Weekend Snapshot #7

Last weekend was our last weekend at my hubby's Aunt's humble abode. Tomorrow will be moving in to our own place. I have so many memories about this house. I have experienced my 1st fall, winter, spring and summer at this house. The whole 7.5 months of my stay here were spent getting to know the reality of what our lives will be out here. As we move on to our own place tomorrow, new adjustment awaits for me, hubby and our toddler. But, we'll get by as we've become tougher, wiser but humbler all these months. Here's a peek of what I call my home for the past 7.5 months. We are living this house with a heavy heart. Happy WS everyone!

We arrived on Fall 2007.

Our 1st Morning in the East Coast. We were adjusting to the weather in the East as Fall in L.A. was sunshine-y.

and this is what I will miss the most, the view from my window.

feel-good day.

I woke up today feeling very good. After an irritating bad day yesterday, I think the sun's gonna shine on me. For now, I will leave you a part of my "IT" song at the moment. Have a good Monday everyone!

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day.

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone

All of the bad feelings have disappeared

Here is the rainbow I’ve been prayin?

for It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day.

all i need is this.

I have been scouting for some nice and affordable vacation deals for me and hubby and of course including our little one. Eventhough, this is not on our plans, I just think that when an open slot for hubby's busy schedule pops-out, I am ready. We have been too busy the past months and I would say that getting a break is a good idea. We all need to breathe and relax once in a while right? I just wish it would be really soon.

home theatre, a must for him.

I have mentioned a couple of times here that hubby has been bugging me to save for a home theatre system complete with home theater seating. Oh yes, he did mention that to me several times. He said that would be my ultimate gift for him! He wouldn't ask for anything else in his lifetime except for that. Haha! He is really gaga over home theatres and just 3 days ago, I was fuming mad because I caught him buying 2 Bose speakers!!! We need those at this time. He always hid these kinds of stuff from me. By now, you could probably guess why hee.

Oh Omega!

I am not really into luxury watches as I am more into investing on jewelries. But if there's one luxury watch that I would invest on, it would be an Omega Constellation. It would be the perfect gift to uplift my mood now as I am still feeling very irritated. Haha! Kidding aside, what I love about this watch is the Mother of Pearl in set, the sparkling diamonds, the two tone yellow and white gold and of course, who could be wrong with an Omega watch? Sigh, I really hope to get one soon. Wishful thinking.

strange duo.

When I went to our cable provider to pay for the security deposit last week, it took me so effing long because the customer before us was trying to apply for a Direct TV NFL Sunday Ticket or an NFL TV Package. They to me, look professional athletes. Apparently the lady who was assisting them does not know about NFL Sunday Ticket or DirectTV NFL Sunday Ticket. Until they understood each other and was my turn for the ticket.

I asked the lady what the commotion was all about and it turns out that she very well know about NFL TV. She said DIRECTV NFL Sunday TicketTM can be availed directly from DIRECT TV. Here there are about 200 NFL games per season - that means up to 14 games each and every Sunday! They even have highlights on demand just in case you miss the show. Now, I know why those men were irking because boys as we all know will always be boys and they will always love sports, unfortunately that cable provider do not offer direct tv.

major...

I have to tell you, this entry will be all rantings.

I hate people who do not have any plans or goals in their lives much more a plan on a simple event.

I feel sad when I feel inadequate being a mom. But, I hate it more when people tell me things what to do with my son or end up blaming all of my son's mischievousness on me!

Just as I thought, my weekend's turning out to be great, it ended up to be a major wreck.

God knows how much I don't pity people who self-pity because of physical sacrifices, my goodness, you have a choice and you chose that so stop whining ok. Tsk tsk, sad to say you are turning out to be someone I used to know, truly disappointing and frustrating.

But then again, thanks for giving me a filler to write on as I badly need one. Hope you all had a good weekend. Thanks for reading.

spicy dishes.

For me, one of the easiest things to cook especially on a lazy weekend are Mexican dishes. Hubby knows them by heart too, care to guess why? Hee.

Anyways, I was searching on some new Mexican dishes recipes in the net when I chanced upon Hector Kabande. He is a renowned cook, who is noted for his spicy Mexican dishes. His dishes are not only the typical Mexican recipes but they usually come in plenty of peppers. Oh yes, they are all sizzling hot. He even gets his peppers from his garden. Check out the site for more sizzling Mexican dishes tips.

friday's feast #5

Appetizer
What is the weather like today where you live?
>>>Scorching Hot! 98 is the temp!

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you?
>>>8.

Salad
What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.?
>>>Combination of Blinds and Curtains.

Main Course
Name something that instantly cheers you up.
>>>Potato Chips!

