Looking Onwards

Speaking of the new year, I, for one, can say that we are to expect of new things to come, at least for our family. Hubby's getting higher duties when we return from our holidays so those other IT Jobs will have to wait for now. Hopefully with his new role, he will be able to harness his skills to add more to his qualifications and make him more attractive to future employers. As for me, I have plans myself. It is all a matter of time now. It may seem daunting but I am quite looking forward to what the future may bring to me, career-wise.

Anticipating the new year

After the Christmas season comes the New Year. And here in the homeland, there are no bans as far as firecrackers are concerned, unlike in Oz. For as long as you got the cash, you can certainly greet the new year with a massive bang. The negative result of course are the yearly influx of amputees and burns patients to emergency departments in every nook of the country. People never learn to take extra precaution when handling firecrackers, and using safety products are almost always forgotten especially when you're intoxicated with alcohol. I think it is a cultural thing, nothing like celebrating the new year this way though.

Thoughts on Education

Keeping yourself updated with the latest practice trends is essential in one's professional development, especially in the field of healthcare. I have always had this desire to go back to school and take up higher studies. It does seem daunting, but being a busy mother to a very active toddler, I don't think I'll be able to cope with all the demands. But thank goodness for the internet and the birth of online university. I'm sure I could pick out a course from the wide range of online degree programs, plus I am able to still be with my family and finish the course on my own pace. I wish they had thought of this earlier when I still younger, then I would have finished the course fast and with no hitches at all.

Keeping a balance

It's holiday season time. Especially here in Oz, I have noticed that people make it a point to go away for the holidays (like maybe going on myrtle beach vacations). And I am not talking about one week leaves, but some take at least a month! Yes, that is how it is here. While work is important in our lives, I reckon it is also the culture here to put equal (if not more) importance in taking breaks. The work-life balance is considered essential in this part of the world, and I am all for it! It is just one of the reasons why I am loving it here.

Economy Woes

One thing I hate about long economy flights is how cramped you feel sitting down, while enduring a pretty long trip. It's hard enough that some people cannot sleep on the plane, let alone sit for long periods with the possibility of getting DVT. Why can't they just all make the seats like comfy modern sofas? I can't afford to fly business class so I guess I will never ever get to experience a comfortable plane ride... Unless I win the lotto or inherit a big amount of cash, that is. Oh well, one can only dream!

Wish List

Now that it is finally December and Christmas is in three weeks' time, I cannot help but start drawing my own wishlists for this season. I suppose it is not just me.

So what do I have in mind? If money was not an issue, maybe a major home renovation would be nice. That means adding a second level to the house to maximise the lovely view from our hill. But since money is and has always been an issue, the following items come to mind: new but smaller laptop (with maybe a high capacity video card), a 2 Gb (or 4Gb!) iPod shuffle (or iPhone!), nice leather brown pumps, or maybe a nice dress watch. That's my list so far, and I don't mind adding more later on to make it even more enticing! :)

Scratched

Ugh! Just found a scratch on car's bumper. For the life of me, I cannot remember bumping into anything to cause that to happen. But then again, even if I knew where I got it, it wouldn't really fix the problem. I wish it was as easy as getting replacements for car and truck accessories. But it is not! The car is scarred for life, and it doesn't look good at all. I am still annoyed by what happened because there's nothing I can do about it.

Dining out

I am off to meet with a new found friend in a few minutes. She hasn't been to our state all that much so I am planning to take her around the city even if it's just for a few minutes before we head off to dinner at one of the local restaurants. I must remember to make sure that the receipt printer is running so that I can get a clear copy of our receipt and maybe get reimbursement as well. Anyway, all I am looking forward to really is getting together with a friend. At the end of the day, sometimes you can't really care much about receipts, hey?

Sickies

The little girl is sick again. We've now established it that she really cannot withstand extreme weather changes, especially when she gets direct exposure by going outside for long periods. So yes, we've had another round of sleepless nights so far, especially with hubby whom she has specifically requested to stay with her at bedtime. A little bit of under eye cream may just be one of our ready solutions so that we don't look all that tired when we go to work this week. I hope she'll be better soon. We certainly don't want her travelling on the plane with a blocked nose!

To Commit or Not to Commit?

