Is being a young, single mother a sin?

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I'm confused with this Andi Eigenmann and son-of-Erap boyfriend's reason for breaking up. Because she has a child already? Didn't he know that she was pregnant with someone else's child when they became a couple? Late reaction much?

I wonder why his parents don't approve of her. I actually think it doesn't have anything to do with her being a single mother. It’s not a sin to be a young, single mom. She didn’t abort or put her baby up for adoption and most probably she learned from her mistakes.

Maybe there's some truth to the rumor that she’s a prima donna?  Whatever’s the reason for their break up, if he can’t fights for her, she should just let him go.

She should be proud that she’s raising her daughter all by herself and doesn’t need any man to help her do that.

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.

irresponsible very lazy father

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I have a cousin who is now 28 years old. He’s a new dad, his son is only a month old. He got married because his girlfriend got pregnant. I saw his wife’s Facebook status yesterday stating that it would have been better not to be married. It would have been easier to call it quits if they are not married. I feel sorry for her and disappointed with my cousin.

He never finished school. He doesn’t have a job and based on what I’ve seen and read on his wife’s Facebook page - doesn’t have any plan of looking for one.

He needs help. But the help that other relatives give him will never help him in the future. They give him an allowance and an aunt shoulders the grocery shopping for him. That I think is the reason why he doesn’t look for a job. Because he has relatives who are more than willing to support HIS little family of three. So why look for a job, right?

So what does he do everyday? Chat with his friends using his cellular phone. It’s not wifi capable, imagine how much he’s paying his celphone network just so he can chat with his friends. Being the eldest cousin, I’m planning to give a suggestion to the family - put him in a center for a few months. Even if they get mad at me, I have to tell my Aunt and other family member’s helping him to stop what they are doing because it doesn’t help him at all.

Invest for your family's health

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I don't have a health insurance. That wasn't one of the benefits offered by the company where I previously worked. I realized that I should get a health insurance for me and my family. With the never ending increase of health care cost, now is the time to get one.

I researched about different health plans to be able to choose one that will be a good fit for my family's needs. The detailed explanation Medicare in Wikipedia helped me better understand the said health care program.

I found out based on my research online that not all of the amount of medical costs are usually covered in full by health insurance companies. This is where supplemental insurance can be of help. Medicare Supplemental Insurance is a policy provided by private insurance companies that fill the gaps in coverage that the basic Medicare Part A and B doesn't cover. The gaps usually covered by the said policy includes deductibles and a lot of other expenses. These expenses can sometimes add up to huge amount of money if not covered properly.

I am still in the process of comparing different health care companies and their respective health plans.  It's a must to compare several plans since each plan has different premiums and offers different benefits.

shopping has never been this easy

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My cousins' wedding is in a few days. I bought two new dresses, during SM Megamall's 3-day sale, a few weeks back. I can't decide which one to wear for my cousin's wedding, so I put both dresses in my suitcase. When I arrived in Bicol, I can't help but give the dresses to my Mom and Aunt B.

Now I have nothing to wear for my cousin's wedding. I don't want to embarrass him by showing up in church wearing a plain white shirt and faded jeans. A social networking site and a friend who's addicted to online shopping helped me with my problem.

I have a lot of things on my to-do list today. I was set on finishing it before the end of the day but I got stuck browsing my friend's summer vacation pictures. I finally realized that I was unproductive for two hours already when my Mom said that lunch was ready.

I was about to say words-not-fit-for-this-blog to myself but a car for sale by owner posting on my friend's account grabbed my attention. The car was listed in an online classifieds website. I got curious, the price was so affordable for a very fancy car, so I followed the link. It happened to be a listing on second-hand vehicles. There's a page for frequently asked questions so the site is very easy to navigate. If you're out of the country, an article on "how to sell a car by owner who doesn't live in the Philippines" is available for you to read.

I also found a dress that I can wear for my cousin's wedding. With just one click of the mouse, my "dress problem" was solved. I never thought shopping online is so easy. Have you shopped online? If you haven't yet, you should try it.

queen of multitasking

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The picture below is yours truly everyday. I know most stay-at-home or work-at-home moms can relate with me. I don't have a helper or yaya in the house. I do everything.

plus blogging, eating, washing the dishes = ME!

