Tips For A Prosperous New Year

Wow, just 2 days left and we are off to 2009!

We have already done our grocery for food supply that will hopefully last in the next two weeks. They say one shouldn't spend in the first 12 days of January and others say according to feng shui, not to spend on January 1. Well, it's confusing but I think I'll just make sure that we're covered at home so that there are no unnecessary expenses.

I have learned of some things to do in the eve of New Year to have a prosperous year ahead:

* Wear something new. I heard some say that it is best if you wear new underwear or slippers. Good thing I got a new underwear as a gift LOL.

* Get a haircut.

* Prepare 13 kinds of fruits that are round. Hmm that's a challenge because I'm not sure if I can come up with 13 hehe :)

* Open all the lights in the house, windows, doors to welcome good luck.

* Make sure that your wallet is filled with money.

* Have coins in handy or put some in your pocket. It makes for a good noise maker too LOL.

* Give ang pao to your kids. Put money inside then place it under their pillows. I don't know if there's a specific amount but I did something like this before. I put 168php and didn't spend it not until I ran out of cash LOL.

* Serve candies and kakanin (sticky rice, can't remember the english term LOL). Since both are sweet and the latter is sticky, it makes for a close-knit family and according to feng shui, it makes the family stick together. I'm definitely doing this :)

* Don't serve chicken for Media Noche because it means luck will fly maybe because of the chicken wings? Yeah or something like that.

* For those who still have growing to do, jump at midnight! This one I don't really believe based from experience hahaha!

There are still others that were mentioned but some require buying charms and other stuff so you may want to consult feng shui experts for more information. I'll try to do the tips above but of course, these will not guarantee success or even prosperity. We'll still have to do our part and ask for guidance from God.

Happy Holidays!

My family and I would like to greet everyone Merry Christmas and of course, Happy Birthday, Jesus! :)

I just finished cleaning up after we had Noche Buena. We had spaghetti, paella, ham and waldorf salad. Needless to say, I was so full and just happy to share the occasion with my hubby and brother-in-law. Pinchy was already sound asleep since 10:30pm and he'll get to open his gifts later this morning.

I already opened the gifts I received and I absolutely love them all! I'm such a sucker for receiving gifts and it doesn't matter to me if it's expensive or not. What's important is the thought that I was remembered by a friend or loved one :)

I got a planner, 2 pouch bags, couture shorts, perfume, etc. Wow, I feel so loved LOL!

Anyways, I am currently on shift and as much as I wanted to sleep badly, I still can't and will have to wait for just an hour and a half. Good thing there are no callers so I can just relax. Gosh, I realized that I'm so tired now that I think about it hehe!

Merry Christmas again! Good night!

Online Shopping

Christmas is just around the corner and for those who don't have the time to shop around in malls, Online Shopping is the way to do it. It's very convenient and there are a lot of great websites out there that have extensive directories of basically everything you need.

My husband will be celebrating his birthday on Dec. 28 and he has hinted that he'd like to get a PS3 as a gift. I searched online and came across ShopWiki which does not only provide a wide array of products to choose from but also gives the specs and features of the product. At least I can check if the item is indeed worth buying.

I'm seriously considering giving the PS3 to him because I know he's been itching to have one. Well, I'll have to check the budget too if it's okay to squeeze it in there. I'll have to shop around again because there are definitely a lot of great items that caught my fancy.

It's a Girl!

We just got home and I'd just like y'all to know that we are expecting a baby girl! :) We are so thrilled. Well, my hubby wants to have another boy but now he's thinking of what to name our new baby :) It was a pleasant surprise and during the ultrasound, I felt relieved to know that baby's healthy and she's growing up appropriately for her age. I can't wait to buy her stuff and I saw these really cute pink onesies at the mall and I'll buy some for her.

Okay, that's all for now. Got to prepare food for dinner :)

Thank you, Jesus for this wonderful blessing!

Just got lucky...again

I started collecting Yummy magazines last year and since then, I have not missed a single issue. It's a great source for new recipes to try, those that are affordable and easy to follow at the same time. I also love reading the features and restaurant reviews.

It's no secret that I'm addicted to joining contests online so of course, I also join the monthly contests in Yummy. Honestly, there was one point I got tired of joining simply because I didn't win LOL. Anyways, it's a raffle so it wouldn't hurt to join.

I checked my email today and lo and behold! I finally won! I won 1000php worth of GC from Cinnabon and I absolutely adore the store :) The cinnamon rolls are so mouth-watering and now I got the chance to eat there for free. Literally how sweet, isn't it? I'll have my hubby pick up the GC maybe next week.

Now I wouldn't get tired of joining the monthly raffle. Who knows, I might get lucky again *wink*

Bitten by the Twilight Saga

I know I'm so like a late bloomer but I only got interested with the movie and book Twilight when I happened to chat about it with a good friend. I think it was just last week. Yeah, so not cool. LOL

Anyway, I started with the first book, Twilight, and I wanted to know if the movie adaptation is worth watching in the cinema. I got hooked after that and don't have plans of looking back :)

I'm not fond of vampire stories but this one caught my fancy especially the dazzling character of Edward Cullen. Seriously, when I was reading it, I definitely decided that I would be a vampire too assuming I'm still single LOL! I love, love their lines and I absolutely adore Edward. I mean, I can totally picture him in my mind and I agree that he's dashing, beautiful, as Bella puts it.

I finally got to watch the movie last Saturday and while it's true that it's short and some important scenes were left out, overall I'm satisfied with the outcome.


The actor who played the role of Edward, Robert Pattinson fit the role to a T that I can't help but swoon :) Kristin Stewart, on the other hand, looked somewhat boyish than what I imagined Bella to be in the book. She's pretty but I thought Bella was more of a delicate and caring person albeit she tries to mask her feelings. Well, I love the rest of the characters. They're perfect for the role. I heard book 2 will start filming in March 2009 and is slated for release on 2010. It's a long way to go but as long as they have another quality film, it'll work for me. I just hope Edward will have lots of exposure because he didn't get a lot in the book hehe!

I'm still finishing book 4 so I got to go for now. Good night!

Swept Away

I so love Christopher Cross. I love listening to his songs and my favorite of them all is Swept Away. It's such a sweet song and well it's my theme song for my hubby. LOL! Cheesy, much?

Anyways, I was one of the lucky winners of free concert tickets for Christopher Cross's concert here in Manila back to back with Workshy. I have been raving about Getzmo and I haven't been joining there contests these past few months but good thing I won this time.

It was just last night and til now I still can't forget the experience. There were a lot of people when Workshy opened the show but a lot more came in when Christopher started his performance. He's still got the same voice, it's just like listening to a CD. I loved his hits like Sailing, Arthur's Theme, Never be the same and when he did the acoustic versions of Think of Laura and Swept Away, the crowd were all cheering. Sigh. I wish I recorded it but good thing I found this vid of Swept Away in Youtube:



credits to user cetera06

Swept Away

I never had anything happen so fast
I took one look and I shattered like glass
I guess I let it show 'cause your smile told me you knew
That you're everything I ever wanted at once
There's no holding this heart when it knows what it wants
And I never wanted anything more than to know you

I was swept away
No one in the world but you and I
Gotta find a way to make you feel the way that I do
I was swept away
Without a warning
Like night when the morning begins the day
I was swept away


And so it begins
This journey of love
The summer wind carries us to places all our own
The words of a look
The language of touch
The way that you want me means so much
And I never wanted anything more than to love you


Seeing my tomorrows in your eyes
I was swept away


I hope I wake up soon
I'm a victim of that crazy moon


The very first time you said my name
I knew it would never sound the same
Something about me is changed forever

I could listen to this song over and over again and never get tired of it :)

Thanks again Getzmo for the tickets! Hope to win more in the future!

