The Little Light Sleeper

The little girl is such a light sleeper. Ever since she was a small infant, she has always been like that. Now that she's bigger though, her sleeping patterns have improved which is why J and I are also getting more sleep. Just the same, we still need to watch what we are doing so that we don't wake her up. For example, when I really want to watch some telly while she's taking a nap, I just turn on closed captioning so I can follow the dialogue even when the volume is turned down low. Thank God for features like this. :D

Not So Cluttered After All

Your Mind is 47% Cluttered

Your mind is starting to get cluttered, and as a result, it's a little harder for you to keep focused. Try to let go of your pettiest worries and concerns. The worrying is worse than the actual problems!

How Cluttered is Your Mind?

And I thought I was such a worry wart. :P But still the clutter is there so need to de-clutter when the new year kicks in.

Auto Crazy

My brother R is such a car enthusiast, so much so that he has recently asked me to canvass the price of lowering springs here in Oz. He is crazy over auto parts that he is willing to buy them even if they can only be bought overseas, of course, if the price is good. Next time I hear from him, he might ask me to check out the prices of billet grilles for his precious car. Well, that's not impossible to happen. Trust me.

I am green!

You Are a Green Crayon

Your world is colored in harmonious, peaceful, natural colors. While some may associate green with money, you are one of the least materialistic people around. Comfort is important to you. You like to feel as relaxed as possible - and you try to make others feel at ease. You're very happy with who you are, and it certainly shows! Your color wheel opposite is red. Every time you feel grounded, a red person does their best to shake you.

What Color Crayon Are You?

Blogs in Plain English

Have you ever been asked what a blog is in simple terms and you just couldn’t answer them well enough? I stumbled upon this neat video on youtube which you can use to help explain to other people what a blog is all about. Thanks to Lee and Sachi LeFever for making this.

So if you're the person who's into sharing your life on the web, I would suggest you start a blog of your own now. And do make sure to get a site of your own, especially if you're considering of enrolling it in paid posting sites. Get a decent company to host it, whether you're interested in Business Website Hosting or Personal Website Hosting, so you're sure that your site is kept running all the time. Blogging is truly the way to go on the web these days.

Still Sick

Yes, it's become full blown. I know I should be taking lots of rest to get rid of this bug, but that just seems to be an impossible task with all the work that needs to be done around. Just because it's the holidays, it does not mean the chores are on hold. Nope, unfortunately, life goes on and so must we. There's a party we must attend on the first so I am hoping this body of mine will cooperate. It's no fun socializing with friends when you can hardly speak up or are trying hard to hold back those sneezes. *fingers crossed*

Touring Oz

If you're looking for a place to go on vacation, the first thing that comes to mind that I would strongly suggest is of course the land down under, wonderful Australia. There are lots of hotels in Australia to stay at so you shouldn't be concerned much of that because it is a top tourist destination for most travellers.

And as you tour this beautiful country of ours, do make sure to drop by Queensland. You can book yourselves a room at one of the Gold Coast hotels, Noosa hotels, or Cairns hotels as these are the must-see places in the sunshine state. I haven't been to Queensland myself and when we do get the opportunity to visit it someday, we will make it a point to stay as long as we can so that we may see all the tourist spots there. That would be something really nice to look forward to.

Under the Weather

After weeks of rain and cold winds, it looks like summer has finally kicked in in our part of the world. Today alone has been terribly hot and the sudden change in temperatures has resulted in us ending up with a sore throat and the sniffles. Both J and I have not been feeling very well in the past few days. We just hope we don't pass the bug down to the little girl and that we will be feeling better as the year ends.

Back but with a Hangover

I am back. It's already three days past Christmas but I am still lazy to go back to working on the internet.

Christmas here was nothing remarkable. I maintain that nothing still beats being with your immediate family during this season. And inspite of that fact, I am as lazy as ever to get back into the daily grind. But the opportunities are beckoning me, so I do what I can. It would be a waste just to let them pass me by.

How did your holidays go?

Not An Excuse

In almost every corner of the globe, people must be attending parties nonstop, left and right. All the food and booze are overflowing that some ex-alcoholics may be having trouble declining those drinks, all in the spirit of the holidays. Well, they just might end up once again in alcohol rehabs if they are not careful. Just because it's Christmas does not mean it is a legal excuse for them to get back to their old drinking habit. They must have a strong resolve to be able to kick that bad habit of theirs once and for all.

Relieved

My contact in the US recently confirmed to me that all my orders arrived safely and in time and she was able to ship all of them to me last Friday morning, before she went on vacation. I am soooo relieved that the heavens heard my prayers. Now, I am crossing my fingers one more time because I am hoping that I will receive my big parcel before the New Year. That's any day next week. You see, there's a big possibility that it might get delayed in the mail because of the holiday rush. Let's hope not. Alright, time to pray to the heavens once again.

Gifts In Absentia

Would you believe J and I did not get anything for the other on our anniversary? I suppose since it is so close to Christmas Day, we felt there was no need to give anything on our special day. After all, we booked ourselves a room at a hotel in the city so that in a way counts as our gift to ourselves. I would have given J a recliner. But it costs way too much and it would make me exceed our budget for holiday presents. Well, there's always next time. :)

Just Got Back

Yes, it was a lovely overnight stay at Rydges! I loved the king-sized bed most of all. And the pillows, heavenly! :)

We practically spent the entire time at the hotel. We only went out to eat dinner at a nearby branch of Hog's Breath. Their steak was no doubt very juicy and tender, but still too bland for me. I loved our mud cake dessert though, which was topped with a slice of strawberry, lots of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzles of chocolate hot fudge. Very sinful!

I can't wait for our next anniversary. I wonder where we'll be staying at next year. :)

Frustrated Cook

I have always been interested and a fan of cooking shows ever since I can remember. I think I got the habit from my mom, who is a good cook (at least in our books) by the way. And since I am also willing to try out new things to eat, I always make it a point to have a pen and paper ready so that I can jot the recipe down. I've got tons of recipes already but I have yet to cook them for myself. Cooking can be time-consuming, you see, and time right now for me is very much a precious thing, especially with the little girl around.

Happy 2 years!

Today is the day! Exactly two years ago, J and I exchanged marriage vows at Saint James. :)

I was watching our wedding DVD a couple of days ago, and I realise I still get very emotional about it. It almost brought tears to my eyes! Given the chance to do it all over again, I really would in a heartbeat. No doubt about that!

Happy second year anniversary to us! Here's to more blissful and love-filled years together. :D

Graduation Season

It is graduation season here in our part of the world. In fact, a couple of kids that are the daughters of our friends here graduated earlier this week. One completed grade school while the other finished a degree in university.

Acrylic awards, perpetual plaques, and recognition awards must abound these days. I think the kids I mentioned also got awards for themselves, which is well and good. I hope our little girl does as well (or even better) when it's her time to graduate from school. I am sure we will be the proudest parents ever.

Way to go Charice!

If you're a Filipino, you may have already heard of the name Charice Pempengco. She's been creating quite a stir in the international scene now and has even managed to guest on The Ellen Degeneres Show.


There is no doubt the Filipino race has produced lots of amazing singers, but nobody I think has been able to break into international stardom as fast as Charice has. I reckon this girl will go a long, long way. And she deserves it too!

I can't find her performance on Ellen on youtube yet, but here's the link to the video clip from the Ellen website.

