massaging her eyes

While I was putting her to sleep last weekend, I caught her rubbing her left eye. Calmly, I told her to "please stop scratching her eyes".. Check out our conversation on her eyes and the alibi she got:

Me: Lizzie, please stop scratching your eyes.
Lizzie continues scratching as if not hearing me
Me: Stop scratching your eyes! Do you want your eyes to be like dad? Red and swollen?
Lizzie stops then after a few seconds, starts scratching again..
Me: Lizzie! Are you going to stop or not?
Lizzie: I not scratch my eyes mom. I am massaging them. Look o.

Howmay! 2 years old palang yan marunong na magpalusot? Pano pa kaya pag high school o college na?
Mental note to self: Brace her. Haha!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pictures below were taken last Saturday when we spent a good 3 hours at the carwash. It was a wifi zone and they serve good food so we had dinner there na din. While I was busy surfing and Arthuz was busy eating and chatting with my in laws, the little girl was in another table - writing then entertaining the staff of mugs n wash. Haha!

smokeless grill

As I have mentioned here, we were not able to push through with our quick Tagaytay get away yesterday. The rain and hubby's pink eyes stopped us from doing so. Next time nalang.

We had dinner at Tong Yang instead. I don't know but for the past year, this restaurant has been my family's new favorite (well one of the favorites alongside House of Minis right across Tiendesitas, Dampa along Julia Vargas, Dads/Kamayan and Saisaki, Kingbee in Marcos Highway, Don Hen at Santa Lu and ang walang kamatayang Causeway in Libis). You can tell that we are a food-loving bunch. Well, you can say that. Because it is fact. We all love food. That's not hard to imagine. Hehe.

the little girl with her lolo and lola

smokeless grill and shabu shabu for you

Tong Yang was introduced to us by Ama and Yeye (Carlos' grandparents - you see my sister in law is married to a pure chinese). And since smokeless grill and shabu-shabu is something new to us, we enjoyed it the first time, got excited to try it again until it becama sunday habit (moreso a vice lol!). The idea here is to cook your own meal at your table. Tong Yang is simply styled to accommodate its large number of guests, with a hot pot and grill on each table for guests to cook their meals. A wide variety of seafood, chicken, meat and vegetables is on display on one side of the restaurant. Cook your selected ingredients in the hot pot and garnish it with various sauces and condiments. Everything is done by you so it's fun as it becomes a family activity. The crabs are shrimps are always fresh and there's an overflowing supply of beef and pork slices. I swear, I have never seen so many gindara slices all my life. The dessert buffet is also something that you might want to invade after devouring (!) all the oils, calories, proteins etc.. They have a wide selection of ice cream, a halo halo bar, pastries and lotsa lotsa fruits.

downing her strawberry ice cream

belat mama!

while waiting for my in laws outside tong yang - WE MISSED YOU TONIGHT DADA!

sweetness

Prices are affordable at Php 560.00/head with all-you-can-drink drinks is included in the price.
Tong Yang Hot Pot has branches around the metro but I recommend the one in Megamall. Complete address is:
Epifano de los Santos Avenue
Level 4, Building A, SM Megamall,
Mandaluyong City Manila , 1555

+63 2 631 3634

Happy Eating!

mental note to self # 10

You always do a little growing up everytime you do a little letting go...

a mentor and a visionary.

I was looking for nice personality what have yous to post in this site when I chanced upon this particular test at abieco's blogsite. I was doubtful to post it at first because I didn't believe it initially but when I started to internalize, ako nga pala to hehe. You can snag away if you want. See if it's just as accurate in your lives as it is to me =)

sunday is for the family

As posted here, we were supposed go to Tagaytay yesterday afternoon. Our Ninang Mayet and Ninong Abon was inviting us to this new place where there good food and nice ambience. I was kinda excited although quite sad that the husband won't be able to join us as he was suffering from pink eyes.