Barney overload

I posted last week that I bought tickets to the Barney Dino-Mite Birthday Show at SM North. We watched it last Saturday and what can I say, my Pinchy definitely had a blast!

The show ran for about 45mins and it started promptly at 6pm. There were only a few of us who watched on that schedule and there were a looot of empty seats but still voices of kids singing along with Barney filled the theater. When Barney first came out, my son was starstrucked! LOL! He wasn't blinking and maybe he was thinking if that was really the same Barney he watches everyday :)

He wasn't moving but when Barney and friends sang If you're happy, which happens to be his favorite song, he broke into a wide grin and started clapping! It was really great to see him happy and the other kids were all happy too. It's a good thing Barney sang all of his faves so he was up on his feet.

It was my first time to watch a Barney show and I can say that it's worth its ticket price. I was just kind of expecting that the set will be elaborate as well just like in the videos but maybe it was too much :D

I hope Barney comes back for another show in the future and when that time comes, I hope my youngest child will be old enough to appreciate it so that I can bring s/he along with Pinchy :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow, it's been 10 days since I last posted an entry. I've a lot of stories but just wasn't in the mood to right LOL

Anyways, I'd like to greet our friends in the US who are celebrating Thanksgiving Day today :) Have a good one to everyone out there!

We don't celebrate it here in the Philippines but I'm thinking of preparing a special dinner for later to kind of celebrate too. After all, there are a lot of things to be thankful for :)

I hope everyone's doing great. Talk to you later!

I like to move it, move it

I'm almost on my 21st week of pregnancy and like what I read in Babycenter.com, I should be feeling the soft movements of my baby inside. I have been feeling it actually since last week and it's a very nice feeling. I hope s/he's healthy and I can't wait for my ultrasound on December and hopefully everything turns out fine and we get to know baby's gender too. Also, I hope my placenta moves up as I have been giagnosed with low-lying grade 1 placenta.

I'm sure everything will turn out fine. I'll just go back to lying down, prop my feet up the wall and wait for my baby to move again :)

Good night everyone!

I love you, Barney!

Pinchy loves anything Barney. He watches the videos day in and out. Whenever I sing the I love you song to him, he sways and smiles sweetly at me. And when I finish, he pinches my throat LOL That means I have to sing again. I even recorded it on my phone so that I can just play it to him over and over and over :D

Whenever he's crying or having a tantrum, we just play the video and he stops, just like that. He really loves Barney so it's just fitting that we treat him to the Barney Dino-mite Live On Stage show this Nov. 22 at the SM North Edsa. The tickets are pricey but we just bought the premiere ones at P590 each. I bought 3 in all so that Dadi, Pinchy and I can watch :)



I'm super dee duper excited! I heard it's just going to be a short show but still I'm sure Pinchy would love it and it will be a wonderful experience for him.

To those who will watch too, let's all enjoy!

Random Stuff Tag

I got this award from Abi!



Random Things About Me? Read on:

- I absolutely love chicken. For food, that is.
- Bejeweled Addict.
- Harry Potter fanatic.
- Internet freak. I check my email and other stuff as soon as I wake up!
- I love wristlets and cute (read: small) purses
- Mall rat.
- Pack rat.
- I abhor rats especially those big, hairy ones. Eeew!
- I love being a Mom and Wife.
- I procrastinate a lot. See, Abi tagged me last Nov. 9 and it's Nov. 15 now. Tsk.

I'm tagging: Prima

Tag Me!

Amor tagged me! So Here it is. Thanks, Amor!

A. Attached or single ? — Attached
B. Best friend? — I got plenty :)
C. Cake or pie? — Cake
D. Day of choice? — Sunday
E. Essential item? — Computer
F. Favorite color? — Blue
G. Gummy bears or worms? — Gummy Bears
H. Hometown? — Manila
I. Favorite indulgence? — Chocolate cake/ice cream
J. January or July? — January
K. Kids? — 1 going on 2 next year
L. Life isn’t complete without? — my family
M. Marriage date ? — Aug. 18, 2006
N. Number of magazine subscriptions? - None. I just buy which ever catches my fancy
O. Orange or apple? — Orange
P. Phobias? —- Needles LOL
Q. Quotes? — If God puts you through it, He will see you through it.
R. Reasons to smile? — my family and friends
S. Season of choice? —- Summer
T. Tag 5 people - Abi, Mari, Leaves of Tarkong, Marly, Chamie
U. Unknown fact about me? - Let's leave it unknown, shall we? :)
V. Vegetable ? — Okra, Eggplant, Squash
W. Worst habit? — procrastination
X. X-ray or ultrasound? - Ultrasound
Y. Your favorite food(s)? - cake, Ice Cream, BBQ, Chicken, Spaghetti, Pizza
Z. Zodiac sign — Pisces

My Baby Penguin

Last Oct. 31, we headed to our Training Center in Pasig City for the annual Trick or Treat Halloween party. We got there late so I saw some colleagues along with their kids.

It was Jeremy's first time for such fun activity and we even bought him a Penguin costume but then he didn't want to wear it LOL

He's really uneasy when we arrive at an unfamiliar place to him and he cries when people greet him. There is a technique though: just let him wander around, get to know the place and the faces he's seeing and after a few minutes, he'll be smiling :) He just doesn't want to be rushed because he's still warming up and wants to take his sweet time.

Anyways, we were not able to snap a good pic of him at the party because he was fidgeting with the costume. And in 10mins or less, he already puked on it LOL He was eating lasagna and trying to play at the same time so there :D

Good thing we had our dress rehearsal at home so here's one decent pic:



He's such a cutie. Sorry, just a proud Momma here :)

Maybe next year he'll be more mature so he gets to wear this again LOL

Have a great day!

Now Showing: High School Musical 3

I finally got the chance to watch the latest (and last) installment of the High Musical franchise and what can I say? It rocked big time! :D



I loved the choreography, the songs and it's good that all of the main cast got to sing their last hurrah!

The story is set to the senior year of the Wildcats with the championship game opening the movie. Of course, Wildcats won and then they prepare for their prom with the theme, Last Waltz. The Drama Club then enlists the whole class for their play aptly entitled The Senior Year. They get to play themselves as the characters of the elaborate spring musical. Each character reflects their fears and hopes for the future.

Kelsey is in-charge of music while Ryan does the choreography. To make things more exciting, representatives from the Juilliard School will be in attendance and Kelsey, Ryan, Sharpay and Troy will be observed as they are being considered for admission. Sweet!

Gabriella, on the other hand, has been accepted to Stanford University and she is in a dilemma because she doesn't want to leave Albuquerque just yet. She wants to slow down and is torn big time. So is Troy because he wants the best for Gabriella but at the same time wants to be with her. He's also confused with what he would like to do in the future.

There's also a new girl in school who applied as an assistant to Sharpay. She seemed nice but later in the end her true colors were revealed as she just wanted to take over Sharpay's role in the Drama Club.

While watching the film, I can't help but get teary-eyed as I wax nostalgic about my own senior year in high school. It was so fun and I remembered prom night too and graduation where my friends and I cried while singing the graduation song. Ah, that was one of the best years of my life!

This is a must-see movie and the thought that I won't be seeing them all again makes me sad so I'm hoping this won't be the last of the series LOL

I hope you find the time to watch it too and let me know what you think *wink*

Gift Pens and more

Christmas is just around the corner and why not give personalized
Gift Pens, watches, and leather gifts? It has free engraving as well, it couldn't get any more personalized than that. For more information, just click on the image below:

New skinny

So, what can you say about my new template? Is it cute or what? LOL

I was browsing earlier for new templates as my old one looked so plain. Luckily, I stumbled upon this one and it's just too cute, at least for me.

