The one with another good find

I got a good 100USD from my paypal and as you may all know, my paypal money goes directly to any item of my liking, be it a practical buy or a luxury, and this time i spent on the latter. hehe.

LV Malletier vintage wristbag

I got excited when i found this and i know i can't let it go immediately.  I thought about it for two weeks and prayed if it's ok to buy one.  When i saw my pay went thru paypal already, that's when i decided to buy it. yey! i love it coz it's so vintage. I'm not so much of the monogram design but it has been well-preserved, that's why i think it's really a good buy.

well, my husband would never understand...i'm just glad he learned to accept that side of me.  And i don't have a fetish, so starting to collect some of these is actually, in a way, fulfilling :) hihihi....

The one with school party

 Simone with BFF Aliya

 cake and cupcakes from sugarbox; cookie pops by sweetbite

The good thing about holding a school party is that you're sure of the attendance because it's a school day and all her classmates are there.  It's practical if you dont want an all-out party but at the same time make your kid special because you still had a party with friends she know.  I just hired a balloon twister as an entertainment and ordered cake and cupcakes (oh by the way it's a gift, haha)

happy bday again simone! we love you anak!

The one with Simone's 5th bday pics

These are some of the pics we took from Simone's 5th bday celeb. :) Thank you tita jane for the wonderful cake. We hope you had a great time :)

The one with picture match

Simone loves to take pictures and one time, we had a great time with our ipad pictorial:

Look alike right? hahaha.

The one with magician's hat

One time, Simone was answering her assignments.  There was this page about clothes you wear on different kinds of weather.  Here's the page:

She got everything right: raincoat, cap, boots, umbrella, and jacket.  When i asked what the black hat is for, she exclaimed: "For magic show!!! because it's a magician's hat!" hahaha. LOL!

This is what you get when you are a party planner's kiddo! :)

The one with awards

Yes, Simone's first moving up day ended last March 17 and we are so happy with the awards she got.  We were so clueless about the special awards so when it was announced that there's a special awards part, i suddenly got nervous. hahaha.  It felt like I was waiting for an Oscar award for Simone.  Then i suddenly thought about my parents, especially my mom, and wanted to ask her how she felt whenever i had to get an award for something. haha.

It's very rewarding as a parent to see your child gets awards, but on the same breath, you'd realize that it's just the first year...there's more to come.  I mean, I have this conscious effort not to pressure my kid of doing good in school so she'll have more awards or excel in everything but to teach her that these awards are results of you trying your best but whether you have an award or not, you'd have to remember always that what's important is you did your best. :) I hope it got thru to her.  You see, I notice that she has this concept of "competition" in her already, the concept of "winner-lose" and it's a little challenging how to teach these things to her so she'd have a better perspective of things.  I just hope and pray that we're doing the right thing.

Keep it up Simone... we love you :)

 Best in English medal with BFF Aliya for Best in Math :)

 1st place in Penmanship :)

 with daddy

1st place in drawing

The one with summer getaway

Yey, i finally did it! I booked Canyon Cove for our family's summer getaway.  When i chanced again a promo at Ensogo, I told the husband that I really want to book one together with out parents and I got hyped coz this time he said yes. :) yahoo!  I've been wanting for a bohol part 2 for them (we treated them to bohol two years ago and they loved it so much, we wanted to do it again)  When Simon was paid from an extra project he did, I immediately put it on the summer budget. yey! can you feel my excitement now!?!

now the search for the perfect swimsuit begins...hahaha

The one with a booboo

Gawd, i really hate it when my kiddo gets hurt, moreso if it's an accident i could have prevented. She was sleeping on our sofa and while asleep, she peed.  I checked on her, removed her PJs and stood up to get a new one from her cabinet and seconds later, she rolled and bumped her head big time. Man, i was trying to be calm but deep inside i was big time in a panic mode. I felt her head and the bump was soo big, it's her biggest ever.  You could actually feel it getting bigger and bigger from the swelling.  She did'nt stop crying and that made me decide to bring her to a nearby hospital.  When we were there, she stopped crying and it was like she felt better instantly or maybe she got scared of the hospital so she tried her best to be okay.  Doctor asked for a skull xray just for our peace of mind and gave us a list of what to observe for the next 48 hours.  Manila East Doctors Hospital is quite good.  I did'nt expect they'd give me a list.  They were so detailed in explaining everything to me, one by one and I appreciated it.  Although to tell you frankly, the "what to observe" items got me nervous.  Imagine, convulsion and vomitting and fever?! oh my!

Praise God she's okay now.  I can still feel her bump at the back of her head but she says she's better now.

The one with frustration

Speaking of getting fit again, I remember meeting a client the other day for her son's baptism.  When I saw her, she's really pretty and fit.  I asked her immediately if she really intended to be back on her pre-pregnancy shape and she said she dances and i think does yoga too.  She even told me she has therabands at home.  I admire how disciplined she is and even if she ordered fudge sundae that day (which i envied so much), she's not scared it will add weight to her bod.

Oh how i wish i can be that disciplined... hehe.

The one with ketogenickers

Now let me talk about again my recently-found diet, ketogenic diet, which i started last August.  It's been a while since i blogged about my diet because i've been in a plateau for months now.  My momentum kinda lowered during the holidays and i even gained a little weight recently after Simone's birthday.  I got excited losing the 10 lbs that i forgot that there's still another 10 lbs more. waah.

Good thing, my friends Ayn, Con, Jeng and Rhea (mommy friends whom i regularly meet with) agreed to be in the diet regimen too.  I love our support group.  All of them are losing pounds and pounds every week, i got motivated to get back to my feet and restart my diet again :)

I also plan to use my Gold's gym voucher while i'm not yet pregnant.  I'm sure it will also help me get pregnant easily.  But I really want to lose weight first, be back to my pre-pregnancy weight just so i won't bloat that much when the baby tummy comes. hahaha.  Simon, on the other hand, wants to start something new.  He started getting more toned since he regularly does push ups and he bought a resistance band.  I wanted to do my share of sit-ups too at home and run my bike again.  My husband wanted to bike, as in the mountain bikes and whenever he sees yakima bike racks at cracksandracks.com, he would always think of buying a bike. hahaha. but it never materialized.

I hope this time around i'd shed the last 10 lbs in two months. come on, baby, go go go!!

