(At the dentist)
I received some bad news recently, but refused to let it ruin my day or worry me. I share the strategy I use to stay positive even when I receive bad news. Continue reading
How to Stay Positive, Even When You Receive Bad News
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Tag Archives: life
My Weekend in Photos: Labor Day in Las Vegas
Happy Labor Day everyone! Hope you had a good holiday & long weekend! My hubby & I make it out to Las Vegas a couple of times every year. It makes for an easy & fun weekend getaway. We don’t really gamble & I did the club thing when I was younger. We try new restaurants or the classics for dinner, do some shopping, he golfs, we walk around the casinos, go see a show, or he takes us on an aerial tour of the surrounding areas. I have a good friend, Rosy (and her husband) that lives out there and it is always nice to visit her while we are there! Thankfully, this time she was in town, we missed her the last two times we visited because she was also traveling.
My hubby had purchased a Planet Hollywood hotel package for Las Vegas at a silent auction at a charity fundraiser we attended last year. He realized recently that the package was about to expire, so we booked the reservation. It was kind of a last minute trip.
Our room had a Christopher Reeve theme with a few Superman & movie frames:
We arrived Sunday. To my pleasant surprise, the Miracle Mile Shops mall is located within the hotel! My sister had mentioned it, so I asked about it when we checked-in! In the afternoon, my hubby took a nap and I went shopping! With my schedule, I rarely have time to go to the mall. I buy a few things on-line, but prefer to try clothes & shoes on before purchasing them. There was a modern bar called Halo in the mall, so Vegas!
We met Rosy for an early dinner at Trevi’s Restaurant at the Ceasar’s. We’d been there before, it is a nice restaurant with cafe style seating next to the large Fountain of the Gods, and we know the food is good. For dessert, which we shared, my hubby ordered Spaghetti Ice, too cute, the spaghetti and meatballs are gelato, the sauce was strawberry syrup, and the shredded cheese was white chocolate! After dinner, we did a little more shopping at the Forum Shops at Caesar’s – they close at 11pm!!! Wow, only in Vegas! We’ve been to this shopping center many times before, it is beautiful – and I like the stores, it’s a must see when in Vegas, love it!!! It was nice to spend some time with Rosy and get a friend’s perspective when shopping!
Monday was Lake Mead day. Rosy and her husband have a boat, so they took us out for the day – it was beautiful and very relaxing! So relaxing that I took a nap in the middle of the afternoon on the boat! I’ll make a separate post of Lake Mead, I took lots of pics and it deserves its own post. Rosy has taken some photography classes and it is her hobby, so she gave me some tips! Even though I had packed a red summer dress for the day on the lake, I showed my hubby a little black & white dress I had purchased the night before at H&M (at the Miracle Mile Shops) and asked him which one I should wear – he chose the H&M dress. It was perfect for the day since it is very light & comfortable.
Tuesday was check-out day. I had set my alarm for early, to try to perhaps go for a walk in the other casinos or do some shopping, but my body was tired and we both decided to rest instead. We are not big fans of buffets, but the package included a buffet at the hotel’s Spice Market, so we ate lunch there. I had a little bit of sushi, a few bites of lasagna, some blue cheese, hummus, and dessert. I am a sucker for dessert, so I saved my calories for dessert! The array of desserts was beautiful! I had a few spoonfuls of ice-cream with strawberries, a little creme brulee, and the apple filled crepe, just tasting a bit of each was enough for me! Yummy! I was satisfied, but not stuffed, a concern of mine with buffets. 
Our flight home was in the early afternoon….and it always makes me chuckle to see all the slot machines at the airport! This airport is unique! Even though my hubby and I aren’t gamblers, he played for a little while at the slots machines on Saturday night. While I stopped to take the pictures at the airport, he sat a machine and played a few minutes, too funny!
Have you been to Las Vegas? Share your most memorable Vegas story….PG story that is, just kidding! Remember, as they say, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!
Hugs,
Paola
PS – Our visit to the Aulani Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii.
