Irresistible Fascinations

Great Health

2011-01-07T08:24:00.004+08:00

Getting the optimum state of health is one of the things that I will attend to this year. I know this will be very hard as I have seen a lot of areas in my physical self that needs more nourishment. I have to prevent my acid reflux and mild hypertension to recur so that all the coming days will be smooth sailing. I could possibly do this by losing weight, as what my doctor have advised.

Anyway, I am already alarmed with my current body weight. Aside from the difficulty that I had on finding chic clothes that would fit me, I also felt so heavy that there were times when I catch my breath only after a short period of activity. I may resort to bodybuilding to sweat off the excess pounds but I have to consider diet too. Undergoing diet is really hard, but I have to try to go through it this year and have my system get accustomed to eating healthy and in moderation.

I am an avid desserts-muncher, and I have to cut back my intake on such sweets since they quickly build up sugar and eventually become stored fats in the body if not used up in rigorous exercises. I promise to myself to eat more fruits and vegetables so I can be sure that I will regularly dispose off wastes and toxins from my body. Likewise, they are rich in vitamins and minerals that will definitely give me the glow that I wanted. Of course, food supplements are everywhere and I plan to take grapeseed oil extracts and vitamin E supplements.

In order to reduce my body in inches, I need to do some exercise and other physical fitness activities. I saw on TV last night that it is best to jog or run for at least 45 minutes three times in a week and that is what I am going to do as soon as the series of rainfall in our area comes to a halt. I should be getting back to dancing as well, as it is my most loved physical activity in addition to my most obvious talent (as they say!). By summer vacation, I know I can very well sweat off to the highest level since it will be our agency sportsfest and time to say hello to volleyball and badminton once again.

Well, my fingers are crossed that I will be able to materialize this plan of mine. All of the above remain to be seen in the coming days. So help me God!

Welcoming 2011

2011-01-05T09:34:00.005+08:00

2010 has finally made its grateful exit and I realized that time flies so fast indeed. 2011 is now on its take off and this year marks my 10th year as a married individual, my 12th year as a government employee, and my 34th year of human existence.

Now that the New Year is here, we really never know what blessings and challenges we might be facing as the days go by. Everyday is a wonderful surprise for us so it is best to live one day at a time in order to fully cherish the moments that go along the way. Meanwhile, we are often asked for our resolutions for the new year, which are sometimes mistakenly deemed as wishes. Personally, my resolution would be to no longer make new year resolutions, but just to organize things for myself this year, I am jotting down some items which I think I need to give attention to or continue to pour out more time for. Here are my resolutions for the New Year:

Get my kids the occupational therapy that they need.
Focus more on my online endeavors so as to expand my income streams. I realized that if we rely only on our monthly income from our work, then we would be having a hard time meeting all our monthly expenses (and wants).
Shed off more (and more) excess weight. I shouldn't be dragging this here on this post since I have been ranting about this a lot of times already. Anyway, I think I need to sweat out for at least 30 minutes a day and cut back on rice and other carbohydrates-rich foods. This will be a great struggle to undergo but I have high hopes that I will be able to carry this out this year.
Smile very often. This is a very simple thing to do, which I usually overlook on a lot of instances. Smile is an effective method of keeping a cheerful disposition and it's free.
Eat more fruits and vegetable. I have already started this last year and planned to continue doing so in the next years to come. My system is slowly adapting to the change the eating of fruits and vegetables has brought about and I am actually seeing magnificent results.
Consider entrepreneurship and start a business. I wanted to become an entrepreneur for a long time and this year, I wanted to pursue that dream. Well, it's nothing big really and I will start at small things - - a step a time that is.
Read more books. I have been an avid reader in my high school and college days and now that I got married and have kids, I was not able to find time to read anymore. Thanks to some book-lover blog friends, I made a list of books worth reading that will soon find their way to my shelf.

I am intentionally putting them here for my friends and my visitors to see so I will be inclined to totally practice them. So easy and simple as they may seem, I know I couldn't do all these things without the grace of our Lord. I pray that He will bless this year for me and my family financially, spiritually, physically and emotionally. I am welcoming the new year with wide open arms and with the wish that each and everyone will be prosperous and blessed as well.

So what's your New Year's resolution?

My Christmas Wish This Year: A Nokia C7

2010-12-10T08:32:00.004+08:00

I am just simply amazed how technology has fared nowadays. A lot of remarkable items are circulating around the market and I could only stare at them in awe on how significantly they render all the conveniences to consumers.

With every new technology introduced, it is such a delight to learn they have a number of impressive features - - although it may come to a point when we get confused already which one deserves the most praise. Anyway, as far as features are concerned, I am quite keen on the camera and the data. A camera is very useful for capturing moments especially when you least expect them and a handy cellphone with an 8 mega pixel camera and high definition video could very well do that job. Likewise, I also go for gadgets that are capable of 3G and Wifi connectivity. That way, I could check on my emails and other internet related matters anywhere very conveniently. Remarkable entertainment features like Web TV, DivX players and much more certainly add flavor to my overall kind of menu. I found all these features on the new Nokia C7, which was recently launched few months back. It also has a full-touch glass display, something that I have not used yet and is therefore a must have for me.

Unfortunately, I was not born with a gold spoon in my mouth and have to work my way to acquire such a very exquisite phone. Budget has been tight as well as most of our monetary inflows went to our daily expenses for the kids and new home. This Christmas season, all I could do is wish for a heavenly intervention and that before I know it, this amazing product is already within my grasp. I couldn't ask for a more astounding phone!

Have a blessed Christmas to everyone!

Uh-Oh, White Hairs

2010-11-25T10:56:00.003+08:00

I have lots of white hair. There may be a huge quantity of factors leading to this kind of state but there is only one thing I am sure why I have them - - hereditary. Most of my relatives on my father's side have white hairs. Not that they are very old, but even my cousins who are still young have them already.

I can no longer fight off what's hereditary and so my best remedy for this dilemma is hair dye. I personally suggested to myself that it is ideal to have a regular dye at least every quarter of the year. As much as I wanted to implement this hearty suggestion of mine, I am sorry to admit that I have been failing immensely in this area - due to a number of reasons (procrastination, budget or busy schedule). But maybe if I could have a loreal professional do it for me, then I guess I could have it done on a semestral basis only. Time and money is practically saved then!

One thing I really do hate about my physical self is my hair. It tends to get messy easily, even just the slightest gush of wind. I know I have to make an effort to make it healthy-looking.

On Web Hosts And Opportunities

2010-11-23T12:04:00.003+08:00

This may have been on for long, but I just have noticed recently that most blog opportunities go for blogs having their own web host. Free hosted blogs like this one has very limited number of opportunities received nowadays. Of course, I don't have the right to complain because it is the advertiser's prerogative to choose which blogs they wanted their links on. If I were in their shoes, I would also simply go for blogs with high page ranks and own hosts as well.

Anyway, a number of opportunities still prop up once in a while for this blog, to which I am still thankful. The monetary values I received were no longer as high as before but at least they were not gone. That is what's significant, and still worth this blog to keep.

It has been three years since I created this blog and during those years, it has been my great solace online. I am grateful for the great things it has derived for me, like friends gained, income generated and insights gathered. There is just one thing though that I felt I should have done from the beginning, and that is to have its own domain and web host. There sure are a lot of budget host providers which I just have to scout for.

I guess it is still not late then . . .

Raining Cold and Christmas

2010-11-15T08:29:00.004+08:00

As I am writing this post, rain is pouring hard outside. The sky is gloomy and I could not see a trace of the sun's mighty rays or any indication whatsoever that it will come out later today. The weather is so cold, which I am loving it.

The cold rain is a clear reminder for me that Christmas is not too far away and will come knocking our doors in no time. I have been looking forward for this kind of weather so I could cozy up in our room, face to face with the laptop with a brewing hot cup of coffee on the side and a pack of Cheetos perhaps. I would be listening to Glee's Christmas album on the background which I enjoy very much while maybe doing some Christmas shopping online at Sulit.com.ph.

Well, I expect this cold weather to linger on for months. How would you spend it then?

Bathrooms In Style

2010-11-10T10:45:00.002+08:00

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I am very certain that most of us really do want to have the most comfortable toilet and bathroom in our homes. The most personal things we do are done inside this four-walled portion and it is just imperative that we do it on the most convenient way.

If I could only have it my way, I wanted a toilet and bath room that is modern and stylish at the same time, aside from being clean and fresh. It may cost me much amount of money but I know it will be worth it since all the conveniences in the world go with it. Especially for hubby who often reads inside the toilet, I also wanted it to be conducive too.

Since our home is still new, having the wonderful bathroom that I wished for is still far off the priority. But if we are to realize it right now, we would surely grab those sophisticated suites from www.betterbathrooms.com and put them in place in our home. I could really make a show off to friends with their great and wonderful designs. And what made them more of a steal is the fact that they are affordable with the great discounts and sales offered.

Well, if you think you are in need of a new and stylish bathroom suite, then please head on to www.betterbathrooms.com and be amazed at their great products that suit your budget.

New Couch

2010-11-05T14:37:00.003+08:00

We need a new couch.

I pity the one we have right now because some portions of it were already torn, courtesy of my two sons who always jump, stomp, glide and run through it. It is another hand-me-down item I got from my parents since they bought another set for their living room. It still looked very neat and great when we have it transferred to our new home though, but now rips and tears were already visible.

I will still try to save it, there are a number of furniture shops out there who offered repair and upholstery services, otherwise we will get a new one. Those rips and tears were clear indication that a new western furniture should be in place at our living room this time. This therefore calls for another money-saving endeavor, and with bonuses coming forth in the next days, maybe this will be quite possible at all.

Oh well, I'm keeping my hopes up. This couch replacement surely is included in my wish list for Christmas.

Entrecard And Blogging

2010-10-27T08:46:00.004+08:00

I have been blogging for three years already. The nice thing about blogging is that I get to express my emotions, thoughts and insights about things, and everything about the world we live in. I am not a very outspoken person and therefore I express things through writing.

I could not believe years have already passed and I am still into this. This endeavor started out only as my personal outlet on my fancies and fascinations, now I am happy to note that this blog has earned me already a lot, in monetary and social terms. I have not counted the financial inflow this blog has brought, but I could say it was already considerable (for me). I have gained a lot of acquaintances too through this blog and that is something important which I hold dear.

One thing that helped this blog reach out to the rest of the blogosphere is the Entrecard. It's been years since I signed up and I am reaping good results. I have to admit that most of the visits here could be attributed to Entrecard. They brought great traffic to this blog through returning my drops or clicking on my adverts. What is nice about Entrecard as well is that they serve as a venue for easy browsing of blogs. I get to read other interesting posts and enjoyed it a lot, aside from dropping. Moreover, I also came to know a lot of other great bloggers. And now, they are giving out credit to anyone who joins their contest!

Anyway, I am grateful for the things Entrecard has done for my blog, to which I am hopeful that they will continue indefinitely.

Healthy Teeth And Smarter Kids, Is There A Link?

2010-10-23T09:47:00.004+08:00

by Dr. J. Saladin

Pediatric Dentist

As you likely already know, our Greater Sacramento public schools have responsibly informed parents of groundbreaking legislation effective since 2006 which requires children entering public school in either kindergarten or first grade to present proof of having obtained an oral health assessment. So why is the law so concerned about our local schools? Well, this new legislature is actually a national policy. Nationally, over 51 million school hours are missed annually to dental disease, the most widespread chronic childhood disease. Only prevention, as this policy promotes, can help keep our children healthy and help keep them in our schools. As a local pediatric dentist specializing in children’s oral and dental health, every little thing counts towards a child’s overall well being. Therefore, in the spirit of prevention, I would like to contribute a little education to help parents understand the importance of baby teeth.

Many people ask me, why are baby teeth so important if they are all going to fall out regardless? The notion that our own legislature feels so strongly about children’s oral health has much to do with the cost associated with the complications that arise do to dental neglect. The costs are not only fiscal but also social. These complications reach far into a person’s lifetime, effecting learning, speech, physical growth and self esteem. This domino effect of complications is clearly understood by dental professionals, especially those who have specialized in pediatrics. Yet, our public may be less informed of these issues. The personal effects on a child can be briefly addressed below:

• GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Baby teeth are an important component in maintaining the space for permanent teeth to erupt normally. Premature loss of baby teeth due to cavities can yield detrimental effects on the growth and development of a child’s face and profile development.

