very handy photo printer! It only took 5 days to deliver, and just received this today. In fact, have been printing off photos already and I tell you, perfect quality! I just love it....This only prints standard size photo print which is 6" x 4". Not expensive though... We ordered more photo papers but didn't come with the printer, but its got a trial 3 pieces paper, have tried it right away!

.... and I didn't realize hubby thought of buying more papers, he asked me if he can go to Tesco to buy me mangoes (it was my request earlier on), which made me happy and what a surprise when he came back with a pack of 25 photo papers!! yahoo... and now I continue printing off some more to be sent off to Philippines together with our Mother's Day card.


My sister-in-law Claire first got this one last year, but I wasn't so impressed with the quality of the photographs, perhaps they she was using a poor quality photo paper, plus we were still going back to Angola so didn't think of buying one. This time my parents-in-law got the same, but it looks as though a better one than what she's got, so we decided to buy exactly the same as dad's...