I am all for healthy living. I may not be the best living example of it, but deep in my heart I do aspire for it. I try to do what I can to be more active and lose a bit of unnecessary weight the natural way (such as maybe using natural weight loss pills). The more natural the method is, the better. If it means sweating it out through regular exercise and adhering to a strict diet, then I am all for it. I guess it is just a question of commitment really, which I should more of to be able to stick to my regimen and reach my end goal. Ha! Good luck! :P

Work-wise

Working now in Occupational Rehabilitation has opened my eyes to a variety of ergonomic and safety products I never knew I would ever be recommending. From chairs to workstations to grab bars, yes, we can actually be salesmen for these product suppliers if they really have items worth recommending. Pretty soon, I might go into doing assessments in factories and not be just limited to computer workstations and home assessments. Then naturally, I will be recommending industrial safety supplies. Ah yes, the possibilities are endless. I am definitely growing quite fond of the new field I am in.

Dealing with the law

The thing with working in an industry which involves claims and insurers is that you got to stick to the rules and abide by the laws in order to benefit from it. A colleague of mine deals with a lot of catastrophic claims and she has attended quite a number of sessions in court, having to deal with all the legalities of the matter. You see, she does a lot of functional assessments that are very exacting with their outcomes and some clients just cannot deal with them. I'm pretty sure she had some dealings with an Oakland motorcycle accident lawyer from time to time when clients don't get the results that they wanted.

And while the company is keen about future plans of having me trained and certified to conduct these assessments, dealing with these sorts of people is not something I am prepared to at the moment. Well, at least for now. Maybe when I get up to speed with everything in my profession and I gain more confidence, I will have the guts to face them in the future.

Ms Archive

Before I go off and read up on endless colon cleanse reviews, just thought I'd take a break by taking this meme.

You Are Archive



You are competent, organized, and careful. You know how to stay on task and focus on the most important thing. You like to have everything in its place. Messes and chaos completely stress you out. You have a system for almost everything in your life, and you don't like to deviate from it. Calendars, routines, and having things in a certain order keeps you calm. You don't like to shake things up too much.

What Email Function Are You?

LOL! I sooo cannot argue with this, because it is so spot on! That is pure O-C at its best. :D

Commitment

So, who's on a diet? Well, not me, that's for sure! And if it makes you feel better, I do feel guilty about not eating as healthier as I should be. I know I am not getting older, and one day my body will scold me and I know I will regret it. Taking that first step is absolutely hard, especially with the busy lifestyle that we lead. We tend to just do what is more convenient and quicker for all of us so we can do everything that needs to be done in our lives. And since I am on the topic, let's not forget about exercise either. Everything is hard work really, and what I need now is commitment. Good luck with that!

Thinking Best

You Think Best While You're Driving



In order to be able to think, you need to be able to have time to think. Problem is, there isn't a lot of time for that in your life. When you are driving, you are finally able to let your mind wander. And it wanders to some pretty interesting places. Depending on the conditions, driving can make you feel elated, relaxed, or even frustrated. All of these varying emotions spark a lot of revelations. While the thoughts you have while driving may have a lot of noise in them, there's definitely some insight to be found.

Where Do You Think Best?

I do enjoy driving, and yes it gives me time to think about a lot and just about anything, even the silliest, I tell you. Which now reminds me that I should arrange a live chat with my family back home. I just realised that our trip home is a little over a month away now. Time certainly flies!

Sunday Stealing: The Starrlight Meme

Doing a new meme for a change! That web directory sure is a treasure trove of ideas!

Sunday Stealing: The Starrlight Meme

1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
A piece of soft jelly, one of those citrus slices which I absolutely love.

2. Where was your profile picture taken?
For my FB profile, it was a cropped from a picture taken during a hospital visit to a member of my extended family here in the ACT.

3. Can you play Guitar Hero?
Nope!

4. Name someone who made you laugh today. What was it about?
Who else, but the little girl. She's just been so helpful around the house that she surprises and delights us to no end.

5. How late did you stay up last night and why?
Maybe around 2AM, still adjusting to DST. Then the little girl had a really bad nightmare, she wanted me to stay with her the whole time.

6. If you could move somewhere else where would you and why?
Hmm.. maybe Melbourne. I just love that city.

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
Yes, by hubby when we went home to the Philippines to spend the Christmas holidays there.

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you?
All of my friends here are actually Joseph's buddies. My real group of friends live in the Philippines and in the US.

9. Do you believe ex's can be friends? With benefits?
Nope. Once it's over, it's over.

10. Do you like Dr. Pepper?
Nope.

11. When was the last time you cried really hard? Really hard as opposed to just sniveling?
I think it was when J and I had one of these major fights. It was terrible! But I am glad that hasn't happened again.

12. Who took your profile picture?
Hubby did.

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
My little girl, who else?

14. Was yesterday better than today? Why?
No. Today's better I think. Yesterday was a bit frantic because I had to whip up something for a dinner we were attending. As usual, last minute decisions!