• NUTRITION

A healthy mouth is important towards maintaining a healthy diet. It’s common to see children who suffer from chronic untreated dental cavities also suffer from malnutrition. Children simply can’t chew food if they suffer from premature loss of teeth, chronic infections or chronic pain. This has a long lasting impact on how a child physically develops through adulthood.

• SPEECH

Premature loss of teeth can lead to poor speech development because certain teeth may be missing that aid in proper pronunciation. As a result, many children are not only delayed in their speech progress, but are also delayed at their schools.

• SELF ESTEEM

Healthy smiles can help a child feel better about themselves and the way they interact with others.

Ultimately, our children’s education depends on a number of factors from good parenting to good health. This legislature is a step in the right direction towards awareness and prevention, helping our children stay healthy and confident in our schools.

Financial Freedom

2010-10-19T15:53:00.002+08:00

Aren't we all want financial freedom?

We all have our respective hopes and wishes, be it for the family, career, social relations, or personal growth. We hope that we can be able to meet our daily expenditures or set aside a proportionate amount for the future, but however simple these wishes are, they still require that we have enough financial resources. Every concrete thing we wanted could easily be acquired if we have them.

I came across a website that promises a freeway to success. They offer a whole new way of attaining the financial freedom that we deserve. Here's a video that shows you how:

You can check out their site for more details by clicking HERE.

Getting Fit

2010-10-18T10:06:00.004+08:00

I have decided for the nth time that I would lose weight and be fit again. I don't know if I could make it through this time but I am certainly praying I would. Last Friday marked my first day of the new diet I am doing. What prompted me to do this diet is my brother, who has lost a considerable amount of weight while undergoing the same diet. He is slimming down so much that I could say he lost about 15 lbs. So, I asked him to email me the diet plan and now I am on the fourth day of struggle!

I am glad to have undergone this diet anyway. It makes me feel light although I haven't noticed yet if extra pounds were actually shed off. I am still halfway of this 7-day plan, so I guess I just have to wait until the 7th day to see for myself if I actually lost the targeted 10 lbs. The diet consists of mainly fruits and vegetables, and I am thrilled to note that I have stayed away from rice for 4 days already (being an avid rice eater myself!). I hope I will lose about 10-15 lbs of excess weight, just as what the diet plan promised.

On top of the diet, I thought of doing regular physical exercises as well to make myself fit. I haven't been playing volleyball for over a month now due to my busy schedule but I planned to have at least 30 minutes of dance exercise daily at home just to sweat out. I already have a lot of dance songs ready, all that is lacking is my time, lol! As soon as my hectic schedule goes light, I may go over those personal training business cards I have on file and choose which one would best suit me.

I will update soon on the outcome of this endeavor. Best of luck to me!

73 Days Before Christmas and I'm 33!

2010-10-13T10:14:00.004+08:00

We are nearing the half of October and before we know it, it will soon be Christmas! Well, there's 73 days more left before the awaited Holiday arrives. This last quarter of the year certainly fills up my daily life with fun and excitement.

I turned 33 yesterday too! I didn't get to celebrate it with a party or the like, budget was just tight nowadays that it would be impossible to throw a party for friends. Sad as it may seem, it was a happy one anyway since I have my family with me intact. They greeted me first thing when they woke up and it was already overwhelming. My daughter gave me a card she personally made and that made my birthday all the more meaningful.

I could certainly say that this is the first time I haven't celebrated my birthday. Well, it's the first time I haven't invited friends over, or made a treat for everyone. I then realized that celebrations don't really matter, as long as you are happy and satisfied from within. I was worried at first because I very much wanted to invite friends or treat them but financial constraints prevented me from doing do. Nonetheless, a lot of friends have greeted me through text messages on my cellphone and wall/private messages on my Facebook account. Those greetings were enough for me to feel blessed with good friends and be special on my birthday. I feel like I've gotten myself a short term insurance already!

Well, my kids still have the party they wanted since my cousin and her baby (whose birthdays fall just like mine) decided to celebrate their special day at my parents' house. So off we went to our former abode and had a blast with the children's party. The kids enjoyed the games being played, what with their countless prizes received. It was indeed so fun-filled.

Life could very well be so meaningful as long as the people that matters to you are there for you too.

Plants In Our Home

2010-10-08T09:25:00.007+08:00

Having just recently moved in, we certainly needed some greens around our new home. Aside from 'pretty-fying' the house, plants are indeed necessary since they absorb most pollutants and gives off oxygen. Moreover, plants literally bring food on the table, since we reap their produce if we just take good care of them.

For the past three months we have been in our new home, I am happy to notice that certain plants have started to grow on their own. I don't claim myself to be a green thumb, but I am glad that some of the seeds I have thrown on the ground have eventually grown. I remember when I was still with my parents, my father loves gardening and every time he is in the house, we know where to find him - - in the yard. Now that we are on our own, I delight to the fact that I could actually make a seed grow.

I am looking forward for these plants to fully grow, that is why I am personally taking care of them. Here's an inventory on what spurted out of our soils for the months:

jackfruit

tomato

papaya

watermelon

Aren't they fine? Well, for me they are exquisite! The watermelon has bore two lovely fruits already but we have yet to wait few more days before they could be harvested. Unfortunately though, one fruit (the one on the picture) was stolen and now we have only one. Hope there will be no more theft this time, otherwise we won't be able to taste the fruits of our labor and anticipation.

I am planning of putting more plants into our home, unleashing the gardener in me!

Monday's Blessings

2010-10-05T16:24:00.005+08:00

I would just like to round up how my Monday went yesterday. This is something I seldom do (the rundown, I mean), but it was just so overwhelming for me that I need to jot it down here.

You see, a number of wonderful things took place yesterday, and these are not concrete things. I now realized that great blessings do not come in tangible forms, they are seen and felt from within.

So to start off, I received a great email message from God through Bro. Bo Sanchez, which was about conflicting wishes. He explained that we often do not get what we want because of conflicts in our desires. We have to be firm with our wishes and not be confused whether we really wanted them or not. He added that we have to pray for these wishes constantly, not because God does not immediately hear us, but because constant prayer would help us be firm in our wishes.

This message is very timely for me because I wanted for several things to happen in our life and that would definitely be realized if I don't have conflicting faith towards these wishes. With the number of wishes I have in mind, I guess I have to document them down through a Dreambook, which Bro. Bo did with his wishes.

Another blessing I received was the improvement of my daughter's academic rankings in their class. It was not a major jump in the ranks though but I am very glad she made it to the list of recognition-worthy pupils for their Grade 3 class. Many have congratulated me, since they very well know how my daughter struggled to get to where she is now. And for that, I am proud of her and still hoping she could maintain it and improve even more in the coming days. (I'm pretty sure those classmates of hers she has stepped on on the process would strive hard as well to topple her again).

After I learned about my daughter's academic standing, we proceeded to a birthday party my cousin has organized for her grandchild. We had a blast thereat and had a little chitchat about life in general. Out of the blue, our topic went to matters about health and my cousin's husband testified how good his body is right now since he stopped smoking and drinking. While he was sharing his stories to us and as if God has touched him in some way, my husband, who is a heavy smoker, suddenly decided to give it a try on quitting. I was so grateful about his realization and this is another wonderful blessing indeed! He gave me the remaining cigar packs for my disposal and today is his Day 1 towards bondage freedom.

Thank you very much Lord for the blessings!

Daily Giveaways From Georyl

2010-10-02T17:46:00.007+08:00

I am counting myself in at Georyl.com's wonderful contest, to celebrate another blogging achievement. This will be my first contest participation in a very long time - - like two years. This is quite exciting because every day a winner is announced and will be receiving a prize, of course.

Anyway, what's at stake on this contest are as follows:

Daily Draw (1 winner per daily draw)

Draw dates: October 1 – 2, 4 – 9, 11 – 16, 18 – 23, 25 – 30
One winner of 1,000 Entrecard Credits

Weekly Draw (2 winners per weekly draw)

Draw Dates: October 3, 10, 17, 24
One winner of $5 Paypal Credits and one winner of 2,000 Entrecard Credits

Grand Draw

Draw Date: October 31
Three winners of $5 Paypal Credits,
one winner of 5,000 Entrecard Credits
One winner of 3,000 EntreCard Credits
One winner of 2,000 EntreCard Credits

Special Prize

October 2010 Top Commenter
One Year WPWebHost Rookie Plan WordPress Hosting with Free Domain Name

If you feel that is contest is so cool, just like the way I do, click on the badge above to further learn the details.

Have a happy weekend!

Movie Marathon

2010-10-01T09:34:00.002+08:00

Since we moved into our new abode, I started to love watching movies over my laptop. Since I can't get through our common television set to watch the shows I like (there's just too much traffic considering three kids are watching cartoons), I am left with no choice but to settle down in our room and face the laptop.

I happened to watch one movie one time and after that, it was already a series of movie marathons. Thanks to some websites that offers free movies online, I was able to watch a number of amazing movies that I failed to watch on the big screen, like Slumdog Millionaire.

I enjoyed watching the movie Slumdog Millionaire. It is about a young lad who joined the popular game show 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' and won. But his win is questioned by authorities, but was able to justify them nonetheless. Along the way, his experiences have molded him to be knowledgeable about life and love and eventually it all coincided with the questions being asked of him during the show. The movie's setting was in India, and I could very well feel how hard the lad's life must have been; being an orphan struggling his way to live a wealthy life.

Other movies I have watched online are as follows:

Salt

The Ugly Truth

Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Juno

Do you enjoy watching movies too?

When It Rains

2010-09-29T13:55:00.004+08:00

. . . it pours.

photo credits to dry icons

I have always been optimistic that this phrase would one day take its toll on me. Unfortunately, it still hasn't, or maybe I haven't noticed it yet because I was preoccupied with things. But for the moment, I am sincerely hoping that one of these days (and it's better be sooner) I could actually say this line to myself.

The rain hinders us from doing outdoor things, and that made me hate the rain. Well, that was still way way back when my body was still very youthfully active. But now that I have already matured, I have subsided a bit and is surprisingly realizing the splendor of staying at home spending quality time with the family. I already love the rain, and every time it pours hard on the ground, I usually find myself staring at those tiny dews falling down from the sky. It is such a delight to behold this wonder from up above together with the kids and feel the cold air brushing through our skins as we laughingly hug one another tight.

I know most of you have already been saying the above phrase over and over again. I always hear that from friends, colleagues and strangers. Right now, things have been quite difficult for us and so I am very much longing for some financial blessings. Of course, I know this dilemma will come to an end, but I just don't know when. At this point, I can't see the light coming from the end of the tunnel I am in, which makes me think that the end is still so far.

Oh well, now that the rainy season is here, I hope the 'when it rains, it pours' line will slowly dawn upon me. Please pardon this post, but I just can't help but express out the glitch that has been bothering me for days.

Have a great Wednesday!

GT: Black Is Beautiful

2010-09-23T17:12:00.006+08:00

This is my first time to participate in Girl Talk. I have been planning for ages to join this meme, but due to some time constraints, it took me so long. Finally, I am glad to share myself to everyone through Girl Talk.

I always find myself smiling with the saying "black is beautiful" because every time someone says that, my husband oftentimes followed it with "but too much black is charcoal". Hubby is not blessed with fair white complexion, that is why we have this joke for a long time now.

Well, since the color black is up for the talk right now, I am very pleased to feature the black items I have in my possession. And here they are . . .

This is currently my main phone, a Nokia e72. This is still four months old, and was bought as a replacement to my damaged Nokia e71. The camera application of this phone is not functioning though, much to my dismay and I have already brought it to a Nokia center for repair since it is still covered with warranty. Unfortunately, they couldn't fix it at their end and needs to be sent to the Nokia main center in Manila, which would take about three weeks to get fixed! Without the camera, I still enjoyed it anyway.

I bought this bag online through Facebook. I instantly fell in love with this shiny tote from KC Reaction, and it has become a favorite. I used this bag almost daily.

No matter how big my arms are, I always liked wearing racer tank tops since they keep me fresh. This black top is a favorite of mine.

What I liked about the black color is that it is neutral. It can be paired with any color and surely enough . . . it never goes out of style.