Dessert
How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning?
>>>I don't know coz I am never awaken by alarm clock. I never hit the snooze because I can't barely hear it LOL!

Have a good weekend everyone!

an ex-Morgan Stanley employee

I am a reader of George Divel blog. In fact, I have been applying his financial tips in our household budgetting as well as handling other bank savings. At first, I had hesitations but after reading testimonials written about him, I tried the tips and they work for us. This man began his career in Morgan Stanley, where he received the firm's National Sales Director Award, Sales Excellence Award, and was a member of the Director's Club. George was also the youngest Morgan Stanley associate to achieve Vice President status. I suggest you better check out his blog and learn a lot from him. I do.

randomness meme #5

randomness...feed your mind and your blog

I say...you think

1. red -moulin rouge.
2. wash -clothes?
3. computer -money!
4. land -own.
5. kiss -soft lips.
6. trophy -my son.
7. books -tsk tsk.
8. shoe -rainbow colors.
9. email -connections.
10. turkey -thanksgiving!

Latino Musician

Not all teachers have the passion for music. A well-known and beloved principal, Norberto Diaz, or more known as Bert Diaz from New Jersey has been motivating a lot of students to stay in school and perform better in their academic lives through the power of his music. I learned this from a friend who sent me his blog: norbertodiaz.wordpress.com. I wish more and more teachers would be like him in order for more and more students to love school and make school a fun place to learn new things. I had a great time at school and will never exchange school and education for anything in the world. In fact, I am back to school taking my master's degree at 29!

on handling household stress.

When it comes to handling household stess. I truly fail! All the time. tsk tsk.

I remember when I was an employee and a student, colleagues and friends would approach me and vent out their stressful day. Oftentimes, I helped out in solving their problems and in the office, I handle stress oh so cool. I perfected this part of my career. But as soon as I started becoming a stay-at-home mom and the daily stressors are just overwhelming. My oh my, I fail. Oftentimes, I freak out and hubby is getting mad at me for being such a worry wart and bordering on paranoid LOL! I've realized that all my panicking and freaking out can't get me anywhere. Slowly each day, I am learning to be more relaxed and matured in handling my oh so toxic and stressful days as a SAHM.

adding memory

I am probably the kind of person who can never get enough of Adding Computer RAM. If I had an iMac that would mean to Add IMAC Memory or DDR PC2700 Memory. I have so much photos and documents in my laptop and I just can't seem to decide which to delete that's why I always end up keeping them all. Increasing one's computer memory means keeping your computers from running smoothly. It is important to always use original memory only to avoid technical disruptions and damages. However, there are sites who offers very similar to the original memory that if you are not critical enough you wouldn't notice it. According to my techy friend, Memory Deal helps customers avoid this pitfall and making them more computer literate. So, the next time you upgrade your computers with higher memory or RAM, check out your other options with Memory Deal as adding memory can lead to more serious computer problems if the wrong kind of RAM or size of memory module is used. It is better to be safe than sorry in the end. It happened to me. Trust me, all we want are faster computer than could keep our humungous files.

Hotels around the World

For me, the best part of vacationing and travelling is staying and being able to relax in nice hotels, it is a bonus if these hotels come out to be one of the Cheap Hotels in very posh cities such as Hotels Paris and Hotels Sydney.

Whenever I book for family vacations, I don't usually just check on the cheapest airfares but also on Cheap Hotels that come with the travel packages. A travel agent once told me that the key to a succesful travel is proper planning and spending your budget wisely with cheap airfares and cheap hotels that offer equal accommodations as the more expensive ones. As for me, I am only looking for cleaner hotel rooms with good full breakfast and very clean bathrooms when choosing accommodations. What about you? What are your standards?

Wordless Wednesday #6

This is a sequel of THIS ENTRY. As promised here are the shocking revelations from the book: POST SECRET. If you haven't heard about this book, check out their site: http://postsecret.com. Although there are more revelations in the site, it's nice to grab a copy of the book. I sure had a big blast reading this. Happy WW everyone! You will see me hopping from one wordless wednesday post to the other. See yah!

Are you a people pleaser?

Got this from Cheryl. For all the people pleaser like me, a must read. It's quite long but I assure it's a worthy read. You'd learn some tips on how to handle your being a people pleaser and what to avoid. You can also google Joyce Meyer and visit her site. She has a lot of inspiring reads. Happy reading!