Just as we were about to leave, there was a heavy downpour of rain. It kinda didn't stop for a while so my MIL decided to just postpone the trip for another time. Ok lang. Tinamad na din ako lol. We spent the entire afternoon watching local showbizz (yay!) and drooling over Gabby Concepcion's chiseled face and apple-red cheeks. I swear, di sya tumanda! Was telling my sister in law to keep at him para maging kasing gwapo ng inaanak ko si Gabby, or if baby X is going to be a girl, kamukha naman ni KC lol! Wondering if he was about to cry kasi parang he was in the verge of tears e wala naman nakakaiyak sa mga sinasabi nya hehe. I fell asleep after and woke up in time for us to leave for dinner. We decided to have smokeless grill in Tong Yang Hot Pot, Mega Mall (this deserves another post I guess). It was not as fun because the hubby was not there but nonetheless, enjoyed the food, the company and Lizzie's newest antics.

Great weekend, as usual. A couple of pounds heavier.

again again again =)

We're off to here again. Stories to follow tonight/tomorrow.

Have a great Sunday, all!

natural highs

1. Falling in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No lines at the supermarket.
5. A special glance.
6. Getting mail.
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
11. Chocolate milkshake (vanilla or strawberry).
12. A bubble bath.
13. Giggling.
14. A good conversation.
15 The beach
16. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.
17. Laughing at yourself.
18. Looking into their eyes and knowing they Love you
19 Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
20. Running through sprinklers.
21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
23. Laughing at an inside joke with FRIENDS
25. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).
28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
29. Playing with a new puppy or kitten.
30. Having someone play with your hair.
31. Sweet dreams.
32. Hot chocolate.
33. Road trips with friends.
34. Swinging on swings.
35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
36. Making chocolate chip cookies.
37. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.
38 Holding hands with someone you care about.
39 Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
40. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you.
41. Watching the sunrise.
42. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
43. Knowing that somebody misses you.
44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
45. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

one crazy week

guess who i'm chatting with??? :)

I gave myself a curfew tonight. 1am. No more. No less. I have barely twenty minutes to finish this post. Not that I have a lot to say because I really don't. I don't even know what I am supposed to share. I guess I just wanna cap this week properly. It has been a busy one for me. Monday was my proof of learning day. The next three days brought me to the posh OJV site in Ortigas for the BTT (Basic Traning for Trainers -although I am not a trainer by profession). Last thursday, we had our graduation by presenting a session plan in front of 20 people, site director, site learning manager and leadership manager included. How's that for a first time? It was good though because at least, I was able to conquer one of my fears. Yes, I was a public speaker in high school but it's really different if you are asked to speak in front of bosses and clients and even colleagues who has the same (or greater) experience as you. I passed. With flying colors. Thank God. Today started really early for me. 2am again. Mass at 4am, breakfast at 6, got back home around 7. Prepared hubby's things and waited for him to leave before I could crawl back to bed and catch some more sleep. Begged for the little girl to wake me up at 10 so we can play before I leave for work. It was fortunate that she lovingly obliged. She might have noticed the dark circles around my eyes. Haha.

Have a great weekend, all! Wishing you a crowdless break from work. It's payday weekend so expect everyone to be in the malls, parks and restos. Be safe. Be well.

Cheerio!

all about farah

I was tagged by Abie. Thanks for this sis.

1.What's the connection between you and the last person you texted?
◘. my husband

2.What is wrong with you right now?
◘. my position. i can't seem to get the perfect position tonight (where to place my laptop, how i'll sit etc..)

3. Do you ever miss your first love?
◘. hell no

4.When did you last cry?
◘. a few minutes ago (while watching eli and jackie hahaha!)

5.What do you hate?
◘. slackers. hypocrites. nonsense loudness. broken promises.

6. What do you want in your life right now?
◘. the big P

7. Are you happy?
◘. yes.

8.What are you listening to?
◘. the sound of the aircon

9. What do you smell like?
◘. gap heaven

10. What time do you go to bed?
◘. normally, i'm bedbound by 10pm. tonight, i'll sleep at 1am.

11.Who was the last person in your bed besides you?
◘. my husband

12.What do you wear to bed?
◘. jammies and socks

13. Do you tend to make relationships complicated?
◘. no.

14. What did you do yesterday?
◘. worked. had that 5 minute presentation i was dreading since the start of btt (it wasnt bad afterall)

15. What was the last movie you went to?
◘. i completely forgot already. we watch movies on dvd nalang kasi.

16. Is your shirt new?
◘. no

17. Do you live near your ex boyfriend/girlfriend?
◘. i don't really know where they live na e. never kept in touch with any of my exes.

