friendship tag

Tagged again! Thanks for this friendship tag Thea. This week has really been a week of tags for me and I don't mind since I have not done it for a while. I have met a lot of bloggers through tags, and it helps too in keeping up with posts for my blog. I also found my way to really very good bloggers and also made new friends through answering tags. So here it goes....

Here are the rules for this tag:
1.Copy the badge and put it on your blog,
2.Link back who pass you this tag,
3.Spread this tag to at least 7 or more bloggers who you think you are friends with.

And lovely are the blossoms

That are tended with great care,

By those who work unselfishly

To make the place more fair.

And, like the garden blossoms,

Friendship’s flower grows more sweet

When watched and tended carefully

By those we know and meet.

And, if the seed of friendship

Is planted deep and true

And watched with understanding,

Friendship’s flower will bloom for you.

I'm now tagging Vina, Kaye, Joey, Renz, Pat, Nol and Michelle.

wearing the right tactics

Whenever me and hubby are in the car and driving, I often comment about the uniforms of our local police. Sometimes the colors really disgust me and I wonder if they are comfortable in those pants and shirt. Law enforcers should have the proper gear that are heavy duty and has high performance features, so that they will be able to move more freely especially when catching criminals or when they are performing critical police operations.


As far as I know, law enforcement agencies in the Philippines import pieces of equipment from the U.S. and it would really improve the image of our law enforcers if they also import 5.11 tactical pants which are ideal for every type of law enforcement job.

The 5.11 tactical series creates products that support the safety, accuracy, speed and performance of law enforcement, and what better way to start to uplift the image of our police than by having them to wear tactical pants from Tactical Pants USA, which is the sister web site to La Police Gear, Inc. They also carry the 5.11 tactical series of footwear, eyewear, polos and gear bag. Originally developed for rock climbing, our local law enforcers would greatly benefit from the patented tactical strap and slash pocket design of the 5.11 tactical pants. Our brave men and women of the law enforcement deserve to wear a functionally innovative gear built with durability, quality and value.

It is not only in movies where we can see a police or a soldier looking very confident and smart in their uniforms. Our policemen can also have the confidence they need if they have the experience and the gear to employ their tactics in combat or mission. Entrusting their protection in a brand that fosters outstanding service and low prices, not only the police men and women are safe, but as citizens we also feel secured in the knowledge that our law enforcers wears the confidence to protect us and maintain peace and order.

A-Z Tag

I got this fun A-Z Tag from Shiela : )

A. Attached or single ? — Attached
B. Best friend? — Jeff
C. Cake or pie? — Cake
D. Day of choice? — Sunday
E. Essential item? — my cell phone
F. Favorite color? — Pink
G. Gummy bears or worms? — Gummy bears
H. Hometown? — Cainta, Rizal
I. Favorite indulgence? — Shopping
J. January or July? — July, my birthday
K. Kids? — Joachim Stefan
L. Life isn’t complete without? — God
M. Marriage date ? — February 12, 2006
N. Number of magazine subscriptions? - None. But I always buy Reader's Digest, National Geographic Magazine and Smart Parenting Magazine
O. Orange or apple? — Apple
P. Phobias? — Deep water
Q. Quotes? — We are never left without a choice.
R. Reasons to smile? — Playing with Jeff and Joaqui
S. Season of choice? — Christmas
T. Tag 5 people - Yvelle, Tina, Jacque, Ayn and Happy
U. Unknown fact about me? - I'm a registered physical therapist by profession.
V. Vegetable? — Squash
W. Worst habit? — I do my best when cramming
X. X-ray or ultrasound? - Both
Y. Your favorite food(s)? - Chicken, Pasta
Z. Zodiac sign — Cancer

my PBF exchange gift wish list

The Pinay Bloggers' Forum is having an exchange gift in time for Christmas and each of the participants should make a wish list. It is not so easy to think of gifts that my "mommy" would give me, but here is what I came up with:






1. Moleskin Large Ruled Notebook - I just love the look and feel of a Moleskin Notebook. And it is on sale at Avalon.ph!








2. Sandwich Maker. Any brand will do. I like making sandwiches, especially now that Joaqui also loves to eat them. I make fantastic grilled cheese sandwiches, and it would be more convenient to use a sandwich maker than a stove top grill.







