Raining Again, Serioulsy?

It's been raining every day this week and it's made leaving the house next.to.impossible.  Couple this to a cranky pants baby and there's a recipe for a very stressed mommy.  Counting down the days to a sunny and warm day.

Is Spring Finally Here?!!

After several cold spells and the unwanted April showers that cause the infamous floodings in northern NJ, seems spring has finally arrived.  Unfortunately, we've been stuck in the hospital with a sick baby but the warmth of the sunshine beaming down on me from my walk to the parking lot to the hospital and back, lift my mood.  I remain hopeful this baby will continue to get better as each day passes.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Someone Stop Time

How did March just fly right by and now April is right around the corner? Somehow the changes in weather put us back in winter.

Marriage Is Not Rational.. And Why Is This News?

As I was reading the news online, I came across the following article:

Economist's Explanation For Why Getting Married Isn't Rational 

When did marriage become rational?  When did humans become rationals?

Make Your Own Baby Food?!

Goodness, the kid is growing up way too fast.  He's now having meals three times a day, drinking milk like it's going out of style, and outgrowing his clothes left and right. 
At his last checkup, the doctor gave me a long list of instructions for all the things that'll change in the next couple of months.  Especifically, he's going to eat foods with more substance and possibly have his first taste of meats.  I know I should really have gotten a device to make my own baby food but I'm so busy with life but anyhow, this is as good time as any to get things together.  This weekend, I started on my quest to find a device to help me make baby food at home and boy it's more complicated than I expected. 
So much to read up on, so many reviews, so many choices?  Is there a shortcut?  I'm going nutso!
I want to pass along the information to a great contest-giveway at the frugal voice.  Good luck everyone!

And Time Is Flying By...

this week my baby boy turned 6 months, time is flying by!  before i know it, summer will be here and i'm going to be a mad woman running around planning his 1st birthday party.
i really never knew how much i could love one person until he arrived into my life.  as much as i love my husband, this love i have for my child is on a completely different level.  i really want to spend more time with my boy and enjoy him as much as possible, before he starts pushing me away and starts following his dad around.

First Post of 2011

First of all, happy new year folks.  2010 was full of many life-changing events such as the birth of my son, changes related to my career.  Hoping that 2011 brings great surprises to everyone.  I don't make resolutions so I don't promise to post new entries more often. 

Holidays are Here and my Shopping List is Almost Completed - Thanks online retailers

it's already the first weekend of December and i'm proud to announce i've done quite a bit of shopping already (oh yeah, the tree and decorations are up to).  Amazon's wishlist is a lifesaver!  no seriously, the hardest part was to get people to sign up for it and get them to add items to the wishlist.  the rest was just so easy.

last night after everyone went to sleep, i started on the kid's laundry and did some shopping online.  i was all done with my shopping within 5 minutes.  how great is that?  no lines at the mall, no fighting for parking spots, no salespeople trying to spray me with cologne/perfumes. 

seriously, someone at an ecommerce site should look into hiring me, i'm the biggest advocate when it comes to online retail therapy!

Slowly Getting Back to Normal... Kinda

This past weekend, I went to the mall in search for a jacket for little D.  While there I went to some of my favorite stores.  I miss doing mindless things such as walking around the mall drooling over the latest season clothes, shoes, accessories, etc.  So happy little D is growing up and enjoys being outside interacting with folks.

To Buy or not to Buy?

With the holidays fast approaching, I'm facing the first time parent/baby's first holiday dilemma.  In one hand, my logical side tells me the baby doesn't realize what holidays are all about and I shouldn't buy into the hoopla.  On the other hand, my mushy heart tells me I should by at least one item (be a toy or some other item) for the baby's first holidays.

What do parents do in this case?  Do you forego buying holiday toys for infants?  How do I handle this situation?  More importantly, how do I handle my family that's going to go nuts buying items for the baby?

This is 2010.. Right?

Last week I attended the quarterly meeting for my department.  Of course, the presentation that I was most interested in was slated for the very end.  So I stayed for the entire meeting just to see the presentation and voila, it was refreshing.  This presentation revolved around eCommerce, mobile tech, apps for phones and other hand held devices, etc.  Yes, I was in geek heaven!