18. Are you scared of bugs?
◘. no.

19. How was your day today?
◘. surprisingly, lighter. thank heavens!

20. What do you think of Eminem?
◘. crappy?

21. Do you read?
◘. i am a bookwhore

22. Do you sleep with a teddy bear?
◘. when i was single. i have 2 human teddy bears now - papa bear and baby bear =)

23. Do you like anyone right now?
◘. i like a lot of people

24. Are you bored?
◘. no

25. What are you excited about?
◘. going to the beach this summer

26. Who was last person to cook for you?
◘. the maid

27. Who was your last text message from?
◘. hubby

28.Who was the last person to make you cry?
◘. jackie and eli lol!

29. Name someone whose name starts with the letter P?
◘. Patty

30. Do you care what others think about you?
◘. no

31. Have you ever been in love?
◘. yes. i still am.

32. Do you trust people easily?
◘. no. i can be a little cynical sometimes.

33. Do you think you'll be married in 10 years?
◘. i am happily married

34. Will you ever kiss the last person you kissed again?
◘. yes. over and over.

35. What do you look forward to in the next 3 months?
◘. travel, lizzie's on to pre-school and the big p :)

36. Who was the last person to call you?
◘. Hubby

37. Do you plan on moving out within the next year?
◘. no. where will i go?

38. What happened at 10:00 am today?
◘. busy dreaming (i was asleep til 10:30am). went to work at 12noon today.

Tagging jan and maver.

survey says!

mental note to self # 9

If it's not fun, it's not worth doing.

a tribute to men

It has always been a challenge to talk about men stuff such as penis enlargement but realizing that I am a married woman and topics like these are nothing new to me thus it’s normal, I decided to discuss a little about what I know about penis enlargement and where online can one avail of it. There is actually a site that offers the first super comfortable penis extender at a low-cost, hi-results package.

10 Recent Things That Made Me Happy.

Thanks Alpha!

1. Like Alpha, my new haircut!
2. Seeing my staff again, after more than 3 weeks...Oh, How I missed them!
3. The store picking up slowly but surely (lavet!)
4. A balikbayan box (on its way) filled with stuff for Lizzie, Arthuz and me from Cali with much love =)
5. Crisp mornings, birds chirping and Lizzie shouting "Mom and Dada, good mawning!!"
6. My Unionbank EON card
7. Gossip girl marathon on weekends
8. My already perfect baby back ribs
9. Wine and cheese nights
10. The love that abounds in my life. I am extremely gratified.

What are your ten recent things Ems, Jan, Jane, Maver and Jing?

tagging is fun

I received 2 special tags today:

First, a friendship tag from Jody. Keep sweet, sister!

~~Begin Copy~~

This is the easy way and the fastest way to :
1. Make your Authority Technoraty explode.
2. Increase your Google Page Rank.
3. Get more traffic to your blog.
4. Makes more new friends.
Rules :
1. Start copy from “Begin Copy” until “End Copy” to your blog.
2. Put your own blog name and link.
3. Tag your friends as much as you can.
1. Picturing of Life
2. Juliana’s Site
3. Hazel-My Life, My Hope, My Future.
4. Jeanne-The Callalily Space
5. Starz in De Sky
6. My Charmed Life
7. Denz Techtronics
8. Denz Recreational
9. Life’s Simple Pleasures
10. My Blog
11. Because Life is Fun
12. In This Game of Life
13. Scribbles of my Life
14. Changing Lanes

~~End Copy~~

I am tagging andrea, anna, annette, gracie and jacq.

Second, I was tagged by Jing. Thanks sis!

Rules: Cut and paste the following starting here. I have randomly selected 5 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog. You will have to tag 5 other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!) It’s real easy! Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially! The benefits of Viral Linking:- One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!- Increase your Google PageRank fast- Attract large volume of new traffic to your site- Build your community- Make new friends!

