A bit about the condo: Located on the 12th fairway of Isla Del Sol Yacht and Country Club's 18-hole championship golf course. The unit is recently remodeled and newly furnished. Everything in the condo is 100% brand new from furniture, washer/dryer to linen and kitchen utensils. The condo is just minutes from the warm, turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico, downtown St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Treasure Island, Tierra Verde, Fort DeSoto State Park and Fort DeSoto’s North Beach, one of America’s top beaches. Visiting Isla Del Sol is a way to take an island vacation without leaving the country. If you and your family are looking for a place to stay in St. Pete Beach this summer, we would love to host you =)
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
We’re officially AirBnb owners!!! πΎ
A bit about the condo: Located on the 12th fairway of Isla Del Sol Yacht and Country Club's 18-hole championship golf course. The unit is recently remodeled and newly furnished. Everything in the condo is 100% brand new from furniture, washer/dryer to linen and kitchen utensils. The condo is just minutes from the warm, turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico, downtown St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Treasure Island, Tierra Verde, Fort DeSoto State Park and Fort DeSoto’s North Beach, one of America’s top beaches. Visiting Isla Del Sol is a way to take an island vacation without leaving the country. If you and your family are looking for a place to stay in St. Pete Beach this summer, we would love to host you =)
Saturday, May 27, 2023
She did it π Class of 2023
Sunday, May 14, 2023
Happy Mother's Day π
Monday, May 1, 2023
She is committed :: Happy National College Decision Day
• First choice: Boston University (Waitlisted). Sticker price: $80/year
• Second choice: University of Pittsburgh (Accepted). Sticker price: $48K/year. No scholarships offered
• Third choice: The Ohio State University (Accepted). Sticker price: $26K/year. Scholarships: $2K since we're in state
• Fourth choice: Stony Brook University (Accepted). Sticker price: $47K/year. Scholarships: $11K
• Case Western Reserve University (Waitlisted). Sticker price: $83K/year (That's insane!). If she gets accepted, she'll receive $25K in scholarships
• University of Cincinnati (Accepted). Sticker price: $26K/year. No scholarships offered.
• University of Toledo (Accepted). Sticker price: $30K/year. Scholarships: $6K
• Temple University (Accepted). Sticker price: $45K/year. Scholarships: $20K
• Penn State University - Main Campus (Accepted). Sticker price: $52K/year. No scholarships offered.
• University at Chicago Illinois (Accepted). Sticker price: $40K/year. Scholarships: $8K
Even though University of Pittsburgh was our top choice, it just doesn't make sense to pay $48K vs. $24K per year at The Ohio State University. No undergrad degree is worth $200K. The goal is to graduate undergrade school debt free and put her college savings towards a med school. We are not planning to take on loans for her undergrad degree. Because we're in Ohio, we tend to underrate OSU but it truly is a great school. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and the James Cancer Hospital are nearby. The James Cancer Hospital is the 3rd largest cancer hospital in the nation. There are plenty of resources all across campus to get great experiences in shadowing, research, volunteering for pre-med students. We are thrilled with the decision.We survived this crazy process. Courtney is super excited for the next chapter of her life. As much as I want her to spread her wings, I am thankful to have her close by for another 4 years.


Sunday, April 16, 2023
Senior Prom 2023 π€
Friday, April 7, 2023
Japan Trip :: Tokyo
- You can get a Japan wireless pocket Wi-Fi for $4 per day and can be shared between multiple devices. I decided to get the $10 international pass offered through AT&T to connect to local data, text and calls. It worked fantastic. I was able to talk to my parents every day and the sound was super clear. No issues whatsoever. Plus, free and reliable Wi-Fi is everywhere in Japan so you don't need to have a pocket Wi-Fi if you don't want to. Make sure you download the Google Translate app prior to the trip. It's super helpful. We used it to translate everything from menus to various controls at our hotels and communicate with the locals.
- You can also pick up a Suica/Pasmo card at the airport. They are prepaid e-money card for moving around and shopping. Essential, Suica and Pasmo are the same. The main difference between them is that they are managed by different companies. We used it for everything from subways to snacks to souvenirs. The card can be purchased before heading to Japan. We rarely had to use cash except paying for food vendors here and there. If you purchase a Suica card at the airport, you can save on the activation fee (500 JPY - $4). Each person must have his/her own card. The card is reloadable at any train station.
Sunday, March 5, 2023
What I wore to the Carrie Underwood concert
Thursday, March 2, 2023
What my husband and I got for Christmas
Friday, February 3, 2023
My favorite jeans at the moment

