I love August because

It is a month where many things have happened and going to happen.

For instance, August is the month where I met my husband back in 2002 in my office's discussion room.  It goes back to 10 years ago.  I met him for the first time then and it was only end of November that year that he asked me out.  He "disappeared" for few months and I totally forgotten him after our first meeting.

And this month we are going to have 2 birthdays celebration.  My boy is going to be 3 and yours truly Rose is hitting the 35 mark this month. 

And there are school holiday and public holidays too, so we are going to spend some times together. 

After August, comes September and interesting last quarter of the year, which is packed with excitement and holidays. 

So, you know why I love August now.  *wink*

BMW "Feeling Remains" TV Ad Flows with Sail by Awolnation

BMW's newest full-length global TV commercial "Feeling Remains" captures the feeling of how driving a BMW never leaves you, all set to the song Sail by Awolnation.

BMW "Feeling Remains" spot credits:
Ad Agency: kbs+P, New York
Music Credits:
AWOLNATION: "Sail"
Album: Megalithic Symphony
Courtesy of Red Bull Records

Muhammad Ali's "Dream" for Louis Vuitton | The Greatest Words

Louis Vuitton pays tribute to The Greatest - Muhammad Ali with the digital experience The Greatest Words. The brands first ever web film campaign, features Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) reciting two poetic speeches made famous by Ali.

To convey this message of self-discovery and exploration, the House has captured the journeys of some of the world's most extraordinary personalities.
A unique journey goes beyond destination.
It is about courage, inspiration, dream, life.
This journey is about a man who stood up for the ideals he believed in, a man whose victories but also defeats left a mark on the world, a man whose incisive words reached billions and still echo today.
A man named Muhammad Ali.

Spoken Word Artist Yasiin Bey and calligrapher Niels Shoe Meulman revisit the words of Mohammad Ali and the infamous "Dream".

Credits:
Created by the ad agency Ogilvy, Paris.

Liberty Mutual Insurance Commercial "Humans"

This masterpiece of humanity aired on TV over the weekend during the London Olympics. The Liberty Mutual Insurance commercial entitled "Humans" features not only the music of Human League and the song "Human" but some funny yet realistic life experiences.

Credits:
Ad Agency: Hill Holliday
Paul Giamatti is the voice over for the spot.

Hostess "Reach For The Gold" Epic Athleticism

Hostess Snacks despite claiming bankruptcy twice in the last 10 years Hostess Snacks still seems to know how to have some fun, case in point two funny commercials just released on their YouTube channel. Reach For The Gold are Olympic themed ads, "Pole Vault" and "The Gymnast" see's two athletes going for a different kind of Gold...The Twinkie Gold. Pole Vault above and Gymnast below...enjoy.

By the way, Hostess is not an official sponsor at the 2012 London Olympics.

Hooters Restaurants "How-To-Guide" Lesson 6 and 12

Hooters Restaurants has a created a fine selection of Hot-To web videos, and it's about time too. Lesson #6 of the Hooters How-To-Guide is De-Bone a Chicken Wing, and lucky for us Hooters Girl Jordan is an expert. My life is complete, thanks Hooters.

We are going to let you in on a little secret - there is a better way to eat chicken wings. Hooters Girl Jordan shows you her technique of how to de-bone a chicken wing flapper.

Not so fast, Lesson #12(below) from the guide is How To Pour The Perfect Beer.

Pouring beer, it is an art. In this video, Columbus, GA Hooters Girl Jamie shows you her technique of the perfect beer pour.

Car Lunch

Beep Beep!

I made this super simple and easy car lunch for Eliana the other day.  It could also work as a snack for an older child with a bigger appetite, but for Eliana it was perfect for lunch (especially since she likes to eat the scraps of everything while we make it).


Stop. Caution. GO! The red, yellow and green lights are colored bell peppers cut with a circle cutter.


The cars are I.M. Healthy Creamy Soynut Butter and jam sandwiches cut with this sandwich stamper that I got from All Things For Sale (my favorite online bento supply shop)


The road is made out of cut provolone and cheddar cheese.


Eliana gobbled this all up and it was very quick to make! I end up loving sandwich stampers for that exact reason. They are so easy to use and make cute lunches in seconds! Now someone convince me I don't need anymore sandwich stampers to add to my lunch supply collection.... ;)


p.s. You could always add a shaped hard boiled egg with this Car Egg Mold but I will admit I am the worst hard boiled egg molder-- if that is possible. It is supposed to be the easiest thing.. the mold does the work for you! But I somehow mess that up. Every time.  One day I will try it again.. and when I get it right I'll share it here :)


I link up.