Clean-up Time

Geez, we are doing last minute clean-ups at this moment because the real estate agent is coming over for an inspection of the house. I don't know if I've mentioned it here but we just had our inspection last October. The reason why they wanted another inspection scheduled is that there has been a turn-over as far as the agent is concerned. The owner changed agencies recently so the new agent wanted to have a look-see of the property. We also have a few other issues to discuss with them so it is just as well that they came before the holidays. Hopefully, we will be able to iron things out and have peace of mind in the coming new year.

Parcel Anxiety

In the past two months, I have been ordering online from the US for our stuff and it has become quite all too much. I may have gone overboard because of all they have on sale, which is really not a good thing. :P Anyway, I am a bit anxious because my last few orders have not arrived yet and they may not make it in time, at least before the New Year. I know I never should have done some last-minute shopping but it was totally unavoidable. I am still waiting for 2 more parcels to come and I am crossing my fingers (and toes) that they'll arrive soon. I just hate the waiting game.

Our Wishlists

Speaking of wishlists, we've also drawn up a list at home so we also get to be excited over our gift exchange this Christmas. For my requests, I have come up with the following: a pair of jeans, the Air Styler from VS, a day at the hairdresser's for a makeover. I am not adding fine lingerie to the list because I am more inclined to get something that I can wear when we go out to the mall or to parties. Even with this list around, I am still hoping that J can surprise me with something I'd really like on Christmas day. :)

Useless Wishlist

Our wishlist emails were supposed to be something to look out for. But when J forwrded to me the emails, we just had to laugh at the way things turned out. We were one of the last people to send out our list so we got to see what the others wrote. Would you believe that majority of the people in our family requested for gift cards? If you analyse it, it actually resulted to one cancelling out the other. J and I both agreed it all defeated the entire purpose of exchanging gifts. Plus, the element of surprise is gone because you are sure you are just going to receive a gift voucher. It was something that was unexpected and was not considered in the course of planning. I hope next year it will be different so the gift-giving would be more fun and exciting.

Leaky Problem

Our kitchen sink hasn't been its usual self for some time now. You see, we had the washers replaced last April and just a few months ago the faucet was leaking again. We had to ring up the plumbing company that fixed it and they came to check what the problem really is. It is a good thing they didn't charge us with anything because their fees are quite high ($99 for washer replacement!).

Anyway, the plumber on duty that day said that the problem is actually deep within the pipes. They are old and would need to be replaced with one of those Kohler sinks. This explained why the faucet kept on leaking inspite of having replaced the washers with new ones. Since this entailed a major overhaul, we just left it as it is and reported the problem to the real estate agent so that she can relay it to the owner who should be the one paying for such repairs. In other words, it's not our problem anymore.

Cool Weather

It looks like my wish for cool weather this Christmas is coming true. It has been a bit chilly since Sunday. Yesterday was even colder because it was terribly windy, much like the weather in Autumn. Ah yes, this is more like it. Now I can relate the occasion with the season.

I just heard though from my mom that is humidly hot in Manila, which is pretty unusual at this time of year. We also got a taste of that kind of weather when we went home last year. Methinks it is climate change manifesting and it is all screwed up. Oh boy.

First Gifts

The little girl received her very first Christmas gift from one of her godmothers.

It is quite timely, which is just as well because she is now very much into practicing her standing and walking skills. :)

I, on the other hand, got this from my kumare.

I have been longing to buy a bottle of this for the longest time. I am sooo glad she was able to read my mind! :)

Big Turnaround

My brother R and I recently got in touch with our college friend P. It has been eons since we last saw each other. Thanks to those social networking sites, we were able to re-establish our friendship.

Much has changed in each other's lives. P revealed to me that he once got involved in drugs and it came to a point that everything went really bad, like being arrested by the authorities. Gosh, I never imagined he would end up in such situations. But fortunately he was able to realise his mistakes and made a big turnaround by going into drug rehabilitation. Now, he's become a very religious man and he is taking life seriously. I am glad that he has changed his ways and am also praying that he will continue to be this way for as long as it takes.

GB Galore

Yesterday, we were at the mall for our weekly grocery shopping. But we also came home with something for our reliable old PC. Well, it is not that really old as it has only been 2 years since J bought it. However, a lot has changed in that two years and our once huge 40 GB hard drive is nothing now compared to the standard 120GB in current models. So we thought a good upgrade would be to buy an external HDD. And it's a whopping 500GB! Ha! And we bought it on sale at Harvey Norman so it is very much a pretty good investment. Now, we can edit all those video recordings we have so we can burn it on DVDs and we can send them to our relatives in the Philippines. :)

NZ in a flash

My friend L rang me up the other day asking about Australian tourist visas because her mother-in-law from Sri Lanka was coming over for a visit. She was asking what most tourists do if they want to stay in Oz for more than 3 months of what the Immigration Department has given them. I suggested that they could exit Oz for a week or so and just come back after since their visa is good for multiple entry for a year. They could visit the neighboring countries like Singapore and New Zealand.

If I were her MIL, I'd choose NZ in a flash. I have watched and read so many good things about New Zealand and find it to be a top destination on my list. The country's not so big so probably a week is enough to go around the major cities. And as for a place to stay, I am sure there are lots of New Zealand hotels to choose from. While she's city hopping, she can just hotel hop as well by booking a room at one of the Auckland hotels, Christchurch hotels, and Wellington hotels.

Here's a few must-see places in NZ: Tongariro, Te Wahipounamu, and Subantarctic Islands. They are all world heritage sites so she definitely must put them on her itinerary. I am sure I will!

The Katie Look

Have you seen Katie Holme's newest hairdo? Well, here she is on the cover of In Style magazine and I am loving her new look.

Remember how I was contemplating on getting a makeover for myself in an earlier post? It looks like I have finally found the inspiration to do it. I just hope it would also suit me, much like it did Katie. That is, of course, if I can muster up the guts to go ahead with it. You'll soon find out. :)

Getting Organized

Gosh, I can't believe how much stuff we've accumulated over the months. They are more of the little girl's things so we just can't throw them out just yet. And we are running out of space, I tell you. Sometimes, when we go shopping, I dread coming home because I honestly don't know where to store the new acquisitions.

One of the biggest occupants in the house are our two TVs. Had they been the plasma kinds, I would have used a plasma mount so that I can use that floor area they occupy for something else. But since they're not, I must think of a way to get things organized and it better be soon because there's another house inspection coming up next week.

First Party

We just had our very first Christmas party ever last night. It was a blast because food and drinks were overflowing and there were games and videoke to entertain us the whole night through.

The little girl though wasn't in the very best of moods because she didn't sleep much during the day. The noise too must have gotten to her nerves. That is why she was a bit cranky at the party. Well, I hope she'll do better in future gatherings as I'm sure last night's won't be the last.

Video Games Geek

Not a lot of people know this but I love playing video games. I especially like the Sims and other puzzle games which keep me hooked on to the computer for hours. J says it's the most unproductive thing that I could do. But since he is not a game-player like me, he does not realise how much enjoyment it brings to me.

Anyway, we have yet to get a console for us to play with and maybe a cool playstation 3 would be a neat thing to purchase for the holidays. Well, that all depends now on my paycheck for the month and if J will permit me to buy one. :)

Weekend Away

Yipee! It is confirmed! We were able to book ourselves a room at a hotel in the city and we will be spending our second year church wedding anniversary there, with Erin of course! :)

Yes, we are all excited at the thought and we cannot wait for that day to come. The room will have a beautiful view of the Lake so that is one of the good things to look forward to on our weekend away from home. And the countdown begins now. :)

Role Model (not!)

