Random Thoughts

Happiness is...

1. Ate A getting better from viral measles
2. Mom's safe trip back to the US
3. Dad's arrival!
4. Detox
5. MBAPS meetup last Thursday
6. Mr. Maybe :)
7. Andie's funny dance
8. Coffee Twice a Week
9. Chilli's Molten Cake
10. My Family

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

I signed up with different promo sites that's why I've been getting emails regarding discounts on resorts, restaurants and more. I can let go of other promos but I have to say, this one is very tempting!

Yes, NAMI RESORTS is on sale at DealGrocer.com! Here are more details...

* Valid for travel for the month of May.
* For check-in between Mondays to Thursdays only.
* Inclusive of round trip transfers to/from Caticlan Jettyport.
* Bookings may be made directly with Bianca at the resort.
* Please be ready with your Deal Grocer voucher when calling.

This 3D/2N trip is for 2 at the exclusive Nami Private Villas in Diniwid Beach, Boracay. A known resort perched atop a stunning cliff, you will get the best views of the island from your Deluxe Beach View room. This amazing deal from Deal Grocer is yours for just P11,995nett! (P21,250nett Regular) This is the giveaway - each room comes with a jacuzzi by the veranda and your own personal butler. Resort amenities include: Private sun-lounging deck, a boutique store, open-air cafe, spa/massage treatments.

Now, I want to book this promo! (*sigh*) For more information check it out here.

When I saw a couple of reviews about Marcia Adams' place in Tagaytay, I instantly wanted to go there. Based from the blog posts about this place, the food was good and the place was really nice. So we decided to have lunch here before we went back to Manila a couple of Sundays ago.

It was also a treat for my Mom before she leaves again for the US.

We arrived at the restaurant exactly 12 noon because we had to finished the movie, The Sound of Music at home. (*grin*) The place indeed was nice. I felt like I was in Tuscany when I was there. Mr. Adams said that they built the restaurant from scratch which surprised us since we thought that it was an old house converted into a restaurant.

Ate A and Baby A enjoyed exploring the place while we waited for our food.

There are tons of options from the ala carte menu but we opted for the two prawns appetizer for Hubby and my sister and soup for my Mom and I. In this way, we could try both options. For the main course we chosed, Italian Porkchop for Hubby, Aromatic Grilled Pork for my sister, Fish Souvlaki for my Mom, and I got Ai Funghi - Pasta with mixed fresh mushrooms, basil and garlic.. All of us were so happy with what we ordered.

We also loved the desserts which made us super full! We ended up soo sleepy after lunch. LOL! Mr. Adams was very hospitable, he even brought us to the gate and said goodbye.

I'm definitely going back there! The food was really good and unforgettable. Something that you can't just have anytime here in Manila. At least we have something to look forward to when we go back to Tagaytay. Try it too!

To reserve, call Marcia at +63917 801 1456. It is located along the border of Tagaytay and Alfonso, Cavite across Ville Sommet.

Directions:
To go to Marcia's, just drive all the way to Tagaytay and turn right at the Tagaytay Rotonda. Go all the way to Alfonso, Cavite. You will pass by the restaurants along the Ridge, the Mendez intersection, and the turn to Antonio's.

You turn right when you see the Tagaytay Arch with Pineapples, and Residence Inn on your left. You should see a sign leading to Ville Sommet. You will see the entrance of Tuscany on your left.

When I was in my early teens, I collected bears. It was my friend who convinced me to collect those. During that time she collected pigs. It was so much fun to collect items. I'm sure nowadays, it is so much more fun because there are more items available in the market. There are cute dolls available. I know someone collects swarovski, scarves, slippers and just about almost anything!

I was surprised when I found out that guys these days collect items too like sports collectible items. There are available items at mini-helmets.aspx which are worth checking out. Especially if you are a sports enthusiast. The mini helmets there are so cute I even want to collect them myself. Here are the details of the mini helmets which are available online:

* Mini football helmet with great graphics.
* Official NFL mini football helmet with official NFL team decals.
* ABS plastic mini football helmet shells with plastic facemask.
* Realistic interior foam padding, vinyl-leather chin strap.
* This is an affordable NFL football helmet for the true fan.
* Size: 1/2 scale versions of NFL football helmets.
* Size: 6"(L), 4 ½"(W), 5"(H) - (NOT FOR WEARING).

Yes, definitely not for wearing since these mini helmets are just for the sake of collecting. Inspite of that, I still would like to get one for myself.

