Random Thoughts

Now that the little girl is very much into arts and crafts, I've realized that I have a little girl slowly turning into an artist. She loves to draw, paint and make crafts everyday.

It makes her day complete that I'm contemplating of buying an Ivory card stock for her online. I saw a lot of nice card stocks at CutCardStock.com. This would be perfect for her materials. She always asks me to buy some materials for her and I think I'm going to do that in the next few days.

CutCardStock.com specializes in metallic cardstock, papers and envelopes. This is the perfect place to look if you are going to create invitations too. They would cut the papers according to desired size. They are offering a lot of options and in different colors like blue, brown, metallic, glossy, green, pink and more! The options are endless! They also have sizes from 8.5x11 inches. Their special services include personalized cutting and personalized paper scoring.

What I love about this is that I can shop online! Seems like this is the only thing that I can do right now because going to the mall is just impossible with our busy schedule so this would be perfect for me. I would say perfect for busy Moms too who can't go out of the house because they needed to take of the kids and manage the house. I can see that transactions with CutCardStock.com are hassle free so it looks like I'm going to recommend this to my friends!

To celebrate my parents in laws' anniversary, they invited us to have dinner at The Red Crab Alimango House at the Newport Mall.

We had a very sumptious dinner and inspite of us (Hubby and I) being so busy feeding the little girls, we still ended up sooo full. I had fun eating the biggest crab I've ever seen, the tastiest halaan soup I've ever tasted, and the best beef steak I've ever had. Here are the reviews I got about The Red Crab.

Serves more than 14 crab dishes such as Thai Chili Crab, Singaporean Chili Crab, Salt & Pepper Crab, Crab Sotanghon, Deep Fried, Steamed, Black Bean Crab, Deep Fried Crab Claws, Crab Paella, Crab Relleno, Baked Crab in Cheese Sauce and of course the Szechuan Crab with its gingery sweet & spicy taste remains to be the crowd favorite and definitely a must try for first timers!

The Red Crab Alimango House is located at 2/F Newport Mall, Resorts World Manila.

Thank you Mommy and Daddy for the wonderful dinner! Happy Anniversary!

That's what I've been doing for the past few months now. After meeting an alternative Doctor last February, I vowed to keep myself healthy for the next few months. My reason? The medicines are super expensive!

Now, I've decided to change some of our food and shift into healthier options. From white sugar, we are shifting into muscovado sugar. I tried shifting from white rice to brown rice but Hubby didn't like it so I'm going to mix white to brown rice for now. Hopefully we would be able to remove pork and beef into our diet. Instead, just eat chicken and fish.

I heard that goat's meat are healthy too after I found a couple of Goat Meat for Sale at the weekend market, a couple of weekends ago. I tried doing a research on this earlier and found Gedalias Naturally Raised Goat Meat's website. Goat's meat according to them is the healthier option along with chicken and turkey. They are selling it now at Gedalias, you can purchase any cut and serve to the family as an everyday meal. I love it because it's lower in fat and cholesterol than even skinned chicken. This is someting that we will include in our new lifestyle.

Lastly, I'm scheduling a lot of exercises for me and for the rest of the family. We can't join marathons for now since the kids are too young but downloading aerobics video and then do it every other day would hopefully work for now.

Changing our lifestyle into a healthy one is no joke. We need to focus on our goal so that we won't fail. And hopefully we get to live like this for the rest of our years.

A couple of weekends ago, we were invited once again by my sister to spend family day at Amana Waterpark with her officemates.

We tried to leave early but we weren't able to wake up early as planned. Ha! But we got there at 9AM so we were still ok and was able to find a table that we used for the rest of the day.

Here are a few of our photos during the day...

The wave pool was something that Hubby and Ate A enjoyed. They were there from 12 noon to 2PM! Yes, right after lunch, they plunge into the pool and stayed there for 2 hours.

The kiddie pool was not my type since it was a little dirty already by the time we got to Amana.

