"We're all going to go and watch Jokoy," said my mom. "He got tickets for all of us. He wants to spend his birthday there."

I'm like, "What?! He bought us all tickets? Did he win bingo or something?" My BIL has a way of always winning prizes, so I wouldn't be surprised if he did. 

I remember going to my first Jokoy event back in 2016 at Humphrey's by the bay. It was such a fun evening, and you didn't want to leave your seat, because he would see you and then start roasting you. That was the time when he would talk about his mom and how she bullied him and how growing up Filipino was tough. So many people were there at his showing, and I had a great time going. 

So I was super excited when I heard we were going to Jokoy's showing at the Penchanga Arena. I didn't even know there was a Pechanga Arena. It was at the old Sports theater near Seaworld. We used to go there when the kids were little to watch Disney on Ice. I don't remember when the last time was we went to Watch Disney on Ice, but I remembered it was pretty big. 

At first, I thought the show was going to be at the Penchanga Casino, which is located in Temecula (or near Temecula) and we planned to spend the night at my Auntie's house... woohoo sleepover! Anyways, that didn't happen. Instead, they came and joined us for the evening. 

I learned that this was the second completely filled Jokoy showing in San Diego here at the Pechanga arena. The place was packed and so many people from San Diego was there. A lot of our friends and their family was there and just different ethnicities (not just Filipinos) were there to support this awesome comedian.

On screen, there was a disclaimer that said that the show, or Jokoy, is not responsible for any offensive or health hazards that may happen during the show. This included racial comments or slurs and dying from laughter.... ha, ha, ha! For reals tho, Jokoy made so many racial comments, political, and even used profanity that could be offensive to some people. For me, it's always the profanity. I believe that any show, movie, or person can still be funny or awesome without having to use curse words to get a message across, but you know, to each their own. And look, he's the successful one up on that stage and not me, so it just shows that the differences between some people is not measure on what words or language they speak to express themselves. 

What do I like about Jokoy? Other than he has beautiful eyes and a talent for dancing, his jokes are real and they're relatable. As a fellow Filipino raised by a first gen immigrant to the United States, I, too, had to open up the fridge and look at the abyss of emptiness and come up with some type of recipe in which I could survive on. It wasn't just a Gen X thing where survival is to the fittest, it's just being Filipino. So, here's a recipe for home-made brownies: 

Microwave brownies recipe
Materials: 

• one piece or two pieces of regular white bread (any will do)
• 1 Swiss Miss Cocoa Powder packet mix (non-expired preferred)

Instructions: 

1. Place white bread on a plate
2. Open Cocoa Powder packet
3. Pour the entire packet on the white pieces of bread, coating the entire top of the bread and do not lose any of the cocoa on the plate or keep it from spilling over. 
4. Then, put it in the microwave. 
5. Set timer to 1 minute and 10 seconds.  
6. Press START. 
7. Walk away from the microwave (DO NOT STARE into the microwave!!!! "It will burn your eyes!" At least that's what I was told.)
8. When the timer is done, remove the warm bread with the melted sugary cocoa powder and allow it to settle down.
9. Once settle down, it should be fairly hard, but a bit gooey. 
10. If it looks edible, enjoy... and if not, ask your little brother or sister to try it first and ask them what they think of it. If they said, "It's good!" Offer milk and eat the homemade brownie together. 

Yups! And to this very day, I barely trust myself to cook something, but if I need to eat, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich will do. Man, those were the days!

So, if you're asking if it's worth going to a Jokoy show, "YES! Go!" Before his sciatica kicks in and he can't walk the stage anymore. Poor guy, he got through the entire show and sat down a few times, but even then, he was slipping down the chair with just one cheek hanging on to the edge. He was such a sport though, because he would crack up so bad that he barely could take a sip of his water. Every time he did, he would start cracking up and the water would go through his eyes anyways from laughter. 

What was your favorite part?
Ah... getting to know Alberto... I mean, Umberto! I totally laughed at this, because I clearly remember laughing with my husband one day when I couldn't remember what my favorite Mexican restaurant was. In San Diego, there's so many... from Alberto's, Roberto's, Sergio's, Graciela's, Lolita, Panchos - what's your favorite? Anyways, the whole arena now knows that Umberto has four kids, and they are - 13, 12, and twins.... ha, ha, ha... okay! If you were there, you'd get this, but I am not going to try to repeat the joke. Let's just say, he would have sounded silly if he had said, "13, 12, 11 and 11!"