The Strategist Notebook, Link Addiction, Ardour of the Heart, When Life Becomes a Book, The Malaysian Life, Yogatta.com, What goes under the sun,Roshidan’s Cyber Station, Sasha says, Arts of Physics, And the legend lives, My View, My Life, A Simple Life, Juliana RW, The Callalily Space, Petra Summer in Blue, Confessions of an Army Wife Bless’ Sanctuary Happy Life, http://bless519.bravejournal.com/, La Place de Cherie, Chez Francine, Le bric a brac de Cherie, Little Peanut, Pea in a Pod, The Creative In Me, Me and Mine, Pinay Mommy, Expressions from the Heart, TeacherJulie, Sweetbites by Bang, Paul, Toni and Lance - Bridging the Distance, Our Growing Family, The Uncensored life of me, My Untamed World, Something Purple, A Detour, Something Purple, Wifespeaks, Changing Lanes,Bits and Pieces , Life Together Starts , A Housewife’s Journal, Joey M.D., The Working Mom, Online Raket, Idle in Makati, JengSpeaks, A Matter of Perspective, Ang Therapist, Freebies Australia, Abstract Musings, Endometriosis & Fertility Resource Page, The Adventures of Dong and Jing; Changing Lanes

Randomly passing this tag to: jacqui, nyree, val, vienne and vannie.

guess who's coming to town...

Dora The Explorer Live in Manila!





Venue: Aliw Theater
Event Date/Time:
April 18, 2008 Friday at 3:30pm
April 18, 2008 Friday at 6:00pm
April 19, 2008 Saturday at 1:00pm

April 19, 2008 Saturday at 3:30pm

April 19, 2008 Saturday at 6:00pm

April 20, 2008 Sunday at 1:00pm

April 20, 2008 Sunday at 3:30pm

April 20, 2008 Sunday at 6:00pm

April 23, 2008 Wednesday at 6:00pm

April 24, 2008 Thursday at 6:00pm

April 25, 2008 Friday at 3:30pm

April 25, 2008 Friday at 6:00pm

April 26, 2008 Saturday at 1:00pm

April 26, 2008 Saturday at 3:30pm

April 26, 2008 Saturday at 6:00pm

April 27, 2008 Sunday at 1:00pm

April 27, 2008 Sunday at 3:30pm

April 27, 2008 Sunday at 6:00pm

Seat and Price:
Seat Location Price


VIP Center (rows A-H) (Reserved Seating) 1785
VIP Sides (rows A-H) (Reserved Seating) 1470

Patron Center (rows I-T) (Reserved Seating) 1470

Patron Sides (rows I-T) (Reserved Seating) 945

Deluxe Center (rows U-DD) (Reserved Seating) 945

Deluxe Sides (rows U-DD) (Reserved Seating) 630




With so many choices in the dates and the seats, there's no reason we can't and won't watch this. The little girl is so gonna love it!



Happy Dora Day, fellow mommies!!!





For more details: go to www.ticketnet.com.ph

siopao asado

disclaimer: i am typing this in between episodes of gossip girl. i swear, i am totally hooked that i can't even stand up to pee lol! this explains the incoherence of this post. i just hope i'd be able to pull this one off heeee!!

I cut my hair Monday of last week. I had no reason of doing so but my in laws were cutting theirs so I thought, the heck - I might as well cut mine anyway, it's too long already and the summer heat is unbearable I don't think maintaining an uber long and thick hair is a nice thing to do. So, as I posted in this entry, 6 inches from my used-to-be bra-length hair was chopped off. It was so chica right after we stepped out of the salon. Fe did a fantastic job, I thought. So happy happy joy joy!!

I realized only the morning (and a shower) after that it was to date, the hardest hairstyle I have ever had. Ang hirap nya ha in fairness! I had to wake up 2 hours before work to have it dryed (by the EF hahaha!). As you all know, I am a low-maintenance (well, pwede na nga akong NO MAINTENANCE eh!) kind of girl, and for starters, I don't even have a blow dryer in my house. Can you beat that? So imagine the trouble I had to go through just to fix my alanganin hair? Nag-inarte kase ayan tuloy, magdusa ka! Hehehe!

I so wanted to chop it off some more and I had to drive around the metro on a Maundy Thursday just to check out if there are, by any chance, salons that are open and operational. Syempre, wala diba? So I had to suffer some more. I swear, napapanaginipan ko na ang buhok ko. That's how badly I wanted it fixed lol!

Saturday was a busy day for me so I had to put off plans for what else? my hair (obsessed nako, I swear!) One more day, Farah.

Sunday! I didn't pass up the chance. Right after Sunday Lunch at my in laws', I asked hubby to drive me to David's at SLE for the much awaited hair fix. Good thing my ever reliable stylist, Fe was there.

The long wait was worth it. I like my new hair better now. I feel 10 pounds lighter lol! I still don't have a blow dryer in my house, but who needs it?