Do you want to do something for the environment? Let's all join the Earth Hour!

March 26, 2011 at 8:30PM

It would help the environment, the Philippines, the world, and even the whole universe.

Some people say that a person’ s eating habits start early. So as parents, it is important to help your
child develop healthy eating habits as early as their first solid foods. Some studies suggest that those
whose parents are vigilant when it comes to their children’ s eating habits are helping them grow up
to be healthier adults. With the increasing rate of obesity, it is not surprising that more people are also
trying out weight loss pills, fad diets, and liposuction.

To help your baby start healthy eating early, below are some tips in preparing your baby’ s first foods.

• You can never go wrong with fruits and they are very easy to process into a consistency that will be appropriate for babies.

• Aside from fruits, vegetables should be at the top of your baby’ s food list.

• Do not add sugar or salt. No matter what food you are preparing, never add any sugar, salt, or flavoring. Let your baby enjoy the natural taste of whatever it is he or she is eating.

• Don’ t worry; it does not taste bland to babies.

• Let your baby a variety of foods so that he or she gets used to different tastes early on. Just make sure that what you feed him or her is healthy and nutritious.

Guest Post from Aggie Aviso

My Uncle is going to be 70 in the few weeks. We are preparing not for the party but for the gift that we are going to give him. He has everything already, you see and we can't think of a nice gift for him. At first we thought of giving him billiards supplies but I don't he will be able to use it since he's not using his billiards pool anymore. I guess he probably lost his interest since he's getting older perhaps? These billiard supplies would be nice for my Dad instead. But his birthday is still on December so I might as well buy this some other time.

Any suggestions what to give for a 70 year old Uncle?

Happiness is...

1. Was able to rest last weekend
2. Bonding with the kids
3. Cibo's Pasta and Porkchop
4. Fireproof Movie
5. Outfit inspirations
6. Dad is coming for a 6-day vacation!
7. Surfing makes me happy
8. Chowking's tofu, chicharap and black gulaman
9. Hubby :)
10. Goldilocks' Polvoron

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

Since my Mom is leaving again in the next few weeks, we set another weekend getaway to Tagaytay last Saturday to Sunday. It was a trip to bond, eat and practice the art of doing nothing! (*grin*)

So by 8AM last Saturday, off we went to Tagaytay. Our first stop: Bag O' Beans.

This has become our favorite! We never leave Tagaytay without dropping by and getting their hot chocolate and omelette. I've noticed that the place is getting bigger everytime we go there. They already have a breakfast and brunch buffet which we will try hopefully one of these days.

The kids had fun exploring the place even if they've been here for so many times already. I guess because they change the setup every now and then?




Although they were not in the mood to eat! But at least they had a great time checking out the talking parrot and the huge cat.

After breakfast, we went straight home to rest. We watched DVD, good thing we brought our home audio speakers to make it more like a movie house setting (which the little girl requested). But most of the time we just talked and laughed. These are definitely one of those good times with the family!

I was reading Bo Sanchez' article a couple of weeks ago - "How to Enjoy your Wealth?". And I got struck by these...

God doesn’t want you to be a miser.

God wants you to enjoy your wealth.

Here’s the key: Save your money, yes, but spend your money to enjoy the deeper things of life. In other words, enjoy people before things.

At the end of the day, it’s people who will make you happy.

Save on stuff. Save on things. But don’t save on love.

I've always loved to SAVE. I always think of my future and my family's future. And lately, I've been buying stuff that I REALLY want but actually don't need. This article made me realized that it's definitely more important to spend on PEOPLE like Hubby and kids than buying expensive material things.

Invest In Love

I don’t wear a Rolex.

I don’t buy expensive clothes. (If you see me wear an expensive shirt, you can be sure it’s a gift.)

I don’t drive a Jaguar.

But I spend a lot of money on my relationships.

I repeat: Love the best investment in the world.

I spend a lot of money just to bring my family and friends together.

I go out on dates each week with my wife, my kids, my mom, my sisters and their families. Each year, I take 10 mini-vacations with my family and friends.

At the end of the day, it’s people who will make you happy.

I remember the day when my father passed away.

I was in front of his coffin—and I was so much at peace.

Why? Because before he died, I was able to spend my time, my effort, and my money with him. I visited him often. I served him often. I brought him out on dates.

In other words, I invested in our relationship.

So spend your money on what truly matters.

Friend, God wants you to enjoy wealth.