The one with insurance

Every start of the year, there are at least three companies billing us with our renewal of our insurance policies.  There's the car insurance, our accident insurances and Simon's Philam insurance.  But it's a good thing, we're able to settle with the bills immediately as soon as it arrives.  It's such a waste if we can't update the account and won't be able to maximize it since we started paying for it already.  God really plans everything.  Every December, He gives us a lot of projects so we'd have something to pay for the insurance.  I think the only thing that we don't have yet is a motorhome insurance.  We'd probably plan for it when it's near to our moving in to new house. yey, excited! :)

Most of the time, it's easier if you don't really plan and leave everything to God...because you'd realize that His plans are still better and yours...hmmm, not so much. :)

The one with to get or not

I've been blogging about my trip itch in my previous post and I chanced upon this deal in cashcashpinoy about canyon cove's overnight stay.  I'am so tempted to get the deal for us and for our parents.  But if we're buying them too, a 3D-2night stay will cost us about 20k. waah! But it's still a good deal for an out of town trip since we don't have flight costs anymore, we'd save on that and food is reasonable enough as well.  We're basically after the beach.  If we're going for an overnight stay, I'm sure we won't be satisfied. haha. I'm like one of those profire yoyos thinking up or down, go or no?? waah...and I only have three more days to decide on this.  I actually bought 2 vouchers for us already but i'm still thinking if i'd want to add more for the parents.  hmmm...i'll pray about it. i really want them to have a good vacation.

The one with new old

I almost forgot to blog about Simon's new baby...he has a new old car. hehe.  He got himself a cool Toyota Corolla box type.  I think we got a good deal as the car was reconditioned with original parts just last year.  I got pretty hyped when i saw the car too and got excited for him.

Congrats beh on your new old car. I know you've been wanting to have your own matchbox and now that you have, i know you deserve it. :)  Now all you need is a commercial gps that you can install in your car so you won't get lost because we won't be riding the car always. hehe.

The one with space-saving stool

Simon and I were watching Lifestyle network and we chanced upon the show where they feature nice homes.  I really like the show, although most of the homes featured cost about a quater of a million dollars and they are proud to narrate the 1k savings they got from this or hundreds of dollar savings from another area.  haha, so ironic.

Anyway, i got a few ideas which we can use for our humble home in the future.  I love the rustic bar stools they featured that you can actually install on the table, you can fold it and you can sit on it.  Simon did'nt like it, fearing that it won't hold that much weight but i think if properly installed and with heavy duty materials, i think it's a good deal.  I also like the lavatory material steel they use for kitchen tables. so sleek and yet price-wise, reasonable enough. :)

Can't wait to get my hands on designing that house :) thank you Lord :)

The one with almost no pics

Jillian's mom called me last night asking for venue pictures that i might have.  I tried turning on my dslr and I got scared the dslr is not working anymore.  I think it's because of the drained battery that the shutter is not clicking.  But good thing, when i checked the SD card, i was able to get the pics i took.  I used a magnetic card reader that Simon has as one of his "handy" gadgets.  I was able to send her some pics. :) I'll post soon too :)

The one with emergency leave

Simon had to take a leave today.  Simone has been having  fever since yesterday afternoon and we're monitoring her.  When i had her checked yesterday with Dr. Lucena,  she told me that she might be down with a flu in the next couple of days and true enough, she has flu now :(

The only thing that stresses me a lot is Simone being sick.  I really don't want her getting sick and it pains me to think that she is not in her best condition.  I hope she gets well soon.  It's hard enough for her that she's taking medication for her primary complex, we can't give her any more meds as her liver might be overworked. But we're praying for her fast recovery :)  all in God's time.

If i can only be 24/7 lookout for her, if i can only be her "Off lotion" all the time, I'd do it.  Right now, i just wish i can turn the time of my citizen watch and advance it so she's be better off soon :)

Get well soon anak! The Winx club doll you've been wanting for the longest time is just waiting... :)

The one with party weekend hangover

It has been one heck of a busy February for me.  And to end the month more fun, I was Jillian Ward's party planner on her 7th bday last Feb 26. :) so much fun!  Thank you Lord for a successful party.  Thank you for the gift you gave me and for being able to maximize it the way you want it to. :)

I was so nervious and anxious on the day of her party. I was anticipating all the booboos that might happen that day.  But before the party began, God told me to just stop worrying about anything because everything will be alright...and it really did :)

Simon was there the whole time. You see, I and my husband have different fields and work and as much as possible we don't stress each other on our respective business/work.  We find it beneficial as we have a lot to talk about because we do different things, and we are each other's pressure and stress absorber.  That day, he was present during the party and I appreciated it so much.  He supported me the way a good husband would. :)

The following day, we were talking about the party and we are just amazed how God works and moves in our lives.  Who would have thought that the Php 2,500.00 seminar fee i paid as an investment is now a business who has catered to a child star's 7th birthday party?! God is really good, amazing!!!

More stories about the party, hehe. I'm just soo happy! Oh they did'nt give discount movies tickets but they (Jillian's family) sure did give Simone gifts! im soo touched! thank you! :)

The one with 7th bday preparation

From the year we celebrated Simone's 1st birthday, my husband told me that we cannot have a party ever year.  I agreed with him even though I so wanted to celebrate with a party every year.  That's why, after her 5th birthday, I've told myself that we should start saving for the party.  I'm plotting a goal of saving a specific amount every month for her birthday just so we won't be shocked with all the expenses we need to spend for the party. hahaha. If i can only buy gold bars online from Golden eagle, that would have been great and i could sell those gold bars and make money. hahaha. 

So far, I'm eyeing 55 events place as one of the venue choices, Mandarin hotel and Decagon. oh my! i wish we could afford everything!!! But definitely, a Starbucks booth is a must!!! haha.

im soo excited to start preparing for her party :)

The one with school party

We had a family outing for simone's party and a small school party on the day of her birthday.  She coined those celebrations as Disc 1 and Disc 2.  (it's obvious how addicted my kid is to videos, haha) And the school party was fun!  I'll post pictures soon but let me just share our little preps for her school party.

~Personally, i like school parties.  It's a small party but you can be sure that you have enough number of kids present.  Unlike house parties, you don't have to wash dishes.  House parties are okay if you have a lot of help or you have bosch dishwashers at home where you can easily wash and dry your dishes. haha.

