What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
- Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern
- If You COuld See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern
- Currently reading Enchanted, Inc by Shanna Swendson
What movies and/or TV shows did I watch this month?
- We Bought a Zoo - such a nice movie!
- iHop movie
- The only show that I remember watching this month:
- Pacquiao - Bradley Fight
- American Idol Final episodes
What special days did I celebrate and how?
- Erica's Birthday at Omakase
- Father's Day
- Rap's Birthday at Vikings
What gifts did I give and/or receive?
- Gift for Hubby, FIL and Rap
What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
- The girls are having cough right now :(
What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
- Watched Pacquiao - Bradley Fight
- Potluck lunch at the inlaws for Father's Day
- Dinner and Coffee with Ercs and Farrah
- Early dinner at Vikings for Rap's Birthday
- The girls started school again!
What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
- Superbowl, Glorietta
- Omakase Japanese Resto (thanks Ercs for the treat!)
- Bizu Desserts
- Vikings Saturday Dinner
- Crystal Jade, Greenhills
- Mesa
- J. Co Donuts (YUM!)
What special or unusual purchases did I make?
- MNG and Zara sale purchases (*grin*)
What were this month's disappointments?
- None
What were my accomplishments this month?
- Baby girl had a successful first day of school. The Ate is surviving the early morning wakeup call.
It's the time of the year again when mid year sales are all over the malls!
My favorite shops - Mango and Zara are currently on sale. So just like last year, I went crazy over the sales and shopped over the budget. I nearly maxed out my credit card! (but my credit limit was not that big in the first place anyway. HA!). Shopping has given me an ultimate "high". Probably because I only allow myself to splurge ONCE a year and it is during this season of sales. Good thing I get an Instant Approval Credit Card while I was paying or else it would be a long wait to call the bank with my purchases.
I love the instant approval of credit cards. I heard that you can also get the same instant thing in Credit Card City. They have tons of options for a credit card. So you may get a customized credit card that is according to your needs and current way of spending. I guess this is a perfect setup for me since I don't really shop that much. I only get to shop at least once or twice a year so I can get a credit card that would work on my lifestyle.
As for the mid-year sales, I better stop myself or else I won't be able to shop in the next few months!
The Ate started school two weeks ago. She was very excited and so looking forward to meet new friends. It turns out that some of her classmates from Kinder were also her classmates now. She was more than happy. Now, she is adjusting to the subjects (since she has 9 subjects all in all) and so far, she is excited to learn more. She's a little behind in reading and Filipino so we need to work out those areas from now on.
As for her schedule, she wakes up an hour earlier than last year. I thought it would be a challenge for her but it seems like she wakes up as soon as her Dada wakes her up. Thank you Lord! We also try to sleep as early as 8:30PM so that is probably the reason why too.
As for the baby girl, she also started school this year. Yes, her first time!
After her crying episodes during her summer classes two years ago, I was kind of nervous for her on her first day. But lo and behold, I was definitely exaggerating because it turned out, she was so, so excited for school. :)
I waited for her to cry but thankfully, she did not. So happy for my Booch! :)
Now, we are all starting to adjust to our new schedule and hopefully, we get to incorporate study time fast so that things will go well as planned.
1. We are all getting by with our new routine these days
2. Dinner at Vikings (again) over the weekend
3. Rest, rest, rest!
4. Shakey's Bunch of Lunch
5. The girls are enjoying school :)
6. Catching up on my reading
7. Study time!
8. KFC
9. I'm still having headaches but I'm getting better, thank you Lord!
10. "If you could See me now" by Cecelia Ahern
To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.
One night, Hubby and I decided to have an impromptu date since we haven't done this for awhile. Since I was craving for a real mean dessert, we decided to give Maitre Chocolatier a try.
I was actually able to try their branch in Ayala, Cebu and I loved their Bailey's martini drink so much. So I suggested that Hubby order it while I ordered Churros con Chocolate. I also paired it up with tea just so it wouldn't be too sweet.
We loved everything we ordered and looks like we are going back to try the other options in the menu.
Hopefully SOON!
When you have two preschoolers around the house, the last thing in your mind is to decorate the house with candles. But I was amazed at my discovery this morning, I found out that there is such as a thing as battery operated candles.
Aren't these cool?
SmartCandle.com offers these nice rechargeable candles. Perfect for homes like ours. The evolution of LED lighting takes a giant leap forward with their flameless Evolution Lighting System. It says in their website that, with the brightest LED, longest lasting battery, induction charging system, and optional theft deterrent, this system is the best system you can buy. We can actually use their completely sealed candles for indoor and outdoor.
Not only these candles are safe, it also saves electricity on our part. I love that it is stylish and with all the designs to choose from, I know I can find something that would match our current furniture.
There is a trial set that I'm thinking of getting just to try since the price of a set is not that cheap. So I need to find out if it works in our house or not. But just looking at the details makes me really excited about this. I really hope it would work!
Our summer was packed!
It was probably the best summer so far. One of the things that made us busy was the birthday parties that we attended during summer.
Boy, you won't believe that we celebrated a total of six kiddie birthday parties, one 80th birthday party and one major dinner at Vikings to celebrate in laws anniversary.