Tuesday, January 3, 2023
First post of 2023!
- Courtney is 9 for 9 with college acceptances so far. We're still waiting on Boston University and Case Western Reserve University. Last year was all about the college application process. A lot of time was spent on researching, filling out CSS and FAFSA, college touring. We finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. To say I'm proud is an understatement!!! She has a lot of options to choose from. I'll share more details in a separate post.
- Building a wonderful friendship. I met this amazing human at the end of 2021 in such an unconventional way and we just clicked. We share the same values, same family dynamics, our kids are roughly the same age, same hobbies and interests. We are just simply enjoying each other's company. We are slowing building our friendship and had so many fun get-togethers in 2022. I definitely see more trips in the future. I love how easy going and drama free our friendship is. It's exactly what I wanted. We never try to one-up one another. I am so grateful for how positive and fun she is. Not to mention she has a killer handbag collection. I don't have too many friends but the ones I do have are amazing people.
What I set out for 2022:
- Home improvements: We planned to get new flooring for the entire house and we did. I am so in love with the new carpet (you can see it here). Yes, I prefer carpet over hardwood floors. Carpet gives a sense of peace and cozy to any home. We decided to go with Shaw premium Berber carpet and I couldn't be happier. It feels like heaven under the feet. We also replaced the old fireplace door with a custom made one. The new door now fit the fireplace perfectly. With that, our family room is finished.
- Financial goals: Thankfully, we were able to hit our financial goals despite the fact that the stock market definitely struggled in 2022. The first six months of 2022 were the worst the stock market has had in more than 40 years. 2023 still might not be a good year for the stock market. We are meeting with our personal financial advisor in the next couple of weeks to go over some realistic numbers for 2023.
- Travel: We were able to make 3 trips last year. First trip out West to explore some of the iconic National Parks. We were able to see Zion National Park, made it to the top (and down) of Angels Landing alive =), witnessed the beauty of the Grand Canyon. Pictures cannot do this National Parks justice. Unbelievably beautiful. Next is our summer vacation friends and family (part 1 and part 2). It was so much fun. We are already talking about taking another cruise this year. A couple of days before Christmas, we took the girls to Sevens Spring ski resort for our annual ski trip. Courtney and Madelyn can ski pretty well at this point. They had the best time hitting the slopes by themselves. Even though we had to cancel the trip to London, we didn't feel like we were missing out on anything. There is always next time! We also took a bunch of weekend trips to visit colleges. More on that in a later post.
- The big goal that we set for last year was owning a vacation/second home. It did not happen for obvious reasons. Housing market remains unstable. We had a few considerations but decided to hold off just a little while longer.

Plans for 2023:
- We're going to Japan for Spring break!!! This trip has been on my bucket list for years and it's finally happening. You don't even know how excited I am. We're all set! Flights, accommodations, activities are all booked. I just simple cannot wait!
- There won't be any home improvements this year. We decided to save $$ and will finish our basement in 2024. It's going to be a big project.
- College decision is going to impact our financial numbers
- My husband is getting his dream car for his 50th milestone birthday! It's something that we've been planning for a couple of years now. I promised that I won't influence his decisions lol Believe it or not, I am the realist and he's the dreamer when it comes to our marriage. I see everything for what it is. Luxury cars lose value. That's a fact. I always try to talk him out of paying a massive price for a car. Luxury cars depreciate faster than other cars. For his 50th birthday, I told him he can pick whatever he likes within a certain price range. That's going to be our big purchase for 2023.
I say this all the time but I truly am grateful for everything (my loving family, my amazing friends, our career, our health). Excited for everything 2023 will be. Wishing you a year filled with love, happiness and success.