First Funeral Singing Assignment

I can only remember the last funeral service that I've been to and it was at my grandpa's funeral when I was seven years old. Today, I was invited by a family who I sang for at a wedding in June. This invitation was because a friend who went to Cal with me suggested to her family that I sing again at the service/mass. I was excited but more honored to be part of special and private event.

I used to associate funerals with the words of death, sorrow, and pain. However, as I grew older and somewhat understood the meaning of death, I've come to a realization that life is a story, and the person writing the story is the author. The author controls how the story begins, ends, and everything in between.

I believe that death is not the end as it continues in the life afterward with our heavenly Father.
Through this singing experience, I was able to self reflect on my own life. I have many goals and have always set goals for myself. I've never been perfect as I have faltered and continue to be tested with temptations. Life is too short to be occupying myself with artificial things and drama. Though life is a rocky one, I do have a vision in which it is to use my talents, time, and gifts God has given to me to share with others to the best of my ability.

It is important to grieve, but it's also important to celebrate the life in which a person had lived. Each of us has a different story to tell, a biography that distinguishes us from the other, and it's what you write that gets told at the funeral service. Thus, the most important question to ask oneself is "How do I want to be remembered?"

Is a One-Day Sale REALLY a Sale?

So this year, I decided to invest some time in researching before shopping on Black Friday. Since the economy is down, discounts and sales can either be great or tricky.

Clothes & Mall
I went to the mall on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, to have a sense of what items are being sold in stores and jot down the prices. I also asked the salesperson working on the floor for the sales item on Black Friday. Old Navy was cool about telling me the deals since their Black Friday sale had been publicly announced through ads. The coolest part is that the guy told me to buy the items now and come back on Friday to price adjust them. So I did. I was able to secure the items I wanted in my size. Other stores were either secretive or not knowledgable. A Gap salesperson told me "the sweater will be on sale, but I can't tell you which one." Turns out their sweaters were 2 for 1 and they weren't all that great. Gap has really disappointed me over the years with their production line. Some other stores were tricky because items that were sold on Black Friday were for same exact price on Wednesday.

Thus, I find it quite funny how people are tricked about coming to the mall on Black Friday thinking they would get great discounts. However, they could have gone on Wednesday, avoided the traffic, and purchased at discounted rates.

Advices: 1) Wait if you can on clothes because they will be cheaper towards Christmas and after Christmas. 2) Dont be hesitant about asking sales people what are on sale. 3) Make sure that you aren't paying the same price or more than the pre-sale price (stores can be tricky)

Electronics
The only electronics I needed to buy this year was a flat television screen for my parents as a Christmas gift. We settled for a 37" Vizio at Costco. I was at Costco comparing prices for televisions and the first thing I did was ask a sales person on the floor. I was pretty lucky because the guy knew everything about the deals. He advised me to buy the 37" Vizio television for 599.99 now and price adjust it with a coupon for $100 off on Friday. $499.99 for a 37" is an awesome deal right now, plus 2 year warranty on top of that. Prices for flat screen tvs may be going down more, but we were content with the buy.

Drugstores Sale:
Walgreens, Long Drugs, Rite Aid, CVS just to name a few. All in all, there are plenty of them out there, but I chose to go to one that had the best deals.

Home Items:
Target and Walmart are the places to go. I saw a mixer for $25 those things go for hundreds if you are into baking. I saw a wooden jewlery armoire for $35. Some board games on sale. They didn't have cranium or taboo though.

Final Advice: Get what you need and compare prices.

It's Simplelicious!
KM

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's that time of year when we give thanks to our family, friends, and the many blessings we have in our life. It's also that time of year when families come together to feast on turkey, mash potatoe, cranberry sauce, and pie. Today reminds us to not only be thankful for family and material things, but to also be selfless - to give thanks by giving. We could give by spending time with family, give by sharing our treasures with the poor, and give by lending an ear to a friend who may struggling through life. Everyday should be Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Father's Day. Keep that spirit of love and compassion alive and you'll be amazed how it will transform your life.

IT'S SIMPLELICIOUS!

God Bless,
KM

5 Steps to Healthier Skin

1. Keep your hands and hair out of your face: Break the habit of touching your face with your hands or resting your face on the palms. Your hands are full of bacteria, and your hair is oily.
2. Wash your face: in the morning because your face produces oil when you sleep and especially wash your face at night. Choose a cleanser that best fits your skin type i.e. dry, oily. For better results at night, use a toner dabbed in a cotton ball on your face and neck after cleaning your face. You'll be surprised to find left over make up and excess dirt. Lastly, apply lotion to moisturize your face and neck throughout the day and night. Again, choose a moisturizer that fits your skin type.
3. Always use sunblock: Some moisturizers have spf written on it. Usually it is SPF15. For the best protection, you want at least spf 30. You will thank yourself for protecting your skin from sun damage in the long term i.e. skin cancer and blotching of the skin.
4. Hydrate your skin with H2O: You need water daily anyways. Make it a habit.
5. Don't pop them pimples: Be patient and let it dry out. By popping it, you are allowing bacteria to enter into your skin and thus, scarring it.
5 Reasons to Keep Your Skin Healthy
1. You look younger: You'll see the difference of the before and after picture. Your skin color is evenly toned, more radiant, and softer.
2. For girls, reduce the need of make up: Better skin means a better canvas for applying make up. You'll be suprised to see how little powder (mineral preferrably) you are using. Sometimes you won't even need to apply on make up if you're just going out to the grocery or doing an errand.
3. Prevent acnes, cancer, and a bad picture day.
4. Creating a healthy habit: Keeping your largest organ of the body healthy is a step to a habit of being healthy inside and out.
5. Feel good in the skin you're in.

It's Simplelicious!
KM

The Change We Need: Barack Obama

This is an amazing moment in American history because an African American is elected to be the 44th President of the United States. This is an achievement WE all should celebrate about, but there is much work to be done as racism is still prevalent in certain parts of America and in the world. We can eliminate racism by practicing tolerance and instilling this value in our children.

This election, however, was never about race. We voted Obama because we believe that his policies will lead us to the change we need especially during these troubling times. We voted Obama because we have the faith that he will succeed as being the leader of our nation and in the world.

It is exciting that there is so much possibilities ahead of us and I hope and pray they will be for the better good.

It's Simplelicious!
KM