Oh by the way, my husband now fondly calls me siopao which I'd easily retort back with "basta ba asado at hindi bola bola eh" LOL.

touched by an angel

Have you ever donated old clothes, shoes, toys when you were a kid? Have you ever participated in reach out activities in school when you were younger? We have done these acts so many times when we were kids and now that were grown ups, we’re more exposed to reality and the saying that reality bites is true in every sense of the word.

There are a lot of people who are helpless and are around waiting for others to help and assist them. A lot of homeless children, boys that are in the crossroads of their lives, kids that are not properly educated and etc. These are realities that bite us painfully and we’ve got to do something about it.

That’s why there’s a donate a boat in place. The proceeds of these campaign goes to provide additional needed funding for countless preschool and grade school children living in the poorest counties of the world.

Your boat donations will surely go a long way as it will also be used to create children’s animations and anti-drug documentaries for the boys who are confused, lost and are in the crossroads of their loves. By creating such documentaries, we are exposing them to the effects of drug addiction and what harmful effect it can do to their young and frail bodies.

If you have a boat to donate, it is best for you to contact the Angel Ministries as they will help in the processing making life easier for you. By doing this selfless act, you are helping change the lives of millions of children of the world. You are making a difference in the lives of countless children who are not as fortunate as you are. If you don’t have anything to donate, you can still help out by spreading the word to the people you know. Tell them about Angel Ministries and let them know that just like you, they can also make a difference!

snapped by snapbomb!

A bomb is about to explode. But don’t fret as this bomb will not create havoc and disaster. As a matter of fact, this bomb will bring in millions of opportunities to everyone – advertisers and bloggers alike. Snapbomb is the latest in blog marketing and blog advertising. It is the fastest way to spread the word through the blogging community. Advertisers are given a room for product releases, events and news. Bloggers are given the opportunity to write and review about topics and get paid for it. This is a buzz everybody would definite love!

How hard can it get? All you have to do is to sign up with snapbomb now and wait for money to pour in!

because she's such a darling..

Lizzie today.

I found a nice yellow romper suit for Lizzie in her cabinet (yes, she still has some unused clothes that I am so lazy to check out so more often than not, she re-wears her clothes a lot! bad momma! lol!) while I was dressing her up for Sunday Lunch at her Lola's. Because it was her first time to see the dress, she was ecstatic that she started shouting: "Wow! Mama.. Nice gown. Is that for Lizzie? Nice gown Mama"

---------------------------------------------------
We were both dressed up, waiting for hubby to finish (he always is the last to dress up. And it irks me really bad!). While waiting, we were sitting cross-legged on the floor, in front of the tube. Suddenly, Bob the pug bit the hem of my blouse when Lizzie shouted: "Look mom, Bob is biting your gown!" No, Bobsie. Don't!"

She refers to all nice clothes - tops, jeans, rompers as gowns.
--------------------------------------------------
There's a big aquarium in Causeway where you choose the fish that you want cooked. While waiting for our dinner last night, Lizzie got bored so she stood up and went to the aquarium where 2 little girls (aged 5 and 4, I asked) were discussing how many fishes were swimming.


Girl A (5 y/o): There are 8 fishes swimming!

Girl B (4 y/o): No achie, there's 9!

Lizzie (my adelantada daughter): There's plenty fishes swimming o. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eleven, fourteen.




Hahaha!
--------------------------------------------------
Finally, before hitting the sack, hubby chanced upon Music and Lyrics in HBO so we all watched the flick. After half an hour, hubby was first to snore. I followed after an hour. When I woke up to tuck the little girl to bed, guess what? she was still watching! And she blurted out: "Ill sleep na mama, it's finished na o!" And I saw the credits of the film being shown on the tube.

Grabe my daughter! She's slowly becoming like her dad. She is one boob-tube addict. Certified.

for lack of a better thing to do today

Thanks again, Mafe-san! You the best!

1. WHAT MADE YOU SMILE TODAY? traffic-less Ortigas Ave and my warm white chocolate mocha from Starbs :)
2. DO YOU KNOW THAT TO LOVE IS ALSO TO-- make sacrifices, may it be big or small.
3. ARE YOU IN LOVE?-- super!
4. ARE YOU IN A RELATIONSHIP?-- yes, I am.
5. DO YOU LOVE YOUR BEST FRIEND/S?-- sure do!

