5 Things

Thanks Eds for the tag.

5 things found in my bag

wallet, cellphone, pencilcase (for my receipts), umbrella, camera

5 things found in my wallet

money!, atm cards, credit cards, membership / discount cards, starbucks planner sticker card

5 things found in my room

bed, tv, dvd player, zoe's crib, aircon

5 things I’ve always wanted to do

paint, travel again, own a business, eliminate all my debts, lose weight LOL

5 things I'm currently into

doing mommy duties, xmas shopping, blogging, net surfing, dining out

5 people to tag for this

nikki, apols, norm, alpha, kathy

Malapit Na Ang Pasko

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

The air is cooler...

Everyone's on the race for Starbucks 2008 Planner! LOL

Even Coke has the Christmas-feel...

And who can deny it? There's trafic everywhere!

Here's calling everybody to help stop the commercialization of Christmas!!!

Many people forget (and that includes me) that Christmas is not just about the cool air, the lights, the shopping sprees, the gifts or the material things. It's about Christ's birthday--- about Love! :-) Advance Merry Christmas everyone!

On Christmas Trees

I've been seeing a lot of the Xmas trees among my blog-mates. Makes me feel "huli--huli" na coz we haven't pulled out our tree yet. So meantime, here's my model treeeee!

This is the Christmas tree in Powerplant Mall. Love the red and gold trimmings! Really Christmas-y! :-)

Shaken

Yup, "I feel the earth move under my skin"...lalaladadadada.

It was around 12:27 pm Tuesday, November 27, 2007. Just when I was at the Penthouse of one of the buildings here in Makati attending noontime mass and just after the consecration part, we felt shaken by an earthquake. I held my mini-pouch to my chest and looked at the others, some of whom looked scared as me. Surprisingly, the priest didn't stop saying the liturgy while the ground was shaking. But after everything was normal, that was the time the priest asked if we were alright. I hate to admit it, even if I was at mass, at the very presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, I still got scared for a minute, promise.

My first crazy thought was, naku, kami ang unang marerescue kung tumumba tong building na to since nasa Penthouse kami! Hahaha. Tapos, after the mass, I thought twice if I would ride the elevator. Praning na. Takot ako baka dun ako matuluyan :-) I texted my hubby who was in QC and he said he didn't feel anything. I called the house after I got back to the office and asked my Dad if everything was okay. Apparently, I was the only one in my family who felt shaken...

My realization - I shouldn't be afraid because God is with me! Bakit ba ako kinabahan sobra? Imagine, I could have died right there during the mass and it would have been a great grace (but thank God din that didn't happen). Siguro kinabahan ako because nakakatakot naman talaga kasi mas malakas ang impact ng movement dahil nasa top kami (or maybe nagdadahilan lang din ako, I don't know, hehehe).

All I can say is that, in this world we live in, we humans, especially us who are Christians, should realize that this is not our permanent world. All of us are just passing through, moving towards another life which is much much better: better than we could ever imagine. We need to be prepared lang at all times because we do not know when our time is up. :-)

Just some of my personal thoughts for today...now back to work, Vina.

The Reason Why I'm...

...not losing weight.

After a long and tiring hunt for the best Christmas buys in Greenhills yesterday (Sunday), we decided to have these for MERIENDA:

Yes, we had rice, bulalo steak and dinuguan at Razon's...

...plus a sweet and wonderful finale!

It's the best-tasting halu-halo for me. I was so excited to eat it, I forgot to take a picture before digging in. :-)

I know that it's ultra high in cholesterol and calories but it definitely made us feel that life is indeed great when you're able to talk and spend quality time with the love of your life (though I'm getting fatter by the minute). LOL.

Emma's 1st Birthday Party

After attending the Home Matters' get-together, Hun picked us up to go to Emma's 1st birthday at McDo El Pueblo. Emma is the cute daughter of Chinkee and Mike.