Weekend Recap

Oh my oh my oh my! This weekend was filled to the brim with fun, family and laughter. I'm still a little dazed from it all. We started off the weekend with a Friday night pizza party with family. Then Saturday was a triple header with a 5k obstacle race for me in the morning, a birthday party for a friend's son in the afternoon, and an adult date night in the evening to round out the day. Sunday we zipped to a beachside breakfast with the whole family and I thankfully found myself napping in the afternoon with my little man. I'm amazed at all that was packed into the past few days but wouldn't change a bit of it. Here are a few pictures :) How did you spend your weekend?

My boys have a pretty good life! Just saying :) Looks like today may be a 3 cups of coffee kind of day! Whew! Happy Monday y'all!

I’ve got your number!

The In a Little Teacup collection would not be complete without a set of basic numbers to go with the alphabet cards. You might even say the teacup was half empty, and now it is completely full. In fact, it’s overflowing with animals of all types to count from one to ten.

Above is the set of number cards for the girl collection.

Above is the set of number cards for the boy collection.

Whether your teacup is half empty or half full, you’ll want to fill it with these sets of alphabet and number cards. So . . . start watching for a little tea party to begin soon with Lettering Delights where you will find these charming animals to help your little ones learn their ABCs and 123s!

Sears "The Beach" Top 10 Advantage Commercial

The new Sears Top 10 Advantage TV spot is set on a stunning beach as a young couple enjoy each other, feel free, live and run...into a refrigerator.
Who knew Sears could funny with their advertising.

Credits:
Ad Agency: mcgarrybowen
Music is by Chappo

Gillette Lights Up Boston Harbor for the USA Olympic Team

Just as the world finished watching the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, Procter & Gamble and Gillette staged an unforgettable event to wish Team USA a great start to The Olympics. The event was a spectacle of light and water featuring 60-foot holograms of Team USA athletes Tyson Gay launching off the blocks and Ryan Lochte diving into historic Boston Harbor. Set to the music of M83 "Steve McQueen", the event officially launched Gillette's global 'Get Started' campaign.
 

Part science, part nature and part digital art, Gillette created a series of projected light displays on buildings throughout Boston culminating in a massive water show. The event used half a dozen projectors to display video images of Ryan Lochte and Tyson Gay in action on two massive screens of particulate water vapor sprayed above the surface of the water adjacent to Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art.

Apple Genius TV Ads | Mayday | Labor | Basically

This is the Apple Genius.

The Genius knows Mac.

And, these are the newest TV spots for Apple that aired last night
during the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony.
The Apple Genius, sporting the signature blue Apple T-shirt is there when
they need him most in the three commercials, "Mayday", "Basically" and
"Labor" all below.

Could this young looking Matthew Broderick be the face of Apple's ad campaign of the future?

Apple | Mac | "Mayday" TV Ad
The Apple Genius shows a fellow passenger how easy it is to make great home movies with iMovie. All before the tray tables are returned to their upright position.


Apple | Mac | "Basically" TV Ad
the Apple Genius points out there are a lot of things that separate a Mac from an ordinary computer, like great apps that come built in.


Apple | Mac | "Labor" TV Ad
The Apple Genius shows a soon-to-be father all the amazing things he can make with iPhoto, just before his wife goes into labor.

Credits:
Ad Agency:   TBWAMedia Arts Lab

Target “Be Yourself, Together” Print Ad

Target's wedding gift registry print ad campaign normally wouldn't gather too much attention unless you are a bubbling bride to be and you really love shopping at Target, but a print ad featuring a gay couple that appeared on Targets wedding gift registry back in June is now spreading its wings and taking off online. Ah the power of the internet.

Tagline:

Be Yourself, Together.
Build a target wedding gift registry as unique as the two of you.

"Any Screen Anywhere" | Bell Canada 2012 Olympics TV Commercial

A an eye pleasing new TV ad for Bell Canada tells their customers they can catch all the London 2012 Olympics action on all your screens, mobile, TV or online. The commercial features the music and song by Graffiti6, song title is Stare Into The Sun.

The Olympic Athlete A Look Inside GE TV Ad

New commercial for GE takes a look inside a 2012 Olympic Athlete.

The human body is an amazing thing. Olympic athletes perform feats that require power, speed, grace, and unimaginable coordination. Take a deeper look -- past the cheering crowds and the gold medals -- and see inside the body of an Olympic athlete.

In this video GE's advanced imaging technology lets you see how a swimmer generates the power needed to shave .1 seconds off his time, how a biker's arm muscles strain to help propel him forward, and how a runner's leg strides toward the finish line. These candid images demonstrate why biceps need triceps, how a shoulder creates torque, and why a longer muscle is a swifter muscle -- insights that can be insightful for Olympic training.