3. Mom's Plan-It ListMaker - This comes with one large memo pad for grocery lists, a To-Do notepad, and a Don’t Forget adhesive notepad. The set is enclosed in a convenient portfolio that can be left at home or toted in a purse, backpack, or briefcase. This is superb for a WAHM like me.






While I was making this list, my 11-year-old nephew came and saw me surfing the internet. He asked me if I was playing mac games and he would like to play spider solitaire for mac. I was really surprised that he knows all of this stuff. He even showed me the website where he gets free mac games. His mom told me that he spends a lot of time on the computer, surfing the internet and playing games and guess what - he even has his own friendster and facebook account! Children these days are already tech savvy. I hope he doesn't ask for his own laptop as a computer gift : )

What Happened The Year You Were Born?

In 1976 (the year you were born)

Gerald Ford is president of the US The US celebrates its bicentennial, marking the 200th anniversary of its independence The Viking II sets down on Mars' Utopia Plains Promising, "I will never lie to you," Jimmy Carter is elected president of the United States Israeli commandos rescue hostages from Entebbe, Uganda The Concorde begins flights from New York to Europe George W. Bush is arrested and fined for driving under the influence of alcohol Cray-1, the first commercially developed supercomputer, is invented by Seymour Cray Freddie Prinze Jr., Reese Witherspoon, Colin Farrell, 50 Cent, Fred Savage, and Shannon Elizabeth are born Cincinnati Reds win the World Series Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl X Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup Rocky is the top grossing film Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins is published The Eagles Their Greatest Hits compilation becomes the first album in history to be certified platinum "Tonight's The Night" by Rod Stewart spends the most time at the top of the US chart Charlie's Angels and The Muppet Show premiere

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

1. What happened in the year you were born? Take the quiz by clicking the link above.
2. Post the result of the quiz in your blog.
3. Tag 5 people who you think are born on a different year than yours.
3. It would be interesting to know the age of your blogging buddies plus of course get to know a little about history few years back.
4. Add your name on the list below. Indicating also the year you were born.

Leah (1976), Quinnie (1977), Jeng (1976) You! I'm tagging Arpi, Dea, Farah, Peachy and Mari.

Thanksgiving Day

Tomorrow, November 27, will be Thanksgiving Day. Celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, it is an annual American Federal holiday to express thanks for one's material and spiritual possessions, and most people celebrate it by gathering at home with family or friends for a Thanksgiving Dinner.

And speaking of Thanksgiving, there was a poll about which celebrity guests fans would most like to spend the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday with and Jennifer Aniston is #1 with more than 3,000 votes. Here are the ten most popular Thanksgiving guests:

1. Jennifer Aniston
2. Tina Fey
3. Ellen DeGeneres & Portia De Rossi
4. Patrick Dempsey
5. Suri Cruise
6. Tyra Banks
7. Jonas Brothers
8. Keira Knightley
9. Beyonce Knowles
10. Robert Pattinson (the Twilight star)

If we will have our poll here in the Philippines of who would we want to be a guest for Noche Buena, my #1 would be no other than...Piolo Pascual. Hahahaha...I love you Papa Piolo!

Who would you want to be a guest for the Noche Buena?

rAnDoM FACTS

I was tagged by Leah and here it goes....

The rules:
1. Each blogger must post these rules.
2. Each blogger starts with ten random facts/habits about themselves.
3. Bloggers that are tagged need to write ten facts about themselves. You need to choose ten people to tag and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and also to read your blog.