Speaking of TV shows, aren't you surprised at the rate that these very young actors and actresses are being admitted into alcohol and drug treatment centers in the US? And inspite of their 'wild' behavior, they still are being looked up to by their also very young fans. I hope these kids (not the stars) realize that their idols may not necessarily be good role models. The parents should also make it a point to talk to their kids about it so they know what the real deal is. Otherwise, they might just end up like them, God forbid.

Makeover wanted!

I just watched Oprah's Great American Haircut episode earlier today and my, oh, my... I was so envious of all those women who got those amazing makeovers from top American stylists.

Looking at my reflection in the mirror after watching the show, I realise I am also one of those women who is in dire need of a makeover. Although I get my regular trim at the salon every quarter, I've always settled for the same style since I was in high school. I have never had the guts to try something different because I wasn't sure if I was going to like the new look.

I have been contemplating on getting a change of 'do for quite some time now and I may just make it a reality one of these days. To cut or not to cut. That is the question!

Bedroom Talk

I have always dreamed of owning a sleigh bed one day. I think it started when I saw this beautiful bed displayed in one of the malls and it just simply took my breath away. Although a captains bed could also make me change my mind. All that storage can be really handy!

And between queen beds and king beds, I realize I prefer a king sized bed with our present situation. Right now, we have a queen but it just isn't enough, especially with the little girl around.

More Goodies

This came in early today. I told you there were more! And there’s even more coming probably in the next two weeks. But they are not all ours, mind you. Quite a number of them are to be given to our godchildren, relatives and friends as gifts for this Christmas.

All this online shopping can be soooo addicting, I tell you. Someone pry me away from the computer please!

Investing Tips

The Christmas season is not only a time of shopping and expenses. I am sure for those of you working, you have somehow received a bonus or an increase in your payslip this month. Better stash away that extra cash for a rainy day. Or better yet, invest your money in gold bullions.

Buying gold is a new option for those who want to protect their finances from possible bank panics. They can be stored in secure areas and you know that your finances are well preserved in this type of investment. Check out the gold price chart so you know how much gold is worth in the present time.

Retail High

Someone went shopping yesterday and ended up with these! ;)

Of course, they were all on sale. And there are still more to come! Christmas is definitely early in this part of the world. :D

Feast 171

Appetizer
What was the last game you purchased?
The last video game we purchased was The Sims 2. The last board game we bought was Monopoly. They were all purchased last year.

Soup
Name something in which you don’t believe.
I don't believe that men are superior to women. One complements the other. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

Salad
If you could choose a celebrity to be your boss, who would you pick?
Maybe Oprah Winfrey. I think she is very generous and has a very big heart.

Main Course
What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?
I've had not so good relationships before with the opposite sex. I got my heart broken several times. I had to learn to love myself first before expecting others to love me back.

Dessert
Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.
It could be in a house on the hills or in a beach house with a balcony and a view to die for, large windows that you can open to let the cool breeze in, and of course, there would be lots of furniture to lounge on -- a large comfy bed with high thread count bedsheets and huge, soft pillows. Living room furniture is also important beacause it is also nice to sit on a comfy couch from time to time when you're reading a book or just watching the telly. Oh, and please don't forget the food! :)

Countdown to Christmas

I just received an email today informing me that we are now only 18 days away from Christmas. The first week of December is almost over. But the not so good part of it is that we have not done much of our Christmas shopping yet. J suggested that we start on it tomorrow so we can avoid the Christmas rush and spare us from the headache and hassle. I'm not objecting of course. You know how much I love shopping. :)

Thinking of Florida

We all deserve a break from the daily grind every now and then. For us, the perfect break would be to travel abroad. It's a no-brainer that Manila's on the top of our list. But we wouldn't mind visiting family and friends in the States.

Of course, part of our itinerary is Florida because we have a handful of friends and relatives residing there. Getting the services of a car rental in florida is a must because we would also want to explore the tourist spots on our own. We'll make sure to check out Discount Florida Car Rentals because they don't require payment until you arrive in Florida and at the same time, they'll give you a confirmation number for no deposit in return. Plus, we can cancel our booking anytime should we have a change of mind.

All is pretty planned out already, eh? There's only one problem -- where to get the money to buy plane tickets for that wonderful holiday. Now, that's a different story.

Cool First Dance

Do you guys still remember your first dance as a married couple during your wedding reception? I vaguely do because it was nothing out of the ordinary. J and I did not have enough time to practice so we just settled for the safe waltz. I wish we had done something more memorable like this couple from the States. I first saw the video clip on Ellen and thought I'd post it here.

So did your first dance turn out to be as fun as theirs? Do share! :)

Playing Online

I like playing games on the internet, but most of them are the arcade and puzzle types. I am not into gambling but for those who like to play online poker, then make it a point to check out Bet365poker.com.

I am sure my stepdad (who likes playing poker on his PC) will be interested in it because of its great online betting services and efficient wallet system. Plus, they offer a very secure online environment so you know you will be in safe hands.

Slow Day

I don't know what it is but opportunities sure are quite difficult to get by these days. Fortunately though, I still manage to grab a few ones here and there but nothing really major has come up or there are not really many to speak of right now. Well, at least my hand are not empty each day. But this is definitely going to have some effect on my goal of reaching the quota that I have set myself last month. We never know though how things will work out in the end so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed the whole time.

Gift Ideas for the Newlyweds

It is December and not only is it shopping season. But it is wedding season as well. Most couples get married in the merry month of December and J and I are no exception.

If you are attending a wedding any time soon, I suggest you get the couple Personalized Wedding Gifts. You can take their favorite wedding photos and have it immortalized on pillows and blankets. Make sure to get those panoramic shots as these I think are more appropriate in this types of printing. Now, that is a cool way to remember their big day by, don't you agree? I wish they were offering these when we got married.

Food Hunt

We were invited to a Christmas lunch with other members of our extended family here in the ACT. It's potluck as it is always the practice here and we were assigned to bring dessert.

I am thinking of bringing my ever reliable blueberry cheesecake. But I also want to bring something that the group have never tried before so I am contemplating on baking a carrot cake as well. My mom suggested to just bring rice cakes (or biko in Filipino) because it is very easy to make. She even sent me the recipe for it.

I am still undecided. I better make a decision soon so I can test cook it first here at home.

Up, Up and Away

Our little girl is getting to be very mobile now, after she learned how to stand up on her own a couple of days ago. It is important for us parents to slowly keep all those house decors and appliances away from her reach. Otherwise, we run the risk of of our kids getting injured or our things all broken up at the end of the day.

It's a good thing someone invented a TV Bracket. You can place your TV in a place where your kids won't reach it. Plus, you can also free the area it occupies, if you're a little short on space in your home. I think it is a pretty nifty invention, if I say so myself.

TV Meme

1. What was your favourite TV show as a child/teen?
Of course, they were mainly cartoons. I loved Disney cartoons the most!

2. Do you watch any specialty TV networks?
Yes I do. When I was in Manila, I liked to watch the Lifestyle Network all the time. We don't have cable TV anymore but I still watch cooking and make-over shows regularly.

3. If you think about the percentages of TV you watch currently, what ranks at the highest? Why?
Mostly it's between Oprah, Ellen and the cooking shows. Cartoons are not yet a regular for Erin. She enjoys commercials more so I don't have to put up a fight (yet) for the remote control.

4. Is there a television personality that you cannot stand, and why?
There's this host on BHG who cooks. I just get irritated with her lisp. :P

5. What is your guilty TV pleasure?
Maybe Heroes, because I always stay up to watch it no matter what.

6. HDTV: Do you have it? why or why not?
Nope. Well, not yet. Our TVs are still doing fine.

7. Cable: Yes or no? “how much” cable do you subscribe to, and why?
Nope. Have hardly any time to watch it. Erin is such a handful, plus there are chores to do.