There were nice spots for photo ops at Amana Waterpark which the kids enjoyed looking at. They saw spiderman, ironman, shrek, the justic league and more.

Comparing it to 8 Waves (which is also in Bulacan), I would say 8 waves is more organized and clean. It is smaller compared to Amana, but I would prefer 8 waves than Amana Waterpark.

It was a fun family day for all of us! Looking forward to another family day next year. (*wink*)

I've been practically begging the Hubby to have a haircut for MONTHS now. Yes, for months and finally he gave in. Not because I convinced him to do it, it's because he just wanted to.

The Hubby is not too particular with his hairstyle. He's not even putting hair loss treatment for men for now. He doesn't care if his hair is longer than usual. He said that he just doesn't have the luxury of time to go to the salon or barber shop. Of course I argued that he can even have the haircut for 15 minutes! But still, he wouldn't do it. That was weeks ago and now that he finally had a haircut, everyone was surprised. LOL!

I'm glad he looks like he is well taken cared of now. I would suggest a couple of hair loss treatment for him too but that will have to wait until the next few years. I just don't know if he will have the time to apply it though. But with much convincing, I really hope he will.

It's been a while since my last visit to The Spa. It was my favorite place, along with my Mom and sister. After trying out their branches all over Metro Manila, we would always feel at home at their Acropolis branch. That's why when Hubby offered to treat me for a massage at The Spa for Mother's Day, I immediately accepted. Who wouldn't?! (*grin*)

I tried booking online since I've read from their website that you can already do that days before your appointment.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to, because they don't accept bookings on weekends. I called them instead and was able to set my appointment in 5 minutes. Yes, it was a breeze!

I came a few minutes late so I asked them if they could move my massage in a few minutes. Good thing there weren't any reservations during that time so they agreed.

I did my usual routine before my massage and was so thankful for this opportunity to be alone. I had the ginger ale which was my favorite and just lounge around while waiting for my appointment.

I'm glad I chose Traditional Hilot for my therapy. It lasted for an hour and a half. It was soooo good I wanted to sleep afterwards. But I can't of course since I needed to go back to the in laws where Hubby and the kids were. I took my time anyway since this is so much rare to be able to dry my hair without rushing and apply makeup too. I was even able to take a photo of myself!


This definitely made my day! The BEST Mother's Day gift I've received, so far!

Thanks sweetie! (*wink*)

As I've mentioned in my post a couple of days ago, I was a SAHM for more than a week. I had a great time with the kids. A great opportunity to bond with them again. One of the fun things that we did is to do a couple of arts and crafts which is Ate A favorite thing to do.

I printed a couple of their favorite characters such as Alice in Wonderland (Ate A's currently favorite character after watching the movie) and Timmy (Andie's most favorite from the show Timmy Time). They were ecstatic when they saw their favorite characters on print!

I would say buying the printer is the best decision we ever made. When Ate A was in Senior Nursery, we just printed her assignments and then submit it to school. Yes it was that easy. We also bought a nice quality printer so I bet we can also do catalog printing. Although I'm pretty sure it would be easier if we go directly to PrintDirectForLess.com. Since they offer printing of all sorts such as business cards, post cards and catalog at very reasonable prices. They can even make the designs for me! This is highly recommended to people who need supplies printed for their businesses.

As for our printer, I'm glad we really did buy it. The kids are happy and if they are happy, so am I. (*wink*)

Happiness is...

1. Photoshoot with my brother and the Hubby
2. Judith McNaught's Whitney my Love, I so love the book! It definitely made my day.
3. My daily dose of Twitter and Instagram
4. Window (online) shopping
5. Jollibee's Chickenjoy
6. The Yaya is back...
7. And I'm back to work too!
8. Nescafe's White Coffee
9. Free tacos and more at Taco Bell, thank you BPI!
10. Frostings Cupcakes from Cathy

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

The kids' Yaya took a vacation since Thursday last week so I'm officially a SAHM now. I would say it is very challenging since I only have one helper with me when Hubby goes to work. She's just relatively new and don't have experience with work yet so I had to train her too while I tend to the needs of the kids.