Bathroom Ideas

2010-09-18T18:39:00.008+08:00

Our office has made a grand reshuffling of employees few months ago, as a consequence to the organizational restructuring our new Chairman had imposed. From auditing a government corporation, I was thrown 360 degrees into the pit of a local government unit. Thus, from the corporate life that used to be my working environment for the last 10 years, it suddenly shifted to a humble office of the province.

My transfer of office was no longer a shock for me, since I have already expected the inevitable. I am a very flexible person, so it poses no problem at all whether what government office I would be in. However, I am particular with the comfort room and quickly made a good look at the office's. I am quite impressed that the CR is clean and satisfactory. I later learned that it was recently renovated.

If only I could get my way, I have some few ideas to put into the comfort room. I know a new bathroom suite would not be possible at the moment as budget is tight, but it would be pleasant alright. I would love to see some of these wonderful items inside but I guess that would have to wait until I have the authority as a head:

illuminated mirror

wash stands

toilet storage cabinets

All these items are readily available at a website called Betterbathrooms. I was simply amazed at their wide array of bathroom products that is why I was having this thoughts of toilet make over. They have great sales at the moment too and offers a 7 day money back guarantee, very tempting indeed!

Thinking the same thing? Well, better browse through their site now!

photos courtesy of www.betterbathrooms.com

Glee Season 2

2010-09-14T13:22:00.008+08:00

In just a week, the second season of FOX's musical-comedy show Glee will have its premiere. I feel excited about it because a fellow Filipino in the person of Charice is going to be part of it. She will be playing a foreign exchange student named Sunshine Corazon, and is expected to be Rachel's (Lea Michele) rival in terms of vocal chords.

Well, aside from Charice, this show is making me thrilled to see Mr. Schuester once again. I doubt it if he will ever get back with his ex-wife here but I do hope they will. As much as millions of fans hate Terry for being a villain that she is in Will's life, I am longing that one day they could be together again. I just believe they look good together. Anyway, I look forward for more song and dance numbers of him in the show and as always, the perfect teacher McKinley High could ever ask for!

Then, there is Sue Sylvester, played by award-winner Jane Lynch. She is the school's cheering squad coach who strives for excellence. Well, who wouldn't excel then, she is so strict and particular as far as her cheerios are concerned. I really find her amusing, despite her efforts of crushing down the Glee club. And her lines, they are just so funny - - I liked it the way she said them, it's just so natural. There may be times that I get annoyed with her, but hey, I understand that it is her role anyway.

Kurt is also a favorite of mine, played by Chris Colfer. He is a wealthy gay member of Glee, who is so refined in many ways. I also am thrilled to see Rachel Berry once again, and I should say I really admired her voice. Her love story with Finn (Cory Monteith) is interesting to follow, although I wanted her to end up with Jesse, a glee club member from a rival school.

Well, I love to see most of them once again. It will be on TV starting this 21st of September, which is exactly a week from now. This excitement is really getting into me, that I wonder if this will be available through Online TV, because if it is, then there is no reason for me to miss it. For sure, all GLEEks out there are tuning in the boobtube at this day.

Here's a sneak preview by the way and Charice is on it.

How about you? Are you familiar with Glee? Who's your favorite character?

Last Glass Standing

2010-09-12T18:27:00.004+08:00

Few months back at the height of the World Cup Football's eminence, McDonald's has made a marketing strategy of selling FIFA glasses from Coca-Cola at Php25.00 each for every value meal purchased. I was then so responsive to the said promotional offer that I collected all six glasses with colors namely: blue, pink, lime, charcoal, green, and purple. Actually I had seven of then, since hubby also got one during a visit at the said food chain.

Since we are also seven at home (me, hubby, the three kids, and our two house helpers), we assigned each color to each one of us for personal use. I got the green one then, and over the days that went by, enjoyed a great deal using the glass. I came to love it much already that I wanted to buy more but unfortunately, the said promo is over and stocks were no longer available.

One by one, the glasses broke. And what was left of the seven wonders from McDonald's was only one pink glass. The pink one used to be my daughter's glass, but she gave it to me knowing that I really loved using the glass. I don't know how the other glasses broke, but oh well! Here is the lone survivor . . .

I do hope this last glass standing will not break into pieces yet, otherwise it would really make me sad. But if McDonald's would have another promo like this, I would be glad to grab one again and never hesitate to have another order of french fries and coke float!

Bedroom Furniture

2010-09-08T08:27:00.005+08:00

If I were to give myself total relaxation, I would definitely hop into the bed and doze off. Whenever I am at home and have nothing to do, my kids would surely find me in our room lying in the bed either taking a nap or reading a book.

If only we have the monetary resources right now, I will purchase a new bed for our room. Not that I don't like the bed we have right now, but I am very much impressed at other beds every time I find myself in a show room or on online furniture shops. Every time I do some browsing for a Bedroom Furniture, I am always drawn to beds and can't help but imagine the comfort they bring as I sleep, rest, play games, read books and etc.

Well, I instantly fell in love with this bed from Spacify. It is just very unique yet glamorous and stylish with its round and modern design. This bed includes slats, upholstered headboard and round mattress. And what's more, it has an electrically operated motor that would enable the bed to rotate. Seems like fun huh! I just wonder what the kids might think then, if this would become their new trampoline.

This Empero-Queen bed is also very nice. I like its classy touch which comes in all white. I know this would look good too in our bedroom since white has no contrasts as far as clashes of colors are concerned. It looks so huge and spacey, I could very well go on a deep slumber even when hubby is around or even the kids. Even just by looking at it, I could already fully relax. The design and style is so modern for me, it just exudes beauty despite its simplicity. It comes with a great headboard and two wonderful night stands.

Oh well, these two items are surely going their way into my wish list . . .

A Woman Can

2010-09-04T18:36:00.004+08:00

A long time friend of mine posted this quote on her Facebook wall and I am so loving it, so I thought of putting it here as well.

"Whatever you give to a woman, she will make it greater. Give her a sperm, she will give you a baby. Give her a house, she will give you a home. Give her groceries, she will give you a meal. Give her a smile, she will give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what she has given . . . so if you give her crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit!"

I also re-posted this on my wall and got a number of likes. The quote may sound so ordinary, but it may happen to be true to a majority of women. As far as I am concerned, this quote only applies to me for about 80%. Why?

I can have a baby if given a sperm - check! I can very well make a good home too - - so another check! I can offer my heart if given a smile - a triple check! Surely, I can also shit out if given the crap! I failed on the giving meals category since the kitchen has took no fancy on me.

But nonetheless, I am a woman after all because I have the major qualities then, lol!

You can re-post this quote too if you agree!

Say Hello To The 'BER' Months!

2010-09-02T10:03:00.005+08:00

September is here once again and do you know what that means? The last quarter of the year is gradually nearing, and before we know it, we will bid goodbye to 2010. This is the time when we have to expect cold weather to surface in our midst, and I am quite glad about it since we won’t be using air conditioning units that often then. Although not massive, we can thus be able to save on energy bills.

The 4th quarter is something that I look forward to because it promises a lot of events and activities which I am sure would be enjoyable and memorable.

As soon as October hits the atmosphere, there goes my son Justin’s 6^th birthday; and my 33^rd birthday as well. The United Nations celebration also falls on this month and I am quite excited for my kids to have the full exuberance of participating on varied activities.

Come November, as we celebrate the All Soul’s Day, we will also be celebrating my mother’s 60^th birthday. This is special since this day will mark her 1^st day as a senior citizen, lol! Moreover, this humble blog will turn three years old on this month, to which I am contemplating of availing its own web hosting.

I know I am not the only one who is so thrilled about December. A very considerable percentage of the world's population is looking forward for this month since it is the time of merriment as we scurry around the area doing Christmas shopping, preparing for Christmas parties, and other Christmas endeavors. This surely is a very busy month ~~yet happy!

Are you also excited?

Scottie Pippen

2010-08-27T20:26:00.005+08:00

While everyone was so engrossed with the royal airness of Michael Jordan at the height of the Chicago Bull's fame in the NBA arena, my eyes were all set for Scottie Pippen. He may not be the best player the Bulls team has ever had, but I was a big fan of his for reasons that I don't even know.

My fancy for the NBA materialized when I was in college. I don't even remember how it all started (the fancy , I mean) but I was hooked into it that I took note of every game schedule the Bulls had for every entire season and was willing to skip classes just to watch those games. I collected magazines, trading cards, posters and other NBA items especially those with Pippen on them.

As I have said, Pippen's playing prowess was not at all at par with Jordan's but that didn't matter to me. But I just hope you will agree with me when I say that he has contributed a handful too for the success of the team. As Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf puts it, "Not only is Scottie Pippen one of the greatest players to ever wear a Bulls uniform, but he's among the best players in history of the league to play the game. He had a tremendous impact in bringing six world championships to Chicago and there is no better way to pay tribute to him than with a permanent statue that honors his inspirational career."

I was so overjoyed upon learning this great news. Scottie Pippen is getting a well-deserved bronze statue from the Chicago Bulls, which will be permanently displayed at the United Center at some point towards the end of the 2010-2011 season. A major wow!

Frame Needed

2010-08-25T07:46:00.008+08:00

As much as we wanted to beautify our new house at once, we were not able to do so for a couple of reasons. Aside from the short funds we have at the moment, we were also unable to find the great materials yet that we would be making use of.

One thing that we also need to have are big picture frames that will be placed on the walls. This is one way of expressing that I am proud of my family and so it is just imperative that I put our faces before the bare walls for the visitors to see, right?

One area that I would love to hang a picture frame on is our bedroom wall. As you can see on the picture above, it is still unadorned and needs a little flair. And because of that, I am tasked to browse through our photo album and look for the picture that deserves to be blown up in size and be placed in a frame.

Unfortunately, I was having a hard time choosing one and eventually have chosen 8 pictures instead! I made a little editing to merge those pictures into one and this is what I got . . .

This edited version is just waiting to be printed. But we were still contemplating on having it on photo paper or tarpaulin cloth. Oh well!

By the way, do you think this would look great on our wall?

Off To A Conference

2010-08-17T14:39:00.003+08:00

Finally, I have received my authority to attend the 19th Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Joint Mindanao Regional Conference. This conference will be held on August 19-21, 2010 at Cagayan de Oro City.

I am excited about this event for several reasons: (1.) our chapter will be participating in the cultural night dance contest and I am one of the dancers of the said delegation; (2.) it will be my first time to attend an event held at Grand Caprice Hotel, which is just a few walks away from CDO's famous Limketkai Mall; (3.) I will be able to update myself with current issues and trends relating to my accountancy profession, considering that one of our big bosses from our Central Office is the speaker; and (4.) I will be off to a Nokia Center and have my cellphone's camera repaired when it got corrupted few months back.

To all CPAs in Mindanao who will be attending, see you there!

The Last Song

2010-08-11T16:33:00.004+08:00

Hubby and I watched 'The Last Song' the other night, a movie that starred Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear and Liam Hemsworth. I was not really keen with Miley but since the movie is based on a best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks, I have no doubts whatsoever that the movie would be indisputably very remarkable.

The movie is about a teenage daughter Ronnie, who got estranged with her father after the latter moved to another place since the divorce. Ronnie became all the more angry when her mother decided to let them stay with their father for the summer. Eventually, their strained relationship was mended through one thing they commonly love - - music.

The movie unfolds a story about family, first love and second chances.

For me, Nicholas Sparks has made another mark in his career through this creation. The story itself is so touching, so emotional ~ it really made me cry toward its end. This is the second Sparks story that made me cry (the first one was A Walk To Remember). Well, I haven't read the novel yet but I will definitely secure one soon.

By the way, I was thankful hubby was not able to notice the tears rolling down my eyes, otherwise I am now flooded with mockery, lol!

Bare Window

2010-08-09T14:13:00.004+08:00

We have been around our new house for three weeks and as I was looking the area for possible beauty enhancements, I realized our windows are bare. Just take a look at a picture of our bedroom's window which I took last night . . .

Oh well! Aside from the lack of beauty of it, I wonder how visible we are inside the house with these bare windows, especially at night when outside is already dark and the lights are on inside. I find it important to put something on the windows to have our privacy as a family and to protect us in times when we do our private moments.

