The one with surprise

Surprise because I was surprised too of the turn of events.  Oct 28 in the morning i saw a post from a co-n@wie who shared about airphilexpress promo.  The promo is a whopping 888 base fare for one way ticket to singapore, including the taxes, a round trip ticket is 3k in price. not bad at all. i immediately texted my sisters in law and asked if they want to join.  Initially, i wanted to book for our parents as well but the price price is just too much as this is not really planned at all.  So i asked my sisters if they want to join and share in with the cost for our parents' fares.  Jane instantly said yes so i called achie and before we knew it, i was on the line talking to her already and we were booking simultaneously so we'd get the same travel dates and time. hahaha.

So June 2011, prepare for the Tans!

The one with trying to make it right

I'm here again with my weight loss issues (yes, it has become an issue already!) and after all the eat outs and my post entries about family gatherings, now i feel guilty of all the weight i know i'd gain a few days from today. sigh. i started doing a small exercise routine that my husband taught me. heck, dont judge me. it's really a simple routine. i can't start with the high-profile ones just yet.  I know the right attitude is needed for this to be effective. Think sexy jacque, think! haha. My weighing scales (yes in plural form) will indicate the same hideous weight that i'am in now. i'd have to say hideous so i'd get motivated to do something about it.

i really hope simone got her dad's body frame and metabolism...hahaha.

The one with battery included

Our Vin is only 10 months old and when one morning, I had a hard time starting him, I wondered what the heck happened. He just had his 15km check up, impossible naman that it's an engine problem.  And so it was, we needed to have the battery replaced as it became defective.  Good thing though it's under warranty.  I had to give credit to Mitsubishi evolander branch here in taytay.  I know it's customer service pero it's not the branch where we got our car, and the problem that we had was not even an engine problem but a battery problem that they had technically no connection with. But they accepted our request and did'nt charge us of anything. as in nada. all customer service. katuwa :)

Getting the car now was the problem.  I was using my dad in law's car that time when they called me and asked me to pick up the car already.  I don't know how to drive two cars at the same time. haha. so when i got our car, i parked it in front of mitsubishi, told simon's uncle to pick up our car there. he did'nt know where it was so i gave specific instructions that it was just in front of Federal hardware where he always buys our things for our party set-ups, it's not as complete as a Baldwin hardware but at least everything we need can be found there. :)

Glad Vin is ok na, perfect for the weekend parties again :) Thank you Lord!

The one with 38

It's Popsie and Lola's 38th anniversary today! I did'nt realize that October is such an occasion-filled month for our families.  We had like three major events that we celebrated and the diet was ruined. (what diet?!)

we had a simple dinner at their house. No need for chair slipcovers, we ordered food from Isaw Haus, bought pizzas from Shakey's, and i bought cake from Conti's.  I also bought hotdogs to experiment on the corndogs. yummy!  we also made fried cookies ala mode. yummy! we had sugar overload with all the desserts. :) The conti's cake was a hit. super yummy and it was really a chocolate overload.

Happy anniversary popsie and lola! May God continue to bless your marriage. We love you!

The one with trick or treat - 2nd

It's the same venue that we had to go to -- Fun Ranch.  And this event is sponsored by my sister-in-law's company at Sykes.  We generally had fun.  We used my dad-in-law's car going there because our Vin's battery is breaking down on us and we need to have it replaced.  Good thing though that it's still under warranty. It's just a hassle having to bring it to the casa and unfortunately, they don't have a spare battery to replace Vin's battery so Vin had to stay there until the get one.  I felt like looking for a battery is like looking for one of those Ferrari parts since they needed to call a lot of battery offices to confirm if they can have it replaced..  I hope it won't take that long.

Anyway, we started the day dropping by my sister-in-law's office to meet her officemates and they gave some treats to the kids. :) It was cute.  Simone and Justin were on their matching Woody and Jesse outfits. soo cute and adorable! Then we headed to Fun Ranch and stood in line for registration.  The expected kids are 650 so an expected crowd of over a thousand were there. The were shows, free rides, free food (spaghetti and hamburger), free popcorn and cotton candy, free photobooth and treats! Simone had her pumpkin full from the  lootbags given by the sponsors and while we were waiting on the photobooth line, we were going thru the treats munching some of them. hahaha.

