Feeling Out Of Sync

 I find, that as soon as the academic year starts coming to a close,  my sleeping routine gets thrown all out of whack.

Why am I going to bed at 1am in the morning on a weekday, when I know all too well I need to get my booty up at 7am the next morning? Why do I do this to myself. 

Luckily,  the boys were virtual for a week, so after I woke my little one up and he hopped on his virtual class, I took my butt back to bed. But waking up at 10am just isn't the vibe. I need to get back to a decent bedtime routine, where I'm not feeling sluggish by 2pm in the afternoon because my body is playing catch up. Send help!

At least I'm still getting my workouts in three times a week. That helps. But starting next week,  bedtime goes back to 11:30 pm. Early to bed, early to rise makes me feel more productive. Plus, I can always take a nap if I need to.

Hellooooo November

 When I tell you this year has pushed the fast forward button, because how on earth are we already in November,  barreling full speed ahead towards Christmas and the end of the year?

I must admit, being on a tight budget, I wasn't ready for the holiday season just yet.  But now, seeing all the fun, new holiday themed treats and decor in stores, I am getting more and more excited by the day.

The excitement also comes from the kids' upcoming "summer" vacation, as well as being able to do just a little bit more outside. 

The budget doesn't allow for much extra, but being able to have a no budget weekend every once in a while just feels so so good.

First no budget outing was brunch with an old friend at a spot I've had on my "to try" list for a long time. I had the southern style biscuits and fried chicken and it was delicious.  The biscuit was a little dry but the sauce and chicken more than made up for it. It was a wonderful brunch date and now I can't wait to go back and try a few more of their brunch specials. 

Another outside activity turned out to be a pretty good time as well.  This year, Costa Rica was full of Halloween events and my daughter was craving to go to one of them. She finally found a kid friendly Halloween party that was having a costume contest and my baby won!!! With her diy costume, she tied for 1st place. Not only that but we all had a really good time. It was worth the 40 minute drive.

Then to wrap up the weekend, hubby and I went on a date night to one of our favorite Indian restaurants to indulge in their celebratory Diwali buffet. The food was amazing, to no one's surprise. And the experience was a nice one with an Indian dancer as free entertainment. 

I look forward to more no budget weekends but it also reminds me that being on a budget and being responsible with our finances is a good thing.

Celebrating Spooky Season

It's Halloween, so there is a lot to celebrate. Not just Halloween,  but the start to the holiday season. Thanks to major American influence,  spooky season hits harder than ever in this tropical paradise we call Costa Rica. Every year, more and more homes decorate and even more events pop up to celebrate pumpkin season and I'm not mad at it. As a matter of fact, it makes me happy to see Costa Ricans embrace the fun side of Halloween.  

To toast to the season, hubby and I went on a quick little date night to the new bar and restaurant less than five minutes up the street from our house. And I finally got to try an Aperol Spritz. Let's say it's not my vibe, but still pretty good. 

Then it was English Fest time,  the Yearly Halloween themed event at the kid's school and my favorite event of the year.

There were so many presentations from all  grades levels and they all did an incredible job. The elementary and middle schoolers based their presentation on Hotel Transylvania and they danced their little hearts out to the Macarena.  

The seniors did a very dramatic presentation on Stephen King's It and lets just say, Pennywise definitely delivered. 

My small contribution to the festivities was to dress up as Hotel Transylvania's Mavis, Dracula's daughter herself.  It was so much fun.

The 10th grade did a phenomenal job in their turn, representing the Red Death. 

This year's event was bitter sweet, as it will be the kid's last.  My daughter graduates this year and the boys will be switching schools next year. It's sad that this was my 11 years olds first and last English Fest but on to bigger and better things I hope.

There is so much more to look forward, so let the fun begin. One of the more fun activities that come with Halloween is the art of choosing, creating and designing your costume and that's what my daughter and her friend did. Their creative juices were in full gear as they DIYed the two sides of good and bad: the black and white swan.

The fun continued once I decided to take my 11 year old skating, another super fun Halloween themed activity that came with all the vibes. The decor, the music, the costumes, everything was just perfection.

The piece de resistance was the San Pedro Mall's yearly trick or treating event. This year, the mall was even more crowded than years past. There were ghosts and goblins, vampires, and superheroes in every corner. We even met the Predator.  It was fantastic.

The Foodie Post

 I was always too intimidated to make macaroni and cheese from scratch, thinking it was too complicated or too involved.  Until I tried to make it last Christmas.  Not only was it pretty easy, it was super delicious and I cannot go back to boxed mac and cheese ever again. 

I've since made mac and cheese three more times and each time, my recipe and technique gets better. I plan to make it again for Thanksgiving, and I'm hoping it'll be my best recipe yet.

When we went to Samara over the July vacation, one of the best things I ate was at a Philippino fusion restaurant at one of the new to us food courts. 

As a large group, going the food court route just made sense as we all got something different that spoke to our taste buds. The beef was juicy and full of flavor and the veggies were seasoned to perfection with a nice crunch to them. Plus, the price wasn't that bad.  We can't wait to go back. 

I love a good, middle of the day date outing with hubby and that is exactly what we decided to do one recent afternoon.  Being on a tighter budget doesn't allow for too many spontaneous outings, but a trip to hubby's favorite food court, Plaza Tempo, proved to be just the ticket for a nice, relaxing lunch date. And if course, the food was delicious as we expected.

And then I made this Sunday meal, that actually looked like an authentic Jamaican dinner, even tasted close. It was my cheat style rice and peas made with canned beans and the fried chicken was bought from Walmart. Proof that you can make a semi homemade, delicious meal to please everyone in your family.

Get out and taste the world. Enjoy! 

A Vegas Style Prom

 This year, my daughter's prom was the day after my birthday,  so I had to prep for both events. However,  since this graduation dance would be my daughter's last, it took top priority.  I wanted to make it a prom she would never forget,  so we hit the ground running. 

First was searching for the perfect dress. We found the dress, but at over $400 , we decided to go another route and had her dress custom made. It was a beautiful dress and she looked like a movie star.

To get her prepped for prom, she had her aunt color her hair to a light golden brown. I took her to get a facial and she got her nails done by my nail lady, who absolutely ate on the design.  I got her the perfect pair of sparkly gold heels to go with her gold dress and gold nails. Finally, I bought her some lashes and a ponytail extension to complete her look. 

After she did her hair and makeup and got dressed, she looked like a walking super star. She had the most amazing time at her prom, and it was definitely an experience and a night she will never forget,  the perfect memorable moment.