Some action has to be taken about this and so I called up a neighbor who is a great curtain seamstress and I was happy to know that she is ecstatic to make some pretty curtains for us. Now I am tasked to scout for some nice curtain cloths if I have the time. At the moment, my busy schedule doesn't allow me to do those things yet, and hubby was suggesting we could also opt for some blinds for our windows.

Well, this is making me confused already. Blinds are also very elegant and versatile to look at and they make perfect protection against sunlight too. Plus, there have been lots of new colors being introduced in the market that made our mouths open in awe, like the one below:

Isn't it stylish? Well for me, it is! And it would surely go along with our bare window.

Our Marriage Turned 9!

2010-08-04T15:03:00.004+08:00

Today is August 4, 2010.

Well, you probably know the date today but I would just like to emphasize it here this important date of my life.

Today marks the 9th wedding anniversary of me and my husband. I am so overwhelmed that we have reached this stage, considering the fact that our arguments and misunderstandings were ceaseless. A lot of common friends have made negative predictions long ago but at this moment, I am proud to say that they have been wrong. We are looking forward for a celebration next year, which will be our 10th year.

The year 2001 was not yet a digital era (well, certainly here in our area), so our wedding pictures were taken using a camera film. I scanned a few of them to make a collage and thinking of sharing it here. Here it is:

To hubby, thank you for all the wonderful things you have shared with me. The joys, sorrows, thrills and anxieties that we have gone through just molded us to be strong and together. Thank you for making me the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. I love you always.

Missing FRIENDS

2010-07-28T11:56:00.003+08:00

Are you familiar with the now defunct TV show called Friends? Well, it was one of my favorites.

Are you familiar with these people then? They have been my favorite characters since way back and I follow them until now even on their separate projects, especially Jen Aniston and Matthew Perry. I am incredibly missing the show. Who wouldn't miss those hilarious antics, funny lines, amusing clashes and happy get-togethers? The numerous awards the show and the casts' have garnered were proof enough that this show was indeed loved by many.

It has already been a long time since their last airing. I do hope the people behind this wonderful show would decide on bringing it up back to air or maybe make a movie, just to get the six of them back together. That would definitely be outstanding!

By the way, what's your favorite FRIENDS episode?

On Being Overweight

2010-07-25T19:49:00.004+08:00

Imagine a lady weighing 148 lbs and only 5'3 in height . . . yep, that is me. These stats are already alarming for me since I have a history of hypertension. I am already overweight, so to speak.

To refrain you from making imaginations about myself, well, here's a picture of me.

I usually don't share my pictures to everybody that easily for fear that I may be laughed at. It hurts to know that I am not fond with my physical appearance. The idea that it is so difficult for me to fit in or look good with a beautiful dress frustrates me. But I also know that is not a healthy thought. I have to love and take care of myself.

Anyway, as I have said, I have to watch my diet now in order to avoid from getting heavier and heavier. It pains me to look back on my old pictures when I was still slim. I have engaged myself to a lot of sports activities just get back in shape - - volleyball, badminton, dancing - - to no avail. Those extra pounds just won't let go off my system. I just don't know yet if Protein Supplements for diet and weight loss would make an effect on me. That I gotta try but have to consider the negative effects, if any.

I am not losing hope then. This is a battle I have with myself that needs to be won.

Schwarzenegger Nominates 1st Filipina-American Chief Justice

2010-07-24T21:26:00.005+08:00

This news is such a welcome surprise! I admire Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for believing in Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye's credentials and qualifications. This is definitely another moment to be proud of, when another Filipino is making waves abroad.

"Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye has a distinguished history of public service and understands that the role of a justice is not to create law but to independently and fairly interpret and administer the law," the governor has said.

If confirmed by a three-member commission and voters in November, the nomination consequently would put Cantil-Sakauye the 1st Filipina-American Chief Justice of the state, as well as replace Chief Justice Ron George.

More details of the news could be read here.

Finally Moved In

2010-07-22T09:54:00.006+08:00

Yes, we have finally moved in to our new home!

Last Saturday, July 17, 2010, we have settled into our new abode. Just when the clock went 5 in the morning, we were up to load all our things into the truck. We arrived at the new house around 6:30am, and began putting the things in place. The kids were still left at my parents' house since we have yet to put everything in order. They got to their new home late in the afternoon already and they were so excited.

The house blessing followed the day after. It was just a simple affair, no guests - - just us, hubby's and my parents and siblings. It was one event that we would surely cherish, because after almost 9 years of being married, we finally have a place of our own.

the living room

the dining room

the kitchen

Shown above are some pictures of the house' interiors, taken very recently. Our living and dining rooms are still bare, and we are planning on buying some additional furniture and appliances for enhancement. I was thinking of putting some rustic furniture, since they are timeless. They would definitely place the bare areas of the house a classic touch and scenic look.

Now that we are on our new home, we realized that we lacked a lot of items. We gotta have them already so we could have the house warming then. ***wink***

Brangelina on Salt Premier

2010-07-21T10:12:00.003+08:00

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie showed up before the public during the Los Angeles premier of the movie Salt last July 19. Well, Salt is one movie that I am looking forward to, given its mixture of action, drama and thriller. I just hope the movie's showing here in our place would not be delayed.

Here's a picture of Brangelina on the premier:

Brad is still looking very handsome despite the age. Especially now without the beard, Brad just never ceased to put me to awe. Angelina, on the other hand, looked skinny to me, seems like she lost some weight here. Well, she still is sexy and they really look good together.

I am finally accepting the fact that these two Hollywood royalties are a match made in heaven. I am a huge Jennifer Aniston fan, and will always be. But life has to go on for Jen, so I should stop being bitter against Brangelina now. Actually, this famous couple amazes me in different ways and their relationship is quite a great example to many.

I also admire their passion for kids. They have already done a lot of good things for the less fortunate. Talking about sharing their blessings indeed!

I Am Sick

2010-07-14T20:20:00.003+08:00

Whew! I haven't made a post for a week already! That is because a lot of circumstances have bothered me physically. The past days was difficult and has rendered me weak that I ended up staying in bed and unable to go to work.

Well, my appetite was lost and it made me sick to the core just by looking at any food. I was forced to take energy drinks just to have anything inside my stomach and even those liquids have gone out few moments after they have entered. I was lucky though that I was not dehydrated.

Anyway, I am slowly recovering right now. I had a body massage yesterday and I can feel those unwanted air leaving out my system. My head is no longer groggy and my stomach no longer hurts so extremely. Hoping this will completely go so soon.

Wanting Eclipse.

2010-07-07T10:16:00.004+08:00

I am looking forward for two Eclipses - - yes, the movie and the phone.

The third installment of the Twilight saga - Eclipse - is not yet showing here in our place and I am already very anxious for it. It has been more than a week since the official first day showing of the movie and not even a single poster is found on the cinema's lobby here in the area. All my twilighter friends online have already seen it and it breaks me to the bone knowing that I am left behind. Oh well! I am so thrilled to see Edward and Bella again on the big screen. They told me the Bella-Charlie sex talk and the tent scenes are epic and they enjoyed every seconds of it. They also said that Riley is cute and were joking to form another team for him. Oh, and the meadow scenes!

And being a Twihard that I am, I have come across a very nice phone that is a tie-up to Eclipse. The phone is called Eclipse Windows, from Cherry Mobile. This made me excited especially upon knowing that it is already available in the market at a low price, being a smart phone, that is.

Here are the features of the unit and I hope to have one when the budget permits, lol!

Windows Mobile 6.5
Touch Screen
2.0 Megapixel Camera
Dual SIM/Dual Standby
Wifi / Bluetooth
Multimedia Player
FM Radio
GPS
Micro SD Card up to 8GB

The Eclipse trailer and some great wallpapers are embedded in the phone already. Wow!

High Quality Video Chat

2010-07-03T22:05:00.005+08:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of faceVsion Technology USA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Before I became active in blogging, I did a number of online jobs on a part-time basis. The employers usually require an interview, in order to know more about me and my qualifications. During those times, my yahoo messenger and skype accounts were more than active, since they were the modes of communication between me and the various job offerers.

Thanks to my brother, I was able to show up on video interviews, whenever some of the employers require. He had a web camera then, but of low quality. I have not minded it at first, as long as I could get face to face with the person I am talking with, that's fine. But as time went by, the importance of high definition web cameras dawned unto me. Some employers complain of the poor reception of my camera, to which left me no choice but be declined. If only I knew about the FV touchcam N1 earlier (like the one below), then that problem wouldn't have surfaced.

FV touchcam N1 is the first internet streaming true HD webcam for skype video calls, which is available through shop.facevsion.com and other value added partners. faceVsion takes pride of this amazing gadget which features embedded hardware H.264 encoding and squeezes the video into a stream small enough to be sent over a typical internet connection. Likewise, its wide lens of 78 degrees enables several people to fit into the picture.

I am sure this camera could have been very useful, if I have purchased it during my online interviews. A visit to faceVision on line store would be better then, so that I could get more info about the touchcam N1 or even the FV ExpressCombo. Who knows, video chatting with my cousins in the US, or with a future online employer, would then be a very pleasant experience.

And We Painted It . . .

2010-07-03T17:51:00.002+08:00

blue!

Yes, that is the color of our living room. I was so thrilled that the living room is finally having some color, which the painter started this morning. It just means that we are so close to moving into our new home.

Blue is hubby and mine's favorite color. It was also our wedding motif almost 9 years ago. For us, this color is pleasing to the eyes, and its cool appearance makes any room fresh and serene-looking.

Well, the painting isn't done yet. This is just the first coating. Looking forward for the grand finished product next week then.

Happy weekend!

Fascinated With Casino

2010-07-01T20:05:00.004+08:00

Does casino catches your fancy?

Well, for me it does.

But hey, don't get me wrong. I am not hooked with casino and plans not to be. But what I liked about it is the fact that it entertains me, while encouraging me to discern things the right way. I have played with some slot machines before and just recently hubby taught me how to play poker. He used to watch poker players on tv and when facebook has it on their applications, hubby became a regular.

Now that I have discovered Online Casino Spotlight, I could very well introduce this to hubby. He would be definitely delighted with the various games the online site is offering. They provide a comprehensive guide to online gambling as well as reviews and ratings of different games personally given by experienced players.

Of course, I will be watching him play. This would be a great quality time for us then.

Looking For Some Lights

2010-06-30T12:24:00.005+08:00

Our soon-to-be abode is now on the painting phase. It was such a delight to see all the three rooms already painted. At this very moment, the living room, dining room and kitchen are well on their way to the finish line too. We are hopeful to transfer to our new home by the end of July, a perfect time to celebrate also our 9th wedding anniversary which falls on August 4.

Now that painting is nearing its completion, we are now in the lookout for nice furnishings as well as lights. Well, pin lights have already been in place and now we are in search for wall and ceiling lights. I know this will be a bit hard of an undertaking for us, since our area has very limited supply of wonderful and amazing lighting products. We have already made a first round of browsing through stores for the perfect lights on our house but haven't found anything yet that suited our tastes.

I am looking forward to find a chandelier with no complex design, yet classy and modern in detail, just like the lights I found at Shop Premier. Kindly take a good look at the right - - this is what I wanted for our living room, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I could find one here. Well, this would indeed make us busy then.

I realized that it really is stressful sometimes when you are undergoing house construction, most especially when funds are a little low. Anyway, I am optimistic that everything would just be in place soon.

The Famous Internet

2010-06-26T19:43:00.003+08:00

The internet has been getting lots and lots of popularity nowadays. I think every people in the world know what internet is, and if there were still mum about it, then they only comprise a very little percentage of the whole world's population. As I have noticed, most offices have internet connections; schools, stores and restaurants too. Most households are getting an internet subscription too - - thanks to various internet providers who gradually made their packages affordable.

The internet offers different kinds of leisure a person craves for, that is why it is one of the most sought-after entertainment. Social networks, online gaming, video streaming and research, all these things could already be done with just a few clicks. Internet could be a source of income too, that is why a lot of income-generating websites are on the climb. Lots of businesses have put up their own websites for marketability enhancement, as long as they engage with hosting providers having the best hosting awards.

I was amazed that even our local entities here are having their sites on the internet already. Some online shops on different social networking sites have already made their own online abodes too. That just goes to say that the internet's popularity is going nowhere but up and up.