15. Can you live a day without TV?
Yes!

16. Are you upset about anything now?
Not really. I am pretty content.

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
Of course, especially if the other party is worth saving the relationship for.

18. Are you a bad influence?
Sometimes! But all in good fun. :)

19. Night out or night in?
Night in!

20. What items could you not go without during the day?
My laptop, my mobile phone.

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
Hubby, when he had a real bad tummy ache and he was admitted for three days.

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
From hubby. "Baka medyo late ako. Daanan ko pa park ride permit kina ate." In English, "I might be home late. Need to pass by my sister's house to get my park ride permit."

23. How do you feel about your life right now?
It's pretty ok.

24. Do you hate anyone?
Hate is a pretty strong word. Maybe dislike would be more apt.

25. If we were to look in your Facebook inbox, what would we find?
Messages from friends and relatives.

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
Most definitely.

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
Nope. Nobody is ever perfect.

28. What song is stuck in your head?
My mind's gone blank, right about now.

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2 a.m., whom do you want it to be?


30. Do you (or did you) want to have grandkids before you’re 50?
Nope! That would mean Erin would be in her teens when she has kids! Not so keen about that!

31. Tell us your Saturday night.
Spent it with friends, getting together for dinner and nice conversation.

32. Do you think too much or too little?
Too much, sometimes to the point that I can't sleep!

33. Do you smile a lot?
Maybe not a lot, but I hope it's enough.

House plans

J and I were discussing about major home renovations. I said major because we were thinking of adding a second floor to our house. This will allow us to maximise our view of the hills, in addition to increasing the size of our living, dining and kitchen area (think an extra family room as well as huge cupboards and shelves for storage, but maybe not one of those copper kitchen sinks). I guess the only thing that could prevent us from this happening is our neighbors opposing against our plan. But from the looks of it, I reckon we stand a fair chance at it because we are not really blocking any of their views. we'll see in maybe three years time if this will come into fruition!

Business plans

As we are going home for the Holidays this year, J said that he will endeavour to invest in my grandfather's goat farm, one that he has sort of promised to my grandfather when we last saw him during our trip last year. My Lolo also brought J to see our fish ponds where we raise milkfish and seaweed, and sell to the local market. I'm pretty sure Lolo used to have pond filters when he was raising prawns in the 90's. But I don't think he uses them now. Just the same, the fish and seaweed business also seem to be a worthwhile business venture. We'll all see how everything works out. Hopefully when we all get together in December, J will have decided in what business to invest in.

Fatty

You Are Fat



You are by no means fat, but you are like fat in that you can easily absorb what's around you. You are easily influenced by both the good and bad people in your life. It's important for you to be around people you want to be like. You are a comforting and calming force. Without your presence, people feel unsatisfied. You sometimes have a reputation for being a bad influence, but you're not nearly as dangerous as you seem.

Are You Protein, Carbs, or Fat?

There you go, I'm a fatty (made me want to take the best weight loss supplement just by reading it)! But after reading the "comforting and calm" part, I guess being fat ain't all that bad.

On PCs

I love my laptop because I can go anywhere I want with it in tow. Although desktop computers do keep you tied in one place, I often still find myself liking it because I get to use the mouse and for some other reasons I cannot explain. LOL. We have both types here at home but our desktop CPU sure needs a bit of upgrading. I am wanting those tiny ones that are less bulky and therefore a good space saver. But yes, that will have to wait.

Runner

You Run Through Life



Your journey through life energetic, fast paced, and spontaneous. You like to live for the moment, and you always prefer taking action to sitting still. You crave a lot of freedom in your life. You can feel burdened by too make rules and responsibilities. If you can do things your own way, you're really are able to shine. You are very good at understanding the world.

How Do You Travel Through Life?

Baby Talk

Oh, I just remembered a friend of mine who's now in the States is giving birth to their first-born soon. It must be terribly exciting for them! I haven't heard anything yet from her so I suppose she's still not popping out just yet. So I guess her hubby isn't handing out Black and Mild cigars just yet.

I know how anxious and at the same time excited I was back then when I was expecting my little girl. Time flies really as she's a toddler now but I can still remember everything that transpired when I delivered her in the hospital. Ah yes, good memories!

TGTBT

It turns out our plane tickets aren't exactly the best buy we thought it originally was. I told J that it was a too-good-to-be-true deal and we should've seen it coming. We ended up booking new tickets as late as this month and incurring double the cost. *sigh* Oh well, lesson learned! We really have to be extremely careful next time, and not succumb to those too-good-to-be-true offers.

Found It!

