Isabel has great balancing skills

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FexWYVENYY - Isabel got great balance

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Climbing like a monkey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itBnJ-X1LTc - Climbing like a monkey

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Making new friend eric and old friend ronan

We have a playdate with them again next wed at 9 at the park.

Lei

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

No wonder she is so tall

Look at how isabel tiptoes to drink her watermelon juice in the morning

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Mygym activities

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx_oFvdKlfM - Balance beam challenge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bigh3ETOok4 - Climbing around

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Isabel can front roll

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkT1VEpxVow - Isabel can front roll

Lei

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

I got scammed on Craigslist - alaska airline gift card

To cut down on flight cost, I have been buying airline gift cards on craigslist.  so far, I bought an American airline gift certificate and two different United Airline ones and had no problem.  Each time, I make sure I email the person and have them call me.

Once they are on the phone, I get their full name and also ask them for the gift card or certificate # to use before I pay them.  Keeping them on the phone, I would book the tickets with them.  Once it goes through, I would paypal them the discounted amount.  I would save $50-$80 on a $300 gift card.

Well, Jaime and I are going to a wedding in Maui in August.  His high school friend Don is getting married and all his best high school friends (5 families total) are going.  The tickets are expensive - almost $700 a person right now.  Well, I thought I will just get gift cards like last time.  as long as I be careful, it should be good.

After searching a few days, I came across an ad on craigslist from Berkeley $500 for $310 non-negotiable.  The price is not too low to be suspicious.  Most $500 gift card are around $300-$350 it seems from past ads.  I emailed the person and got a call from a guy named Mike.  He said he doesn't have paypal but will meet up with me in my office in SF.  Once I purchase, I can pay him in cash.  All sounds good right?

He showed up on time.  Looks in his mid-20's  didn't smell and was polite.  He sat there while I ordered the tickets.  He told me he bought it on eBay for $400 awhile back and just won't use it.  That should have been a red flag already since these cards don't expire, but I was too busy booking to think about it.    It went through just fine and I paid him cash.  Just when he was leaving, I decided to ask for his full name just in case.  He said Michael Shults.  I thought about asking for ID but the transaction went through already and he seemed nice.

Well, this morning, I got a call from Alaska Air and they told me that the gift card was purchased at 2:30pm yesterday with a stolen credit card  (I bought it at 3pm) and the credit card owners contested the charges.  They will not honor the gift card.  I called "Mike" back and left two message with no response.  Well, lesson learned.

1.  Don't pay for craigslist items in cash - the fact he doesn't have paypal is a red flag
2.  If I am going to meet him in person, get his drivers license # and name and take a picture of him even  and probably write a check
3.  Just because a gift card goes through doesn't mean it will be honored.  So always protect myself by paying it through paypal or credit card.

Well, luckily this lesson didn't cost me $310.  It cost me $10, as I was able to buy two legitimate $500 gift cards on craigslist for $700 and still kept our tickets.  A good lesson to learn for everyone!  I am debating whether to report him to the police or not.  Will they ever find him?  Is it worth my time?  I will talk to Jaime and ask his police friends to search for Mike Shults.  If he was stupid enough to give his correct name, I will have him arrested.

Happy travels and be careful of scams!

- Lei

Mygym friend Sydney

Isabel made a new friend sydney at mygym.  She is two months younger and has really cool parents - Tonia and Jay.  They just moved her from LA last October.

Lei

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Isabel and mommy time at starbucks

Now that I am doing my own business and be a mom, I try to start out my day by first spending an hour or so with isabel.  Sometimes we go to the park,  sometimes see the seagulls at the bay.  

Today,  she wants to go to starbucks two blocks away and do her puzzles.  We bring two puzzles and share a chicken panini.  Starbucks also plays jazz which she loves.  She is dancing to it now while eating the last of the panini.  She already completed both of her puzzles

Life is good for mommy and meimei

Lei

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

4 minute workout update

From my friend Nick.

Here's a bit more information on the energy systems stuff that's happening in the background, this pits Tabata as a super fat-burning workout.  http://www.tabataprotocol.com/  Also, an important quote for those who are not already very fit:  You will need to build up your endurance gradually. Therefore, you will not start out doing the Tabata Protocol the way it is typically described.

 

So, here's a 12-week Tabata progression if you want to start out at a beginner level.  Not everyone is capable of starting out doing the entire 4-minute Tabata. So, you'll need to gradually build up your ability to successfully complete the full Tabata without losing intensity, overtraining, or puking.  Here's how I progress my Tabata training over a 12-week time frame. The formula is:

 

(work time in seconds)/(rest time in seconds) x (number of sets)

Week 1 — 10/20 x6
Week 2 — 10/20 x7
Week 3 — 10/20 x8
Week 4 — 15/15 x5
Week 5 — 15/15 x6
Week 6 — 15/15 x7
Week 7 — 15/15 x8
Week 8 — 20/10 x4
Week 9 — 20/10 x5
Week 10 — 20/10 x6
Week 11 — 20/10 x7
Week 12 — 20/10 x8

- Lei

Outdoor toddler treadmill

Isabel singing Mandarin songs

Latest photos of Isabel

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

4 min workout - it's not as easy as it sounds

During our Chinese New Year dinner last night, my friend Nick (workout expert as Founder of GainFitness.com) shared this quick workout with us.  It takes only 4 min and will leave you exhausted if you give it your all.  I didn't believe it until I tried.

It's called the Tabata workout.  Nick didn't invent it but once he told me I had to tried it.  The concept is easy. 

• 20 seconds - give it your all on a workout of your choosing (e.g., jumping jacks)
• 10 seconds - rest
• repeat for 8 times for a total of 4 minutes

Sounds easy right?  Well, we tried at dinner with the help of little Sloane.  She is Kerry's 5 months old and about 16 pounds.  She loves getting picked up and lifted.  So that was my workout of choosing - sitting and lifting her up in front of me.  First 20 seconds, no problem and Sloane was smiling every seconds of it.  By the 5th set, my face was red and I was sweating.  Sloane still loved it. I lasted only to the 6th set - so 3 minutes.

Wow, and I am still sore today from it.  I tried again today and did it with Jumping Jacks.  I thought it would be easy but the 8th set was tough.  The second one was the knee high runs in place.  That almost killed me.

Well, Nick is right. It works. Now I have a workout to do during the days I usually don't work out as it takes at most 20 minute.  three 4 min workout and then 8 min of stretching.  You have to give it a try.

Go Gain Fitness!
-Lei

6th annual chinese new year dinner

Last night, we had another fun Chinese New Year dinner - Our 6th year running.  We tried a new place for dinner - Hong Kong Clay Pot in Chinatown.  We had crab, lobster, fish, claypot, free range chicken, salted fish fried rice, honey walnut prawns, beef chew fun, garlic snow pea leaves, etc.., and many bottles of TsingTao.  All for $20 a person.

It was another diverse group - I met Joseph and Terry for the first time and everyone else gotta to make new friends as well.  I keep forgetting who knows who.  Baby Sloane had a blast as well.  She was the main attraction actually with those big eyes and adorable smile.  Marilyn topped out our meal by bringing girl scout cookies.  It was definitely not a night for a diet.  Happy Year of the Rabbit!

-Lei