I've yet to update my blog roll and too bad I forgot to save the links before I changed my template :( I was hoping it would still be on my message board but then, it only saved the first page. I hope you get back to me and give me your links again so that I can add it.

TIA!

OOOPSS...I checked again and guess what, the other messages are still available! LOL No need to give me the links again, my bad :D

Mood: Happy

That's what I'm feeling at the moment, actually it started last night when I checked my online EON account and what do I know, my funds from Paypal were already transferred! Woot! It only took two business day. I've had the funds back in July or was it August but my EON debit card was only processed this October. Finally I'll get to withdraw my earnings from blogging! How sweet is that?!

It will really be a great help since payday is still next week. At least we'll have a little to spare. We're still reeling from the effects of my hospitalization almost 2wks ago so yeah, I'm just so thankful :)

Good day everyone!

Just Checking In...

Hi everyone!

I was hoping to post a longer entry but unfortunately, I closed my laptop without saving it LOL Too bad blogger wasn't able to save it in my drafts automatically.

Oh well. I guess I'll have to try again tomorrow :)

Weee! It's weekend again. Time flies when you're having fun. I can't wait for my rest day.

Health is Wealth

Yeah, I know it's cliche but really I got to appreciate my health more when I got hospitalized last week for Amoebiasis. It was a nightmare I wouldn't want to go through again not to mention very scary because I'm also 15wks pregnant. Imagine my horror when the OB-Gyne said she couldn't find my baby's heartbeat! I swear I could've died at that instant but good thing I didn't (LOL) because when we went to the ER, the nurses there patiently located my baby and we heard the heartbeat at last! Turned out the doctor was just not the most patient person at all and for sure I wouldn't be returning to her for a check-up.

That was also the second time for me to be hospitalized the first one when I gave birth. I'm not so afraid of doctors and needles anymore maybe because I know what needs to be done will be done, whether I like it or not. Important thing is I get well in the end and get to go home to my family again. I missed them so much! I missed sleeping in our small bed, I missed the smile and laughter of my son, and I could go on and on but it will never be enough to describe how happy I was when I was finally discharged from the hospital. I got a good night's sleep, the best since my stay at the hospital.

I stayed at the OB ward and there were a lot of women checking in and out who have just given birth. I remembered my experience too and from the looks of it, I can say it's really different strokes for different folks. Some of them were already up and moving just hours after giving birth while some can barely move. I think it's all in the mind and will power. I am not the most courageous person out there but when it was my turn, just hours after delivering normally, I mustered enough courage to walk outside my room to visit my baby who was at the incubator then. The other patients were surprised because maybe they didn't expect it from me. In my case, my motivation was to finally see my baby and and it was more than enough to make me stronger and withstand the pain.

Right now, I am still recovering but definitely I learned my lesson albeit the hard way, expensive and painful way. I even wanted to chastise myself for my carelessness but then, it already happened and I could never bring it back. I'll just go on living but this time, mindful that whatever happens to me, happens to my baby too. And that I would never allow anything bad to happen to my precious one.

Thanks to my family who took care of me and stayed with me at the hospital, my friends who sent me their wishes for a fast recovery, to my hubby of course for never leaving my side (well, technically he left at night to go home because it's only Pinchy and his nanny at home but you get the gist :D), to the nurses who were very patient in checking my baby's heartbeat every now and then to make sure his heartbeat returned to normal, and also for never failing to give me my medicine and for checking on me, to the doctors too, and of course, to our Almighty God for giving me the stregth as I went through everything. Truly, He never gives us something we couldn't bear for He will always be by our side making sure we make it through til the end. Amen.

Road Trip

...cheap style, that is :)

Last night, Pom said he wanted to have dinner at Hap Chan, a restaurant he really likes. So after my shift, I just rested for a few minutes and then took a bath. It was already 9pm when we hit the road and of course, we brought Jeremy along. His nanny took the day off so it was just the three of us.

My son loves to ride in the car and just go for a short drive. He was so observant of the things around him and was quiet the whole time.

When we arrived at the resto, there was a cute little girl he can't seem to take his eyes away from LOL He so wanted to play with her that he was trying to get out of the door as the little girl's family were about to go home. I know my baby loves kids so I'm sure he'll be more excited when he meets his baby sis or bro. :)

We just had a quick dinner as we were the last customers. Delish food as usual and our bill was just almost 600php. Not bad for a filling meal.

Finally, we're all full and Pom didn't want to go home yet so we just drove. From Congressional Ave., we went to Quezon Ave, then off to Blumentritt. We then drove to Manila Bay and checked out Star City. We might go there one day to try it out. After that, we went straight to Makati and while there, we decided to pay a quick visit to a dear friend as we don't always go there. Good thing Mari was still up when we arrived and just had a little chit chat :D She hasn't seen Jeremy, her godson, eversince his christening last year. It was good to see you, Mari! Til next time!

After that, we drove to Bonifacio High Street then to Pasig and finally to Katipunan. It was such a breeze to drive at night as there were not much vehicles on the road. Next destination was Fairview and by this time, Jeremy was already asleep. Just a few minutes more and we were on our way home. We arrived at exactly 12mn.

It was a nice experience for us. For only 300php of gas, we were able to go around the metro. Good thing gas prices went down so our gas money came a long way. And of course, thanks to our trusted car-oo. It's an old model, all right but it still delivers for us :)

Happy Sunday everyone!

Family Update

I'm finally on the way to recovery. I didn't have fever since last Saturday and the colds too. I just have this cough left which I hope will go away very soon :)

For the past week I haven't been eating much because everything is just so bland. Sigh. But slowly but surely, it's all coming back to me now. Yay! Can't wait to eat a full meal again *grin*

Pinchy unfortunately got sick too. He had fever for 2 days with cough. He just has cough now and we're diligent in giving him his medicines so that he gets well very soon. I love you, baby!

Lastly, Pom is sick too. Aaww. It looks like I was the virus carrier. His just started last Sunday and right now, he doesn't have fever anymore but still has colds. Get well soon, Dadi!

What's new?

I finally went to my OB Gyne for a check up and she prescribed me antibiotics for my cough because it got worst. I also have colds and my fever also persisted although it was just on 38c. Sigh. As much as possible, I didn't want to take medication but in this case, it can't be avoided because I have to get well as soon as possible too. Good thing the medicine I was given was safe for pregnant women although it doesn't come cheap. It's 70php per tablet and I have to take it 3x a day for 7 days. That's the cheapest, mind you. But of course, I'll do whatever it takes to make my baby safe :)

Anyways, I also got to listen to baby's heartbeat for the first time and it's great to know that s/he is doing fine, thank God! The heartbeat is strong and while we were listening, the baby moved thrice! I can't wait for the next check-up just to hear it again :)

In other news, I am feeling guilty lately because I'm not able to carry Jeremy the way I used to before. He's heavy and it strains my back when I carry him. I think he has an idea that he's going to have a younger sibling soon so he's more demanding of my attention. Sometimes he doesn't want anybody to carry him. Just Mommy and he's fine. What I do is I carry him for a few minutes and then we sit. I make it a point to cuddle him as much as possible just so he knows Mom and Dad will always love him. He loves kids so I bet he'll be excited to see the baby next year :)

Well, I was not able to go to work earlier as it conflicted with my OB's schedule. I'll just take it easy now and rest so that I can work again tomorrow.

Bye!

Under the weather

Sigh.

I have been feeling under the weather lately. I even had a slight fever earlier today and I know it's not good for the baby. My OB Gyn gave me the go signal to take paracetamol but if the fever persists or my temp goes up, I will have to have a check up to find out what is causing the fever. It is accompanied by cough and colds and I'm getting paranoid.