Well, I've finally decided on this gown design and submitted it to my soon-to-be sister in law for execution. I hope they are able to execute it as close as the one in the photo.

Now that's all in the works, I am actually quite excited in going home and attending the wedding. It's occasion like this that give you a reason to really dress and glam up! :)

More Shopping

With the new baby now (and I a referring to the car, and certainly not a person!), I have been assigned the role of caretaker as I am the main user. I am not complaining because I do love the new car. I've even gone to the point of buying auto accessories for it without hubby in tow, so it really does have my personal touch on it! I am thinking of even more ways of sprucing it, though not to such a feminine point. And it's got me pretty excited! :)

Intellectual

Your Gift is Intellect



You are a big thinker, and you're always playing with new ideas. You are curious about the world. You enjoy learning and developing new theories. You enjoy researching, analyzing, and solving problems. Thinking hard feels good! You're the type of person who finds most mental tasks to be easy. You love to stretch your brain.

What's Your Gift?

Really now?! I doubt about that 'feel good' part. At times, I just stay away from thinking and want to go just blank. Thinking sometimes gives me a headache, to be honest!

Anyway, got to go and check out some pet supplies for some friends of mine. TTFN.

More Wedding Preps

Well, I have managed to iron out my holiday schedule now and have informed my boss about it. So that's all good to go.

My soon-to-be sister-in-law has sent me the sketch for Erin's gown so I can send her the little girl's measurements soon. Here's the design for the flower girls' gowns:


I actually quite like it because it is simple yet elegant. My SIL says Merlene Marcelo is doing their gowns. I've heard about Merlene before and had heard positive feedback as well so I think they will be in good hands.

Now all I have to worry about is how to lose fat especially in the tummy area so I look presentable during the wedding. Oh, I also have to pick out a gown too!

Parties Galore

It's going to be a full weekend for us! Can you imagine three separate parties to attend to in two days? Well, I can't! LOL! It was supposed to be four separate ones but we had to turn down one because it was in conflict with one we've already promised to go to.

It's great to get together with friends, but sometimes the weekend is your only downtime, and you really want to take advantage of that. On a more positive note though, I don't need to brainstorm for what dish I have to cook for lunch or dinner.

Anyway, I really should get going. I still need to get the Kettlebell whistling and make myself some breakfast, as well as prepare the little girl for these events. TTFN.

Change of mind

Bold beige was not as appealing as I thought I would. I insisted on Sparkle Grey instead. I am talking about the new addition that we are expecting to arrive in the coming weeks.

And just like a human being, our old one seemed to react to all our talks about the new one by exhibiting his old problems. It's almost as if saying, "hey, I am still here and you still need to take care of me!!!" It's funny how the universe works sometimes. :) I just hope that we won't need any roadside assistance in the near future!

What up?

Just a few. Like MJ and Farrah Fawcett passing away. Like taking out the Civic for a test drive. Like reviving my laptop. Of these, the last one I am most pleased with because it has saved us tons of cash. I would have thought that this not-so-old laptop could not be repaired as it just would not turn on for what must have been more than a week. I was close to resigning to thought of having to get a new one, which certainly was out of our budget. But last Sunday, it turned on and went back to its regular business of surfing, as if nothing happened. It does have its hiccups every now and then, turning off at random periods of time even if the battery is not low. But it has managed to redeem itself so far. I hope it does not become a regular habit and shut down permanently.

Alright enough blabber. Time to get back on track with online work and reading on this colon cleanse review. TTFN.

Fallen Again

I have fallen off the exercise wagon again. *sigh* Those fat burners sure look tempting. But I am still hoping to get back into my old regime. It's just that when it's terribly cold outside, walking does not seem so appealing anymore.

I know, excuses, excuses! I need more determination and inspiration to get back into exercising again. These days, when I'm flat out after a hard day's work at the office, all I want to do is just rest. Definitely not an easy thing to break. But I guess one thing I can manage is take note of my food intake and see how it goes from there.

Car Hunting

Well, I passed my driver's exam and now have a full licence. I know this deserves a bit of celebrating, but life has been hectic and things like these sometimes escape me.

So now that I have my licence, I can truly be more mobile without having to totally depend on hubby for transportation. It is a liberating experience! And the next step for us is to do some car hunting so we can go around without having to depend on our old car. So far, this one has appealed us the most.



I guess that HDTV will have to take a back seat for now.

Busy as always

I guess I can never say the word 'busy' enough these days. In fact, the word is an understatement. There's just so many things happening all at the same time.

I reckon a major contributor is work, with a colleague resigning a week ago, my workload has significantly increased, and I am still trying to get my head around the volume of things I need to know in order to perform well at work.