Reminiscing Summer

2010-06-24T16:06:00.006+08:00

This post is already overdue. I should have made this earlier during summer but then again, I was busy with so many things that blogging took a backseat for a semester. Anyway, I would still like to feature our summer escapades, as they were so fun-filled and exciting.

I have been to three very nice places during summer and I would really love to go back there again. Going to these places may not be as costly as going to other countries or the like, but it was really fun to watch nature unfold right here in our own country.

Well, our summer took us to the following:

Britania Islands, San Agustin, Surigao del Sur

Britania is a group of island locally found in our region. They are still very raw as far as beauty is concerned and that what makes them amazing and superb. The white sands are so fine, they really felt good underneath the feet. Although it was hot during the time we went there, it was nonetheless fun to behold such beautiful creation. Our trip to Britania was our office's way of celebrating our over-all championship of the Mindanao Palaro held last April. I brought along the kids, too bad hubby was not able to join us since this trip was a working day and he was not able to take a leave of absence. This day was also my youngest 4th birthday, so the trip was my birthday treat for him. The picture on the right was proof enough of the kids' good time at the island. The sands were indeed so nice to play with.

Tinuy-An Falls, Bislig, Surigao del Sur

This is my second time to personally see a falls. The first was the Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan about 5 years ago. Anyway, I really love this falls and it was just truly amazing. The waters flowing from above were so powerful and yet so smooth and cool, it was really fun dipping into the water. The kids loved it a lot too, which could evidently be determined on their faces. My father also loved the water that he wished he could have stayed and dipped longer. Mother was also very impressed that she really went through the falling waters. I had fun lying down on the rocks with the water flowing underneath - - it was like a body massage and sun-tanning rolled into one, lol! See the magnificent waters at left? They would certainly render you speechless when seen in person (well, for me, it did). This trip was indeed memorable.

Bluejaz, Samal Island, Davao

Bluejaz Resort is just a 15-minute trip away from Davao City - - by boat, that is. It was a treat for our volleyball team for being the champion during the recently concluded Mindanao Palaro that we had last April, as mentioned above, that is. We went there as a team, together with our husbands and it was such a blast. We enjoyed dipping into the pool, while sliding our ways through their giant pool slides. There was also a fire dance at night and other forms of entertainment. (By the way, that's me and hubby above, taking a break from the slides to make a pose.)

Fun times are so nice to reminisce, and my summer was definitely one of those fun times.

A Hope For Mother In Law

2010-06-23T14:01:00.004+08:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

My mother in law has been suffering from disability to walk ever since a series of mild stroke hit her late last year. She has diabetes and the different parts of her body has been slowly affected by the dreaded disease. She even spent her Christmas last December in the hospital, for close monitoring of her blood pressure as well as creatinine level which were so seriously soaring up in enormous degrees.

Due to the mild stroke she suffered (it happened three times in one month), the left part of her body became numb and now she is unable to use her legs for walking. In the absence of a wheelchair, she is able to walk only with the assistance of my father in law or anyone who was tasked to take care of her. It is really a sad fate for her and for the rest of the family, most especially since she is still 53. Now my brother in law is looking for someone who is competent and passionate about taking care of disabled persons so that mom could still enjoy every moment. Fortunately, after I came across a site called NMEDA, a gush of optimism has sprung within me and hubby. We will be informing brother about it so that he and father wouldn't be able to bear the physical burden anymore.

The NMEDA stands for National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association, which is dedicated in helping disabled people - - as far as mobility is concerned. If you are also having the same condition, feel free to browse their site and find the dealer nearest you.

New Family Member

2010-06-21T13:29:00.005+08:00

I am very glad to announce that our family has a new member. Nope, I haven't given birth recently since I haven't been pregnant the past four years. Our new bundle of joy is a Labrador puppy, which is still about 2 weeks old.

We call him Kobe, because hubby is so much of a LA Lakers fan. He is the first canine that we have, and we are pretty much excited to take good care of him. At first, I was doubtful if we could give the puppy a good home, because he was so fragile, so thin and dirty the very moment he was given to us. But looking at him slowly gaining weight and clean, I am confident that Kobe would be a very wonderful and lovable dog.

My kids love Kobe as their own little brother. Together, we are learning about dog care, dog training and the like.

Welcome Kobe!

Back To School

2010-06-17T16:31:00.004+08:00

Last Tuesday, June 15, 2010 was officially the first day of school for my three kids - well, for the school year 2010-2011. I was pretty much excited this time because all my kids are now going to school.

Here's a quick pose of the kids my husband took before we headed off to school . . .

Nikki- Grade 3, Justin- Kinder 2, CJ- Nursery

This is going to be a tough year for me since I already have three students to attend to. I am back to waking up early in the morning since the three of them has to be in school before 7:30am. Whew!

So far I have already covered 7 books - - 15 books more to go . . .

Music Monday: Two Is Better Than One

2010-02-08T08:19:00.004+08:00

I felt so guilty for not having updated this blog for over a month! Things are just so busy nowadays ~~ the year end reports, the house construction, and the approaching tax season. Then, there was a problem with the internet at home, which makes it difficult for me to go online. Anyway, I am so glad to make it to the blogosphere once again, and I am really hoping the internet at home would finally be on its continuing basis, lol!

The first day of the week is here again and so I am much delighted to share with you a very nice song from Boys Like Girls, which is called Two Is Better Than One. My youngest son liked it and I was amazed how he goes along with the song every time he hears it played. Hope you'll enjoy the song too.

Lyrics | Two Is Better Than One lyrics

By the way, this song features Taylor Swift, but she was not shown on the video above. Happy Monday and have a great week ahead!

Unwanted Hair

2009-12-29T10:45:00.002+08:00

Do you have any problems with unwanted hair? Some friends I know never fail to wear stockings every time they wear knee-length skirts, which happens to be a prescribed office uniform. They wanted to hide away those unwanted locks since they seem unsightly and a no-no for 'most' guys (well, I know some men loves hairy women). If only our legs could look as flawless as the picture on the right, then who needs those stockings or tights by the way?

I don't encounter this kind of predicament since my legs are free from unwanted hair. But, I would definitely get a IPL hair removal treatment for my underarms. I am hesitant to have this treatment at first since I have a very sensitive skin. I get irritations from even the mildest form of chemicals and pressures, so I was a bit anxious about undergoing laser. I was wrong though, and there are treatments that can be tolerated by sensitive skins, like the IPL.

The prices can are quite affordable too, which starts at around £70. This would be a perfect pamper for one's self. Likewise, this is a wonderful gift for female loved ones as you witness their transformation to flawless and radiant skin.

photo courtesy of Knightsbridge

Busy

2009-12-29T10:23:00.002+08:00

I have been very busy with the office the past weeks. We had a contest during our Christmas party, where we have to showcase our varied talents, hence dubbed as the Christmas Variety Show 2009.

For two weeks, we had rigid practice, since we all aimed to get the top spot ~ ~ which we did (hurray!!!). I will be sharing some pictures of the party as soon as they are available.

How was your Christmas, by the way? Ours was merry, we made sure the kids get to open their presents few minutes before the clock hit 12 midnight. We are now looking forward for the New Year and for sure, this special occasion will be fun-filled and joyous.

Happy New Year everyone!

Search Marketing

2009-12-12T06:30:00.002+08:00

Before I was drawn into and became hooked with the blogoshere, I have been a virtual assistant for some months. My work then was varied ~ ~ data gathering, comments posting, file conversion. I have also worked for a SEO expert and I was glad that I did; the things I learned from him as I went through those online tasks has contributed a lot. It was from him that I got the idea of blogging, which led me now to this.

Sadly, my SEO job was cut short when I got busy with work (my real work as a government auditor, that is). If only I have continued doing them until now, I could have known a lot about search engine marketing already. The things that I would further learn could have spared me from going through sites and books just reading about how to do the best SEO. Sigh!

Well, there are some experts who offer services for the improvement of a site's search engine marketing. They help in the generation of leads, instantly direct traffic to the site, provide valuable information on keywords, and even on converting leads to sales. They also devise some Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns which are cost effective as much as possible.

It is really amazing to learn SEO. If only I got the time, I would want to know more about it. Happy weekend!

Rosacea Cure

2009-12-09T07:48:00.004+08:00

Are you suffering from rosacea? It is a long-term skin disease manifested by the following symptoms ~ ~ frequent redness of the face (or what they call flushing), swollen nose, red and dry itchy eyes, small red lines under the skin, and acne. This case is most likely to occur on women than men and usually with ages between 30 to 60.

Well, that does not exempt me anymore since I am over 30 years of age. I am hoping that rosacea won't make its toll against me and further add problems to my oily and acne-prone skin. Good thing though, rosacea treatment is readily available from various renowned skin care experts, like Zenmed, so if ever the dreaded condition happens, we have someone to run to for help.

Zenmed has formulated two skin care systems to treat rosacea- dry skin and oily skin. The systems may be different but they both manage your skin condition and aren't irritating to your sensitive skin.

Since I have oily skin, I will be opting for the oily skin system of rosacea cure. The system consist of three items namely, facial cleansing gel, anti-redness gel, and the support serum. The set is quite affordable too, not to mention the savings or discount they offered online. I guess their services are really effective as well. After reading some testimonies of previous customers, I was simply amazed and they got pictures to prove too.

Some people may wonder the constant redness of their faces. They may not know it, but maybe that is rosacea already. Get the best treatment now.

Back Again

2009-12-08T08:52:00.005+08:00

I am back again . . . well, from being on hiatus for about a week or more. I was away from the blogosphere for a bit because my laptop got repaired (I had a new windows system installed) and of course, there's my brother's wedding that made the family busy and frantic few days before.

The wedding (last December 4) went very smoothly, although there were minor details which came as unexpected for us. Anyway, it is over now and those are placed behind our backs already as part of the past.

What made the occasion very special for me is the reunion with the relatives. My uncles from Luzon flew their way here to celebrate with us. It is also very delightful to see their happy faces as they see each other (the old ones, lol!) after a long time.

The official wedding pictures are not yet available at the moment as the photographer has yet to give the complete set of pictures. But I will be sharing here some images which we have taken during the special day.

my family

with my sister

I have no photo yet of the wedded couple, and so to give you a preview, I am sharing some pre-nuptial pictures they took few weeks ago. They had a vintage concept and it's really nice.

Congratulations to my brother and his wife.

Make Your Wish With Paypal

2009-11-23T08:01:00.003+08:00

I am grateful that my being an addict to Facebook is reaping great results. I came across one application which is a tie up with Paypal and is called Paypal Wishlist. It is about creating your wishlist for the coming Holidays and you instantly earn $1. Every time a friend of yours also create a wishlist via the application earns you additional $1 each. One can earn as much as $100.

This application is open for all those who have a registered paypal account and a Facebook account as well. Likewise, the paypal account must have a registered address located in India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore. This promotion runs from November 16, 2009 until December 31, 2009.

Sign up now and make your wishlist!

Chinese Breakfast

2009-11-17T11:13:00.005+08:00

It's a very gloomy day right here and in about a few hours, rain showers would start to pour in. Anyway, I wouldn't let myself worry too much about the weather and went on with a Chinese breakfast instead. It is a sumptuous way to start a day eh?

Here's what Hubby and I had for breakfast today, courtesy of our favorite Chinese diner which is located very near on our 'house-to-be'.

beef wanton noodles

siomai

The kids love the beef wanton noodles so we also ordered one for take out. The noodles are just so right for a cold weather, not to mention the fact that it is oh so flavorful!

After breakfast, we proceeded to take a glimpse of our love abode-on-process which is quite impressive as far as construction in progress is concerned. We just fervently hope though that the weather would cooperate soon, as constant rain showers would definitely slow down the work.

Green Fashionable Eyeglasses

2009-11-07T18:32:00.005+08:00

My all-time favorite color was blue, so much that it was my wedding's color theme eight years ago. But as the days go by, I became fond of the shades of brown and green, that every time I window-shopped, I am always drawn to racks with dresses of these colors. Don't get me wrong though, I still love the blue hue.

Since the theme of my brother's wedding is green and silver, this will be another opportunity for me to have a new green dress. With that, I am extremely excited, even though I know my appearance won't be very superb due to my plump figure. Sigh . . .