8. Which TV series would you love to last your lifetime?
Heroes, ER, Gray's Anatomy.

It's in the cards

Ever since the holiday spirit kicked in our household, I have been contemplating on sending Christmas cards to our friends and relatives overseas. To make it even more unique, I am planning on sending out custom holiday cards with our family picture printed on it.

I thought it would be a nice keepsake for them since it is just not J and I anymore but we are now a family of three. The little girl makes everything more special when it comes to occasion like this. I hope I have enough time to create a good design and have it printed as soon as possible. You know how it is during the holidays. We are all so busy, busy, busy.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Yes, our tree is finally up. I am basically done with the decors so that's that. I might add a few more baubles here and there if I find something nice that catches my eye. Otherwise, that's about it. :)

Need cash?

In times of desperate need for cash even when you have had a bad credit history, you have to thank the heavens for companies that offer you bad credit loans. Getting a personal loan from them is as easy as pie because you can do this on their website. All can be done in the comforts of your home. This is particularly good news for all concerned expecially on this holiday season of seemingly endless expenses.

Feast 170

Appetizer
What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride?
I am not really a person who likes amusement park rides. I am actually acrophobic but somehow I have managed to overcome this fear while riding the ferris wheel at Enchanted Kingdom. It's big and you can't see what's below, so I was able to stomach it. As for those rollercoasters, no thanks! :P

Soup
How do you react in uncomfortable social situations?
Well, I just keep quiet. If I can't handle it though, I might just walk out of it.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics?
Maybe a 7. It depends on the mood. Sometimes, I can't handle too cerebral conversations, especially after having a very stressful day.

Main Course
Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to?
Nope. I am not planning to but now that you mention it, I might ask our GP about it.

Dessert
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television?
Maybe around 20 hours at least. That is just a ballpark figure. I spend more hours on the PC for you-know-what. ;)

Smart shopping

With the Christmas season closing in, I am sure shoppers out there are starting to look around for potential gifts for their loved ones. And with the tremendous amount of shopping to be done, the smart shopper should look for ways to cut on expenses and get the best deals there are.

Well, here's a tip. If you are shopping around for HDTVs and other related items, you might want to check out Second Act's Great Deal of the Day. They are an authorized dealer of well-known HDTV brands and you are sure to get one of the lowest rates on their site for these products. If you want to be in the know of the latest deals on their website, make sure to subscribe to their newsletter via email or RSS. You will definitely be not sorry.

I will revive!

I can't imagine how much this blog has been revived after months of hibernation. For November alone, I have posted 59 entries (including this) thus far. It is amazing how much paid posting can influence your blog's activity, eh? :) Well, I am glad I decided to unlock this blog's potential, so to speak. It has been pretty rewarding so far! :)

Weekend preview

I am sure everyone back home in the Philippines are shouting TGIF today. It's a national holiday as it is Bonifacio Day. I'm glad they're having a long weekend after that stressful failed coup yesterday. They deserve it!

As for us down under, we still have a day more to grind before the weekend starts. I don't think the weekend will be relaxing either as I have yet to finish the tree. It's already December for crying out loud! :P

Going Coup-Coup

I'm sure you've heard of the recent foiled coup in Manila yesterday. Geez, these people never learn! They think they can get their way always by staging these attention-seeking acts. Yes, they have our attention, but is anyone listening? What they did is nothing new so I guess people are just immune to their ways by now. Had they not surrendered immediately, then that could have been something newsworthy.

My Birth Month Tag

Got this from Nol. It's a pretty long tag so please bear with me. :)

1. Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2. Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months (see below).
3. Pick your month of birth.
4. Highlight the traits that apply to you.
5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them.
6. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it!

My birth month

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.


The Twelve Months

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

Feel free to tag yourself! :)

Award-winning me!

Fellow blogger Era handed me the following awards:



Aww.... I am especially touched by the sexy blogger award because of the new body that I have since giving birth to Erin. Haha! :D

Dreaming of Europe (still!)

You've probably noticed a trend here now, if you are a regular reader of this blog. Yes, the common denominator is Europe, my dream destination!

Someday, somehow, we will be able to visit and explore this very interesting continent. I don't know when that time is but I will definitely make it a point to make this a reality.

And if that day does come for us, booking a hotel immediately will be one of my agenda. We will surely browse through Rome hotels and Barcelona hotels because those places are a must-see on anyone who's had Europe in mind.

As to when that time will come, that is the big question. I just hope it is soon! :)

Negative!

J just came back from his stress test at the Canberra Hospital. He had complained of shortness of breath a few weeks back so our GP recommended that he take the test to rule out any heart ailments.

It looks like it must have been just an asthma attack because the test results showed that he was negative for any heart illnesses. Thank God! But the attending cardiologist at the time suggested that he take half an aspirin pill daily because of his family history of heart disease and stroke. Regular excercise was also advised.

The former he can easily start on tomorrow, but the latter is going to take some scheduling on our part. We have got to find time to exercise! I wonder how.

Shopping around

I am still unsure as to what to give my younger brother D for his birthday and graduation next year. I have one thing on my mind though that he may like and it's an apple mp3 player.

But before I go out and buy him the first thing I see in the store, I want to shop around first and compare prices online like on SaveBuckets.co.uk so I know how much I'll actually be spending on it. I'm glad there are websites like this so I don't have to go out in the shops and tire myself from canvassing prices. It saves me a lot of my precious time.

All in the family

All this blogging business has gotten a lot of people interested, inspite of their age. J mentioned about my paid posting part-time job to his father in one of their recent talks. He loves to write so knowing that you can get paid for writing has somehow sparked his interest as well. I think he is even going to consider giving it a shot. Haha! Pretty soon, you'll be seeing another link of ours online and you'll get to read my FIL's entries in it. Now, that would be interesting.

Still on Europe

Travelling to Germany and Austria is definitely on my itinerary for my dream tour of Europe. I've done a little surfing and here's what I found.

Let's talk about Germany first. Based on my research, here are just some of the top destinations that you must visit while in Germany: the Cologne Cathedral, King Ludwig II's Neuschwanstein castle, the Bavarian Alps, and the Black Forest among others. And if you're booked in one of the hotels in Berlin, make sure to explore Checkpoint Charlie where there is an exhibition on the history of the Berlin Wall.

Now for Austria. Checking into a one of the hotels in Vienna is a must because Vienna is a tourist destination. I'll make sure to visit the Museum of Fine Arts, the Wurstelprater, the imperial Schönbrunn palace, and the 252 meter tall Donauturm.

Note: For those looking to book hotels in Berlin and hotels in Vienna, you should know that there is also a German translated website for those who would rather view it in this Language.

Shopping Success

The first batch of stuff I bought online finally arrived yesterday and today! I was so excited about it that I tore off all the packaging material. I didnt realize how much clothes I bought. And there's another batch arriving probably next week. Oh boy, I better go through everything and calculate the total cost. I hope I did not go overboard with my budget. :P

Back to work

Yes, today is a new day and it started just the way I wanted it to be -- opps galore! Thanksgiving is over in North America so it is also back to work all of us paid posters in other parts of the world. It is a relief because now I can go back to earning again and hopefull I can reach that quota that I have been setting for months now.

Cool frames

Our families back home in the Philippines can hardly wait to see us, especially the little girl, when we come visiting them next year. In the meantime, we try to regularly send them photos of Erin so that they can keep track of how she's growing. It's a known fact how kids grow up pretty fast so it is important to document their changes though photos.