The show ended around 1030 pm, which is longer than we had all expected. We ended up staying a little longer and left the arena around 11, because you know, people had you use the bathroom and there was a long line. AYE!

Afterwards, we all took group photos, walked around the arena in search of merch and discounted deals as well as saying "hi/bye" to all of our other friends and families that went. We had a blast, and we all went home tired from laughing!

Jokoy is working on his fifth Netflix show, so you can wait to watch him, but if you can go in person and just enjoy a moment laughing with other people in an arena and not alone in your room or living room, then definitely make it a date.

​Should you go to a Jokoy show? YES!

Step into a world of elegance and magic as we delve into the enchanting highlights of the one in a life time D23 100th Anniversary Royal Ball. We were blessed with an opportunity to attend this event. Held at the historic Walt Disney Studios lot, let me share with you the history, dress code, and captivating moments that made this event truly unforgettable. 
​

​Have you guys started collecting your 100 years Disneyland medallion souvenir collection yet?! I think you’ll appreciate this map. This is a Disneyland a Anaheim map searchable on the Disney app for all your medallion needs. Hope it helps! Enjoy!

 Visit YOUTUBE!

If you live in San Diego or if you’ve come to visit San Diego, one of the best things you could ever try is carne  Asada fries. This is like McDonald’s french fries on crack with a fusion of a Mexican style taco all mashed into one. It is one of my absolute favorites. Which, by the way, is probably one way the hubster got me to fall in love with him. Ha ha ha! Except this time there’s a new Mexican restaurant in our local mall here in the Bonita area. It’s called Plaza Bonita And the exit is Bonita Road. It’s one of the locals San Diego favorite place to go, and through the years, this place has expanded and have added many more varieties. Especially in the food court.

Throughout Plaza Bonita mall, there’s plenty of eateries and small food carts throughout your shopping. You can find Wetzel Pretzel, smoothie stands, your all-time favorite Starbucks, or you can get some fruit bowls with coconut shavings and whip cream on top.

No, I’m sure this one restaurant I’m about to mention has been in Plaza Bonita for awhile now. But we finally had an opportunity to eat it there. We’ve traded elsewhere in national city, and we’ve tried this particular dish at food trucks throughout southern San Diego.

Well today, we’ve decided to give it a shot and oh boy! Was it amazing! You have definitely need to try this place. There’s lots of choices, including the Cali Mex bowls, and fish tacos. There are about five different sauces you can pick from such as habanero, and guacamole sauce. They are both so delicious when you even combine them together.

Well, let me introduce you to the Birria Fries! This is fries with beef on top, but it’s not like any other beef. It’s called birria. A marinated beef that so tender it melts in your mouth. So the fries are topped with this beef, along with some refried beans, cilantro and cheese. When you put in your first bite, it’s like heaven in your mouth! It’s definitely feeling so you have to share. There are many other places out there with Carne Asada fries that I could recommend. This is the first time we’ve tried Birria fries in our local Plaza Bonita. So if you know a place that you’d like to recommend for birria fries, please let us know - we’d love to give it a try.

“Transformers! Robots in disguise!” Is Transformer’s main epic of a theme in which robots from outer space landed on Earth to protect it from outside forces that would want to destroy the planet.

I grew up watching Tranformers as a Japanese animated cartoon. It was nothing like the movies, but just as entertaining.

So when the movies came out, I had to watch each one. There are seven Transformer movies. The movies are listed in chronological order:

1) Bumblee (2018)
​2) Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
3) Transformers (2007)
​4) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
​5) Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
​6) Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
7) Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)

Super excited for the movie that’s coming out in June 2023, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

Reference:

Fowler, M. (2022, December 19). How to watch the transformers movies in chronological order. IGN. Retrieved January 23, 2023, from https://www.ign.com/articles/transformers-movies-in-order#chronological-order

Have you ever tried a corn dog? How about a cheese dog? Now have you ever tried a Korean version of the corn dog or cheese dog? OMG! It is the best ever! The cheese was super stretchy. Is that even possible? I’ve had cheese dogs in the past from different and very common vendors that we see at the mall, like Hotdog on a stick. The Korean version is a game changer. Not only did they have different types of corndogs, but they also had potato dogs. Then, on top of that, you can add different sauces, and seasonings on the stick to give it an added flavor. This one was just a simple, basic cheese dog, and even without the flavoring and the seasonings, it came out super yummy. You have to give it a try and stop by Plaza Bonita and go to the Seoul Corndog and Fried Chicken food vendor at the food court- second level. Now, keep in mind, there is a long wait. We were lucky to be there at opening and the wait was still about 20 minutes from the time we ordered.

