I don’t like to be surprised by other people but I like it when I do all the birthday preparations. I love planning and organizing gatherings for my friends. With my husband I try to be more innovative since he knows me a lot. We may just be starting out with our marriage but we have been together for a long time so he knows what I am thinking.

His birthday is near approaching so I am planning to give him something new. With his birthday, I already set all the necessary preparations like invites, food catering, decors, but his gift. I haven’t thought of a gift that would surprise him. The timing is also cruel since the kids at school have been taking much of my time and I can’t say no to those precious ones. But I have to make it up to Reid and prepare for his special gift.

With the preparations, I have arranged them already a month before. I made sure that his friends know it advance so that they could settle their schedule. I just hope that his friends would come to that he will be totally happy. He has been working late for many nights but I already warned him not to be too cruel with himself on his birthday. I hope he will enjoy his day.

The 2 gadgets I couldn’t do without are my mobile phone and digital camera. I value communication with my friends and family so I keep my mobile with me most of the times. I don’t use it like the teenagers do, but I make sure that the line is open in case of emergency. Communication is also important for me and my husband so that we will know our schedule. With work, and with my students, having a mobile phone handy is a big help for me and for them.

Second, I love to bring with me my digital camera. Taking pictures of moments with my family and friends are so important for me. Memories are treasured and kept for a long time with pictures. They do not fade away in my memories that fast and I want them to be shared with others through pictures. Also, when Reid and I go to some places, I keep taking pictures so that we can remember it and talk about it. Also, teaching my students with pictures is an easy way for their learning.

Keeping a communication line open is important, the same way that I value the pictures that we took. To sum up, the gadgets are just my way of making sure that my family and our moments together fresh in my memory.

First, cleaning up would be too tiring since the preparation and the main event was so tiring. Also, I had to be the only one cleaning up the house with a little help of my husband. But I have to do it. The end of the holidays also marks another transition phase for us since we will be working once again. We should be facing our work load in a few days from now and I know I should first make sure that I regain myself and be ready for school.

The holidays were fun and I had a great time. With that, I keep on doing what I must do and keep the house clean once again. There are also many Christmas ornaments that must be taken care of. There can be numerous of reasons why I hate post Christmas stress but once I look at the pictures, this lifts up my spirit and continue cleaning the house and be merry.

There are some people who experience the Christmas stress since there are a few who try to do all the preparations and cram for other holiday details when the time is too near. When this happens, checking out the other details may not be done and some parts of the preparation may seem to be useless when it is improperly executed.

Handling Christmas stress would be easier with a smaller group of people that you celebrate with. The closer the party, the lesser people will have to go to the party. Thus, you can concentrate more on other matters. Also, you may your own time for enjoyment and keeping a happy family.

All of the hardships will be paid off when you see a smile planted on the face of the people that you love. This is the best reward that I get when I prepared for a Christmas party. What matters is that my family enjoyed it and I know all the hard work is sweeter with their smile.

I was thinking in buying new appliances or even kitchenware. I can also do something with a new book that can give me an easier time learning how to cook. Anything that would add to my knowledge would be great and the end result can be shared with my friends and family through cooking for them. Tomorrow when my students ask me again what I want, I have an answer for them. And I know they will agree that it’s a nice gift since I know they are also a fan of food just like me.

Reid believes that when I cook, there is no trouble in the kitchen. But that is only what he observes since he only sees the end product and not the whole process that I went through. When I experience trouble in the kitchen, I always make sure that the solution is within my reach. When it comes to lack of utensils, I improvise. When something is wrong with the food, I look for another meal to cook or when my cooking appliances are damaged, I try to fix it. If not, I still manage to cook something that is delicious and nutritious. That is all that matters for me and my husband.

My kitchen is my classroom. I teach and learn at the same time. I have my books and the Internet so that learning would not end. I make sure that the food is healthy and the needed nutrition is reached. There really is trouble in the kitchen when you don’t know what to cook or you don’t have a mind set. So, think of your options and decide on your goals.

Every year, Reid and I make sure that we go to a place that we never reached before. We have been doing this even before we were married and we continue our own little tradition. Traveling has always been our interest since we both like going to places and exploring new regions.

We make sure that we spend quality time through an annual family vacation. It can be as simple as an overnight at the beach, or going out of town. As long as we go to some place new to us, we know we can have a fun time together.

With both of us working, it is important for us to spend some time with each other without thinking of our work and other matters. Thus, we have to continue this tradition and have time with my husband. This does not just make us bond tighter but also to regain our normal self and enjoy without the busy streets and work bugging us.

Sometimes, family vacations are needed not just by couples like me but anyone who wants to have an escape. There can be numerous of choices like a family outing in a beach resort, a cruise, camping, or even a vacation at the ancestral house. Whatever the family’s interest lies, there are many agencies that can provide the lodging and all the other necessities.