Are You A PEOPLE PLEASER?
by Joyce Meyer

Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving [is] the Lord Christ (the Messiah). —Colossians 3:23,24

One of the most freeing things that I have learned in my years of walking with the Lord is how tobreak free from being a people pleaser. Now, I am not talking about living a healthy, unselfish life where we make the needs of others a priority. I am talking about a pressure to perform—an unhealthy drive to be accepted and approved by others. It is a desire so strong that it influences and controls the majority of our decisions.

There are some individuals who have spent a good part of their lives trying to please other people, and as a result, they are unhappy, bitter, resentful and depressed. How other people think and feel about them has become so important that it is like an addiction affecting every part of who they are.

The real tragedy is they don’t know what is causing the problem.
How can you and I know if we are a people pleaser? There are some key signs that we want to take a look at. If you and I are not supposed to live to please people, who are we supposed to live to please?

ARE YOU HONEST WITH OTHERS?

One of the greatest signs of being a people pleaser is not being completely truthful with others
about who we are. We say we like things we really don’t like. We go places and say we are enjoying it, when in reality, it is the last place on earth we want to be. And we nod our heads in agreement to things we don’t feel right about in our hearts. Instead of telling people the truth about our desires, feelings and thoughts, we develop a pattern of telling others what we think they want to hear in order to remain accepted. There are also times when people are dishonest about their true thoughts and feelings because they are trying to keep the other person “fixed” or happy. Whatever the reason, untruthfulness in relationships only leads to some kind of heartache. Dave and I have four children and eight grandchildren, and in our family, we have an agreement to be open and honest with each other without getting angry. For instance, if my daughter Laura calls my daughter Sandra and asks, “Can you watch my kids tonight?” Sandra is free to be honest and say, “You know, Laura, I’ve had a really tiring day at home with the twins, and I’m just not up to watching them tonight.” Although Laura may be disappointed, she is not going to get upset with Sandra or act aggravated or cold toward her. Instead, she would probably respond, “That’s okay. I understand how you feel. With four kids, I have had my share of tiring days too.” By not acting in anger, Laura lifts the pressure off Sandra, and the relationship between them remains peaceful.

Now, our family is not perfect, and we do have our trying moments. But for the most part we
strive to follow what the Word says. Ephesians 4:15 says, God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love… (The Message). Verse 25 goes on to say we are to …put away all falsehood and “tell your neighbor the truth” because we belong to each other (NLT). And in Colossians 3:9, we are told, Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old
(unregenerate) self with its evil practices. I think it is pretty clear: God wants us to be truthful with each other at all times in a kind and considerate way.

DO YOU DO THINGS OUT OF DUTY OR DESIRE?

Another big indicator that we are people pleasers is that we do things out of a sense of duty
instead of desire. In other words, we do something for someone because we feel obligated, or it is expected of us—we are afraid if we don’t do it, others will get mad at us or think badly of us. But doing things because we feel forced to do them or are fearful of being rejected is doing things for the wrong reason.

Let me give you an example: During the holidays most of us spend time with our families. Years
ago when our children were small, we had a tendency to run from house to house to house, trying to visit all of our family members on the same day. This was especially true on Christmas. To a great degree, we felt like it was a requirement we had to fulfill, and if we did not, somebody would get their feelings hurt. What happened as a result is that we really did not enjoy the holiday season.

Thankfully, Dave and I have made some adjustments over the years and changed our
expectations. Our children are all grown and have families of their own, and to try and get
everybody together in one place on the same day is difficult. It does happen sometimes, but if
someone has other plans or is unable to make it, that is okay. I know some people who agree to alternate their holiday visits between their families. One year they choose to spend Thanksgiving with the wife’s side of the family and Christmas with the husband’s side. The next year, they do just the opposite. Other people visit one side of the family on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and then a week later spend New Year’s Day with the other side of the family. The point is, their visits are based out of desire instead of duty. Now, please understand that we do not have to want to do everything we need to do. There are
some things that we are required to do, and if we don’t do them, problems develop. I may not want to or feel like cleaning my house, but if I never clean it, things will become disorganized, out of order, and very stressful. You and I may not want to do the laundry, but if we never do it, we will eventually run out of clothes to wear. So there is a balance in this area that God will help us find. We just need to remove the pressure and expectations from others so that they do not feel obligated to do something for us. In the same way, we need to get out from under the pressure and expectations of others to do something for them.

ARE YOU CONSTANTLY SACRIFICING YOUR OWN LEGITIMATE NEEDS?