Apart from that, I am still of course a mom and wife who still has to tend to my family amidst all the craziness. Admittedly, there are days when I just want to escape and not do anything for just an hour. But even an hour is not enough. Yes I am whingeing, because there's really not much I can do about it, is there?

Alright time for me to check out some dog ramps. Hope you all have a good and stress-free week ahead.

Pressure Test

Now that I have been given additional responsibilities at work, the pressure to pass that driving exam is terribly high, and I am not liking it. You see, my work entails a lot of appoinments and meetings with clients that driving is an essential part of it. As I can go from within the city to the regional areas of the state, getting one of those gps systems would be really handy especially if you're all alone on a trip and have no one with you to show you the way -- which reminds me to suggest to the company to get one for our service vehicle as I am sure it is a wise investment.

I am Spring!

You Feel Like Spring



You have reached a point in your life where new opportunities are coming your way. The future is exciting and bright. You are excited to start making plans. It's likely that you have been stuck in bit of a rut, but that's all about to change. You're ready to explore, learn, challenge yourself, and grow. All of a sudden, the world is much more colorful.

What Season Do You Feel Like?

I love spring! And I can't wait for it to be here. This freaking cold weather is no fun at all! :(

In the dark

The year is nearing its halfway mark and we have yet to hear from my brother about more details of their wedding preparations (like if my brother will be wearing a tuxedo or not, etc). I suppose they must have had some things done already but they just are not so keen about discussing it with us. I suppose they feel more pressured if we ask them about it, so I reckon it's best if they just tell us if and when it's convenient for them. Oh well, to each his own.

Secret

Ooohhh, there is a secret project underway. I was recently contacted by a friend that we might be appearing in a coffeetable book sometime soon! I hope we do get included and we get to have a copy of the book as well. That's all I am saying for now. :)

Tightening the Belt

While I would love to shop (which female doesn't?) and upgrade my wardrobe a little bit more, I think I have to postpone that bit for a while. I posted earlier how much our bills have been growing, and hubby just confirmed that last night with me, giving me facts and figures that I was afraid to confront. I guess that additional car will also have to wait as I have other priorities in mind like getting term life quote now that theoretically I can afford it. Ah yes, back to budgeting!

Putting the breaks

I've been buying work clothes left and right ever since I accepted the job offer. And consequently yes, the CC bill is skyrocketing. Time to put the breaks now and see if I can get wholesale clothing instead. I reckon it's cheaper that way coz you buy in bulk.

Speaking of shopping, I am still eyeing those knee-high boots so I can wear skirts to the office as well. I just love the look on them, and the heels are just gorgeous. It's too expensive at this time but I am hoping that I get a good discount come end of financial year when all the awesome sales happen. Looking forward to that! :)

I don't think so!

You Are a Mullet



You are a total character. You're quirky, unique, and there's no one quite like you. Your idea of style is doing your own thing and defying expectations. You're eclectic. At your best, you are funny, observant, and a bit sarcastic. You see life's ironies clearly. At your worst, you are a bit weird and creepy. People sometimes take you the wrong way.

What Hairstyle Are You?

I don't think you'd ever catch me in a mullet! This quiz is hilarious. :D

Perked Up

So, where have I been? As you know, I now work part-time but I am still trying to get the hang of things. It's been a busy two weeks since that job interview in April. I still can't believe I am back in the workforce already.

So yeah, I managed to do some shopping. Clothes, bags, shoes. You name it! My wardrobe has been nothing but casual items since I moved here and had Erin so I definitely had a lot of making up to do and revamp my old wardrobe. So that was the fun part in all these two weeks of preparation. And yes, I will continue to build it up as I go on. I am extremely delighted! I mean which girl doesn't love to shop around right? :)

Speaking of shopping, I may also need to get myself a new flash memory, for all those work related documents. We're also looking into getting a GPS navigator and an additional car as my work includes lots of road travel as well. Exciting indeed! Now all I need is to pass my exam and get my licence. :)

Dilemma

When it rains, it pours, as they say. Today I got a call from one of the hospitals I've applied at. I was hoping they wouldn't call so I wouldn't be having this dilemma of still going through the application (just for the experience) or leave it behind and look forward to the job that was first offered to me. The work there is more clinical, and I am assuming the setting is as similar to my previous workplace. In short, been there, done that. I am more inclined really to push through with the job offer in Occupational Rehab as it is something new to me and I find it rather interesting. I think I may be in the position of a career shift as I am quite keen to see how this field of specialty will sit with me.

