My prizes from NYC Girl at Heart & Kodak arrived today! Yay!

Basil my old guy was my first subject after I figured out how to set the Macro setting and how to focus the camera before taking a shot!


The digital picture frame is pretty neat. You can even select to view photos from your friends Facebook albums or your own! It has wi-fi but you can also upload photos from your computer to the frame through the Kodak Pulse website. The first picture I added was my Manila Bay sunset photo!


Thank you so much Patty & Kodak! I love it! I can't wait to head to the park later this week and get some pretty fall shots with my new camera!

I can't believe it's already November. I'm excited for Thanksgiving this year! Why? Well, I've spent the last 2 years in the Philippines during Thanksgiving. While it was wonderful being with my husband, I have also missed being at home for Thanksgiving with my family.

F.B. and I always set that day aside to go out and have dinner, since Thanksgiving is an American holiday and not celebrated in the Philippines. We would pick up Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider, which we always have at every holiday meal with my family (Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years). I was so happy they sell it in the Philippines!

Thanksgiving 2008 in the Philippines


Thanksgiving 2009 in the Philippines

Hopefully next year F.B. will be here in the USA to celebrate his first Thanksgiving. I'm excited to share that with him and have him some taste pumpkin pie, hehehe!

You either believe in ghosts or you don't. If you don't, they still make a nice story around Halloween. Being a Christian, I do believe in spirits, angels, etc. I do believe spirits come back at times. I do believe spirits sometimes have unfinished business.

One time in the Philippines, I told F.B. I would tell him ONE ghost story. I ended up keeping him awake until 6am talking, haha!

I've lived in 2 "haunted" houses in Philadelphia that stick out in my mind. The one home we lived in for 11 years. It was a 3 story row home with 5 bedrooms. All the other row homes were 2 stories on our block. This house was built in the early 1900's. It still had the original gas lights on walls in the house though they no longer worked.

The very first night we moved in (I was only 10-11 years old.) I heard someone walking down the long dark hallway. I got up and went to my doorway to say goodnight to what I thought was one of my parents. No one was there... I think I ended up reading the rest of the night with my night light on!

That would happen a lot after that. You would hear someone coming down the hallway but no one ever appeared.

We would always hear someone running up and down the 3rd story stairs at night time- continually on occasions. The 3rd story had it's own separate corridor from the rest of the house. There were two bedrooms up there that were supposed to eventually become mine and my brothers but no one really wanted to sleep up there. You would just get this strange "feeling" when you went up there.

Sometimes you would hear organ music coming from the 3rd floor. All of the other houses were 2 stories so it wasn't coming from our neighbor- who you could hear talking sometimes down on the lower floors.

There had been a fire in the kitchen years before we moved into the house. The one day my mom was down in the basement doing laundry and there was smoke coming from the kitchen. This awful burning sulfur rubber smell. I ran into the kitchen to see if the oven was on and it wasn't. Called my mom upstairs. By that time the smoke had disappeared.

We had wall to wall carpeting in the house. The one day we were all down the basement, my mom and brothers. We heard loud heavy boots clomping on a wooden floor upstairs. My mom ran upstairs because the neighborhood we were in wasn't the best and she thought someone had entered the house. She checked everywhere but couldn't find anyone. It was after wards we thought- how could boots make a clomping sound on carpeting?

This happened to my mom one time she was alone in the house with my baby brother. The same thing- she heard footsteps and thought someone had broken into the house. But she couldn't find anyone. She ended up calling my dad.

My mom has said there would be times she would feel some one tap her and think it was one of us kids. She would turn around, but no one would be there. 

Doors would occasionally blow open in that house. It was really annoying. Even if you locked them. 

Sometimes at night I would feel someone sit down on the end of my bed. It would freak me out.

When our younger brothers were born (a year apart.) My younger brother and I shared a room for awhile. We had bunk beds and would sleep with our bedroom door open. The one night my little brother came into the room- (I saw his shadow in the door way.) He sat down onto the bed on the bottom bunk. I started to talk to him and he didn't answer me. I said his name louder. Then he started calling from the bathroom next to our room- he had been in there the whole time.

There would be times when I would be sleeping in and feel someone sitting or laying down onto the bottom bunk when my brother wasn't there. Eventually I just got used to feeling the bed move or squeak.