We were all set to be there on time. However, Zoe just had to throw up again (this time in daddy's car) when we were already in C-5 en route to the party. And as a "well-prepared" mommy that I am, I didn't have any more extra clothes for Zoe in the baby bag. So instead of not attending the party altogether, we decided to pass by SM HyperMart first to buy some "pasado na" clothes for Zoe to wear to the party. Whhhaaa, kasi naman...because of my miscalculation on the things/clothes to bring, I ended up paying 600 pesos for a decent attire for my baby. I really should have brought more clothes...nakaiwas gastos pa sana...anyway...

So, after letting Zoe sleep for awhile in the car, we went up na to 2nd floor of McDo El Pueblo and enjoyed the Princess Party of Emma. We even won several items in the "Bring Me" game. LOL.

Here are some more pics:

Princess Emma with proud parents M & C:

Zoe getting her McDo lootbag:

Mommy and big-eyed Zoe:

Cat and Zoe:

Zoe seems to be having fun despite throwing up twice that day:

With Hamburglar:

With Grimace (Zoe getting scared):

It was a fun party! Thanks Emma for inviting us! :-)

Home Matters Get-together

I had a great time last Saturday during the Christmas get-together of Home Matters. Despite the delay that we had on the way to the party because Zoe felt sick in the car and vomitted, we were still able to catch the demo of the Yuletide Log (cake) plus the wonderful talk of Ms. Monina Mercado about Christmas and her book. Too bad, I missed the demo of the Callos (sooo yummy!).

While the ladies were doing their thing, the ones in charge took all the kids in one of Judy's bedrooms and allowed them to jump up and down the beds. Zoe was so amused with the other kids --- I caught her shrieking one time while she and the other kids played in the bedroom. Plus, I loved Judy's unit. It was simple yet very elegant. I wish I could also use matching furnitures, linens and decorations in each of the rooms. Her traditional belen is also very well prepared. It was the center of attraction, really. Which reminds me, I need to to bring out our family belen soon.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a picture of Judy's belen but only got to snap a shot of her Christmas village.

As souvenirs, we were each given a wooden decor of Mother & Child plus a booklet on how to do the Advent Wreath ceremony. I wish I could find an Advent Wreath soon plus the 4 candles (3 violet and 1 pink) so we can do the lighting of the Advent candles next week.

Christmas is really just around the corner. And as Mrs. Mercado told us, "Jesus is your friend and his birthday is on December 25." More than the material gifts we give to others, may all of us find a special gift which we could give to Jesus on his birthday.

You're Invited!

Inviting all my lady friends and fellow-mommy bloggers---

For the married, you can tag along your babies (if you have)...
For the single(hearted), you can bring your nieces or nephews if you feel like it...

There will be 2 talks (I think) and be ready to learn to make Madrilena Callos with bread and a Yuletide dessert --and eat it too! :-)

Let me know if you can make it so we can meet.

Hope to see you there!!! :-)

I am Charlie Brown

I am Charlie Brown --

Thanks Pam for this tag.

Everyone has a personality of a cartoon character. Have you ever asked yourself what cartoon character do you most resemble?

A group of investigators got together and analyzed the personalities of well known and modern cartoon characters. The information that was gathered was made into this test.

Answer all the questions (only 10) with what describes you best, add up all your Points (which are next to the answer that you choose) at the end and look for your results.

Do not cheat by looking at the end of the e-mail before you are done.

Then ask your Friends to answer it. (Make sure to Highlight your answers)

1. Which one of the following describes the perfect date?
.a) Candlelight dinner (4 pts.)
.b) Fun/Theme Park (2 pts.)
.c) Painting in the park (5 pts)
.d) Rock concert (1 pt.)
.e) Going to the movies (3 pts.)

2. What is your favorite type of music?
.a) Rock and Roll (2 pts.)
.b) Alternative (1 pt.)
.c) Soft Rock (4 pts.)
.d) Country (5 pts.)
.e) Pop (3 pts.)

3. What type of movies do you prefer?
.a) Comedy (2 pts.)
.b) Horror (1 pt.)
.c) Musical (3 pts.)
.d) Romance (4 pts.)
.e) Documentary (5 pts.)