Google Introduces Fiber "The Next Chapter Starts Here" Preview Spot

A fantastic new web film created to promote the new Google Fiber, "The Next Chapter of the Internet Starts Here" is a brilliant animated video.

The cars and model installation were built by hand, and filmed at Agua Dolce airport in Santa Clarita, CA. The installation now resides in the Fiber Space in Kansas City, which will be the first U.S city to have the super fast internet service made available too. The song and music is The Cars song "Just What I needed".

Google Fiber starts with Internet speeds 100 times faster than what most Americans have today. In this video, we see the evolution of the Internet represented in three different stages. It started with Dial-Up, grew with Broadband -- and with Google Fiber, the possibilities are endless. KC residents can pre-register now at http://www.google.com/fiber

Credits:
Agency: Venables Bell & Partners
Client: Google
ECD: Paul Venables
ECD: Will McGinness
CD: David Kim
CD: Tom Scharpf
AD: Ezra Paulekas
CW: Kelly Diaz
CW: Rob Calabro
Director: Ben Steiger
Director: Aaron Duffy
Director of Photography: Will Rexer
EP: Sam Penfield
Producer: Leanne Amos
Editing Company: Lost Planet
Editor: Tyler Higgins
Sound Design: 740 Sound Design & Mix
Sound Designer: Eddie Kim
Sound Designer: Rommel Molina
Sound Design Executive Producer: Scott Ganary
Music: Human
Mix: Lime
VFX: Liquid
VFX Producer: Erica Headley

Loggerhead Sea Turtle Release

About a month ago a young sea turtle was accidentally hooked by a local fisherman. Thankfully the beach community we live in has an incredible aquarium and a team dedicated to helping injured animals. After removing the hook and making sure he was completely healthy they were able to release him back to the wild and the community was invited to come watch!

I knew there would be HUGE crowds so we left an hour early and it paid off. The boys were able to get a spot all the way at the front and had the perfect view to watch all the action. What an experience!

Happy Friday! 

Happy Birthday to You!

Each year the day comes. When we are young, we can’t wait for the birthday to arrive. When we get older, we view it a little differently. When we have kids or grandkids, we enjoy their day of celebration by showering them with gifts.

Well, I have learned a new way to share birthdays with those I love. My cousin, who has six boys, has taught them a wonderful way to share their special day with each other and their parents. Each time a birthday rolls around the birthday boy prepares for that day by creating gifts for each of their family members. It becomes a day for them to individually share their love and appreciation to the family. It becomes a day for the family, a day to celebrate their unique gifts, and a day to be thankful for the next year of life.

I guess it took six boys, and their very amazing mother to help me remember what this day of celebration should be about—the blessing of a new year, of being thankful for the family, and of sharing a little something from the heart.

As my birthday arrived this week, I took this lesson to heart, and wanted to share with the women in my family who have meant so much to me. Thank you all for being such a strong influence in my life.

So . . . happy birthday to you, as you celebrate that joyful day each year.

Miracle surprise

I have a surprise from hubby on Tuesday evening.  Maybe I should re-phrase my sentence.  I got a surprise from hubby on Wednesday morning!  He came home late on Wednesday morning around 4am and he gave me a gift.

I was too sleepy to take note of what he bought for me but I remember I slip back to my sleep with him telling me he bought a new perfume for me.

So yesterday morning I opened up the gift.  Yes!  A new perfume from Lancome.  Nice floral scent although I do like floral smell much but Miracle scent is not too overwhelming,  I like its mild scent.  And I am happy that it comes with a mascara because I am also out of mascara.  Didn't I told you I have stopped buying cosmetic long time ago. *wink*  Could not bother to get one until the need comes. So it is good timing as we have a wedding dinner to attend to on tomorrow night, and I have new mascara to wear.

When asked whether this Miracle set is my early birthday present, hubby said it is not.  Either I were sensitive (because he has been busy and neglecting us for few days due to work) or he has been attentive to my needs.  He told me he bought the perfume set in airport since he was there sending a colleague off and since mine is nearly empty.  Either way, it is a nice surprise after a bad week that I had.

Collection of the Sexiest Female Athletes at the 2012 Olympics

Excited about the Olympics yet? Thanks to Talk Sport Magazine here's a five minute video montage of the some the sexiest and most attractive women athletes competing at the games. Just a few of the female athletes featured include: Nastia Liukin, gymnastics; Jessica Ennis, heptathlon; Federica Pellegrini, swimming; Daniela Hantuchova, tennis; Hope Solo, football; Stephanie Rice, swimming; Francesca Piccinini, Volleyball; Laure Manaudou, swimming; Jaqueline Carvalho, volleyball; Logan Tom, volleyball; Kim Glass, Volleyball; Jenna Randall, synchronized swimming; and Nicole Reinhardt, canoe sprint.