Since we have sent tons of pictures already back home, nobody really has the time to go through everything and choose which ones to have printed. J suggested to purchase a digital picture frame for the grandparents so they can just upload Erin's pictures and look at it anytime they want. It's a great idea really because it is convenient for everyone concerned. Plus digital frames are space savers no matter how many photos you want to be displayed. With this in mind, I'm thinking of getting our own digital photo frame as well.

Slow Day

It looks like it's going to be a slow day today for me as far as paid posting is concerned. There hasn't been many opportunities since yesterday. In fact, there were hardly any! Maybe it's because of the Thanksgiving celebration last weekend. Well, I hope work resumes soon. I almost nearing my quota for this month. I need to reach it or surpass it, which is even better.

On Close Combat

When I was younger, I always wanted to study martial arts. Being female, I think it's to your advantage if you know some form of self-defense. Up until now though I still do not know the the truth about martial arts. Do you?

Well, if you haven't the slightest idea about it and are interested to find out more (like me), I suggest you head over to Captain Chris' close combat website. He's a world leader in self-defense so you can be assured he knows what he's talking about.

Almost There

... but not quite. Yes, the tree is up, all six feet of it. And I've even managed to put on the fairy lights as well while the little girl watched on.

I must admit it was not all that easy. Probably it's because we chose a tall tree to start with. Anyway, all that's left to be done is to hang baubles on its branches. Oh, and let's not forget the pressies that go underneath it. :)

Business-minded

Times are tough these days so we have to think of ways to make sure that our finances are stable enough to weather the high inflation rates and the hidden and/or surprise expenses.

As such, I am trying to put up a business with a good friend of mine back in the Philippines. It is greatly related to our profession as therapists so it is definitely something that is close to our hearts. Once we have the goods, we plan to set up an online store with shopping cart features. There is no doubt we are going to install those ecommerce software to make online transactions with our customers more convenient and easy for both parties. I have already a website that's up and running so it's just a matter of creating a new page within that site and customizing it to our liking.

I am pretty excited over this because it has been a dream of mine of four years now and finally it is becoming a reality. *crossing our fingers*

Shopping blues

Oh boy, it looks like we might not be able to get J's dream shoes this Christmas. He has been yearning for this brand of shoe for years. Decades even! :) So when the opportunity for us to buy stuff in the States came up, we thought we could add this particular pair to our list. But when the time came for us to purchase them, there was no available stock in his size. Awww, poor J! He just shrugged his shoulders at the sad news and just said, "It's not yet time."

Let's hear it!

I think one of the most important senses that we have is our sense of hearing. My grandfather is partially deaf because he used to work with heavy machineries when he was a young civil engineer. All those big trucks and jackhammers must have definitely damaged his hearing at some point. Plus, he's not that young anymore so old age could have damaged it even more.

Not all people know how hearing protection is so important and that loud noises do a lot of harm on your precious ears. Take for example my younger brother who was into playing a lot of rock music for his band when he was in his teens. He should have worn musician ear plugs then. Now, I reckon he is to a certain point a bit deaf because sometimes, he can't hear me when I talk to him. He should have been more careful.

Election Day

Yes, today is the day for all Aussies. J went out to vote this morning. It is required of all citizens.

It's between the Australian Labor Party and the National Coalition. Rudd versus Howard. So, who do you think who's going to win? I think I have a fairly rough idea which party is going to make it. But I'm not telling just yet. It's too early in the day for that. I don't want to nip it in the bud, so to speak. :P

Top Destination: UK

The United Kingdom is something that has been featured over and over in our local TV travel shows here. Maybe it is because of this country's ties with the Queen. Admittedly, I find Britain also to be one of my top destinations in Europe because of its rich history and wonderful architecture.

We are sure to hotel hop so that we can see the different sites like the Tower of London, National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, the Canterbury Cathedral and so much more. From the hotels in London to the hotels in Manchester to the hotels in Birmingham, there is no doubt that we will be having a grand time.

TGIF

Woohoo! The weekend is finally here. :) I am sooo looking forward to it because we will be finally setting up our Christmas tree. J promised me this a couple of nights ago so it is going to be a full weekend once again for our family. I may have to purchase additional decors because I only bought the basics. If we still have some time to spare, maybe we'll drop by the mall as well.

Fast cash

With the holidays drawing near, shopping for loved ones is inevitable. It is common knowledge that we all go a little broke once the holidays are over because of the enormous amount of shopping we must do. Gift-giving has now been a tradition that sometimes we go way over our monthly budgets just to make ends meet.

Well, these days, you can thank the heavens for payday loans. They are short-term cash advances that you can avail of if you need to stretch your budget a little more. They are safe and secure so you know you can rely on them in times of emergencies when you are short on cash.

I personally will try my best not to go over our budget for this Christmas, but I will not promise anything. If something out of the blue happens and we might need to spend a little more, we just might consider that cash advance as a fallback.

Christmas & the heat

I hope this cool weather stays on. Christmas is not christmas with the heat! I just can't marry the two things together as I have always associated the low temperatures with the holiday season.

It is my first Christmas here in Oz. I know it's never going to be the same as it is in our beloved Philippines. But this is our life now. We have just got to embrace it.

On Tutoring

When I was a kid, I did not require much tutoring because I was the sort of person who loved doing her homework and made sure they were done ahead of time. In short, I loved going to school! In my brother's case, however, all he seemed to be interested in was playing. I think that is how boys really are.

When we were in grade school, he always had to stay back to finish his work in Math and Algebra. He also needed homework help. He needed a tutor but unfortunately, we couldn't afford one so my mom had to do all the hard work with him.

Had online tutoring been available at that time (in the 80's) it would have been a great help to all students struggling with school work. The extra load on my mom would have also been lifted. Children these days are lucky because there is so much that we can offer to them now.

Shopaholic me

I am getting addicted to online shopping, especially if there is major sale happening. Just this morning, I received a newsletter from one of my favorites online stores and they're going to have a sale! I think this is part of the black friday sale they are talking about. I have to check it out just in case something nice is up for grabs. Gosh, I am all giddy just talking about it! :P

Fan of fans

Ah yes, summer is almost here. I can tell by the rising temperatures and the occasional rainfall, which signifies the change of season here in Australia. With a young baby like ours, we need to do something about the heat!

Ceiling fans are a good way of cooling one's home. Actually, I love ceiling fans because they remind me of the good old days. But since we are going for the contemporary look, I rather fancy those modern ceiling fans and the reliable and durable craftmade fans. Not only do they drive the heat away. They are also lovely fixtures to look at. You can't go wrong with them!

Loving the weather

Finally, we have some relief from the sweltering heat these past few days. It has been raining since last night and it has been cool and lovely 'bed' weather until now. I wish I could just sleep in for the entire day. But sadly, work awaits. There are tons of chores to be done. I hope this will continue until the weekend so all of us can take advantage of the weather.

Spring cleaning

This house definitely needs cleaning up. Being busy parents that we are, we hardly have the time anymore to primp up our home. And it irritates me so much because I am a stickler for neatness and yet, our time is limited. It is something we have no absolute control of.

It was even worse when our vacuum cleaner broke down. J had to shop around for vacuum cleaners and considering brands like Dyson. He had to make sure that it was of the best quality so that it would last for years to come.

The vacuum cleaner is very much an important gadget for our family in particular because both J and I suffer from some form of allergy. J has asthma while I have rhinitis. Plus we have a little baby as well. So we need to eliminate as much as possible all that dust and dirt, especially those found in our carpet. Whoever invented this is a genius! :)

Thanks Alexa!