~ It's also a plus that i have a good network of party suppliers where getting entertainment and give aways is literally a call away. :)

~ You also get freebies.  This year, im so happy that my sister in law gave a barbie cake to simone on our family outing and my good friend Emily of sugarbox gave her cake and cupcakes too for her birthday. I love it!! Now im soo carbo-loaded! hahaha

~  It's nice that i was able to get a balloon twister also to entertain the kids while they were eating

All in all, i give my husband and I a pat on the back for pulling it off.  My husband for being able to convince me to celebrate it the simple way and I for agreeing to do so but set aside some a part of what i was able to save to open an account for her "7th bday preps". hahaha, it has officially begun.  yes, we need to save up for it! it's non-negotiable!!!

Happy bday again simone!

The one with moving up

I'm excited for Simone's 1st moving up day on March 17. yey! my baby's moving up na.  I also love that they even have a theme for all the graduates. This year it will be 50's and I researched some outfits that might fit simone :) I'm also thinking of coming on a thmed outfit but i might overdo it. haha. Are Lowa hiking boots a 50's outfit too? :) I don't wanna overdo it and they might label me a momster!!!

Will update once i have decided on what simone could wear on moving up day :)

The one with instant shopping

We have a place where my friend and sisses go to whenever we want to shop for wholesale priced clothes and dresses.  You can also find shoes of all kinds, from flat shoes, cowboy ones, riding breeches shoes (as if i can wear those here) and the stilleto types.  But i opted to look for more dresses and tops that i can wear for meetings and events. 

I bought three dresses, and two shorts.  My sister in law bout a dress too and we found a dress that matches my other sister in law's bod so much.  We were surprised to see that the fit is so nice on her.

I will definitely go back to that place. :)

The one with good employer

I remember posting about our new househelp.  My sisters in law asked me about her and I immediately gave them a thumbs up that she is a-ok.  She's not the perfect househelp but we made sure she's gonna have fun too while staying with us.  We also asked her a couple of questions like undergoing thru an employment screening so we can also know what to expect from her.  She's not a good cook, that's for sure. haha. But her happy attitude is one of the reasons why we instantly liked her.

I hope my extra set of hands will last longer than expected :)

The one with MB

MB for Michael Buble.  I caught one of his concerts right now on TV and i almost forgot how refreshing and nostalgic his voice is.  It makes me turn the time like the turntables playing his song.  His voice is like amplified and processed but not.  He's really good and a passionate singer.  I can't remember why he's single now.

Simon is a musician himself and quite a good singer too.  I guess i can easily be turned on with guys who know how to really sing.

I hope Michael Buble makes another album. :)

The one with trip itch

I've been itching for a getaway this year! waah! i want to unwind and have a feel of fresh air before i get pregnant again (yes, feel na feel!) I know it will be a while before we can travel again as a family if i have another baby again (and we claim that this year will be the year!)

Cebupacific air offered another tempting promotion. P26 fare, with taxes it will reach about P800.00 for a round trip fare.  I was supposed to book cebu last night.  But when i asked the husband, he was okay with it but preferred a land trip in the meantime so both sides of the parents can join us.  I think he's right.  I told you, he's the more sensible one :)

So i have to buy the best sunless tanning spray there is so i can have a feel of the getaway that's been itching me for weeks. :)

Welcome summer of 2012!

The one with kenko

I have a new discovery...Kenko stores.  It's like a small-scale japan home centers but they focus more on home furnishings, personal accessories and lights.  I love how we were able to buy two new lamps (yellow and white) that we can use in the room. :)

Another good buy is the hair dryer i bought at 150 pesos.  I was kinda hesitant to buy it since it might short circuit but i still bought it.  So far, so good. haha.

I really, really love good deals, which reminds me i have to check the leather briefcase in one of the online deals i frequently visit. 

The one with house visit

We dropped by La Potenza two weeks ago and checked out the developments of the small community there.  The place is turning out to be a nice place to live in albeit the nearby villa caruncho residents who would stay in front of the gate everyday and would crowd the entrance of the village...eyesore!

When we were driving around the village, we saw a family with their things inside.  My husband got excited and asked me to talk to the mom.  I was hesitant at first coz i might be intruding their privacy but still asked anyway and it turned out, she was accommodating to answer all our questions and even gave us a tour of their unit. :) it's different when you see appliances inside and furnitures.  At least we can better visualize things around the house :)  she even gave us tips on what led lighting to buy and showed us the lights they bought to change the ones the developer put up :)

Sooo excited! thank you Lord and we pray for a smooth moving in hopefully before this year ends :)

The one with celebrating 13

Yehey, we've reached 13 years as a couple already! I consider it a milestone that we have been together for 13 years already and those thirteen years have been really the best years of my life.  Simon has always been my bestfriend, comforter, prayer partner and my most sensible other half.  I, on the other hand, is his number one fan, his fashion stylist, his confidence booster and financial assistant. (assistant because he brings home most of the bread and i just bake it and turn it to a buffet, hahaha)

I can say that we've been through mostly good times and a taste of not-so-good times.  We are forever grateful that God has always been the center of our marriage and that He is God's gift to me.  He is more precious than all diamond earrings for women combined.  :)

Happy 13th anniversary beh! I love you, and will always love you :)

The one with positive

How i wish i can write here, positive pregnancy right? that news would have been way better to read about.  But everything has a purpose.

Simone is positive with primary complex.  I blogged about the tb test done on her and it turned out positive.  She was given meds already which we started last February 2. 

Good thing she easily takes her meds.  We've also started our veggie program where i cook fresh noodles, make chicken broth (as in from real chicken) and add ground malunggay and carrots. She instantly liked it :)  So we don't have instant noodles anymore. yey!

We've also restricted ourselved to go to crowded places on the first two weeks of medication.  I heard from my husband that the first two weeks is the 90% healing phase so we're more careful on bringing her to places esp areas with cigars sampler, smokers or anywhere polluted and she might catch another virus or whatever. 

Love you Simone!

The one with soon to be five

I still can't believe that just a few days from now and my Simone will be five years old already. waah! She's not really getting any younger now and it makes me excited to see her grow but at the same time sad that a year just passes by and the next thing you know, you're shopping for her prom dress with her already. waah!