10 Random facts/habits about me.
1. I don't drink coffee.
2. I am a chocoholic.
3. I like the smell of floor wax, xeroxed paper and paint.
4. I can live just by eating any type of cooked chicken.
5. I am a registered physical therapist but never got to work as a physical therapist.
6. I really look so much like my Dad.
7. Joaqui and I love to play silly games and have so much fun.
8. I love to write poems and I have a collection of all my written poems since high school.
9. When I am angry, I vent out by cleaning the whole house.
10. I like notebooks and pens. Hubby gave me a Palm Pilot before, but I seldom use it because I rememeber things better when I write them using a notebook and a pen.

Time to pass the tag to 10 other people, so I'm tagging Bless, Carla, Eds, Mec, Sujee, Emz, Jacque, Con, Toni and Rhea.

games galore

Yesterday hubby and I watched a segment on The Probe Team regarding children's games nowadays. It seems like only a few children play the usual "street games" that the past generations have enjoyed because of computer and other high-technology games available. I remember the street games I play with the other children in the neighborhood when I was a kid and we had so much fun. We would usually play hide and seek, chase statue, hopscotch and capture the base. Our street was full of children playing and laughing, but now I seldom see kids playing these kinds of games.

We thought of Joaqui and how we would like him to also grow up playing with other children in the neighborhood. We want him to have childhood friends whom he can grow up with and be friends with for the rest of his life. I am not against technology and computer games and in fact, even at my age I do enjoy a lot of downloadable mac games like Ladybugs, Fish Tycoon and mac solitaire, but I think as parents we should not let computer become a substitute of a real interaction with other people, especially among children. There is no harm in allowing our kids to play educational games, RPG games and hidden object games for mac as long as it would not interfere with their school work and not letting them spend too much time infront of the computer.

I believe it really all depends on balancing our children's exposure to technology and letting them experience reality outside of the computer. I think no mom or dad would want their children to have 300 virtual "friendsters" and only one or two childhood friends.

Are You A Pinay Blogger?

I am and a proud one too. If you are a Filipina and a blogger, then be a part of Pinay Bloggers' Forum (PBF) where you can participate in discussions about family life, monetizing blogs and a whole lot more. You might even win an exclusive subdomain from Pinaybloggers.com in an ongoing raffle until November 30. Be connected with other Filipina bloggers worldwide and join the Pinay Bloggers' Forum.

All About Christmas

It's really in the air and for most of us in the Philippines, it already started the first day of September. It's Christmas and Dneero even has a survey for it. In times of crisis and hardship, I guess we really need to instill the spirit of Christmas in our lives.

setting things straight for new year

Since I have been a work-at-home mom (WAHM) early this year, everything in my life has been topsy turvy - trying to manage my still full-time work as a medical transcriptionist and running a household and taking care of a toddler. I must admit that sometimes it is harder to be a work-at-home mom than just a full-time stay at home because even if I am working at home, I still have turnaround times to meet, a quality of work to maintain and a quota to reach since we are on a production basis. And there are times that the workaholic in me still thrives to be up and working even in the wee hours of the morning.

Before I became a WAHM, I had laid out all the domestic goddess stuff that I would be able to do - cook healthy foods for my family, learn to bake, finish my scrapbook projects, re-decorate our house, etc. and now eight months into being a WAHM, I have never learned to bake, all my scrapbook projects are undone and I only had one time to re-decorate our house....where was all the free time I thought I have?

Now that 2009 is approaching fast, I have realized that I cannot always function the way I am right now - it is much too stressful sometimes. I think it is time to organize my so-called life and set my priorities, my goals and aspirations for the coming year. When I was in school, I used to make a list of everything I would do - homework, projects and goals and it worked really well for me because I always manage to do the tasks that I should do. I think more than ever, now is the time to make a list again of all the things I want to accomplish for the coming year.