4.. Which one of these occupations would you choose if you only could choose one of these?
.a) Waiter (4 pts.)
.b) Professional Sports Player (5 pts.)
.c) Teacher (3 pts.)
.d) Police (2 pts.)
.e) Cashier (1 pt)

5 . What do you do with your spare time?
.a) Exercise (5 pts.)
.b) Read (4 pts.)
.c) Watch television (2 pts.)
.d) Listen to music (1 pt.)
.e) Sleep (3 pts.)

6. Which one of the following colors do you like best?
.a) Yellow (1 pt.)
.b) White (5 pts.)
.c) Sky Blue (3 pts.)
.d) Dark Blue (2 pts.)
.e) Red (4 pts.)
7. What do you prefer to eat?
.a) Snow (3 pts.)
.b) Pizza (2 pts.)
.c) Sushi (1 pt.)
.d) Pasta (4 pts.)
.e) Salad (5 pts.)

8 What is your favorite holiday?
.a) Halloween (1 pt.)
.b) Christmas (3 pts.)
.c) New Year (2 pts.)
.d) Valentine's Day (4 pts.)
.e) Thanksgiving (5 pts.)

9. If you could go to one of these places which one would it be?
.a) Paris (4 pts)
.b) Spain (5 pts)
.c) Las Vegas (1 pt)
.d) Hawaii (4 pts)
.e) Hollywood (3 pts)

10. With which of the following would you prefer to spend time with?
.a) Someone Smart (5 pts.)
.b) Someone attractive (2 pts.)
.c) Someone who likes to Party (1 pt.)
.d) Someone who always has fun (3 pts.)
.e) Someone very sentimental (4 pts.)

Now add up your points and find out the answer you have been waiting for!
Put your character in the subject line and forward to your friends and back to the person that sent this to you.

Very interesting to see 'who' your friends are!

(10-16 points) You are Garfield :
You are very comfortable, easy going, and you definitely know how to
have fun but sometimes you take it to an extreme. You always know what
you are doing and you are always in control of your life. Others may
not see things as you do, but that doesn't mean that you always have to do what is right. Try to remember, your happy spirit may hurt you or others.

(17-23 points) You are Snoopy:
You are fun, you are very cool and popular. You always know what's i n
and you are never are out of style You are good at knowing how to
satisfy everyone else. You have probably disappeared for a few days
more than once but you always come home with the family values that you learned Being married and having children are important to you, but
only after you have had your share of fun times

(24-28 points) You are Elmo:
You have lots of friends and you are also popular, always willing to
give advice and help out a person in need. You are very optimistic and
you always see the bright side of things. Some good advice: try not to
be too much of a dreamer. Dreaming too big could cause many conflicts in
your life.

(29-35 points) You are Sponge Bob Square Pants:
You are the classic person that everyone loves. You are the best friend
that anyone could ever have and never wants to lose. You never cause
harm to anyone and they would never not understand your feelings. Life
is a journey, it's funny and calm for the most part. Stay away from
traitors and jealous people, and you will be stress free.

(36-43 points) You are Charlie Brown:
You are tender, you fall in love quickly but you are also very serious
about all relationships. You are a family person. You call your Mom
every Sunday. You have many friends and may occasionally forget a few
Birthdays. Don't let your passion confuse you with reality.

(44-50 points) You are Dexter:
You are smart and definitely a thinker... Every situation is fronted
with a plan. You have a brilliant mind. You demonstrate very strong
family principles. You maintain a stable routine but never ignore a bad
situation when it comes.

Try to do less over thinking every once in a while to spice things up a bit with spontaneity!

Now don't spoil it! Have some Fun!!

Interesting Blogthing...

Your Job Satisfaction Level: 61%

Your job is pretty good, even if it always doesn't seem like it. You have a lot less stress than most people, and your work environment is definitely above average. So if you love what you're doing, keep doing it. It doesn't get a lot better than this. But if you're in a dead end job, you may want to move on. Because if you're not advancing, it's just not worth it.

Should You Get a New Job?