Anyways, I was checking on the new arrivals at Zenni Optical and was amazed to find a lot of green holiday fun eyeglasses! Well, I could just imagine my look when I would get to wear one of these below:

Aren't the glasses fashionable? They could surely be perfect as accessories. And if you think they are way beyond the budget, there are $8 prescription Zenni glasses available and are equally stylish too.

TV Anytime

2009-11-03T21:29:00.003+08:00

The television has always been my foremost form of entertainment way back when I still single. I was fond of watching a lot of TV shows like the Beverly Hills 90210, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dawson's Creek, and X-Men Animated Series. When I got married, hubby and I would love to watch Amazing Race, Iron Chef America and other famous reality shows. We would never really miss a single episode of our favorites. . . . but gone are those days anymore.

With three kids around the house, we could no longer find ourselves before a television set. All we see on the screen are Mickey Mouse, Little Einsteins, Spongebob Squarepants, etc, etc . . . They never tire of watching the same episode over and over again and every time their favorite shows finish, they would fervently hope that they be shown again. If only we could avail of Charter's services, viewing their favorites shows again and again at their convenient times would be so possible.

The good thing with Charter is that they have over 6,000 movies and TV shows in their archives for people to watch, with no access fees. It would be very possible for busy people like me to watch a missed show or movie, at high definition quality, any time of the day. Does that get you interested? Well, you can learn more at charter.net/ondemand all there is to know about Charter, or maybe yet, you can get updates and fun extras on Charter’s Facebook page.

Music Monday: In Your Eyes

2009-11-02T07:23:00.003+08:00

It's a beautiful Monday today, not only because the weather here is good, but because it is my mother's 59th birthday. She is one year shy from reaching the age of retirement, but I am pleased to say that she doesn't look her age. To her:

Another reason for this beautiful Monday is the Music Monday, which I have not participated for two weeks I guess. I will be sharing with you a classic song from George Benson, called In Your Eyes. I love this song because of its wonderful lyrics and melody as well.

Lyrics | George Benson lyrics - In Your Eyes lyrics

Enjoy the song! Have a great Monday and wishing you the best for the week ahead!

Pinoy Robsten Site Is Up

2009-11-01T09:00:00.002+08:00

The Philippine Robsten site is finally up, the site dedicated for Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, lead stars of the world-renowned Twilight Saga, through the efforts of Twilight-ers in the Philippines.

It still no own domain name yet and is currently under blogspot since we are still on the lookout for the great web host service.

Here's a screencap of the site:

Please visit!

Mixed Fruit Juice

2009-10-30T08:44:00.005+08:00

I have been drinking a mixture of eight fruit juices every morning for five days now. The taste may be be like the ones sold on the supermarket (actually I don't understand the taste), but I know fresh fruit juice gives out the best results than the ones sold commercially.

Anyway, I have known about this juice thing because some people in the office are habitually drinking them for some time now. I was curious then and that curiosity finally gave in when I joined in. So here's what I drank today - - for Php30. It is a combination of the following fruit juices: water melon, guava, guyabano, green mango, papaya, pineapple, apple and jackfruit. ~ ~ By the way, what you see in the pic is already half empty, lol!

According to the person responsible for the onset of this habit in the office, she is grateful to the Lord for leading her to this formula. She was diagnosed with cancer on her left breast last year and after taking the juice everyday for over six months now, there was no malignancy noted on the biopsy.

For anyone amazed at her testimony, this is what she did for 21 days:

Drink 2 glasses of the juice upon waking up in the morning, that is, before eating breakfast.
Eat breakfast 30 minutes after the juice intake. Note that meals do not include rice, sugar, fish and meat.
Take 2 glasses of juice again on snack time.
Lunch (only steamed vegetables, sweet potato or the like)
Another 2 glasses for afternoon snack.
Dinner

The procedure itself is already hard to do, imagine not having to eat rice and meat! I will just stick on the juice drinking though.

Honeymoon Ideas

2009-10-27T21:18:00.003+08:00

It is already about a month away and my brother would soon be married. I am also quite busy in the preparations, with all my kids taking part of the entourage. I am still not done looking for my two sons' green long sleeves polo and my daughter's silver sandals. As for me, I still haven't figured out the design of my dress.

My brother asked me to shoulder for the wedding singer, as my wedding gift for him. This is not hard for me since my brother in law is a born singer and has been singing on weddings and other events on part time. There would be no cash outlay on our part. Hubby suggested we give my brother something of value, and since there already is someone who would sponsor for the wedding cake, we thought of giving him the honeymoon trip perhaps.

However, a trip to luxurious hotels at this time would be financially demanding especially for the coming holiday season. This gave us second thoughts on our decided wedding gift and fortunately, I came across a great hotel deal with Accor Hotels 3-Day Super Sale Asia Pacific. There would be one million hotel rooms available at amazingly affordable rates. With this 3 day sale, going to Singapore or Bali is no longer a problem as far as place to stay is concerned.

Booking the travel between today until October 30, 2009 would surely get them the room sale for stays from December 2009 to April 2010, very timely since my brother's wedding is on December 4.

Would You Rather . . .

2009-10-25T07:59:00.002+08:00

be smart but not beautiful, or beautiful but not smart?

That question was a very popular one about six months ago, during our Mindanao Palaro held in Davao City. It was a question picked by our region's candidate during a beauty search.

Of course, if I will be asked the same question I would rather be smart. Being smart is not only about intellect and how mentally capable a person is, but it is also about being self-confident and knowing how to carry one's self before the public. As our candidate puts it, if one is smart, then she knows how to project herself beautifully.

I think that it is still important to be good on the inside. Beauty fades in time, but our personality doesn't. But we all have our reasons for choosing which, and all our reasons can be valid.

So what's your pick?

Bathrooms

2009-10-20T21:08:00.004+08:00

With our excitement fueling up bit by bit as days go by, we finally decided to start the plotting for the new house next Monday. I really hope nothing gets in the way and everything will push through as planned.

Different ideas have already come up as we planned for the house's exterior perspective and interior design. But given the tight budget, we have to choose the portions of the house that we would be staying more. These portions would then be the focus of our limited financial resources at this time.

So which part of the house do we frequently stay and use? When we say we have to make our house livable, then I think we should prioritize our bedrooms and bathrooms.

Speaking of bathrooms, I believe this is a vital part of the house because it is where we do our personal stuff, or what the nature calls it. It is one place where you can be yourself, no pretensions and hang-ups. We have to search for nice and chic bathroom designs at affordable cost.

Our hunt for the best bathroom tiles, basin and pedestal, toilet and cistern, shower systems and bathroom furniture is now taking off . . . and hopefully with the better prices and better service!

On This Site Will Rise

2009-10-18T18:24:00.002+08:00

our home . . . abode . . . our house.

The following weeks to come would be very busy for me and hubby as we take our family to another level, that is, having our own house! Aside from my brother's wedding, this activity would surely use up most of our times as we supervise the construction and look out for nice materials . . . so on and so forth.

I am overly excited about our new house and I could see the excitement slowly flowing unto my kids as they gladly pick their rooms' colors.

Please bear with me as I will be sharing it here the progress of the construction for the days to come. I am just happy that finally we will have our own place, after eight years of being married.

My Birthday Celebration

2009-10-17T20:44:00.002+08:00

I have previously mentioned that I turned 32 last Monday. I started that day hearing mass at the church with hubby and breakfast at a coffee shop right after. Then I went to office since I did not take a leave of absence (I planned to have my last special/privilege leave on my brother's wedding).

So I practically spent the major hours of my day at the office and a mini celebration was made during dinner at home. I had no guests then and it was an intimate family event ~~ well, my brother's girlfriend was there but since she's already considered a family, she's no longer a guest, lol! Here's what we had last Monday night . . .

Spaghetti and a bottle of champagne

The day after (Tuesday that is) is another day at the office and our office's volleyball team have decided to dine out and talk about updates of our lives. It was a very jolly occasion since all we did besides eating is laughing! The food was plenty that we left the place with full stomachs and satisfied palates.

Believe me, these food in the picture are tastier in actual!

Just Host It

2009-10-15T07:36:00.002+08:00

Time flies so fast and before I knew it, November would set in and it will be this blog's second year of existence. As you can see, it still has no own domain and I am still searching for a great web hosting service. It is really very essential to look into each service provider before jumping into a final transaction.

While I am at search for my own blog, my 'Twilight'-er friends are also on the lookout for the perfect web host provider. We have decided to put up a website for Twilight's lead stars Robert and Kristen so the movie's fans in the Philippines would have a venue for forum, news and other media. We are hoping everything would be set up just in time for New Moon's showing on November 20.

Well, I have found a web hosting company that is quite magnificent to consider - - Just Host. I have read a justhost review recently and will be going to refer them to my Twilighter friends. The review is so overwhelming, they got a 5/5 on a lot of categories, namely cost, storage allowance, bandwidth, reliability, customer service, technical support, and overall usability.

After reading over the review, I found them really impressive and hopefully my firends would like them too.

Pearl Earrings

2009-10-14T08:32:00.005+08:00

While I am on my pursuit of weight loss in time for my brother's wedding, I am also in the hunt for the perfect dress to wear. I really wanted to wear a halter or spaghetti strap dress, but I doubt if that would be possible since my arms are so huge, I would look like a boxer.

Anyway, whatever the dress may be, I realized that I have to get the right accessories in order to have the elegant look. I may not have the chance to wear some revealing clothes anymore; so I have to make it up by wearing fine pieces of accessories, like freshwater pearls. Pearls are very exquisite material and I am sure they really make one look great. So I browsed through the net for pearl jewelries and stumbled across a site that offers different kinds of pearls for sale - - direct from their pearl farm! That would mean they have the lowest cost than others since no middlemen were involved. Plus, they assure that their clients get the best pearls since their purchases are packaged with certificates of authenticity. Look at those pearls above and they are just marvelous to behold.

Well, I would like to wear pearl earrings during my brother's special day. Even though I won't look very grand with my dress, I may look exquisitely lovely with the pearls then.

So how do you like these pairs?

Another Family Affair

2009-10-14T08:07:00.002+08:00

The following weeks to come would be very busy for our whole family. It is because my brother would soon wed his long-time girlfriend of eight years. Finally, they have decided to tie the knot this coming December, since they are not getting younger anymore - - they are both 29.

Of course, I am excited for this event because all my three kids would take part on the ceremonies. Although my daughter has been a flower girl so many times, it will be my two boys' first times to walk on the aisle bringing along the rings and Bible on their arms. I wonder if they would really finish the walk through the altar - - - that remains to be seen yet.

Since the wedding is just two months away, I am now striving hard to lose weight so that i could put on some stylish and sexy dress during the wedding. This event is a venue for reunion of the entire family and relatives, so I have to look my best as photo sessions would be highly expected. It is such a struggle to have a diet since I am so much of a rice eater. But then I have to try and reach for my weight goals. I also enrolled at the gym and hopefully sweat out those extra pounds away. Well, good luck for me!

Music Monday: The Birthday Song

2009-10-12T10:12:00.002+08:00

Yay! It's Monday once again... time to feature another lovely song. The song I am sharing is a birthday song by Corrinne May. Thanks to a friend who sent the link to me, I am listening to this song right now with a big smile painted on my lips.

In case you were wondering about the song feature for today, well, I just felt it is the best song that describes my day. . . I'm turning 32! Thanks to all my friends and loved-ones who greeted me either through text messages, email, or posts at facebook and friendster!

Here's my treat for all of you, haha!

Circle of Friends

2009-10-08T21:47:00.003+08:00

I should give Patricia a big hug back for giving me this award called Circle of Friends. This award took me by surprise because it has been a long time since I received one. I am really grateful for the new friendship . . .

Now I am passing this award on to Stace, Shimumsy, Honey, Allena, and Rosilie.

Accounting Website

2009-10-02T18:37:00.002+08:00

I am happy to note that father has further spread its wings as far as his career as an accountant is concerned. His accounting firm is even older than I am, and I have witnessed all the hardships and joys father went through with his office. At 62, he still haven't stopped working as new clients have made its way to his office, while serving those long time ones. There are times tiredness and exhaustion sets into him but he is left with no choice but to go on. He really wanted for me to take over him and I would really like to help him out. But since I am working for the government, things are not that simple as it seems.