I can definitely say, based on experience, that working at home is much harder than working in a regular working environment. Especially with no maid! But the former is definitely more fulfilling than the latter.

to my dear Mama

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the hands that rocked my cradle

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Literally. My dad did that when I was still a baby. I was his first-born, the apple of Papa and Mama's eyes, so I was nicknamed Apple. My dad is not the type that easily gets angry. In fact, he seldom gets angry with us kids. A trait that my sister Didut has inherited. Very patient people, unlike me and my mom. So when he does gets angry, with just a simple (scary) stare, no questions asked -we obey in a jiffy.

On the 6th of this month, my Papa is turning 68. I would love to give him some cigars but it's not good for his health. I'll just think of another gift. His birthday is still a few days away so there's still plenty of time.

Happy Birthday, Papa!

trick art museum at seriland

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I got curious with this Korean "edutainment" theme park when I first saw it featured on a morning show. So off we go to Seriland The Land of Happy Thoughts last Sunday afternoon.

There are four activities, with an entrance fee of Php150 each, to choose from. The Mirror Maze, 3D Trick Art Musem, 3D Cinema Plus and Kids’ Paradise. There's an on-going promo of buy 3 get 1 ticket for free until the end of May 2011. Kids and adults have the same entrance fee.

We had the most fun at the trick art museum.

Both kids and adults will enjoy visiting Seriland, located at the 2nd floor of Manila Ocean Park, especially the Trick Art Museum. But there's no point in coming back. Not unless there are new activities and new trick arts in the future.

remembering my lola

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Last January 5 was supposedly my Lola's, who we call Inay, 93rd birthday. Lola by the way means grandmother and Inay means mom in the Filipino language. Sadly though, a few months after her 91st birthday, she passed away August of 2009.

Inay took care of all her grandchildren. Being the eldest, I'm very sure I'm her favorite grandchild. Although my sister, MT, will surely object to that observation. But in all honesty, her love for all of us are equal.

While she was still alive, she didn't avail of a life insurance, not even Burial Insurance, maybe because it was not that popular during her time. But she never complained when my Uncle accompanies her to the family doctor for her annual check up. She knows that her kids just want her to be in good health all the time.

What I remember most about Inay was her deep love and obedience to God. Not a day passes by without her praying and reading the Bible. The whole family joins her in praying the rosary before going to sleep. It was a must for us grandchildren, before we even started going to school, to know how to pray and understand the rosary.

I miss my grandma. We all miss her so much.

Red Box Greenbelt 3

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Me and my sisters invited our cousin to Red Box, a KTV in Greenbelt 3, a few hours before his flight back to the US. He is a member of a band so I was pretty sure he will enjoy it.

The Php299 + taxes per person already include buffet lunch and 12-3 pm ktv room use. My cousin enjoyed it since they don't have that in the states. I didn't.

I reserved a room the day before we went there. They assigned the room nearest the reception area. Noise from outside can be heard inside the room. What's really horrible is they were playing songs in the reception area and most probably set the volume to its maximum level. The sound system is thumbs down for me. It creates a very annoying sound whenever the two microphones are near each other! The room is not that big so here's how two people look like when singing together...

The did fix it, when I complained, but they should have fixed everything before letting people go inside the room. It was a waste of time waiting for them to fix it. Forget about the lunch buffet because it's not something to rave about. And no score at the end of each song! How will we know if we did good right?

There were a lot of bad reviews on Red Box Trinoma. The Greenbelt branch is better, they say. But based on our experience, this KTV gets a thumbs down!

To make up for the hazzardous lunch-slash-ktv date we had with our cousin, although he does like the KTV experience, we decided to give him a shirt that will make him remember his 2011 visit to the Philippines.

happy birthday didut!

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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.

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.

am i adopted?

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My Papa has a green thumb. The backyard soil, in our house in the city, is as dry as the sand in the desert. But he was able to grow plants well on that small space of unhealthy soil. He was able to harvest some vegetables and fruits. He also has flowery plants.

