What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
- Kerygma Magazine
- The Wedding by Nicolas Sparks
- Mommy Wars
What movies and/or TV shows did I watch this month?
- My Sassy Girl
- Mr. Bean Holiday
- GA Season 4
- One More Chance
- What Happens in Vegas
- Made of Honor
What special days did I celebrate and how?
- My 30th birthday!
- Mom's birthday
- Alonso's 3rd birthday
- Vice and Sarah's Wedding
What gifts did I give and/or receive?
- I got a nice storage boxes, necklace, and bag from the in-laws
- A nice picture frame from my sister
- We gave a book to Alonso on his 3rd birthday
- We gave my Mom a photobook (Alex's Mini photobook)
What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
- I had a severe backache! :( - this is getting worst everyday!
- Hubby had headaches every once in awhile
- Alex is doing well, thank God!
What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
- Dinner at our place to celebrate my birthday
- Went to Zambales to celebrate my birthday
- Dinner at my Mom's place
- MER 1
- lunch at Leslie's Tagaytay with CFC friends
- Family Day at The Fort
What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
- Tagaytay Highlands' Country Club
- Kaseiki Restaurant (The Fort)
- Leslie's Bulalo and Sisig
- Contis' Embutido, Relleno, Siomai
- Delize's Pistachio Sanzrival
- Mandarin's New York Cheesecake (this one is heavenly!)
- Kanin Club at Paseo De Sta. Rosa
What special or unusual purchases did I make?
- I bought tie-side shirts for baby #2 and some underwear for the little girl
- U-mix feeding bottle (over the internet)
- Kimono Dress for me (online)
What were this month's disappointments?
- Nothing as far as I can remember and I thank God for this!
What were my accomplishments this month?
- Still healthy and strong inspite of our busy weekends!
- Baby #2's kicks are getting stronger everyday!
I noticed that our weekends are always "fully booked". Last, last weekend we were out for Saturday and Sunday to serve in the CLP then attended a birthday party at Burger King. Last weekend was the same. On Saturday morning, we headed to Tagaytay to attend a dinner/dance party of my College blockmate who got married in the US last May (congrats Vice!). Then we decided to stay over because Hubby and I thought that it would be too tiring if we go back home after the party.
We indeed made the right decision because our trip ended up pretty relaxing and we had a good sleep there too. Weather was great! A bit cold (no need for air-conditioning) but not too cold either that we needed to wear jackets. Alex had a grand time too. Although we left her at the house but she had a grand time watching Pocoyo and Barney while waiting for us.
We left Manila at around 11AM and we dropped by Paseo De Sta. Rosa for lunch. I was curious after reading Alpha's post about Kanin Club so we tried it out. 
I LOVED the food! Will post about it more soon at my travel blog. We ordered for Brown Rice, Crispy Dinuguan, Seafood Kare-Kare, and Pancit Canton. I felt like drinking a diet pill called Fenphedra after eating because I felt like I gained a lot after that lunch. LOL! Too bad, Alex didn't eat a lot because she was too excited to go to the slide! After our sumptious lunch, we let her play for a few minutes while I shop at All-Flip Flops Outlet Store! I was ecstatic when I saw that they were on sale! So I bought one pair after asking Hubby if it's ok. He didn't say it was ok, but I insisted trying to convince him that it was the pair (Black Mid High) that I've been looking for, for months! LOL!
At around 4:30PM, we headed to Tagaytay Highlands for the dinner/dance party of Vice and Sarah. The place was wonderful. It was my first time at the highlands and I was impressed. The food was just ok though (they served Filipino cuisine) but Hubby and I had fun looking at the view. I also saw my College blockmates at the party and I was glad to see them.
The Bride and the Groom
At around 8PM I felt sleepy and tired so we decided to call it a night. Our way home was a bit scary because it was raining and the fog was all over the place. But the roads were nice and safe so we didn't have to worry. We arrived safely and found out that Alex was already sleeping. :( So Hubby and I just decided to sleep early too (after talking in hours. LOL!).