There are times that I just want to yell (blame it on the very hot weather that I feel like I'm inside a sauna) because I'm very stressed out, but when they are taking a nap already and everything is very quiet, I would tell myself that I'm at the right track.

And seeing these faces are enough to make me think of the brighter side of things...

Now, I'm glad that my little Andie is getting better from fever, coughs and colds. She haven't eaten for days! But this morning, she started eating again. Thank God for that.

As for the Ate, she's cranky every now and then and cries when I don't agree with what she wants, but at the end of the day, she says sorry and promises not to be a cranky little girl anymore.

I still thank God for days when we don't have a Yaya. At least I get to really be hands on to the kids and because of that, I get know them all over again.

I've read that there's a movie in 1995 that was shown, Two for the Money starred by Al Pacino, Rene Russo and Mathew McConaughey. It was about a guy whose career ended which then lead him to sports betting. It seems like a nice movie. I should check out the video stores if this is still available. The football player was injured which ended his career. He then becomes part of the largest sports consultant firm in the United States. Thanks to his inside knowledge and understanding of the football world, he was able to take unbelievable amount of money. Unfortunately, it's gambling so his lavish lifestyle soon turns to nothing.

It's a good movie to watch espeically if you are into online sports betting. There's nothing wrong with it but you have to be cautious and should know your limitations. SportsBettingSpot.com will give you tips on what to do and watch out for. A website that offers online sports betting news, team stats, betting odds, best bonuses, win predictions, tips and tricks. With this website you get to learn how to bet on sports and they make sure you bet smart. They have all the articles you need from baseball betting to football to basketball. If you are new in sports, they also have articles for you available in the website. They have such a very informative website, if I must say. It makes me want to do the sports bet myself. Oh well, probably one of these days.

Happiness is...

1. Free KAOS tickets thanks to the in-laws!
2. In-laws' 43rd Wedding Anniversary
3. Dinner at Red Crab, Newport Mall
4. Bonding with the little girls for 1 week
5. My brother is here for a vacation!
6. Air Conditioner for this super HOT weather
7. Selecta's Coffee Crumble
8. 1 Slice of Banoffee Pie
9. Pixie's Inihaw na Bangus
10. Andie and Hubby are better now. Thank you so much, Lord!

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

I was so happy to received this very cute Mother's Day card last May 8.

The Ate made this and added Baby A's name on the card too. I heard the Hubby and Ate A talking about this days before Mother's day and she was so excited to let me see it. So sweet of my girls. And Hubby too!

Thanks Dada, Ate A and Baby A! (*wink*)

Would you know?

Honestly, it's hard to think of what to give to couples who are spending their anniversaries. Wine is just too common and predictable. And what if only one of the couple drinks?

It's hard to give out flowers too since only the woman would appreciate it.

I'm thinking of giving makers mark cigars, the classic and expensive ones, since this can be bought online now. I can buy a box of 25 or just a single one of each brand. This is perfect for couples who smokes cigar. Ratings of the cigars at Famous-Smoke.com are really good and looks like most of the people who bought from them are happy. They couple don't have to used it too. They can probably store it somewhere and collect these. This would be a good idea.

Another option is to give an Anniversary card or letter. Not everyone gives this out anymore so this would be really appreciated.

How about you? Any suggestions on what to give out as gifts for Anniversaries?

Aside from swimming, relaxing and having fun at Boracay, we also had food tripping and tried out the food that we won't find here in Manila. I listed the restaurants that we were going to try but since the kids were whining as soon as we get them out of the pool we just decided to buy food and then bring it to our room. We still had fun anyway!

We had our first lunch at the resort since we already arrived past 2PM. The kids cannot contain their excitement. As I mentioned before, they couldn't eat because they wanted to swim immediately. We had chicken wings and puttanesca for lunch.

On our first night, we decided to check out Station 2 and we ended up at Gasthof.

