New York Trip and the Jensen Voice Competition

My trip was great!  I sang really well, didn't win anything, and had a fantastic time living the young, single-life with my brother, David, his girlfriend, Sophie, and Zane. (David's roomate)  Highlights of the trip were definitely the Museum of Natural Science where we got in for free and had a guided tour by one of David's friends who works there.  Also, our day trip to Yale College in New Haven was fantastic.  Lots of great food, I gained 7 pounds in 5 days!! Impressive I know....
So I think its safe to say that the theme of this trip was food:

The Melt Shop makes life changing grill cheese sandwiches and designer tator tots with amazing dipping sauce.

 Here is my grilled cheese with truffle oil, yes that's right, truffle oil!  So good!!!

 Here is David tearing into a piece of cake, his favorite food. is sugar.

 I may have accidentally smashed the cake in a turnstile in the subway while transporting it....hahaha!

 Kaia Restaurant-African Bar and Grill

 Really weird bird-seed like dipping sauce that is actually quite tasty...

 Baked lemons, they were gross.

 Lamb curry in a bread bowl with various dipping sauces, just ok.

 Dave in front the of Natural Science Museum.

 David and Zane eating monster ice cream cookie sandwiches from Insomnia Cookies.  Amazingly delish!

 I celebrated my b-day while in New York and my brother brought this back for me for my b-day, from Africa, where he was doing some humanitarian work,  (total loser, I know:) 

 Its a traditional african gift basket and inside was an african necklace and bracelet.  Cute huh?

 Sophie and Zane being dorks...

 Sophie and Dave on the train to New Haven.

 Me and Zane on the train to New Haven.   Trying not to barf from motion sickess and the heat.  That train was hotter than the gates of hell.....

Me, Dave, Sophie at Yale.

 Green Room in the library at Yale.

 Tiffany stained glass from the early 1900s in a classroom at Yale.

 Gorgeous.

The End.

Eva Grace and the Talent Show!

Eva Grace performed today at Memorial Parkway Elementary in their annual talent show.  She did great!  She sang "Firework" by Katy Perry and we dressed her up all sparkly and gold.  I can't get the video to upload, so go to my facebook page to view it.  Here are some pics of her in her costume:

Eva Grace also had her kindergarten graduation/awards ceremony and picnic today.  In additon to her diploma she received the award for being incredibly creative.  I was very proud of her! 

Zumba

I have been going to zumba twice a week now and I love it!  Here is what I look like in my head and in acutality:



Enjoy your day! :)

Headed to New York andThomas is 1 today!

Wish me luck, I am headed to sing another competition.  This one is in New York where  will be staying with my brother.  Its called The Jensen Foundation Voice Competition.

My baby boy turned one year old today!!!!  

7th Generation Mishap

I ordered some 7th Generation brand kitchen trashbags from vitacost.com.  When they arrived, they were open at both ends?!  So I looked up the company website and emailed them.  They had a very nice/funny representative email me back and apologize and ask if I would like a refund, new trash bags or some of their other product.  I opted for the other product and here's what they sent:

These are the trash bags that were bad.

They sent me two full-sized dish soaps,  high-value coupons, and various free samples.

I still use the trash bags, I just tie knots in the end.  It pays to take a minute and email/call a company when you have an issue with their product.

Upcoming Performances For Aguero Family

Here's the info. for the upcoming performances:

Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Competition, Thursday May 24th at 10:40 a.m.  New York, NY.  I am competing, so say a prayer that all goes well.  Finals are Saturday, May 26th, if I make it. (My birthday!)

Eva Grace is singing in the school talent show, Memorial Parkway Elementary, May 30th at 9- 10a.m.  She is so stinkin' cute!  She will be singing Firework by Katy Perry.  (she chose it, not me)

Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, Freedom Rings Concert, Wednesday, July 4, 2012 7:00p.m., Stafford Centre.  FREE CONCERT.  I am singing a set on this concert. www.fbso.org for more info.

Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, Pops in the Park, A partnership with the Sugar Land Skeeters, Thursday, July 5, 2012.  Games starts at 7p.m. and concert follows after at 9p.m.   www.fbso.org



VOX

Here's a performance I did with a singing group called VOX, which is Rob Seible's group in Houston. Our concert was at the beautiful Villa de Matel, which is a convent in Houston where they have a gorgeous chapel. I am the soprano soloist that you can hear above the group. This concert was in February. If you are interested in looking up the next season go to www.vox-rss.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k551zyt97Ws

Vitacost.com
I get great deals through this site.  Every time you refer a friend, you and the friend get a $10.00 credit once you sign-up.  A lot of times they will have free shipping on select items making your order completely free.  I have tried their trash bags, hand soap, canned beans, flax seeds, sponges, and vitamins and everything has been great.  I have had to pay shipping a couple of times, but it is worth it.  (The shipping was around $2.50)  You can also offset the cost of shipping.  For example, if you choose to purchase a $6.00 item you will have $4.00 of your credit left and they should apply that to the shipping.  Anyways, here's my referral link if you want to check it out:
 http://www.vitacost.com/Referee?wlsrc=rsReferral&ReferralCode=60287303

 *Before you finalize your order, be sure to look at the bottom of the webpage under "Ways to Shop" and check out the free samples.  I think you can choose up to two to be sent along with your order.  Also, they have a sweepstakes you can enter. 