Finally, I have my alexa traffic rank running. It has not been working for some time because all it showed was the number 12. Now, my traffic rank is not that high can it? In short, it was an impossible figure to believe. And although I am still in the 8M rank, it's fine with me. I am sure it'll be better in the days to come. :)

Thinking of the future

When you have a young family like ours, it just makes sense to draw up long-term goals and think of the future of your family, especially your kids. Getting family insurance is ideal because life can have its surprises, pleasant or otherwise. So it is best to be prepared always.

When searching for the best policy, make sure to do your homework and get insurance quotes from as many companies possible so you can save money on insurance premium and still get a good coverage. Advantage Term Life can do just the job for you.

Oprah's favorite things show

I just learned from Jen that Oprah recently aired her Favorite Things show. For all Oprah fans, it is a must-see. You'll just die of envy because each guest gets to go home with everything that Oprah features on that show. From camcorders to refrigerators, geez, your shopping's done with all of that new stuff. I wonder when I'll have the chance to guest on that show. *wishful thinking*

Have faith

At one point in our life, we may have made the big mistake of not paying our debts on time. Let us face it. Times are hard these days and you are lucky if you have a nice big savings account to fall back on when things are not going your way in the finance department.

Well, for those who have had the unfortunate experience of having bad credit histories, fear not. Nowadays there are many providers who specialize in bad credit offers. In fact, at BadCreditOffers.com, they can help you compare the different offers and choose one that suits your needs. Whether it is a home loan or an auto loan you are after, they have got one for you. Make sure to check them out.

Where did the time go?

I just hate it when there are so many things to do and I only have little time. The pressure is driving me insane. In fact, I am so frantic, I do not know anymore which task to finish or tend to first. Yes, it's obvious that I only need to prioritize everything. I just don't have any idea where to start. Maybe I am just procrastinating. :P

Planning your travels

When you are planning to visit or explore a new place, it is always best to consult a travel guide first so that you can maximize your visit and you get to see and experience everything about that place.

I personally do a little bit of research whenever I plan to do a bit of travelling to a new city or country. We all know that travelling for the holidays can be very expensive so there's nothing better than being prepared for your vacation. That way, you know that you are sure to get the most out of it.

We're travelling to the Philippines next year so as early as now, we are asking friends back home the new must-see sites and restaurants to visit. Just thinking about it makes me excited all over again. :)

Cooling off

The heat down here has become quite unbearable at times. It looks like summer is slowly kicking in. We are more concerned of Erin because she gets really irritated and fussy when it gets too hot in the afternoons. Poor baby!

To solution the problem, we drove down to the mall yesterday to purchase another cooler for the house. It's pretty compact and even has a remote control. We're test running it now and so far, it has managed to keep ourselves cool and comfortable. I reckon the bigger challenge would be to test it at the height of summer. It's a good thing it has a one year warranty so just in case, it breaks down on us, we can easily have it replaced. :)

Discovering Oz

I have been residing in Australia for almost two years now. But I have not really seen much of it as all of my travels so far have been to Sydney and Canberra only. Motherhood has kept me from exploring all the other states. When Erin is a bit bigger though, we will make it a point to visit them.

We will definitely include the Gold Coast in our itinerary. Staying at one of the hotels in gold coast is ideal because most of the attractions (e.g. theme parks) are just a stone's throw away. We might also hop over to one of the hotels in surfers paradise because the beaches there are a must-see.

Adelaide, I heard, is also an interesting place to go to as they are famous for their wineries. We don't have any friends or relatives residing there so we will surely book a room at one of the hotels in adelaide.

Last on the list (but definitely not the least) is Perth. Some of J's friends say it's good place to live in, which got us quite curious. We'll get ourselves a room at one of those perth hotels so we can go around the place and see if what our friends say is true.

Gosh, lots of places to see but so little time!

Brand Tag

1) What’s the brand of your wristwatch? I hardly wear one these days. But if I had to, it's the Citizen watch my mom gave me in 1995.

2) What’s the brand of your bracelet? Don’t wear one

3) What’s the brand of your cell phone? Nokia

4) What’s the brand of your computer? J had it assembled so there's really not one brand. Our LCD monitor is by BenQ, our printer from HP and our webcam by Logitech.

5) What’s the brand of your bags? Marithe Francois Girbaud

6) What’s the brand of your undies? Some local ones from the Philippines. Others by Triumph, Target. I can't remember the rest!

7) What’s the brand of your flip-flops? Freeway

8) What’s the brand of your shoes? Nike, Celine

9) What’s the brand of your wallet? MFG, Something by Rusty Lopez

10) What’s the brand of your shirts? Bench, GAP, Penshoppe, Pink Soda, Miss Shop

11) What’s the brand of your TV? Samsung, Telefunken

12) What’s the brand of your cars? Toyota

13) What’s the brand of your mp3 player? Don't have one :P

14) What’s the brand of your make up? Covergirl, Maybelline and Chapstick

15) What’s the brand of your shampoo and conditioner? Dove

16) What’s the brand of your jeans? Bench, Penshoppe

17) What’s the brand of your laundry soap? Earth and Napisan for Babies

Alright, your turn! :)

Light up your life

It is amazing how light fixtures can affect the tone or mood of a room. I would definitely consider home lighting one of my top priorities when decorating or renovating a house.

I think the type of fixtures that you choose also reflects the personality of the home owner. For example, for the sophisticated one, you are sure to see some chandeliers in their home because of the elegance and class that this type of light exudes.

I am all for mood lighting too. As I am an emotional person, I go for whatever stuff that suits my mood.

Feast 169

Appetizer
What was your first “real” job?
My first real job was a summer job my brother R and I had back in the early 90's. We worked in our mom's repacking business doing admin stuff and also doing quality control work. We also stickered some labels. We were paid piece rate. I think I managed to earn Php 3,000 net. :)

Soup
Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity?
I usually read up on current events or surf the net. Sometimes just having time alone jumpstarts the thinking process.

Salad
Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when…
... my mom recalls stupid things I did when I was younger. I'd hate it especially if she told other people about it when I'm around. :(

Main Course
What values did your parents instill in you?
Respect authority or your elders and to always have some pride in yourself. Never be a doormat to anyone.

Dessert
Name 3 fads from your teenage years.
1) Remember Aquanet? Yup, I had made mountains out of molehills of my bangs. :P
2) Hgh-cut rubber shoes. Brands like Reebok and L.A. Gear were very famous for it.
3) Slumbooks or autograph books. Everyone in my class seemed to have one. It got passed around so everyone got to sign it.

Dream destination

It is no secret that Europe is on top of my list of dream destinations. The fact that there is so much history in that continent makes it all the more an interesting place to explore.

Our first stop would probably be England, being isolated on an island and all. We don't have any relatives there so it makes sense to book ourselves in one of the Hotels in London. Next is the mainland. Here we can go on road trips as countries sit side by side to each other. A definite stop-over would be Paris since we have relatives there. But so as not to be a nuisance to them, we'll just stay at one of the Hotels in Paris. We can then hop on to one of the Hotels in Berlin when we visit Germany. Also on our list is Spain. I have an uncle residing there, but, just the same, we'll get our own room at one of the Hotels in Barcelona.

That would be the perfect holiday. The only problem now is where to get the money to fund such a vacation. That is the big question!