Hope you guys can stop by this place while in San Diego or in the area and enjoy a corn dog foodie day. You definitely also got to try the Korean chicken which was super crispy and super fresh and very delicious especially when you add it with rice, and some homemade kimchi. Baaahhhh, so yummy!

The number one question we always ask ourselves as parents when you going on a trip is, “ What are we going to bring?”

​if you have a baby you always want to make sure you have your extra wipes, your diapers, your milk, your snacks, your blankets, your lights, a stroller or even a baby carrier. When you have a toddler, you want to make sure you also have plenty of snacks, Band-Aids as needed, blanket, and energy! When you have a teenager, you can always try to bring the snacks but I guarantee they will want some thing else in the park. And they eat so much! So just bring extra money and make sure they have a jacket if it gets cold at night. Other than that try to keep up with them. With adult children , you don’t need to do very much. But, of course, as a parent you want to be able to provide and get them the things that they want or need especially if they have children of their own… Grand children! Lol!

so, on a trip to Disneyland, I made sure we had plenty of snacks. The juice boxes were a hit, and surprisingly the cheese sticks were not. The chips are gone and mostly eaten by the adults. This backpack was super awesome to use this past weekend. It was exactly what I needed it for - to keep the cheese and the drinks cold and still had space for chips and other stuff. Loved that it was lightweight and had padding so it didn’t irritate my shoulders. It’s definitely a must have when going to the parks or a picnic. Especially for field trips!

Visit AMAZON to get this backpack!

I do… saw this reel and it made me cry. Sometimes we go through some difficult moments that we don’t often talk to our spouse about. Sometimes we keep it to ourselves and let the Lord take care of it. Even so, we cry behind closed doors.

This weekend, House of the PhillipInes, will be hosting a cultural event to the public. There will be lots of food and special performances sharing what the people of PhillipInes and Filipino American culture values and pass on traditionally from generation to generation.

Enjoy this weekend with the family and kaibigans (friends) with music, stories, and food galore! Let’s eat, sing and dance in celebration of Filipino American history month.

Taste of the Philippines 2022, Saturday - Oct 01, 2022 at 10:00 am.

​Balboa Park, 1549 El Prado,San Diego,CA,United States, San Diego, United States

​Visit www.tasteofthephilippines.org and www.houseofthephilippines.org.

Today is cleaning day for me. I thought about what to clean. I thought maybe I should clean the bathroom today. Or maybe I should not. Or maybe do the laundry. I had my coffee, I had my breakfast, and then I went to go look for a snack. I couldn’t find a snack. Why? Because I just could not find a snack!

I was so focused on how my closet was so disorganized! There were open cereal boxes, baking tools that were not in the right place, and there was so much candy! I realized I’ve neglected my kitchen cabinets. We had so much snacks, and food, and things that were just too much for me to visually handle. I started off with the cereals. I closed each box, disposed the stale ones, And put the unopened ones in an area that would not be touched until the other ones are finished.

Then, I moved towards all the noodles that my kids eat. I know, I know, I know… There’s so much sodium in noodles and the noodles itself are not the greatest. Rice, breads, and noodles are staple foods in most Asian homes. Our rice holder bin holds about 5 pounds of rice alone if not more. And here’s a tip, the way we cook noodles is not just the sauce and packet in the bag. Will show you we do noodles in our home some other time, but it includes adding eggs, fish cakes, green onions, and more.

Do you like the drawers you see in the pictures? I love these drawers. They make finding things and putting things away so much easier. And they are affordable. A small investment makes a big difference when it comes to closet organization. You can get these at Home Depot and you can also find them online on Amazon. Check it out:

I worked on the kitchen drawers afterwards. This part was a bit of a challenge for me to organize. Only because everything was in Ziploc bags. If I had a choice, I would put them in containers. I just was not in the mood to stop what I was doing and go out to start shopping. So, for now, things were organized by sweets and treats, baking goods, and of course… the sauce drawer.

Overall, I think I did a pretty good job. What do you think? Send me your tips and tricks on how you keep organized, so this mama can find a snack.

Music by: FETISH “Come Check This”