Kidz Kraze 2007

Thanks for the N@W egroup, I got to know about the annual sale of Richwell in Libis. It was our first time to go to this warehouse sale. On Saturday morning, I tagged along my husband to take a look at the sale...

Our major loot >>> (among other things)...sobrang HIT and only for 500 bucks!.

It's a Carebears Ride On!

Here's Zoe trying it out for the very first time. I was afraid she won't like it just as she hates riding her umbroller...but no! She looked as if she wants to sit there the whole day. :-) This one has lights and sound effects that got Zoe's attention immediately.

Look mom, NO HANDS!



Picture-taking with Mommy and Daddy...




And oh by the way, we got her cutie rubbershoes too:



Another nice pic :-)




The next day, it was still all about her car-car before we left to go to Sunday mass. Matching pa ang Crocs niya sa car-car nya. LOL




I love that smile...



Till the next Richwell Sale!

Tagged by Jean

Tagged by Jean...thanks sis.

Here are the rules: When tagged, you have to link to the person who tagged you. Post the rules just before your list, then list eight random facts about yourself. At the end of your post, you must tag and link to eight other people.

1. I could sing! I guess it’s due to the influence of my family, especially my sis who’s ‘D’ singer/musician in the family. I was Glee Club president back in my high school days and during college naman, I joined this group called Stella Orientis and we won this National Gregorian Chant Competition. Because of this win, we were able to sing for the Pope John Paul II when he came to visit Manila. We were also able to record an album by BMG consisting of all Latin songs / Gregorian chants.

2. I got to see the Pope again 3 years after (when I was 20 years old). My group’s paper in UNIV won as one of the best papers and had to be presented in the International Congress in Rome. As a graduation gift, my parents paid for my trip! I was the one who presented our paper (was so nervous, my golly). After the Congress, we spent Holy Week in Rome and then traveled around France and Spain. It’s still one of my happiest moments, even happier than my own graduation which took place a week after I arrived.

3. I love to cook but haven’t been in the kitchen that much since i got married/got pregnant/gave birth. I really don’t know why. By the way, I love making pasta and dessert but not ulam.

4. I’ve worn my braces for sooo long and still don’t think I’ll get them off by this year. Maybe it’s because my teeth really has been so hard to move plus I’ve been so lazy to go to my dentist every 3 weeks (her clinic is just next to my house LOL).

5. I miss my mom so much. She has been in Heaven for more than 2 years already and every time I think of her, naiiyak ako…

6. I’m such a book sale addict. My husband knows that every time we go to the mall, I just have to take a look at the new titles in the Book Sale or in Books for Less. Problem ko lang, I have bought so many books already but haven’t got the time to read, lest finish a book. Parang I’m more of a book-collector now more than a book-worm.

7. I go to mass everyday. It’s been an important (actually the most important) part of my daily schedule for the past 14 years or so. I could attest that it has done me A LOT of good, otherwise, I don’t know where I would be now….

8. Though my college degree is BS Economics, it is not really related to my present work now (which is in a bank). But given a choice, I think I would prefer my work now, more than if I had to apply my economics-know-how somewhere else.

I don't know who are the ones who haven't done this tag. If you haven't (at least 8 of you in my blogroll pls), then feel free to snag this. :-)

What's Your Favorite Comfort Food Tag

Some people have a favorite comfort food/drink. This can destress them, give a comforting feeling or bring back good memories from the past. I remember the movie "Ratatouille" wherein they served ratatouille and it gloriously brought back childhood memories to the serious / devilish food critic Anton Ego. :-)

I admit that I'm one of those people who crave for certain foods when I'm feeling a bit stressed out. Three days ago was one of those days. After work, my taste buds were shouting for my favorite comfort food. Good thing my husband gladly gave in and took me out for dinner.

So the tag is --

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD/DRINK AND WHY IS IT SO? Grab a picture of it and post it if you may. Enjoy!

Here's mine:

Carbonara!!!