We rode the train that justin loves so much. And then the carousel which simone loves too.  Although it was raining and there were a lot of people, we still had fun. :) Thanks bebs!

The one with dreamless dream

Have you ever had a dream you can't remember? Or you're not even sure if you had a dream but you felt like you had one? It's so weird but I had it last night.  I can't remember anything, and i can't remember if i really dreamt something. Just bothersome. Makes me want to think to buy an orthopedic mattress that said to help in sleep and have those sweet dreams.  haha. Maybe i was tired having to run after two kids during trick or treating yesterday. :) Another post on that one

The one with Howl-o-walk

For Simone's first trick or treat event this year, we were able to go to Fun Ranch's Howl-O-walk event last Oct. 24, 2010.  Before i post their pictures (which are still in the husband's phonecam), let me share with you my take about the event.

* I knew from the start the there are not so many establishments in fun ranch, thus, less treats for the kids but since it's free, we opted to go. harhar.
*It's really hot there.  Even if there were fans, ceiling fans or wall fans, it would'nt be enough. I remember we seldom go there since the place is outdoors and then some establishments are airconed and going in and out of the aircon and non-aircon rooms can make kids sick. So when we had the trick or treat, I changed simone to her Zoe costume, a little more comfortable outfit than her Jesse outfit.  I saw some babies in overalls and really thick clothing.  Although i found it really cute, it's just so hot that they'd cry afterwards. :(
*The organizers were okay.  It's just that i hope they gave more leeway for the non-registered participants.  Apparently, it's an online pre-registration but i think about 75% of the participants there were non-registered (including us) so we have to wait an hour more from the start of the event to give way for the registered participants.  About 15 minutes before our time, i asked if we could line up already so we could get first.  And she said no as we'd have to wait exactly at 4pm.  I did'nt get it. Lining up will make their lives easier but she did'nt allow it. But other moms still lined up so we lined up as well. haha.
*Our kids enjoyed the treats.  Their pumpkins did'nt get full but it was a good experience :)

We're off to another trick or treating today! :)

The one with best deals program

I'm hooked with two new sites that i visit everyday to check what's the latest promo in the metro.  And i'd like to share it with you.

Ensogo
Cashcashpinoy

These two sites work about the same way.  They offer really tempting promos for as high as 80% discounts. pretty cool right? But here are my unsolicited advices to help you before you purchase a transaction

1.  Make sure to call the merchant or the store offering the promo.  There are contact numbers listed and confirm about the promo.  There are reported instances that they can also offer almost the same promo even if you're not a member, thus, defeats the purpose of availing the said promo thru these sites.

2.  Read the terms and conditions of the merchant or store. Dont be easily swayed with the price-offs without reading the terms and conditions

3.  Other than that, you can enjoy their promos!

I tried buying one thru paypal and spent $4 or 175 pesos for a massage in a salon in rockwell. I have'nt used the voucher yet but got excited about the price. haha.  I just hope they'll offer more promos from other companies, or better yet vacations or family getaway promos.  Would love to avail those, be it in the philippines, Branson vacations or any other place.

Click on the links above and see for yourself. :)

The one with almost five

I was reading one of my  favorite blogs and he posted an entry about their weekend getaway in batangas.  I did'nt know batangas has really nice resorts now and i tried to surf the resort they stayed in and others he mentioned and thought to myself, "why this will be a nice way to celebrate our anniversary"

Yes, december 22, 2010 marks our 5th anniversary. can you believe how time flies so fast. as in i still could'nt believe that almost five years have gone by.  :)  The resorts i checked are really, really nice. (haha, change topic agad) Acuatico resort in San Juan, Batangas really left a good impression.  I got interested with the place. As in it's perfect for a family getaway, a good place with a nice pool and beach...even more perfect for renewal of vows! It would'nt be much like Orlando vacations i'd read about but it will be as memorable as well. :)

I showed it to my sister in law last night (yes, she got to know about my idea first than my husband...oh come to think of it, i havent told it to him yet. hahaha) and she was loved it too! For proofs of what i'm talking about, I got some pics from my favorite blog.  hope we can go here soon! :)

On second thought, will it be a good time to go there in december??? hmm...