My mind is spinning. And as I still want to submit my application to that other job opening, I have to complete ASAP a selection criteria report which is not really all that appealing. Apparently so as I am still here staring into the computer screen of one of those netbooks, and not getting anything done.

Working Girl

I am now officially a working girl! Yes you heard it right. I was offered the job I have been applying for last week. And of course I accepted it as it was a great opportunity for me since I finally do get to work as an OT and there is so much chance for growth.

I have left the clinical scene, and have opted to try occupational rehabilitation for a change. I'm new to it but am very interested in learning a great deal about it. So I guess pretty soon I will be making workplace assessments and recommending industrial handles suitable for workers and such.

It feels all so surreal at this time. I can't believe that I'll be working again soon.

So Me

You Are Dusk



You are a naturally idealistic and creative person. You look forward to nights where everything is possible. You spend most of your energy on play. Work is okay, but the true you emerges after the work day is done. You're an offbeat type that doesn't like rules or schedules. Life's too short to waste at a desk in a cube.

Whether you spend your night socializing or working on side projects, you like that your time is yours.

Are You Dusk or Dawn?

Hmmm... that is so me! I couldn't agree more. :)

Feeling positive

I think the guy above has been guiding us very well in our endeavors. I might get some pretty awesome news tomorrow after attending a very important meeting. But I am not spilling the beans as yet because I don't want to nip it in the bud. I don't want to keep my hopes up so I won't get disappointed in case things go terribly wrong. But I am still keeping a positive vibe at the same time. Confusing eh?

Just a few minutes now before I get myself some beauty sleep so I feel refreshed when I wake up tomorrow. But before I do that, I have to see what the fuss is about on term life insurance quotes. Well, somebody's got to do it. And it just happens to be me. I'm outta here.

Travel updates

Well, our friend helped us score some real cheap tickets for our holiday in December. We got them for 50% of the original price so it certainly is a good deal, especially now that Erin is not considered an infant anymore and we have to pay almost full price for her fare.

That trip is all I'm looking forward to at the moment, as a break is much needed. We could have had one of those weekend getaways last Easter holiday but we didn't get to planning it out right, plus the little girl had the colds at that time. Hope this time there won't be any hitches especially with DD who is turning out to be the most impatient of all people I know. *fingers crossed*

So Much Stuff

I can't believe I have ignored this poor blog once again. But that's nothing new. With so much stuff going on in my life right now, I am actually surprised that I can still manage to post somehow. Things may have to change soon, and my blogging time may be cut down on a more permanent basis. Operative word there though is MAY. So, it's all wait and see at this moment. I'll keep you all posted.

Skin woes

I don't know if it is the hormones, but my skin isn't as good as it was before. I've had a sudden outbreak of zits, especially on my forehead. It certainly reminds me of how it was when I was still a teenager. I don't know how this came about, but it certainly is annoying. Now I have to find the best acne treatment to get rid of it, or at least get it under control. I guess nothing really lasts forever, eh? Such is life.

Oh my liver!

You Are The Liver



You are a very versatile, adept person. You are able to do many jobs. You seek balance at all times. You are good at adjusting yourself to keep things level. You are able to counteract bad influences. You can neutralize anything toxic. You are resilient like no one else. You can rebuild yourself completely if you need to.

What Internal Organ Are You?

Dreaming

J and I are so keen on upgrading our entertainment unit. It's just that our old TVs are still in good working condition and it wouldn't be practical to replace them at this time. As they say, if it ain't broken don't fix it. But yeah, someday we want to get a nice TV and sound system, and if budget permits, home theater seating as well. With that, there won't be any need anymore for us to go to the cinemas as we can watch all those movies within the comforts of our homes, and even while we are in our pyjamas. :)

My honest opinion

It's funny how people can get so defensive about certain things. I mean, I am entitled to my own opinion, right? After all, I paid for their services and expect to get the most of my money. But they disappointed us by failing to deliver some of what was expected of them. So what now if I am airing them out on the blogosphere on my own website? I reckon I have all the right to do so, and I won't take any of them back just to please them.

Welcome Autumn

Looks like Autumn is here. Though the temps have not really fallen yet, the leaves sure are! And people are back out on their yards, sweeping them away like mad. To me, this has been the most pleasant of Autumns I've experienced as it resembles much like Spring which is my favorite season of all. In time, we can no longer lounge on outdoor furniture, but that's alright. Well, not yet anyway. But for now, we will make the most out of the beautiful weather, before the real harsh one comes in in the next few months.

SF is back!