I keep on monitoring my temp and thank goodness, it went down. I will still have to check it from time to time just to be sure though.

Aside from this, I don't have the appetite to eat too :( I even lost 1kg. Hopefully, I'll be able to bounce back when I get well. I gotta eat healthy for two :)

Gtg and get some rest now. Bye!

Mango Fever

The flavor of the week is Mango. I was watching tv the other day and those sweet, big mangoes caught my attention.

Earlier today, Pom bought big ones for me and yep, I ate one right away :D I remembered to snap a pic before I placed them in the ref to cool.



You might wonder whatever happened to the watermelon. Well, it was soo last week :D Mangoes are in for me this time :D

Watermelon Junkie

We went to the grocery earlier to buy our supplies and I went home happy because we bought a whole watermelon and it was only 40php! Well, I'm not sure if you can call this cheap but it's big, but not so big, and most of all it was really sweet! :D

Almost half of it we already ate so I told Pom if we could go back later when my shift is done and perhaps buy 2 more LOL I just love watermelon and as I mentioned in my previous post, I'm really craving for it everyday :D

Cravings of a Preggers

When friends ask me which foods I am craving for at this stage of my pregnancy, I am not really so sure. I don't even know what a craving really is. Is it something I haven't eaten in a while? Or food that I always prefer to eat. Oh well, I guess it's a mix of the two. See, I haven't experienced this on my first pregnancy. I just ate anything that was put on my plate LOL

But now that I think about it, I have a ready answer. I always crave for fried chicken (toss up between KFC and Jollibee), watermelon (yum!) and spam. It's like I can eat all of these everyday but I know, it wouldn't be healthy. And the fried food doesn't help my heartburn too. But still, I love the food I listed :)

Happy Weekend!

Happy Pinchy

We went to SM fairview earlier today to buy some stuff and I was really excited to let Pinchy play in the Kid's Village. I've already seen it before and I thought it would be a good place for our son along with his nanny to stay at while my hubby and I do our errands.

We initially signed up for 30 minutes because we were hoping to go home earlier. However, when the time came for me to pick them up, I saw that my baby was really enjoying himself and he was running and pushing the car and playing with the balls. He even went to the moviehouse when he heard barney's song on the background. I think he stayed for a few minutes watching but then he went out and continued playing.



That's his picture above while busy playing with a car. The second one when we took him to the rides. My baby boy looked so cute wearing his new polo shirt. He looked like a big boy :)

When it was finally time to go home, I had a hard time prying him away from the door as he was pushing me so he can go back inside LOL. When we finally got to walk away, he kept going back. It was really a fun day for him. He was already asleep when we got home. He slept from 3pm until 7pm! He woke up twice in between only to ask for milk. When he was fully awake, he ate spaghetti (his favorite!) for dinner and I think just about 10pm, he was already asleep again. I could see him smiling while sleeping. I'm thinking he's dreaming about his playdate earlier :D

We plan to bring him there at least twice a month so that he can learn to interact with other kids. There are not much kids his age in our neighborhood so this is a good chance for him to meet new playmates. Maybe I can bring Pinchy and his cousin, Aileen, there one of these days :)

It's Confirmed!

Well, I have known about this since last August but I was finally able to confirm my 2nd pregnancy yesterday when I underwent a TVS to have my baby checked :)

I'm now on my 10th week and EDD is April 9, 2009. Wow, it seems a long way to go but I know from experience that time can fly really fast. I just hope that I'll have a safe and healthy pregnancy and that I'll be able to carry my baby full-term. I gave birth to Jeremy when I was only on my 33rdwk of pregnancy and I was so thankful because he was healthy and stayed at the incubator for 4 days only.

Right now, I have the usual cravings but there's nothing in particular. But if I can eat KFC's hot and crispy chicken everyday, that would be really great LOL!

I just feel uncomfortable sometimes because I have nausea. I don't really vomit but sometimes there's this urge to do it and okay, I'll stop now lest I gross you out more :D

This morning sickness thing is new to me as I didn't experience this one on my first time so I'm still adjusting. I'm just wishing that I get over the first trimester so that this goes away too. Hopefully.

Anyways, I'm excited and I hope we have a baby girl this time but my hubby wants another boy. Of course, we'd be happy no matter what as long as s/he is healthy :)

Happy weekend everyone!

Getzmo! loot

It's no secret that I have been raving about Getzmo! and since June, I have won a total of 4 times! First, there were the Cinemalaya tickets, which unfortunately I didn't get the chance to use because of work but I gave it to my BIL instead. Second, the Mummy 3 premium items and Wall-E poster, third, Death Race advance screening VIP tickets which I was not able to claim because of time constraints, and finally Mamma Mia items. Wow, I'm so thankful for winning all of these items and while it may not be pricey, still the thought that I won something makes me very happy :)



As seen in the photo are Mummy 3 tattoo transfers, t-shirt which fits me nicely, Mamma Mia hat (I should hit the beach soon so that I can use it LOL), and Ipod case. Not in photo were the other items I already gave away.

I'll keep on joining the raffles and answering those questions. I'd love to win the Beijing Olympic jacket. Hope I win! :D

Love for Cooking

I love to browse online for new recipes to try out. I came across Great American Seafood Cookoff and was thrilled to find exciting recipes from their “Cookoff” which was participated in by talented chefs from around the nation.

I particularly liked Shrimp and Andouille Cassoulet from Chef Brian Landry of Louisiana. My husband and I just love shrimps and we even have this wet market which we go to just to buy fresh ones. It doesn’t come cheap but of course, we indulge once in a while. You can head over to the website to view the recipe

Looking at the recipe, it is pretty straightforward and easy to follow. And I just love the inclusion of fresh herbs and the use of vegetables too. It’s an all-in-one dish I would love to try out next time I get the chance. Maybe I could make a spicy version since I love dishes with that chili kick! My husband doesn’t like chili though, so I’m thinking I would need to create two separate dishes just to satisfy our taste buds.

It is good to use domestic seafoods in dishes since it has a great taste and you can be sure that it is fresh. This will add that oomph to your recipe as it further enhances the taste. So I suggest that when you buy seafoods, it is best to be consumed on the same day. My husband likes to eat fresh seafood so maybe we can head off to the market one of these days so we can try out this recipe. I’m already excited!

You can head over to Great American Seafood Cookoff and check out the other recipes from the chefs who entered with their recipes. There are a lot to choose from and you could even join the contest. Who knows, this might be your chance to win the Trip to New Orleans prize package!

cook off

6 Layers

…Of YOU.

::START::

RULES:
1. Add your blog/s to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs. It’s okey if you only post this questions in one blog as long as you answer them.
2. Get back to Me {Yen} and I’ll add your blogs to the master’s list HERE! Note that you are not ALLOWED to change the link of the here.
3. Copy from Start to End.
4. Tag as many friends online you know. But you don’t need to be tag in order to join.