The third major sign of being a people pleaser is always being quick to set aside our own genuine needs to meet the needs and wants of others. Each of us has legitimate needs to be loved, accepted and approved. We also have needs for things like attention, affection and rest. Constantly denying our genuine needs and doing things for everybody else will usually result in becoming bitter and resentful because we feel all used up. I know a wonderful woman who loves the Lord and will do things for everybody else except herself. She takes care of the needs of her husband, her children and her church family, but she will not take care of her own. She maintains the attitude, “No, I don’t need anything. I can do without.”
But she ends up with a bad attitude. This is not healthy and is often the reason why many Christians experience burnout. Yes, the Bible does say we are to live a life of self-denial and even put the needs of others before our own. However, if we are always denying our own needs and always putting the needs of others before our own, we are out of balance. Being out of balance opens the door for the enemy to wreak havoc in our lives (see 1 Peter 5:8).
Before I began a serious relationship with God, my attitude and way of thinking was, If I don’t
take care of myself, nobody else will. Then when I became a committed Christian, my thinking
changed to, I will sacrifice everything—including my own legitimate needs for rest, fun and friends—
all for the sake of the call. But after I pushed myself beyond my personal limits and got physically sick on at least three occasions, I realized I could no longer neglect my legitimate needs. Since then, God has helped me find and maintain a balance between caring for the needs of others and not neglecting my own. And He will do the same for you.

HOW CAN YOU OVERCOME BEING A PEOPLE PLEASER?

There is only one remedy I know of to avoid being a people pleaser and that is learning to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in all we do. That is one of the most exciting things about being a Christian. As believers, the Holy Spirit lives inside us. He desires to lead us in everything we do, from how we handle our finances, to the type of job we have, to the house we live in, to what we do or don’t do for others. He does not want to just be involved with the spiritual side of our lives; He wants to be involved with the natural side of our lives too.
I love what Romans 7:6 says: But now we are discharged from the Law and have terminated all intercourse with it, having died to what once restrained and held us captive. So now we serve not under [obedience to] the old code of written regulations, but [under obedience to the promptings] of the Spirit in newness [of life]. What Paul is saying is, when we follow the
leadership of the Holy Spirit, we experience newness of life—peace, joy and contentment—that cannot be experienced when we live under the “shoulds,” the “oughts,” the obligations and the expectations of being a people pleaser.
What is the leading of the Holy Spirit? For the most part, it is having an inner peace about doing something. Colossians 3:15 says, And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds…]. In other words, if we have peace in our spirits about doing something or not doing something, we can know the Lord is in the decision. If we do not have peace in our spirits about doing something or not doing something, then it is a good indicator that God is not leading that decision.

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO ONE THING…

Motives… Why are we doing (or not doing) something? Are we being motivated by fear, personal gain or a sense of obligation? Are we being motivated by a desire to be in control, accepted or seen? These are all the wrong reasons for doing something. Our motive for doing anything should always be because God has prompted us and we want to please Him. Following the leading of the Holy Spirit means we are motivated by the fruit of the Holy Spirit, such as love, kindness and goodness. What the Spirit leads us to do or not do, He will give us a peace about. Remember, whatever you and I do, if we will do it as unto the Lord, our lives and the lives of others will be blessed. If you help a family member, do it as unto the Lord. If you visit with relatives, do it as unto the Lord. If you work in the nursery at church, do it as unto the Lord. If you are getting dressed, washing the dishes, driving to work, cutting the grass, or going to the grocery store, do it as unto the Lord. In other words, with everything you do, do it with the motive of pleasing God. The result will be a new measure of joy and enthusiasm in your life—even in the everyday, ordinary things.
I encourage you to shake off the way people think or feel about you and just begin to do what you feel God wants you to do. If you need strength in this area, and I think we all do, pray and ask the Lord for His grace to follow after His voice instead of the pressures and demands of others. That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things…(Colossians 1:10).

Weekend Snapshot #5

My weekend was filled with so much activities. The whole of Sunday, I was busy scouting for some life insurance and last Saturday was spent partying at a cousin's house for his Graduation party. I was amazed by the number of people who came. I got tired chasing around my son and the rest of my evening was spent reading this book: I have been a reader of the blog PostSecret even before they were with Livejournal. Whoever invented this was a Genius, really. He helped a lot of people to come out with their deepest secrets. I'm leaving you with some of the shocking secrets I took some snapshots of but the really really shocking ones, I'll post them on my Wordless Wednesday entry this week, it left me wordless indeed LOL. Happy Monday everyone!