We needed to wake up early last Sunday because we needed to go back to Manila for our Family Day with the in-laws. (I told you, our weekends are REALLY HECTIC!) All three of us woke up around 7:30AM. Our sleep was just enough because we woke up before the morning alarm. I just love sleeping and waking up in Tagaytay. It is so refreshing, hearing the birds and the weather is just perfect!
After buying some vegetables and fruits at the market, we headed back to Manila and met the in-laws at Kaseiki Restaurant in The Fort. 
It was another sumptuous meal! Sushi, California Maki, Sirloin Steak, Sizzling Lapu-lapu, Chicken, Tempura, and Noodles. The kids had fun eating.
Good thing the rain stopped so we were able to take some photos of the dinosaurs right outside the resto. 
Will post more photos soon!
I hope everyone had a great weekend! ;)
Congrats sis! ;)
It’s Eds Blogsary! Join her contest and have some moolah on your paypal!
My Precious Niche
Just Me… Eds
Eds Mommy Life
Contest will start on September 25, 2008 (12noon) till October 25, 2008 (12 midnight) Phil. time. I will announce the lucky winners on October 27, 2008 MONDAY!
Tagged by Jhona. Thanks sis! Sorry this took so long!
Some Rules:
1. You can include in the post a picture of your favorite soap or the soap you are currently using.
2. Please post this in the blog which you will add in the "blogs that joined." You can add unlimitted number of blogs as long as this tag is posted there.
3. Please link back to the person who tagged you and pass this tag to many of your friends.
4. If you have more than one blog, please post this to all of your blogs so your other blogs can be listed to the master list too.
5. Remember to come back here at DANCING IN MIDLIFE TUNE (pls. don’t change this link) and leave the exact post url so I can add you to the master list as this is one way to help increase our rankings and improve our Technorati Authority :)
6. Tag as many friends as you can. BLOGS THAT JOINED: Dancing in Midlife Tune - Aeirins Collections - BiznHoney - Kidd Designs - Shopaholic Ties The Knot - My Random Thoughts – A Reality Bite – My Wonderful Life - Random Thoughts
soap questions:
1. favorite soap: Jergens Soap
2. facial soap: Neutrogena Gentle Facial Scrub
3. body soap: J&J Milk Bath
4. intimate soap: PH care
5. laundy soap: Surf
6. undies soap: Perla White
7. baby soap: J&J No More Tears (Yellow)
8. favorite shampoo: Head & Shoulders
9. favorite conditoner: Creamsilk Conditioner
10. baby shampoo: Johnson's 2-in-1 Conditioning Shampoo
I think everyone has done this already. But if you want to snag this, sure and let me know your answers! ;) Now, I'm off to do some research on Nikon D90 for a friend who is looking for one.
Thanks Dez and Eds for this! Christmas is my most favorite time of the year! Because I love to put up some Christmas decors, some wind chimes, and giving out gifts for my loved ones. I'm also excited for Alex who now (somehow) understands receiving and giving out gifts.
I can say that at this stage A has never failed to make us laugh. She would just say something or do something that would make us think, "Where did that come from?" or "Where did she learn that?" but we would end up thinking that she probably got it from us! She talks a LOT now and mostly her words or sentences can finally be understood. I used to worry before that she may be delayed with regards to her speech, but I guess now, she is doing well. Thank God!
Although I cannot say that she is ready to go to school now but maybe in the next few months. I guess June next year would be the best time for her to go to school. She LOVES Pocoyo and Mr. Bean and can watch it the whole day if she can but of course we won't allow it. She is only allowed to watch TV (mostly Disney Playhouse) at 6:30PM to 9PM. Otherwise she would just play and read the whole day.
Oh, she also sleeps on her own now on her make shift bed (mattress with lots and lots of pillows on the floor) and she fondly calls it "own bed". :)
With regards to her potty training, we haven't improved on that area unfortunately. :( There are still a lot of "accidents" and she still couldn't tell us if she will make wee-wee. There are times that she would but it already happened! Her #2 is ok though but recently I noticed that she has been having accidents for the past three days, good thing she was wearing her diaper. But the good news is that, she now only consumes 2 to 3 diapers a day!