-Take care of myself: Follow a healthy diet and exercise and get back to my pre-wedding weight. I want to be healthy to be able to do the things I love to do and be able take care of my family more.
-Do a makeover of my look especially my wardrobe when I see the effect of the above.
-Organize my financial records - budget, savings, accountancy of the money I spend and the money I earn.
-Save more. Since we are in the process of our application to Canada, we really need to save more than what we are doing now.
-Declutter our house. Things just keeps on piling up - from toys, baby gear, baby clothes, old appliances, old clothes and many more. Maybe we can do a garage sale or an ukay-ukay of the things we have. I am starting to dispose of Joaqui's pre-loved stuff by selling them online.
-Go for our doctor's regular checkups. I think that regular checkups are a valuable tool in maintaining good health. Hubby and I should do this at least twice a year.
-Keep a travel fund and go out of the country. I plan on saving for a travel fund so that when there are promos for low airline fares, we can have that opportunity to travel out of the country as a family.
-Print photos and organize them into albums. We have photos saved since Joaqui was born and only a quarter of them are printed. Sigh.
-Go out with my girlfriends more often. Because almost all us now have a family of our own, we seldom go out and have fun as we used to.

This is a list that I think is realistic enough for me to accomplish. I still have a million of things I want to do in my life but that can wait - I'm taking things slowly but surely now, just one step at a time.

This blog post is my official entry to the Moleskine Philippines Giveaway. I have never won in a raffle but hopefully I will get lucky this time. I fell in love with the Moleskine Notebook the first time I saw it and how I would love to write and write in those wonderful pages.

The Moleskine Notebook is courtesy of Avalon.PH
http://www.viloria.com/go/go.php/avalonph

For the Viloria.net contest rules, please see
Viloria.net

looking wow and feeling wow

I have read a quote from Gianni Versace that goes "Perfume puts the finishing touch to elegance - a detail that subtly underscores the look, an invisible extra that completes a woman's personality. Without it there is something missing." I really believe that a perfume can complete a woman's look and can add confidence, knowing that you not only look beautiful but smells good too. I particularly like perfumes that have a vanilla fragrance or a green tea smell because it blends well with my body chemistry. Since it is a time for holiday shopping, I plan to give my mom and my mother-in-law their favorite fragrances. My mom particularly likes Estee Lauder Beautiful and my mother-in-law always wears Givenchy Organza. As what I always do before shopping, I browse the internet for price comparison and special offers and discounts. A woman's perfume is considered expensive, but by finding a site where I can compare prices, I can find perfumes and fragrances at lower cost. Another option that I found is a perfume gift set that includes other perfume beauty products. This would be a great Christmas treat for my mom and my mother-in-law, as they are both beauty conscious even at their age. I even found something for myself - a Lacoste Essential Gift Set - and I would definitely ask hubby to consider giving me this for Christmas. : )

Now as the holiday season is full of festivities, family dinners and reunions, I know that I should still watch my weight and avoid eating too much. It is just so hard to stick on a diet and exercise plan during the holidays and I do not want to spend so much on gym memberships that most of the time I end up not using at all. Hubby said that we should try Wii Fit, a product that is more than just a game but can actually help you lose weight and improve posture. Wii Fit has four training modes and more than 40 exercises and activities - it even includes a hula hoop game and a yoga training. I like the game Basic Run where I can jog around a virtual island. This is so cool and for the price of one, our whole family can have tons of fun doing these games and stay fit at the same time.

Christmas is a time for celebration, and even after all the parties, you would still want to look good and stay healthy. Perfume gift sets and Wii Fit are gifts that I would surely give my loved ones and would love to have them for myself as well.

Joaqui Meets Diego

Joaqui always watches Go Diego Go! at the Nickelodeon channel and so when I found out that Diego will be here for his first live performance in Asia, I gathered all the information on where it is going to be and how we can score tickets. We decided to watch it in Trinoma because Mamu (my mother-in-law) can get the tickets for us, so that we do not have to go on too many trips to Trinoma. When we arrived, the 3:30 p.m. show was about to finish and when Joaqui saw a glimpse of Diego on stage, he got scared and shouted "No! No!" and "Go home! Car!" We were dumbfounded because he was never scared of mascots and this was Diego, one of his favorites. Everytime we would go near the activity center, he would shout and plead that we go. Since our tickets were for the 6 p.m. show, we decided to go around so that Joaqui would be distracted with other things. I was having second thoughts already because I do not want him to be traumatized by this and I was afraid that he would get scared of mascots. Fortunately, we were able to go inside the activity center and while waiting for the show to start, me and his yaya Jane told him stories about Diego. Thank goodness it worked and Joaqui watched the entire show and even clapped and danced. The show was fun and I think the kids really liked it. It was only 30 or 40 minutes long, but it was full of lively songs that kids can dance to. When I think of it, it's like buying one ticket for P500 each (1 single receipt worth P500 is one ticket) for a show that short, but when I saw how happy Joaqui was during the show, I think it was worth it. Ticket - P500, the smile on Joaqui's face - priceless.

my superhero

Joaqui attended a superhero costume party last Saturday and he went as Robin. Although he was really not feeling well because of coughs and cold and a bruise on his lips (which is another story), he gamely wore his costume except for the mask and the gloves - that would be too much to ask - and did pose for some pictures. He doesn't know Robin and thought he was Captain Wonder from one of the Hi-5 DVDs he watches. He was holding his cape and saying "Wonder! Wonder!" This superhero was very moody during the party and would not want to participate and would rather play at KFC's play area. Oh well, at least he did wear his costume.

Picky Eater

This is my official entry to this edition of the Pinoy Parenting Blog Carnival hosted by Jenny.

I remember introducing solid foods to Joaqui for the first time at age 5 months and he was eating everything with gusto...even the pureed green peas. I think it was a sign that our Joaqui loves to eat and even now that he is a toddler already, he eats almost anything and is not picky at all. When he likes what he eat, he would say "Yum! Yum!" and "Sarap!" Except for the times he is sick, we do not have problems on feeding him. To ensure that he eats right, we try to always have vegetables in our meals and I teach him the names of the different vegetables so that he would know what he is eating. Of course, as parents we set an example in eating vegetables and no junk food is allowed in our house, except for a few biscuits and crackers. I am more strict with regard to this than my husband Jeff, especially with saying no to chocolates and candies. Up to now at almost 2 years old, Joaqui has never eaten candies. When somebody gives him a candy, I really say upfront that Joaqui is not allowed to eat that. Occasionally we would allow him to have cakes or ice cream, but just a very minimal amount.

We love to eat out and Joaqui is exposed early to restaurant eating and even fast foods. I know I should not let him eat foods from fast food restaurants, but it is really hard not to give in especially if he holds my hand and take me to Jollibee or McDonald's when we are in the malls. But still, I try to control what types of food he eats in these restaurants. We allow him to eat chicken (no skin), rice and a little french fries, and his favorite now is apple pie from McDonald's. I'm really cautious about sugar and fat in the foods that Joaqui eats because we have a family history of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. At home, we usually give him a balanced diet of protein from meat or fish, carbohydrates from rice and nutrients from vegetables and fruits. I am also proud that up to this day, Joaqui only drinks milk and water. He does not drink soda or juice because it is too sweet and as much as I can, I would try to hold off on these until he reaches the age 18!

Our family loves to cook and eat and I will not be surprised if Joaqui would have an affinity for food and cooking. He is happy to try new foods and new tastes, and sometimes is happy to watch my mom or me cooking in the kitchen. I hope that he does not grow up to be a picky eater and would learn to cook as well.

We are selling...

It's amazing how time passes by. It seems like only yesterday that I was planning for Joaqui's first birthday party…and now he is almost two…terrible two that is. We sorted out many of his stuff and found these items, mostly shoes which have only been used twice or thrice. We are now selling these items to help us fund his 2nd birthday party…

Pre-loved stuff can be found here: http://twistedcouple.multiply.com/photos/album/35/Pre-loved_Stuff

I am really not an online seller, so I could only accept payments through Bance De Oro. Prices are exclusive of shipping and we can do meet-ups in Ortigas Area or Trinoma depending on schedule. I hope you can find something here that can be of use to you.

What's Your Blogging Personality?

Your Blogging Type is Kind and Harmonious

You're an approachable blogger who tends to have many online friends. People new to your blogging circle know they can count on you for support. You tend to mediate fighting and drama. You set a cooperative tone. You have a great eye for design - and your blog tends to be the best looking on the block!

What's Your Blogging Personality?

getting ready for Christmas

I was browsing my cookbooks today because I was looking for recipes to use for our Christmas Eve Dinner. For many years now, I am in charge of Christmas-related stuff in our house - decorations, gifts, gift wrapping and cooking and preparing the menu for Noche Buena. I would really spend a day in the kitchen preparing everything from starters to dessert. Since our oven broke two weeks ago, I cannot choose recipes that would need baking, so I asked my hubby to buy me a new one.

I first browse through the internet for the oven that I could buy and came across a shopping search engine where I could find the specific products I am looking for. Now hubby has a specified budget for the type of oven I need and with this shopping search engine, I can narrow down my search results using the prices, brand and retailer, and even the color. The products are arranged by category and I found my way through the kitchen and dining products, and if you're a kitchen-ista like me, it's heaven on the Internet! Since I am doing my online window shopping, I also browsed for kitchen gadgets, pasta makers and pantry cabinet. I so much enjoyed browsing that I almost forgot that I was just looking for an oven. : )

Weird Things About Me

I was tagged by Con. Thanks!

Rules are rules. To tag along: you have to list 7 weird things about yourself, post it in your blog, tag at least 7 people (list their names), and comment on their blog to let them know that you just tagged them.

1. I don't drink coffee. I don't know why, but I just don't drink coffee.
2. I like the smell of floor wax, paper fresh from the copy machine and paint.
3. I have an obsessive-compulsive tendency with my bed. I want the sheets really flat with no creases, the pillows made up and the edges all symmetrical.
4. I like the fish galunggong cooked paksiw style and then fried. Yummy!
5. I change my mind in the blink of an eye.
6. I can survive on eating chicken only.
7. When I am mad, I clean the bathroom or the whole house.

I'm tagging Quinnieann, Cel, Cheryll, Jammy, Jown, Toni, and Alma.

online Christmas shopping

Usually I am done Christmas shopping by November because I know how it can be overcrowded in malls as Christmas time nears, but now I have not done any shopping yet - at least in malls and department stores. I figured since I am doing most of my shopping online now, why not save myself from the inconvenience by doing online Christmas shopping at shop.com where I can shop to my heart's content without hurting my feet. It's like shopping across hundreds of stores at one convenient place from clothing, shoes, appliances and even electronics.

The fun of shopping includes looking through stores and brands, and finding the best deals, but it is more fun if aside from finding the perfect gift, I also get to save with coupons. Shop.com has a coupons page for awesome promotions and incredible savings from some of my favorite stores like Skechers, JCPenny and Baby Center Store. In regular department stores, they do not give as much discounts because they are taking advantage of the peak season for shopping, but now I can take advantage of these coupons and rebates. Thinking about shipping fee? It's the least of my worries because I can get free shipping deals from participating stores such as Nordstrom, Royal Pottery and Crayola, making my online shopping experience as rewarding as ever.

And because not all good things last forever, I gotta hurry to get a chance to win an iPod Touch or a flat screen TV from contests and sweepstakes. Imagine winning a different prize every week from now until December 14 or even a cruise for two at the Cart Me Away shopping game! If only I could spend lots and lots of money on shopping and gifts galore. Anyway, I still can do online window shopping, but right now I can feast my eyes on the things I would love to have and gifts that I could give my Godchildren, relatives and friends for Christmas.

Boo! Happy Halloween to you!

Joaqui as Robin Hood

Isn't he the cutest pirate?

Joaqui had his first Halloween Trick or Treat yesterday at Glorietta. I think he had fun seeing other children in costumes, too. The line to the activity center was so long, we almost gave up, but thankfully we were able to get in. He didn't get a lot of goodies because some stores were not giving candies : ( But it's okay since Joaqui is not allowed candies. He went around Glorietta in his pirate costume and was waving hi and hello to some of the sales clerks. ; )