But don’t enjoy it alone.

Enjoy it with others.

I can really attest to this. I noticed that when we travel, Hubby and I tend to get closer with the kids. Especially if we don't bring a Yaya. The nice thing about going out of our comfort zone is that the kids learn to tend for themselves.

Life is short so better invest your time in the people you love and not the unneccesary things in life.

Ate A had her moving up day last Saturday. So the whole gang which includes the whole family (Hubby, Andie, and I), my Mom, sister, and BIL woke up early on a Saturday and went to the gathering to watch Ate A. It was another affair worth remembering.

Ate A was awarded as the "MOST ATTENTIVE". (*grin*)

We were so proud of her especially after watching her sing their Graduation song.

This is it! The summer vacation has officially STARTED!!!

It means only one thing - I can sleep longer! At least I can say goodbye to dark circles for the next 3 months. I can sleep more since I don't have to wake up my little girl. After the summer, then I can go back and look for the best treatment for dark circles once again.

We all know what happened to Japan (God bless the souls of those who passed away due to the earthquake and tsunami). Ever since, I've been getting emails and text messages on how to be safe. And I thought it would nice to share it here too.

Here are tips for earthquake security...

1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' when building collapse are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a bed, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of frequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get near the outer walls of buildings or outside of them if possible - It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in
an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

I would say our last day in Cebu was my favorite day because I finally saw Mr. SUN! You see, aside from relaxation, another goal of this trip was to soak in the sun and get a tan. I've been too pale already, I needed to be sunkissed! But inspite of planning to wake up early, we still woke up past 9AM. We took our time anyway since our flight back to MNL was still at 7PM. After a light breakfast, off we went to the beach (again!)...

We took the opportunity to take more photos since we realized that it was already our last day.


Time flew by so quickly, we were done at the beach past 12 already. This is when we realized that we really wanted to go back to Shang Mactan and hopefully bring the kids too.

We packed our stuff and prepare to go. Since our flight was still at 7PM and Shang Mactan was only a few minutes away from the airport, we took our lunch outside the resort. Pizza and pasta at Michael Angelo's in front of Shang. The food was really good! After lunch we had coffee and cheesecake at the lobby to kill time. And then off we went to the airport.



Funny, 30 minutes before boarding time, we suddenly decided to have the half hour massage that we've been eyeing. Too bad, after 15 minutes of our much needed massage, we were already called for boarding! Oh well... Hopefully we can avail of the massage when we go back to Cebu.

A relaxing trip was definitely what I needed. Thanks to Hubby for letting me have this girl bonding trip and for taking good care of the kids while I was gone. It was fun to reminisce on our childhood days and to know a few stories about my Mom and Dad's past. (*wink*)

To my Mom, thanks for this wonderful treat! We all had fun and hopefully we can do this again next year!? HAHAHA!

Happiness is...

1. Goldilocks goodies
2. Breakfast at Bag O'Beans
3. Weekend getaway with the family
4. One night of uninterrupted sleep!
5. Discovering Marcia Adams' in Tagaytay
6. Cold weather in Tagaytay
7. The Sound of Music and Mamma Mia
8. Movie marathon with Hubby since Monday
9. Ate A is going to big school soon!
10. Great assessment from the Teacher

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

Oh yes, she will always be "little" to me. Since she doesn't want to be called a baby anymore, I would just call her my little girl.

Ate A turned 5 last Wednesday. She had a simple party at school 2 days before her birthday. She and her classmates had a grand time. We just bought Jollibee's Limpiang shanghai (with rice) as requested by the birthday girl and spaghetti. I ordered cake from Kitchen Krafts which the little girl adored so much!

We had 2 games before Ate A blew her candle and then they ate their snacks.

On the day of Ate A's birthday, we just ordered cake from Estrel's and had snacks with the in-laws and my Mom. My sister followed after work.

The little girl was so happy with the gifts she got! Thanks again Lolo Manny & Lola
Lina, Lolo Dan & Lola Yolly, Tito Mike, Tita Trish, Kuya Rap/Toby/Rika for the wonderful gifts! (*grin*)

Yes, I"m not kidding! Our 3rd day in Cebu and second day in Shangrila Mactan was really a major rest day! We just had breakfast at Acqua restaurant, checked out the beach and swam for a few minutes, then went back to hotel and spent the whole day there!

We planned on waking up early but because of the gloomy weather we woke up around 9AM already. Still in time for breakfast!