6. WHAT SONG ARE YOU LISTENING TO?-- Snow (Hey Oh) by RHCP
7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SONG AT THE MOMENT?-- Elevation by U2

8. WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST FEAR/S?-- to not fear anymore.
9. WRITE DOWN NAMES OF important friends?-- Janet, Kristel, Babs, Stelz, Raw, Mark & She, Jep & Anne, Mavis & Roy, KayFer, Kitch, Shang, Shawie, Lai, Quein, Alvin, Boboy, Rachel
10. DO YOU HAVE EX-GIRLFRIENDS/BOYFRIENDS?-- yes
11. DO YOU LIKE TO WATCH THE SUNSET WITH YOUR LOVE?- of course! I love purplesunsets along the shoreline. Ask my bestfriend, Janet.
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK?- too many to mention.. I am a book whore!
13. WHAT CAR YOU DRIVE?-- a Pajero
14. HAVE YOU EVER LOVED YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND?-- I am no homo but I love my bestfriend to bits!
15. DO YOU THINK BREAK-UPS SUCK?-- initially yes. But break ups are bound to happen.
16. TELL ME AN IMPORTANT THING ABOUT yourself.-- I keep friendships. And promises.
17.WHAT SPORTS DO YOU LIKE?-- basketball
18. ARE YOU BORED?-- nah. Just found this meme intriguing. :)
19. DO YOU WANNA GO BACK TO THE PAST?-- yes, it’ll be so interesting. But I need to tweak it a bit.
20. DO YOU HAVE BEST FRIENDS FROM THEOPPOSITE SEX?-- yes. He lives in Naga.
21. NAME ONE OF YOUR PETS?-- Bob the Pug
22. WHAT COLORS DO YOU LIKE?-- shades of purple and pink
23. DO YOU LIKE TO DRINK BEER UNTILYOU GET DRUNK?-- I don't drink beer.
24. DO YOU HAVE IMPORTANT THINGS TO SAY TO SOMEONE?-- for Lizzie: to not worry about her future because I am making sure that her future is sealed for her :)
25. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN? long drive, coffee, hit th beach

26. LOVE SOMEONE A LOT?-- yes. His name is Arthuz Cloyd.
27. ARE YOU SLEEPY NOW?-- nope. It's only 2pm.
28. IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SAY "IMISS YOU", TO WHOM WOULD THAT BE? - To my mommy and daddy

I'd like to tag the usual: Em, Val, Abie, Jan and Annette

Coffee Break Ver 1.2

This week's coffee break by Jan thus begins with this question in mind:

If you were to suggest summer venues in the Philippines, what 3 get-away trips would you recommend?

Plantation Bay in Mactan, Cebu (Em knows why Ü)

Boracay - the last time I was in this Island was back in 2004, when my last name was still Alvarez, I was 10 lbs lighter, more confident to wear bikinis and tankinis and still, Lizzie-less.

CWC - I am a Bicolano and I am proud to be one! Check out this site for more info.

Our country boasts of a lot of really good vacation spots. That's why in times like this, it feels good to be home.

survey says..

Mafe-san, bring it on!

1. Does anyone know your password? My Husband.
2. What was the last thing you orderedat McDonalds? Fillet o Fish Meal
3. Are you an emotional person? not really but it depends
4. Do you like your name? I love my name. I always thank Mom for giving it to me.
5. Do you believe in love at firstsight? Nope
6. Ever felt jealous of your friend? I call it positive jealousy. Or Happy jealousy.
7. What was the last thing you did? drank H20
8. Who is next to you?sakin? What do you mean? If you mean who's sitting next to me, it's Karen.
9. Who was the last person you ate with? Gerald.
10. What song are you listening toright now?- a hiphop song that Mark is playing on imeem.
11. How is the weather right now?- it just rained a while ago but the sun is up again.
12. Last person you called?- I forgot na. I don't usually call eh (I'm so lazy).
13. Who are you thinking right now? – Chris Lipman (Mark said he's dropping by for a peep daw eh)
14. Last song you sang? Snow
15. Last time you danced?- a few nights ago. In our room, with the hubby :)
18. Last thing you ate?- chickenjoy
19. Been really depressed before? slightly depressend, yeah but not naman really depressed. OA na yun!
20. Faked being sick to miss school?- who didn't?
21. What time did you wake up today?- 5 am
22. Current taste?- sweet (I am munching on my fave candies eh)
23. What are you wearing right now?- white top and pin stripe pants
24. Are you too shy to ask anyone out?- why should I?
25. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?- height
27. Current love?- blogging?
28. What date and day is it today?- 24/03/08
29. Did you go anywhere today?- office :)
30. What did you do there?- work?
34. Do you call your parents by their first name?- only with my dad because he's one cool creature.
35. Are you an only child?- i have an older brother. (and 2 loving sisters in law)
36. Where do you go shopping?- around
38. Do you like books?- I am a book whore!
39. Do you want to get married? I am married. Thank you.
40. To whom? ano bey?