The next box I get from them I will take a pic and upload.

Finals for Lois Alba

Thanks to everyone for wishing me well during the competition.  Unfortunately, I didn't make the finals but I sang my little heart out!  I felt really good about my performance, I sang Morro ma prima in grazia, from Un Ballo in maschera by Verdi,  and then the judges asked me to sing I Want Magic!  from A Streetcar Named Desire by Previn.  Here's the info. for today's final competition round if anyone wants to go, its open to the public: 

The Finals and Awards Program will take place in Cullen Hall and will begin at 3 pm this Sunday, May 20th.

Tickets are : $ 20 to the General public

$ 15 to Seniors and Students with ID

 

Cullen Hall is on The University of St. Thomas campus in Houston. 

May 19 and 20th

th from 1O am to 6 pm

Finals & Awards Program:

May 20

th from 3 ~ 6 pm at

Cullen Hall ~ 4OO1 Mt. Vernon

Houston, Texas 77OO6

ELIGIBILITY

US Residents and Students

Must be at least 18 years of age

ALL MATERIALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY:

APRIL 7, 2O12

PRIZES

First Place ……………… $3,5oo

Second Place ……..…..…. 2,ooo

Third Place ………..…..… 1,ooo

Audience Choice Award … 5oo

FOR APPLICATION and DETAILS

PLEASE VISIT

www.somainfo.org

Sponsored by:

1415 South Voss, Suite 448, Houston, Texas 77057

Tickets are : $ 20 to the General public

$ 15 to Seniors and Students with ID

 



Freebies and Sweeps

  I love getting stuff for free.  That being said, you do have to be willing to give out your basic information such as email and a mailing address.  Any of the freebies offered on the websites and blogs I mentioned in my couponing 101 post are usually trustworthy.
   I have won or received lots of great beauty products, Dove ice cream bars, Old Orchard Blueberry pomegranate juice, online comic book magazines,yogurts, and probably a few other things I just can't recall at the moment. :)  I haven't won a major sweepstakes yet, but I play when I can.
 Also, my neighbor is a couponer and she enters regularly to throw house parties for companies launching new product.  It's cool because they will send you coupons and freebies and you get to share them.  She has had our family over a couple of different times, once for a Chef boyardee party, and for several different beauty product parties.  (Mainly shampoo and conditioner) 

You can also go to the websites of the big box stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, etc. and look around for free samples.  Each year one of my favorite freebies is the Target beauty bag mailer.  It is stuffed full of coupons and travel sized beauty products in a cute little make-up bag.  All free.  Here's what's left of mine, some of the product has been used and the coupons are in my binder, but you get the idea:

So give it a try and don't be scared, most of the time it is legit- especially if the info. has been posted on my website or one of the ones I spoke of before, as we all test it out first!

I remembered one more site I check regularly: weusecoupons.com.  If anyone has seen the show Extreme Couponing on TLC, the guy with glasses that was on when it first aired, this is his site. 

Good luck and if you win- remember who told you about it and share the wealth! ;)

Lois Alba Aria Competition
I am performing in the Lois Alba Aria competition this Sat. so wish me luck!  If I make the finals, they will be Sunday and they are open to the public.  I will post the info. on Sat. night late or Early Sunday but the finals are at Cullen Hall on St. Thomas campus in Houston at 3p.m. 
                                            

                                                                             

Radio Performance

So you can go listen to the radio spot I did that aired yesterday.   They have it up on their website now, just go to www.thefrontrow.org and click on the box with the Lois Alba Aria competition.  I am about five minutes in, doing a short interview and one aria.  Let me know what you think!

Cell Phone Photo Dump

Here are some highlights of my lil' angels.  Important milestones:  Eva Grace lost her first tooth, Thomas has learned to walk.  And yes, this page is mainly for my momma!

I took Eva Grace to see her first real broadway show.  We went to Annie here in Houston at TUTS!  It was really fun.  Here are the pics:

Next we have a voo-doo princess. Hector took his HSPVA orchestra to New Orleans for spring break. He brought back Mardi Gras beads and voo-doo dolls as souvenir trinkets and Eva is putting them to good use here:

These are random easter photos. We took the kids to Westminster United Methodist Church in Houston to a big Easter Festival. They have all kinds of things for them to do and we brought a couple of friends along:

Cute random photos of my little man toddlering around, kissing his favorite lion, Nala, and playing:

Last but not least we have the first missing tooth!  Yeah for the tooth fairy!! (The going rate is $1.00:)

~The End~