My Week in Photos – Last Days of the Year

Posted on January 2, 2014 by phjiao

Hi friends, hope you are having a nice holiday season! I worked through the Christmas holiday, but did take Christmas day off and we went out of town to spend Christmas Eve and day with family! I was back to work December 26. We hadn’t been to San Francisco for a few months, so I took a few days off during the last week of December to go to San Fran with my hubby. We were back in town for New Year’s Eve, to welcome the new year with family!

The weeks before Christmas were packed with work, hosting interviews, writing scripts, production, planning for 2014, a phone bank for the Month of a Million meals campaign, completing goals…oh and a visit from a very famous Mouse & his friend Donald Duck….and this was just at work. In my personal life, it was the normal holiday busyness, shopping for gifts, preparing for Christmas, and the pleasant side – spending time with family and friends! It was a packed few weeks, but tons of fun!!! How did you prepare for the holidays?

Hugs,

Paola

One of the favorite (& most fun) parts of my job is hosting interviews – particularly when my friends from Disneyland come to the stations! They were doing a media tour regarding the Holidays at Disneyland Resort. This was the Hispanic marketing team – I hosted & produced the interview for Azteca. This year Mariachi Divas joined the holiday team, it was a special treat to meet these Grammy Award winning musicians! Donald Duck danced to the holiday music performed by Mariachi Divas! So cute, an unforgettable moment 🙂

I purchased a “veladora,” votive candle, for the Virgin Mary’s Saint Day (Santo). I’ve been pretty good about turning it on to pray every day (when at home), even if just for a few minutes, and being thankful for all my blessings!

We shot the mid-campiagn interview for the Month of A Million Meals campaign.

Later in the week, Mickey Mouse stopped by the station with the Disneyland Resort general market team. I hosted and produced an interview for ABC10 regarding the Holidays at the Disneyland Resort. Even though I have been producing and hosting these interviews for years now, I always feel giddy when I see Mickey Mouse! How lucky am I to get to interview Mickey Mouse at work?

My hubby and I went to Newport Beach and stayed at the Fairmont Hotel for a little weekend getaway. They had beautiful Christmas decorations and this amazing gingerbread house! It was nice to get away during the hectic-ness of the holidays and have a relaxing breakfast….and sip my coffee calmly.

While in Newport Beach we had dinner at an Italian restaurant. I enjoyed the best seafood risotto ever! It was so good that I brought the leftovers home and had it for lunch the next day, ha!

We did some Christmas shopping at Fashion Island (in Newport Beach). There was an amazing Christmas tree (super tall, compare it to the palm trees in this pic) & beautiful holiday decorations.

It was my niece’s birthday and we went to her party at Lazer Journey! Love this little girl! It’s a pleasure and honor to be her aunt, and see her grow up!

The Donation Day Phone Bank we organized for Month of a Million Meals on ABC10 & Azteca San Diego was successful! Chopper the Biker Dog joined us for part of the Phone Bank, such a cute doggie!

I watched my nephews on a Saturday and we decorated a gingerbread house – it has become a holiday tradition! It was fun to spend the day with them!

My hubby started the fireplace on one of the weekends and I enjoyed it while sipping my morning coffee!

The weekend before Christmas, I spent a few hours wrapping the final batch of gifts.

We shot the last interview for the Month of a Million Meals campaign – a last push to ask for donations, we were close to reaching the goal and still had a week to continue fundraising!

The day before Christmas Eve, we shot a series of promo commercials with my nieces at my home. The promos are for the Community Calendar segments I host on Azteca San Diego 15. My nieces appeared in them, so we scheduled the shoot at a time when they were on break from school. Thanks to the wonderful team of producers and videographers I work with the spots look excellent! It was a fun shoot – I’m so proud of my nieces, such talented young girls!

Took a few days off from work before New Year’s Eve to go to San Francisco with my hubby.

Went to South Coast Plaza in Orange County for some after Christmas “sales” shopping. This is one of my favorite shopping centers. The holiday decorations were beautiful.

Welcomed the New Year in San Diego with my hubby and family! We went to dinner at my brother & sister-in-law’s home, it was delicious & fun! We all stayed up past midnight (nieces included) and welcomed 2014 with joyous celebration!

