27 December, 2010

happy birthday didut!

This is an advance greeting to my sister Didut who is celebrating her 32nd birthday on the 5th of January. A very advance greeting from a very forgetful older, but prettier, sister. She may not know how to make handmade baby shower invitations from scratch, never really good in anything related to art for that matter, but she is very a very good cook.

                                                                                          blue-n-pink

Happy Birthday Di! My birthday wish for you is a sexy body before summer of 2011. Don't forget to Taebo everyday.

25 December, 2010

while they're asleep...

23 December, 2010

what's for your noche buena?

We already planned what to prepare for Noche Buena later. A Noche Buena is a traditional Christmas dinner with the whole family.

In the Philippines, this usually comes after the entire family has attended the late evening Christmas Eve mass or Misa de Gallo. Often on the table are: lechón, pancit, fried chicken, hamon, quezo de bola, arroz caldo, lumpia, rice, and adobo among others for the main course. Desserts include ube halaya, bibingka, rice cakes, puto bumbong, ice cream, pastries and cakes; drinks include hot chocolate, coffee, soda, wine, beer, and different kind fruit juices. wikipedia.org
Have you planned your Noche Buena menu? Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

18 December, 2010

gift for a good girl

I was looking for an Elmo Initial Alphabet T-Shirt, hot pink with a big letter F in front, for my niece Ms. F. But I can't find one that will look good with the black and pink boots that me and my sister already bought last week.

My sister reminded me that I already bought a shirt during the Rock Toonfest a few months back. And yes, it will look good with the boots too!



I now have a gift to my talkative, sweet niece Ms. F.

14 December, 2010

The Engagement Photos

Prince William and Kate Middleton pose in one of two official engagement portraits, taken by photographer Mario Testino in the Council Chamber in the State Apartment at St James's Palace in London on November 25, 2010. The prince and his fiancee, Catherine Middleton, are to get married next year, the Buckingham Palace said last month. msnbc.com

last minute christmas shopping

Christmas is just a few days away, 12 more days to be exact. I have done my christmas shopping the past two weekends. I'm not yet done though, I still have to buy more. I feel like I am spending for tradeshow giveaways and not just for a few people. I have yet to giftwrap everything also.


Christmas shopping can be tiring but fun. It also makes me depressed when I look at my savings account. But this is the time for giving and sharing so I shouldn't feel down. So here's a hooray for next weekend's last minute christmas shopping!

10 December, 2010

friday fill-in's #14


1. I wish my son won't include a laptop on his Christmas list.

2. Chocolate cake...that's what I'm thinking and what I want for dessert right now!

3. Please bring the books tomorrow, you know who you are.

4. My son is so amazing.

5. One of my fondest hopes is to have the courage to drive here in Manila.

6. You're the best son and I just wanted to say thank you for making me the proudest mom in the world.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching reruns of The Cosby Show, tomorrow my plans include shopping for Christmas gifts and Sunday, I want to see my son behaving in church!

"The Riches" wins The Amazing Race Asia Season 4

Finally! If you're one of the avid fans of The Amazing Race Asia, I'm sure you now know that "The Riches" raced their way to $100,000 last night. The Philippine team, Richard Herrera, a model, and Richard Hardin, a basketball player, finished first in the last leg of the Asian franchise of the popular reality show.

left: Richard Hardin; right: Richard Herrera
In Season 2, best buddies Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez came in third place. Last year, Tisha Silang and boyfriend Geoff Rodriguez finished in second place.

Hopefully another strong team will represent our country next year.

maturity is the key to a reasonable decision

When I was a teenager, I remember boys my age were more interested with car insurance quotes than life insurance. And girls choose handsome boys over responsible, mature young men.

It takes a lot of maturity to be responsible with our choices during teenage years. I guess everyone goes through that phase in life. Being hard-headed and following decisions that create anger and anxiety to our parents.

Archie comics

I myself used to frown at my not-so-handsome suitors back then. Why I chose an ugly, irresponsible, rich brat boyfriend for my immature self -I will never understand. I wasn't using my brain, not my heart either because I definitely wasn't in love.

