Stroller Envy Website

Have you ever been smitten by a case of stroller envy? That's right, I said stroller envy! Sometimes new moms just don't know which stroller to pick out because there are so many factors that go into picking out a stroller and a monetary budget seems to be huge contributing factor. If only someone could take the guesswork out of choosing a stroller!

At last, there is a savvy website that can help! Check out my friend's new website, Stroller Envy, devoted to all-things related to baby strollers. If you've ever wondered how many strollers there are out there and how to pick one out, this is a good resource to use to narrow down the options and read firsthand reviews about each stroller, including the pros and cons of each brand and type. There is a plethora of things to consider when buying your first stroller, so why not take some help from this lovely site, Stroller Envy.

Personally, I wish this site was up when I was trying to research the perfect stroller! It would have made things a lot easier for me. As it stands, I ended up buying two umbrella strollers, one jogger stroller and one Eddie Bauer convertible stroller with a car seat. That's WAY too many strollers!!! But, how was I supposed to know which one would be the right one for us?! There's no way to know, except through personal experience, which is what Stroller Envy discusses. You will get to research what real moms have to say about each stroller, as well as the benefits of having a certain stroller over another one (i.e., one brand could be cheaper, but it might break sooner, or one brand might be lighter in weight but might not be good for rocky terrain). Whatever your needs are, Stroller Envy will help demystify the daunting task of finding the right stroller, so you don't end up with four mediocre strollers like I did! Who knows, your baby might be walking early and won't WANT to sit in a stroller for long--you just never know! Or, you might have a toddler who won't walk one block without wanting to get back into the stroller, so you might have to get a stroller made for bigger kids.

You'll find out all the information you want ever wanted to know about strollers at Stroller Envy. Pass this website on to new moms and moms-to-be. It will really help in sifting through the innumerable brands of strollers out there! Who knows, your stroller may end up being the envy of the neighborhood!

Introducing: Vitamixvixens Blog, A Place For Vitamix Lovers!

I just got a Vitamix blender because I am trying to add more fruits and veggies to my diet this year. I was successful in giving up soda last year as my New Year's resolution, so now I am working on improving my health in another way. I decided to get a Vitamix blender because it liquifies fruits and veggies and froths them into a nice Jamba Juice style smoothie that you just can't duplicate with a regular blender. In fact, I've been having at least one smoothie a day with fruits and veggies. Veggies? YES! I have been adding raw spinach and carrots to my fruit smoothies in the morning, so essentially I get my fruits and veggies in one delicious smoothie! You can't even taste the spinach or carrots, they just get liquified into the smoothie. I don't add any extra sugar either because the smoothies don't need it. It's all about eating whole foods in their raw state.

I love my new Vitamix and I don't know how I've survived all these years without it. I know I must sound like a commercial, but I swear the clean up is so easy and it literally takes a few minutes to make a nice, healthy meal. It's perfect for those hectic mornings or afternoons when I'm too busy to prepare a meal. Using the Vitamix is a good way to eat up all the fruit and veggie scraps in the fridge, so nothing gets wasted! I can even make my own "V8" drink at home that is a lot healthier than the canned stuff at the store. Plus, I love how the Vitamix can make ice cream, peanut butter, bread, smoothies, salsas, frozen yogurt, and even soup! I just can't believe how many uses there are for the Vitamix. It's worth every penny! I got mine at Costco, so there was an extra discount there, and I love Costco's worry-free return policy. Plus, Vitamix offers a 7 year warranty, which I registered for online.


Visit this new blog all about Vitamix recipes at http://vitamixvixens.blogspot.com/. This is my friend's blog that I will occasionally offer posts to, as well, when I have time. So visit our collaborative blog, vitamixvixens for our Vitamix recipes and tips!

Hummingbird Catering

Did you hear the buzz? Hummingbird Catering: Modern Hors d'oeuvres and sweets for any occasion! This is the hottest new catering company in Los Angeles, California, serving delectable, gourmet, made-from-scratch, exquisite one-bite wonders for your wedding, corporate events, holiday parties, open houses, birthday parties or any celebration or gathering! Why have a formal sit-down dinner party, when you can have your guests mingle and socialize over delicious, petite bites of California fusion cuisine? Your guests will be buzzing over these unique, fresh, vibrant hummingbird bites!

If you are a foodie like me or if you just want to be able to relax and be a guest at your own party to enjoy unique, modern bites, then get in touch with Hummingbird Catering, serving the greater Los Angeles area in California. Choose from a selection of warm and/or cold hors d'oeuvres and sweets carefully crafted and artistically presented on beautiful platters at your event.

For more information, check out Hummingbird Catering's website to view a glimpse of the menu choices: http://hummingbird-catering.com/

call: 323.570.2068


e-mail: yuko@hummingbird-catering.com 

Please include the following information with your inquiries:

-Event type
-Even date and time
-Number of guests
-Location
-Special additional services requested

Yuko Kitazawa, the owner and head chef of Hummingbird Catering, is also the author of Career Diary of Pastry Chef, which is available on Amazon.

Thai Translator Network

Adissapong Praphantanathorn: Thai Translator Network
Professional Thai Translator: Thai native speaker with extensive translation experience in many types of localization processes and over 10 years of translation experience.

If you need help with Thai translation, then check out the Thai Translator Network website. With Thai Translator Network, you will get superior Thai translation and excellent service performed with precision, professionalism and integrity for whatever your needs are.


Areas of Specialty


Software/hardware localization
Business management
Marketing/Advertising
Voiceover for video trainings and business presentations
Multimedia localization
Desktop publishing
Game scripts/movie subtitling
Business newsletters
Dental products
Tourism
Consumer electronics
Editing/proofreading


Contact Thai Translator Network

George Vassiliades: Realtor/Broker and Property Manager

If you are looking for rentals or properties to buy, my friend and Realtor/broker, George Vassiliades can help you find something great in the San Francisco East Bay area. George Vassiliades specializes in Alameda, Oakland, and Temescal, Emeryville, and El Cerrito regions, but he also does some work in San Francisco. George is very nice, outgoing and friendly, all wrapped up in his delightful Cyprus charm!

George Vassiliades is a licensed Real Estate Broker and a member of RHANAC (rhanac.org), and is responsible for the operatation of the property management section of Home and Investment Realty.

About George:

George Vassiliades was born on the beautiful island of Cyprus. He came to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar in 1993. He has a Masters in Counseling from San Francisco State University and he is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist.His experience in that, enables him to help his real estate clients through the emotionally challenging part of the transaction (the fears, anxieties and excitement of real estate). He knows how to listen and what to ask for.

George fell in love with real estate after he bought his first building, a fourplex, and decided to get into real estate to help other first time buyer become successful multi-unit owners themselves.
He specializes in multi-unit buildings, as well as commercial property.
He is often praised for his competence, ingenuity and integrity.

George is looking forward to meeting you in person and putting his skills to work for you. If you would like to talk to George about the purchase or sale of a home or investment property, please call him at 510-710-6826 or use this form.

Click here to contact George!

PO Box 99826, Emeryville, CA 94662office 510-710-6826 mobile 510-601-5453

For more information, including tips for buying and selling properties, as well as current property listings, please visit: 

http://propertiesbygeorge.com/

Check Out "The Leaping Lamp" Website Makeover

If you love Pixar movies, then you'll love Amy's website, The Leaping Lamp, which has been undergoing a massive reconstruction! Go check out the newest changes and cool new layout!

You'll find out amazing details about each Pixar movie and read stories and commentaries from fellow Pixar fans. You can even add your own comments to share! It's a great website for learning about hard to find facts about each movie, the characters, the plots, fun tidbits and more! Like, if you want to know the names of the fish that are swimming in the fish tank (the tank gang) in Finding Nemo or if you want to find out what WALL-E stands for, then visit the-leaping-lamp.com! It's so informative and you'll find out things about Pixar movies that you didn't even realize you missed while you watched them!

I'm such a doofus because I finally figured out the significance of the title, "The Leaping Lamp." After watching countless Pixar movies, you'd think I'd have this figured out already...but I'm probably the last one to figure out why the website is named, "The Leaping Lamp." D'oh! It's name is derived from the Pixar intro before each movie, where there's a little desk lamp that bounces up and down and turns its lamp shade "head" to become the "i" in Pixar! For some reason, when first I heard the website title, I was thinking of a lamp like a genie in a lamp, more like this:

It totally didn't occur to me that she was referring to the desk lamp in the Pixar intro. I must've been in slow mode thinking!! Oh well, the light in my head finally turned on when I watched Cars a few weeks ago with my son and I saw the lamp jumping or leaping up and and down.

Here are some cute "outtakes" (courtesy of elro.com) with the famous Pixar lamp, or as Amy has endearingly and most brilliantly called it, "the leaping lamp":

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone!

I'd like to say a special "Happy New Year" to our dear friend, Tony (Chief Anton Barte), who is stationed in Iraq and will coming home this year, finally! This is his second tour of Iraq; he has been so dutiful in serving in our Navy and has sacrificed so much. The countdown is on for his much anticipated return in 2010!

I met Tony through his wife, Alaina, and their son, Jordan. Jordan and Josh spent the first couple years of their lives growing up together and whenever we took the boys out in public, whether it be the park or a store or a restaurant, people would always come up to us and ask us if the boys were twins! They were born only 9 days apart and they look so much alike!

Even though the Barte family has had to move around every few years due to Tony's station reassignments, they have been like family to us and we miss them so much. Josh and Jordan are like brothers! Tony is like a big brother to me. (This may sound strange, but he was the first Korean adoptee that I've ever befriended--heck, he's technically my only Korean friend at this point, which could be considered even stranger.  It's hard to believe, but in my lifetime I just haven't met many Koreans out in the "wild," let alone another Korean adoptee; so, meeting him was very special to me. Most Koreans usually reject me, because I can't speak Korean and I don't act "Korean.") And, Alaina is like a nurturing mother, a compassionate sister and a trustworthy best friend all combined into one. She helped me through some of the hardest stages of Josh's colicky babyhood and she tolerated me in my sleep-deprived, tired, moody, frantic, delirious, hormonal-clueless-new-mother phase. I doubt I could have made it through all that without her help and unconditional support. She was the first person I could trust to watch Josh, so James and I could go out on a date and see a movie together.

Anyway, I'd like to share one of my favorite photos of the boys that Tony took when we visited them at their previous station in New Orleans.

Tony is a very talented photographer and has been taking countless photos while in Iraq. I am sure when he returns, he'll be shooting at more events and photo sessions. Check out Anton Barte's website to see some of his other work!

2010 will be a very Happy New Year, indeed, because we get to have Tony back!

Soulgems

With the holidays coming up, I would like to pass on this great suggestion offered by my friend, Karen.  She showed me her friend's wonderful website, Soulgems, that raises funds for combatting the trafficking of women and young girls around the world.  By buying beautiful jewelry, designed by the founder, Janelle Gibson, you can give more meaningful gifts this holiday season, because you will be helping to fight crimes against humanity. Soulgems donates 100% of the profit to charities that address this global, inhumane exploitation of women and children.

To learn more about Soulgems, please visit the website: http://www.soulgems.org/shop.php