My Week In Photos – November

Posted on December 15, 2013 by phjiao

November was a very busy month! I am usually quite busy, but during November we launched a new holiday initiative called Month of a Million Meals at the television stations where I work. I am managing the initiative, it is a large undertaking, starting the campaign from scratch and working with Feeding America San Diego to raise one million meals for local families in need. It has been a true pleasure to work with the Feeding America San Diego staff and to be part of such a good cause! This campaign was huge because it involved multiple facets, promotion on various platforms, a Holiday Celebration Event at Westfield Plaza Bonita and working with multiple departments within the stations, in addition to the external partners and cross-promotion with other media. We started from scratch, from developing the plan, the promotion, the logo, landing pages, promo spots and scripts, to working with the station anchors and reporters (as well as a national TV host & the Azteca America Network reps), and of course, translating everything to Spanish for the Azteca station….and much more! I am glad to say the campaign has been successful! We rolled out the campaign a few days early and even though it has been many, many hours of working late, it has been worth it because we will help so many families! We still have a few more weeks to go, the phone bank this coming week and some more production and web postings, but we are doing well! In addition to the campaign, I had my regular projects and television hosting responsibilities to complete, and planning for 2014, so there was lots going on during November! Anyway, this is the reason, I have not been as active on my blog as usual, but I seem to be getting back to my normal work schedule, so I plan to post on a regular basis again! Thank you for your patience & support!

Instead of doing a “Week in Photos” post, this is “the last weeks of November.” Have you worked on any large projects that have consumed your time and required you to work longer hours?

Hugs,

Paola

The picture posted above is from the first Month of a Million Meals interview I hosted on Azteca San Diego (I also produce these interviews – for both ABC10 & Azteca San Diego). In total, we produced eight interviews for the campaign over a six week period….compared to the two interviews we usually do for station sponsored events – you can see why this is such a large campaign!

Due to my schedule, I haven’t been able to attend too many events these past few weeks, but did make it to Mana de San Diego’s Brindis Gala. The theme was Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and it was a fun event!

Special thanks to my hubby….he’s been very understanding of my hectic schedule, he’s been so supportive, he’s even been getting take-out for us to have for dinner on nights that I’ve had to work late! On this night, he got it at Boston Market…I had the mashed potatoes & corn for dinner, and the chicken for lunch the next day (this is a large piece of chicken).

And he even gets dessert! This was his, but I had two spoonfuls of it, delicious! He knows I try to eat healthy, so I usually only have a bite of his dessert.

In between the other shoots for commercials and community interviews, I also had the pleasure of hosting an interview with Rafael Sigler from Freeway Insurance. He’s a pro & it’s always a pleasure to work with him!

The time changed and it was usually dark by the time I left the office…I did catch this sunset one evening.

Another night, my hubby took me to dinner to Five Guys Burgers & Fries, I didn’t eat a burger, but did enjoy their fries, just the right crunchiness, super tasty! I will definitely be back!

I put out a few Thanksgiving decorations and enjoyed relaxing with a cappuccino at home on one of the weekends!

I had the opportunity to appear with 10News’ Bill Griffith in promotional spots for ABC10 & Azteca San Diego 15 for Month of a Million Meals’ Donation Day at Westfield Plaza Bonita’s Holiday Celebration.

My hubby & I had a trip to Hawaii planned, so in between it all, I took a few days to get away with him. I was replying to e-mail and taking calls – while sitting by the pool or on the beach, so I was able to enjoy the trip!

My Weekend in Photos: Labor Day in Las Vegas

Posted on September 4, 2013 by phjiao

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.

Weekend Trip to San Francisco

Posted on August 14, 2013 by phjiao

This past weekend we visited San Francisco (SF). We have our second home there and it has become my second favorite city! My hubby was born in SF, so this is his hometown. This time we hadn’t been there since June due to our busy schedules. Since we are up there often, we don’t do the typical touristy things, but we do like to get out and explore the city. We enjoy visiting the restaurants, the shops, and just driving through the city, by the bay, seeing the architecture, homes, and people watching is always interesting in SF! We have friends up there, so we usually do something with another couple while we are there. I usually do not take pictures while we are in SF, unless it is something special, but this time I decided to take some so I could share the experience with you, hope you enjoy it!