As we grow older, our choices lean more on what's good for us. If I have a time machine, I will go back 15 years in the past. I will tell my teenage self to choose anyone but the ugly, irresponsible rich brat nor the handsome boys.

resented with life?

Every human being experience THAT! every once in a while. Instead of letting the anger, pain and confusion ruin your day, or worse -your future, why not just replace whatever you're feeling with happy thoughts?


                                                                                     morethings.com

If that doesn't work, just offer it all to God. It works for me every time. I'm sure it will free you from whatever negativity that you may be feeling.

06 December, 2010

more investments for the new year

I am thinking of doubling my investments next year. I am still studying where to invest my modest savings. Buying a term life insurance online is one option. The other is adding more funds to mutual fund investments and some on my online stock account. The market has been uptrend for quite some time now. And my paper losses has been slowly recovering.


It's been proven, through personal experience, that putting money in a savings account is not a good idea. So I just want to leave some in my savings account and invest most of it into something profitable.

excited!

Last time we went home, to the province, was more than a year ago. And it was not a happy occasion because we had to bid our final goodbye to our grandma. But we're going to spend this year's Yuletide Season in Albay. And this vacation will surely be a happy and exciting one.

                                                                                            wikitravel
Happy because we will spend it with our family and friends we grew up with. But my two younger sisters and Dad won't be able to go home for Christmas because of work. Hopefully we'll be complete on New Year's celebration.

My Christmas wish though is to hopefully not break the weighing scale, that I step my feet on, after enjoying all the yummy dishes that will be served on Noche Buena and Misa de Gallo!

bothering me this early?

I think I'm going through an early menopause. I have always been an impatient person and I get angry easily. But it got worse lately -the past week. I get annoyed real easily. Worse is if I don't get to shout-out my anger and frustration, I can't calm down. I have been having pain and palpitation lately too.

                                                                                       popsessive

Is this menopause? I am just in my early 30's. Or is this just stress?

30 November, 2010

what's your favorite reality show

One of my favorite reality show is Kendra. I like watching her not because I'm a fan of playboy magazine. I like her personality, she's a very happy person. Her laugh is so funny and yes contagious. Whenever I have a bad day, a happy show usually lifts my mood.

kendra wilkinson
                                                        hollywoodgrind
One episode that I like was when she got depressed with how slow her body was recovering after giving birth. I didn't like it because she was depressed. I liked that episode because it shows that celebrities, no matter how sexy they are, will also have the same problems like us normal moms. She was finally able to reduce belly fat after months of exercising with a trainor.

I was shocked, as her mom must have been, when she arranged a blind date for her mom. She even interviewed middle-age guys before picking the guy that she thinks her mom will like. And that's worth another post.

we don't give receipts

I was at Cash and Carry Mall yesterday. I saw this stall in front of the grocery store selling native delicasies and other baked goodies. I got lured by the 3 for 100 sign. I got a pack of puto, brownies and chicharon. I gave a 100peso bill and waited, waited... waited for my receipt. So I asked the sales lady, "Where's my receipt?"
cash and carry mall makati
                                                imonojewelry
"We don't give receipts. I'll just give you something." She got a piece of paper and was about to write an "unofficial receipt". I said while giving back what I just bought, "Never mind. Just give me back my money."
Ive heard that everytime there's a scheduled inspection from the city hall, a lot of stalls from this so-called mall close shop for a day or two. Unbelievable right? I don't understand how Cash and Carry allow this thing to happen. They've even expanded from just a simple grocery store to a bigger mall with a department store that is soon to open. They should at least give back to the city by being a law-abiding establishment. I wonder if some Makati City hall employees are somehow protecting these unashamed business people from Cash and Carry?

29 November, 2010

leave me in peace

When I go shopping, I browse different stores for hours and hours. Sometimes I end up buying nothing at all. I am not a compulsive shopper. It's no surprise that my younger sisters don't like to tag along when I shop.

