Luminous Women

Happy Birthday Sarah!

Our girlfriend Sarah's birthday is today and worth mentioning. We celebrated her birthday at the new Arch's in Newport Beach with friends. She had all kinds of games planned for us which included Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Who says you're too old to play the game?

 Sarah and friend

 

Kelly enjoys the company at her table.

 Sarah and Kristy ham it up with the girls

Behind the scenes photoshoot with Kristy

 Emani Minerals is organic and gluten free makeup. Check out their website. www.emani.com

 
  

Celebrating Chris' birthday

We celebrated Chris' birthday bash at Capo Beach. Here are some photos.

 

Our yearly tradition of carrying the birthday boy. Whew, is he heavier?

Famous Human Pyramid. Kristy was the spotter in case anyone fell.

 

Jumping for joy! 

Haldane and Kristy

Smores!!    

Photos from Code Pink Boot Camp Amazing Race

Congrats to Christina and her company Code Pink Boot Camp which was voted #2 for The Best Personal Trainers on the FOX LA HOT LIST! This was the first time being nominated! Here are some photos from the Code Pink Boot Camp AMAZING RACE! held in Tustin, CA. 

Christina and friends

Athletes warming up.  

Sea Otter Classic

Haldane and Kristy trek up north to Monterey for the Sea Otter Classic. Haldane directed the team and Kristy managed the Yahoo! Cycling Team booth and catching up with Sponsors. Here are some photos.

Kristy and Assistant Manager Allen pose with the Sea Otter.

Cowbells!

  Team Car

Searching for that $5k car

It's been 6 month and I am still searching for that $5k car. Fortunately, I work from home and live walking distance to restaurants, grocery stores, etc. I've been sharing a car as well.

Why has it taken me so long? I have a feeling it's my unrealistic criteria, I'm looking for a 2001-2003 Honda or Toyota under 100k miles! Those cars seem to sell quickly, especially, in this economy. I've searched online and went to a few local dealerships. There was one dealership that was willing to sell me a car for $5k out the door. The conversation with the salesman was quite amusing.

I went with a male friend known as "Frugal Fred". Once we pulled into the parking lot, a slick salesman came running toward us. 

Slick Salesman: "Good afternoon and welcome, what type of car are you looking for?"

Frugal Fred: "Used Honda or Toyota"

Slick Salesman: "Great! We have plenty to choose from! What price range?"

Frugal Fred: "$5000"

Slick's expression, Priceless! Such disappointment but pointed at a light blue 2001 Camry with 120k miles. It had the retro spoiler on the trunk. It was less than desirable but I was willing to check it out.

Slick Salesman "You do know there is a tax and licensing fee?"

Frugal Fred "Yes, the $5000 would include that" 

Slick "Oh, I can't go any lower than that. It runs great and will go to auction in a few days."

Frugal Fred "Well, let me know when you can bring down the price and give me a call. Do you have AT&T? If not, call me after 7pm."

Frugal and Slick exchanged numbers and we headed back to the car. Ten minutes later, we receive a message from Slick. "Hi, this is Slick and I can sell you the car with tax and licensing for $5000. By the way, I have AT&T so you can call me without wasting your minutes". He chuckled during the message. I'm sure he's thinking "Cheap Bastard!" We haven't called him back yet. 

Fortunately, I still haven't needed a car yet. I've saved a great deal of money by not having any car payments, auto insurance, and gas. The money I save will allow me to spend more on a car and thinking about purchasing a used Honda Prius.

2010 Downgrade Challenge!

I have been challenged to downgrade my lifestyle this year. Most of my friends have very little faith and even placed bets against me! That's because I am brand loyal and a glamor girl living in Orange County, a city that intensely promotes materialism. I will prove my friends wrong and at the end of the year, I will be known as Downgrade Daisy. 

The first item I will downsize is my car. That's right, I will surrender my leased SUV which is worth $80k for a car paid in CASH. I will buy a car that cost no more than $5000 and fuel efficient. This will save me $1500 a month in car payments, gas, and insurance.  I plan to stay with foreign cars since they tend to last longer, especially, if it is used. I have a feeling that the car maybe in the 2000- 2004 range. Ugh! I will surely tint my windows. Unfortunately, I will lose the luxury but having no payments is the best luxury there is! Wish me luck and I hope to have a new car in a few weeks. If you know anyone who is selling a luxury car for less than $5k, send me them my way. No Craiglist scams!

Every month, I will provide a status of my downgrade.

Michelle's Surprise Birthday at Mozambique Restaurant in Laguna Beach.

Michelle's sister Mimi (2nd from left) coordinated her surprise birthday. 

Birthday cake. Oops! Guess we know how old she is.

  

Bra color on Facebook status

I woke up this morning and received this message in my Facebook inbox:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Subject: Having fun while spreading awareness

Hi Ladies,

Some fun is going on.... just write the color of your bra in your status. Just the color, nothing else. And send this on to ONLY girls no men .... It will be neat to see if this will spread the wings of cancer awareness. It will be fun to see how long it takes before the men will wonder why all the girls have a color in their status.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Since this message was sent by a dear friend, I decided to do it. Most of the responses were funny. I received "huh" and "why do I see colors on people's status?" from my male friends. Within an hour, all my female friends had updated their status with their bra color. After awhile, I started to see a pattern with the choice of colors. (see below)

White and boring - married with kids

Nude or Tan (no bra)- free spirited, women who like to let them hang.

Black lace, hot pink- single friends. Eventually, the boys will figure it out.

Even if I was wearing an old and ugly bra, I would not dare to mention it!

New Year's Resolution for 2010

Goodbye 2009 and hello 2010! A new year and a new identity. I'm still working on adding more to my list but here is what I started with.

1. Spend more time with friends on my B-list and make new friends along the way. Unfortunately, I spend too much time with friends on my A-list that I have neglected my other friends. In addition, I would like to make one or two new friends this year. I believe it's important because with each person that you meet, you learn something new that will enhance your life.

  

2. Eat healthy which includes a gluten free diet and no sugar. I've been juicing every morning and eating raw foods. Now that I am older, I realize the importance of nutrition and how it affects the body. I hear sugar causes aging. Yikes! My high school reunion is next year and I want to look good.

3. Reduce my debt and spend money on items I NEED and not WANT. Due to the tough economy, I feel that it's ridiculous to shell out money on materialistic items even though I am capable. This is not the time to boast about the new Gucci purse when others are struggling financially. I'm also worried about being mugged in the parking lot since crime is on the rise.

I have a friend who lives a debt free life. He is the happiest person I know. Go figure. His motto is "Stuff is stuff and you can't take it with you when you die."

This is enough for now and attainable. Let's be realistic!