I'm glad and thankful God led me to where we are now.  I'm glad that He made me realized how important it is to be with your kid while she's growing up and leaving the corporate world was no regret at all. I miss being with my friends there but being with my daughter while she's growing just gives me more reasons to appreciate the time i spend with her. :)

And I feel more blessed that God really gave us the best of both worlds, me having to still work on my business and having a more flexible time to spend with Simone.

Her 4th year passed like a breeze.  But it's my favorite year so far.  Favorite because this is the time when she's not that "old" but not that baby anymore.  You can enjoy your time together like malling, shopping and just being with her.  You know she can understand you more so she knows how to follow instructions, obey simple household chores and reprimand her knowing that she understands what you have to say.  I also love the fact that she enjoys and thrives in school. Seeing her excited to go to school everyday makes me feel like i'm raising a smart kid.  To be honest, it's hard not to expect because she always gives us reasons to expect that she would excel, hehe. :)

Simone, I love you! Happy birthday anak. You will always be mommy's baby (even if you dont want to be called one anymore)

The one with today is the day

We will know if simone has been exposed to primary complex.  The first time i heard it from my pedia as one of the three possibilities of simone's condition, I felt really sad...and a failure again as a mom.  But you know, these are really some of the things that are inevitable.  You just can't seem to track any known bacteria or virus there is and avoid your child to be in any place near it or any person for this matter.  So when we had the tuberculosine test last monday (did i spell it right?), it was horrible seeing my child cry until she loses her breath because of the pain it brought.  I know the test was more like a skin allergy test and i hated that test.  I vividly remember hating it more than my epidural injection when i was gave birth to Simone, so i can understand if the pain was too much for her.  After the test, we headed to the mall, treated her to an unlimited playtime and Tom's world fun and we ate 'til we got our tummies full.  We also went to her cousin's just so she'd be happier. hehe. yeah, we spoiled her that day, just so she can forget the painful feeling she had with the test.

Anyway, whatever the results are, we're pretty calm and still, knowing that God is in control.  And I promise to be more hands-on as I can and watch her health 24/7 (if it's even possible!)  I remember reading an FB post made by my friend of how she used Skype to track her kid on the other room, more like a web conferencing solution to her problem of being at two places at the same time. So i guess I can be like that too, more like a restaurant who's open 24 hours a day...or Goodah for 25 hours a day. haha.

A healthy baby makes a happy mommy. :) love you anak. :)

The one with new househelp

I'm happy we have a new househelp again.  I won't expect that much so i won't get frustrated if she does'nt stay that long with us but i still hope she would.  I like her.  :) She's very gay. haha. She moves fast, she's not picky with food too.  She likes to text but at least she doesn't own two prepaid cell phones and just one. :)

But most importantly, Simone loves her instantly and that's what matters. :)  I hope i can be more organized now that i have an extra pair of hands.

The one with Bacolod getaway part 2

To continue my Bacolod post, let me start again by posting some pictures.

while waiting at Bacolod airport for tita kuki and tito jason. :)

eating banana split.

nice shot of Bacolod Silay Airport

Simone has always loved travelling. She's one really good travel kid buddy and we're so blessed with that. :)

TIta kuki and Tito Jason

nature shot of danjugan island...winner!

beach front

the lakwatsera family! :)

The food in the resort were okay. They were cooked right after we ordered so we're guaranteed that everything's fresh. The prices of their food was reasonable too and that's what we enjoyed very much.

The restaurant was small. Only several tables that can accommodate no more than 30 pax but as i said in my previous post, it felt exclusive knowing that we were only 7 who were checked in at that time, so we did'nt mind.

Our sole objective of being able to relax was achieved. Our whole stay consisted of just water activities: swimming in the pool, island hopping in Danjugan island, swimming in the island, strolling along the shore and eat by the beach. Yes, this is the life! hahha.

Ayu's Spa Resort's amenities were ok too. The pool in the resort was simple but clean. They also had a jacuzzi that Simone enjoyed so much. They also have sauna which i enjoyed. The rooms are pleasant, clean, water pressure not so reliable but the bed is comfortable. All in all, their service is the one thing that made them pass with flying colors for me :)

The island, Danjugan island is a marine-reservation island (did i get that right?) Everything's within nature. They only have solar panels to get solar energy, they have kayaks which we enjoyed. "manong" gave a very well-explained background of the island but the island was not as "virgin" as it was in the pictures he showed us. I guess a lot of development and improvement had to be made, but then again, it would'nt be as preserved as it is now if things would get commercialized around.

When we went back to the resort, we took a dip again on the beach and the pool until evening. Our only rest from the water was when we had to eat. hahaha.

Simon made this one of his top trips for 2011 for the sole reason that he was able to relax and enjoy a short break from our busy life. And for that i get a pat in the back. :)

I want to plan another travel! hahaha. :)

The one with I'm back!

Before i lose this blog for not being able to update it, let me greet everyone a big Merry Christmas and a Happy New year! I know, it's almost a month since Christmas and most of my neighbors have taken down their christmas lights, but what the heck, this is the only time i got hold of my blog again and i'm so excited, have lots of stories to share and pictures to upload. I hope i'd be able to blog everything :)

Watch out for more posts...Have a great year ahead!

The one with what should i get for him?

Yes, unfortunately, after all the hard-thinking process of choosing and buying gifts for friends and families, i only realized today that i have'nt thought of what gift to buy for Simon.  Admittedly, we kinda splurge on Christmas and birthday gifts but since he just recently purchased a keyboard, i was hoping that would be a christmas gift too (and maybe a birthday gift?? hahaha) so when the iphone 4S commercial ran on TV and we saw it, he was teasing me if i could buy that for him. waah! i don't know if i could still get him something that expensive. hahaha. Will Joop perfume or another pair of shoes do? hehe.

I'll update you soon! i gotta get something for him. :)

The one with Christmas gifts

It's hard to think of gifts for families.  For friends, we decided to go with a uniform gift for everybody.  I hope they all like the biscuits we bought at Marks & Spencer.  It has its own advantages, preparing the same gifts, at least it's easy to buy again in case you still need to purchase.

But for families, man, it's hard to think of gifts for them. Even harder to know what they really want, where to buy it and if the budget will still fit.  Last time, i remember giving my mom a set of Swarovski Crystal beads which i made myself.  She loved it so much, she still wears it til now.  Also, i think i had a good buy when i bought our moms nice bags just last Christmas.  They both loved it. 

