Joan Ambu Archives – Page 95 of 96 – Strength Of The Small

Desserts Snacks and Treats Yahoo! 360° {Archive} Gratitude People

Neighbors Welcome Gifts

By JM PerezAugust 17, 20091 min read793 views

Two days ago, we received a “Welcome To the Neighborhood Cake” from the Robinsons, our kindhearted neighbors from across the street. It looked delicious and I told my husband he could take it to work and indulge with his co-workers (which of course, they loved). We moved to this quiet neighborhood a couple of years ago and this thoughtful gesture shows that it’s never too late to reach out to others.

Today we received another surprise gift from our newest, next door neighbor, Gregory. He moved here about two months ago and was doing major renovation in his home along with his friendly twin brother, Arthur, whom I’ve seen a few times around and finally met Saturday morning. My husband and I were having a conversation in the kitchen early this evening when the door bell rang. It was a good surprise seeing Gregory holding a basket full of delicious Armenian bread in his hands. I was so touched!

It’s a blessing to know a few good people and I am so grateful for wonderful neighbors.

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By JM Perez

Mother's Day Yahoo! 360° {Archive} Destinations Love Gratitude

Mother’s Day at A Botanic Garden

By JM PerezMay 10, 20091 min read667 views

Mothers are irreplaceable and life would never be the same without them. I know for sure that mine wouldn’t. I love being a Mom and more importantly, I’m blessed to have a wonderful Mom.

We spent part of our afternoon at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, CA. This event was sponsored by Rain Bird Corporation and we received four free tickets provided by the company as well. The purpose of this event was to raise awareness of America’s Public Gardens and their important role in promoting environmental stewardship, Education, plant conservation and water conservation in Communities nationwide.

It’s impossible for one to see all the beauties this botanic garden has to offer as it is spread across 86 acres. We walked for almost two hours, admiring the native Californian plants, learning a little bit about each one and of course, taking pictures and videos. We will have to come back to see more areas of this amazing garden.

*Re-creation of a Tongva family complex and dance arena.*

Mother's Day 2009 (Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden). — *Mother’s Day 2009 (Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden).*

Our day wouldn’t have been complete without stopping by Mix Bowl Café, our favorite Thai Restaurant in Pomona, CA. I highly recommend this Thai Restaurant for its high quality authentic Thai food, the great customer service it provides as well as the warm and welcoming environment.

To all of you, beautiful and strong Women, I wish you a blessed day filled with love and appreciation.

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By JM Perez

Yahoo! 360° {Archive} Destinations Home Decor Family

Weekend In Maryland

By JM PerezMay 4, 20092 min read826 views

We returned home yesterday from a three day vacation in Maryland. It was the first flight we took together as a family. At first, I was worried about flying with a one year old; but it actually turned out great. He was calm, well behaved and slept almost through the entire flight. For me, those were signs of a wonderful weekend.

The White House by night. — *Partial view of the White House by night.*

One of my brothers picked us up from the airport along with my dear Mother and dropped us off at the residence of my other brother. As soon as I got a chance to close my eyes, I slept almost half a day. My brothers got to meet their nephew for the first time and we met their significant others. Despite everyone’s busy schedule, we had a great time and we created beautiful memories that will last forever.

On the morning of our last stay, my brother surprised us by driving down to Chesapeake Beach Veterans’ Memorial Park (one of the major attractions). It turned out to be a lovely day and we quietly walked along the Chesapeake Bay. While visiting a shop on North Beach, my Son had his eyes on what appears to be a Vintage replica of a Leviton Truck by Branch Electric Supply Company. After making some purchases, the shop owner decided to gift him the truck. Oh, boy, was he happy.

Beach Sign & Decorative Paddle with Lighthouse Scene. — *Beach Sign & Decorative Oar with Lighthouse Scene.*

Of course, the trip wouldn’t have been complete without seeing my friend and sister in Christ, Emilienne, who drove all the way from Virginia on our last night with her sister and daughter to see us.

As much as we enjoyed being around those beautiful individuals, we are very happy to be home and grateful for a safe trip, to and fro.

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By JM Perez

Yahoo! 360° {Archive} Home Improvement Gratitude High Desert

Guest Room Renovation

By JM PerezAugust 13, 20081 min read939 views

Finally, some updated pictures of our Guest Room. The room was a mess when we finally got the House keys and got to really look around. I mean ‘really look around’ because we only had a few minutes to check out the place when the Inspector came over to evaluate the property. I am so thankful that our Apartment Lease had not expired by the time we acquired this property. I am also grateful that our awesome realtor convinced the seller to remove the old carpet in the entire house and dispose of the furniture the last tenants left behind.

The new carpet in all the rooms are from Empire Today and were installed by their professionals (our gift from Mom). We first painted the room using a Walmart™ color called Southern Dawn and then a couple of weeks ago, we re-painted it using Streambed, also a Walmart™ color. Although I really loved the light pink color, I thought a neutral color would be more appropriate for the space considering that it’s a Guest Room.

We are making great progress and the results are encouraging. I know things can be unappealing, but I do not believe in ‘ugly’ and ‘lost causes.’ People and things alike are created to be beautiful and useful, but some Men have a careless nature of destroying whatever they touch; thus, turning them into waste.

With a little bit of patience, determination, some tools and much love, everything can be restored.

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By JM Perez

Yahoo! 360° {Archive} Home Improvement DIY: Projects High Desert

Kitchen Cabinet Facelift {Quick Fix}

By JM PerezOctober 18, 20072 min read832 views

We have been busy lately working around the house (the backyard mostly). So much trash, debris and dead trees have been left behind by the last tenants that cleaning up has become overwhelming. At the same time, we are enjoying our darling little boy while familiarizing ourselves with the area.

Giving our busy schedules, we have been unable to install new cabinetry. However, we did the next best thing, which is giving the kitchen cabinets a new facelift (a quick fix until we are ready to tackle the big project).
I love vintage cabinets with gorgeous edging; however, given that we have a tiny kitchen, the Maple color not only made it look even smaller, but ugly too. We painted the cabinets white.

*Kitchen Cabinet Facelift, 2007 (Quick Fix).*

*Kitchen Cabinet Facelift, 2008 (Renovation in Progress).*

Materials/Tools Needed:

Screw driver (to take down the hinges and handles on the doors and put them back up)
Your choice of Paint/Spray Paint
Paintbrush/Sponge brush (if you’re using Paint and not Spray Paint)
Painter’s Tape (if the wall and ceiling colors are not the same as the one you’ll be using for your cabinets)
Cardboard, plastic bag, news papers (to place your cabinets doors on)

How to proceed:

Use your screw driver to unscrew the hinges to take down the doors and place them on your work area.
Clean the cabinets to ensure the paint will latch on evenly.
Start painting in a well ventilated area and let it dry at least one hour.
When you’re done and satisfied, screw the hinges and handles back in place.

You are now ready to enjoy your kitchen cabinets until you decide to install new ones.

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By JM Perez