Her eating habits are getting better too. She eats almost everything - fruits, veggies, meat, chicken, fish, and more! Although still a SLOW EATER but she is getting there.
She likes to play with her kitchen set now and usually wants to take care of her dolls. I'm just glad since those toys have been there for quite a while now and has only been developing dusts! LOL!
And oh, did I mention that she loves playing with promotional pens, papers, coloring books, and crayons too? I hope she becomes an artist one day. (*grin*)
Well, I guess will have to stop here since the little girl is already trying to pull me and wants to play with her already. I guess that's one thing also that I noticed, she now can express what she wants and when she wants something from me, she would literally grab my hand from the keyboard and drag me into her play room. :D
1. Serving at CFC's Christian Life Program
2. The little girl playing with her cousin
3. Coffee date with the Hubby at Figaro
4. Light Cafe Mocha Decaf
5. Birthday party at Burger King
6. Maintained my weight this month (gained only 1 lb since my last checkup)
7. Blood sugar results were normal
8. Payday!
9. Baby girl is a bit big but healthy!
10. Bread Talk
To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.
The nice thing about Burger King Timog is the play area. The kids loved this area so much some (like Alex) didn't even bother to join the games. She just stayed at the play area while the rest of the kids were having fun in front. But well, I guess she was also having a grand time playing alone. I guess it goes with the age too. Probably at her age, she won't be too interested in playing the games anyway.
The party started at around 11 AM. Food was served right after the 2-3 games were played. The adults had Whopper Jr, Fries, Sundae and Apple Juice. The kids had chicken tenders with rice and fries. They also had apple juice which was Alex's favorite during that day. Alex just had a thing with juices!
After eating, the Burger King mascot entertained the kids for a short while, then there was blowing of the cake, and then picture taking. After that, the nice give-aways were given.
The party was short but sweet. Just enough for kids to enjoy and not get bored. I guess a 2-hour party is perfect for babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers. After that, they would get bored.
Anyway, right after the party we went to Kamuning Market and bought some fruits.
Yes, that's how our weekend went.
Our whole Saturday was spent in serving at the Christian Life Program (CLP) of Couples for Christ (CFC). We were at the venue from 9AM to 4PM. It was tiring but fulfilling. Alex on the other hand was at the in-laws with her cousin Rika playing. They had a play date for that day. We haven't seen them play though (because when it was time to fetch Alex, Rika was already sleeping!) but the Yayas said that the little girls had a blast! We are planning another play date again hopefully next, next week. :)
Yesterday, Sunday, we attended a party at Burger King around lunch time. It was Alonso's 3rd birthday party. Alex was looking forward to it. And I'm glad that she had fun. Although she had her own "world" at the play area, not wanting to play with the rest of the kids. Anyway, will be back with more stories and photos. For now, will just leave you with this photo of the Dada and the little girl after the party.
Have a nice Monday everyone! ;)
Honestly I don't know when is the right time to bring Alex to the dentist. I know I should have thought about our dental plans since Alex had teeth but I just couldn't find the time to squeeze it in our busy schedules (bad Mama!).
I didn't know that there are actually dental plans available online. It can be a discount dental plan or a traditional dental insurance. With the discount dental plan, DentalPlans.com believe that the discount dental plan can serve the customer much better than going through the process of finding a dental insurance plan. Traditional dental insurance, on the other hand, has many drawbacks including costly deductibles, tedious claim forms, long waiting periods and other limitations which you definitely don't want to experience.
Ever since Hubby or Alex got hospitalized I would always end up with regret of not getting a health card. And now that there is actually a dental plan available I would definitely check it out and see if we can avail it for Alex's future dental checkups. And hopefully that "future" checkups would be SOON.