The one with finally getting one

He finally got it. His new baby. Although it's not the latest model, he's happy he got one...finally...

My husband, whenever he's up to something, i'd definitely feel his desire need. haha. When he started doing some reserch about iphones and when i noticed how much he spends time surfing the net about user reviews or taking a peek of its prices on his favorite online store, I know that it would'nt be long before he finally decides to buy one. I never deprived him of anything. I guess he knew from the start what his limitations are and that's what's good about him. And we also have the same principle of "upgrading on a minimum", meaning selling what you have currently so you would'nt have to splurge so much or cash out a chunk of money to upgrade your tech needs. ;) So when we offered his Samsung to me, i knew that this is it. hahaha. and days after, he bought it.

Enjoy your gadget beh. :)

The one with 59 years

When children are asked who do they love the most, i think about 90% would answer their moms. And the same is true as to how i feel about my mother. although my love for my husband is on a different level, my love for my mom is at its highest. She may not probably feel it the way she should but she knows that we all love her. While I was growing up, I've always made a way to strangle with my mom, literally and figuratively. I think it's because we're so much alike that up to now, when we have our differences, i just stop and rethink before i answer her back knowing that we clash because we are so alike. :)

I love how my mom was so hands on with us. She was a working mom but she managed to tutor us and help us with our assignments. We did'nt have a maid since high school and she's the only one preparing all our "baons" (meals) and our uniforms before she prepared hers. She was always there, always have been. :) I miss the times before when she would take me shopping after examination week, and buys me clothes as reward for my hard work. We were movie buddies. We love to watch and eat out after. We used to have regular dates and girls night out. It all changed though when i got married and all my time were focused on my own family. I know she missed those times too.

So when we went out for dinner for her 59th birthday, it was just so fun being together again with my whole family, just luaghing at each other's corny jokes (usually the corny ones come from my dad), eat to our heart's content and just have a really good time. My kuya (elder brother) gave her lots of gifts. It was like a kitchen showcase -- a pricey knife set, a blender for mom's green juice and a whistling kettle. haha, told you it's like a kitchen showcase. I, on the other hand, did'nt know what to buy for her. I wanted to buy her shoes, not like those algeria shoes (would'nt fit her age, ahehe) but did'nt exactly know what her size is now. I also considered buying a bag for her but i found out she has'nt even used the one i bought for her last christmas. she said she's saving it for a more formal occasion. harhar. So i ended up paying most of the bill that came out from Red Crab, which by the way, is sooooo yummy!!! i love the food there!

Happy bday mommy! Pictures to follow!

The one with movie review -- Extraordinary Measures

Rating: 5 stars

 It's been a while since i posted a movie review. I love this movie.  I love Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford so much.  Brendan's acting was just so believable.  How he cried, especially the scene when he found out that his kids will not be given enzymes for the clinical testings.  I cried like a well.  My eyes were swollen when i woke up this morning.

"From his working class roots, John Crowley has finally begun to taste success in corporate America. Supported by his beautiful wife Aileen and their three children, John is on the fast track. But just as his career is taking off, Crowley walks away from it all when his two youngest children, Megan and Patrick, are diagnosed with a fatal disease. With Aileen by his side, harnessing all of his skill and determination, Crowley teams up with a brilliant, but unappreciated and unconventional scientist, Dr. Robert Stonehill. Together they form a bio-tech company focused on developing a life-saving drug. One driven to prove himself and his theories, the other by a chance to save his children, this unlikely alliance eventually develops into mutual respect as they battle the medical and business establishments in a fight against the system and time.But, at the last minute, when it appears that a solution has been found, the relationship between the two men faces a final test - the outcome of which will affect the fate of John's children." (Yahoo, News)

If I must say though, it was unusual for me to watch Harrison Ford as a doctor, moreso, a biochemist.  He was convincing enough with all the terms he used discussing about pompe disease, terms he used like glucosamine chondroitin msm and other medical terms made him like a dork, haha.  I guess I was just used to watching him as Indiana Jones.