Copy this Participants List: Me and Mine | Creative in Me | For the LOVE of Food | Little Peanut | Pea in a Pod | It’s Where the HEART Is | Around the World | SugarMagnolias | I Am Mommy | All About The Memories | Enchanted Play | Just My Scrap | Whats Up | Simply Me | Kitchen Deelite | A Mothers Horizon | In Depth | A Life in Bloom | Because Life is a Blessing | Digiscraptology | Joys iN life | Life is What we Make it | Photo Blog | Dancing in Midlife Tune | Mommy Talks | Aggie Shoots. Aggie Scraps | All Kinds of Me Stuff | The Salad Caper | Winding Creek Circle | InkBabyStudios | | All Things Me | Feels Like Home | Because Life Is Fun | Blessings and Beyond | Mommy Earns Money Online | Pinay Mommy Online| Clark & Butchay’s Blog | Butchay’s World | Simply Jen | Jenny Said So | My Online World | My Life in this Wonderful World | Biz-N-Honey | Aeirin’s Collections | My Precious Niche |Eds Mommy Life |Just Me.. Eds | My BIG Picture | Merger Guru| Quicker8 | Insights from the Grocery Cart | MindBubbles| LivingtheHealthyLife | VanityKit | Stripe&Yellow | SomethingPurple| Em’s Detour | Joys iN life | Life is What we Make it | Photo Blog | Dancing in Midlife Tune | Ozzy’s Mom | Me,Myself+2 | Kidd Designs | Fun.Fierce.Fabulous | Tints of My Heart | Morphed | when mom speaks | walk on red | kathycot | buhay misis | kathycot cooks | Posh Post Reviews | Flowersbythewayside |The Fab and The Furious | Blog In to Space | Dancing With Butterflies | Twisted Angel | Pieces of Me | Just Let Go | Blessed Chic | Hobbies and Such | My World in My Own Word | Colorful World of Shiela| The Shopaholic Nightingale | Day to Day Miracles | Can of Thoughts | Designs By Vhiel | Anything and Everything in Between | Vhiel’s Corner | Lovin’ Life | BigMoneyList | Crissy’s Library | Crissy’s Zone | Crissy’s Haven | Vis Vires | Amazingly Me | Jenn Was Here | Shutter Happenings | Le Kulitszie Familie | Embracing Myself | BLOGSILOG |Digiscrapz: Captured Memories |Cherry’s Comfort Zone |Thinking Out Loud |Buzzy Me |Wishing and Hoping |My Blog Portfolio |Get Paid to Blog! |PRC Board Exam Results | Teacher’s Corner | Pinay WAHM | Random Thoughts | Explore Manila | My Colorful World | Bermuda or L.A. | celebrating life | my life is peachy | belly, body and beyond |Woman Style | Scribbles of My Life | In This Game of Life | The Shopaholic in Me | The Callalily Space | Juliana’s Site | A Simple life | Mommy’s Little Corner | Life’s Sweets and Spices | Moms… Check Nyo | Simple Delights | Motherhood in a Nutshell | marshimallows | A Great Pleasure | Ramblings of The Phat | when mom speaks | walk on red | kathycot | buhay misis kathycot cooks | My Random Thoughts | My World | Mom Knows Everything | Tailgaternetwork | Zook Light | Melinda Zook | Me, Myself and I | Stranded Life | iHeartREVIEWS | Lady Banana | A Great Pleasure | Mariuca’s Perfume Gallery | BEING WOMAN | See N Read | The Real Deal, The Real Me | My Virtual Closet | My Views On My So Called Life | Her Name is NOY| No Place Like Home | Digital Life Scraps | Tickled Pink Digiscrap | Angelika | Angelika’s Other Blog | In The Life Of…Mne | Everything Has A Reason | In My Kitchen | Confessions Of A Breathing Tote Bag | My Basic Fashion Folder |restnrileks | STUDENTS BLOG | KWENTONG PINAS | KWENTO NI ENDAY | BlogHop | Otwarte | Wilstop | Let’s Travel Philippines | Caffeinated Muse | Faery Dancing | Confessions Of A Breathing Tote Bag | My Basic Fashion Folder | Diane | Anything Goes! | Shae- Shae Blog | It’s a woman’s world! | The Music of My Heart | Food for the Hungry Mind | Enterntain You | (Mis)Adventures of Rona | Rona's Nook | YOUR BLOGS

LAYER ONE:
– Name: Rona
– Birth date: March 19
– Birthplace: QC
– Current Location: Novaliches
– Eye Color: Dark Brown
– Hair Color: Black
– Righty or Lefty: Righty


LAYER TWO:
– Your heritage: Filipino, Spanish
– The shoes you wore today: I just wear slippers at home
– Your weakness: Procrastination
– Your fears: Losing the people I truly love (me too!)
– Your perfect pizza: Special pizza with everything on it
– Goal you’d like to achieve in life: To raise my kids in the best possible way I can and for all of us to stay together and happy for the rest of our lives :)

LAYER THREE:
– Your most overused phrase on AIM: okie will do :D
– Your first waking thoughts: What was my dream again?
– Your best physical feature: Legs even if not long-legged LOL and my eyes
– Your most missed memory: My days while working in a site-based office

LAYER FOUR:
– Pepsi or Coke: Coke
– McDonald’s or Burger King: Hmmm...we frequent McDo
– Single or group dates: I'm ok with any or both
– Adidas or Nike: Nike
– Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Nestea
– Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
– Cappuccino or coffee: Cappuccino


LAYER FIVE

– A famous person, dead or alive, would you interview: Ninoy Aquino
– Movie can you watch and say the lines along with the actors: Harry Potter movies
– Name two of your passions in life : Motherhood and Harry Potter LOL
– Least favorite time of day: I hate mornings especially when I have an early shift.

LAYER SIX

– Use hairspray or gel: Nope
– Your favorite meal: Anything with chicken
– Color is the inside of your head when you close your eyes: Blue
– Listen to classical music: Only when I was pregnant
– Ever said LOL in real life without thinking about it: Yeah and it was weird

::END::

Tagging: Chamie and Dyoonet

...

These past few days I have not been feeling well. I don't know if my heartburn is acting up again or it's because of something else.

I ought to be happy simply because there are a lot of reasons to be but I don't know, sadness is slowly creeping in. Even if I am surrounded by people, I still feel alone. The feeling that I have to fend for myself grows stronger everyday.

Well, whatever. I hope these feelings pass. Otherwise, it'll be difficult to turn a blind eye. And I don't want to reach that point.

Another Year

Happy anniversary, Dadi :)

We have many, many more years to share together. Our family brings me so much joy and I am thankful each day because He brought you all to me.

I love you!

xoxo

Harry Potter update

Well, I don't like this update because I read online that the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been moved to a much later date. It's now slated for release on July 19, 2009! OMG. That's so unacceptable. I've already conditioned myself to wait for almost 3 months and this happens. It's almost a freaking year of waiting!

Sigh.

But then, I'll still watch it of course. It's my all-time favorite after all. I'm just sad at this news.

Sigh.

A new week y'all!

Happy Monday!

Today is the start of a new work week. I have so many things to do this week and tomorrow I'll start training on a new project. It's only part-time work and will run for approximately two months but still I'm looking forward to it :)

I got the surprise of my life when I checked my email and lo and behold, my first paid post was finally credited! Well, it's only $20 but still, it's nice to know that paid blogging really works although I haven't chanced upon a new opp again since last month LOL.

In a related news, my earnings have not been credited yet with ninerniner, another paid blogging I have been working on. I already submitted a ticket for support and hopefully they'll fill me in on what's causing the delay. I'm crossing my fingers that it will get credited soon. I am still hopeful.

Have a happy week ahead!

One Tree Hill Season 6

There are many season premieres this coming September but I am so looking forward to One Tree Hill's Season 6 which is slated to debut on September 1.



Just a few more days to go and the answer to the cliffhangers left by last season's finale will finally be answered. Who did Lucas propose to? Did Dan die? Will Nathan dump Haley and finally realize that we're totally MFEO? LOL. Okay, so the last one is just wishful thinking on my part but really, I'm dying to find out the answers. I have been searching online for spoilers but I haven't found any yet. The most I found are from other fanatics too who are also discussing who Lucas marries (if that scene was indeed real and not some dream sequence) in the end. My bet is on Peyton simply because they love each other and it would be nice to finally get the happy ending that they deserve.