Are you planning to buy concert tickets, show tickets or game tickets like Miami Heat tickets? But don't want the hassle of falling in line? Then you should check out Premium Seats USA. Thanks to them you can now obtain tickets for your favorite NFL, MLB, NBA or NHL team or an amazing concert without all the hassles. With them, you can also choose which seats you want and they can reserve it for you! Cool right? Premium Seats USA provides a huge selection of first-class tickets to all concerts, sports and theater events nationwide too. And just about anything you can think of, this premium online ticket broker makes it happen; if it’s a comedy show you crave or a fabulous show in Vegas, consider the tickets in your hands.
Honestly, the first time I knew that I was pregnant, the first thing that came into my mind was SIBLING RIVALRY. I was scared that the kids would fight everyday and would carry it for the rest of their lives. So now, I'm reading a lot of books about it and I came across this post from N@W. It includes a link on a nice article about how to deal with sibling rivalry. Check this out.
* Avoid favoritism.
We all know that favoritism is not helpful, but you’d be surprised how many parents unknowingly engage in it. One child goes to a fun camp, the other stays home. One child gets to go on special errands with you, the other stays home.
Perhaps these decisions come out of financial need or limited time, but either way, it’s important that you as the parent examine the unspoken messages you communicate to your children that contribute to the rivalry.
* Institute taking turns.
If one child cries out, “It’s unfair! I hate him!” then taking turns might help siblings feel less competitive with one another. Take turns taking each child to do errands with you; take turns sending them to shorter camp sessions. Plan separate activities with each child, no matter how small.
When my second born arrived, our pediatrician suggested that every day I try to allocate some one-on-one time with our first born. Each day, my oldest (then age 2) and I would share a simple outings — finding the icecream truck, going to the park. At times they were only 20 minutes long, depending upon my newborn’s needs and my own level of exhaustion.
What I learned, though, was the amount of time, even the activity, didn’t matter. What was important was that my oldest daughter didn’t feel replaced by this new little creature that had graced our home. To this day, now at ages 5 and 3, our two girls have a great relationship.
* Tell them your expectations.
As much as individual, one-on-one parent time is important, so is together time. You can tell your children that you are going to out as a family and that it’s important to get along together. If they know you're expecting them to behave, they'll be more conscious of flare ups.
* Explain your reasons.
Throughout the division of “fairness,” it's important to communicate with your child the reasons behind your decisions. Knowing why decisions are being made a certain way helps your child understand your rationale and feel more reassured about things at home. If a child knows that she will get her needs met, she will not feel as many negative feelings to her sibling.
* Lead by example.
If mom and dad are always fighting over what radio station to listen to, their kids are likely to argue as well. Fighting fairly means engaging in discussion, getting a turn to share one’s view, agreeing to disagree, and working out possible compromises. Kids model their parents behavior, so if you want the little version of you to be more cooperative, make sure you're showing them how.
For the entire article, click here.
I got this from Eds. Thanks sis! :)
Here's what she said about me...
Mich of Random Thoughts for I also love how she blog and how she talks on her posts. Her cheerful personality has somehow caught my tang to read her blog daily. No pretensions or whatsoever.
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“You are never a burden.. don’t ever think that. Friends need each other to pick them up when they are down and I would do nothing less. ”
Dawn Drover~ Twisted Sister
A Million Dollar Friend is the kind of person who instinctively knows what it means to be a good friend; this kind of person makes you look forward to the days ahead and fondly remember the days that have passed. - A Nice Place In The Sun
A million dollar friend is someone who not only pulls you up when you’re down, but also always finds a way to not let you fall. - Abelle, Only in Silence
"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down" ~Arnold Glasow- Vhiel, Can of Thoughts
“ A Million Dollar Friend is a person that is always with you on your happy moments and still loves you in your moment of darkness. ~ Eds, My Precious Niche
" A Million Dollar Friend is a person who never leaves your side when you are in need. She knows that you are in trouble and is worrying about something. ~ Mich, Random Thoughts
You Here! Post your nominees and tell the world what a million dollar friend to you means. That’s it! ;)
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1. Great weather today!
