$15.95 "happy" pass in Santa Monica

The place I always visit when I go down South, is Santa Monica, California. A great place to shop, dine and I love how easy it is to park and go. Three weeks ago, I went with a bunch of friends and my little one. We were going back and forth to go to either Disneyland or Universal studios on a Sunday. But we all woke up late and the weather was too gloomy. Because of the high chances of rain, we did not want to be exploring either parks in the cold and wet, so we decided to skip both on this trip.

Since we were craving for clam chowder, an afternoon at the Santa Monica Pier was a unanimous decision.
I am glad that we did, because we all, esp. my little one had a really fun time at Pacific Park. Another pleasant surprise is that, it was  not busy because of the weather, so no lines at all!
The pier, with Pacific Park right there, is a great place to enjoy the view and fun environment of the Santa Monica beach. Pacific Park's affordable ticket prices: all day pass for rides is $21.95 for adults, $15.95 for 7 years and younger, makes it a great place for the entire family! Not so big,  clean, affordable, fun. I highly recommend!

fabulously decorated cupcakes- for less!

As a single parent, my days are very very hectic. Drive here to there, do this and that, take care of this and that, and so on.. but because I am such a DIY creature, I decided to take time off in the morning to decorate my daughter's cupcakes for her classmates on her birthday!

I am glad that parents are able to bring in something for the class on birthdays. As a precautionary measure at our elementary school, parents can only bring store brought food. I really like this rule, because when I was an owner of a childcare facility, I was paranoid of children getting sick from food. 

So I went to the nearby grocery store to pick up these cupcakes. This pack of 12 is great, it is colorful and ready made except, it is very ordinary to me. LOL.

So after I bought the cupcakes, I hurriedly went to a craft store to get some cute cupcake decorations.

 The wrapping of the cupcake did consume a lot of my time, because I had to carefully insert the cupcakes into each wrap, so hard with all the frosting on top! 

 I am very happy with the results! (^~^)

Princess, pink, high heels, pink castle for the girls

Giraffes for the boys 

This, is the special one for the birthday princess.

As soon as I walked in, the girls and boys were all like:

"Wow, so awesome!";

 "Hi, Venice's mom!!!";

"Hello, Venice's mum, can I have one for my little brother?" (In English Accent);

 "Did you put glitter on the cupcakes?..umm, was I suppose to eat it? cause I already swallowed it."

I was surprised to discover all the edible paper and glitters too! :)

It did not hurt my pocket, but it definitely filled my heart with joy.

And hers too.

The two of us  hurriedly left the school  carrying the cupcake containers on a 

very warm November day..

Then she suddenly stopped in the middle of a brisk walk and said, "Momma... "

--I hoped she did not forget anything in her classroom because I parked too far away;

her light brown eyes sparkled like smoky quartz in the sun as she smiled and said:

"Thank you, this is my best birthday ever."

Cost: under $20 dollars

A cool and free weekend destination

An economic Depression sounds too pessimistic? I hope it does not ever come to that point. But anything can happen under the sun. Dow closed at  419 points down today. Not good. In this shaky economy, it is smart to keep what you have intact. To wear a tight belt is necessary, making sure that when ALL things go wrong...you got enough to pack your bags and maybe start a new life, with whatever you have somewhere..maybe in an island LOL. Or stay here and be okay with what you have saved up.  One of my friends has made his giant leap, and is now enjoying blue warm waters, managing his online business, and putting up another one in the tropics where he now calls his home.

Here in pricey Silicon Valley, it's great to hear  that a cool place is still open for free. A penny saved is a penny earned. So why not?! America has many great things to see. Big land area, and years ago, had more than sufficient cash flow,  good thing the government invested a lot on infrastructure . Because of this, there are beautiful places to visit that the whole family can enjoy at no cost. Some museums, parks, beautiful piers, well maintained beaches, etc. And  places like NASA too.   A part of the NASA Ames Research Center is a great family destination and is open to the general public.

We enjoyed our visit, and although the place is small, it's  great for the curious little minds. My little one had fun exploring what they have on exhibit. I did too.

Free Books and Movies.

One of the many things that I love here in America is the availability of beautiful public libraries. It's free to all. Here in San Jose, all of the libraries look modern and are well-equipped. With a lot of activities for all ages to choose from, it's a great place for children to learn, read and practice self discipline. For mommies like me, a place to relax :) And best of all, there is a great selection of books and movies I can bring home. I can take out up to 100 items and keep all items at home for 3 weeks. I go with my daughter very frequently, and every time, we both enjoy an hour or two of silence and reading. A few hours of peace and happiness at no cost.

Signing her San Jose City Library Card

Family Story time

My little one and other's little ones enjoying a magic show

From a mere grocery paperbag to fun kid art projects

These can pile up easily and mostly get thrown in the garbage quickly to keep the kitchen organized.

I  choose paper bags at the grocery stores instead of plastic and I recycle it for my art loving child.

Although art paper is affordable, it's still nice to save some money on paper,

and it's also really important for every household to help save the environment.

It was her idea to leave the handle on this time, she says; "Trust me mom, I'll show you later"

 She entertains herself by doing what she likes the most, art.

Ah I see, hahaha

"It will dry quickly out here in the sun, mom."

 (' ',)

2 Little helpful hands and flapjacks= Happiness

On sunday morning, I woke up to: "Mommy! It's a bright and beautiful day! Wake up!" :) And then....
"Can we please make chocolate chip flapjacks, mommy?".
I replied with one eye closed, "Okay, let's go make it". She smiles and hugs me and then says,
"Yesssss! I will make it with you and you eat some too, okay?"

So funny how very excited she was about  adding the chocolate chips in the pancake. While I was getting ready in the bathroom,  she climbs on top of the counter to get the chocolate chips from the cupboard. Then when I went to the kitchen, she shows me the measuring cups placed near the stove and says,  "Here, it is ready, now, let's start cooking".

She did not like it as much as the usual fluffy ones that I make her,

good thing I made more of the plain ones.

"See mommy, I knew you'd love it"

I thought that was really thoughtful and super cute!

"Thank you, dear. I enjoyed the flapjacks very much" :)

What a way to start the day.

 We had one sweet sunday breakfast. ('~')

Here is a good pancake recipe for children allergic to egg whites:

1cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
cooking spray

Directions

• Combine flour with white vinegar and milk, mix it well, then add the rest of the ingredients. Whisk until all lumps are gone.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Life is not perfect all the time, but you have to find ways 

to keep you going, to feel good about, to create your happiness. 

Mingaw kau ko nimo gi, unta naa ka dire sa amo kiliran.