All I Want for Christmas

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If I have to list down everything that I want to receive this Christmas, I would fill up a page or two of a regular-sized paper. On top of that list is a new computer. My HP netbook has been slowing down my work pace for the past months already. It’s very slow in loading up web pages. Even booting and rebooting it takes up a lot of time!

I should listen to my sister when she gives me her “this is how to speed up your computer" lecture. But I have a lot of things to “study” and learn lately, a brand new computer is my solution to my computer problem.

So yes, I want a new computer this Christmas. Any takers?

Noche Buena Feast

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Noche Buena is one of the many Christmas traditions that our family practices every year. Not a single Christmas eve passes by without doing this yearly tradition. At the strike of midnight on Christmas, the kids are woken up to check their Christmas socks for gifts from Santa. More gifts are also under the Christmas tree for the kids and adults to unwrap. The adults take turn in singing their favorite songs on the Karaoke machine or play Bingo. More family games are done while feasting on the sumptuous meal laid out on the dining table, right after saying grace.

our Christmas dinner
forgot to take out cake and salad from the ref
siomai - gone in 50 seconds

But before the Noche Buena feast, preparing for it is very tiring and stressful. The gifts are bought two months before the celebration. It’s purposely done that way, bought way ahead of the December month, to save on the high prices that shots up during the holiday season and to avoid the Christmas rush. 

Next on the to-do list are the clothes. We have a theme-color every year for Noche Buena and the Media Noche, New Year family dinner, as well. For the Christmas dinner, most of the time, we usually wear red, green or red and green - the Christmas colors. The next year’s “color of the year” is usually the theme-color for the New Year dinner.

A small family meeting is done for the planning of what to prepare for Christmas dinner. Usually with a bottle of wine, and sometimes non-alcoholic “wine”, and chips. A list of the menu is then done, as well as the list of the ingredients that needs to be bought a day before the Christmas dinner.

The day before Christmas. The morning of December 24 is done visiting the grocery store to buy the ingredients needed for Christmas dinner. Last minute buying of gifts is also squeezed in on the schedule. After the usual dinner, kids then prepare Santas cookie and milk, put it under the tree then they got tucked in bed at around 8 pm. Excited kids, read: my son, begin snoring at 10 pm or 11 pm already.

Before midnight, someone has to take a big bite on the cookie and drink some of the milk. When midnight strikes, the happy chaos begins.

cough and allergy season

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December is not just Christmas season on my side of the world. It is also the time when cough, cold and allergies zap out the energy out of even the most energetic people. If you already have the symptoms, here are some ways to zap them out of your system right away.

- Visit your doctor at the first sign of symptoms.
- Gargle with salt water to sooth sore throat.
- Double up your dose of vitamin C.
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables.
- Avoid sweet and cold food.
- Keep warm.
- Get at least 8 hours of sleep.
- Rest, rest and more rest.

To prevent the spread to people around you

- Always cover you mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough.
- Avoid crowded places and too much contact with people.
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water.

Five Question Friday

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First time I'm joining, hope I'm not late. Here goes...

1. Do you have a go to song that always puts you in a good mood?
Yes, I wanna be a billionaire! Who wouldn’t feel good being, or at least dreaming of becoming, a billionaire one day?

2. Are you a real Christmas tree kinda person or do you go with a real fake one?
Fake one. Don’t have good pine trees, in this country, that are small enough to fit in our house

3. What are you thankful for?
Right now, I’m thankful for crackers. I forgot to eat lunch and it’s already past 3 in the afternoon. Good thing I have some crackers in the pantry.

4. Which fashion fad from the past do you wish you could wear today?
Nothing really.

5. Do you wait until the "low fuel" light comes on before you fill up the gas tank?
I don’t drive so this question is not applicable for me?

Drop by Five Crooked Halos if you want to join in the fun!

Christmas 2011 Wish Number 1

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I go for the simple things in life. Anything too extravagant -not my taste. This is especially true with the clothes that I have. Anything that can catch too much attention I definitely won’t buy.

That dress is on my Christmas wish list. Fashionable but simple. And I’m sure that design will hide the flaws around my tummy area. Although it's a bit big, I also love the clutch bag. Perfect combination.

hot summer heat

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The sun was very bright in our bedroom window this morning. Is summer here already? Hopefully not! The weatherman said that the country will still experience rain for a few more days. Why the hot morning sun then? I'm not thrilled with the flooding in some parts of the country and in other parts of the world. But a little drizzle, that'll give cool air on my face, is more welcome than the humidity that we have in this country all year round.  

                               craigrogers

But as the day progressed, clouds began forming in the sky. It's 4pm already and not a single rain has dropped yet. No rain but cool air blowing, I love! When I stepped in the shower, the glass tiles felt so cold on my bare feet. It usually takes more than 30 minutes for me to take a bath, but 10 minutes in the cold shower was more than enough for me to bear.

The weatherman was right, we won't experience the heat of summer yet.

what I hate about Christmas

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Celebrating christmas eve in the Philippines is never complete without a Noche Buena feast. Yes, a feast. Not just two or three dishes but all kinds of food are prepared for noche buena. Who can resist taking a bite (or two, or more?) of mouth-watering food? I am no saint when it comes to eating yummy food.

Actually, the whole time we were on vacation, all I did was eat! So yes, I gained a few pounds during our christmas vacation in the province. What's really horrible is that those few pounds settled on the wrong places! That's what I don't love about christmas, I eat too much. Top selling diet pills are now available over the counter and also online. But I will try to lose weight by exercising and eating the right amount of food. If diet and exercise fails, hello diet pills!

easy gift wrapping

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Just the thought of wrapping almost a hundred gifts, or more!, makes me tired and lazy to even start. Thank God for hallmark gift wrappers!

Lookie at the back of the gift wrapper. Lines! This is the kind of line that I like (not if it's on my face). The lines helps in cutting and folding the paper. Gifts, big or small, are more easier to wrap because of this gift wrapping papers from Hallmark.

while they're asleep...

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what's for your noche buena?

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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!

gift for a good girl

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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.

last minute christmas shopping

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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!

excited!

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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!

early christmas at sm megamall

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so depressed...

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...yesterday. I didn't go online at all.

Yesterday was my Grandmother's first death anniversary. I wasn't able to go home, in the province, because RJ's quarterly tests were scheduled this week. Helping RJ review for his tests distracted me from thinking about my Inay (Filipino word for mom) for awhile. But RJ had to go to his Chinese tutor so I was home alone. And I was not able to stop myself from feeling sad and blue.

When I saw the pictures, that my sister posted on FB today, I became more sad and homesick. I miss our house in the province. Look at our living room with its rustic furnitures. Doesn't it look so homey?

I will definitely spend Christmas and New Year with my family.

friday fill-in's #9

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1. My boots only lasted for a year, I need to replace it. Anyone who wants to give me one?

2. Will enjoy the rest of this century.

3. Imitation products- I don't like.

4. Taxi drivers driving and talking on the mobile phone? Should be put behind bars, just for an hour, just to teach them a lesson. 
5. I'd like to greet you all a Merry Christmas.

6. Christmas dinner is over, get over it? If the food didn't taste good - there's still New Year's eve!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to changing blog's layout, tomorrow my plans include reading a book from my friend Riz and Sunday, I want to go to church and thank God for all the blessings he has given my family this 2009!

merry christmas everyone!

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photo credit: deviantart