2. MER 1 retreat
3. Lunch at Leslie's Tagaytay
4. Bonding moment with Hubby
5. Normal blood sugar tests
6. The baby being healthy (although 1 week bigger for her age)
7. Seeing our baby girl through ultrasound
8. Cute face of the baby just like the little girl! :D
9. Yummy rambutan!
10. Losing weight without taking diet pills (at least the baby won't gain too much weight)
To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.
Hubby and I decided to attend the Marriage Enrichment Retreat (MER) 1 of CFC last Friday since we've been waiting for it for two years already. So last weekend we left all our worries at home, left Alex with the Lola and traveled to Tagaytay at around 6:30 AM last Saturday.
It was a very refreshing weekend. The retreat was held at Angels Hills Formation & Retreat Center.
On the way to our room
Although our schedule was a bit tight (we had 6 talks on our first day and 1 talk on our second day), we were still able to manage to digest most of the talks and was able to learn a lot. Hubby and I were able to talk about some issues about our relationship, our family, our home, and more. We also realized that we haven't gone out (just the two of us) for quite sometime now so it was a great opportunity for us to bond again.
There were talks about roles of a Christian husband and wife, how to build a Christian home, and being a team in serving God. Such an eye opener. Sometimes when you tend to do things everyday you thought that you are doing the right thing and when you attend retreats like this, you just realized that you still have more things to improve on especially your relationship with your husband and kids.
Can't wait for the MER2 which will be next September. Hopefully, by that time, our budget and schedules will be fixed again just like what happened last weekend. :)
Taken at Leslie's Tagaytay right after our Lunch
I used to be an IT guy. I do software and web programming and I deal with data integration software. I used to love it but as the years went by and now that I'm into sales, I can't think of the reason why will I ever go back to that stressful life again. But who knows. I might missed it after not doing it for years.
I have dealt with software too when I took up my Master's and I had fun that time. Now that I'm not into the IT field, I would still look for software that I find interesting if time permits. I recently discovered that Syncsort Incorporated develops, markets, and services high-performance software for data management and data protection. Their products are used in more than 50 countries to speed data warehouse processing, improve database loads, improve query performance and back up and protect data in distributed environments. Reading these terms made me remember the old days. Oh well, maybe someday I might go back to that field again. Who knows?
Last weekend was really busy. It started with my Mom's birthday last Friday where we had dinner at their place. Food was overflowing and her guests were very happy. She had a cake overload too, since almost all of her guests brought her a cake from either Goldilocks or Red Ribbon.
After dinner we went straight to the chapter assembly and met our household there.
The next day my Mom invited us again for dinner (she had two parties!). I had a blast eating and what caught my attention was the cheesecake that her former office mates brought her from Mandarin Hotel. Oh boy, it was delish! I just can't help but eat MORE. Even if I've been watching my weight (after gaining 12 lbs in one month), I can't help but eat a lot of cheesecake LOL! You see, I'm not so much of a fan of cheesecakes but this one is the best!
Sorry, no photos since Hubby and I were busy EATING! :D
Last Saturday afternoon we also get to visit my friend Norin and her 1 month old baby - Harley. She was one of the Mommies who had her baby shower (with me) at our place.
Yes she gave birth already - 1 month early than expected but Harley was healthy and has been growing and growing everyday! We couldn't help but talk about some IT jobs while I was at their place but the main topic of course was our babies! :)
They were giving the baby a bath when we got to their place that's why Alex was so amazed and just sat there watching. I can't wait for her to see her little sister!
I also posted the Delize's Pistachio Sansrival at my travel blog, you might want to check it out! ;)
Have a great weekend everybody! ;)
Last Sunday I had a late birthday celebration with my in-laws with my Mom and sister at home. It was just a simple dinner. I didn't want to spend too much since we already had our out of town trip from Zambales. I want the food to be delicious too so I ordered from the ever reliable Conti's.
The menu goes like this.
- California Maki, Sushi, etc by Tokyu
- Shrimp sinigang - cooked by our help.
- Baked Salmon from Conti's - this one as always was yummy!
- Embutido (Conti's) - Hubby loved this!
- Chicken Lollies (Conti's) - the kids loved this!
- Pansit by my Mom (thanks Ma!)