Disheartening news

Have you heard the recent news about this pre-teen girl who committed suicide because of extreme poverty? *sigh* J told me about it last night as we were about to settle in bed. My heart broke again into a million little pieces, especially when I knew that they found a letter that she was writing for the show "Wish Ko Lang" underneath her pillow. According to the news, her parents parents have no permanent work and are reportedly earning P200 a week or P40 a day.

To take one's life is such an adult ting to do. But what would trigger a young, innocent girl to go down that path? It is times like this that I feel truly blessed for all that we have. The sad reality is, not all people are lucky to afford to go to school, to buy the things that they want, or even to eat 3 basic meals in a day. *sigh*

To point fingers or not, that is the question. I'd rather they do something to remedy the poverty situation in the Philippines fast before another similar incident takes place.

Related link:
Gov't takes responsibility for girl's suicide

Thoughts on the Elderly

Not all of us are lucky to have our families still care for us when we grow old. In the Philippines, it is part of our culture to have extended families all living under one roof so there is always someone who can look after the seniors in the family.

However, in most western countries, the opposite is true. Most of the elderly wind up in nursing homes because there is no one in their family who can take care of them. Others prefer this because they do not want to be a "burden" on their relatives. Others just want to be in the company of their peers.

I, personally, was raised on the idea that we are obligated to look after our parents when they grow old. It is what we Filipinos term it as "Debt of Gratitude." We believe that we are somehow indebted to our parents because they have gone through so much sacrifice when they took care of us as children. In other words, it is payback time.

I have nothing against people placing the elderly in homes. In fact, if it is for everybody's happiness, then I am all for it. To each his own I guess.

Wake-up Call

I just realized that I have technically less than a month left to complete my application for permanent residency. Oh dear! And I am nowhere near completion because there are still some paperwork to be done (statutory declarations and all). Not really my cup of tea, if you ask me. But, do I have any other choice than to do it? Nada! Tough luck! :(

Making Ends Meet

Have you ever been in a situation where you shopped quite a bit and when it was time to pay up, you opened your purse only to find out that you were short on cash? That would be some nightmare, I know. But I have been in such a situation before. It was good thing though that my mom was meeting up with me in a few minutes so I saved myself from the embarrassment.

In times when you are not so sure if you are going to make ends meet in terms of finances, it might be worth your while to consider getting Faxless Payday Loans. With the internet these days, you can apply for one online within minutes and you are on your way to probably getting that much needed financial help that you need. Let's face it. Not all of us are lucky or blessed to have a hefty savings account to speak of. Things like short-term loans are perfect because it can help us get through the financial bumps in our lives.

Nearing my goal

Ah yes, slowly (but surely!) I am nearing my ultimate goal for this Christmas. And that is to save up for a laptop so that I can bring it anywhere I want. It's hard to just stay put infront of your desktop PC when you've got a baby who's got a very short attention span. At least when I have the laptop already I can bring it to the bedroom with me while the little girl plays in our bed. (She enjoys playing there compared to playing in her portacot.)

Hooray for broadband!

Whoever thought of inventing broadband, in my book, is an absolute genius! I used to surf the internet on dial-up connection and at that time, it was pretty fine by me. But now that I have been using broadband, I don't think I could go back to dial-up anymore. The speed difference is just way too big!

When you are trying to decide which broadband isp to get, make sure to consider the maximum download allowances. If you are not into music or video downloads, then you can just get by with the cheapest plan there is. At BT broadband, there are several plans to choose from, depending on your needs. They even offer broadband calls, which is sure to save you heaps on your phone bills. If you need to contact their technical support team, they are available for you 24/7. They were voted Best ADSL Broadband for 2007 so you are sure of getting quality service from them.

That Time of the Month

This is definitely not my favorite time of the month. With raging hormones and all, you can bet your a$$ that I am nobody's bestfriend right now. I have the shortest of tempers and I can be very unforgiving. Last night, I cried out of sheer frustration. It was silly but to tell you the truth, it actually felt soooo good to release all those pent-up emotions. The tears just kept coming and coming. I was like a child who's favorite toy was taken away from her. I think J understood what I was going through because he just gave me a big warm hug when I came out of the toilet (my hiding place). Thank God for hubbies like J! :)

Told you so

I don't know if you have noticed already but I posted at last an entry that is proof of my recent submission of this site to those blog advertising companies. It is nothing new really, especially if you have been a regular internet surfer. I am sure you have seen sites by people who blog for money.

Yes, I did finally include this blog because of its quite good page rank, considering that it has not really been very active in a while. As I have mentioned before, it would be a total waste if I just left this unattended, when it could be another avenue for me to increase my chances of grabbing those paid post opportunities.

Getting paid to blog is a great way to earn extra cash if you are a stay-at-home parent like me. Even if I am stuck at home, I still get the chance to earn my keep, so to speak.

Post-wedding blues

I know our wedding was done more than a year ago, but frankly, I think I am still hung up on it. Every time someone we know is getting married, I get flashbacks from the past and always try to relate it to our wedding. It is not that I am unhappy about ours. Please don't get me wrong! I loved our wedding and would be glad to do it all over again (sans the expenses of course).

Our friend K and her husband A recenlty shared their wedding AVP and as usual, I got misty-eyed because their wedding was held at the same church and country club as ours was. It definitely brought back wonderful memories. I wish we could get married again, but it is quite too soon for that, eh? :P

For the player in you

I have never been a great risk taker especially when it comes to money. I was not born into a rich family so I had to save on cash whenever I can. But for those who can afford to spend a little money here and there and are into casino playing then you must check out topusaonlinecasinos.com.

It is basically a website which ranks online casinos according to several factors: ease of use, number of games, bonus size, customer support, deposit options, payout rate, and graphics. They are ranked by both professional poker and black jack players. So, you see, it is a good resource for those based in the US who are interested in finding out the best place where you can play these games of chance with others. And if you are really serious about improving on your game, you might find their resource page very useful in your efforts to be the best player that you want to be. The best part of it all is that it is free! What more can you ask for?

Life in a flash

This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds. To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movements of a dance. A lifetime is a flash of lightning in the sky. Rushing by, like a torrent down a steep mountain.

~ Buddha

J told me about the recent car accident that Rene Saguisag was in. His wife died on the spot, when a big truck crashed into their vehicle a couple of days ago in Makati. Mr. Saguisag's condition is now stable but he continues to stay at the ICU.

Mrs. Saguisag was a breast cancer survivor, but lost her life in a senseless vehicular accident. You just never know when life is going to end for you eh? That is why we should always live each day to its fullest. Carpe diem!

Beyond Excitement

I just checked our vacation ticker and found out that we have just 7 months left before our holiday to the Philippines commences. Wow! The last time I checked it was 9 months still. Has it only been two months? I thought it was more!

I guess I am just too excited about this trip. I reckon J is too. We are so looking forward to that much needed break. Taking care of Erin combined with household chores can be so overwhelming at times. We need to re-energize! Manila here we come! :)

Apocalypto

J and I recently watched Mel Gibson's Apocalypto this morning. And I must say, amid all the blood and gore that the movie showcased, I actually liked the story a lot! :)

Jaguar Paw (played by Rudy Youngblood) running for his life

Here is synopsis of the film from IMDB:

Set in the Mayan civilization, when a man's idyllic presence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, he is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life.

Gibson sure has this thing with violent films eh? Remember Braveheart? I loved that one too, by the way.

Surprise foiled!

I was planning to get J something for Christmas. I figured the only way I could do that was to buy his gift online. A couple of weeks back he has been reporting to his office much earlier than the usual so I reckon I could receive the package myself and manage to hide it away from him until the holidays in December.