About 6 years ago we moved to Northeast Philadelphia. To a two story twin home. You would occasionally hear someone walking in the hallway at night there too. We had wooden floors there. I hated going into the basement because I felt like someone was watching me down there. (Part of the basement had been finished with a kitchen, etc.) You got this weird "feeling" down in the basement. I kept mentioning it to my mom, who eventually said, "We didn't want to tell you after the last house- the old lady who lived here before, died down there."

There were strange things in the garage there. Strange fluids in jars that the old owners had to remove before we moved in. There were tons of anatomy books and embalming books in the attic. Most were moldy and destroyed. They were from the 1900's. The one I kept (and still have) that wasn't too damaged was from 1905. After we found the books we wondered if the fluids in the jars had been formaldehyde or something. We think one of the past owners worked for a funeral home... perhaps...

freedigitalphotos.net

So I'm starting a new meme!

Rules: Choose 5 of your favorite blogs and share what you think you have in common or how/why you connect with that blog/blogger. (Similar interests, hobbies, etc.)

1. Keeping up with Me

Jacki is Filipina, I am American. She was married in the USA and I was married in the Philippines. She and her husband worked through immigration and F.B. and I are currently working on immigration. That definitely set the foundation for our friendship. I love reading about Jacki's experiences now living in the USA and how my husband will experience the same some day soon.

2. NYC Girl at Heart

Patty and I both share a love and passion for our cities. For her, New York and for me, Philadelphia. We love our cities, we love sharing about them! We are both East Coast girls! We also love Philippa Gregory's books. And our pets are our babies. (Her dog Max & my rats!)

3. Misguided Mommy

Shannon's husband is Filipino, which is something we have in common. We've always been able to laugh or joke about the little odd quirks or terms our husband's have or use. Like how my husband calls sneakers, "Rubber Shoes", or how her husband puts ketchup on everything & calls flip flips, "slippers". She also loves cooking, which is something I love to do too.

4. Chronicles of an Exhausted Mom

Stephanie and I connected over Tudor history at first. We both love reading about the Tudor's and are fascinated by that era. She also has gone through the immigration experience with her husband as well.

5. Berto and Kwala

I really enjoy Karen's blog posts about the Philippines. And the fact she lives pretty close to where my husband lives is something we have in common. I've driven through her city many many times, even though we've never met yet! She's posted about places I have been before, malls F.B. & I have been too. I like that we share that in common. She also loves to write, which is something I love doing too!


There are many other reasons why I love these blogs as well. The blogging world is a great place as it opens your eyes to other's experiences through life, other places, other cultures. As you follow along, you become connected to that blogger, laugh when they do, cry when they cry, share in their happiness and joy and make some new friends along the way.

I made my very first smoothie today! I've always wanted to try making them at home. But I was always too lazy, lol! I've been looking at different recipes the past few weeks online so I decided I was finally going to try making a smoothie.

I got a bunch of frozen berries from Aldi. (I love Aldi they are so cheap!) Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Mixed Berries. Also shopped at Walmart for my other ingredients.

(Ignore the rat book & Philippine postcards, hehe.)

Here is what I put in my very first smoothie:

1/2 cup of water.
1/2 cup of Almond Milk. (You could use non fat milk too.)
4 ice cubes.
1 tablespoon of Vanilla Yogurt.
1 tablespoon of Kretschmer's Wheat Germ
1 half of a medium sized Banana.
3 large frozen Strawberries.
Handful of frozen Blueberries.
Handful of fresh Spinach leaves. (Or frozen.)
2-3 packets of sweetener (to your taste).

(You can add or decrease any of these ingredients to your liking.)

Blend everything together in a blender until smooth. I used the frappe setting on our old blender. It turned out AMAZING! You CANNOT taste the spinach at all, so don't be freaked out. I made my brother try it and at first he looked at it and made a face, but when he tasted it he wanted a glass for himself. All you could taste was the banana and the sweetness of the berries. The smoothie turned out blue in color because of the blueberries. The recipe makes a very large glass. It definitely fills you up.

I'm so glad I tried this! I'm gonna be on a smoothie kick for awhile. With not working and not getting out as much I'm going to substitute it for one of my meals (probably lunch). Excited to just try making a plain raspberry or strawberry smoothie also with the same ingredients. This way you get your fruits and veggies, protein, fiber, vitamins, etc. 

Here is a website with other fruit smoothie recipes:

Healthy Fruit & Green Smoothie Recipes!

Here is a great blog with smoothie recipes too:

Coffee & Sunshine

I am so excited! (I know 2 blog posts in one day!) I entered the NYC Girl at Heart & Kodak blog contest 2 weeks ago. You could earn extra entries by doing extra stuff. One was tweeting about the contest every day on Twitter. I never had a Twitter before the contest. But I really wanted to win, lol! So I ended up joining Twitter. (And I'm glad I did, because I really enjoy using it and I like how I can link my tweets to my Facebook).

I've entered many many blog contests and I've won a few small ones but never a major prize giveaway! I was so excited and almost had a heart attack when I read Patty's blog this morning! 


I've won a Kodak Easyshare M580 Digital Camera and a Kodak Pulse Digital Picture Frame!


I'll definitely write a blog when my prizes arrive to thank Patty & Kodak! I'm excited because my Sony digital camera is quite beat up so I really needed a new one! I can't wait to use it! Thank you again Patty and Kodak!

Edited to add: This was picture I picked for my initial entry in the contest. Manila Bay Sunset. I took the picture at Mall of Asia during my late 2008 trip to the Philippines.

My sister in law was married a month ago on 9/25/10. Her wedding was featured online at Bridal Book Philippines:


In immigration news, F.B. mailed off all the documents to our immigration lawyer the other day. He should receive them by this Tuesday.

I've been stressed out over dealing with unemployment. I had to reopen my claim from last year. It expires on October 30th. I'm only going to get 2 payments out of the rest of this claim. I filed for my first checks last Sunday. Friday the money had still not been deposited so I had to call them. (They don't answer calls anymore- you have to schedule a call back.) When they got back to me they said there had been some sort of "stop" on my account. The lady had to update stuff on the computer so my payments would go through. They really make you work for your money.

November 1st, I will have to file a new claim and it's always a hassle as well because they deny me at first. Our payroll department is never timely and usually half my wages are missing so unemployment never has a record that I worked during the year. I always have to mail all my pay stub copies to them, meanwhile 3-4 weeks go by with no money until they straighten it out. They do give you back payments. But it's a hassle every year. (The woes of a seasonal employee, lol.) I should be called back to work the beginning of January if not sooner.

My cousin Jessica has started a blog! Yay! So excited! You can check out her blog at: I Believe in Pink. Stop by and welcome her to the blogging world! She is just getting started. She has a beautiful baby girl named Kayleigh who just turned one month old on October 3rd.

Jessica & Kayleigh (Photo credit: Christina)

F.B. and I have planned to live at home with my parents for about a year once immigration is finished. Hopefully this will give F.B. time to get his drivers license and find a job. He might not have the office dream job he wants right away but as long as it's an extra income to help me out that's just fine!

I'm not really into the apartment idea so much. Mainly because my pets are so much a part of my life. I think I would have difficulty warming up most land lord's to pet rats! So many apartments are not pet friendly in this area.

Buying a house is not something I see ourselves doing for a long long time. Houses cost around $175,000-300,000+ around here. I'm seasonal in my government job and am guaranteed to only work about 9 months out of the year. My yearly income is only around $24,000. (If I worked year round, $33,000.) We need two incomes to have our own place. And renting a home is almost like having an apartment. It's not really yours.

One of my co-workers lives in a mobile home and back when she got it it was only around $30,000. One of my aunts in California used to have a huge mobile home with several bedrooms, two bathrooms. It was so nice. It looked just like a ranch home.

I've been looking at mobile homes online and they range from $40,000 up to $100,000 in this area. The ones within $50,000-80,000 have 2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms. Some of them even have porches. They are in all age communities, some on private property. Have central air and heating. They are SO NICE! They look like ranch homes. I think this would be ideal for us. A mortgage or loan on a mobile home would be within our budget range. And it would also be our own home. It's definitely something I am serious about doing.

This is the website I've been checking out mobile homes on.

Example of some of the mobile homes I've looked at online:

3 years ago I decided to get pet rats. I had had a pet Ferret for 4 years but she passed away from adrenal cancer.

After our Ferret passed away, I wanted another small animal pet. I had always loved mice and rats, even as a kid, but I never owned any as pets. Our Ferret was litter trained and after reading about rats online, I found out they too could be litter trained which was interesting to me. I didn't know too much about pet rats at all 3 years ago!

October, 23rd 2007 I purchased my first two pet rats. Sugar and Spice. Sugar was a PEW, Spice was a Himalayan. Sugar was shy & sweet. Spice was outgoing and spunky.


Care:

3 years later I've owned 20 rats. 8 have gone to the Rainbow Bridge. 3 are rescue rats, 17 have been from various pet stores in my area. (As of 2017 I've owned over 50+ rats.)

The number one con about owning rats is their short lifespan. Rats only live approximately 2-3 years. The other big con is females are very prone to developing mammary tumors. (Typically they develop around or after 1 year.) I've had 5 females that developed mammary tumors and 3 of my girls had to be put to sleep because of them. They are usually benign but tend to impact quality of life as they grow. Not all females get tumors, but they are very common.

This is the downfall of owning pet rats. Pet rats are so susceptible to tumors, cancer, abscesses, respiratory infections, etc. (Rat Health Guide). But when you're a rat owner, you take the good with the bad. They have so much personality, are so smart and have so much love and affection to give, that it makes up for the short time they are with us... any rat owner will tell you that. It's also the reason most rat owners have more than 1 rat. They definitely get into your heart even though they aren't with us for very long.

And just because they are so small doesn't mean they are cheaper when it comes to the veterinarian. I've had tumors removed, had a rat spayed and neutered. Each costing in the triple digits. So anyone that says a rat is a cheap "pocket pet"; they are quite mistaken. Owning a pet rat is definitely a commitment, like any other pet. Cat or Dog, etc.

Females are more active and outgoing, hyper even! Male rats are more laid back, lazy and tend to like being cuddled or pet. Female rats are about half the size of a full grown male rat. Male rats do have a musky odor that can be controlled with bathing or by neutering. (Males or Females?) Hairless males do not have any odor.

They are very clean animals. If you've ever seen a cat bathe him/herself, a rat bathes itself about 10x's more a day than a cat! They don't generally need to be bathed but light colored rats can get red streaking around their neck or on their body from grooming or other rats grooming them. This is because their saliva, tears, (even snot!) have a red pigment called porphyrin. and after awhile even if you do keep your cage very clean you might want to give your rat a bath occasionally if they smell a bit. (I usually bathe mine with baby shampoo every 2-3 weeks or so in the sink.)

There are so many different colors and varieties of rats it would take forever to describe them all. (AFRMA Rat Varieties.)

Why multiples? 

Rats are very social animals. They do best in pairs or groups. Especially if you're out at school or working for a certain number of hours each day. Having a pair of rats is ideal, because they keep each other company when you can't be around.

And once you've owned 1 or 2 rats, rat lovers are very susceptible to GGMR (Gotta get more rats!) Rats are nocturnal but they easily adjust to your schedule. Occasionally at night time, I might hear a few squabbles or some chewing, but for the most part they are pretty quiet at night time.

Rats aren't just social with other rats. They are extremely social and curious about their human owners! In the morning when I wake up, or when I come home from work, there will be a dozen little faces peering out the cage at me, waiting for attention.

Having been a rat owner for 3 years now, in my opinion; rats are the most well rounded pet. They are as affectionate and loyal and sociable as any cat or dog. And smart! Rats are one of the most intelligent of the rodent species. You can teach a rat to respond to its name, just like any dog. It always gives me a smile when one of my rats is at the other end of the sofa or bed and I call their name and they come running over to me. It's just amazing what they are capable of! You can even teach them tricks! They are extremely versatile and adaptable to any situation.

Oh boy and the agility of a rat! A rat can jump vertically almost 1-2 feet and horizontally up to 3 feet! They are great climbers too. Rats do not have paws. They actually have individual fingers. (4 fingers and a nub thumb on their hands. 5 toes on their back feet.) And they love to climb! They will scale the inside of their cage and sometimes even hang from the ceiling in the cage. I call them "little monkey's." They actually use their tail when it comes to climbing. Their tail also helps them to balance. When you're holding a rat, it will probably try to wrap its tail around your arm to steady itself. (That Wonderful Rat Tail). A few of my rats that love to explore have even climbed to the top of my 5 story bookshelf!

Nutrition:

Rats are similar to dogs in another way. You can actually feed them certain types of dog food. You want the protein to be between 15-20% and the fat to be between 5-7%. Lower is better. (Article on Rat Nutrition). Rat's are similar to humans in that they also have a sense of taste. They can taste salty, sweet, sour and bitter.

Of course they need a well rounded diet. A staple diet of either dog food or rat lab blocks. I use Nutro Natural Lite  or Harlan Teklad 2014 lab blocks for their staple diet. (I don't use Nutro anymore- they changed the protein content) I am currently using Native Earth 4018 Lab Blocks (not available any more since petfooddirect was taken over by chewy.com in 2016) I currently feed my rats: Oxbow Regal Rat as of 2017.

Added to that every few days are fresh (or frozen) veggies and fruit and sometimes even baby food or baby rice cereal. Some people make their own well rounded mix. (I used to use a mix similar to Suebee's more for treat purposes that I fed once a week.)


Rat's can pretty much eat anything humans can, though it's not always good for them. It's always best to check the Forbidden Food List before feeding any new food to your rats.

Rat's love treats. A few treats I keep on hand for my rats are: Banana Chips, Yogurt Raisins or Peanuts. Gerber Graduate Puff's, Milk Bone Dog Biscuits, Spiral Wheat or Tri Color Pasta, Yogies.

They also love to chew! Anything and everything if you don't keep it out of their way! I always say, "Pet rats will teach you not to be materialistic!". And it's the truth! They will chew on ANYTHING! I've had many a phone charger, laptop wire, headphones, lamp wire, book bindings, etc; chewed by one of my pet rats. (Thank God for Ebay!) If you're not comfortable with something being chewed- it's best to place it out their reach! I actually get most of my sheets, pillow cases, comforters from a 2nd hand store. If you let the rats hang out with you on your bed, they will indeed chew a hole in your blanket!

Playtime:

Speaking of hanging out on the bed or sofa. Once your rat gets used to being handled by you and trusts you. You can pretty much let them hang out with you around the house where ever you are. I'm usually walking around my house with at least 1 rat on my shoulder! When I watch TV, there's usually a few hanging out with me, same goes for when I'm on the laptop or reading in bed. And surprisingly once your rat is litter trained you shouldn't have many accidents at all! Even better if you provide a place for them to relieve themselves when you have them outside the cage. I usually have a plastic carrier open on the sofa, etc for them to retreat too. I've had a few brats though that won't stay with you and just want to get down on the floor and explore! We used to have a ferret Super Pet Ball for my rat Nutmeg who loved to roam around the house!

For their chewing habits you can provide wooden chew toys from the pet store, give them tissue boxes to hang in or chew, empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls, rawhide chew sticks for dogs, I also give mine Super Pet Chilly Chews or 8 in 1 Cheese Chews. And you can give them cooked and cleaned chicken bone legs to gnaw on also. (Rat Toy Ideas).

You can take your rats outside with you if you're brave enough! If I do take my rats outside I never put them on the ground unattended. If I walk around I might have 1-2 on my shoulder. If I go to the park I use a Plastic Carrier or my Marshall carry sack. (Leashes made for small animals aren't ideal, rats can wiggle right out of them!) I love taking animal and nature photographs so I've taken quite a few of my rats to the park with me to get pictures. If a rat is well handled and trusts it's owner it will not run off. My rats usually stick quite close to me. Being outside usually intimidates them. (I only take 1 rat out at a time, when outside. The others stay in a carrier.)

Cage Care:

Wire cages are generally better than aquariums for pet rats. Wire cages allow air flow, while aquariums restrict ventilation. (Which can lead to heatstroke or even respiratory infections.) The only problem with wire cages, is the flooring. If the cage has a wire floor you will need to cover it with fabric, metal pan, etc. (Wire floors can cause bumble foot infection if not covered.) Rats can also get a foot caught or tangled on a wire floor which can lead to sprains or broken bones.


I own a Ferret Nation 142. The cage comes with two big plastic pans that cover the wire floor in the cage and can be taken out and cleaned when necessary. You also need at least 2 cubic feet per rat. (Cage Calculator). Bar spacing is also important. 1/2" bar spacing is ideal but most cages usually have 1" inch bar spacing.

My Ferret Nation cage has 1" inch vertical bar spacing and for the bigger rat's it's not a problem. But for smaller younger rats, I've had two escapees! The solution to this problem was to cover the outside of the cage with hardware cloth and zip ties! (Choosing the right cage article).

For the inside the cage, I myself use fleece or baby blankets from the Dollar Store to line the cage floors with. This is cheaper and cleaner than using Yesterday's News, Aspen or Care Fresh. (Care Fresh can sometimes contain mites- one way to prevent this is to freeze it before using.) Using fleece or fabric is a greener way of taking care of your rat's cage. It's also cheaper because you're not constantly throwing away used cage lining. I usually do one load of laundry a week (unscented detergent) just for the rat's stuff. I only get rid of the fleece or baby blankets when there's so many holes chewed in them it doesn't look like fabric anymore! (Do not use pine or cedar shavings. They are toxic to rats.)

Using fleece or fabric is also more cozy to your pet rat. They love to burrow deep down in the blankets or fleece when sleeping. I also put plastic igloos and plastic houses in their cages for them to sleep or hide in. (You will usually find all of your rats piled on top of each other sleeping!)

I usually do a full cage cleaning once a week with hot water and a little bleach. I empty their litter pans every few days. (I don't use litter or anything in the litter pans.) I will also change some of their sleeping fabric or blankets in the cage during the week if they begin to smell. (Rat urine doesn't have an odor in small quantities).

Overall:

If you've never owned a pet rat before you would be surprised how each one has a completely different personality. Some are shy, some are outgoing, some love to be cuddled, some don't like to be held, some over eat, some are lazy, some are playful. They are just like people with their own individual personality.

And yes some rats love to be pet just like a cat or dog! When they are happy (or nervous). They will make a teeth grinding noise and boggle their eyes. This is like purring for rats! They also love to be scratched behind their ears or nose. They are extremely social, curious affectionate creatures. Once you have owned one rat, it will probably not be your last! If you decide to get more rats, here is a good article on introducing new rats to your current rats!

You can also find me on Star's Rat Rescue Forum. I am a moderator there under the username: christianchickslc. Come over and share with us about your pet rats, or just pop in to learn about them!

I am T-shirt, Hoodie, Jeans and Converse kind of girl. So for winter clothing I was happy when Old Navy was having $16 deals during their 16th Anniversary!

I was able to get a really nice quilted jacket for $16 that retailed for $49! (They are now $25.)

Women's Frost Free Jackets


















I also got a fuchsia velour hoodie. I got 3 of these a few years back in black, grey and brown and I really love them. They are so soft! And you can't beat $16!

Women's Velour Zip Hoodies


















Third was this fleece teal argyle hoodie. I really love it! This is also still $16!

Women's Fleece Zip Hoodies


















I'm not sure how long Old Navy's sale will last, but there are a ton of items to choose from that are all only $16! If I had more money I would have gotten some other stuff!

Unrelated from Old Navy. I also was able to get the best cami's ever for $4.99 each (Originally 12.99) from Kohl's. I wear these under all my t-shirts and even hoodies. It has a built in bra which gives great support. It's always hard to find the white one in stock because so many people buy it. I also got a purple one and I own black ones. Great Cami! Love it!

SO Satin-Trim Camisole

I went to Pennypack Park yesterday in Northeast Philadelphia. Sadly none of the trees have really changed color so I didn't get any really beautiful fall pictures. I took Jasmine, Poppy and Clover with me. Jasmine was a little brat and didn't want to sit still for pictures so I didn't get very many of her.

Poppy:


Clover:



Jasmine:


Flowers:



My mini pumpkins from the grocery:




I also made homemade banana bread yesterday using this recipe. It turned out really good! (I added a dash of cinnamon to the recipe.)

And I am now on Twitter! You can follow me at: tunaynamahal82.