Our breakfast was served at the resort for free. On our second day, we had it served in our room, on our third and fourth day, we had our food served by the beach. It was memorable!


For lunch, we just couldn't get enough of the beach and were too lazy to go out, so we decided to order again at the resort. The food was good.


For our dinner and lunch the next day, I just bought shrimps, crabs, and liempo and have it cooked at D' Talipapa. We had a feast! I'm glad I was able to try it once again when we were there.

Of course, since the kids love shakes, we had them try Jonah's Shakes. They loved it of course.


For our final lunch in Boracay, we had a very sumptious lunch at Astoria, Station 2 before leaving.


I was expecting our meal times would be stressful since the little girls are kind of hard to feed but I was wrong. Both of them ate on their own and were well-behaved. I guess they were just hungry! LOL!

Oh, I miss Boracay. Especially now that the weather is sooo hot! How I wish I could go back there again soon. Who knows, maybe next year?

After planning this date for 2 days (yes, 2 days thanks to Twitter), I met with a couple of MBAPS yesterday for lunch and movie date. Thanks to Hubby who promised to take care of the little girls, I had the opportunity to spend some time with these good friends of mine.

I was able to see Makati again! I may live very near this city but still, the only time I can go there is when I meet friends like the MBAPS. The steel buildings and the huge malls never fail to amazed me. When I checked out TigerSteelBuildings.com, I would I'd be proud of our Makati buildings in the Philippines. But if ever we would need more experience,TigerSteelBuildings.com has workshops for kids who is interested. And who knows, one of these kids will make a really unforgettable steel building one day.

Anyway, we had lunch at Marcianos which was my first time. I loved the food so much and hopefully I get to bring Hubby there one of these days. We watched "Something Borrowed". We actually agreed on watching this together because all of us read the book and we all loved it.

The movie was a nice version of the book. They added a couple of characters which made the movie a little funny. Kate Hudson was a great Darcy. I loved her!

Our (MBAPS) time together was very limited since most of us needed to go home right after the movie. So I'm hoping to see these girls again. (*wink*)

It was nice to see you, Aggie, Joy, Jody, Jacqui, Kelly, and Toni!

Happiness is...

1. Mother's Day!
2. Sunday TV Mass by Father Orbos
3. Massage Gift from the Hubby
4. The little girls' Mother's Day card
5. Kopi, Kaya Toast and Soft Boiled Eggs
6. Bonding with Hubby and the kids
7. Swimming the whole day at Amana Waterpark last Saturday
8. Coffee!
9. Planning for a movie date with the Hubby soon
10. Bulacan's chicharon

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

When the kids discover the beauty of Boracay, they made the most out of it. They swam the whole mornings and afternoons. They only took a break when it was time to eat. Heck, they didn't even want to EAT! LOL! I couldn't blame them, Boracay is a place where you forget your daily routine, your worries and responsibilities. A place where you want to stay for months!

I had to admit, this trip with the kids was waaay different from our previous trips in Boracay. This time, we made the most out of the beach and stayed at the resort only. We only get to visit Station 2 twice. On our first night and on our last lunch there.

I'm glad we had this kind of vacation, it was relaxing and I get to appreciate Boracay in a different way.

We went out at night too! But just to sit down under the stars, ordered a few drinks and then stared at the beach.



It was a short night out but we all went back to the room happy and ready to retire for the night.

I would love to get this promo before the month of May ends!

Here are the details...

* Buy one whole regular Max's Fried Chicken for only P299.
* Promotion is exclusive only for takeout transactions.
* A customer can only purchase a maximum of 5 orders per day.
* This promotion is not valid in conjunction with other promos and discounts.

Good news is that it is valid at all Max's Restaurant nationwide. Hurry, promo period is from May 1 to 31, 2011 only!

I'm in the mood for taking tests today!

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISFP)

Your personality type is caring, peaceful, artistic, and calm. Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 8% of all women and 6% of all men You are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving.

Now, why am I surprised? All the while I was thinking my personality is so common. This one totally made me think twice.