I sooo like Carbonara (this one is the A Venetto Pizzeria version). I know this is full of calories with the cream and all but I just like a lot! It makes me feel good I don't know why :-) Feed me with this and we will be friends for life. Match it with a glass of Coke and we'll be sisters forever! LOL! No wonder I haven't regained my pre-pregnancy weight yet.

So what's your favorite comfort food/drink?

I'm tagging Pheng, Melisse, Jacqui, Jane, Kathy and Peachy. :-)

Trick or Treat 2007 in Pictures

(Sorry if I indulge you with another late post. I only got to upload the pictures today.)

Zoe participated in her very first Trick or Treat held in our very own village. Even at 14 months, I think she enjoyed seeing the kids on the block and the loots too! She got a little scared of the kids in Halloween costumes at first but warmed up some time after.

We didn't get her any more costume because we weren't sure if she would last 5 minutes wearing it. Instead, we used a black gowny dress which was given to her by Tito Richie on her baptismal day.

Here's a stolen shot of the other kids.

They were asked to group together because the Trick or Trick will be ala-Amazing Race type. Tasks will be given before you can proceed to your next clue and location. Since Zoe is just saling-ket-ket, we made her join my kinanapatid's kids - Kyle, Ken, Keanna and Kelly.

They're a cute and intelligent bunch!

This is the first task - finding your supplies among the bushes in the plaza and putting colored glitters to the village's homeowner's association logo.

Mommy and baby ready to do some trick or treating around the village...Zoe's got a cute black spider loot bag which matches her black gown. :-)

First stop - our house (ang daya kasi infront of the plaza lang kami)

Oops! Our neighbor looks scary even without a mask! (joke)

2nd task: Coins

Scary Tita Baby del Rosario

Another task: Memory Game

Candies from Lola Baby and Lolo Al

Wow that's a lot of loot!

Zoe didn't stay until the end because she was one tired baby. We went home already after going around the village. We weren't able to join in the mini-salu salo na in the Chapel.

And guess who enjoyed the goodies the most? ....mommy!

That's all folks!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I woke up early today on a rainy Thursday morning. It's so dark pa outside and I wanted to get more zzzz's. But since Zoe is already awake too, I decided to play in bed with her for a while longer. We turned on the tv. When she saw the peeps in Channel 2 dancing to the beat of "Papaya" --- kala ko mababali ang buto ni Zoe sa pagsayaw! Ang nagagawa nga naman ng panonood with the yayas! Then I told her, "Naku Zoe you won't be able to go out today kasi may ulan." She replied, "ULAN" (or something that sounds like that). That's another new word from her today. Nagulat ako. Ang dami na palang alam ni Zoe. Hay, parang ayoko ko na tuloy pumasok! Zoe's like a clean slate (Tabularasa) na everything she sees and hears, she absorbs. They grow up and learn very fast.

By the way, for the record, Zoe's first word, well aside from the usual mama, dada, dede, (and this I dread) is SHOES!!?!! Whenever I put on her Havaianas slippers or her Crocs, she would point to her feet and say "SUS" Ano ba -- SUS (MIO) ba yun or SHOES? Hahaha. :-) Naku, baka konti na lang magtututuro na yan sa mall ---saying, "Mommy, buy me SHOES, SHOES, SHOES!" Manang-mana kung ganun. :-)

And since she likes saying "SUS", it was also easy for her to say "JESUS". O di ba? At night, before going up to our room which is in the 2nd floor, we say good night to my dad (lolo) and would pass by the altar and say bye bye to our Sto. Nino and Mama Mary. She would always grab the hand of the Sto. Nino and say "JESUS" or "SUS" (again). Hehe, close na agad sila :-)

Anyway...can't wait to hear more new words from our baby. :-)

Belated Birthday Party Suppliers' Rating

Warning: This is a super late post.

After Zoe's 1st birthday last September 09, I got so busy already and wasn't able to post my suppliers' rating. So anyway, just to get it over and done with, I'll just make it short and sweet.