A major turn off for me is when salesladies hover and suggest things for me to buy. I will leave that store in a blink of an eye! I want to shop in peace. How can I concentrate on what I am looking for if they're suggesting a new shampoo or perfume that I don't necessarily need? I will definitely forget what my purpose was in going in that store.

yummy yogurt
                                                                yummy yogurt after shopping!
To all sales ladies out there, please just approach a customer if they beckon you to help them. Or if they've been browsing the same item for hours already. Don't bombard your customers with suggestions as soon as they enter the store. Sometimes what you want us to try on doesn't even look good on us, not exactly our type or we don't even need. Please allow us to see for ourselves, we're not blind, what your store has to offer.

26 November, 2010

early christmas at sm megamall

hide those pictures!

I don't want to see any of my close-up pictures when I was in high school. I cringe just thinking about it. I had pimples and acnes back then. Lots of it on my young face.

My mom never allowed me to use anything on my face except for soap. Well, I live in her house so I had to follow her rules! Dermatologists at that time were unheard of, in the province where I live, let alone acne pills
that can make the humongous acne's on my face vanish.
little girl hides face
                                                             123rf
Fast forward to present time. I can now use anything on my face. My mom even asks what she should buy to prevent wrinkles on her face. I am now enjoying my freedom! Freedom to choose whatever is good for my skin.

And yes, I will exercise that freedom to forever hide my high school photos.

friday fill-in's #13

friday fill-in's

1. Although we don't celebrate it here, these are the hree things I must have on my Thanksgiving table: spoon, fork, knife!2. My sister sacked out on the couch.
3. This is it. My son finally got a good grade in Chinese class. 90, yaay!4. It's time to decorate the Christmas tree!
5. Oh, man, thankfully it's TGIF! Time to relax and unwind after a very tiring week.
6. I need to perfect the art of being very patient.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching missed television shows, tomorrow my plans include shopping and Sunday, I want to go to church to hear mass.

no more sleepless nights

Because of my bad sleeping habit, I now have eyebags. Ugly, dark circles under my eyes. Not my first time, but I do look much worse now that when I use to sport a didn't-sleep-for-months look before. I already tried the suggestions, some but not everything, found online when I googled "how to remove dark circles under eyes".
cucumber on eyes
                                                                                         medimanage

Maybe I should just stop experimenting and just go back to my cucumber regimen. It has always done wonders in removing my dark eyebags. Frozen used-teabags or an ice bag filled with ice cubes also does the trick.

I should also sleep early, not later than 11pm, from now on. I don't want to look like a zombie anymore.

24 November, 2010

thanksgiving day sale!

i am so over you

I thought you've left by now. It's November already, just a few more days until Christmas. And yet you're still here -bothering me. When are you planning to leave?

You have this bad energy around you. Every time you're around, I feel sad -very, very sad. I can't shake the feeling that it's going to be a bad, depressing day whenever you show up.

insidesocal

I am so over you rain! You are free to go now. I am now in the mood for a cold, dry Christmas season.

Bye bye rainy days. Til we meet again.

22 November, 2010

what's inside your refrigerator?

Most of the items on my weekly grocery list are fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and meat.Seldom do I include canned food. My refrigerator is not that big, so I am thinking of replacing it with a new one. I have been using it for 6 years so it has served its purpose. I now have to move on to a new, bigger refrigerator! A refrigerator that is sturdy and reliable as my new computer's external hard drive.

                                                                                            lancaster
I am dreaming of a no-frost ref. I have to work doubly hard to buy one that can make limitless ice cubes and icy-cold water. And yes, a top of the line ref that won't melt my ice cream after just a few hours of opening it.

manny pacquiao's autobiography

PACMAN: My Story of Hope Resilience, and Never-Say-Never Determination,” is exclusively available at all National Bookstore branches for only Php300. 

enjoy and have fun!

RJ is on his way to his first-ever camping trip. It's an out of town father and son Boy Scouts' activity for 3 days. The mother and son activity, held at his school last year, was just for a whole day. I am envious because I was never allowed to join Girls Scout camping trips when I was still in school.

Boy Scout's of the Philippines

A lot of the mom's were worried, including me of course, that the dad's won't be able to take care of the kids. Some were even planning to follow the buses, in their RC cars, just to make sure the kids will safely arrive in the camping ground.