I had fun taking this test, try it too! (*wink*)

Happiness is...

1. Cooking Mama (Ate A loved it!) - Thanks to my friend Joy who recommended it
2. Getting better
3. Kids are getting better too
4. Mom got a job!
5. My brother is going home SOOOOON!!!
6. Hubby's Mother's Day Gift - a massage. Yeah baby!!!
7. Dinner with YFC friends last week
8. Online rakets
9. IPhone from my Dad
10. Instagramming!

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

After we've experienced ALL the transporations that we can think of, we finally arrived Boracay! You see, after our flight with Cebu Pacific which landed at Caticlan, we rode a tricycle to go to the Caticlan port. Then off we went to ride a boat to Boracay. And then some guy from White House Resort fetched us and had us rode a multicab to go to the resort.

So YES! Finally, we arrived, a little exhausted, but really excited for this trip. The kids were CRANKY, not because they were hungry (it was around 2PM already and we haven't had a decent lunch yet) but because they wanted to plunge into the pool and swim as soon as they can. I tried to make them eat first, but they just couldn't wait any longer. I can't blame them, the water was very inviting with the scorching heat at 2PM. So I ate my lunch in peace while the kids and Hubby were already in the pool. Hubby and I took turns in taking our lunch.

When we finally settled in and done with our late lunch, we explored the beach! The kids were hesitant with the idea since they fell in love with the swimming pool already. I promised them that the best is yet to come. (*grin*)

True enough, when they saw the powdery white sands, they were shocked and grinning. They just couldn't understand how a sand would feel like Boracay's white sand. Ate A even asked, "Is this powder, Mama?" Funny right? This the moment when Hubby and I were so glad we brought them there. When I discovered Boracay I was already in College and yet I was mesmerized by Boracay's beauty. I can imagine how my kids felt when they saw it the first time.

Literally, they didn't want to get out of the water. I convinced them to take a rest by playing in the sand.


After that, they wanted to go back to the pool. LOL! This is when we realized that we were just staying in Station 1 for the rest of our stay.

I almost forgot to post this! The month of April flew by so quickly. Probably because we were having so much fun! We love this summer, I just hope the weather gets a little cooler in the next few days.

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
- Judith McNaught's Double Standards - read it in 2 nights and I'm reading it all over again
- The Sun Witch - still not done!

What movies and/or TV shows did I watch this month?
- Rio, Love and Other Drugs, Spiderman 1, Hannah Montana

What special days did I celebrate and how?
- FIL's 70th birthday
- Despedida for relatives from the US

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
- We gave FIL a mouse that he can use with his laptop

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
- I had a bad cough and so are the kids

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
- Dinner to celebrate FIL's birthday, went to dinner cruise and dinner again with the relatives
- Lunch date with my college blockmates (Jing, Marge and Ian) at Via Mare
- Went to Boracay during the Holy Week
- Lunch out treat by my sister at Gram's Diner (Thanks for the lunch!)
- Easter Egg hunting with CFC household
- Dinner with Ercs & Sofia and Farrah & Erik
- Watched RIO with Kuya Mike (thanks for the treat!)

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
- Harborview, Manila Bay
- Wee Nam Kee, Ayala Triangle
- Italliani's
- Via Mare
- Gram's Diner (Super Yum!)

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
- Haven't bought anything this month except for a coverup from Nothing But Water in Boracay.
- My Dad finally gave me his Iphone 3gs. Thank you so much DAD!!!

What were this month's disappointments?
- Had a lot of stressful issues with our househelp. I hope I will find a replacement really, really soon.

What were my accomplishments this month?
- No shopping for the month of April! That's really an accomplishment! ;)

TO the Mommies out there, you might want to check this out...

Lots of great finds are in store for the whole family on May 14 to 15, 2011, 10:30AM to 7PM at the World Trade Center (Tent Area). Pay only PHP50.00 for adults and FREE for kids of all ages and Yayas. See you there! (*wink*)