Now i have to think of gifts for my brothers, my brothers in law and two sisters in law. :) Waaah! and i thought i'm done with the shopping!

The one with Christmas program

It was Simone's 1st Christmas program in school. I was a bit nervous since the first time she participated in their school activity, she was so not in the mood and the costume that her lola made was not even used. So we did'nt expect that much.  But to my surprise, she participated the whole time.  We're proud parents to see her just up there (the venue was at SM Cinema 2 Masinag) and she knew the actions albeit the many absences during rehearsals. hahaha.

Congratulations KILA for a job well done! Even the decors were made by the school staff themselves.  They bought a lot of styro, flex tube, paints and glitters to make a nice backdrop for every change of scene in the christmas program :)

Thank you anak! We're proud of you!

More pictures to follow :)

The one with HMR

I did mention in my previous post about how best buy items are in HMR. and no one can argue with that.  They have way improved their items and when i went there a few days ago, I was going crazy with the items.  They have everything! from refurbished computers to cake decorating items and brand new shoes. I love it! Here are my purchases:

~ honeycomb queen size, complete set - flat sheet, fitted sheet, 2 pillowcases, all 300 thread count.  Price: 990.00 you can buy this at regular price of 2k up.
~ Puma red sneakers for simon size 10 1/2 at 790.00. Oh my, i can just jump for joy. and to think that i accidentally saw this near the counter because someone left it there and it's available already for sale. so happy! it fits Simon well. super nice too. :) and i really think it's genuine :)
~ Cupcake decorating set at 200.00 - i bought it for my sister in law.  was supposed to buy the cupcake stand too but ran out of stock


I will surely go back to HMR soon. love it! the best!!!

The one with missing the bed

I seriously miss our bed.  Every year, i try will all my might to be not as busy as i was the previous year, but something and another thing will come up and i'd end up getting more that what i can bear. haha. But i'm proud to say that i'm more organized now than last year.  I was able to get more corporate events this year but it was still manageable. It feels like i'm always wearing heated gloves and my adrenaline just keeps getting higher. haha.

I just miss sleeping.  I recently bought sheets from HMR (which by the way is the most best buy so far) but i could'nt use it yet.  I'm making a countdown of the number of days before Christmas and making a countdown of our last day of party before christmas too. hahaha.

Merry Christmas everyone! I miss you bed! Don't worry, we'll spend quality time soon. hahaha.

The one with when we get older

Next week, we will be celebrating our 6th anniversary as husband and wife.  And I'm amazed how time flies so fast.  It still feels like it's just two years ago when we got married.  A lot of things happened and changed but i can still say we're still the same couple.  Although, it made me think how we will be like twenty years from now. And here are things i think we will be doing then:

~ Simon might be playing golf.  He's not a basketball person so i think he can get interested with golf since when that time comes, he would need to choose a sport for himself.  By then, i'm foreseeing that there would be more high tech gadgets for golf, like gps systems for golf, more sophisticated golf clubs and gears.  I still don't get the hype of playing golf but i think golf will fit him well.

~ I might have another kid and hopefully if we're on target with our baby project, s/he will be seven years younger than simone. :)

~ I hope Simone has a fulfilling job that she loves or a business that she dreams of.  I hope she will be with someone she prays and hopes for :)

~ I hope I still have Partyboosters by then :)

Everything that we hope when we get older, as long as it's according to God's plan, I'll continue to go with the flow...

The one with bacolod trip

The short trip we had last week was fun.  I felt i needed to blog about it and share the cost and share our experience.

Travel date: December 11 to 13, 2011
Manila to Bacolod via Cebupacific

Airline tickets: I was able to book the ever famous piso fare of Cebupacfic.  For us three, a total of 1,200.00 (or 400.00 each person for a round trip ticket to Bacolod) if it's not a best deal, i don't know what is. hahaha.  The service was okay.  We went to NAIA 3 so airport was ok.  Our flights were both on time, i'm so happy. My sister and brother in law got the airphil promo and both their flights were delayed for almost an hour. 

Bacolod airport was ok.  It was'nt big but for a provincial airport, it was nice enough. (at least the restrooms were all working) haha

Resort: Ayu Spa White Beach and Resort
ayusparesort.com
Peso power: 4,500.00 for a 3D/2N accommodation of a Deluxe Room with balcony.

Going to Ayu Spa took us almost 4 hours of travelling by land.  Good thing the hotel booked us a van where we can all share with the cost. (separate rating on the van) 

When we went to the resort, it was not love at first sight compared when we went to Bohol. hihi.  It was 5pm already, high tide and could'nt appreciate the beach that much.  I was wearing a maxi dress and all i could think of was, "i should have bround northface jackets here" because it was cold that day.I thought "so this is it?"  But Bacolod is an island you will learn to love and appreciate.  I love the fact that it's closer to nature.  You can actually hear birds chirping or some animal making an unusual sound.  You learn to appreciate the simplicity of life and how wonderful it is to feel the serenity.  The reason why there are rooms in the resort that do not have TVs. of course, since we were with the kiddo, we had to have a TV. hahaha

Anyway, going back, what i love about the resort was the service.  They served us midnight snacks, the waiters were so courteous.  Even if there were no phones in the room, you can easily ask for anything to be served in your room since their staff would roam around the hotel every now and then.  I also loved the fact that we were only 7 who were checked in at that time, so it felt like it was exclusive to us.

I'll continue with my post...sorry to cut this short

The one with instant power

Don't judge me with what i'm about to blog...hahaha.

Just want to share an interesting experience and realization I had recently.  A couple of months back i bought a designer bag, well if you're one of the few who follow this blog, im sure you know what i'm talking about.  It took me a whole year to decide on it and one of the reasons of starting to own one is because it gives a certain "leverage" to my type of clients.  And it turned out, it somehow did.