Have fun RJ!

17 November, 2010

waistline: 24

I remember going back to my pre-pregnancy size after just a few months of giving birth to my son. That was 9 years ago. Although there are lots of diet pills that really work to choose from, I decided to try eating a balanced diet and rigorous exercise first.

I exercise when RJ is asleep. In the morning, I do an hour of aerobics. In the afternoon, I do strength training. Abdominal workout is scheduled before sleeping at night.

diet and exercise
                                                                                        dietsinreview
I was a lot more disciplined then. Maybe because I have all the time in the world to exercise. I can't go out because all RJ does is sleep, sleep and sleep. With regards to food, since my son's diet at that time is purely milk, I get to eat healthy meals of mostly fruits, veggies and white meat. I don't have to think of what RJ would not hate to eat and I survived without rice for many months.

Please God, help me be more disciplined just like before. I'm dying to fit in my size 0 jeans again.

14 November, 2010

i pay my bills on my pajamas

Not all the time though.

Sometimes wearing an overly huge nightshirt with embarrasing holes all over it. Other times I do it while cooking -yes I multi-task alot. Now you get it! I pay my bills at home -online! And it made my life a lot easier.

online banking

Paying our monthly bills is not the only reason why I like banking online. Now I can transfer funds from one account to another. I can also request for a new cheque booklet and add funds to my stock accounts.

Thanks to http://www.bpiexpressonline.com/, I can now do all these without leaving the house.

proof that i am not a vampire

There's this belief that vampires are scared of garlic. If that's the case, then there's no way that I am a vampire. I love garlic!
                          healthhabits
"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." The way to a girl's heart is to give her what she wants the most. Some girls are pro flowers, some love chocolates, some will die for jewelries. But in my case, just feed me with something that has lots and lots of garlic on it. But it has to be yummy of course!

lazy me on weekends

I would love to do nothing else, except to just stay in bed reading a good book, on weekends. But my laundry day is scheduled every Saturday and church on Sundays, so I can't be lazy and not get out of bed during weekends.

                                                            apieceintime
Speaking of laundry day, I need to buy a laundry line as strong as pull up bars. Laundry shops here can't be trusted to wash clothes thoroughly.

pacquiao wins another fight

*this is RJ's news report for his social studies class

                                                                                                        static.guim.co.uk
I got this report from yahoonews.com

Manny Pacquiao wins his 8th world title. Eventhough he's smaller, he's faster and more agressive. In a spectacular crowd, the little superstar made Antonio Margarito into a bloddy and nearly blind fighter. Pacquiao won a guaranteed $15 million plus millions more from television revenues.

02 November, 2010

RJ's one week vacation

My son's semestral break officially started last October 29. School will open again on November 9. But all we did, for the past few days, is go shopping and watch a movie. Although shopping is fun for me, I am pretty sure it's not fun for my son.

I was late in booking a ticket for Hongkong Disneyland's Halloween special. It's also expensive to book for the Christmas special as well. Me and my sisters are planning to go this February. Hopefully we'll get a good price on next years travel expo.

So for the remaining 5 days of RJ's semestral break, I have to find a fun activity that will make his vacation meaningful. Although I want to buy lady gaga concert tickets, I think my son will enjoy a trip to a museum more.

lady gaga
I would love to see Lady Gaga in action!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully my son will say "Yes!!!" and get excited instead of just saying "Ah, ok" with the activities that I have planned for the next few days.

29 October, 2010

unclean mineral water

I've been having doubts, for quite some time now, whether the mineral water delivered weekly in my house are indeed clean. I've read articles about unclean bottled water and unsanitary water refilling stations. Because a low start-up capital is needed, rapid growth in the number of new water refilling stations was recorded in the country. The government should also protect the consumers and make sure that these water refilling stations are not giving unclean water to its consumers.


I've been thinking of replacing my faucet sink with new faucets and at the same time installing a water purifier. I just have to research about it first since there are a lot of brands to choose from.

The Sound of Music Cast at the Oprah Winfrey Show

I am a big fan of "The Sound of Music". The very first movie that I've watched in Betamax. I have watched this movie for more than a dozen times. And I don't get tired watching it again.