ScrappyFreebies.com is back online, peeps! So for all those who sent me messages asking about it, I am pleased to let you know that it is back on the web and is accessible via its old URL. The site has a new look, so please let me know what you think of it, and if you have any suggestions you'd like to make, please don't hesitate to make a comment there because I so love hearing from you! See you at SF! :)

Birthday woes

It's the little one's turn to be a year older. We haven't really gotten her a present yet as this major party for her this Saturday is going to burn a whole in our pocket. LOL. I mean, given another chance, I definitely would not have booked ourselves at that venue had we known of the poor service that these guys were giving us. At the price that they charge, they should be offering us even more!

Oh well, lesson learned. And I was just kidding about not getting the little girl anything. She certainly deserves more because she is just a joy to us. We'll just have to check the Sale at her favorite toy store. LOL.

Bad Blogger

Yes, guilty as charged. I know I should have updated this more often but things came up as usual and I had completely forgotten to keep this one current. Anyway....

My site SCRAPPY FREEBIES has been offline since Saturday. And for those who may not know what has happened to it, well, I recently applied for a transfer of domain host, which explains why the website has been down for days now. My old provider says it may take 5 to 7 days for the process to complete. So while all that's happening I have reverted back to my original Blogger URL (http://digiscrapfreebiefinds.blogspot.com) so that all my readers can still get the latest freebies on the net.

I know I should have informed all my readers way before hand about this. I really am so sorry for all the inconvenience! Here's hoping you guys can find your way back to SF soon. And do watch out for the real move to the new and improved SCRAPPY FREEBIES as I will be announcing that on my temporary site. See you there! :)

Birthday reflections

The weekend was terribly busy for all of us. As previously mentioned, we were out shopping for food and supplies for last Sunday's guests. Then it spilled out over to yesterday as it was my birthday.

I really don't feel any difference. I love it every time my birthday comes around but the novelty is slowly wearing off. I think I am starting to understand what J was telling me. I reckon birthdays are so much fun when you are younger because of the gifts and parties. But as you age, these things don't matter as much anymore. What's important is what you've got at the moment, and yes I feel blessed to know that I'm surrounded with wonderful people (family and friends included).

I better stop now, before I get teary-eyed in my ramblings. Alright time for me now to check on those auto insurance quotes. TTFN.

Friday Fill-ins

Sorry this meme seems a bit disjointed.

1. I'm SLEEPY, I'm TIRED, I JUST WANT TO GET A FULL 8-HOUR SLEEP.

2. Why do I have TO DO EVERYTHING and not HAVE A NANNY. I need a break!

3. How does this MICROWAVE OVEN work, anyway? (All these features are making my head spin.. Maybe I should give the manual a good read, before I start burning things again. LOL.)

4. Every morning, I put MILK & MILO in my MUG.

5. I consider myself lucky because I HAVE A GOOD FAMILY.

6. One day we’ll see WHO LAUGHS LAST.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to SHOPPING AROUND FOR MY BIRTHDAY GIFT, tomorrow my plans include GROCERY-SHOPPING and Sunday, I want to CLEAN UP THE HOUSE REAL WELL COZ WE ARE EXPECTING VISITORS!

See what other people are filling in here.

Shopping Mood

It's no secret I love to shop, but not really on clothes and shoes. I love my gadgets and would rather invest in them more than on clothing. For my last birthday, I bought myself a DSLR camera which I am so fond of. Quite expensive for housewife like me, but it was a good investment just the same. It's forced me to take really better shots with it. However, I am limited with its size. Since the little girl is with us whenever we go out, I cannot afford to haul around another bag just for my cam.

I do have a regular point-and-shoot one but am planning to upgrade it to a newer model. As I bought it almost four years ago (still as a birthday gift for myself -- see the trend?), it is a bit bulky for my handbag, and the shots are not that really good quality-wise. I also intend to get one of those sd cards with huge memories so I can store take more pictures with it. I have my eyes on a few ones already but will have to shop around more to compare prices. This gets me pretty excited especially as my birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. I know it's so shallow but this keeps me happy. So I am good with that. :)

Speaking of which...

You Are an Endomorph



You have a rounder, softer body type. It's difficult for you to lose weight. Endomorphs are known for being friendly, generous, and warm. It's likely that you're a relaxed person who enjoys good times, good people, and good food. You are warm and affectionate. You provide comfort to others and crave it for yourself.

What's Your True Body Type?

I have been super thin in my former life (think high school, college, and days as a single lady), but ever since I've had the little girl, it takes more to keep the weight off. Oh well, got to live with it.

Getting the groove back

As I've mentioned previously, we will be going home later in the year to attend my brother's wedding. And apart from scouring the net for cheap flights to Manila, as early as now, I am also surfing the net for gown designs which I will consider for my outfit come December. It certainly brings back memories when I was still planning for our wedding way back in '05, but this time we will just be in the background.