According to spoilers I've read, some characters like Nanny Carrie and Rachel will return for this season and this early, I'm wondering what problem will Nanny Carrie bring to the family of Nathan again while I hope Rachel comes back as a changed woman. I'm thinking she took Brook's wad of cash so hopefully she put it in to good use unless she went back to taking drugs.

With the return of OTH, I'll have something to look forward to every week. It will surely help me de-stress from work as I have a lot going on in the next few weeks ;)

xoxo

Whatever day

I woke up feeling hungry and too bad there's no banana cue for sale in the neighborhood. Considering that I was on a 10.5-hr shift last night, I didn't get to sleep much. Maybe because of this darn colds :( My nose would get stuffy and then I can't breathe well.

I looked in the refrigerator and good thing we still have sweet ham so we just bought bread and mayonnaise and then I prepared ham sandwich. My baby Pinchy loved it! He's so easy to please and was even doing his dancing thing to show how happy he is :)

I think I'll go back to bed and try to sleep again. I have a shift at 11pm so got to rest. Because I haven't been sleeping well this past week, dermatitis is all over my face again :( Sigh. I don't even want to go out looking like this. Oh well. I'll stop stressing myself as this will just aggravate my dermatitis.

Take care!

Harry Potter trailer

Yay! I finally watched the new Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince trailer! It was just short but still it made me more excited for November when the moview is shown :)



Book is one tragic novel because it contained the tragic death of one of the main characters. I remember crying while reading the chapter and even after re-reading it, it still invoked the same emotions. Well, the book is bittersweet because it also captured the oh so sweet moments between Ron and Hermione and when they kinda reached an understanding in the end, I was like, "Finally!" :D Those who were fanatics like me will know what I'm talking about *wink*

I like this development in Ron and Hermione's relationship and I just love them both. I think I can relate more with Ron's character because we're both Pisceans LOL

Good night!

xoxo

Cleaning Day

Whew!I just finished sorting our shoes and my back aches now :D I guess that's what I get for not exercising again.

Anyways, I sorted all our shoes and got rid of the broken ones. I'm glad to find the pair of shoes that my hubby can still use because I can't fit it in our budget anymore if we buy a new one. I promised him that we'll get him a new pair come payday next month. But for the meantime, he will have to make do with the old shoes. It's not broken anyway, just needs some cleaning. :)

Looking at all my shoes, I realized that I have accumulated a lot of pairs in the recent years. It's just sad that I have to let go of some that I can't use anymore. I can't even give them away because they have deteriorated due to storage. It's nice though to find some that I can still use. I have been a flipflops girl for the last two years since I started working from home. There's no need for me to buy new ones but of course, I still have the itch to buy new shoes every now and then. After all, a girl can't have too many shoes, right?

Be back next time for more. I'll just rest and then go back to cleaning again.

xoxo

Hign School Musical 3

I am so looking forward to High School Musical 3. I have watched the first two and yep, loved them.

What's good about this one is it will be shown in cinemas unlike the first two which were shown in the Disney channel. It is slated to be shown in the Philippines on Oct. 22, 2008 and that's just a few months to go. Woohoo!

I read that the theme of the movie is Prom and it being the Senior year of the gang, it's sure to be lots of fun. For the plot, here's what I found in imdb:

As seniors in high school ,Troy and Gabriella struggle with the idea of being separated from one another as college approaches. Along with the rest of the Wildcats, they stage a spring musical to address their experiences, hopes and fears about their future.



I love my high school days so I'd definitely watch out for this one. And this might be the last one of the series featuring the original cast so I wouldn't miss this for the world. I love Troy and Gabriella, Ryan is cute, too and Sharpay is not too bad unless she comes up with a scheme to take Troy away from Gabriella LOL

I think I'll just go and watch HSM 1 and 2 again so that I don't miss them so much :D

xoxo

Limited Edition Coke tumbler

It's almost time for the Beijing Olympics and to commemorate the event, McDonalds and Coke released a collector's edition for Coke tumblers.



Just buy any value meal and add 20php and you'll get the cool tumbler pictured above. It was not easy to find a branch that hasn't ran out of these yet as they are fast selling like hotcakes. My hubby and I just bought two tumblers last Wednesday and we're planning to buy more to collect. At first I thought it was made of plastic but when I checked it, it was made of glass, in fact, it was from Luminarc so I think it's quite a steal for its price.

We hope to complete all designs so that means we have a few more trips to McDo :D

Budget Tips

I was listing the things we needed to buy yesterday because we have to stock food again. I do the budget good for 5 days so everything we need within that period, we buy it so as not to run to the market every now and then.

I find this helpful because we only buy the things that we need and to not go over the budget. It saves time if we are armed with a list so that we don’t wander in the supermarket, which in turn causes impulse buys. Sometimes this involves things that are not really needed and then the important things are forgotten. This happens to me most of the time so I don’t forget to bring my list anymore.

Also, if possible, I prepare the menu for 5 days. By doing this, I have a clear picture of the ingredients I need to buy for a meal. I ask my hubby which dishes he prefers but of course, I’ll have to approve it too LOL!

These are just some tips. I’ll think of other budgeting guides I can share :)

xoxo

Getzmo?!

I learned about Getzmo from Girltalk and I got curious because people there were raving about this website where they won freebies. So of course, it was music to my ears so I visited the site right away.

It has like a calendar of events here like concerts and movies and best of all, they do give away tickets for free. I joined all the contests that I found and basically, you just need answer questions and then include your contact information along.

I was hoping to win the Lifehouse concert tickets so that my hubby and I can go, or the Cinderella tickets starring Lea Salonga will be a great prize too. Actually, no matter which contest I win, it's fine with me as long as I win :D

Maybe a week or two after joining, I received a text message saying that I won and gave me directions on how to claim my tickets. It was for the Cinemalaya festival which is on its third year. I was so happy and quickly browsed for the movie I prefer to watch. There was this entry entitled "My Fake American Accent" and I knew right away that it's a movie devoted to call center agents. I can so relate. Anyway, we were planning to watch it today but because I have work and it also rained, we decided to give the tickets to my brother-in-law. I'm sure he will enjoy it. I won two tickets each for two movies. It will be like a movie marathon for him. And, he's also a supporter of indie films so I know the tickets will be put to good use.

Freshly-baked Banana Bread

I was on a "baking mood" last Monday and it's a good thing that we have 2 very ripe bananas I can use for my banana bread recipe. I bought a kilo of cavendish bananas and set aside two to let it ripen more. That way, the recipe will turn out sweeter naturally.



That picture above is how it looked like after I let it cool for a few minutes and turned out on a plate. By this time, my hubby was itching to slice it but I told him to wait for a few more minutes so that it will be easier to slice it LOL

This one was taken when I finally sliced it.



I baked just one loaf, enough for snack. My baby boy loved it too and finished two slices! I like baking this because it's easy to do and doesn't have a lot of ingredients. I have replenished my supply of flour, sugar and butter so I didn't have to buy these anymore.

When we get enough money, I plan to take baking lessons. I just learned by reading articles and watching tv. I bet it would be nice to learn from the experts. I'm seriously considering to start a business in the future.

No-Bake Coffee Oreo Cake

My shift at work starts in about 30mins but of course I have to update my blog first before I get caught up with calls later. :)

I was looking at pictures of my baking and cooking adventures when I saw this one. I remember I made it for New Year's eve last year. It's called No-Bake Coffee-Oreo cake and as the name implied, it's no-bake and easy to do. I got the recipe from one of the forums I frequent and needless to say, my family enjoyed this. I put this in the freezer so when it was served, it had an ice cream consistency. Very much like eating cookies and cream. It was a big hit to the kids especially. Good thing it was not too sweet so even the elder family members enjoyed it too.



I will definitely make another one very soon. It's a nice treat to beat the summer season.