Just the other day, i met up with a client.  They're actually the parents of my client, my overseas client who found about me in the internet.  So picture this, the parents are oldies and not as techie too, so when it comes to dealing with suppliers, they expected the traditional "contract signing" etc where in fact, i've been corresponding with their daughter for months already and confirmed a lot of things about the party.  So anyway, they met up with me to give a partial payment in person.  I had the impression they did'nt want to give it at first, thinking that i may be just a bogus.  I was a bit (slight lang naman) offended and when they asked for the contract, i went to the car, got my "bag", ipad and the contract.  I don't know why i had to bring everything, but it was an impulsive act.  When i gave out the Tea Party Invitations my client asked me to make, I felt i showed off a lot of my "things".  Then all of a sudden (im not sure if it's just me), they felt comfortable talking to me.  All of a sudden, they agreed to giving the partial payment.  I know it sounded materialistic on my part and felt something's not right in the picture, but the truth of the matter is, i felt there's some truth in it as well.  That at times, you really have to prove your "worth" thru material things you possess because they really don't know you from the start.  They will only depend on impressions, and factors that add to these impressions are things that you own, the car you drive and your personality.  I felt like i was trying to impress them or something. hahaha.

But when they warmed up to me, i had a great time chatting with them too.  I also realized maybe it's really not easy to trust people, add to the fact that they really don't know me. So in the end, i still understood the situation :)

hehe, just want to share...again, no judging please. ;)

The one with much needed vacay

Amidst the hustles and bustles, we were able to take a quick vacation in Bacolod and unwind just before we head on to the busiest month of the year. :)  I took advantage of the cebupacific's piso fare and was so delighted that i was able to book not only for my family, but for my sister in law and her husband.

I've always had the same feelings while preparing for a trip, you know, the type who is not that excited and feels like i'm leaving a lot of things undone so how can i go to a trip with a lot of things in mind.  But since we i booked it already, we felt we did'nt have any choice. hahaha.

But the impulsive decision had its own advantages.  In the end, happiness still prevailed and the sadness of leaving a serene and very peaceful place while packing again for the city felt like forever. hehe. I'll post a separate travel entry about our bacolod trip. 

Travelling may be a luxury but once in a while trips can be priceless.  The quality time you spend with your family can never replace even diamond rings or the latest gadget in town :)

The one with Little Mermaid

I'm so happy we brought Simone to watch The Little Mermaid play at Meralco theater last night. She enjoyed the play.  I was a bit nervous she would'nt like it. Even if it's Ariel she's gonna see, it's her first time to see a theater play and it overwhelms me that she loved it.  She really is an artist :)

Allow me to give some personal reviews about the play and our experiences with it as well.

~ I've always loved plays.  I don't watch that often but I enjoy everytime i'd be able to. I just dont like waiting in lines but good thing, we did'nt wait that long with this one :)
~ I super love Sebastian.  He really sings good.
~ Kudos to Rachelle Ann Go for portraying a Ariel very well.  She really studied the character and even her accent was almost the same as the one in the movie.
~ King Triton was not i expected.  I was looking for more of a big, tall, and a person who exudes more authority but he was'nt that bad at all.
~ Ursula got the most applause i think :)
~ Erik Santos tried hard to play his part, it's just that everytime he talks, i can't understand most of his words.  It was like he was always in a hurry to finish and deliver his lines.

All in all, it was a very good play. Simone stood the whole time, she did'nt want to sit coz she might miss a scene. haha.

The one with richness

While we were on a trick or treat activity yesterday, Simon and I were talking about how nice it is to spend time with your loved-ones. I'll write another post about the trick or treat but it was really refreshing to spend time with your kid and family.

Simon then said, "how i wish we all have the time to just spend it with our families and money will just pour in" i laughed with what he said coz i know it's impossible, since we're not born rich. but it came me to think how life will be if you were born rich.  will you really spend time wisely and be with your family as often as possible.  Maybe it will happen if you own crown steel buildings, or you have your own mall and that you don't have to worry about anything.

I guess what i'm trying to say is that spend time with your loved-ones more -- your parents while they're still strong, your siblings even if you dont get along (im blessed i and my brothers get along), and your bestfriends (because they are your next best treasures after your family).

Have a long weekend ahead! :)

The one with 60th

I'm so blessed my mom just turned 60 last October 22.  I thank God for giving her another year and truly, this year is worth celebrating.  It was a simple yet memorable celebration.  We stayed at Linden Suites, and had a sumptuous dinner at Likha Restaurant in Eastwood.  I know it was not a very elegant party with QuickNameTags.com name tags for guests but at least it was something she will always remember.  My 3-month old nephew stayed with us at the hotel, everybody just had fun.  Simone loved spending time with Marco, her other cousin and my parents enjoyed the pool and jacuzzi. :)

Happy birthday mommy! thank you for your love. thank you for raising us the way you knew how...we will always be thankful that you are our mother. I love you!

The one with movie review: No other woman

Okay, okay...im not a movie critic so why bother giving a review of the movie???? I just want to express what i feel and think about the movie. so here it is...

~ story plot was good.  The characters were all convincing, esp. Anne Curtis.  Hands down, convince na convince ako na querida sya. haha.
~ Cristine Reyes' character was convincing too pero while watching the movie, i kept wishing she would someone who's less conservative and more of an elite and "sosyal" woman as well. kasi in real life, men don't cheat just because their wives are conservative or timid or masyadong mahinhin.  They cheat because they are tempted.  So i think it would have been more of a good fight if cristine's character was at least leveled to anne's as well.
~ Some think cristine's acting needed improvement but i think she was good.  She's the kind of wife who was in denial at first so she was trying to just ignore and be nonchalant about it but the moment she knew about her husband's infidelity, she tried to be someone she's not, fierce, palaban and those sorts.  Pero lumabas na lang talaga ang gretchen barreto nya during the fight scene with Anne curtis which i think is one of the best scenes in the movie.
~ The fight scene was the best for me because all three were just so good.  I really felt like all of them were victims and not just Cristine.  The line of Anne was the best, "Tama na!" while she was on the floor as if begging Cristine to stop.  I felt her pain, pain of being sorry for hurting other people, pain of feeling alone because Derek will leave her, and pain of not being loved in return, when she has done everything she can. 
~ I love Carmi's character.  In real life naman, even if the mom is a victim of infidelity too (meaning her husband cheats too), ganun talaga sya mangangaral sa anak nya...of what she thinks is best...and that is to fight a good fight.  You just can't leave your husband in an instant.  You will fight for it and prove that no matter what happens, you will stand by him.  When she was scolding Cristine of what she needed to do to save the marriage and then while at the top of her voice, she just welled up, i love that scene. yung galit na galit kana, naluluha ka tuloy. parang totoong ina talaga.
~ The ending was just as i expected.  I also think that the scene of Derek and Anne seeing each other for the last time before she left for the US was ok.  I mean, i know some frowned on it and mostly said, why the heck they'd have to meet pa.  I was thinking it was more of a closure.