Travel Destination #11-ASIA (Thailand, China, KL)

Thailand will always be a memorable country for me. This is where Hubby and I had our honeymoon and this is the 1st ever out of country trip with my whole family. One thing I like about Thailand is their similarity with my home country, Philippines but with better system and cleanliness is found everywhere. Also, Cheap Thailand Hotels are not so bad after all. And how can I forget Thai's exotic dishes that I have been craving for such a long time now read: tom yum!
Asia, in general is a nice continent to explore. Cultures in the different Asian countries were preserved and a traveller would definitely love to rediscover Asian spectacular places such as Kuala Lumpur. A trip to Singapore is definitely in my plan and swinging by KL is part of my Singapore itinerary. They say Kuala Lumpur offers accommodations similar to Philippines Accommodation. How lovely! Even before, one of my to 5 destinations include China. Although I have been to Chiang Mai and Hongkong, I would want to visit mainland China. My bestfriend and I would often dream of grabbing Last Minute China Hotels and visiting the Great Wall with our sons. Oh yes, you might find that strange but we are leaving our partners behind. It is something that we promised each other and I am really looking forward to fulfill that dream of ours. Walking the Great Wall of China is something to be treasured and I want to experience it with my bestfriend and our sons.

So, there's my dream Asian destinations.

around the hotels.

For me, probably one of the most fun and exciting things to experience when travelling is staying in hotels. It gives me different kind of relaxing atmosphere. It is important to come home to such a relaxing bed and room after a day's worth of travelling and shopping! Glasgow Hotels, Barcelona Hotels, and London Hotels are my top 3 choices of hotels to stay to. My Russian classmate told me that when she stayed in one of the posh Brussels Hotels, she almost did not want to come out of the room and just spend the rest of her vacations inside the hotel.

Surprisingly, according to her, those hotels were relatively affordable and some how cheap. She got all her bookings from easytobook.com. They have a comprehensive worldwide list of hotels sorted according to cities in each country and continent. Also, if you are having a hard time to book online, they have the callcenter agents to attend to you. This is really nice to know especially for my jet-setter readers.

yey!

I'm done with school.
We're moving to a townhome soon.
My toddler's behavior is improving tremendously.
Blogging is doing just fine.
and everything else in my life is just great.
I hope this continues forever.

Travel Destination #11-Paris & London

This entry is not about me, this is about a family friend who has been a very successful flight attendant in one of the most famous airlines in the world. I watched her grow up and there never was a day when she mentioned that some she will come to visit Paris. It all happened and she is barely 22 years old. You see, this family friend is a part-time model and it was really easy for her to get in as a flight attendant because of her looks, skills and brains. But one thing that I love about her is her love for her parents.

She has brought them to almost every city in Europe that she has been. They only stay at those cheapt Hotels near London attractions and spent the rest of their money shopping!!!
But, during their last week of Europe tour, she brought them to the posh Hotels in Manchester CBD. I remember how her mom raves about her daughter. It is really in our culture to pay it back to your parents. Usually our 1st paycheck goes to treating out family members or buying them gifts. That's our culture and I hope to pass it on to my son too.

kontrabida.

If you watched transformers, you know what that symbol is for. The decepticons.

A close blogging buddy has just informed me this morning that the big G decepticon has hit on her PR3 blog as well. She followed every rule to veer away from being zero but still...

So I guess it's a hit or miss thing, bilog ang mundo, trip trip lang nya! But why hit on the small time? Are you too afraid to hit the bigger ones?

Just enjoy it while it last and if you still believe there is a way, follow these rules: The most comprehensive entry I read on how to protect your sites from the decepticon!

friday's feast #4

Appetizer
If you could live on another continent for 1 year, which one would you choose? >>>South Africa, ooopps is that a continent? LOL! Only for 1 year ok? hahah!

Soup
Which browser do you use to surf the Internet?>>>Depends on which site I open: firefox and IE.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you know about the history of your country?
>>>9! My bachelor's degree covered a lot of history subjects.
Main Course
Finish this sentence: Love is… >>>all over me.

Dessert
Have you ever been in or near a tornado? >>>Oh yes! Last month, the infamous suffolk tornado which is 20 minutes away from us and jus yesterday, we had a tornado warning! Creepy!

Wordless Wednesday #5

This is the amount of gifts we received last Christmas. It is our 1st Christmas in U.S. and the rest of the family want it to be extra special. I swear, I have never seen enough gifts like this for my family. My son was so hyper the entire time, these gifts uplifted his spirits. They had about 2-3 vans to deliver these gifts. This year, we plan on spending the holidays somewhere else, so I guess we would be missing this fun. Happy Wordless Wednesday everyone!

mozartie...

When I have a daughter, I want her to be well-travelled and would be playing violin like this girl. What a lovely sight!

smarter solutions.

A friend sent me a site on the Six Sigma Education. I do not know why on earth she sent me this link because it specifically offers a variety of training and education on Lean Six Sigma and Six Sigma Blackbelt business process improvement systems. For one thing, I do not have any business. But when I look into the site, I realized it was worth sharing so I am sharing it with everyone. Check it out.