I am helping father on a part-time basis only, especially during the tax season of March and April. If only my younger sister is here, she would have taken father's place. It is really hard to let go of this firm since it has been our great resource or a long period of time.

Now father wants to take his firm to another level, this time through the internet. The internet has become a powerful tool in marketing and advertisement, many people can attest to that. He is planning to put up a website of his office in order to service his existing clients readily and possibly reach out to new clients as well. He said webhosting is not a problem at all since there are a lot of providers that offer the best services. Likewise, we can get to know these many webhost and compare them with each other right there and then, thanks to some webmaster resource websites, like the Gobbler Hosting.

Well, I'll just see which of them father would choose. . .

My Son Turned 5!

2009-10-02T08:37:00.003+08:00

My second kid, Justin, turned five years old yesterday. There was not much of a celebration happened but I know he was very happy during the moment. All he wanted was a small birthday celebration inside his classroom and that was granted. Being a cake lover that he is, the celebration wouldn't be complete at all if there was no birthday cake. And so, we never passed the moment to have one.

It was the happiest moment of his life yesterday when he blew the cake's candle. I could see his big smile as his classmates gathered around him to witness that very special moment of his. I am sharing here a short clip for you to witness too.

Happy Birthday Justin!

Industrial Lot For Sale

2009-10-01T08:14:00.002+08:00

If you have friends or relatives who lives here in Butuan City, Philippines or is planning to settle down here in Butuan, here's a piece of industrial lot up for sale. It is more than 3,000 sq.m. in area and has a rice and corn mill.

Email me for details. Thanks!

Relax and Meditate

2009-09-29T08:13:00.003+08:00

Meditation and holistic healing are what we need at a tragic moment like the typhoon Ondoy. So much pain and anxieties have been inflicted to the victims as well as to the authorities and far away loved ones. It may take quite some time to finally overcome the apprehension and shock the disaster has brought, but there's always a rainbow after the rain, as they say.

With our mind getting a handful of various things to chew on, it is very healthy if we take time to break from them and have some pure and peaceful moment with ourselves. Relaxation and meditation help us regain the balance of our busy life that somehow leads to our pleasant and congenial disposition.

One method of meditation I found online are the Crystal Singing Bowls, which are made of pure quartz crystal, complete with a frosted white finish. Crystals produce sounds that are relaxing and that makes them therapeutic in nature. These bowls have amazing radiant shimmers that are serene and come with varied sizes. The sounds of these bowls differ accordingly to their sizes.

Aside from bowls, gongs can also be great tools for meditation. They produce different sounds, depending on where you strike them and on your moods.

Just when you think bowls and gongs are made solely as decorations, think again. They can also provide us with the relaxation we all deserve.

Spiteful Typhoon Ondoy

2009-09-28T08:52:00.004+08:00

Once again, another typhoon hit the country and its harsh fingers made a large stroke of destruction among the people in the National Capital Region. I saw a few clips over at youtube and it was really heart-breaking. It is something I could not stand to watch for a long time . . .

High praises are to be given to individuals and entities who have reached out to the victims and sent their tons of donations to the concerned. God bless you for living up to the example of sharing. . . applause, applause!

And to the one human being who made a nasty comment about the sad fate our fellow Filipinos have undergone right now, better choose you words.

There may be a reason or two why typhoon Ondoy created havocin the Philippines, but I believe it is not because people here sin way too much.

Another New Moon Trailer

2009-09-14T11:24:00.002+08:00

Summit Entertainment, the producers of the Twilight movie released another trailer for New Moon, the second book of the Twilight saga. It was released just recently at the MTV Video Music Awards and the introduction was made by its three lead stars ~ Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner.

Here's a video from the awards show:

Just in case the video would be no longer available (sometimes producers advise youtube to take the video out due to copyright issues and other stuffs), you can also watch the trailer at MTV.com.

The showing is still two months away but I am already filled with excitement!

Music Monday: Cinderella

2009-09-14T08:05:00.002+08:00

Finally, I have gotten back myself to participate on Music Monday! It has been really a very long time since I have featured a song in this blog.

Anyway, I am going to share with you a song from Steven Curtis Chapman, the person who sang the romantic song for couples 'I Will Be Here'. This song is called Cinderella, which I though at first is a love song. But as I listened to it again and again (its melody by the way is so nice and comforting), I realized the song tells about a father and daughter.

Here's the song:

She spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I'm sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders

It's been a long day
And there's still work to do
She's pulling at me
Saying "Dad, I need you

There's a ball at the castle
And I've been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone...

Chick Flicks Marathon

2009-09-11T21:01:00.003+08:00

Lately, I have been doing movie marathons via the internet. Movies of romantic comedy genres have been my favorite flicks to watch and so I did some research on the great feel-good movies and so far I enjoyed watching them.

These are the movies I watched so far:

The list does not stop here, since I still have to search for more great chick flicks, like The Prince and Me, The Perfect Man, and so much more. Well, it wouldn't be hard for me at all to look for these movies online because Rapidshare Search Engine is readily available to supply me the files and links.

Thanks to Rapidshare, I even got to download the four Twilight Saga audio books and listen to them at my convenient hour.

Well, gotta search for movies again. . .

Sandara and Cass Beer

2009-09-11T11:26:00.002+08:00

I have been a Herosan (Hero-Sandara) follower way way back their Star Circle Quest days. I remembered very well I was still pregnant with my second kid that time, and I never fail to watch the episodes of the reality search show.

Anyway, Sandara has gone back to Korea and as far far as stardom is concerned, she has already become a sensation in Korea. Being part of the famous Korean group 2ne1, Sandara further soared high via her recent commercial featuring a beer brand in Korea. She is paired with no less than Lee Min Hoo (Gu Jun Pyo) of the very renowned Boys over Flower teleseries, and I must admit they are quite a lovely and promising pair.

Here's the preview of the beer commercial:

Sandara Park / Lee Min Hoo - Cass Beer CF

I am hoping they would be given a big break and entertainment bigwigs at Korea would elevate their pairing to the big screen or a television series.

The Kids' Happy Weekend

2009-09-11T08:57:00.005+08:00

Last weekend was a long one for us. We took a leave of absence from work last Friday, while the kids had no class since their teachers were having a seminar. Monday has been proclaimed a holiday, so that extends our long weekend all the more.

We were supposed to go to Camiguin but unfortunately a series of circumstances hindered us from going, and so we settled to a nearby resort called Mantangale. It should have been my first time to go to Camiguin, but my excitement fell to a great proportion when I witnessed the port's incomprehensible system.

Anyway, my kids had a very nice and fun time at the resort. It may not be that 'nature-beauty' as what Camiguin offers, but I already felt the sense of contentment seeing my kids enjoying every moment. They really loved the pool and never minded if they stay there for hours and hours. It was also a great bonding time for us. Since we did not brought along any yaya (nanny), me and hubby were really hands-on on taking care of the kids during the whole trip.

Here are some pics manifesting how much they enjoyed the short vacation . . .

And of course, hubby and me . . .

It was the break everybody deserves ~ hubby and I from work, and the kids from school.

Putting Up A Website

2009-09-06T21:42:00.003+08:00

I doubt if the internet has already gotten its peak but right now, I could say that its popularity has immensely grown a million-fold. Not only well-known companies have already put up their own websites for the consumers to visit, but also those 'nobody' entities too. The internet has become a top option for marketing and somehow it has not failed them. Individuals has also joined into the wagon and voiced out their thoughts, emotions and opinions through blogs or online journals.

After being on hiatus for two months, I also realized that this blog needs to have its own domain and web hosting. In just a matter of two months, this blog will be two years old already and web hosting is the best gift I could possibly give.

Of course, there are considerations to ponder on, most especially the cost. I am still on the lookout for the best providers that offer the lowest costs. I am not an expert as far as the world wide web is concerned and so I refer quite often to this website called webhostingrating.com for information. It is a great resource for people who are still not fully oriented with the complexities of the internet. It is a wise guide for noobs like me, haha!

Well, I have two months to weigh these top web host providers and hopefully I could be able to pick one on time.

Hiatus and Farms

2009-08-31T08:54:00.004+08:00

If you would notice my two previous posts, there is a span of two months between them. It has been quite a long while that I have made updates on this blog. Anyway, guilt has finally struck on me and so here I am, refreshed and hopeful that everything would be back in pace. Wow, I missed blogging so much and no words could ever explain right now how ecstatic I am just writing this post.

Well, the reason I have gone "lazy" on blogging was that I have been inflicted with the facebook addiction . . . and its many applications. Are you familiar with Farm Town, or Farm Ville perhaps? They are an application on facebook, which enable players to create their own farms, plant and harvest crops and earn coins along the way. There are different levels one must achieve, and when you get to the higher levels, they unlock various crops for you to purchase and plant. Sounds exciting? Well, they surely are!

I have known a lot of people who are hooked into these games right now and I am amazed how popular they have become. There are some who signed up with facebook for farm town and farmville purposes only. Even celebrities and other famous people with facebook accounts have gotten themselves into the web.

Here's a scap of my farms from farm town and farmville, respectively.

So, do you have your farm yet? We can be neighbors . . .

Life and The Internet

2009-08-28T18:12:00.003+08:00

My daily life is missing something if I am not able to connect on the internet. Everyday, it has been a routine for me to open my Facebook account, check my yahoo mail and gmail accounts and do some other internet researches. When I am away from my PC, I often connect with the internet through my cellphone via wireless.

I had my phone two month ago and when I got it I was so ecstatic. It was also a 3G phone, and I enjoyed it a lot even when I am just lying in bed or having a cozy time in the couch because I get to check on facebook and other interesting sites. Technological innovations really never cease to go a long way and little did I know, 4G is already in existence and is putting 3G in the backseat.

If only Clear Wimax is available outside of the US, I could avail of this speedy 4G solution. It would indeed be amazing to surf on the net fast and affordable than those wifi hotspots serve. For a person like me who depends so much on the internet on a daily basis, this new technoligical innovation is one great catch!

French Fries and Coke Float

2009-06-29T12:58:00.003+08:00

. . . . mmmm . . . .

This combo from McDonalds is just so hard to resist. For the past months already, I never failed to grab these two delicious items from the said store, twice a week on the average I guess. I can't think of any adjective to perfectly describe them but every time they pass through my palate, they are just so heavenly!

Well, the photo above is just one instance of my trip to the food chain. All I can say is this fascination I have about french fries and coke float have not yet subsided even a bit (which worries me a little about my diet, by the way). Nonetheless, life is short so grab everything you think are the best.

Golden at Accor Hotels

2009-06-23T08:51:00.004+08:00

Last Sunday was my aunt's golden wedding anniversary. She is my father's sister and among their siblings, they are closest to each other. I was awed how far she have gone on her marriage and nowadays, seeing a couple together celebrating their 50th year of married life is rare. Of course, courtesy of their nine children, they got married again about two weeks ago, as a renewal of their vows. They even had father's car as the bridal vehicle and a quite large reception followed afterwards.

I doubt that I could reach the age they have now, so I told hubby we celebrate a grand wedding anniversary on our 25th year. During that time, we could still be energetic enough to carry on endeavors relating to the grand celebration, much more travel to different destinations as honeymoon, lol! I wonder if our kids, who would then be grown ups by this time, would give us a trip to Australia as a wedding anniversary gift (dreaming on...).

Well, I just hope that Accor Hotels would still be offering sale rates 17 years from now, like the ones they are offering now. Dubbed as the City Super Sale, reduced hotel rates are being offered in 27 cities across 10 countries in the Asia Pacific and with this, big savings of up to 60% would be taken advantage by travellers! This is a limited time offer for now (June 23-29) and hope they will do this again in the years to come.

Do check out Accor Hotels City Super Sale now!

Behavior Improvement

2009-06-17T13:12:00.006+08:00

We had a scheduled appointment with the developmental pediatrician last Sunday morning, which is a follow up evaluation of my second kid (Justin) in terms of behavior. I was a bit anxious how the evaluation results would turn out especially since the diagnosis of the first evaluation was that he was at risk with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Well, I was glad that the doctor said Justin has improved a lot as far as behavior is concerned. "Justin's work behavior is already modified, with better sitting skill, focus and attention span. He could work on his task independently and sustains his attention to finish it appropriately. His hands are still fidgety with difficulty regulating his impulses especially when he gets excited. He listens and responds to prompts appropriately. There is anticipatory and visual distractibility. He has shown good improvements in his cognitive, fine motor and communication skills. He has clearer and longer utterances. He could answer what, who, where questions. Restlessness is evident only when he is off-task but he is already manageable." This is already something that I am more thankful about. The therapy really worked wonders and I hope in time he would fully improve.

