Make Your Wedding the Party of a Lifetime

Getting married is a big investment. There are typically thousands of dollars spent on the venue, food, décor, dresses, tuxedos, music, and a number of other equally important details. Marriage is not just a financial investment though. You are investing your heart, your trust, your devotion and loyalty, and you are investing a lifetime of commitment in that one incredible person who makes your heart beat wildly. If you are looking for ways to make this celebration even more extraordinary, you will want to consider hiring one of the many talented NYC wedding bands.

You want your special day to be memorable, and not just for you and your new spouse. When you invest in a really good band, you know your party is going to go all night long. When there is a good beat, a crowded dance floor, and a few good hours before dawn, your friends and family are going to let their hair down and celebrate your love.

 

Planning and executing a wedding can be a lot of work. When everything is said and done, and all of the vows and formalities are final, there is nothing like letting it loose on the dance floor. More and more couples are having choreographed dance routines performed at their weddings. Sometimes the bride and groom are participants and sometimes they are the surprised spectators. Either way, there is no denying that good music and carefree dancing are the perfect medicine after the stress and excitement of your beautiful wedding day.

 

When you arrive in your honeymoon suite, you can fall into bed with the buzz and dizziness of the dance floor pumping through your veins. Life is meant for celebrating, and there are a few milestone occasions like a wedding that really need to be done right. There is nothing as rewarding as choosing one of your favorite NYC wedding bands to serenade you and your guests until sunrise on the greatest day of your life. The best wedding advice you can receive is to simply throw your hands in the air like you just don’t care and celebrate like there is no tomorrow.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launch

I know it's late in sharing you this great news. I am so pre-occupied with so many things plus, my sister-in-law and her family will be spending an early Thanksgiving dinner with us, tomorrow. I know right? Oh, hubby and I can't wait and we are so excited for their visit. We almost forgot about this launch today. As I am writing this, I only have about 40 minutes left to be in the right area to watch it. I guess we will just watch it by the Indian River. We are too tired to watch it in Cape Canaveral. Anyway, this mission of the SpaceX is the first geosynchronous transfer orbit mission out of Cape Canaveral, Florida

Okay, this is Falcon 9 SES 8 communications satellite and the launch is scheduled today, November 25 at 5:37 to 6:43 PM EST at SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The mission of SES 8 is to "provide Ku-band and Ka-band direct-to-home broadcasting and network services over the Asia-Pacific region. This rocket will fly in the Falcon 9 v1.1 configuration with upgraded Merlin 1D engines, stretched fuel tanks and a payload fairing."

As I look at outside, it is cloudy and miserable. I don't know if this rocket will launch today.

Christmas Spirit is in the Air

Happy Thursday y'all! Have you decorated for Christmas yet? Well, we do, little by little everyday. For my random thoughts entry this week, I just want to share few of our #Christmas decors and ornaments. I just can't help myself but feel the happiness when I think about Christmas. My most memorable Christmas is when I'm with my family and if I have to close my eyes right now, it all goes back down to my childhood memory lane.

I love to sing Christmas Carols and when I was in my elementary and high school years, I was active in my church choir group. Christmas Holiday was a busy buzzing holiday for all of us. We are not busy for shopping though. We are busy helping the church to decorate for Christmas. At night time, we are busy rehearsing for Christmas Nativity Presentation in the church. It will be presented on Christmas Eve mass.

December 16 is the first day of dawn time mass and I always sing in the choir. I look forward to it every morning and the church is jam-packed with friendly and happy parishioners. At night, our group sings Christmas Carols to raise money for our group's Christmas Party. It was really fun. Christmas Party and exchanging gifts, food feast and the singing of Christmas songs, oh what a simple joy to reminisce.

The saddest Christmas memory I have was in 2009. I was working in the casino and don't get me wrong, the casino was jam-packed with guests from all over the country. I have to work for the holiday and as the count down begins, it dawned on me that, Christmas is where the family and friends are. The guests were laughing and drinking and just having a good time. As everyone hugged and kissed their husband, wife, girlfriend and boyfriend, suddenly, I was all alone with strangers all around me. I feel like crying.

Here in the US, they open their Christmas presents on Christmas day. Back where I grow up, we open our Christmas presents on Christmas Eve.

When we were in Mississippi with our family, we exchange gifts on Christmas Day right after lunch. I had a great time with that. This year, we will be spending Christmas with them so; we will have a road trip this Christmas. The Christmas Spirit is in the air, would you agree?

I can't wait for Christmas Holiday. How about you? Do you have a memorable Christmas?

Give Your Car What It Needs to Save Money

A full-service auto repair shop, like Ramy’s Garage, can provide your vehicle with exactly what it needs to look and perform its very best throughout the years. Nobody wants to pay for costly repair services, so it is important to take measures now to ensure that your vehicle is in the best shape possible and will not require repairs anytime in the near future. Giving your car a little TLC now can pay off big in the long-run.

Routine Inspections

Your vehicle will need to be inspected from time to time to ensure there are no problems. After running comprehensive computer and vehicle diagnostics, the service technician can pinpoint exactly what may be affecting your vehicle and which services can rectify the problem.

Tune-Ups and Oil Changes

Most vehicle owners simply need to visit their auto shop for tune-ups at least every two years or 30,000 miles and for annual oil changes. During these appointments, a certified service technician can ensure that your vehicle doesn’t require any additional services and is performing the way you need and expect it to. These simple appointments can leave your vehicle looking like new without having to spend a fortune.

Check Engine Light

A check engine light is nothing to mess with. It can show up for small and large issues alike, so seeing it on your dashboard could mean anything from a serious engine problem to a simple reminder that you need to change your oil. Visiting your auto shop as soon as possible is the best way to make sure that the problem isn't something you should be concerned about. This will also help to save you money and keep your vehicle in top shape.

Ask a Service Technician

Your auto body shop of choice can recommend which preventative and maintenance services are right for your vehicle type and issues. Look into affordable packages or promotional services, like those found at Ramy’s Garage, to get top-notch services at a low price. Make sure to also inquire about discounts, such as student or military discounts, to find out if there are any other ways to save money.

Flashback Wednesday: The Gulf Coast

Happy Hump Day everyone! Too many work to get done but, too little time. Have you got the same dilemma as I have? If you are a full time mom and dad, I bet you can relate. As much as possible, I am trying to get my blog running good and updated. For Flashback Wednesday, let's visit the Gulf Coast.

I took this photo on the 24th floor of the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino where hubby and I were staying.  This is the city of Biloxi, Mississippi. This is one of the hard hit areas during Hurricane Camille and Katrina but despite of that, they bounced back to normality. Gaming Business is doing great and more or less this place has 8 casinos. If Las Vegas is too far for you, you can check out this place. The food here is great and if you are looking for seafood, this is the right place to explore.

Aside from Beau Rivage Resort, we also stay in the Isle of Capri (see the photo above.). Isle of Capri is now named as Golden Nugget in Biloxi. Under the new management, I still have to check it out. Maybe this Christmas as we spend our Christmas Holiday with family and friends in Ocean Springs. If you happen to visit the Gulf Coast and looking for a place to stay with amazing view by the gulf, you should check out these two: Beau Rivage and Golden Nugget. I totally recommend these two because I stayed there. I love their buffet too. Oh, I can't wait!

Now, this was taken at the balcony of our room in Golden Nugget (Isle). The room we booked was overlooking the bay of Biloxi. It was a pleasant stay. The land mass of the opposite side of the bay is the Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

The picture above is the Bay Bridge on I-90. It connects Biloxi and Ocean Springs. One day, I will be jogging in this place and have breakfast in Golden Nugget, sounds great huh? Well, we actually live in Ocean Springs before and I worked in one of the casinos in the area of Biloxi. Golden Nugget is one of the places that hubby and I eat for breakfast because it's just nearby our place.

The photo above is the boat dock at the back of Golden Nugget. There are shrimp boats in the area too but, mostly they dock at the back of Hard Rock Hotel and casino.

Here we are at the Front Beach in Ocean Springs, taking our lazy time. The Golden Nugget is the building across. Oh by the way next year, we will be moving back to Mississippi to be with our family and relatives. We are in the process of looking at houses. I can't believe that I am actually excited.

Hollywood Studios' Harbor Attack in Backlot Tour

To help myself motivated to share photos about my Disney Visits, I come up with this 'To Do" list. Once a week, I will be sharing photos anything related to Disney and since it is random, I could be sharing Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios in Disney World. For now, let's travel together in Hollywood Studios.

One of my favorite attractions here is the Backlot Tour which has 2 phases: Harbor Attack and Tram Tour. This attraction is located in the Streets of America. When you visit Hollywood Studios, do not forget to get your map guide, read it and plan your time. What you see here is the stage and the water splashing is part of the special effects and pyrotechnic show being demonstrated.

Before the show, they will find volunteers from the crowd to do the stunts live. If you want to have an exciting visit to Disney, you should volunteer. Your role is like in the movie and so far, it's been really safe and exciting! The volunteers will be given a short briefing and safety measures then, they will be given a protective suit. What they do during the live show will be recorded, edited and the video will be shown to the monitor before the crowd moves on to the tram tour. The comparison od=f seeing the live action and the edited video is pretty amazing! The best of Movie Magic!

Shown here are the volunteers wearing the blue suit. They were introduced to the crowd who were watching at the observation deck. Here's my advice : Don't lean too close to the railings! LOL.

The one on the red shirts are Disney Cast Members. This attraction is basically showing the guests as to how raging sea battles are being filmed.

The volunteer this time was a lady. I thought, oh my goodness, will she be able to withstand the tons of water poured on her direction after the director shouts action? I saw this attraction for the nth time and yap, she did ... safely!

I do not know if I have the guts to volunteer. Maybe if  I am with a group, perhaps I will.

The best seat for me is right here, straight from the shed on the stage. This attraction is exciting because you can feel the heat of the pyrotechnic and if you are not paying attention, you in the audience will be wet with water splashes.

When Disney has events for the day, expect that the crowd will be like this. The wait time was 45 minutes, outchy! We really do not care because, on this visit, we went to only 4 attraction and we head home. Thank goodness for our yearly pass, we take our lazy time. Thank you for stopping by.

Maven Rocket Launch at Cape Canaveral

I added a "to do" list in this blog to keep me on track and for Monday's, I will be sharing photos about the NASA's Kennedy Space Center. A perfect timing for Nov 18, 2013 historic event in the Space Coast. The #MAVEN orbiter successfully launched at the Cape Canaveral SLC 41 at 1:28 PM. Hubby and I decided to watch it at Cape Canaveral area.

It was really cloudy but, NASA has a perfect window for the launch in fact, Maven was able to liftoff on time. It was really funny to note that Maven was playing hide and seek with us. The clouds hid it most of the time but the thundering noise was really loud.

Maven Mission to Mars will last for 10 months. It will probe Mars atmosphere to gain insights as to how the climate of the Red Planet changed over time. Scientists expect to unravel the mystery of why Mars lost its atmosphere.

As we drove down the Cape Canaveral area, both sides along the Banana River are full with people from all over. We drove towards Glen Cheek Drive and we parked at Milliken's Reef Restaurant.

I say that today is a nice day even though muggy and cloudy. The water along Banana River and Indian River are calm. I saw some manatees and dolphins swimming.

So far, the event today was all good. Here's a head's up, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket liftoff is scheduled on November 25, 2013 at 5:37 PM EST. It is another historic event to witness!

Rocket Launch: Atlas V #MAVEN A Mission to Mars

I must admit that this acronym is new to my ears, MAVEN. It is obvious that I am not up to date with Science subject huh? Anyway, on Monday, another exciting event which will be happening here in the Space Coast. MAVEN which stands for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN has a mission to explore the Red Planet’s upper atmosphere and ionosphere as well as the interactions with the sun and solar wind.

Maven is scheduled to launch at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is about 20 minutes from our place. One of the amazing benefits of living in the Space Coast is watching the historic launch of rocket missions. We can always hear the boom and on a clear day, we can view the rocket during liftoff right in our front yard. Maven will orbit Mars at various latitudes. This is a historic mission so; we want to see it closer. Check out MAVEN's shot tonight. What a pretty sight huh?

Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

This is a 10-month mission and the data that will be gathered will help the scientists in understanding the climate change in Mars. If you live nearby, Atlas V MAVEN will liftoff on November 18 at 1:28 PM EST. I hope you can capture the best shot and awesome video. I am not lucky though but, I will try. See you there! Before I forget, if you plan to visit Kennedy Space Center today, it is included in your ticket and they have the best seat in the Space Coast area to watch the liftoff.

Hold on to Your Favorite Leather Items

Leather can be a very long-lasting material, and it is kind of a timeless style too. This makes leather a great option when looking for a nice jacket or a good quality piece of furniture. The problem is that over time you might notice tears and worn out seams showing up on your leather items. Instead of living with something that is old and worn out, you can take your jacket or couch in for leather repair in Baltimore.

If you have invested in good quality leather, you have invested a lot of money. You do not want to replace these items in the near future. For this reason, leather repair is an excellent option when your leather is beginning to wear. Leather is an easy material to work with, and when you find a leather shop in your area, you know they will have solutions for your needs.

 

Imagine passing your beautiful leather furniture set on your children and possibly even grandchildren. Imagine wearing your old leather jacket to your high school reunion as a walk down memory lane. Your old friends will recognize you by your classic and familiar jacket. That is one of the benefits of leather. It doesn’t really go out of style, so if it is in good condition, you can wear or use it indefinitely.

 

Many women love a nice leather purse or wallet. These can make nice gifts and will last a very long time. Again, if you begin to notice a little wearing around zippers and seams, you can take your purse or wallet into the repair shop and have it restored to its original beauty and functionality. There is no need to invest in leather over and over unless it comes to repairs. If you treat your leather well, it will give you many years of good use. It is easy to fall in love with your leather items, and stay in love with them for a lifetime.

 

If you are looking for a good location for leather repair in Baltimore, you are in luck. Simply check the yellow pages or online directory and find the shop near you.

Live Cooktop Challenge by #Electrolux

It took me a long time to give a recap about the #ElectroluxLive event which happened last Wednesday. As I was preparing to write about it, my attention was diverted to watching the full news coverage regarding the catastrophic event that struck the #Philippines. For many days, I did not blog. I just can't.

Today, I am okay and I decided to write.

I was watching the live stream last Wednesday, November 6 and it was scheduled at 1pm EST on Food52.com. I tuned in since I was curious and wanted to win the big prize!

The show started on time and introduced the 3 celebrity chefs namely:
1. Using the Gas , Phoebe
2. Using the Electric, Camille
3.Using the Induction, Jennifer

It was an interesting and I learn a lot about cooking. At the end of that live stream, a winner will be chosen randomly and brings home either an Electrolux Induction Cooktop or Electrolux Induction Range!

The #ElectroluxLive stream is all about cooking , showcasing 3 celebrity chefs. They cook the Pan Roasted Cauliflower using Gas vs Electric vs Induction. They asked these three questions and these are my answers:

 

1. What kind of Cooktop do you have at home? Gas.
2. How quickly does a cup of water boil in an Induction ? 90 sec
3. Presentation winner : is Camille.

I participated but, unlucky me, I did not win LOL but, I had fun! It was the first time that I engaged in a live stream.

Okay, here is what I learn about the Induction Cooktops:

The market price of 30" is about $1,999 while the 36" is worth about $2,199. It is pricey but, it has fabulous feature such as the power assist which is good because it can boil water in 90 seconds. What an amazing feature right? It also features Precision Cooking which control a gas cooktop in an electric range. Did you know that you can touch it and you will never get burn? Induction is cool to the touch therefore, it is kid friendly.

Another thing, it keeps food warm which means that it indefinitely hold food at the perfect serving temperature. It has exceptional temperature control which adjust the heat with greater accuracy than a gas or electric cooktops, especially at lower settings Also, it is perfect for melting chocolate and cooking delicate foods and sauces. How do we know that the pan or pots are good to use for Induction? The answer is, if a magnet sticks to the pan/pots then, it is good to use. If not, we can use a diffuser.

The winner of the Electrolux Induction Cooktop is Nikki M, the lucky one! Congrats. I totally enjoyed the live stream. Next time, I will join too. Here is the video link if you want to check it out.

Monsters University Display in Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios is one of the 4 theme parks in Disney World. Now, don't be confused! Disney Land is in California while Disney World is located in Orlando, Florida. The icon in Hollywood Studios is The Sorcerer's Hat of Mickey Mouse. For now, I am sharing these photos taken at the entrance of the park.

Here is the famous character: the green eyeball with arms and legs, the friend of Sulley. Your little ones will know these characters by heart.

Here is Mike Wazowski holding a book. The other character in the picture is Sulley, on the right.

Here is Sulley up close. Such a great work of art right?

From time to time, they change their display in this area. Anyway, if you are a fan, check them inside the theme park. Visit Tomorrowland and see them in Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor. It's not my favorite attraction but, your kids would love it. Thank you for stopping by. Check out my other posts.