My Dad's Hibiscus plant

His brother also has a green thumb. My Uncle lives in Arizona. He also has a garden in his backyard just like my Dad.

My Uncle's Horseradish plant

I think I'm adopted. I have tried, a lot of times, to grow plants in our condominium's balcony. I water the plants and  let it say "Hi!" to Mr. Sun everyday. But after just a few weeks, the plant dies. I don't have a green thumb like my Dad and his brother. But come to think of it, so does my sisters!

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.

my sisters are all addicts

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And sad to say, my dad as well.

They are all addicted to facebook.

I have my proof. I discreetly took my sister's picture while she was checking her facebook account and eating lunch at the same time. She can't even turn off the computer for her to eat lunch! Funny and alarming at the same time.

I should show them this list, better find out now if they need facebook detoxification.

10 signs you’re a Facebook addict:

1. You spend more time thinking about the content of your next status post then you do about your work.
2. You walk by someone and physically “poke” them and it doesn’t phase you or them.
3. You were up until 2 a.m. waiting for your international friends to update their statuses.
4. You make your grocery list based on what others are eating from their status updates.
5. You feel important because you have been invited to become a “fan” of 200 pages in one week.
6. You spend the weekend weeding your garden…in FarmVille…and afterward feel tired, like you have actually completed manual labor.
7. You feel like you went on vacation with your friend because you followed their status updates and pictures and see no reason why you would actually need to go on a vacation.
8. You don’t decline any request to join a group as you think this is building community.
9. Instead of leaving a sticky note on your boss’ desk, you just write on his office wall.
10. The number of comments you receive on a status update determines if you feel popular or not.

need high-quality windows, any suggestion?

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I have been looking for replacement windows for our house. I need one that will make me feel safe when I am in the house with my family. I need one that is not just attractive but will also give the best security in the morning or when we are asleep at night. I need one that will keep us unharmed from burglars and other harmful people passing in our neighborhood.

While searching online, I found the website of Penguin Windows. It is the 8th largest replacement company in the US. THe company's main office is located in Washington state. Penguin Windows are currently available in Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maine.

Started in 1984, the goal of the company is to sell high-quality replacement windows to homeowners who want to make their life (particularly their home) safer.

The company offers a variety of products, including vinyl siding, roofing, and sunrooms. As the business evolved, so did the company’s focus. The company primarily focuses on  residential replacement windows. They offer the most energy-efficient windows in the industry, which guarantees at least 40% energy savings. They employ AAMA certified installers so that they can offer a 100% full service warranty on their windows as well as their installation.

Do you think I found the right replacement window company? Will it make my home safer, more attractive and energy-efficient

have you cleaned up your inbox yet?

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This was originally posted by me last April 13, 2009 entitled Messages.

I am trying to organize my email accounts. So far I finished deleting unsolicited emails as well as forwarded messages in one account. Out of 3000 inbox messages, I still retained 500.

Why didn't I delete messages even those from 5years ago?

I didn't delete messages from my family, even if its just a grocery list. Everytime I read their messages again, it makes me remember that I'm part of a group -- a group that God has chosen for me to be in. That no matter how big or small my mistakes or their mistakes have been, we'll always support and respect each other.

I didn't delete messages from my friends, even short messages like "Don't forget, kita kits on friday sa McDo Glorietta". Everytime I read their messages again, it makes me remember that I'm part of a group -- a group that I've chosen to be in. Through thick and thin, they are always

there for me. Never judging me no matter how unbelievable my decisions are.

I didn't delete messages from acquaintances, because maybe 10 years from now I can apply their forwarded messages to my life.

It's not just my email messages. I am fond of keeping text messages as well as Christmas, Valentine, Invitation, even Report cards =)

What about you, what "messages" can't you delete from your life?

my new lacoste bag

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I have a new Lacoste bag and it's pink. My aunt gave it to me this weekend. Thanks Aunt B! I love the bag because it is big. I love big bags since I always need to bring a book wherever I go as well as extra food (in case my son gets hungry).