Friday, we ended up getting in late because our flight was delayed, which is very common for SF. On Saturday, we relaxed in the morning, which I really like to do in SF – I am able to disconnect because when I am home there is always something that needs to be done. In SF, I sit in the living room and enjoy the view of the bay, while I have breakfast or read a book. I was able to write a blog post, then we got ready and hit the city.

A location we must visit every time we go to San Francisco is my hubby’s favorite German restaurant, Suppenkuche. He gets his German fix! I usually order a soup or salad – and love their bread. My hubby rarely drinks, but at this restaurant he usually orders a beer with his dinner. It is a small place and gets very crowded and loud, so we learned the trick is to get there as soon as it opens. We arrived five minutes before the door opened and there were already people in line waiting for the restaurant to open! That says lots about a place! It is a casual restaurant and they sit you at tables with other people. After dinner, we like to walk around the area on Hayes Street, do some window shopping and stop by a few key stores we like, in particular two travel stores and I like an Italian shoe store called Paolo. We noticed a new mens clothing store and a coffee shop that are built out of containers. San Francisco has so many unique shops, always interesting!

Have you been to San Francisco? What is your favorite thing or place to visit at the city?

Hugs,

Paola

PS – Our trips to Hawaii and Baden Baden in Germany.

We went for a walk by the bay, and a drive through Fort Mason and the Presidio. It is a national park and beautiful! I like seeing all the tall trees in the area!

Driving through the city allows me to see a new street or houses we had not seen in past visits.

While we are in SF, I always like to get a glimpse of the bridge…

…and of course, going over it never gets old.

Sunday, we met some friends and went to the Walt Disney Family Museum. It is run by the Disney Family Foundation. I did not even know it existed. It was a nice place to visit, lots of information regarding Walt Disney and his family, his beginnings, plans, and many successes! It was very interesting and informational! Plus, it has the Disney magic touch, with lots of nice exhibits and videos! I may do a separate posting on the Museum, I have more pictures to share and it was that interesting! It was also inspirational – Walt Disney was a visionary, artist, and driven! He wouldn’t give up on his dreams and visions, and created an amazing company that is known around the world!

By Sunday night, it was time to come home….we love visiting San Francisco (and will be back soon), but it is always nice to come home to San Diego!

My Weekend in Photos

Posted on August 5, 2013 by phjiao

Hi everyone –

Much of my happiness comes from spending time with family & friends! I am truly blessed in so many ways!

It was a very busy & long work week, so by Friday evening, I was ready to party! I say party because my sister-in-law organized a small birthday party for my niece. It was nice to celebrate my niece, spend time with my family, laugh & relax! It has been a pleasure and honor to see my niece grow up all of these years! Next year is the big 15th birthday….her Quinceanera!!

I was looking forward to Saturday because I was going to spend time with one of my closest friends, Lizeth! She is like a sister to me! We went to the baptism of our friend Xochitl’s son, Maximiliano. The baptism was held at the beautiful Holy Spirit Church in Tijuana and the reception at the Campestre Country Club. In Xochitl’s words, it was a “Fabulous Baptism!” She did not forget any detail, it was beautiful! From the dessert table, the centerpieces and decor, the view, the baby’s baptism attire, Xochitl’s outfit, everything was exquisite! Baby Max is growing so fast, he is a cutie! I carpooled with Lizeth and her husband, and we chatted the entire time, from the drive there, to the time at the reception, to the drive back, haha! It was nice to catch up with her!! I’ve missed spending time with my friend – we talk on the phone often and each time we get together we simply continue where we left off. I am lucky to have her as a friend! When we arrived back at her home, I was able to visit with her mom and aunt for a little while, and see baby Mauricio, he is precious, just two months!

Today, I did something I have not done in about three years! My hubby was out of town, so I slept in until my body woke up, then read in bed and caught up on my Facebook friends posts! Ahhh! I used to sleep in on Sundays when I was single, but hadn’t done it in a long time! I spent a much needed relaxing day at home and started editing a video for my vblog (video blog – coming soon)! I enjoy our social, active lifestyle, but appreciate at least one day a week to relax and get some down time!