While watching it, I was praying that Crowley's kids will survive.  It's very moving how optimistic they were about their situation and showed that their lives are faith in flesh.  He gave up everything to save his children.  After watching it, I began to think that I should be more grateful that God gave us a healthy kid.  That I would'nt have to worry about her turning nine (Pompe kids were believed to have a life span of nine years) and that i need to think about these things whenever i'am at my wits end trying to make simone obey me or trying to make her stop from being so restless.

A lot of things to ponder...watch it. :)

The one with another follower

I've always loved her blog.  Whenever i visit it, i'd always end up admiring her passion on the things she loves to write about...fashion, BAGS, and what's hot.  She's very passionate as a writer, giving every reader  a piece of her mind.  And after reading her blog, bags are leveled up to its highest definition :)  And so yes, I'm a follower.  I'm an avid fan.  I don't collect designer bags but i love her passion for it, and it's becoming contagious. yikes!

I saw her blog popular in web directories and thought to myself if she'll ever run out of things to say about bags? Apparently, never. haha. Want to know what i'm talking about...visit her at http://thebaghagdiaries.com

Happy reading!

The one with shopping starts early

Every year, I promise myself that I'd shop a little earlier than anybody else to avoid the christmas rush. It took me about two christmas seasons to finally get the hang of early christmas shopping. hahaha. I was so miserable before, i'd buy gifts like two weeks before christmas and everybody's in a rush already. waah. Now, i've scheduled doing a partial shopping with achie next week. She always wants to go with me everytime i shop. haha. As in bringing all the shopping bags and walking around are things she look forward to when we go out. But whenever we shop together, i don't buy gifts for them. It's so hard to buy gifts for family. I always find myself looking for xmas gift ideas for mom, or what things dads love. Always, always, mind-boggling. hehe

This year is also different as we have assigned a specific budget for our godchildren. The list keeps on going and we'd be drained if we buy them all their "luhos" (vanity items). hahaha.

Merry Christmas everyone!!! Happy shopping!

The one with it doesn't fit

Haha, for weeks, we've been on the lookout of what gown to buy for Kookie's wedding.  And honestly, i want to get it over and done with as it's painstakingly hard to try out gowns and look at yourself in the mirror thinking that i have bulges all around. bwahaha. so when sta. lucia had a sale, i saw this nice beaded fuchsia gown and tried to fit it.  when i did, i could'nt close it on the bust area. hahaha. it was a perfect fit to waist and down but i just could'nt close it.  You know what i still did? I bought it. At least i'd be pressured enough to lose weight and hope that i could eat all the hoodia i could.

But what if it does'nt work...my mom in law is a seamstress, i'm sure she can do the magic. *wink*

The one with a peek

If you read my last post about faith in highest form, yesterday, we dropped by there and took a peek of what it would look like, aka the model house. yes last month, we reserved for our OWN house and lot. GOD is really, really good!  It was the same feeling as when we bought our first brand new car.  And the same feeling when i resigned from the corporate world.  The feeling of excitement that God has taken you to another level of Him manifesting in our lives, relief that you are entrusting everything to Him.  But i won't lie, there was also this tiny fear of a huge responsibility ahead, not knowing what lies ahead.  But you know what, that's what God loves.  He loves to see how we respond to these things and loves that we hold our future in His hands. :)

So when we went there yesterday, the model house is almost done.  So we're so happy that soon, we'll have something like that too :) yipee! thank you Lord!

Now we're making a piggy bank for "The Tan's house" just so we could add it to our account intended for the house.  The purpose of this is that when we have change or when we want to buy junk food, we will always be reminded to put these in the piggy bank and save. haha,  i hope this will turn out to be one of the best weight loss products invented. :)

More stories to come! :)

The one with weekend sale

Almost all of the malls have weekend sales! as in! so tempting to go out and look for the best buys but ever since i became a work-at-home mom, i've always preferred weekday malling. In fact, our familu day falls on a monday, where everyone else is busy going back to work. haha.