Of course at the end people asked questions.  It really bothered me that people who are seasoned in the IT field really had no clue about how technology is a major tool in our daily lives.  Seriously, this is not a sci-fi movie, this is 2010!

Stay tuned, I've got some ideas on what to buy for that technology lover in your life this upcoming holidays!

Hello Halloween - 7 Days Early

Absolutely love the crisp fall weekend mornings and this weekend was just perfect.  Halloween is one of those holidays I look forward to every year.  This is little D's first Halloween and I'm beyond excited.  We took him to a pumpkin patch and he got to wear his costume, goodness that little smile stole my heart.  Can't wait to hand out candy to the little trick-or-treaters next Sunday while holding little D. 

Back to Work...

At times I didn't think it was possible to survive a newborn's schedule but I did.  Still not out of the woods yet but little guy is already two months and sleeping more at night time which makes life more manageable.

As many moms do, I returned to work last week after spending eight weeks at home.  I have to admit, I was pretty anxious on that first day back to work.  Thankfully I managed and before I knew it, it was time to head home.  The adjustment has been a challenge and will continue to be, but for now it's good to earn a full paycheck and see the little man when I get home from work.

I'm Alive, I think?!

The last several weeks have been life changing.  My son arrived a week early (on the hottest day of the summer) and I haven't slept more than 3 hrs in a row since the night before he was born.  Wish I could have the great baby story with a baby that's already sleeping throughout the night but that's just not the way the cookie crumbles in my household. 

I had to use all my will power to not be bed-ridden after the c-section.  Breastfeeding has been extremely challenging and the baby is only sleeping a few hours at a time. 

Well, that's just the price one has to be willing to pay, most of the things I mentioned above come with the territory of babies and parenthood.

With all my "free time" in the middle of the night, I'm back to reading my favorite blogs.  If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to leave it on the comments section.

Toodles, world!

Yuppers, I'm Officially Crazy

One of my favorite quotes is "I need to know if I'm crazy? (The answer is: probably)".  I don't know who the author is or where I heard it but it fits my crazy life.

Adjusting to the new work environment has become extremely exhausting.  The 2-hour daily commute for the 34-mile round trip is exactly the opposite of what I had in mind when I took the job.  Also, it's beyond demoralizing when management is constantly berating you and your fellow teammates.  I can't understand how the entire team hasn't walked out on the nutcases in management during one of their crazy sessions.

Last week I decided I had one too many berating sessions so this weekend I updated my resume and started applying for jobs, never mind the fact I'm expecting a child and it could arrive at any minute.

Yes, looking for another job a few weeks before giving birth is pretty crazy.  Am I expecting to get another job before this child arrives?  Of course not, but I can't necessarily see myself happily returning to my current job after my leave ends.  Life is only going to get more hectic once this baby arrives and I can't imagine management changing their ways while I'm on leave.

So tell me, how does one juggle a job search with a new baby?

It's Fubtol Fever!

So the stanley cup finals and the NBA finals are done, whew!  Now, the world can let the 2010 FIFA world cup take center stage, have you been following?  Yes, No?

I'm a futbol fan, it's probably in my genes.  I'm constantly refreshing the FIFA website for the scores when the games are being played and I'm at work.  I even tried watching the games on ESPN when at home but I had to find the local spanish or portuguese tv stations. 

I just can't follow the announcers on ESPN, they're so boring and dry.  I can't deal with 90 minutes of gut-wrenching action and when someone scores a goal, all you get is "goalll' and then cut to commercials.  Really, is that all the futbol passions USA fans can muster?

Is it too much to ask that when a goal is scored, the announcer screams "GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL" at the top of his lungs for 5 minutes?  Show some emotion, show the replays and the players celebrating their accomplishment while the players from the opposing team wish they could get a redo?  No, not possible in the USA?

Tell me, why are USA fans so nonchalant towards futbol?  Outside the USA, futbol is one of the most famous sports.  C'mon USA fans, I encourage you to do better and display your pride.

When Your Input Isn't Meant to be Valued

A couple of months ago during a meeting in which we were discussing ideas, the entire group laughed at my idea.  Never mind the fact I'm still new to the company and no one told me ideas were not meant to be taken seriously, they were just meant to fullfill a goal on the yearly development plan.