Tramway Tea House

Today was special because we brought our son along on our trip. My hubby will get his clearance cert from his previous company so we decided to come with him.

We left around 10:30am so we were just in time for a buffet lunch at Tramway Tea House in Banawe. It was my first time there and I just learned about it from a magazine when they reviewed it. The buffet price was affordable and with no service charge. When we got there, the restaurant was already full. Luckily we got seated in a few minutes and of course, we were off to the buffet table.

For a relatively affordable price, there were a lot of choices. On the table spread there were dimsum, california maki, pancit, sauteed veggies, sweet and sour pork, century egg, butchi, fish fillet, crab and corn soup, assorted fruits in season, dessert, fried chicken, fried wanton, and spring rolls. These are the only food I remember but there were a few more. And they keep on replenishing the table with food, of course. I loved it!

I would surely go back there and maybe get there earlier because on a work day, there were sure a lot of people. I'd bring my whole family and I'm sure they'll love it too :)

Tramway Tea House is located at:
76 Sct.Alcaraz St.,
Corner Banawe St. Quezon City
Phone: 411-1565, 410-3717

Buffet price: 188.00 php
No service charge :)

I want a SuperCar!

We have a car, an old one at that. Of course, we have plans of upgrading to a family car so that it is convenient to travel with the whole family.

On the side though, I have my dream car. Before, I was drooling over a BMW but I stumbled upon this really cool website and guess what, there is a huge gallery of exotic cars. Super Cars has a lot of information on supercars and pictures too and they're all great. Now I can’t decide which dream car to choose!



This post is brought to you by Super Cars

Slow connection

For the past few weeks we've been having problems with our internet connection. It is so intermittent and sometimes it even goes into dial-up mode because it is uber slow.

Our dsl provider's technicians went here earlier and they fixed it, I think, and changed the modem we have been using for more than one year. I hope it really fixed it because we pay a lot and regularly too, so there's no excuse for them not to fix it. Oh well, so far I'm still online so it's still good. I hope it stays this way until later.

Approved by PayPerPost

My 3-day vacation is done and off I am to work again today. As there are not much calls yet, I checked my email as I always do. I was surprised when I found that I received many email and I was hoping that it includes the email I have been waiting for.

I got the surprise of my life when I saw the subject of one email. It read my blog has been approved by PayPerPost! Woohoo! I have long been waiting to be approved and I even updated my blog regularly to make sure I meet the requirements.

I have been blogging since 2004 and back then, my posts were just snippets of my life, rather informal writing. I heard about paid blogging from a friend who turned out to be a pro-blogger and she gave me links where I can submit my blog for approval. It was only her sideline but the fact is she's earning more from it than her full-time work. How sweet is that?!

Since I spend a lot of time online, this is indeed a great opportunity to earn extra money. Aside from that, I will be doing what I love which is writing so I can’t wait to get started. I plan to save all my earnings and keep it for future use. My budget can use a lot of help.

I have told my friends about this great chance and most of them have started their own blogs while the others already sent theirs for approval. Good luck, everyone!

For those who would like to take part in this too, please visit get paid to blog and check out cool opportunities to earn.

Happy blogging!

Apple Pie

I was browsing through my pictures and found this one of the apple pie I baked last year.



My hubby loved it even if that was the first time I baked it LOL Well, the recipe was pretty easy and straightforward to follow. It's a good thing too that even if I just kneaded the dough on the table, it turned out just right.

One of these days maybe I'll bake another apple pie or maybe apple crumble :)

xoxo

Diet and stuff

I went to the bank today to pay for the crocs athens model I bought. I hope it fits me well because if not, I'll give it to my mom. I'm so excited!

--
Before hubby and I went home, we stopped by my parents's small eatery and had lunch there. When I go there, I don't really eat much because of my diet but it turned out that I had to finish my hubby's food as he was already full. So the diet mode just flew out of the window LOL

--
I went to the grocery to buy Jeremy's baby wash and some stuff. It's so difficult to budget money sometimes because the prices just go higher and higher. Sigh. Life is really difficult now and I'm seriously pondering on what will happen in the years to come.

--
Since it's my restday, I had the chance to play with my son. He's growing up fast and I think he lost a few lbs as he is not so heavy as before. Others didn't really notice it but of course, I know. I'm his mom and it's easier now for me to carry him :) He doesn't talk clearly yet but he can in a language of his own and it's funny hearing him. If I can't seem to understand what he wants, he points to it sometimes. He's just so adorable :)

--
I just cooked tinola (chicken stew) for dinner but as I was so full when I ate lunch earlier, I just had the clear soup and some chayote and a bite of chicken. That is my attempt at dieting LOL

--
Before I headed upstairs, I felt kind of hungry so I ate two pcs. of bread with butter and a glass of iced tea. So I think it was not a diet at all :D Well, as they say it's best to take "baby steps."

xoxo

Harry Potter mode: ON

I so love Harry Potter! I was a kind of a late bloomer as I wasn't able to read the first book until 2002 but ever since I read it, I simply can't get enough :)

Come November, the latest installment of the Harry Potter franchise will be shown. It's book 6 entitled "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." I got so excited when I realized that it's coming soon. I thought the movie will be shown next year but I got the surprise of my life when I read about it in a forum.

Also, there have been reports that it will be a 2-part movie. I think this is a good idea because the book is just brimming with important events and I think it would give the book justice if there will be two parts. However, it's a torture to wait for the second part LOL Well, I have my books and DVDs so most probably I'll be on HP marathon for the weeks to come until the movie is shown.

This will do for now as I need to finish an entry for my sideline paid blogging.

Take care!

xoxo

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This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact me.


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This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

Ouchy Day

Even though it was a holiday in the US, I still got a lot of calls at work. Most of them locked out of the hotel because they went home late from watching the fireworks LOL

Anyways, it was just a regular day at work. Fortunately, we didn't get much calls anymore going into the last two hours of my shift. But late in to the day, I had this terrible headache and I was nauseated and I felt like I was about to collapse any minute :(

I don't know if it was brought about by my astigmatism or because I skipped lunch and I was very hungry, or lastly, I might have migraine. I searched online for its symptoms but I can't tell if it is indeed migraine. It was very painful and I had to lie down for about 10mins. I didn't take any medicine because we didn't have a pain killer anymore. I'll just sleep it out and hopefull I'll feel better tomorrow :)

Til next post.

xoxo

Happy 4th of July!

I would like to greet our friends in the USA a Happy 4th of July!

Since it's a holiday in the US, my stateside colleagues will most probably be on restday as they celebrate the long weekend. I have shift today and hopefully there are not much calls. I'd like to think that most of our customers will be on out on vacation LOL

I'll post again tomorrow as I need to sleep now.

xoxo

Rainy Wednesday

Our weather these days is so unpredictable. It is so hot during the day and then just minutes after, heavy rain pours. In our place, just 30mins of continuous rain leaves the streets flooded and a lot of people stranded.

It is difficult to plan on doing some errands because we'll never know if it rains while we're out. Sometimes we don't use our car in going out because of the soaring gasoline prices but that's another story. If it's not a long trip, my hubby and I just drive around in our motorcycle. It's cheaper and it's more convenient to use especially during heavy traffic. We can easily maneuver our way around.

Oh well. Tomorrow I start with my shift again so maybe I'll have to do my errands next week. I just cleaned our house earlier and after I rest, I'll tackle the shoes I have placed in a sack and it needs sorting. I will just take the ones I can still use and maybe dispose of the others.

Take care y'all!

xoxo

Proud to be Filipino

Congratulations to Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao!

Pacman stopped David Diaz at the 9th round and won via KO.

I got to watch the said round and it was quick. It seemed Diaz was really hurting and his face was all bloodied.