Julie Andrews and the other cast of the movie we're at the Oprah Show for their first reunion in 45 years last October 28. When will it be shown here in the Philippines? I can't wait to watch it!

27 October, 2010

how to plan a surprise birthday party

You may do it alone, but a little help won't hurt. Just choose friends who are not very talkative and knows how to keep a secret. Next step is to make the invitations. The best place to find one is online. From birthday invites to baby shower invitations, it's all available in the world wide web. 
pear tree greetings
Choosing the caterer, venue and the different activities for the party can be assigned to your chosen not-talkative-friends.

Planning a surprise party can be tiring but fun!

a taxi is not a race car

I ride a taxi everyday, 7 days a week, except for days when I don't have to go out of the house. Have you ever been on a taxi in Manila? Have you noticed that most taxi drivers here drive like madmen? I doubt if their breaks even work well. I have a valid excuse for doubting, most taxi's look so old and rusty.
Manila Taxi
                                                                     survivingmanila-wordpress
I have been in heated arguements with Manila taxi drivers. Guess what they do when asked to slow down and not overtake other cars. They reply, "I'm not driving fast" and drive even more fast! There was a time when I called a taxi company to complain about their driver. Nothing happened, the driver is still speeding on the streets of Manila up to now.

These taxi drivers are not at all concerned if they cause risk to themselves, their passengers and people on the street. They speed up, beat the red light and they don't follow traffic rules. They won't get fined or locked in prison anyway. The government should do something about this problem.

win an ALCATEL OneTouch Net

how to achieve an hour-glass figure?

Healthy diet plus exercise is equal to a 36-24-36 body. It's very easy for some but very hard for most girls to achieve an hour-glass figure. I am part of the latter group, simply because eating is a big distraction for me.

Eating is more fun than sweating while exercising, right? Even if I resort to using diet pills, I don't think it will help me at all. With all the yummy food, I doubt if fat burners will work.


I have to be more disciplined to lose the excess pounds that I have been complaining about. Yes, that is the secret to an hour-glass figure -- DISCIPLINE.

do you have enough?

Are you confident that you have enough in case of "rainy days" in your life? Scared now because all you do is spend, spend and spend? Not buying what we want and what we need is definitely not the answer. We should buy what we need, especially what our children needs. We should also buy what we want once in a while. But we have to be smart on how and what we spend our hard-earned money on.

save for the rainy days ahead

Here are some ways on how we can buy what we want and need without spending a lot. Cut out grocery items from coupons. Buy clothes, books and other stuffs that are on sale. Look out for garage sales.

The money that we saved can then be used on "rainy days".

forever 21 sale again?!

26 October, 2010

acne problem?

I don't remember when I had my first pimple. But I can well remember that my acne problem was at its worst when I was in high school. If the best acne face wash was already available then, I never had the chance to use it. My mom forbade me from using anything on my face except for soap.

When I started using facial wash and scrubs on my face, the acne and blackheads we're not that of a bother anymore. If I could have only known about these products, when acne and pimples were multiplying rapidly on my face, acne scars could have been avoided.

Are you looking for ways to get rid of your pimples, acnes and blackheads? Try using the new facial wash and scrubs available in the market right now. If they can clean your face, they will definitely work on getting rid of your acne problems as well.

me? a movie star?

I can never be a movie star. I will never be able to adapt to the unpredictable and crazy sleeping pattern of these people. That will surely give me wrinkles. Then I have to use my earnings on the most expensive of the best wrinkle creams that I can get my hand on.

                                       photo: careupdates
And what if I excel in dramatic roles? A few minutes of crying gives me horrible eyebags. Movie stars are supposed to look good all the time. How will I look good with eyebags and wrinkles? No, being a movie star is not for me. I'll stick with blogging.

fresh perks from 7-Eleven


Collect points to get 7-Eleven Gift Certificates!