The line was so long at The Tides Restaurant so we opted to go to Acqua instead. It was a good decision, we just had to lined up for a few minutes and the restaurant was cozier and smaller compared to The Tides. We ended up having a relaxing breakfast. We took our time and didn't have to hurry.

Inspite of the rain showers, we still tried to go to the beach.



Surprisingly, the water wasn't too cold.

We went back to our room after swimming and spent the rest of the day there! It was so relaxing! Everyone was too lazy to go out anyway since it was raining so hard. So I just catched up on my reading and then slept afterwards.

We went out after our late snacks/early dinner and had a few drinks at the Lobby.



The singers at The Lobby were really good. We stayed there until 10PM. When we went back to our room, we watched a couple of movies and then called it a night around 1AM.

Bliss!

I've never heard of it until today actually. Cold Therapy devices are used by orthopedic surgeons and podiatrists after certain surgical procedures to minimize pain and swelling and encourage mobility. If you had a surgical procedure, you need to do cold therapy. I think they used this therapy on me right after I give birth. I remember bringing it when I was transferred to my hospital room. I've read that if cold therapy devices are used too long, or at a very cold temperature, it can result to serious injuries such as nerve damage, chronic pain, or frost bite. Scary right? That's why when you are experiencing these type of symptoms, you should consult a lawyer because this can be a cold therapy lawsuit! At O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath, their personal injury lawyers are experts on this type of conditions and will give you a free consultation and ask you about your condition. If you suspect you have a cold therapy injury such as chronic pain, frost bite, or permanent nerve damage, better call them ASAP. Here are their contact information

O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949

Goodluck!

My most recent trip with my Mom, sister, and brother was all about relaxation, bonding, and food trip. That is why we opted to go to Shangrila Mactan after hearing good reviews from friends and families. Here is what happened on our 2nd day in Cebu...

After buying lunch from Conching's Native Chicken near SM Mall, we went straight to Shang. We were so glad that our room was already available at 1PM. My Mom and I got welcome drinks while we were checking in. After checking out the lobby, off we went to our room...

Everyone was sooo excited! We were all looking forward to unwind, destress, and have a good time! Sadly, we didn't have enough photos since all of us were too lazy to take photos. I guess that's the downside of spending a REAL vacation. HA! Anyway, here are some of our photos on our first day.





We also explored CHI Spa on our very first day. We promised to go back the next day and to fix our schedule for a relaxing massage unfortunately, we weren't able to since we wanted to explore the resort (and the beach) more. Oh well, maybe next time...




We ended the day at Chill Out Bar and ordered a few drinks before we went out for dinner!

Happiness is...

1. Ate A's 5th birthday today!
2. Had a fun dinner with my cousins last night
3. Alex had a simple yet fun party in school
4. They love Jollibee's lumpiang shanghai
5. Buko Pandan!
6. Shopping at Greenhills Tiangge for Alex's prizes
7. Marty's
8. Kiddie games
9. Estrel's Caramel Cake
10. Online friends

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

My Mom and I were planning this Cebu trip since last year while she was in the US. She decided to treat my sister and I for a girl bonding trip for 4 days and 3 nights. But when my brother heard about it, of course, he wanted to join us too! So last Friday (February 25, 2011), off we went to Cebu! We got the 6:30AM flight.

We had breakfast first at Kopi Roti, Terminal 3. I would say the kaya toast in SG was way different and the coffee too. But, it was good enough. We finished our breakfast just in time to board the plane. We were glad that the flight was not delayed.

We were happy when we arrived Cebu because inspite of the bad weather, the plane was still able to land pretty well. We got our baggages quickly then off we went to Parklane International Cebu. Everybody was tired so we just took a nap for a few hours, freshened up and then went to Ayala mall for lunch. My sister had CNT lechon while Mom, my brother and I had grilled fish, pork belly and more. The food was just ok. We were even surprised to know that our bill was PHP 500. For a food court? It was way too expensive. But the stories we shared and the reminiscing were the best and I would say definitely priceless!

We did a little window shopping afterwards and I'm happy to say that I didn't shop for even one item! It is an achievement, yes! And I'm very proud of myself. (*grin*)

We took a nap again (yes, this is the LIFE!) for a few hours then off we went to Sto. Nino Church and then had dinner at Casa Verde. After a very sumptious dinner we went back to the hotel to freshened up again and then my sister and I explored Ayala Mall again. We saw Chocolatier and since they don't have a branch here in Manila (I think!), we tried it and look what I got!