1. Marga's 7th Birthday (March)
Marga is Ate A's classmate in school and she invited us on her Hello Kitty party.
2. Andree's Swimming Party (March)
Andree is Ate A's another classmate who invited us to her swimming party.
It was fun!
3. Margaux's 7th Rockstar party (March)
We all had a blast at Margaux's 7th Rockstar Party!
More details, here.
4. Austin's Angry Bird's Party
Angry Birds were everywhere at Austin's 7th party!
Check it out, here.
5. Ysabelle's Strawberry Shortcake Party
In the middle of summer, we met Ate A's classmates again with their Mommies and Daddies at Ysabelle's 7th birthday party.
6. Sophia's Paris' Themed Party
Well, I wasn't kidding when I said our summer was packed! We all had a grand time. It was pretty tiring but the kids, they were over the moon. Best summer, ever!!!
Our schedule these days has changed drastically. Since school has started, everyone in the house wakes up as early as 5AM. Poor little girls. That would mean one thing, I also wake up to check on them and prepare them to school. Because of that, I almost got sick and was too tired last week, I couldn't go out after work.
Is this the sign of old age? Gone are the days when I stay up until 4AM and wake up at 6AM to go to work. I only had 2 hours of sleep but I would still go out afterwards. I was that strong and I miss my body that way.
Now, I wonder how it would feel like to be on menopausal stage. I couldn't imagine the things that I will be going through. Good thing there are actually supplements that I can drink when I first notice the first symptoms of menopause. It is a natural and safe solution for most common symptoms of menopause. With Amberen you will take 2 capsules a day for 90 days (take note that you may have to take 4 capsules a day if your symptoms are heavy). But, I'm happy to tell you that the capsules are very small and easy to swallow. So no need to worry! I love that there is a 92.6% satisfaction rate so this could work for me. There are also Amberen deals on Twitter that I saw this morning. I think I'm going to follow them.
I'm glad there are already supplements like this in the market. All I have to do is read more about it and hopefully buying online would be a breeze!
Now that school has officially started, I'm loving my "me" time these days...
Now, I can catch up on my reading!
Although I miss the chaos in the house and the kids' noise and everything. But based on their stories about school, they are enjoying it so much.
I was honestly disappointed with the first part of Breaking Dawn. I was expecting more from their acting since the movie and all was really good. So I don't know if I feel excited for the second part.
Here's the teaser which I find really interesting...
Because of this trailer, I'm thinking, maybe I should watch it when it opens in November. We'll see!
After a quick shopping and lunch at Orchard Road, off we went back to the hotel to wait for our ride to the airport.
It didn't take a while until our driver arrived then off we went to the airport. As always, the line for the check-in counter was very long so the kids waited at the play area.
They were actually looking forward to play in this playground. Good thing we still got time.
After we checked in our luggages, everything happened so quickly. We went to the departure area right away. I shopped at the duty free shop for chocolates and candies. And I bought a couple of stuff from 7-11.
Since everybody had a quick lunch, we suddenly felt hungry so we had snacks before our flight.
It's Siew Mai! Yummy!
Goodbye for now Singapore! We had a great time! Hopefully, we get to see you again in the next couple of years.
1. Loots from Hongkong (thanks Kuya!)
2. Successful first day of the second little girl
3. Our schedule is starting to settle down on our second week of school
4. Quick shopping at MNG last week
5. Father's Day Lunch at Crystal Jade
6. Greenhills shopping!
7. I'm feeling better now
8. Father's Day celebration at the inlaws
9. Vietnamese Salad
10. "If You Could See Me Now" by Cecelia Ahern
To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.
In every travel that we had, we always allot our last day for shopping. This means, it is usually our most stressful day. Ha! That is because we had to squeeze a few hours, at most, 3 hours to shop and eat before heading to the airport for our 5PM flight.
I was so glad that my brother in SG took the day off on our last day! With this, he was able to go shop with me and we even had lunch together too!
As always, I went to my favorite Bugis Junction, bought a couple of cheap stuff for the kids. Unfortunately, since it was a holiday (labor day), most of the shops were still closed. It was too hot too, so I decided to just go back to Orchard Road.
I realized that I didn't have much time anymore but I was hungry so we decided to have lunch first. My brother treated me at Old Town White Coffee.
He introduced me to the famous Malay food called Nasi Lemak.
Paired it with cold milk tea and it was a perfect lunch before going home.
Thanks brother dear for the treat! And thanks for going with me to my favorite shops! (*wink*)
Our time at the USS was cut short because of our dinner at Din Tai Fung with our relatives. I didn't mind because I knew that it's going to be a sumptuous dinner!
I've heard a lot of good things about Din Tai Fung and I've always wanted to eat here whenever we are in Singapore but, we just didn't have either the time or the energy to look for it. I heard that there are always lines before you can get a seat so I would always think that it was not worth it.
But, I was wrong...
Our relatives made a reservation for us for our dinner. Good thing they did, because the place was packed! Lines were slowly building up too!