20 points = P50 GC
30 points =P100 GC

1 point for every P20 purchase of Dimsum, Rice Meals, Pasta, Sandwiches, Stuffed Pandesal Frutis and Cakes

Promo is from September 22 to November 2, 2010

22 October, 2010

i will never, ever do it again

Who's your favorite boy band? Mine? Whoever is topping the charts with the latest song. Well, that's actually true when I was younger (read: teenage years). When I was in Florida, at the time I was fresh out of my teenage years, 'N Sync was the hottest boy band. Back when Justin Timberlake was still sporting a curly hair.
N Sync


Although I was not a fan, of 'N Sync or any other boy band, I decided to spend a hundred dollars to watch their concert. That was my first concert outside of the Philippines. It wasn't a good experience. The very expensive ticket was for a seat at the uppermost part of the concert venue. I can touch the ceiling if I stretch my hands up and jump- really, no kidding! Me and my roommate even had to use a binocular to be able to see what's going on stage.

Because of curiosity, I spent so much money on something I don't even like. I will never, ever do something like that again.

Uhm, I bought their latest CD after that concert. I guess I wasn't thinking straight at that time...

i will replace you

I have been trying to lose some unwanted pounds. The culprit is bad carbohydrates. Filipino's love rice. Since I'm 100% Pinoy, I also include rice in every meal that I eat. I use to eat brown rice, but my son doesn't like it. And he doesn't like wheat bread. So now, we only have white rice and bread in the house. I even tried juice fat burners. It didn't work.

soon, i hope!
I am now planning to buy a treadmill. But our house does not have a space anymore. So my solution is to sell or give away our living room chairs. Any buyers or takers?

18 October, 2010

Travel In Style With Fitflop

How To Join:

1. Participants must be fans of BOTH Fitflop Philippines and The Travel Club.
     The promo will run from October 18-October 24, 2010.
     The announcement of winners will be on October 25, 2010.

2. Participants will upload their best travel photo wearing their favorite Fitflop in The Travel Club's page.

3. The promo/contest is open to all.
4. Two of the best travel photos (1 female and 1 male) will be chosen. The selected best travel photo will win a pair of Fitflop that can be claimed at The Travel Club nearest to the winners' area.
     Prize for the Lady Winner: Walkstar III in Nappa Leather
     Prize for the Male Winner: Dass

sleeping habit

I should change my sleeping habit. I have been sleeping really late, erm when Mr. Sun's about to wake up, for the past few months. This bad snoozing habit is taking a toll on my body, I am getting fat. Everytine I look in the mirror, it looks like I've gained a few pounds from last time I've checked. Or maybe it's just pure guilt knowing that I am so irresponsible with my own body lately.

I sleep at around 2 or 3 in the morning and have to wake up at 530 am to prepare RJ for school. When the school bus picks him up at around 630 am, I still have to fix the house. I then sleep at around 730 am until noon. That seems enough right? My body doesn't think so, my eyes doesn't want to open. I feel so weak the whole afternoon.

I really have to give in to what my body wants- sleeping at the right time. I need to take care of my body more. And yes, I need to drink more water also. I have to look for water retemtion remedies to make sure I am drinking clean water in the house.

14 October, 2010

i have a confession

You don't know me unless you know that I ♥ John Grisham :)

That is my status right now on my facebook page. And because of that status update, I now have two chapters of the new John Grisham novel - The Confession. It's still not out! So I, together with a few others, are so lucky to read the first two chapters of the book before it get released.

John Grisham, The Confession

THE CONFESSION goes on sale in the United States and Canada on October 26, 2010.

13 October, 2010

forever21 sale!

Forever 21 sale

can't follow simple instructions

My son had his first Holy Communion last Friday. Since it's a solemn occasion, everyone was required to wear an appropriate attire. Men we're asked not to wear T-Shirts, dungarees and rubber shoes. Women shouldn't wear sleeveless shirts, dresses with plunging necklines, shorts and above the knee skirts.

worn by fashionista dad
A lot of the guests, mostly parents of the first communicants, didn't abide with the rules. One Dad even wore an entire outfit that disobeyed all the rules: T-Shirt, maong pants and rubber shoes.

This only shows that a lot of adults can't (or doesn't want to?) follow simple instructions.
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