There, i'm glad i watched it with my mom.  I know better if i've watched it with my husband but another woman's perspective was nice as well and i enjoyed our conversation after the movie.  We don't have any experience or situation about infidelity issues ha, it was just really an eye-opener for all of us to be watchful of and the movie gave just that :)

The one with short-lived

I knew it...When i learned that we have a new househelp, i got so excited, i know it would ease a lot of workload on my part but there was this certain thought that bugged me what if she does'nt stay that long and we'd be left without an extra pair of hands in the house.

And truth be told, the new househelp will leave on Nov. 3.  It was saddening but at least i can prepare myself not to get too comfy to the fact that we have someone helping me with the chores, cooking and picking up toys that Simone forgot to pack away.  I'm trying not to be too dependent on her so that by the time she'll leave, it would'nt be as hard too.

Glad I did'nt buy yet her uniform. I was at this store and i saw a line of maid uniforms, one of which was so small it would pass as a sexy maid costume for the Halloween...or Valentine's, hahaha.

In the meantime, we'll just enjoy the short-lived convenience we have and maximize whatever chore i need to ask her to do. ;)

The One With Not Done With Christmas Shopping Yet

I know I keep talking about Christmas and how happy it would be even though I'm not even done with my Christmas shopping yet. I mean, it would be nice to buy stainless steel bracelets online and make Christmas shopping for girly stuff easy. (Especially if you want to keep Christmas shopping expenses to a minimum. You'd rather do it online, away from 4 years old kids who love shopping beside you). Ahahaha!

Really, I have to finish my Christmas list already and start seriously shopping for Christmas presents. I hate to get in the rush when I could very well start shopping now and avoid it. So yeah, there are still plenty of time to get into my good book and my Christmas list. LOL!

The One With No Pressure Childhood

I don't think I've mentioned yet that when Kumon had their free-trial classes last month, we had Simone undergo the diagnostic test for the program's leveling. I've forgotten what level she was recommended to start at, I only remember that their facilities wasn't quite what I expected, no shiny floors like one of those laminated floors at quick step flooring, nor modern and fancy decorations. It was as basic as most academic facilities.

We didn't pursue the trial classes though, not because the facilities don't look modern (hehe), but because we decided in the end that Simone doesn't need additional pressures at her age. I mean, she's only four and I think she isn't behind academically speaking with other kids her age. So she doesn't need it at this time, and we can always enroll her in the future if she wants to. Simone wanted to make sure Simone will only have good memories of school, no pressures.

So what was I doing inquiring about the program in the first place? Hehehe. Just blame it on my paranoid self. And yes, I was helping out my sister-in-law enroll my nephew in the program :)
 

The One With Happy Anniversary

On Oct 28, my in-laws will be celebrating their 39th year wedding anniversary. I know that it's going to be a very happy celebration and we're all looking forward to it. They deserve to have a happy one. Even if they don't get to go to a vacation this year (the equivalent of looking into mobile homes for sale in the US, and forgetting all home obligations and traveling together for the rest of their life-- OA?), I think just knowing that everyone is doing OK with their families and marriages would be gift enough for them. Happy anniversary mommy and daddy!

The One With Happy Christmas

Christmas is my most favorite time of year, and this year I'm excited for Christmas for lots of reasons. One of the reasons is that it wonderfully reminds me of a new year coming. And come next year, we'd finally be able to pay off the down payment for our very own house! Yay!

I can still remember the days when Simon and I hesitated, worried and doubted. We even thought about leaving the house where we're renting now and getting one that's smaller with a smaller rent. But God is so good and provided more than we asked for.

So, we're really going to have a happy Christmas! So happy and blessed we might be giving away several Christmas prizes to our staff. I think fuji cameras might be nice :)

The one with painting gallery

These are some of the paintings Simone made last September.  It's just amazing that she has these strokes already for a 4-year old.  Whenever Simon and I would talk about it and how proud we are of Simone, we will just find ourselves thinking at the end of our conversation, that we may be just being parents who are a little "overacting" on their kid's accomplishments. (you know, the kind that   always insist their kid to sing even if they can't hit a tune, hahaha)

But when i posted it in FB and a lot liked it and commented how talented Simone is, especially when my bestfriend Jill told me that she really is talented and not just because she's her godmother, it confirmed that yes, she is really talented in painting. hahaha. (moreso, it confirmed that we are not OA parents)

Continue to enjoy your skills anak! we're just here to support you all the way :)

Pinocchio

Butterfly

Tinkerbell

Blues Clues House and one of the flowers in PVZ

Princess

The one with another wishlist

I don't know if i mentioned before that Simon got me my dream sunglasses for my birthday last August.  I'm such a spoiled wifey. haha.  We were looking at these Ray Bans in a store and i told him i've always wanted one....dreamt of one, but the cheapskate in me would rather buy the 200-peso sunglasses that you can find in tiangges. haha. And even if he does'nt own one, he insisted that he'd buy me one as a birthday gift.  can it get any sweeter than that?! hahaha.


Thank you beh for a shower of your unconditional love...that even if you find it impractical to buy, or it's something that you still don't have yet, you don't think twice getting me one, just to make sure it will make me happy. aaawwww... cheesy!!! love you :)

The One With Hopes

I should mention that we recently got a new house help. Our old got married and now only works as a staff/run-errand for Party Boosters. That's right, I've been keeping the house all by myself for quite sometime now and have managed (to my husband's and my surprise too!) quite well without a nanny, a cook and an all-around help. Well, I do hire out a clean and laundry woman to do the cleaning and all our laundry twice or every week, plus I hire out our old help on a per-day basis when I absolutely must leave the house for business meetings and others, but I'm left with daily chores, cooking and taking care of Simone all day everyday (not to mention picking up after her and packing away her toys like every second!). And I gotta say, taking care of a kid is actually more difficult than doing household chores, so even though I don't do bulk of the housekeeping, I do feel pretty like I've got my hands full all the time, especially when Simon is not around and I have to "multi-task" with Simone.

Ok, ok, maybe that's not too difficult to do, but I do think it's one of the reasons why I tend to lose my patience with Simone more easily than before, when I've got a nanny to call when I needed to pee, or take a bath without worrying she'll burn the house down or run into trouble while I'm in the bath. I can even take a nap when I needed one. I mean, I know it's different when you're tired and I acknowledge what great help house-helps are. They gave us more me-time which I do believe makes us better parents when we have lots of.