How was your weekend and did you do anything fun? What do you have planned for the week?

Best wishes for a wonderful, productive week! Let’s go out there and make things happen!

Hugs,

Paola

My Weekend in Photos

Posted on July 23, 2013 by phjiao

Another fun weekend! I feel fortunate to have friends and family that include us in their festivities! My career also keeps me busy and provides opportunities to attend interesting events!

What did you do this weekend?

Mine was packed with fun outings:

Friday, after work, I went to the The Family Health Center’s – Spirit of the Barrio Fiesta. It was a fun event! They had an “Elected Officials Tamal Making Contest.” I spent time with my friend Carlette Lewis at the event, we used to work together eons ago at the Workforce Partnership and have remained friends. It was nice to catch up with her!

Saturday was a very anticipated day – my nephew Andrew’s 5th Birthday Party! It was nice to celebrate this amazing, cheerful little guy that brings so much joy to our lives! I love my nephew so much, he is very important in my life! It was nice to see family and friends!

After the party, we went to my sisters home to unwrap the gifts. It was a fun day with family and friends as we celebrated one more year in our beloved Andrew’s life! He is a true blessing in our lives!

A funny story about my outfit that day is that I tried it on with about three pairs of shoes, all wedges, to decide which one’s I would wear. When I arrived at the birthday party I was handed a pair of socks to wear – instead of my shoes. I had forgotten about the “no shoes” rule at this location 🙂 I felt like Carrie in Sex & the City, from the episode where she is asked to take her shoes off as she arrives at a child’s birthday party, haha! I was fine with it, I just laughed because I had put some thought into which shoes looked best with my outfit.

Sunday, we went to Long Beach for baby John’s baptism. John is my friends Susana & John’s son. He is a cutie! Susana and I have been friends since college. She has been a good friend to me throughout the years, always lending an ear when I needed career advice. I was meeting baby John for the first time, he is adorable! I have remained in contact with Susana and had seen many pictures of him. He is a beautiful baby, even more adorable in person! He could be a Gerber baby!

By coincidence during our drive to Long Beach for the baptism we got a call regarding a car we had looked at on-line (I am considering getting a different car). Since we were going to be in the area we drove a bit further north to Los Angeles after the baptism to see the car. By that time, I was in need of coffee – and we searched for a Starbuck’s! I drink coffee every morning, either at home or work, but rarely go to a coffee house to get one. The coffee was a nice treat! I really enjoy road trips with my hubby because we chat about a million things, from plans we have, to our thoughts and opinions, to stories about our past. My hubby in one of the smartest and wisest people I know (and I know some smart people!), which leads to interesting conversations. My hubby’s previous boss describes him as MENSA due to the amount of knowledge and level of retention he has. After a long day & the road trip, I was ready to hit the sack by the time we got home! But, as we say in Spanish, “La bailada nadie me me la quita!” Which means, “no one can take the dancing away from me” referring to the “good time I had”!

Happy Monday to everyone – and best wishes for a productive week! Make it a great one!

Do you have any big plans for the week?

Hugs,

Paola

My Weekend in Photos

Posted on July 16, 2013 by phjiao

This was a fun weekend…it went by too fast! Hope you had a great weekend! What did you do? Share your pictures with me! Here are some pictures from my weekend.

Friday evening, I did some power shopping in three hours! Found a few more gifts I needed for my hubby’s b-day and my nephew’s birthday party is coming up, found more gifts for him! I also bought gifts for two baptisms I have coming up. This should get me through shopping for the next few weeks, phew! I still want buy a Sulley stuffed animal that my nephew would like for his birthday. I managed to wrap my hubby’s & nephew’s gifts Friday evening. I will wrap the baptism gifts this week. I used to spend hours wrapping gifts in boxes and with gift wrapping paper – they do look nice, but lately I’ve opted for using gift bags 😉 They look nice, are practical, and much faster to wrap! I still wrap a few gifts…but, not all the time.

We bought this playset for my nephew on one of our trips (as a birthday gift), hope he likes it!

Saturday, we headed to the Bastille Day Celebration with my compadres! We had a wonderful time! Lots of laughs, good food, excellent wine, and most importantly great company!