Tagging the following: Babs, Val, Abie, Peachy, Jane and Jan.

oceans 11

Thanks Mafe-San for letting me. Congratulations dear!

Name 11 people you can think of right off the top of your head. Don't read the questions underneath until you write the names of all 11 people. This is a lot funnier if you actually randomly list the names first.. No cheating.

1. Dang - my first friend
2. Mavis - my kumare
3. Arthuz
4. Mafe-san
5. Raw aka Patty aka Roanne
6. Kayfer
7. Marsha
8. Maila
9. Oxie
10. MJ
11. Arvy

Now, it's time to answer the following questions:

HOW DID YOU MEET #4?
At work. Almost a couple of years ago. She's one of my few favorites =)

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITHOUT # 6?
Nakow, I can't imagine life without her. She used to be my boss. Now, she's the boss of the boss of my boss. Grabey noh? Small but terrible talaga! (disclaimer: more than aboss, she is my friend)

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF #2 AND # 6 WERE GOING OUT?
Hampasabol! First, they're both girls. Second, theuy don't know each other!

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF #5 CONFESSED HE/SHE LOVES YOU ?
OMG! Sabi ko na nga ba Raw, lesbo ka! That explains why she loves hanging out with me. Haha! Joke to =) I love this girl to bits. She and #4 are like little sisters to me..

WHOS #10'S BEST FRIEND?
Earl Anthony Cruz

HAVE YOU EVER EATEN AROUND #1?
yeah

DO YOU MISS #2?
Not really. I just saw her yesterday and I'm riding with her later.

WHO IS #11 DATING
Nakupow! Issue itey! =)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF #3?
My soulmate. He brought me back to earth. He gives me all the reasons to work hard and strive and stup up a notch all the time. He is a breath of fresh air in this uber-polluted environment. He is everything rolled into one 6 ft 2. He is a boy trapped in a man's body. We love loving each other. And hate hating each other. He is my ex-boyfriend. My husband.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF #9?
She is the coolest. Learned. Never gets tired of going to school. I love her fashion sense (she is my stylist). She is my other best friend. The soon to be wife of #3's best buddy.

WHAT WOULD U DO IF #4 AND #7 WERE DATING?
I'm gonna die!

WHO DOES #2 LIKE?
Kumpareng Roy

WOULD YOU MARRY #8?
Nope. Incest yun pag nagkataon.

DO YOU LOVE #10?
I love working with him.

EVER SLEPT IN THE SAME ROOM AS ANY OF THE NUMBERS?

Dang - almost everyday during our freshmen years in college, slumber parties in high school
Mavis - saturday club
Arthuz - every night (and eyelovet!)
Mafe-san - soon (read:next outing!)
Raw - see above
Kayfer - see above
Marsha - nope
Maila - family reunions
Oxy - out of town trips with our TNY friends
MJ - nope
Arvy - nope

This is a fun tag so I'm tagging (redundant ha!) Ems, Jan, Val, Abie, Peachy, Jane, Jody, Gracie, Jacqui, Vien and NIkki.

easter meme :)

Happy Easter everyone!

For my pangbuena mano, I'd like to answer Ems' tag for me yesterday. I so wanted to do this meme eversince I received it, but I had to contol, control, control heee! I am sure to have fun as I do this so let the games begin...

RULES:
1. Go to http://www.photobucket.com/
2. Type in your answer to the question in the “search” box.
3. Use only the first page.
4. Insert the picture into your Blog.

1.) What is your Relationship Status?


2)What is your current mood?


3.) Who is your Favorite Band / Artist?