Unfortunately, this week, he's been going to the office at a later time. And my worst fear of him receiving the package himself came true this morning! I thought he was going to leave it alone as it was addressed to me. But I heard him start to rip open the box and when I got there, it was too late. He thought it was still from our relatives from the States so he decided to open it, even though he saw that it came from a different address. I guess he somehow knew it was for him, which was why he just had to see it for himself. Argh!

So, what was in the box, you ask? I got him a MaxScratch. You see, he is a constant back-scratcher and sometimes, especially if he can't reach it, he asks me to do it for him. When I'm not there, he grabs anything (from steel rulers to rolled-up catalogues) to reach that itchy spot that he is just dying to scratch. I couldn't see any decent ones in the shops so eBay was the only way to go.

Oh well... there goes my surprise. I may have to think of another one soon, even if J insists that there is no need for it anymore. The problem still remains though -- how to secretly get it into the house without him knowing it.

Scattergories Meme

Got this from Kat. I thought it was going to be easy. But it turns out, I had to google a few to help me out on some of the questions. :P

Instructions:
Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things ... nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person who nominated you has the same first initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

What is your name? Leah
4-letter word: Love!
Vehicle: Lexus
City: London
Boy Name: Leo
Girl Name: Lauren
Alcoholic drink: love potion # 9
Occupation: librarian, locksmith
Something you wear: locket, lip gloss
Celebrity: Lindsay Lohan
Food: lemon, lettuce, leche flan, lollies
Something found in a bathroom: lotion, lavender soap
Reason for Being Late: late in waking up
Cartoon Character: Linus and Lucy (from Peanuts)
Something You Shout: "Let's eat!"

Alright, your turn! :)

Feast 162

Appetizer
How are you today?
Tired. I wish I can catch up on my sleep. Erin is really a handful.

Soup
Name 3 television shows you watch on a regular basis.
It's reality TV season here so my top 3 shows right now are: Australian Idol, Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You can Dance.

Salad
What’s the scariest weather situation you’ve experienced?
This happened 7 years ago. I was coming home from work and when I was about to get down from the jeep in Baclaran, the rain started to pour heavily & the wind was blowing really hard. Unfortunately, I did not have my umbrella with me at that time. And alam nyo naman sa Manila, konteng ulan lang, baha na. I ran for cover and the only place I could find was under a big umbrella owned by one of the vendors. I couldn't get a ride as well because all the jeepneys were full. In short, I was stuck, not to mention I was also soaked to the skin! Di lang yun, when I finally managed to get a ride, super traffic naman. Igot home at around 9pm already and I left my place of work at 4:30 pm pa. My mom was worried sick! Buti di ako nagkasakit after nun. Since then, I have vowed never to leave the house without my umbrella.

Main Course
If you could wake up tomorrow morning in another country, where would you want to be?
Definitely, the Philippines. Where else?

Dessert
What do you usually wear to sleep?
I am mostly in my PJs, especially on cold nights. In the summer, I wear tank tops and boxer shorts.

19 things to say to your children

I got this in my inbox the other day. I'll definitely keep this in mind!

1. I love you! There is nothing that will make me stop loving you. Nothing you could do or say or think will ever change that.

2. You are amazing! I look at you with wonder! Not just at what you can do, but who you are. There is no one like you. No one!

3. It's all right to cry. People cry for all kinds of reasons: when they are hurt, sad, glad, or worried; when they are angry, afraid, or lonely. Big people cry too. I do.

4. You've made a mistake. That was wrong. People make mistakes. I do. Is it something we can fix? What can we do? It's all over. You can start fresh. I know you are sorry. I forgive you.

5. You did the right thing. That was scary or hard. Even though it wasn't easy, you did it. I am proud of you; you should be too.

6. I'm sorry. Forgive me. I made a mistake.

7. You can change your mind. It's good to decide, but it is also fine to change.

8. What a great idea! You were really thinking! How did you come up with that? Tell me more. Your mind is clever!

9. That was kind. You did something helpful and thoughtful for that person. That must make you feel good inside. Thank you!

10. I have a surprise for you. It's not your birthday. It's for no reason at all. Just a surprise, a little one, but a surprise.

11. I can wait. We have time. You don't have to hurry this time.

12. What would you like to do? It's your turn to pick. You have great ideas. It's important to follow your special interests.

13. Tell me about it. I'd like to hear more. And then what happened? I'll listen.

14. I'm right here. I won't leave without saying good-bye. I am watching you. I am listening to you.

15. Please and Thank You. These are important words. If I forget to use them, will you remind me?

16. I missed you. I think about you when we are not together!

17. Just try. A little bit. One taste, one step. You might like it. Let's see. I'll help you if you need it. I think you can do it.

18. I'll help you. I heard you call me, here I am. How can I help you? If we both work together, we can get this done. I know you can do it by yourself, but I'm glad to help since you asked.

19. What do you wish for? Even if it's not yet time for birthday candles and we don't have a wishbone, it's still fun to hear about what you wish for, hope for, and dream about.

-- Author Unknown

10 Things I've Been Putting Off

1. Organising Erin's stuff - The little girl has accumulated loads of stuff over the months and I have yet to sort them all out into these categories: to put away in boxes (for future use [?]), to give away, and to use ASAP.
2. Read my books - I still have tons of books to read. I just can't seem to find the time to read these days. :(
3. Clean! - I'm such a neat freak so it bothers me a lot when things are a mess. As much as I would want to partake in the cleaning duties in our home, sadly these days, most of them are delegated to J.
4. Do some gardening - Before Erin was born, J and I regularly did some gardening on weekends. He was (still is) in charge of weeding while I trimmed the bushes and trees. We find the activity therapeutic.
5. Going home to Manila - Understandably, with Erin being so young, we won't be able to come home to Manila for the holidays. We're postponing our trip to next year, after she turns a year older.
6. Pamper myself at a salon or spa - I'm doing this when we get to Manila. I think I just sooooo deserve it. I'm getting the works! :P
7. Go shopping alone - I'm saving up for this one. I can't wait to shop with my lone self. It's been awhile. I think I can maximize this one when we're in Manila.
8. Sleep at least 8 hours - This, of course, is unintentional and is totally dependent on Erin.
9. Taking my driver's examination - I still don't have my learner's license. I actually flunked the exam when I took it last year and was so traumatized (it ain't easy, plus it's so expensive!) by it that I have not tried to take it again. I know I need to seriously put in more effort when I review for the test so that I can drive our car if the need arises.
10. Get fully accredited in my profession - I still need to complete the second part of the board's assessment which requires me to go on supervised work. It'll take me six months to complete it if I work fulltime. It's a no-can-do situation right now because I have to take care Erin first.

Wow, I didn't realise there's so much that I've been putting off. Until Erin's grown up a bit, I think I won't be crossing out much from this list any time soon. How about you? What is on your list?

What the?!

I haven't been a fan of beauty pageants of late but this one got my attention when they featured it on Rove last Sunday. You have got to watch this.

Ano daw? I couldn't get her point. Can you? She was going around in circles the whole time.

Alright, let's give her the benefit of the doubt. I suppose she must have been terribly nervous at the time, hence, the fumble. I mean I, for one, personally hate speaking in front of a huge crowd. I know lots of people do. But candidates in this type of competition surely must have had enough practice to have that presence of mind. Then again, in Miss South Carolina's case, maybe not. :P

I guess the kicker here is that inspite of making that boo-boo on international TV, she still managed to bag third place in the pageant. Imagine that! Now I reckon it's the judges who do not have the 'presence of mind.' Pun definitely intended. :D