Cherished Memories of When the Wands Chose Our Wizards

 

These amazing memories are from 2015 and I vividly remember how much awe we felt while this was happening. We felt the magic and I'm grateful that The Huz filmed it. 

8 years later, they still offer this experience. The specific participants are chosen randomly (or by the magic of the wand) but after the experience, people are led to the gift shop with a multitude of wands to choose from. 

The amusement park world is kinda crazy at the moment with the hype and the crowds, so experiencing these moments and sharing it with my loves, especially now that they are young adults, is something I wholeheartedly cherish. I'm thankful for the unique experiences we've been able to provide the brothers over the years, and frankly I'm looking forward to just continuing to share life with them in new and different ways.

For parents of young kids, take the pictures, record the moments, and write down memories or feelings. Life gets hectic--either sneaking up on you, slowly creeping or just fast as heck. But whenever you get the chance to stop, reflect and appreciate the good times and learn life lessons, take it. 

Also, love your kids wholeheartedly with no conditions or restrictions. 

I hope I say it and show it to them often, but I love my boys.  LOVE, Love them!!! 🤗

  

Imparting Truth to (Anti) Environmental Propaganda

 

Follow and Subscribe to Shelbizleee on Youtube for more content on sustainability & eco-minimalism. 

In this video she addresses some of the latest green washing and propaganda she's come across and I find her analysis and commentary informative. I can't believe that caring for the planet has become a polarizing topic, but realistically, there are big business and profits to be made from the anti-environmental stance. Also, to be fair, there's plenty of shady business practices that trick well intentioned consumers into believing what they're buying is environmentally friendly even though it isn't.

But I know there's others out there, like myself, that care enough about the health of the planet to contribute our own efforts to sustainability--even if it's in the small choices we make every day. And I'll always remain open minded to the science, which means that as more information is learned, conclusions may change--and that's all part of the process. Fact-check and consider the reliability and/or bias of your sources.

Overall, finding ways to lessen waste--recycling, reusing, reducing consumption--and using alternative energy can and does help the health of the planet.

East Long Beach Spotlight

Nice feature on the neighborhood.👏 I enjoyed seeing the sights and sounds I'm familiar with. It's fabulous to travel but it's also an amazing benefit to explore your own stomping grounds.

 

In addition to the above spiffy feature, we have specific favorite food spots too! 

• Hiccups Barista: Try their House Coffee...smooth & balanced. But their other drink offerings are pretty good as well--hard to go wrong depending on your preference. They also come out with unique new drinks from time to time to entice and intrigue us including Ube Lattes and Mung Bean drinks. We've tried them and love them. I also recommend their Banh Mi sandwiches. 
• Cha for Tea: We go here for various Milktea Boba selections and pair it with Popcorn chicken. It's a satisfying snack combination. It's mostly a take-out spot now. But what my family and I do is order it and eat it in the car so the chicken is hot and fresh. They give you these poking sticks to make it easy to eat so it's not a messy situation. Many memories have been had eating & drinking these snacks and having the best conversations in the car. 
• China Star Express: Here you can have a delicious fast-food/quick-service meal featuring tasty chow mein and various Chinese food options. Our family's go-to is the teriyaki chicken. And I also enjoy their Orange Chicken and my personal favorite, the Eggplant Tofu. They're been around for awhile and are a local favorite for this type of food. I'd much rather support them than a franchise. 
• Pepe and Chepito's Tacos: Right next door to China Star Express, is a solid Mexican food option. Our go-to hear are the street tacos which are inexpensive but have an additional discount on Taco Tuesdays. The meats are chicken, Al Pastor, Carne Asada, & Al Pastor, all seasoned well and comes with cilantro, onions and salsa as optional toppings. 
• Nomad Asian Bistro: This is an elegant Chinese Food family style sit-down restaurant great for celebrations and gatherings. The egg drop soup is simple but tasty and their fried rice is just delicious and we highly recommend. They're also known for their hand made noodles. Their prices are also reasonable for a sit-down restaurant. 
• Long Beach Fish Grill: They have various seafood options for anyone who wants to try, but we come here for the Clam Chowder bread bowls and french fries. Bread bowls are hard to find in general so this place is just a gem for the area. 
• KB Donuts: We come here for their breakfast burritos: ham or sausage. They are a neighborhood favorite with many regulars coming through. They have donuts and other sweets available. They also have blended drinks, coffees and other options as well. The service is friendly.

New businesses open here and there & we love to check them out and try out their offerings. Just like any neighborhood, nothing is perfect, but we're happy & proud to be part of this community. If you're in the area, I hope you explore & see what it has to offer. 😼

   

"'The Woman King' is Worth Watching: A Movie Recommendation"

 "The Woman King" starring the glorious Viola Davis is an astounding cinematic experience from start to finish. Without giving any spoilers, it's a movie with warring themes and heart wrenching situations. There were many times I wanted to close my eyes but forced myself to keep them open to look on. And it's not because the scenes were overly gory (although to be clear, this movie is not for the faint of heart) but because it evoked powerful emotions--anger, disgust but also hope and triumph. 

It's a celebration of one's personal history--all the good, the bad, the hard, the joys, the relationships, the loyalities--and honoring those that trail brazed before us and who will continue on after us. 

