F is for...Fragrances

F is for...Fragrances!


I love fragrances! I'm not quite sure at what point did I become obsessed with so into fragrances (perfume/cologne). I DO know how addicted to in love with fragrances I am. I can honestly go broke in a perfume store. And I don't have any one kind of scent that I like. Floral, sweet, fruity, soft...I love them all. I'm like a chameleon when it comes to wearing perfume. It all depends on my mood. I may or may not wear the same fragrance in a row. Bath and Body Works fragrances,  Arabic fragrances, Baby Phat, Mariah Carey...my vanity is full of different kinds of fragrances.

I actually had way more than this, but I'd gotten rid of most of them when I moved to Abu Dhabi, eight months ago. And within that eight months, my collection of tantalizing scents grew. Again.


Don't even get me started on fragrances for men. I LOVE a good-smelling man! Seriously. I remember when I first moved here to Abu Dhabi, and an Emirati man passed me. I got a whiff of his enticing cologne; I had to do a double take. My nose said, "Follow that smell!" Of course I ignored it. That would've been creepy. And weird. And a bit stalkerish, perhaps?


You do not know the depth of my love for fragrances!

E is for...Easter

E is for Easter


Tomorrow will be one of the most important days in the life of the Christian. EASTER! I can't assume that everyone who reads my blog are Christians or know about the Christian faith. With that being said, for those who don't know what Easter is about, it's the day we celebrate the resurrection of our savior, Jesus Christ.


Here's the short story...


It the beginning, Adam and Eve disobeyed God, which introduced sin into the world and caused a rift between God and man - God's most cherished creation. God needed someone or something unblemished and sin-free to be sacrificed to atone for the sins of man. Regular humans couldn't do it. Only God's son, Jesus, fit the bill. So, God sent His son to Earth to live as an unblemished, sin-free human (while being still maintaining His deity). 


The Bible doesn't say much about Jesus's life from 2 - 30. We catch a glimpse of Him as a 12 year old, but that's about it. His ministry began when He turned 30. For three years, Jesus went around preaching, teaching, and performing miracles. Of course, this ruffled the feathers of the religious community (the Pharisees/Sadducees). They disliked Jesus so much, that they plotted ways to make Him look like a liar. Eventually, they found a way to have Him persecuted. 


Basically, Jesus, an innocent man, was crucified on trumped up charges, thanks to the betrayal of one of his disciples (Judas). Sounds horrible, and it was. They treated Him horribly...beat Him til He was practically unrecognizable, then killed Him in an inhumane way. BUT, this was all a part of God's plan. Though Jesus didn't want to go through the pain and humiliation (read about His Garden of Gethsemane prayer in Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, and Luke 22:39-46), He went through it because He knew without it, the rift between God and believers would remain.


Jesus was tortured, humiliated, and crucified on Friday (which is where we get Good Friday, which, really wouldn't sound so good), then three days later, He was resurrected...He came back from the dead. We celebrate Easter cos a dead Christ wouldn't have brought God and man back together again. A dead Christ wouldn't have provided victory for God's people. Satan would've won. Through Jesus's resurrection, believers can experience a close and personal relationship with God. Before Jesus, God's people needed a priest to go to God on their behalf. We no longer need that mediator; we can go to God ourselves. We celebrate Easter cos it reminds us of God's grace and mercy. We don't deserve His grace and mercy. Humans will always continue to sin. Sometimes we knowingly rebel against God. But He still shows grace and mercy toward us. 


The Bible tells us, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). This means ANYONE who believes that Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected three days later, will spend eternity in heaven with God. We will die here on earth, but our souls will remain alive in paradise. This is all because Jesus chose to die on the cross. He didn't have to. Just like us, he had a choice. He could've said no. But he loved us so much - before we were even born - that he sacrificed his life. Now, we can not only look forward to life in paradise after our earthly lives are over, but we can also experience freedom and live abundant, victorious lives here on Earth. 


Jesus is NOT dead...He has RISEN! THAT is why we celebrate!

D is for...Dreams

D is for Dreams


Do you remember the dreams you had as a kid, for your future? I remember mine.


According to the young me, I was going to be married by 25. By 35, I'd be a mother of 4. As far as careers go, I'd either be a dancer, singer, actress, teacher, writer, pediatrician, pediatric nurse, entrepreneur or a combination of any of the above. I'd be living in a massive mansion, have the world's best behaved and smartest kids, own a vacation home on the beach, and my life would be all kinds of awesome.


Did my life turn out the way I'd dreamed? That would be a very big, HA! At 35, I'm still single with no kids. I do not live in a mansion nor do I own a beach house. Out of all the careers I wanted, only 3 of them have already or will come true: teacher, writer, and entrepreneur. I'm currently a teacher with dreams of owning my own business (enrichment centers for youth) and becoming a published (best-selling, ahem) author of novels for preteens and teens.