Weekend Snapshot #4

These is a collage photo of me under the water scubadiving.

I had a grumpy weekend because of some unfortunate events and would want to make peace with myself. Other than praying, I find it really comforting to scubadive, it gives me a different kind of inner peace. However, I would have to wait till I get back to our home country before I could do my 20th dive. Happy WS everyone!

me me meme!

Feel free to snag this everyone. Thanks Juliana!

...and Happy Father's Day to all the Papas and the Daddies!

Have you ever gone on a blind date?

>>>NEVER.

Skipped school?

>>>Yuppers in highschool and college.

Been on a plane?

>>>A lot of times especially when Hubby has provincial assignments.

Been lost?

>>>All the time, I have very poor sense of direction.

Swam in the ocean?

>>>NOPE.

Cried yourself to sleep?

>>>YES.

Played cops and robbers?

>>>All the time with my son save for the robbers part.

Played dolls?

>>>Yes paper, match and barbie.

Recently colored with crayons?

>>>Everyday with my son.

Sang Karaoke?

>>>I grab the microphone all the time. I'm a notorious karaoke singer haha!

Paid for a meal with coins only?

>>>Oh yes!

Done something you said you wouldnt?

>>>yes siree!

Cheated on a test?

>>>uhuh!

Made prank phone calls?

>>>Guilty.

Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose?

>>>Oh yes in gradeschool I was drinking a chocolate drink and they named me maria cristina falls.

Caught a snowflake on your tongue?

>>>Yes and I love it.

Danced in the rain?

>>>and kissed too.

Written a letter to Santa Claus?

>>>Yes.

Watched the sunrise with someone you care about?

>>>Yes but not fond of sunrises and sunsets.

Been kissed under the mistletoe?

>>>uhuh.

Gone ice skating?

>>>NOPE.

Been skinny dipping outdoors?

>>>Oh yes! hahah in puerto galero, it was fun fun fun!

Favorite drink?

>>>Water and orange juice.

Tattoos?

>>>Never.

Body piercings?

>>>Ears only.

Vacation spot?

>>>Right now, Bora and Europe.

Eaten cookies for dinner?

>>>Yes.

Ever been on TV?

>>>Yes hahaha!

Ever been in a car accident?

>>>A terrible and dreadful one.

Favorite number and why?

>>>Likewise, 5 & 7 and I don't know why.

Favorite movie?

>>>Check out my friendster ok?

Favorite holiday?

>>>Christmas.

Favorite smells?

>>>My son's hair and armpit.

What do you do to relax?

>>>Surf and Sleep.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

>>>In a 2 floor house, well-travelled and has a very stable career.

Make a Statement, Send Roses to the One You Love

Few flowers convey love the way a rose does, and when you send roses through Vogue Flowers you make a statement that shows how much you care. These fresh masterpieces come in a variety of styles, colors, and arrangement options and best of all you can send flowers nationwide to your loved ones. Vogue Flowers is located in Richmond, Virginia, but their network makes their delivery seem local. Not only do they make your delivery options seamless, they also take great pride in the attention to detail provided. I think that this online florist is top notch, so check them out and send roses to that special someone today! Send roses from an online florist you can count on! *I recommend Vogue Flowers for their unsurpassed floral arrangement quality, values, and unique designs. Check them out online at http://www.vogueflowers.com.

Special occasions are only one reason to send flowers.

Everyone knows that sending flowers on Mother’s Day and Valentines are the norm, but what about taking the opportunity to send flowers just to brighten the day of someone who has done something kind or been on your mind lately. Boss having a bad day? Send flowers. Secretary stayed late last night without being asked? Send flowers. Spouse made breakfast this morning? Send roses. The simple gesture of sending flowers can turn a seemingly drab day in the office into a colorful reminder that the recipient’s work is appreciated. In addition, these colorful gifts continue long after the arrangement has arrived. Send flowers and make today its own special occasion! *I recommend Vogue Flowers as an online florist for their unsurpassed floral arrangement quality, values, and unique designs. Check them out online at http://www.vogueflowers.com.

for those staying at home this weekend...

Good for you... Happy Weekend!

love and hate meme

There are things, ways, or people we can't stand. There are also things, ways or people we can't live without and would love to do over and over again or be with forever.

List down 5 things you hate and 5 things you love.

Then, put the link or links of your blog or blogs in the list.

Tag at least 5 people.

(photo credit: google)

5 Hates:

1. I hate people who do not knock before entering any room which aren't theirs.
2. I hate people who goes directly to my/our master's and sit on the bed without asking permission.
3. I hate dirty toilet seats.
4. I hate overly "feeling close" people.
5. I hate halitosis.