What: Zoe's 1st Birthday Party

When: Sunday, Sept. 09, 2007 (3-6 pm)

Where: Tarragon Function Room, Cravings, Katipunan

Theme: Hello Kitty

Food & Venue: Cravings
Account Manager: Carol Mantua

We booked Cravings a few months before the party. I originally just booked for 60 people but towards the end, it ballooned to 130. I think the place is perfect for our taste. The aircon was strong, the place was clean, the interiors had class. Plus I saw that there was a lot that we can do to decorate the place. Carol was very accommodating and gave in to my many requests. She was easy to reach and seemed to understand the mind of a first-time mom like me.

Food was good and yummy naman, though of course, what we served was just merienda cena. The birthday cake was cute and nice. Though I personally don't like to eat fondant cakes, okay na okay for posterity. The attendants were equally nice so we tipped them off nicely for the good service. No major problems with parking. Plus the location is good (proximate to both sides of the family).

Overall, it would give it a 5, out of 5.

Party Host: Chubby or Chubster Flores c/o Tif Uyco

I would love to get Chubster again in my next party. Nabilib pati Dad ko (who's hard to please). He's funny, nice to the kids and has a mature and professional way of conducting the whole thing. I was so afraid that the host we will get might be like one of those who say green jokes and make fun of the kids (in a bad way). I think madaming clowns and hosts like that nowadays. But nah, he sounded well-prepared and seemed very intelligent. I enjoyed all his antics.

Definitely a 5 too.

Party Decorations:

1) Tarp c/o Meeh - This took me weeks to finalize but I'm happy with the outcome. Many people found it cute. The size was 5x7 feet. Just right for the stage. The printing was paid for by my Dad.

2) Banderitas (bought in Divi) - I bought these multi-colored banderitas somewhere in Divi inside the Bodega building. Will definitely go back there to buy some more. Carol of Cravings liked the decor so much that we had to "donate" it to her na lang. Sorry, left the pics in my husband's laptop.

3) Sign Frame (used our extra frame from the wedding) - Hizon's, our wedding caterer, gave us a blank sign frame when we got married. But since we already had one made by the photog, Ariel Javelosa, we decided to bring the thing home for future use. I just placed the picture- portrait of Zoe, taken at BUB, and pasted some Hello Kitty stickers around it and ta-dah! Instant sign frame. :-)

Party Invitations: c/o Meeh

I worked really hard at learning how to use Photoshop so that I could DIY the invites. My golly, buti it turned out a-ok. :-) I had 60 copies of 5x7 prints made by a photodeveloper in Galleria (forgot the name). We just placed them in matching green envelopes bought from Office Warehouse and added a Hello Kitty sticker. Cute, nice and simple. I love it.

Party Favors and Prizes: various

Instead of loot bags, I bought 35 pieces of water bottles in Divisoria. Super cheap (32 pesos each lang). Then I went to Makro and bought different candies and goodies to fill up the bottles. Sobrang pinag-agawan ng mga kids.

For the prizes & pinata, my cousin and I went one time to Divisoria and bought a lot of prizes. I originally had a budget but what the heck -- I went overboard as usual. But I guess the kids loved it. At least all kids had a prize to take home.

Photographer c/o Jon Tiambeng:

I decided to skimp on the photo services and just got the help of my old barkada, Jon, who owns a super nice cam. For an amateur (he says he is an amateur), galing and for free! Thanks talaga Jon. I owe you one.

Birthday Outfit:

We weren't planning on buying an outfit for Zoe for her birthday. But on one trip to the mall, we chanced upon a nice red baby gown for her (on sale!). So we immediately grabbed it. We just bought her white stockings and matching red shoes in Landmark. In the end, I also decided to buy her another cotton dress since Zoe won't like to be in an itchy red dress the whole time. Nice! Btw, we got to use this dress again when we went to BUB for her birthday photoshoot. She was in a big yellow shoe in the pic.

I guess that's it. Can't remember the rest. Basta, for me and hubby, it was a successful party. Plus we loved the gifts that Zoe received! Thanks to our guests - family, relatives and friends. Till the next birthday party!

For more pics, pls. feel free to view our online album.




Thanks for reading!