Pacman now holds championship belts in four divisions.

I just had to post this LOL. Pacman, we're proud of you!

xoxo

Yahoo!

When I came in for work this morning, I panicked because I was not able to login to one of our tools at work. Aside from that, I can't even get in to our chat room so I thought I was doomed.

And then I was told that most of our tools were in fact down and has been the case since 4pm EDT. It was already 11pm when I started my shift but it still hasn't come up. I felt bad for the company but I felt relieved as well because no calls for the meantime! LOL

This went on for a three hours and when I logged out, it was still not fixed. I don't know if this will be the same case this evening when I go to work. My friend asked me to cover for her for just two hours. Of course I said yes as it's additional hours too. I wish we can still relax later :)

That's all for now. I got to cook dinner in a few.

xoxo

APE

I had my APE (Annual Physical Examination) yesterday as requested by Fortune Care, our health card provider. I've never been a fan of this but I had no choice as it was required of us to undergo one.

Anyways, I went there alone as my hubby was scheduled for an exam in the company he applied for. I went to the office first to get the gift that Jean has given me back in Dec LOL It was only yesterday I had the time to pick it up. Len, our boss, just came back from abroad and good thing she was there too so I had chocolates and cookies to bring home.

After this, I went to Fortune Care's office to complete the check-up. My BP was normal and I think my physical check-up went fine too. I then had my xray and then straight to the lab for CBC. I don't like needles and even if I already gave birth via normal delivery without epidural, I still don't like them needles. The MedTech was chatting me up and I looked away and then she pricked my finger. It stung a bit but surprisingly, I didn't react. So I conclude I'm not afraid of it anymore as before.

When I have completed all the tests, I decided to just walk to the building where my hubby is still finishing his exam. It was a short distance anyway and after finding out my weight I got all pumped up to lose weight. Not until the evening where I happily munched on Lapid's chicharon. So maybe I'll start next time *wink*

Good day everyone!

xoxo

Bugsy's Brownies

I was looking at our pseudo-pantry and I noticed the brownies premix I bought last month. I've been meaning to bake this but I didn'thave the time. Today, I decided to give it a go so that we'll have something for snack.

I used Bugsy's brownie mix and it's only less than 50php. I was scrimping on my baking supplies so this really helped as I only added two eggs and 1 stick of butter. I just creamed the butter and added the beaten eggs slowly while mixing and when it's all creamed, I added the brownie mix. That's it! So simple and yet when it finished baking, it was fudgy, kind of like the one I used to buy at Brownies Unlimited but mine is fudgier and I also added mini chocolate chips on top. Pinchy ate a bit because he was still full. He just finished his bottle of milk.



Btw, I've been meaning to buy cornmeal and I was informed that it can be bought at Healthy Options. That's on my to buy list because I am so itching to bake corn muffins. I bet the hubby and baby will love it.

Bye for now!

xoxo

Sucky Thursday

My internet sucks.

Actually, it doesn't suck a lot during regular hours but really, when I'm on shift, that's when it acts up. It totally annoys me and dampens my mood.

I work from home so definitely, I need a fast internet connection. We have a good plan that's supposed to deliver but these past few months, it hasn't done that. The tech guys even came here one time to look at the problem but they can't find any. Tsk.

Maybe we can look for another provider but we'll have to save up for it first. It doesn't come cheap and especially now that things are not doing well at our account, I'm having second thoughts.

Sigh. This day shall pass and I'll just have to wait and see if tomorrow's going to be a better day. I wish.

xoxo

It's Monday Once More!

Hiya!

I have been busy these past few days because Pinchy didn't have a nanny yet but we finally got one this morning. She was recommended by our landlady and I wasn't really going to get one yet but I thought if the hubby will start working on a site-based office real soon, I would need someone to help me in taking care of baby. Especially now that he has a habit of climbing chairs and stairs LOL

I finally got a paid blogging gig. It doesn't pay that much but since I get to post unlimited number of articles every day, it will work for me. I've yet to get a debit card though so I'll work on that tomorrow.

Anyways, I'm not sure anymore if my blog will still be approved by other paid blogging sites. My blog got rejected the last time because it didn't have a high page rank. Oh well, I'll try to work on it in the days to come but if it's not for me, it's not, right? Might as well move on to other things and find other ways to earn online. Good luck!

Got go to. We have some shopping to do.

xoxo

Blog name

When I started this blog, I had difficulty coming up with a name and a header. I wanted it to sound and read catchy and of course, I wanted it to give a glimpse of what my blog is all about.

And so, I came up with what you see now right up there. I know it has been used many times but this best describes my life right now as I try to balance my time and energy as a wife and mom, and also as an independent consultant at work. It's great that I can work and stay at home at the same time but I don't know, sometimes I feel tired and well, maybe this is just one of those days.

Speaking of which, I don't have much work to do because we don't get a lot of calls so I am on the lookout for ways to earn money while at home. We don't have a nanny yet and might not be getting one anytime soon because of cost-cutting measures so I take care of my son during my free time.

That's all for now. Take care everyone!

xoxo

Chicken Cordon Bleu

When I got married, I only knew how to fry food. Or boil. Or just use the can opener and open a standby canned food.

Well, I knew how to cook but I prefer not to unless I have absolutely no other choice LOL With that, we relied on household help to cook our food or hubby cooks when he had time. But as it is, there came a time when I realized that I had to step up and do the cooking too.

I browsed online for recipes and also bought Yummy mags which inspired me a lot to try my hand at cooking again. I preferred those that have been tried and tested and easy to do.

I cooked Chicken Cordon Bleu back in January of this year and it's a good thing I was able to snap a pic of it. I followed the recipe from Yummy mag. If anyone out there would like to try it too, just inform me and I'll gladly share the recipe :)



I'll post the pics of the other recipes I've tried next time.

Take care everyone!

xoxo

Barbershop

Pinchy had his third haircut today and he's still not used to the sound of the clipper and razor which was used by the barber. However, the whole cutting session only took 15mins, shorter than the time we spent back in March.

After that, we went to my parent's house and spent the rest of the day there. Mom cooked spaghetti which is Pinchy's fave and he ate a lot LOL

I'd like to take Pinchy there at least once a week so that he can meet other kids to work on his social skills. He's a happy baby but when unfamiliar faces greet him, he'd really cry. I can't even get others to carry him because he doesn't like it. But now, I can say that he's really improved on that area as he smiles a lot now and would even let others carry him :)

We went home late and good thing we had dinner at my parents's so we all just freshened up and prepared for bed.

Good night!

xoxo

Restday again!

Happy Monday!

I'm thankful that I don't feel bad as I did yesterday. I just took 1 tablet and voila! I'm almost cured :) Well, almost because even if I am not sneezing as hell anymore, I still can't smell anything and I can't even taste food but even so, I ate a lot. Never mind the taste LOL

Today is my rest day so as usual I took the opportunity to catch up on household chores as we don't have a helper anymore. She left more than a week ago with the promise to return but I kind of got the idea that she won't come back because she brought all of her things with her and she only got her remaining salary and didn't ask for a cash advance which was her habit LOL

It's just the three of us again at home and we like it. I'm in no rush to find another nanny for Pinchy. I'm savoring every day that I get to spend with him and attend to his needs. He grows up fast and sometimes I think when did it happen? He's a big boy now and loves to climb chairs, run tirelessly, watch Barney etc. But one thing that reminds me that he'll always be my little baby is when he goes to me and gestures to carry him. I'm not sure of his weight anymore but back in March, he was already 17kgs. My back will ache and my arms will be sore from all the carrying but I can't deny him his simple pleasure. He just loves it when Mom carries him and sings him to sleep :)

Good night everyone!

xoxo