The performances were spectacular lead by Ms. Davis, Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu and others. John Boyega, which many will recognize in the Star Wars sequels is quite fabulous as well. 

The movie is based on real historical events. 

It was first released in theaters but can now be found on streaming platforms.

"We Read To Know We Are Not Alone" : Book Recommendations

 

These books are from the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series written by Mia P. Manansala and they begin with:  "Arsenic and Adobo" then "Homicide and Halo-Halo" then "Blackmail and Bibingka" then "Murder and Mamon" which is set to release on October 17, 2023 (looking forward to that). 

For Filipinos, the titles alone will invoke a reaction and as a Filipino American myself, I didn't need any convincing to give these books a read. The main character is Lila Macapagal--she is strong, determined, loyal--but also quintessentially human with all the challenges, obstacles, and self-doubts anyone can have--well, maybe more than the average person. The books are murder/mysteries and she finds herself sleuthing in order to unravel the truth to not only save her own life but the lives of those she loves. And she loves a few eccentric and interesting characters. You have to read the series to meet them all. 😄

It's set in a small town alongside a relatively large Filipino Community with food at its core. I found myself craving many native dishes while reading this fun series. And I especially loved it because as an avid reader, this is the first time I've read a lighthearted, story-driven (not some kind of documentary) set of books that centered around my culture--Filipino American--the good and fabulous parts, but also the generational trauma parts too. Life, in general, is not always roses and rainbows. 

But the whole theme and tone is meant to be lighthearted and I feel that the author captured all the realistic and nostalgic elements of the culture. Ultimately it's about an American girl that seems to periodically (and in every book, LOL) find herself in the middle of trouble that she must find herself out of--and she also happens to be Filipino. There are serious moments and funny moments and the reader is seeing it all through the eyes of a relatable character (well, relatable to me anyway). Also, there is a cute dog in it with the most adorable name. Come to think of it, there are lots of elements different readers may find endearing. Consider these books recommended! 

💓

"We Don't Have to Eat Everything in our Backyard!"

We have many weeds in our front and backyard. 😓Like, many. And we often have a hard time staying on top of it and making sure they don't grow so out of control that the neighbors start to complain. We're not natural gardeners and to be perfectly honest, have many other hobbies we want to spend our time on other than gardening.  But we do our best. 

Awhile back, it came to our attention that the Stinging Nettle, which grows plentiful in our yard, is edible and nutritious. After doing research and confirming that we have correctly identified the weed, we decided to go ahead and eat it. We just painstakingly harvested them with gloves (because they do sting), washed them thoroughly and put them in stews and soups (they don't sting after they are cooked).  It was the only weed in our yard that we felt comfortable eating because we knew it wasn't harmful.

One day we spotted a couple cutting some of our weeds on our side yard. The Huz asked them what they were using it for (and after being reassured that we weren't going to stop them and get angry at them for pulling our weeds), they told us that it was a very nutritious and delicious green. The Huz took a picture and we spent some time looking it up and identifying that, yes, the weed is called a Mallow and is completely edible. It pretty much works like spinach and is great in stir-frys, stews and soups. And I've been harvesting and cooking a lot of these because they are growing quite plentiful. So, thank you anonymous couple for tuning us into these beautiful edible plants. 

When we told our Youngest that we found another edible weed, he responded, "We don't have to eat everything in our backyard!" (He is a delightfully cynical teenager). That one sentence made The Huz and I laugh so hard and we still quote it for our own kicks. It's funny. He's right though.  We don't.  But we'll definitely eat some and most. LOL! 😁😄

 

The Essence of Teaching: Not to Humiliate

This post popped up as a "suggestion" on my Facebook feed from the Advice page and I couldn't be more thankful that it did. Truly such a beautiful story of an inspiring teacher making a positive impact on a student without even fully realizing it. This touches my heart and gives me hope of the kindness of humanity. **Dedicated to all the devoted teachers out there who put their students first.**

Art is also from the Advice Facebook page & post.

An old man meets a young man who asks:

“Do you remember me?”

And the old man says no. Then the young man tells him he was his student, And the teacher asks:

“What do you do, what do you do in life?”

The young man answers:

“Well, I became a teacher.”

“ah, how good, like me?” Asks the old man.

“Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.”

The old man, curious, asks the young man at what time he decided to become a teacher. And the young man tells him the following story:

“One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it.

I stole it, I took it out of his pocket.

Shortly after, my friend noticed the his watch was missing and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you.

Then you addressed the class saying, ‘This student's watch was stolen during classes today. Whoever stole it, please return it.’

I didn't give it back because I didn't want to.

You closed the door and told us all to stand up and form a circle.

You were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found.

However, you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for his watch if we all had our eyes closed.

We did as instructed.

You went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone's pockets, and when you were done you said ‘open your eyes. We have the watch.’

You didn't tell on me and you never mentioned the episode. You never said who stole the watch either. That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life.

But this is also the day I decided not to become a thief, a bad person, etc. You never said anything, nor did you even scold me or take me aside to give me a moral lesson.

I received your message clearly.

Thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do.

Do you remember this episode, professor?

The old professor answered, ‘Yes, I remember the situation with the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone’s pocket. I didn't remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.’

This is the essence of teaching:

If to correct you must humiliate; you don't know how to teach.”