And what better way to perfectly time a sale with your christmas bonus. hahaha. i used to enjoy a 3.5month bonus before but i got used to not getting any and just enjoy what my husband gets. haha. nakiki-join na lang. :) he texted me that he got half of it already and then came a line...iphone??? or xbox 360? or ipad? and to which i replied with a "what's that again???!!!" hahaha. every year, there has always got to be a new gadget for him. i wonder what it will be this year.

Merry Christmas everyone and have a safe and fun shopping weekend!!! :)

The one with bargains

I so love bargains. It makes me always feel like I spend my money wisely (or most of the time, my husband's money -- hahaha) and when one n@wie shared a link for cash cash pinoy site, i was so intrigued.  And true enough, i visited the site and found really nice deals. They have deals that they only offer on the day itself, like the first one i bought was a 50% off spa at Verdance Salon in Rockwell. I really thought this is a good deal.  Sometimes, they offer products on sale too. Like showcasing the best acne product, or 30% off on certain items. But the bottomline is you get to save really or they just make me think i was able to save??? harhar.

check the site here: http://www.cashcashpinoy.com/referme.php?c=1df1bef8-c97e-1ed7-eebe-ad78b2052be4 and join so i'd have P100 for your first purchase. hahaha, of course there's a catch! bwahaha

The one with Sideshow

God is good that He allowed Simon to join a christian band and that his first album is a christian album.  Introducing, Sideshow... a group of musicians whose mission is to share God's word through music. Please like their Fan page on facebook.

Albums are already out at P250.00 only! Let me know if you want a copy. They have a series of tours lined up as well, feels like you'd need a miami car rental due to the long distances of the tours. But i'm sure Simon is having so much fun. :)

Keep it up for the Lord! :)

The one with Compuserve, not to serve

I just want to rant.

My HP mini's hinges were broken so we  went to compuserve to get it fixed as they are the store recommended by HP itself.  I brought it last September 22. Upon receiving the item, the guy told us that it will only take us about 3 days to wait until we know the problem and what they will do with it and then if it's just the hinge problem only, we'd wait a maximum of one week. then we're ok with it.

Three days passed by and no one was calling me so i called only to find out that they have'nt opened the unit yet or inspected it.  I waited for another week and still no progress, it's the same condition as to how we left it there.  And then came another week. It's almost three weeks when we decided to just pull out the item and we did'nt pay anything.  I was so upset over the phone when i talked to a lady and told her "Dean shoould'nt have told us about waiting for 3 days" and then the super sarcastic girl replied "Ah si dean po yun, ako po hindi ko po sinasabi yun sa clients". and i went "i dont care about what you do, i'm talking about compuserve as a whole. kung di pala marunong si dean, fire him." that's how mad i was.  I felt like all my blood was rushing to my head and my fats were boiling, it will be like those quick weight loss pills in action. hahaha.

We pulled it out last night, October 4 and nothing as in nada was done on it. i wasted 3 weeks on that store. So i had to look for another shop and found SST shop. they told us about the 3 days repair period again and i specifically told them to be sure about the 3 days or else. hahaha. I can't afford not to have my PC with me  as it is the only thing i use for partyboosters. i feel so helpless without it.  now im thinking of buying one. hehe.

So there, i therefore conclude, Compuserve, NO SERVE.

The one with simone's funny answers

Simone is 3 years old and 8 months. She's very smart that she answers like an adult, it would make you laugh.

Scene 1: (daddy and simone together, simone did'nt listen to daddy)
Daddy:  Simone, if you don't do that, daddy will not buy you a toy anymore.
Simone: Eh di si mommy na lang! ("oh and then mommy will buy one")

Scene 2: (mommy and simone together in a mall)
Simone: Mommy,gusto ko yan. please buy.
Mommy: No. we don't have budget for that, wala ka naman money e.
Simone: Meron ako money (I have money)
Mommy: Where?
Simone: Dyan sa wallet mo. (In your wallet)

Scene 3: (achie and simone together in the church and achie introduced her to a fellow pianist)
Achie: that's tito joel, he knows how to play piano too like daddy.
Simone: Mas magaling daddy ko dyan. ("My dad's better than him")

Kids really say the craziest things... hahaha...