4.) What is your Favorite Movie?


5.) What kind of pet do you have?

a

named

6.) Where do you live?

7.) Where do you work?

8.) What do you look like?

9.) What do you drive?

but i still wish i would be able to drive this:

10)What did you do last night?

watched this on HBO

11.) What is your Favorite TV Show?

I've got 2:

and our new current addiction (our meaning me and hubby... Ü)

12.) Describe yourself:

13)What are you doing today?

14.) What is your name?

15.)What is your favorite candy?

Tagging everyone in my blogroll!!!! Jan, snag this away! Ü

i abstain.

Abstinence (noun)

1. forbearance from any indulgence of appetite, esp. from the use of alcoholic beverages: total abstinence.
2. any self-restraint, self-denial, or forbearance.

The Lenten Season is not all about not eating meat, or not overeating your favorite meal. It's about foregoing one thing that you love doing for a period. It's all about sacrifice. It's about holding off to a favorite hobby, pastime, activity for a while. For me, observing the Lenten Season is not blogging for a few days.

This explains the absence of posts in this blog for a couple of days now. I shall be back with stories in a while.

Happy Easter all!

Visita Iglesia

Part of the family tradition during Maundy Thursdays after hearing the Mass is to visit seven churches around the metro to reflect and pray. For the past years, we would always go to the nearby churches (the ones in Marikina and Antipolo areas) so we could go home early. This year, we decided to tweak our itinerary a little by visiting the churches close to our hearts. We initially wanted to visit Christ the King in Greenmeadows (to pay tribute to the church that wed us) but it's out of the way so we dropped the idea (we were just there during our 3rd anniv anyway). After discussing (and arguing) on the itinerary for half an hour, we all agreed to visit these churches:

Nativity of Our Lady Parish, Industrial Village Marikina City

St. Claire Monastery, Katipunan Ave Quezon City

Sta. Maria Della Strada Parish, Katipunan Ave Quezon City

St. Joseph Shrine, Cubao

UST Church

and finally...

Quiapo Church (this being our last stop, always)

Traffic was bad everywhere. Parking was hopeless but for some reason, we were always able to get a slot (thanks to PHN). There were a lot of devotees last night. Throngs of humanity in every church we've been to.

After saying our prayers in Quiapo, Arthuz and I went out of the church to catch some air. While waiting outside, he suddenly shared how significant this night is to him. He told me these exact words: "Ma, it feels weird. A good kind of weird though." I asked, "Baket?". He continued on: "I remember, I was at this same church, at the same day, and almost the same time last year. And I prayed hard. I interrupted with "..then?" He goes. "Alam mo ma, lahat ng pinagdasal ko kay Nazareno last year, lahat.. natupad. He didn't spare anything. Totoo yun" Then for some reason, tears started to well from my eyes. You all know how much of a believer I am in the Black Nazarene, and unless theres a valid reason for me not to attend the first mass every Friday, I go. I have been a devotee for more than a year now and I have experienced his miracles right before my eyes. I know that he answers my prayers and I have found peace and contentment the day I welcome Him into my life. But for my husband to also share the same experience is something beyond words. I can't explain the feeling. It's so wonderful. And magical. And great.

Because we were all famished after 5 long hours, we stopped by Shakeys along Katipunan Ave (yup folks, the one accross Ateneo gym and beside McDonalds) for some garlic and cheese pizza, mojos, calamari and fish chips. We reached home around 2am.

Visita Iglesia is one tradition that I intend to carry on with my children. We used to have Visita Altares back in my hometown and since Naga is such a small city, we don't need a car to go around. We would walk from our house going to Centro, stopping by all 13 stations to pray. Then, we would have our final stop at the Plaza to buy peanuts before heading home. Simple life, I know. But it was good.

May you all have a great weekend.

mental note to self # 7

The horizon is out there somewhere and you keep chasing it, looking for it and working for it.

- Bob Dole

thank you God

Today being Maundy Thursday, let me share with you the things I'm thankful for:

a supportive husband
amazing in laws
great friends
a decent paying dayjob
a little girl's smile
crisp mornings
after rain
selfless parents
a loving brother
UP education
my laptop
where I'm at right now
enough love to help me get by
closure
wisdom
new friendships
opportunities
life
home

What are you thankful for?

chop it off some more!

this weekend.

=)