Does that mean my life isn't all kinds of awesome? Nope. I still believe I have a wonderful life. I'm still looking to get married and have kids, but I'm in no rush. That will happen when God says it'll happen. And the huge mansion? I still want a big house, but the massiveness, not so much. I don't have a beach house, but I do live in a high-rise apartment only a 20 minute drive from the beach. As a matter of fact, I can see beaches from my window.


So, yeah. All my kiddie dreams may not have come true, but I still consider myself blessed. And at 35, almost 36, I still have dreams that I'm working on to see come true. Hey, you're never too young to dream!

Coming Up...

My D, E, and F posts are coming. I've been busy showing my mom, who's here in Abu Dhabi on vacation, around town. But I promise the posts are coming....just running behind. :D

C is for...Crushes

Today's post is dedicated to my crushes. Yes, I, at 35, have crushes. Two in fact. I mean, there are other men who I think are absolutely gorgeous, but there are two that I am obsessed with in total awe of. These two men are my adult crushes. If you've visited my blog before, you'd probably already know who they are: Laz Alonso and Adam Rodriguez. I'd go see them in any movie, any tv show, anything, I don't care if the movie flopped or not. Adam Rodriguez is the reason I started watching CSI Miami (of course, now I'm hooked on the show). My goodness these men are muy caliente! If I were to ever have the pleasure of meeting them, I don't think I'd be able to handle it. I'd try to play it cool, but, knowing how I've always been around attractive men, I'm not so sure. I'd probably get all tongue tied and enamored by their beauty. Laz and Adam are both gorgeous and have a swag about them. And Adam Rodriguez will be in a movie (Magic Mike) where he plays a stripper? I am so there! *swoon*


Don't take my word for it. Drool over Look at the pics. You can't tell me Laz and Adam aren't beautiful!


LAZ ALONSO

ADAM RODRIGUEZ

B is for...Big Sisters are the Best

Author: Fran Manushkin
Genre: Picture Book, Fiction, Children's Book
Release: February, 2012
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 5/5


Description: Becoming a big sister is an exciting time full of smiles, smells, hugs, and kisses. For ages 2-5.

Bringing a new baby into the home is a time of wonder and challenges. Author Fran Manushkin celebrates this special time with tales that emphasize that there is plenty of love for everyone, baby and all.

Review:  

WHAT I LIKED

• The sentences were short and sweet...perfect for children since they're attention span lasts a short while.
• This book can help children appreciate and understand the role of a big brother or big sister. Children who aren't sure or too happy about the new baby can understand that they can become helpers for mommy and daddy. The book also gives it an "I'm the boss" feel to it.
• The illustrations are colorful and pleasing to the eye.
• It explains the joy of being the older sibling. Doesn't make it out to be such a bad thing.
• This book shows that just because there's a new baby, doesn't mean parents love you any less.

This was a cute book, not only for older siblings, but for younger siblings also. There's also a Big Brothers are the Best version too!

A is for...Attitude!

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."

Winston Churchill

Do you know and understand how important your attitude is? I mean, truly understand? I'm realizing this more and more each day, especially here in Abu Dhabi.

I love living here. I love my kids, the opportunities I've had, and the new friends I've made. But, it's not always easy. Sometimes, it gets rough. I mean, I kind of expected challenges since they're in the middle of an education reform, but MAN! Things have been harder than I thought they'd be. And I'm in one of the better schools. I did stress last trimester. I struggled a bit.

And then, I changed my attitude. I made a vow not to let the challenges get to me. I decided not to complain about what's going on (especially since there are other teachers in far worse predicaments). It was time for me to think positive about everything that came my way, even the challenges. I refuse to let them get me down.

Attitude is everything. When I changed my outlook, things didn't bother me as much. Don't have resources to teach like they want us to teach? It allows me to access parts of my creativity that I didn't even know I had. Have double the amount of work cos they added more students who don't understand my language? That's more children for me to reach. Our principal wants us to do what by when? That's ok. I'm strong. God's got my back...I've got this.

I can still smile. God has given me such a peace that I can't even explain. Since I've changed my attitude, I'm loving it here even more. I've even started going out and enjoying myself more, which says a lot cos I'm normally a homebody. I live in a beautiful high rise apt (rent free), I'm minutes away from the beach, I'm part of an education reform that will help build up a new country, I'm touching the lives of children who, because I taught them, will be bilingual before they even reach 6th grade. I've met people who have the potential of being life-long friends. I'm doing things that, this time last year, I wouldn't have thought I'd be doing.

Are your circumstances giving you grief? Try changing your attitude. Think positive instead of negative. I know it's so cliche, but go on...try it and see what a difference it makes!