Ladies not to worry, I found a little something for you too, below is the Great Britain Olympic Men's Field Hockey Team, click to enjoy a full screen.

Life Of Pi Official Trailer Preview is an Epic 3D Adventure

Based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, 'Life Of Pi' is the story of a young man's incredible survival at sea against impossible odds. A 3D epic adventure, Pi is an emotionally captivating experience that will inspire, touch and transport audiences to a place of discovery that they will never forget.

Directed by Academy Award Winning Ang Lee, "Life Of Pi", star's Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan and Tobey Maguire, in theaters November 21,2012.

BBC Sport Advert for London 2012 Olympic Games

The trail is based around the concept of 'Stadium UK' -- bringing the nation together in a huge Olympic Stadium to enjoy the BBC's comprehensive coverage of the London 2012 Games. Designed to be used across all the BBC's television, radio and digital Olympic content, it features the specially commissioned music First Steps by Elbow.

BBC comes under fire recently for their animated ad promoting the 2012 Olympics for copying the Lloyds TSB ad. Ironically both promotional spots were created by the ad agency Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe Y&R. The BBC’s trailer features the UK as a huge stadium with athletes preparing and competing for the Games which start on July 27.

Lloyds TSB’s ‘For the Journey’ adverts are known for their animated characters and utopian landscapes set to the classical piece Eliza's Aria by Elena Kats-Chernin.

The BBC advert featured cartoon swimmers in lanes created by buoys cast out by a fisherman, a BMX rider on a cliff edge and track cyclists racing around quarries.

Here's our new London 2012 TV ad (above). The ad brings together some of the favourite characters from previous Lloyds TSB adverts and shows how we're bringing London 2012 closer to communities all across the UK.

And, the ad features a new version of Eliza Aria, the great piece of music that's become as synonymous with Lloyds TSB TV adverts as the familiar voice of Julie Walters.

BBC 2012 marketing head Louisa Fyans said: ‘Animation enabled us to deliver to this brief and helped us create something really special for the BBC's London 2012 campaign.’

It was seen by millions – as Gary Lineker and his cohorts pulled in a peak of 15.5 million, averaging 13 million for the game.

The advert - which uses the tagline ‘wherever you are, never miss a moment with the BBC’ - will be used in the title sequence for the BBC’s Olympics TV coverage.

A Rainey Kelly spokesman said: ‘It is the culmination of a lot of hard work and we are very excited to feel part of the inspiration that this summer will bring.’

Shark Week VW Beetle Shark Cage Teaser

Volkswagen get creative as they kick off their sponsorship of Discovery Channel's 25th Shark Week with an exclusive teaser ad showing the chassis of a VW Beetle being converted to the Beetle Shark Observation Cage, now that's cool. Shark Week begins August 12th.

Credits:
Ad Agency: MediaCom and Deutsch.

New Duracell Powermat Commercial with Jay Z and Run This Town

Duracell features Jay-Z in their new commercial ad for the Duracell Powermat. The spot also features the song "Run This Town" by Jay Z and Rihanna.
The mat is actually pretty cool, I got mine here at PowerMat

Credits:
Ad Agency: wwd&s aka woodswittdealy

Airplane bento

I decided to post this cute airplane bento we took onto the plane since I am still not quite adjusted to the timezone and still feeling exhausted. I actually am finally feeling better today but I'm not quite sure why it is taking me so long to adjust?! Who knows.. maybe I need a vacation from my vacation to figure this out ;)

I made this airplane bento the night before we left to Costa Rica but my pictures came out really dark so I decided to take a picture of the bento at the airport. That is classic airport rug beneath the lunch :) I made this for Eliana just in case she got hungry on the way down because our flights did not give any free snacks or meals.  I wasn't about to pay for any snacks or meals on the plane, and they may not have been able to ensure that they were peanut-free and nut-free.  Plus this was Eliana's first plane ride ever, so I had to bring her a cute snack!! Bringing this airplane bento worked out perfectly :)


I made two cute little plane sandwiches with a sandwich stamper (because we were taking two planes to Costa Rica). Inside each plane sandwich is Eliana's favorite I M Healthy Creamy Soynut Butter With Honey with extra honey drizzled in the sandwich (my girl loves honey).


The marshmallow was decorated using edible markers to make the Costa Rica Flag. 


Below the two planes is a cereal bar with fruit leather on top of it.  I used my cutters to cut out the word avión, which means plane in Spanish.


In the upper right are some peas (frozen when I packed them, defrosted by the morning) and in the bottom right is watermelon and blueberries with an airplane pick. 


This was a simple, easy and quick lunch to make and Eliana loved it. I always love when that happens :) She also did an amazing job for her first time on a plane, and she flew like a champ! I think she flew better than David and me ;)


I link up.