5 Loves:

1. I love frank people.
2. I love effective tv ads.
3. I love giggly people or people who loves to laugh all the time.
4. I love it when I'm asked if I'm okay.
5. I love friends who sends out greeting cards.

Red&Blue links:

1.) Mind Bubbles 2.) Em's Detour 3.) Vanity Kit 4.) Stripe&Yellow 5.) Something Purple 6.) YOUR BLOG HERE.

Tagging: Farah, Val, Abie, Cheryll and Jammy.

purple golf bags.

I don't know if you still remember my entry about my previous employers? You see I used to Cwork for a foreign mission and all of our bosses were Canadian citizens assigned to work for 2-3 years diplomatic mission in my home country. They were fascinated with how cheap playing golf is in the Philippines that even though some of them that are not really into it, decided to join golf country clubs. What fascinated me was their golf bags and my lady boss had this cutie purple golf bag! Oh gosh, you should have seen it, it's adorable. If I was playing golf, I could have gotten this bag with a stand, how convenient.

on protecting your family.

When I was so much younger, I didn't really care about insurance and everytime my mom would remind me to get one or to quote her: 'Protect Your Income', I was not really paying attention or was giving extra time to talk to an agent. I knew all along that they got me a life insurance and for me that was enough. Until I spoke with someone who met an accident and benefited a lot from Disability Insurance. I thought real hard and decided to get one asap.

Now, it's so much easier to get one as there are a lot of Disability Insurance Quote in the net. At ProtectYourIncome.com, they do not only provide you with insurance quotes but also helpful information and guidance on disability insurance for professionals including physicians, resident physicians, dentists, attorneys and individuals with incomes of $100,000 or more. If you haven't gotten one for yourself yet, better act up now.

friday's feast #3

Appetizer
Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist?
>>>after being pessimistic over a situation, i realize nothing will come out good of being a negative person so i shift my energy to positive.

Soup
What is your favorite color of ink to write with?
>>>black and purple.

Salad
How often do you get a manicure or pedicure? Do you do them yourself or go to a salon and pay for them?
>>>back home, I used to go on a bi-monthly basis but here, it's a luxury so I do everything on my own on.

Main Course
Have you ever won anything online? If so, what was it?
>>>if blogging awards from my blogging buddies count? hee hee!

Dessert
In which room in your house do you keep your home computer?
>>>bedroom.

O.C.

Yesterday, I was cleaning my 2 digital camera, 2 cellphones and my laptop. I couldn't believed what I saw, I have a total of 11 memory cards!!! Would you believe that? Oh I guess, I am just freakingly paranoid everytime we travel that I do not have enough space for photos. Even if I bring my laptop and save the photos immediately there, I make sure that I do not delete the photos in the memory card unless I burned all of the photos in CDs. Blame it on my being overly obsessive compulsive person.

this is funny.

Hubby and I had this funny conversation. One night he was very stressed because he can't seem to find his CAT6 patch cable. All the while, I was thinking he was looking for a cat, the feline! I didn't seem to hear the '6', so he was all furious that he can't find it and was blaming me for keeping his stuff without him knowing about it. It made me mad because I thought for just a freaking cat, he's getting all stressed and most of all we don't have a cat! When we sat down at dinner and talked about it, he clarified that he was looking for his game console cable patch! I was laughing my heart and butt out for like 5 minutes non-stop LOL!

Wordless Wednesday #4

Here are glimpses of the famous Virginia Beach. With the scorching hot weather, we are definitely making a trip to this. As to when, I still don't know. I just hope hubby can alot a long weekend for this beach getaway. Happy WW Everyone!

road to stardom.

With all the money that comes in being a celebrity, I have known of a lot of teener who would go and try their luck in modelling. Well, here's your lucky chance, you can joine the Look of the Year and be spotted by an agency for model career. This is a worldwide competition so anyone from all countries can join the contest. So, while you're young, show all your guts and try your luck on this competition.

i heart blogging.

When I started Blogging in this particular blog since I maintain 4 other blogs, I just want to have an avenue of all my rants and uncategorized musings. I didn't know I could Make Money out of this blog. Then I joined bloggerwave, that's when the fun starts. Who would believe I could blog my heart out and still earn extra moolah for my shopping spree. What fun!

shit shit shit.

I made a major booboo out of my carelessness. Lord, please save me. I'm so scared, up to now I am palpitating. I know you're there just please please let us get that period!

Sleep, My Necessity.