Sunday was my hubby’s birthday celebration. We went to dinner with family at his favorite German restaurant (pretty much the only one in San Diego)…..Kaiserhof Restaurant. It was nice to see family….especially my nieces and nephews, and of course, to celebrate my hubby! My nephew selected the cutest birthday card for my hubby. He knows we have cats, so he got him a card with cats & even wrote a message inside himself (he is 4, which makes this super cute). My other nephew helped blow out the candles! We had a fun time and my hubby enjoyed his little celebration!

Best wishes to everyone…have a wonderful week!

Hugs,

Paola

My Weekend in Photos

Posted on July 8, 2013 by phjiao

What did you do this 4th of July weekend?

This weekend was a whirlwind….with lots of fun, most were unplanned activities!

Celebrated the 4th with family, which is always a fun time, creating beautiful memories!

I worked Friday and ended up going to a meet & greet event for the Xolos soccer team. Thankfully I never dress too casual for work, not even on casual Friday’s, so I am always ready to go to a work function, meeting, or to appear in a TV commercial or segment at a drop of a dime (these have all happened to me in the past). So, even though it wasn’t on my schedule, I was able to go to the event and had fun!

Friday night, I went to the Fleetwood Mac concert with my hubby. When he invited me to the concert two weeks ago, I asked him what songs the group was known for, he started singing “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow,” to which I replied, “I remember, that is the song Bill Clinton used as his campaign song!” Haha, we both had a laugh about it. We had a fun time at the concert, it is always nice to see my hubby smiling. I even knew about 4 songs and now know more about this amazing band!

Saturday, I planned to work on my blog. But, destiny had other plans. My hubby asked me to join him for the day in Beverly Hills, he had to buy something up there and was driving there for the day. I went with him – we had a delicious lunch, did some shopping, and enjoyed Rodeo Drive. Most of all, I always enjoy road trips with my hubby, time spent with him is always nice!

Today, my hubby had a video shoot in the early morning. After his shoot, he called to ask if I wanted to go to brunch – I dashed to get ready. Instead of going to the typical breakfast places, we went to a new, cute, local restaurant that our friend Elsa recommended. All I need to say is “delicious food & super friendly staff!” It was nice to go to a small, local place, and we plan to return. Plus, they serve salads in a bowl! I LOVE, LOVE salads served in a bowl! Remember Elaine in Seinfeld and her salad in a bowl, that’s how much I love salads in a bowl!

We are considering that I should get another car…so, my hubby wanted me to test drive the car he is suggesting. I am not as enthusiastic as he is about getting a new car, but agreed. I really like my current car (lots!), so I feel like I need time to adjust to the idea of another car & letting go of this one. My current car is in great conditions, but I’ve had it for a few years now and it’s a large SUV, and no longer under maintenance coverage. It will cost me a pretty penny every time it needs maintenance. My hubby is German (& knows lots about cars), my car is British, let’s just say he’s not a big fan of British cars, haha! He’s right though. In the long run, it will be better. So, we went to Carlsbad, a 30 minute drive, for the test drive. They didn’t have the exact car I want, but the dealer will contact us when a match comes along. I am in no rush, it will give me time to adjust to the change.

Since we were in Carlsbad, we had to stop by the Carlsbad Fashion Outlets (of course!). I am not one to go to the mall every weekend. But, when I go shopping, I become a power shopper, haha. My friends have seen it – I scan the store, see what I like, try on quite a bit of pieces, and do some power shopping. I went to three of my favorite stores and found some nice items, which will be fun to wear them this summer! I’ll share more about my shopping experience later on in a post….and did I tell you, everything was on sale – the entire stores were on sale! Love it! The best part, I got to spend the day with my hubby!

So, sometimes the best times occur when we least expect it…..or plan it! Has this happened to you before – that you had a blast and it was spontaneous?

Best wishes for a great week everyone!

Hugs,
Paola

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Tag Archives: My Weekend in Photos

My Week in Photos – Last Days of the Year

My Week In Photos – November

My Weekend in Photos: Labor Day in Las Vegas

Weekend Trip to San Francisco

My Weekend in Photos

My Weekend in Photos

My Weekend in Photos

My Weekend in Photos