I was embarrassed and hurt by my co-workers reaction at the time but just like big girls do, I decided such views were not worth entertaining.  After all, there are narrow-minded people all over the world and this company/group was no exception.

The other day while reading about some start-ups, I came across a Japanese company that is getting ready to prototype something very similar to my idea.  It made me happy. 

A few things I learned from this experience:  My ideas are not completely idiotic.  My current company does not value creativity, it values old recycled ways of thinking.

So what would you do in this case?  How do you start searching for a company that can foster your growth as an employee and not just a number in the payroll system?

Too Pretty to Work, Really?

This past weekend, a video in which the duchess of York was seen selling access to her ex-husband for a substantial amount of cash (to us mere mortals, that is) was all over the world news.

After such an embarrassing exposure, the duchess released a statement regretting her actions and also stated she was experiencing financial problems.  In the past she's stated her divorce settlement was meager as she only receives $21,500 per year.

In contrast, princess Diana received millions of dollars in her divorce settlement.

While I suppose it's hard to leave the royal lifestyle behind after a divorce, I'm also wondering if it's against British law to get a resume together and work at a job just like many of us do on a daily basis if one is pressed for cash.

I know plenty of single-divorced parents that receive a lot less than $21,500 per year as part of their divorce settlement/child support and manage to live within their means, of course most of those parents still have to go out and earn a living to support their families.

For any divorcees/single parents out there, do you think the duchess should stop playing celebrity and get a job like the rest of the mere mortal population or is she entitled to a lavish lifestyle because she was once married to royalty?

Hello Baby Online stuff!

After spending endless hours at Babiesrus both at the stores and online browsing through endless products and getting frustrated with the registry process, I decided I should use my IT skills and find a better way to figure out this baby stuff.  Don't get me wrong, Babiesrus is great if you have the time and patience to spend browsing through their gizillion products but it's just not practical for those of us who have a short window to fulfill our shopping/registry needs.

First website I decided to try is the baby registry at target.com and I'm glad to report the registry process was extremely smooth and adding/deleting items was a breeze.  I absolutely luvs the fact people can search through the registry by prices, one can see if the item is available online, at the store or both.

The other website I used is diapers.com.  The registry was a breeze.  Now, what I absolutely luvs is the essentials for baby section.  It gives you all the quick and yet essential information on each item within each category.  For example, if you're looking for baby-proofing, you click on the category and then you can click on items such as baby gates, cabinet and drawer locks, etc.  There are no lengthy and confusing product dissertations, just the essential information any busy person is looking for.  Their free shipping over an order of $49.99 is a plus and now that I know they're located in my town, I'll be using their services a lot more!

Does anyone have baby online store suggestions?

Technology Gone Backwards

Much like the majority of the population,  I've become increasingly dependent on technology.  I absolutely enjoy the connection to the world at the reach of my fingertips.  Unfortunately as of late, I've grown to dislike my personal phone.  If you're wondering what type of phone I'm referring to, it's the blackberry storm.  I was weary of the fact this was the first generation model of its kind so I waited for as long as my old phone lasted.  I'd explored other options and decided I wanted to stay with my provider and give the storm a try.  Huge mistake!

Within a year, the phone has already been replaced twice.  The operating system constantly crashes on its own.  Just a couple of weeks ago, some of my friends informed me they were running into issues with their blackberries and I thought, "uhm, it's only a matter of time before mine acts a fool."  Well, I was right.  One morning last week I looked at the phone and I saw an error message that read "JVM Error 529", arg!  I googled said error and apparently it's due to a corrupt system.  Somehow after I threatened the phone to toss it out onto the river, it re-started itself.  Too bad in the midst of having a corrupt system, I lost all my pictures which isn't the worst that could happen considering all the issues I've had with this model.  I'm counting down the days I'm able to upgrade to something better or switch carriers. 

I can't even watch those droid and iphone commercials that highlight all the cool things those phones are able to do with their apps.  I'm afraid to download apps to the storm as I already know it could trigger an OS crash.  Forget the fact my phone is unable to do cool things on a daily basis, when its OS crashes, I can't even make/receive calls (which is the main purpose of any phone).

Tell me, is it too much to want a phone that works as a phone and also has the ability to do a few cool things?  Isn't this the reason as to why we pay to upgrade our technology, so we have the ability to do better things than what we did with the older phones?