It's been a week, since I have been prioritizing my sleep over anything else. You see, I've been caught up with school work and there was a time where I had no sleep for straight 36 hours, would you believe that? It was so weird because, I was full in energy and the sad part there was I had a hard time sleeping. So starting last week, I made a pact that I would treat sleep as a necessity and not a luxury especially after reading this article I got from Yahoo! Health.

- SUNDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- The pace of life gets faster and faster, and people try to cram more and more into every minute of the day.
As things get more hectic, sleep tends to get short shrift. It's seen as wasted time, lost forever.
"For healthy people, there's a big temptation to voluntarily restrict sleep, to stay up an hour or two or get up an hour or two earlier," said Dr. Greg Belenky, director of the Sleep and Performance Research Center at Washington State University Spokane.
"But you're really reducing your productivity and exposing yourself to risk," Belenky added.
That's a message doctors are trying to spread to Americans, including the estimated 40 million people who struggle with some type of sleep disorder each year.
Before Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1880, people slept an average of 10 hours a night. These days, Americans average 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.5 hours a night on weekends, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
"The group of people getting optimal sleep is getting smaller and smaller," said Dr. Chris Drake, senior scientist at the Henry Ford Hospital Sleep Disorders and Research Center in Detroit. "When a person's sleep drops to six hours or less, that's when a lot of things become very problematic."
While experts recommend seven to eight hours of sleep each night, the amount needed for an individual can vary.
But lack of sleep affects a person in one of two ways, Belenky said. First, sleeplessness influences the day-to-day performance of tasks.
"The performance effects are seen immediately," he said. "You short-change yourself of sleep, and you see the effects immediately. You can make a bad decision. You can miss something. Have a moment's inattention, and you're off the road."
The longer-term effects of sleep deprivation involve a person's health. Doctors have linked lack of sleep to weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, depression and substance abuse.
"Hormones that process appetite begin to get disorganized," said Drake, who's also an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. There's a decrease in the amount of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone, when a person gets too little sleep. At the same time, ghrelin -- a hormone that stimulates appetite -- increases with a lack of sleep.
Too little sleep also interferes with the body's ability to regulate glucose and can cause inflammation leading to heart problems and a rise in blood pressure. "There's a stress response to being in a sleep loss," Belenky said.
The types of people not getting enough sleep also break down into two groups. First, there are those who make the conscious choice to go without enough sleep.
"It's sort of part of the culture," Belenky said. "People pride themselves on getting little sleep. You'll hear people bragging, 'I only need six hours a night.' So there's a macho element here."
On the other hand, there are people who are suffering from sleep disorders. These disorders include:
Insomnia, an inability to go to sleep or stay asleep.
Sleep apnea, or breathing interruptions during sleep that cause people to wake up repeatedly.
Restless legs syndrome, a tingling or prickly sensation in the legs that causes a person to need to move them, interrupting sleep.
Someone suffering from any of these problems should visit their doctor or see a sleep specialist, Belenky said.
Sleep apnea, the most prevalent sleep disorder, can have particularly serious long-term effects if left untreated. "You're waking up out of sleep to breathe. You can't sleep and breathe at the same time," Drake said. "It's a risk factor for developing major cardiovascular health effects."
Some people who have trouble sleeping will resort to mild sedatives like Ambien and Lunesta.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently asked the makers of these sedative-hypnotic drugs to strengthen their warning labels. This action followed reports of dangerous allergic reactions, as well as a host of bizarre behavioral side effects that include sleep-driving, making phone calls, and preparing and eating food or having sex while asleep.
Drake and Belenky both consider sleeping pills to be fine for the short term if taken properly.
"Sleeping pills are a temporary solution," Belenky said. "If you're upset about something or have situational insomnia, or you're trying to sleep at the wrong time of day because you've traveled across time zones, they are effective."
But, both doctors noted the pills will do nothing to help a chronic sleep problem. "They don't address the pathology of their sleeplessness," Drake said.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health offers these tips for getting a good night's sleep:
Stick to a regular sleep schedule.
Avoid exercising closer than five or six hours before bedtime.
Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before bed.
Avoid large meals and beverages late at night.
Don't take naps after 3 p.m.
Relax before bed, taking time to unwind with a hot bath, a good book or soothing music.
If you're still awake after more than 20 minutes in bed, get up and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy. Anxiety over not being able to sleep can make it harder to fall asleep.
More information
To learn more, visit the National Sleep Foundation

in love with this...

The moment we left my home country and migrated here, my notebook computer became my bestfriend since then. I swear, I am online almost 20 hours a day. Since, I have no friends here just yet, this notebook is my connection to the world, my friends and family back home. I do not know how I would survive without this. Really. This is truly one thing, I couldn't live without.