What brings to mind also is that I should get back into my old exercise regimen. That old regimen of mine stopped late last year, and for some reason I've not been able to go back to it. Call it laziness but I am now paying for it. Everything I've lost is slooowwwly coming back, and I must do something about it really. In fact, I am so out of shape now that when I did a few reps of cardio exercises, my heart beat so fast, I thought it was going to leap out of my chest. Of course, there are shortcuts to dealing with this like maybe taking weight loss products, but it's not really about losing just the weight. It's feeling good after a nice workout, and not worrying if you'll die of cardiac failure. Alright enough talk, time to walk the talk.

Telly-thon

Oh boy, ever since the tennis ended, all I've ever been up to was catch up on my favorite shows on telly. My fave shows are back on almost every night which is why I make it a point to finish early with my chores so I don't miss any of them.

Gray's Anatomy is up tonight, and am excited to know what's going on with the doctors now, especially after seeing the sneak previews. McDreamy sure has a lot on his shoulders including a possible baby with another woman, which I truly think he should contest by taking a paternity test.

Anyhoo, look at me, so involved as if they were real people I know! LOL. Alright enough blabber. I need to get back to my duties now, or else somebody's going to be late tonight for her telly-thon. :)

Love Month

February already? Wow, Janaury flew by so fast I hardly noticed it. Now that it's Valentine season, I'm not sure if I will be cooking up something for the hubby. We've never really celebrated it, as most people are out and all the restos are booked. I suppose we will just have to spend it at home, as per usual. Maybe I will just whip up something different in the kitchen so we can have a nice dinner. Well, whatever. All I am really looking forward to is next month, our (all three of us) birthday month! :)

Have Date, Will Fly Home

I talked to my mom last night and got confirmation that my brother R is getting married later this year. So, yes, we are going home again to be with family and celebrate this great occasion. Woohoo!

I wish I was back home to help in the preparations, and give the couple some tips on where to get the best buy for all of their wedding paraphernalia. It's always fun doing the preps. I can recall when we had ours almost four years ago how busy I was attending to all of the details. Yes, it was tiring but I enjoyed every minute of it. :)

First Class

I just attended a free online class on Digital Scrapbooking. It's for amateurs and it ran on Webinar for two hours. It was awesome because it felt like the presentor was just right in front of you, and they had all these polls and visual tools to help you learn more about the subject. I wish I had learned earlier about it so I could have informed more people. Unfortunately I was only able to post it on my Scrappy Freebies blog thirty minutes before the seminar started so I am not sure how many people got wind of it. But now that I know about these things already, I am sure to keep an eye on the organizer's website for any classes in the future.

Done with the holidays

Yup, it's all over as far as our household is concerned. I finally took the tree down and it is now quietly hibernating in its own box. It would have been much earlier had I been a little bit less lazy last week. I must have had a hangover of some sort.

Anyway, just popped in to say a quick hi. I'm off to do other chores while the little girl is still asleep. I'll also be drawing our shopping list (which does not include spring plungers by the way) as tomorrow is mall day. Can't wait! :)

Peace be with you!

Your Word is "Peace"



You see life as precious, and you wish everyone was safe, happy, and taken care of. Social justice, human rights, and peace for all nations are all important to you. While you can't stop war, you try to be as calm and compassionate as possible in your everyday life. You promote harmony and cooperation. You're always willing to meet someone a little more than halfway.

What's Your Word?

Backyard Blues

Inside the home, we are starting to make some progress with our makeover projects, and am pretty happy about it. But as I look out into our tiny backyard which, by the way, is overgrown with weeds and what-nots (not sure if we have Blackberry plants as well), I am dismayed. Well, for one thing, I am not really into gardening. I like trimming them bushes, but that's about it. So I'm not really sure how we'll be able to turn this thing around. We have lots of flowering plants which I adore and don't want to get rid of, but I don't know how to make the most out of them. We're thinking of putting pavers but have yet to consult a professional as to how it's all going to be. And yes, that means more expenses, which has detered us from doing anything about it at the moment. In due time I guess.

Hello 2009

Isn't it terribly obvious I have been very busy during the holidays? LOL. Belated Happy New Year greetings (oncce again) go out to all ye faithful and loyal readers of this blog. Yes, we haven't really been taking a break during the holidays because we were mostly out attending parties, or checking out some home improvement stuff in the shops, not to mention checking out some for personal use as well. It's good to be blogging again though. I missed writing and updating all my blogs every so often that I can. You'll see more of me in the coming days. Promise!