Bailey's Vodka Martini which was so delish! It was a bit strong though that I felt tipsy after 1 drink! HA! Look!


With a smudged eye liner and sleepy eyes, I definitely look like a bum. LOL!

Happiness is...

1. Getaway from Cebu
2. Sutokil
3. Conching's Native Chicken
4. Cotton ON loots from my brother
5. Nescafe's White Coffee
6. CNT Lechon
7. 15-minute back massage at Cebu airport
8. Bailey's Vodka Martini from Chocolatier
9. Happy Hour!
10. Shangrila Mactan Cebu

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

I don't know with other Moms out there, but for me, once I had Baby A, I couldn't get my pre-pregnancy weight anymore. Here's a photo right before I conceived Baby A.

I definitely miss my (2nd) pre-pregnancy self. I actually got my weight back after giving birth to Ate A but not to Baby A. Since I'm heavier now, I'm more prone to diabetes these days. That's why I had to watch my weight very closely. Eat healthy and exercise. I know, I know, I've been writing about this for months now. I just have to remind myself all over again.

Another way to deal with my health - metoprolol. It's a medicine and a beta-blocker I discovered the other day. It will actually reduce the workload on the heart and what's good about it is that it helps the heart beat more regularly. I'm also going to recommend it to Hubby since it can be used to treat high blood pressure and helps to prevent chest pain. Other metoprolol uses include prevention of heart attack or helps prevent an additional heart attack from occurring. I discovered this online thanks to Healthline.com, a good resource of all stuff related to health. I love websites such as this! It is very informative and gives you all the details that you really need.

As for my weight, I've come to accept it now but inspite of this, I still vow to keep myself healthy and strong for the sake of Hubby, my kids and of course myself.

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
- Still reading Judith McNaught's Perfect and I'm so loving it! I'm almost done...

What movies and/or TV shows did I watch this month?
- It's Complicated, The Traveller's Wife, Narnia 1 and 2, Shutter Island, Going the Distance

What special days did I celebrate and how?
- Valentine's Day
- Elisa Magsajo's Baptism

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
- I gave my friend a pouch and a shower gel

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
- The kids had fever because of cough and colds :(
- I had headache too

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
- Dinner with the Hubby at 22 Prime
- Watched Tangled movie with Hubby and the girls
- Dinner with Farrah
- Went to Cebu with Mom, sister, and brother for 4D/3N

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
- 22 Prime
- UCC Coffee/Dessert
- H.K. Choi in Mega
- Ayala Cebu Food court
- Conching's Native Chicken (Cebu)
- Sutokil, Mactan
- MichaelAngelo's Pizzeria
- Breakfast at The Tides Shangrila Mactan
- Casa Verde, Cebu City

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
- Would you believe that I didn't shop for our whole trip in Cebu? Yes, it was an accomplishment!

What were this month's disappointments?
- The kids got sick this month. I also had a couple of disapointments with my new Yaya.

What were my accomplishments this month?
- No shopping for the month of Feb!

I have so many accounts now that need to be updated. Most of these accounts are social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. I've discovered LinkedIn last year and looks like I'm going to use it in the next few months.

I've checked my linkedIn account the other day when I saw a lot of contacts. What's nice about linkedIn is that I can find a job through my contacts there. I decided to Join ProFlowers LinkedIn too to check out the company's details. I now believe that LinkedIn is the social network site for employers and job seekers. I just hope that I get to keep my account updated in the next few weeks.

of our Cebu trip...

...with my Mom, sister and brother. We all had a blast! Thanks to my Mom who treated us the airfare, food and hotel. Our first night was spent at the city and then we proceeded to Mactan for our 2nd and 3rd night.

Watch out for more stories and photos soon! (*wink*)

Yes, I just got back from our 4 days and 3 nights trip to Cebu. It was a bonding trip with my Mom, sister, and brother who came all the way from Singapore. It was a fun trip but of course, I missed Hubby and the kids so much. I would like to bring them there again and experience Mactan. It was breathtaking. Although I didn't like Cebu City with the traffic and dusty road, I would definitely recommend going to Mactan!

Now, I'm back to reality. Which is good since I missed my family. I missed being online. And I missed my routine. I would say 4 days and 3 nights is definitely enough for a vacation! Now, I'm off to find cheap auto insurance since our car insurance is about to expire in the next few weeks. I hope I find one very, very soon!