When our table was ready, we just let our relatives order for us since it was our first time. They got a couple of appetizers, a whole lot of Xiao Long Bao (which made my mouth water when I still think about it until now), fried rice and more dimsum (fried & steamed).
Aaaaah...it was one of the best dinners we ever had in Singapore! I love, love Din Tai Fung! They have branches in Singapore, Taiwan and Hongkong. Hopefully, we find time to try it if ever we visit these countries.
Din Tai Fung...FTW!
I tell you, we've been eating a LOT these days. It all started in our Singapore trip where we met a couple of relatives for dinner. We had two dinners there where we literally over ate. One in Clarke Quay and the other in Din Tai Fung.
When we got back from Singapore, it's as if we've been eating out every weekend! There are always reasons to eat out this month, I guess. There's Mother's Day, my in-laws' anniversary, Father's Day, watched Pacquiao - Bradley fight and we are also celebrating a nephew's birthday soon! All this in two months!
So, I guess I have to double my exercise time. I also need to drink more supplements or anti obesity drugs just like the drugs at http://www.shoppharmacycounter.com/t-phentermine.aspx. These are drugs I can buy online but first I must go through series of physical exams. So they can determine if these are really suitable for me. I must also obtain doctor's prescription too. I guess it's pretty effective based on comments or testimonials I read online.
I also need to figure out how to minimize my food intake! I NEED to be on a DIET soon! I just have to start somewhere. And I guess for this matter, it has to start from my own conviction that I will be eating less starting today.
On our recent trip to Singapore last April/May, we were able to re-visit USS again! So this is our second time already. Inspite of this, we were still excited since we didn't get to finish checking out the entire USS. We missed the half part which is the Holywood Blvd.
Just like our first visit 2 years ago, we arrived late in USS, around 12noon already. This is because we were tired from our activities the previous day. At least with this, we were able to rest a bit for another busy day ahead of us.
The scorching heat and the blazing sun didn't stop us from getting photos at the USS entrance.
I was so happy, inspite of the heat, the kids were in the mood for photo taking!
We checked out Holywood Blvd as soon as we were inside and we were just in time for a street performance!
We stayed a bit to watch the dance and then off we went to the Transformers Ride! The area that is new and I've been looking forward to seeing.
The line was too long so we decided to have lunch first. We went back to the diner and then had hamburgers, fries and softdrinks. Yes, I said goodbye to diet for the day!
After lunch, we tried the Transformers ride and I would say, better than The Mummy Ride! This is the best ride for me in USS! ♥
The kids are getting bored so we decided to bring them to Far Far Away land. My favorite place in USS.
Just like what we did in our first visit, we tried Shrek 4D, watched the Donkey Show and bought a couple of souvenirs at the Potion Store.
We also get to try the Carouscel at the Madagascar area!
Lastly, before going home, we tried the Jurassic Park ride which is my first time. Love, love it! I was prepared to get wet so I changed clothes before we head back to our next stop for the day which is the Paragon Mall for our dinner at Din Tai Fung.
I would to go back to USS again. Not in the near future though, but hopefully in the next few years.
1. Little girl's first day of school today
2. Good to see her old classmates in her new class
3. Online tasks
4. Figarro's Coffee
5. Shopping for school supplies
6. Me time last Monday
7. Window Shopping
8. Excited for upcoming Salessss. Hopefully soon!
9. Parent Orientation
10. Watching Pacquiao - Bradley Fight with the family
To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.
Summer is officially over.
I used to get sad because our late movie night is over. No more weekday bonding time with the girls. No more sleeping in for the girls. But, I should be excited because there a lot in store for them this school year! They should get excited too!
If summer is over, it also means one thing, it is time for our airconditioner maintenance. We do this at least twice a year. This time we are checking out Air conditioning repair chandler since we noticed that our air conditioner was pretty used up this summer. The heat was just impossible to bear! This is probably the reason why we need to repair.
I found a company that offers these type of repairs called Sexton Heating & Airconditioning. If you are not sure if it needs a repair or not but not functioning right, you can have it evaluated by filling out their Start Service form. It's pretty easy, just follow the steps in the website. I believe that equipment such as air conditioners should be left in great hands and I can see that Sexton Heating would do a great job on this one.
Yes during our previous trips to Singapore, we haven't had a chance to check out Clarke Quay. So when I learned that our relatives invited us for dinner there, I was ecstatic!
I fell in love with the place the moment I sat at the restaurant. The weather was humid, but I didn't mind, the ambiance was too nice to complain. And besides, we were sitting near the river, so it was windy every now and then. ♥
We had drinks and beer first before the sumptuous food was served! You won't believed how much we ate during dinner.
The Appetizers...
This yummy salad which includes, lettuce, egg, chicken and a whole lot more! I love this...
This one is the smaller plate and there were I think 4 bigger plates of this one. So Yummy!
The Tempura came when we were so full already. But still, it didn't stop me from eating it...
I would say it was the best Japanese dinner we ever had so far! Our relatives made us really full, the food was just overwhelming (in a good way).
After dinner, we stayed and checked out the rest of Clarke Quay for a couple of minutes. Then off we went back to the hotel to call it a night.
Clarke Quay is LOVE!