So now that we've got a new help, I hope to spend more enjoyable time with Simone, and stretch my patience for as long as my sanity will allow. Hehehe. I love you so much Simone! I'd even buy you your own house when you grow up and install all kinds of home luxuries like water softener for you! Hahaha! Seriously, we love you, kid.

And thus, I truly truly hope this new help will be with us longer. Not only because we needed one, but also because we're paying more (and getting less) with a clean-laundry woman's bi-weekly pay plus an old help's daily salary.

The One With A Few Days Left

So we're still not quite ready for the Halloween, although I'm not that worried (yet) knowing we could always just pick one from Simone's old costumes. Or buy a ready-made costume (even though most our sub-standards and have linings that feel like abrasives). Of course with so many things going on in our lives right now (including the recent school program and my frustrations), I hardly have time enough to spend thinking about getting our act together for a Trick or Treat. I did think about getting Simone a new pumpkin basket though, and her outfit still matters to me very much. Yeah, such are the preoccupations of a mother. Hehehe.

So, any costume suggestion?

The one with thicker than blood

I pray they would always love each other like they do now
I hope even if they're not brothers and sisters, that they will always treat each other as such
I look forward to the days that they are older and they will find each other as someone they can talk to about things they could not tell their parents

Simone, Justin and Neyo...always be for each other.  Protect each other and love each other like true brothers and sisters.

 sorry for the lo-res pic...

The one with put to a test

Motherhood has tested me...once again.


It was supposed to be a simple family activity in school that turned out to be an eye-opener to me as a mom.  Simone had a UN day yesterday and her lola even made a costume for her as one of the Spice Girls.  Her lolo bought a wig at Divisoria just so she'd be in her best costume.  She practiced all her moves and steps for their special number.  I cooked kebabs to bring for the potluck assigned to us.  And all these were put to "waste", food not eaten, she did'nt join the presentation, she wore her costume for a good 5 minutes.

At first, I blamed everyone and everything around me.  I blamed her for not sleeping early the night before, I blamed the school for choosing a very hot venue to hold an activity, I even blamed her wig for making her so uncomfortable.  I blamed everything and everyone...except myself.

While i was scolding her at the highest pitch of my voice, i was crying because it was then that i realized my faults and felt a failure as a mom.  I've always thought and expected Simone enjoys school so much, heck, she's academically doing good in school.  She loves her classmates and teachers so much.  So not being in her best mood was something i was'nt prepared for.  And i could have handled the situation better but a part of me wanted to teach her and instill in her that she can't always act inappropriately when she doesn't feel like it.  She can't always throw tantrums in a blink of an eye.  I know, sooner or later, i have to teach this to her...and the day has come.

I know i could have been more matured and talked to her nicely but the mortal mom in me felt otherwise and i just flared up and felt i had to let it out, else i'd go crazy.

The only person who was so sensible at that time was my husband.  I appreciate that he was so calm while we were both crying.  He just let me expressed my feelings, he let me cried and poured out what i was feeling.  And i felt better specially when he texted me words of wisdom that all parents should realize:

~ Know that even if your kid excels as a kid, advanced in some aspects, realize that she is just 4 years old.  She's still a baby. (and will always be one)

~ It's ok that you reprimanded her, spanked her but don't let the anger sleep with you.  Always patch things up with love and assure her that you forgive her and explain to her why what she did was not right.

~ That no kid is perfect.  I know this but sometimes, I maybe expecting too much from her.  That she can always understand whatever i say, that she'll get it right away because at the same time, this is the only time i can teach her about discipline.  It's just that there's always a better way that scolding and hitting.

I realized sooo many things yesterday.  I still thank the Lord for giving me these realizations.  It had to reach at a certain level for me to understand these.  Man, motherhood's really challenging...I'd rather solve debt problems than handle this. Haha. But seriously, thank you Lord for these little challenges in life that would hopefully make us better parents :)

The One With Approaching Halloween

Halloween is a fun time for both kids and parents. And I won't deny that I love dressing Simone up in costumes. Heck, Simone has been wearing costumes since she was one year old and I can't remember a time when she didn't wear a costume when there's an opportunity to wear one. She has a closet full of costumes (thanks to my MIL who makes costumes) and wears one whenever she feels like it, special occasion or not. So trust us, mother and daughter, to plan her Halloween costume painstakingly. I mean, I can't have her wearing t-shirts on Halloween's Trick or Treat mall events, when she wears costume on ordinary days, right?

The problem is, we can't seem to decide what she will be this Halloween. First, she wanted to be a Smurfy and I was OK with it. But then she changed her mind -- hopefully temporarily-- and wanted to be a fairy, but I thought it was too ordinary. *sigh*

So, we're still looking for costumes and we're still considering other options. I just hope we find one we can both agree on before Halloween comes :)

The One With Funny Simone

I should have mentioned a funny incident that happened during Jane and Oliver's birthday dinner. I totally don't know where Simone is getting her lingo. It started when a family with a small kid entered the restaurant and the kid's adult companions pulled out a pc tablet. NeYo, my nephew was so entranced by the gadget he practically stood by the girl's side by the family's table to watch what the girl was watching. And when we asked Simone to go get NeYo, Simone said, to my utter disbelief, "c'mon NeYo, we have one like that too". It absolutely surprised me I almost hit the floor laughing!

Of course Simone's tone was completely unaffected without any hint of bitter jealousy. Still, it was a bit discomfiting what the kid's family must think we're teaching our kid (not that I care what others wrongly think and say about us). Nonetheless, I seriously hope they think Simone meant simply that. That neYo should just watch in our table on our tablet, because we also have one like that :).

The One With The Guess Sale

So yesterday we went to Guess and Mossimo Sale at QC. We didn't arrive as early as planned but we're still able to arrive quite "ahead of the pack", so to speak. The clothes were new and had no damages whatsoever. The only problem is that they don't give one paper bag per shirt (but one paper bag for two items), which was kinda all right since most of the items I got was for Simon, Simone and me anyway. I didn't really tick everyone on our Christmas list, although I might have gone a little crazy. Hehehe. All I can say is that we all went home satisfied with our purchases. Now if I could only find discount shoes on sale too. Hehehe