Spontaneous Summer Afternoon
I know farmer’s markets are very popular right now. For years my sister had been telling me about their outings on Tuesday’s to the Farmer’s Market at the Otay Ranch Center in Chula Vista. Even though I lived in Eastlake for years, just a few blocks from the Center, I had never been to the Farmer’s Market. My sis and I try to see each other often and speak on the phone almost daily. Yesterday, during our call, she invited me to the Farmer’s Market and I accepted. Her husband was going to meet us there. After work, I changed out of my suit and into casual clothes. We headed to the Center and had a nice, relaxing afternoon. I was amazed by the multiple options of food. My sis bought an ice-cream for the boys and that just painted the perfect picture of summer, children enjoying an ice-cream! We started to reminisce about our grandfather and how he would buy us ice-cream and the fond memories we have of him. There was also a jumper for kids and some booths with fruits and vegetables. The Center itself is beautiful and designed to be walkable! When my brother-in-law arrived, we had some dinner from the Farmer’s Market booths and sat in the open area by the food court. It was so relaxing and the weather had gotten to the perfect summer warmth! After dinner, we did a little shopping. Before I headed home, I stopped by The Cheesecake Factory at the Center to get a cheesecake for my hubby.
If you are like me, your weeknights are usually a bit structured and you follow a routine during the work week, but it is nice to every once in a while break the routine and enjoy an outing, making for a spontaneous summer afternoon of fun!
Have you been to a Farmer’s Market?
Hugs,
Paola
Sisters
Do you have a sister? I do, her name is Monique, and she is a blessing in my life! Today is her birthday and I visited her to give her a hug, gifts, and celebrate her day! Our friends know that we are very close, and many have said they admire the friendship and special relationship we have. A relationship with a sister is a unique one. My sister is not only family, she is my closest friend, confidant, and supporter. She is one of the most important people in my life and that I love the most. I can confide in her about my most personal things, I know she will not judge me, and that our bond is very special and strong. She can understand and relate to what I go through, regardless of the situation. That is a nice feeling.
I am thankful to God for blessing me with such a wonderful sis! We see each other often and chat on the phone almost daily. Every time I see her, I automatically smile! If I don’t see her for a week I already miss her and my nephews! On special days, like today, I stop and reflect on how nice it is to have a sister like mine, of how fortunate I am.
My sis is only three years younger than me, so we have been part of each other’s lives since she was born – well, our entire lives! We shared a room growing up and continued as roommates when we moved back to San Diego in our early twenties – I was starting my career, she was studying at SDSU. She was my roommate until she got married. I remember that on her wedding day she got ready at our home (vs. our parents home). I got ready at her home for my wedding.I was her maid of honor, she was mine. I was in the delivery room with her when she gave birth to her beautiful two boys. I have been in the emergency room with her and she has brought me chicken soup when I have gotten sick. We have cheered each other on, celebrated our successes, and been each other’s shoulder to cry on or lent an ear when the other simply needed to vent. We have partied together and grown together, supporting each other every step of the way, through each stage of our lives. We can laugh, cry, and be silly together! Regardless of what life throws our way we say, at least we have each other and we are oh so thankful for that!
So, today on her birthday, I wish her the best – health, happiness, and pray for many more years of nice memories as sisters! Happy Birthday sis – te quiero mucho hermanita!
Do you have special memories with your sister or a close friend you consider a sister? Share them here.
Hugs….to you and all the sisters out there,
Paola
Time to Relax
I love a weekend when I am not working or away from home. Don’t take me wrong, I enjoy my career & we like traveling, but those weekends when we are home are relaxing! I try to sleep in, make breakfast for my husband, get stuff done around the house, read a book….and of course enjoy my cup of coffee in the morning!
It is just nice to “be”, without a set schedule, no make-up required, and enjoy our home. With our busy careers, our schedules can lead to long work days, so on weekday mornings I usually give my husband some toast or cereal with orange juice. Luckily, he isn’t much of a breakfast person on weekdays (phew!). Dinners are also kept pretty simple on weeknights (I really don’t eat dinner, so I make it for my hubby and I just nibble on something pretty small). On weekends, I like to make him a hearty breakfast and a nice lunch or dinner. We try to sit in the kitchen nook and enjoy the view, as well as each others company. Hope you are all having a great Sunday! I am having what I call a lazy Sunday, that is just because I am not working.
What is your favorite part of the weekend? Do you have lazy Sundays?
Hugs,
Paola