Last Sunday's diagnosis was only Mixed Receptive and Expressive Language, Mild with Restlessness and Impulsivity - - far better than the at risk with ADHD previously, lol! One thing that he really needs to improve is his speech. Well, his therapy never failed in that area and I know contant dialogues with him has been initiated by the therapist.

If Walls Could Talk

2009-06-12T10:56:00.003+08:00

I was wandering around the house this morning and realized that our walls were mostly covered with pencil writings and crayon sketches. I will no longer put an accusing finger to anyone because I know for sure who the culprits are - - my kids.

I can't help but smile to myself, kids are really just kids. They do stuff they enjoy no matter what the outcomes are, and our walls looking like the one below is no exception. As much as I want to reprimand them, the thought seemed futile as these deeds would be repeated over and over again which I would get tired of in the long run.

If only these walls could talk, they would definitely beg me to clean them and bring back their shiny creamy color. Well, we have to make use of baking sodas and toothpastes then in order to take out the works of art inflicted by my kids upon our walls. This will be a tough job for us because as I have said, most of the walls were covered with writings. Good thing though, it is a holiday today and we have a long weekend to work on it then.

If budget is not tight at the moment, then we could have acquired some painting services, just like the ones offered by Albuquerque Painting.

New Moon Trailer

2009-06-11T15:02:00.004+08:00

My bad! I am a Twilight fanatci to begin with but I forgot to feature here the recently released trailer for New Moon - - the second book from the Twilight saga. During the MTV Movie Awards held few weeks back, the lead casts had the privilege to unveil the first trailer for the said movie.

Here's the trailer:

Oh well, how I wish November is just around the corner but it seems I have to wait up for 5 more months then.

On Salary Increase and Saving

2009-06-10T20:14:00.004+08:00

Another good news broke out for all the government employees - - and it's about the salary increase that is going to take effect this coming July. Now the government is really making a move to have its employees salaries at par with those executives and employees of big companies from the private sector. Well, a grin is becoming wider and wider on my face since starting this July, I will have a 15.5% increase from my current salary and will continue to increase every July until 2012. Such a blessing indeed!

I just hope that this time me and hubby could somehow save up a certain amount. Saving is very important as we are not getting any younger and in my case, I have my three kids' futures to look after to. A lot of saving options are out there to choose from, with certificates of deposits (CD) being the most popular.

Well, gotta check out for cd rates at banks as soon as the calendar hits July then.

Basketball All Stars

2009-06-06T20:20:00.005+08:00

More than two weeks ago, a group of actors came here in our city to play basketball against the priests. I guess the said event was for a cause but nonetheless we really had a great and fun time watching it. It was like watching a series of skits at a comedy bar and a basketball game at the same time.

The all star group was composed of Christopher de Leon, Philip Salvador, Joko Diaz, Jhong Hilario, Patrick dela Rosa, Carlos Morales, John Hall, Dennis Padilla, Onyok Velasco and Gene Padilla. Keanna Reeves served as their muse, who performed a song and dance number during half time. Hubby and I watched only on the bleachers and I should say it was all worth it because we have seen quite a number of artists in one setting. Of course, I find Christopher very handsome, with his all glowing pinkish face, while it was something unexpected of Carlos Morales, who is much handsomer in person than on screen.

One highlight of the event was the dance number of Jhong Hilario, which I personally waited for during the night. Being a dance lover that I am, it was such high heaven watching a member of the Streetboys dance live so I was all giddy all the while. Here's a video of his performance. May I warn you beforehand that there's some rated PG along the way on this video, haha!

All in all, it was a fun-filled event. I was pretty sure all the audience got their ounce of air every time they burst out laughing. Hope there would be another show like it.

Going Rustic.

2009-06-05T10:15:00.005+08:00

Since school is back, I have been thinking of having new furniture around home. I would like to have a new study table for my two students and a shelf for all their books, notebooks and other school stuff.

Anyway, I saw this wonderful bookshelf over the net and I instantly liked its uniqueness. I never thought rustic furniture would be such an amazement to behold. But then again, things never cease to fascinate us, haha! This would definitely be a great addition to our house. I wonder if this shelf is available here in our place.

And how is this for a bathroom sink? This is so nice, with its look of nature and sophistication rolled into one.

Gotta save up now.

On Back To School And Hot Weather.

2009-06-02T14:31:00.004+08:00

Yesterday was back to school again. My daughter is now in Grade 2 while my second kid is Kinder 1. I was excited because both of them are now in one school, so at least it is easy for them to send and fetch.

As expected, my daughter already has their quiz on the first day and when I checked on her notebook last night, she has assignments for English and Filipino subjects. Whew, this is it! On the other hand, I am grateful my son had no problem with the school, which is new to him. I just hope he won't get tired and would eventually gain the enthusiasm to learn.

Well, here's a picture of my son on his first day of school. They were falling in line for the flag ceremony and yet he is facing us.

I am definitely looking forward to this school year . . .

Meanwhile, the weather nowadays is so hot and draining. Mounds of sweat keep dripping from every part of my body, which makes me think that I could melt on the floor at any minute. It seems like there's no more air circulating around the atmosphere and all I could feel is the scorching heat of the sun penetrating deeply into my skin. The feel is somehow irritating, no wonder my youngest kid is kind of moody the past days.

How come this is happening just when the summer season is already on its way out? Tsk . . . tsk.

Can't Wait For New Moon!

2009-05-27T12:31:00.003+08:00

Whew! It has been very long since I have posted something on this blog. Now I am feeling guilty for not being in the blogosphere for several days, and not having to visit your blogs too. Anyway, I am back and I hope nothing gets in the way again. Life has been very busy the past days which left me feeling dead tired and lazy all the same.

Well for Twilight fanatics like me, I would like to share some photo still from the upcoming movie New Moon. I think these were already released few days back, but might as well post it here since Edward and Bella have already become part of my fancies, lol!

Currently, they are filming in Italy and I am super excited for the appearance of the yellow Porsche! Oh, and they are gonna feature a never-before-seen video clip of the movie on MTV Awards this Monday (Phils. time - - Sunday in US). Enjoy the pictures and one thing is for sure . . . I can't wait for November!

Phone Ringtones

2009-05-16T18:47:00.003+08:00

Cellphones has become a necessity nowadays. It is the best means of communicating a loved one, since it is portable and convenient to use. Well, it could not also be denied that cellphones also has become a status symbol, with its prices ranging from the affordability of the unfortunate ones up to the wealthy and affluent.

But whatever type of cellphone each and every one of us has, it is a requisite that it has a sound for message and call alerts. Ringtones has become popular at present and are sought after by many hip and modern people (and I think I am one of them, lol!). My ringtones right now is a voice-over of Big Brother and so far I am enjoying it a lot. It was sent to me by an office mate and now most of our volleyball team is using it, through the wonder of bluetooth.

While others find it easy to look for the coolest tones for their cellphones, others had a hard time finding where to get or download the tones. A lot of websites have been up already and offer a wide selection of tones according to the phone's sound features. Ringtones now have either true tones, polyphonic, monophonic or real music. Real music is very preferable, well in my opinion, and I have yet to find the best tune I would use, haha! These sites also offer downloads on games, wallpapers and video clips.

Aside from communication, cellphones have also been very useful for entertainment and documentation. Cameras are already installed in most of the models, while game applications make one's boring moments full of fun. My kids love playing games on my cellphone as well as take pictures and videos. No wonder I always get a notification alert for low on battery!

What's your tone now?

Music MOnday: Who Am I?

2009-05-11T13:11:00.002+08:00

There are a lot of things I should be grateful to God about, and that includes the wonderful life I am living right now. Complaints often comes out of my lips every time pain and anxieties are felt, never realizing that I am lucky compared to the many unfortunate individuals around the globe.

Great things have come my way lately - - the championship, extra income, bonus, and well, I lost weight! Salary increase is said to be on the way again for all government workers, so what more should I ask for? God has truly blessed me and my family.

The song featured for this week will detail my gratitude to Him, for all He has done. Without Him, I am definitely nothing.

Have a blessed week everyone!

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T08:41:00.002+08:00

As I look at myself, I can't help but feel overwhelmed that I am already a mother of three kids. I still feel young, but when I look at those three angels playing around, all I could do is smile and thank God for giving them to me. Motherhood is a lifetime commitment for me, an ongoing challenge I have to take, and a skill I have to forever master.

"A mom's heart is the biggest, a mom's smile is the sweetest, a mom's hug is the warmest, a mom's love is the best." HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all moms!

Success In Business

2009-05-04T19:16:00.003+08:00

Amidst the global financial crisis we are faced at the moment, we come to wonder if we could put up a successful business. The question goes on as to whether it will survive competition and be able to sustain profitability. Even the very big establishments suffer a great dose of failure, the very least that we expect, right? Only then we come to realize that the business world is also round, it is difficult to determine who is on top.

However, the knowledge one could get over periods of training will no doubt equip every entrepreneur and businessman with the right tools. Trainings are offered at any business schools near us, but if that will already be an effort then there are also a lot of virtual academies we can turn to. Take for instance the online training offered by Martin Lightbowne, which guarantees aspiring entrepreneurs into mighty networkers and business tycoons.

So what does it take in order to stay put in this difficult times? Taking courses would surely go a long way. Everything is learned and when you master the art, it would be very easy to conquer the field. Strategies would be easy to implement, teams and time would then be easy to manage.

Ready?

Music Monday: Only Hope

2009-05-04T16:02:00.002+08:00

It has been several Mondays already that I have not participated in Music Monday. It was because I haven't got the time to look for videos of those songs I wanted to feature brought about by the hectic schedule of volleybll practice and tax season. Now I am making amends and to kick it off, I am going to feature Mandy Moore's Only Hope.

A Walk To Remember is the all-time favorite movie of mine. It is one film that never fails to make me cry over and over again. It touches my heart to the core, which made me wonder why until at present. Anyway, the story is simple, yet so heart-warming. The video above is just part of the movie. Enjoy and fall in love!

Belated Greetings

2009-05-03T19:24:00.006+08:00

My absence during the past week has disabled me to greet some people on very special occasions. Well, it's better late than never, so here goes my delayed greetings to concerned individuals:

Happy Birthday to my youngest son! He just turned three years old last April 29, which was sad for me because I was in Davao that time. Hubby told me they went to church and had a very simple celebration. The kids were very happy with cake and ice cream hubby got for them. If only I could bring back time and spend the day with them, I could have witnessed their jolly faces!

Next special occasion was the National Labor Day last May 1. Wishing all workers, both in the private and government sector, a continued motivation for excellence in everything and increased incentives too.

Lastly, just before lunch time today, Manny Pacquiao fought against Ricky Hatton of England. It was a fight deemed by many as the fight of the year but Manny proved otherwise since the bout only lasted 2 rounds. And in these two rounds, Hatton was downed three times! Congratulations Manny for another exemplary boxing performance. Truly a world class individual and the number 1 pound for pound boxer!

Here's a video of their reently concluded fight:

Enjoy!

Hot Summer and Air Conditioning

2009-05-02T19:20:00.004+08:00

The weather at present is very unpredictable. One moment the sun was shining so hot, another moment passed it is already raining hard. To think that it is summer time here in the Philippines, there are still raindrops scattered all over the nation. But one thing is sure about the season, it is extremely hot even during night time. It is already expected that electric bills will be high during this period, as electricity consumption will be frequent with the use of airconditioning units.

As I am writing this, I could just imagine my kids sweating profusely, like wet chicks, every time they play around home. It was a policy of our house then to switch on the aircon only in the evenings during sleeping time. But now, we have no choice but to have them turned on once in while during day time.

Well, airconditioning units should be well taken cared of. They are very essential in this hot weather we have right now. We have to clean them regularly from dusts and other particles, since they will be emitted once they are turned on. That is why hubby always sees to it that our aircon is cleaned at least twice a month.

Repairs and installation of our home cooling systems could be extended to us by a lot of contractors specializing in this area, like the Riverside HVAC. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning.