January 20, 2009
i'm back...
and I'm so relieved that my internet connection is able to access blogspot again! For the past few days, our DSL connection has been selectively unable to access blogspot, yahoo and other yahoo-related sites like flickr. It's really weird because my browser is perfectly working with other sites. We thought it was due to the bandwidth of our DSL connection, but hubby tried resetting the wireless router and voila, back to normal. : )
January 12, 2009
eat along and pictorial
Our eat along group striked again ; ) Our eating spree (that's what Concon calls it) had its recent activity last January 10 at Daddy Nap and Mommy Rhea's place in Quezon City. We were the first to arrive, having come from Valenzuela at my mother-in-law's place and Joaqui was left in Valenzuela. When we saw their spacious lawn, I felt a little bad that Joaqui wasn't there to play with the other kids. Mommy Ayn, Daddy Loy and Ibim wasn't able to come and they are missed. As always, we had a delicious dinner and the cold January air was warmed with laughters and stories about our children, family life and everything else in between.Mommy Concon, Daddy Nel and Baby Joaquin all came in coordinated outfits and before we said our goodbyes, there was a mini pictorial of sorts. Each family had their pictures taken and since Joaqui was not with us, we posed ala prenup pictorial. We mommies thought we were prepared for every shoot, but then the daddies beat us this time.
Left to right: Nel, Jeff, Simon and Nap
Daddies in their holding hands pose.
January 11, 2009
surprise!
Hubby and I were out earlier this morning and met with my bestfriend Claire who will be going back to Canada. While waiting for her to arrive, we looked around at the department store because he wanted to buy a pair of new rubber shoes. I pretended that I have nothing particular that I like, but what he doesn't know was that I have already bought him a new pair of Merrell Mens Barcelona Shoes which I got at such an affordable price from a store in ShopWiki.
I like doing online shopping at ShopWiki because they have over 30,000 stores to choose from, which means finding the products you want at the best prices. Also you can learn about a product by simply watching video reviews that were created to detail the bad and good features of a product, which is essential in your selection. Another feature I like about is the many options for shopping search, like price, brand and retailer. For hubby's shoes, I knew he was particularly looking for the brand Merrell and so searching for the type of shoes I wanted to buy was a breeze.
While browsing through the site, I also found some really good boys dress shoes for Joaqui. I think he would really look cute on these. Meanwhile I am excited to give hubby my surprise gift for him. I think he will be elated to find out that I bought him the perfect rubber shoes he was looking for. ; )
I like doing online shopping at ShopWiki because they have over 30,000 stores to choose from, which means finding the products you want at the best prices. Also you can learn about a product by simply watching video reviews that were created to detail the bad and good features of a product, which is essential in your selection. Another feature I like about is the many options for shopping search, like price, brand and retailer. For hubby's shoes, I knew he was particularly looking for the brand Merrell and so searching for the type of shoes I wanted to buy was a breeze.
While browsing through the site, I also found some really good boys dress shoes for Joaqui. I think he would really look cute on these. Meanwhile I am excited to give hubby my surprise gift for him. I think he will be elated to find out that I bought him the perfect rubber shoes he was looking for. ; )
January 9, 2009
Supplier Ratings - Joaqui's 2nd Birthday Party
It has been customary for us n@wies (members of Newlyweds@Work) to post supplier ratings for events that we have had - baptisms or dedications and birthday parties. Supplier ratings from other n@wies have really helped me a lot in planning and choosing the right suppliers. I have also learned budget tips and DIY projects from the other members who have shared their experiences with regard to party planning. This is not to make biased opinions regarding any particular supplier, but just an honest review of their products and services during the event. Rates are 0 to 5, 5 being the highest score.
Venue, Invites, Food, Host, Entertainment: Jollibee Ever Ortigas
Rating: 5
We got their two function rooms as each could only accommodate 100 persons and with our expected number of guests, we decided to get both. They allow it only on weekdays and for a certain amount of food cost. Their function rooms were spacious and it already has cloth swags and some paper banderitas. The hosts during Joaqui's party were good and they had unique games for both children and adults. They also adhered to our specifications with regard to games and program flow. All 5 mascots were "well behaved" because I have attended some Jollibee parties where the mascots make inappropriate behaviors infront of the kids. The only negative point I think is that they should have added one or two more Smart crews for the number of guests we had. They were also supposed to give us gift checks from Toys R' Us worth P1,000 but up to now we have not received them.
Balloon Decorations: Jacque of Party Boosters
Rating: 5+
What can I say? Jacque is simply marvelous. I just specified our budget and we got more than what we expected. The place looked livelier and in a more "party" mood. She even added octopus balloons and these were a hit to our guests that some were taking out the balloons even before the party ended. At the end of the party, no balloons were left except for the two big balloon pillars. I even said to Jacque that it only shows that her balloon arrangements were pretty because everybody wanted to take them out.
Face Painter: c/o Party Boosters
Rate: 5+
We love the face painting! It was not just an ordinary face painting because she had glitter tattoos and body jewels added. The children loved their face painting especially the girls because of the intricate designs of the flowers. They worked nonstop during the duration of the party and there were some guests (including me) who had face painting even after the party (as in the crew were already cleaning up the area). They were also so nice and patient with the kids. Too bad Joaqui wasn't able to have his face painted.
Cake: Layers and Layers in Tiendesitas, Pasig City
Rating: 5+
I have never really tried their cakes, but a good friend of mine got her twins' baptismal cake and birthday cake from them so we've decided to order from them also. They were very easy to talk to and followed our specifications for the cake. It arrived on time and it tastes yummy too. The price is very reasonable. Cake was not allowed to be served at Jollibee and when we got home to cut it, the two-layered cake was really big.
Photographer: Guj Tungpalan of RedSheep Photography
Rating: 5
I heard of RedSheep from n@w and when I visited his web site, I really liked the pictures from the gallery and so I e-mailed him for inquiry, made the down payment and met him during the party. He was already at Jollibee when we arrived. The pictures came out really wonderful. He was able to capture important moments and although Joaqui does not readily smile in front of the camera, he was able to take a lot of shots of Joaqui smiling. His rates are affordable and the package for birthday parties comes with three 8R prints, a DVD copy of unlimited shots and an AVP.
Tarpaulin: IMSI in Cainta Greenland
Rate: 5
This was a last minute decision from us, so we were not able to make a layout of the tarpaulin. I only brought a copy of Joaqui's picture and chose from the available Sponge Bob layouts they have. All in all we were satisfied with the tarpaulin they made.
Loot bags: Divisoria Mall
Rating: 5++
Obviously this was a labor of love from us and Divisoria is still the best place to scout for loot bags and loot bag items. We only have a budget of P50 per loot bag and with that budget, we were able to buy a Sponge Bob lunch bag, Sponge Bob wallet, Sponge Bob sticker books, small Sponge Bob towel and a Sponge Bob blink pen. We bought 60 pieces of each, but just days before the party I had to add more. I had no strength to go back to Divisoria again, so we just went to St. Francis Square instead. We found similar items, but the price was 3 to 5 times higher. : ( The kids liked the loot bags and even some adults wanted to take it home as well. My sister-in-law who works for a Jollibee franchise just ordered Jollibee bag tags from their supplier. We had them put Joaqui's name and the date and place of the party at the back of the tag and we placed this on each bag.
Pabitin: Vente Store
Rating: 5
Again this is another spur of the moment for me. We were not supposed to have pabitin, but when I saw a Vente booth at Robinson's Cainta, I decided to have one anyway. There were lots of toys and craft items to choose from and we just bought 20 pieces for the pabitin. We also have some extra toys and game prizes from Joaqui's first birthday party and used them as well.
We could say that it was a successful 2nd birthday party after all. For us, what makes it successful is that we saw how everyone had fun during the party and even after the party, some of our neighborhood kids were still saying how they enjoyed celebrating Joaqui's birthday. I told my husband Jeff that I have decided that there would be no birthday party next year (sigh) for Joaqui, and we would just celebrate it as a family out of town or somewhere nice. The next birthday party would be when he is 7 years old. But then, that was what I said to him last year.; )
You can view pictures here and here.
Venue, Invites, Food, Host, Entertainment: Jollibee Ever Ortigas
Rating: 5
We got their two function rooms as each could only accommodate 100 persons and with our expected number of guests, we decided to get both. They allow it only on weekdays and for a certain amount of food cost. Their function rooms were spacious and it already has cloth swags and some paper banderitas. The hosts during Joaqui's party were good and they had unique games for both children and adults. They also adhered to our specifications with regard to games and program flow. All 5 mascots were "well behaved" because I have attended some Jollibee parties where the mascots make inappropriate behaviors infront of the kids. The only negative point I think is that they should have added one or two more Smart crews for the number of guests we had. They were also supposed to give us gift checks from Toys R' Us worth P1,000 but up to now we have not received them.
Balloon Decorations: Jacque of Party Boosters
Rating: 5+
What can I say? Jacque is simply marvelous. I just specified our budget and we got more than what we expected. The place looked livelier and in a more "party" mood. She even added octopus balloons and these were a hit to our guests that some were taking out the balloons even before the party ended. At the end of the party, no balloons were left except for the two big balloon pillars. I even said to Jacque that it only shows that her balloon arrangements were pretty because everybody wanted to take them out.
Face Painter: c/o Party Boosters
Rate: 5+
We love the face painting! It was not just an ordinary face painting because she had glitter tattoos and body jewels added. The children loved their face painting especially the girls because of the intricate designs of the flowers. They worked nonstop during the duration of the party and there were some guests (including me) who had face painting even after the party (as in the crew were already cleaning up the area). They were also so nice and patient with the kids. Too bad Joaqui wasn't able to have his face painted.
Cake: Layers and Layers in Tiendesitas, Pasig City
Rating: 5+
I have never really tried their cakes, but a good friend of mine got her twins' baptismal cake and birthday cake from them so we've decided to order from them also. They were very easy to talk to and followed our specifications for the cake. It arrived on time and it tastes yummy too. The price is very reasonable. Cake was not allowed to be served at Jollibee and when we got home to cut it, the two-layered cake was really big.
Photographer: Guj Tungpalan of RedSheep Photography
Rating: 5
I heard of RedSheep from n@w and when I visited his web site, I really liked the pictures from the gallery and so I e-mailed him for inquiry, made the down payment and met him during the party. He was already at Jollibee when we arrived. The pictures came out really wonderful. He was able to capture important moments and although Joaqui does not readily smile in front of the camera, he was able to take a lot of shots of Joaqui smiling. His rates are affordable and the package for birthday parties comes with three 8R prints, a DVD copy of unlimited shots and an AVP.
Tarpaulin: IMSI in Cainta Greenland
Rate: 5
This was a last minute decision from us, so we were not able to make a layout of the tarpaulin. I only brought a copy of Joaqui's picture and chose from the available Sponge Bob layouts they have. All in all we were satisfied with the tarpaulin they made.
Loot bags: Divisoria Mall
Rating: 5++
Obviously this was a labor of love from us and Divisoria is still the best place to scout for loot bags and loot bag items. We only have a budget of P50 per loot bag and with that budget, we were able to buy a Sponge Bob lunch bag, Sponge Bob wallet, Sponge Bob sticker books, small Sponge Bob towel and a Sponge Bob blink pen. We bought 60 pieces of each, but just days before the party I had to add more. I had no strength to go back to Divisoria again, so we just went to St. Francis Square instead. We found similar items, but the price was 3 to 5 times higher. : ( The kids liked the loot bags and even some adults wanted to take it home as well. My sister-in-law who works for a Jollibee franchise just ordered Jollibee bag tags from their supplier. We had them put Joaqui's name and the date and place of the party at the back of the tag and we placed this on each bag.
Pabitin: Vente Store
Rating: 5
Again this is another spur of the moment for me. We were not supposed to have pabitin, but when I saw a Vente booth at Robinson's Cainta, I decided to have one anyway. There were lots of toys and craft items to choose from and we just bought 20 pieces for the pabitin. We also have some extra toys and game prizes from Joaqui's first birthday party and used them as well.
We could say that it was a successful 2nd birthday party after all. For us, what makes it successful is that we saw how everyone had fun during the party and even after the party, some of our neighborhood kids were still saying how they enjoyed celebrating Joaqui's birthday. I told my husband Jeff that I have decided that there would be no birthday party next year (sigh) for Joaqui, and we would just celebrate it as a family out of town or somewhere nice. The next birthday party would be when he is 7 years old. But then, that was what I said to him last year.; )
You can view pictures here and here.
January 8, 2009
enhancing the way you look
Ugly Betty wanted to be beautiful inside and out - but then who wouldn't want to be beautiful? There are many surgical and non-surgical options available now for those who want to improve their physical appearance and with the advancements in medicine, cosmetic surgery is being done even on an outpatient basis.
For women, breast enhancement is one of the most common forms of cosmetic surgery because this is one of the simplest cosmetic surgery procedures with a high success rate. Breast enhancement surgery gives women a lot of individualized options for changing the size and shape of the breasts. Surgical methods and breast-implant technology have improved dramatically in recent years: breast augmentation is less invasive, with more options and better post-surgical results.
Breast enhancement surgery can improve the figure and has the potential to increase a woman's confidence. Additionally, clothing may fit better after breast enlargement, allowing women to wear a wider variety of fashionable clothes and further boosting confidence and overall enjoyment of life. Breast enlargement can improve the aesthetics of the figure by adding definition and curves to the body's profile for a more attractive appearance. Larger breasts also bring balance to womanly hips and help eliminate a pear-shaped look. Also, women who have undergone surgery due to breast cancer or another cause often are able to maintain confidence in their appearance through reconstructive breast enhancement surgery.
Although it is considered to be a relatively simple procedure, it is still best to contact a cosmetic surgeon to learn more about the benefits of breast enhancement surgery and to look for experienced surgeons who have carried out successful procedures, such as Mya Cosmetic Surgery. It stands out from others because this highly competitive group of breast enhancement specialists not only provide you with a great choice of options to achieve the body confidence you deserve, but also can offer a full range of surgical and non-surgical procedures. Of course, beauty comes with a price but with Mya Cosmetic Surgery, you can avail of the many affordable and flexible finance packages to assist you in making yourself amazing.
For women, breast enhancement is one of the most common forms of cosmetic surgery because this is one of the simplest cosmetic surgery procedures with a high success rate. Breast enhancement surgery gives women a lot of individualized options for changing the size and shape of the breasts. Surgical methods and breast-implant technology have improved dramatically in recent years: breast augmentation is less invasive, with more options and better post-surgical results.
Breast enhancement surgery can improve the figure and has the potential to increase a woman's confidence. Additionally, clothing may fit better after breast enlargement, allowing women to wear a wider variety of fashionable clothes and further boosting confidence and overall enjoyment of life. Breast enlargement can improve the aesthetics of the figure by adding definition and curves to the body's profile for a more attractive appearance. Larger breasts also bring balance to womanly hips and help eliminate a pear-shaped look. Also, women who have undergone surgery due to breast cancer or another cause often are able to maintain confidence in their appearance through reconstructive breast enhancement surgery.
Although it is considered to be a relatively simple procedure, it is still best to contact a cosmetic surgeon to learn more about the benefits of breast enhancement surgery and to look for experienced surgeons who have carried out successful procedures, such as Mya Cosmetic Surgery. It stands out from others because this highly competitive group of breast enhancement specialists not only provide you with a great choice of options to achieve the body confidence you deserve, but also can offer a full range of surgical and non-surgical procedures. Of course, beauty comes with a price but with Mya Cosmetic Surgery, you can avail of the many affordable and flexible finance packages to assist you in making yourself amazing.
The Amazing Meganame Generator
I'm feeling like a teenager with this amazing meganame generator I found on the net. While I was answering the questions, I can't help but smile because it took me to my school days. Remember those silly slum books with questions like your greatest dream, greatest crush...well this is something sort of that. Take this quiz and feel silly like me.
Jenniffer Gutierrez Agustin's Aliases |
 Your movie star name: Chips Marcelino Your fashion designer name is Jenniffer Venice Your socialite name is Jing Jing Paris Your fly girl / guy name is J Agu Your detective name is Dog Cainta Catholic School Your barfly name is Cookies Margarita Your soap opera name is Gutierrez St. John Your rock star name is Viva Car Your Star Wars name is Jentro Agujef Your punk rock band name is The Happy Antenna |
January 7, 2009
make blog advertising work for you
I was watching the show Boy and Kris earlier this morning and their topic was about internet marketing and different business opportunities that thrived through the online community. There was even one former ABS-CBN employee who now is a millionaire by starting an online business and venturing into internet advertising.
Now advertise on blogs makes it possible for businesses to promote their web site, products, services or company through an automated system of a network of bloggers such as PayingPost. This is a new wave of commerce for anyone who wants to spread the word about their products, service or organization. Blog advertising is becoming the choice for online advertising because of its many advantages such as link building and generating more visits to your site and, therefore, higher chances of your products and/or services being known.
Not only advertisers benefit from blog advertising. This also gives a chance for bloggers to earn while writing opinions and reviews on products and services. I know a lot of working moms and stay-at-home moms who benefit from blogging, earning them an extra income and also building a social network wherein they can relate and communicate with other bloggers with the same interests as theirs.
With the vast number of blog advertising agencies, an advertiser has many options but it is important to note that advertisers should choose the one which gives them the maximum benefits for their paid advertisement ang generate more traffic. Taking the time to specify the requirements, the targeted audience and type of review, bloggers can create a big difference in your marketing strategy and reaching a larger number of consumers who would potentially be using your products and/or services.
Anyway you look at it, both advertisers and bloggers greatly benefit from blog advertising and it is apparent in how people nowadays search the internet for almost anything and the increasing number of websites for online shopping. After all, these online ad companies acquire excellent online advertising network, as these online companies assist in creating connection between the websites and advertisers.
Now advertise on blogs makes it possible for businesses to promote their web site, products, services or company through an automated system of a network of bloggers such as PayingPost. This is a new wave of commerce for anyone who wants to spread the word about their products, service or organization. Blog advertising is becoming the choice for online advertising because of its many advantages such as link building and generating more visits to your site and, therefore, higher chances of your products and/or services being known.
Not only advertisers benefit from blog advertising. This also gives a chance for bloggers to earn while writing opinions and reviews on products and services. I know a lot of working moms and stay-at-home moms who benefit from blogging, earning them an extra income and also building a social network wherein they can relate and communicate with other bloggers with the same interests as theirs.
With the vast number of blog advertising agencies, an advertiser has many options but it is important to note that advertisers should choose the one which gives them the maximum benefits for their paid advertisement ang generate more traffic. Taking the time to specify the requirements, the targeted audience and type of review, bloggers can create a big difference in your marketing strategy and reaching a larger number of consumers who would potentially be using your products and/or services.
Anyway you look at it, both advertisers and bloggers greatly benefit from blog advertising and it is apparent in how people nowadays search the internet for almost anything and the increasing number of websites for online shopping. After all, these online ad companies acquire excellent online advertising network, as these online companies assist in creating connection between the websites and advertisers.
Joaqui's Joaqui-ness
We find it a little weird that Joaqui likes to watch The Living Asia Channel, which is an Asian travel and lifestyle channel that showcases the best of Asian destinations, finds, culture, cuisine, fashion, people, etc. in the Philippines and Asia. It all started when he was about a year and a half and I was watching something from this channel and since then, when we turn on the T.V., he says "Living Asia! Living Asia!" and when we tune in to Living Asia Channel, he can watch and sit still for more than an hour. He really watches intently as if he understands what tha narrator is talking about. Even if we try to trick him to saying that another channel was the Living Asia Channel, he knows that it isn't. He doesn't care much about anime or cartoons except for the ones from Nick Jr., but when I think about it, it is a good thing that at such a young age, he is interested in travel and culture.
Joaqui has a fascination with cross and church. He likes to go to church and watch the priest say mass (at least the first half of it because he now also wants to run and play inside the church!) and also listen to the choir's singing. Sometimes when he is playing by himself, he would sing Alleluia, Alleluia. He can imitate the priest holding up the Bible and blessing with Holy Water. It will really all make us laugh when he does this. Joaqui likes to look at anything with a cross in it - even some electric posts and TV antennas!
He cries when we go inside other people's houses except for my mother in law's, but every time we go into someone else's house he really cries and it takes time to sort of warm him up. There is that "period of adjustment" when he feels comfortable in going in a particular house, but when he has warmed up, he is in his usual happy self again. We've also noticed that he doesn't like too much attention from someone he doesn't know. He has to observe first and make the first move.
January 5, 2009
joaqui's awesome 2nd birthday party
Everyone had a blast during Joaqui's 2nd birthday party and I was just happy that all the guests went home with a smile on their faces, especially the kids. All our hard work in making this party fun and entertaining paid off. We were surprised by the number of people who came to celebrate with us and it became a reunion for families and friends and indeed it was such a happy moment for our family.
All our suppliers delivered and made a great job in making Joaqui's 2nd birthday party not only successful but also awesome. To all our suppliers, family and friends - thank you for celebrating another of Joaqui's milestone with us. ; )
P.S. I will make another post for my supplier ratings soon.
Photos courtesy of RedSheep Photography
January 1, 2009
New Year's Resolutions
It's that time of the year again when we are bound to make resolutions and like many of those who would want to really stick to these resolutions, I took this quiz to know what I should resolve to change next year. The results are so very true. I am keeping my fingers crossed if I would be able to accomplish these resolutions.
| You Should Make 4 Resolutions |
 Lose Weight
|
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