- Chicharon from Cebu - everyone loved this! LOL!
- Delize's Pistachio Sansrival and Napoleones (from BIL) for Dessert
Everyone had a feast (I hope!). The dinner was just right. Everyone was full but not too full to ignore dessert. :)
I was trying to order a strawberry shortcake for dessert but they said that it's not a season of strawberries and that most strawberries are sour. So I settled for the pistachio sansrival (which deserves to have a separate post).
Here are our photos last Sunday. The kids played after dinner while the boys played cards. :)
It's another rainy day today just like yesterday. The weather has been odd the past few days already and now I'm scared of having Community-Acquired Pneumonia. It's not that we go out a lot and meet a lot of people who have pneumonia but it might be possible now that it has been raining for days.
It's a good thing that there is a free Online Clinical Solution from Epocrates. Isn't that great? A quick visit to Epocrates online free drug and disease resource could answer health questions and then some for safer prescribing and more confident diagnosis. I love this, knowing that you get information without leaving the comforts of your home! This is indeed high technology!
"This announcement was paid for by Epocrates."
The Little Princess - Now I'm beginning to doubt if she really is a girl! Her kicks are really different from Alex's before (of course every baby is different as people would say). Her kicks are harder and bolder. I can even guess that it was her foot or knee. She moves like crazy every dawn. I bet when she comes out, she will also be awake in the wee hours of the morning! LOL! I'm not complaining about her kicks and movements. Actually, I'm happy that she is getting stronger everyday! Baby's weight is also normal according to my last checkup two weeks ago.
My Food and Weight - You won't believe how much weight I gained from last month! 12 lbs! Yes, you read it right! I gained 12 lbs in 4 weeks. Bad, bad, bad. But the good news is that my OB said it was me who got bigger and not the baby. I can actually feel the weight in my legs. Hubby even agreed that they got bigger. Aarrgh. My only consolation is that at least I can still move around and that I don't have to wear a maternity belt since my body can manage the weight of my tummy. No more food cravings for this month. I've been pretty successful in eating half rice per meal and been sticking to that diet ever since. Except for parties though wherein I tend to eat more. I've been eating a lot of cakes too since it was my birthday and my Mom's, but thankfully my blood sugar is still normal (so far!).
How do I look now!? - I feel happy with the way I look now. It's like I'm taking progesterone pills but I'm not of course! :) No more pimples and acne so far and my face is now clear. I just hope they won't go back in the next few months. Although I don't like how big I am now but I'm just thinking that this is all for the baby. :)
How is Ate Alex coping up? - Alex is growing up so fast! Now I can say that she will become a wonderful Ate! When her baby cousin was in the house last weekend she was so hospitable, she made her sit in her high chair and then tried to put on the belt. She also tries to talk to the baby inside my tummy and when she felt that it moved, she laughed so hard! LOL!
Two more months and then we will finally meet our little Princess. There are so many things to do in two months. We need to prepare the baby's room, clean it up, setup the bed, wash baby's clothes, and the list goes on and on! But I'm getting excited on the big day. :)
1. Jumping little girl!
2. My brother going home this December for a vacation
3. Yummy cheesecake from Mandarin Oriental
4. My Mom's 53rd birthday
5. Late celebration of my birthday with the in-laws last Sunday
6. Good food and good company
7. Seeing Baby Harley of Norin (she's one month old)
8. Preparing for Alex's pre-school for next year :)
9. Alex having fun playing with the cousins
10. I'm still able to move around and take care of Alex in spite of my BIG tummy!
To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.
Our day 3 at Punta DeUian was the best for the little girl. She had a grand time playing with the sand and finally she started to appreciate it! Here are our photos of our Day 3.
Before 12NN we left the place since we are getting hungry. Hubby was craving for McDonald's or Jollibee. LOL! And besides we needed to be home early to prepare for dinner (it was my birthday!) and Hubby also needs to fix some HDMI cables for my computer. We were able to find KFC at Olongapo so we were able to eat lunch at around 1PM already. But we were quite happy with our lunch. :)
More stories and photos at my travel blog!
