News bits

I like listening to news. I listen to AM radio when I drive just to keep myself updated on the current events since I couldn't always have time to watch the daily news shows. I am still on my way home by then.

It gets frustrating sometimes that news are not that interesting anymore. Or at least I have hoped to listen more to something positive and some good developments about our country. Sadly, it's not always the case.

These days, here's what's up:

• Senator Bong Revilla was mad on Hayden Kho for all his private videos out in the public and still spreading like wildfire. He recommended Kho's medical license to be revoked.

My comment: Please! Although I am totally against the public display of private videos, I would at lest want my senators to focus on more important stuff. Else, we don't need smart senators if they are just to comment on these petty showbiz news. And Please! As what the Bible says, 'He who has no sin can throw the first stone'. Enough said.

• A female Congressman (didn't catch her name) and Senator Bong Revilla being mad against Alec Baldwin for his comment on Filipina mail-order bride in the show with David Letterman.

My comment: Again, there are much more important things that our government officials can focus on. I'd rather they spend time looking and solving the fact that there is indeed a growing number of mail-order brides from our country instead of plainly asking an actor to retract his statement and apologize. Yes, it is offending but reality bites you know.

• Ms. Dionisia doesn't want to be an actress anymore but will still welcome endorsements.

My comment: Hilarious! I do like her though for being real. Maybe she also has the charm similar to his super rich and super famous son! That's why she's now called Pacmom! Haha!

Depressing weather

If it is just an ordinary day, I would have enjoyed the cool weather with a bowl of arroz caldo. It would have been a full day of just sleeping, eating and sleeping again.

However, this time is when I want the sun to shine! Tomorrow is our scheduled trip to Fontana Leisure Park - yet another outing with our closest friends. Our bags are not yet packed but I did some grocery shopping already for half of the food that we intend to bring. Yes, we plan to pig out! We rented a 3-bedroom villa and I'm very much excited to swim at the water theme park which I know the kids (especially Sophia) will surely enjoy. But sigh, Typhoon Emong is hitting Northern Luzon.

When I read what Fontana Leisure Park has to offer, it says this...

A place where one can play or go fishing and boating in lagoons with fountains and waterfalls, or simply stroll amidst manicures lawns, herbs and flower gardens, and acres of age-old trees. A place where one can enjoy country club amenities, such as, basketball and tennis court, restaurants, souvenir shop, spa, salons, gameroom and even a grand water theme park with a lazy river, a wave pool that stimulates the sea, a Buccaneer pirate ship with slides, a water factory, Olympic size pool and the thrilling challenge of a casino.

So you see, it's very enticing but the weather may restrict us from making use of the facilities available.

I just pray that there will be at least 1-3 hours of sunshine either tomorrow or Saturday morning for us to enjoy the water theme park. For the rest of the time, we can sleep, eat, watch dvds and sleep again.

My lash discovery

These past few days, I have been itching to spend, even for petty stuff. I have been wanting to buy a new mascara since I misplaced my Lancome (which is almost empty anyways). I heard Maybelline is good. Few years back, I used to have the Lash Discovery. I frankly don't want to spend much since mascaras usually have a short lifespan (they say around 3 months). Besides, I naturally have long lashes although I actually felt it became shorter due to frequent curling. I frankly envy my daughter Sophia. She has wonderful eyelashes! Long and curly! Very lucky girl, 'mana sa nanay' :)

Yesterday, I just went straight to Watsons and got this. I never even tried scouting for other brands as I normally do.

I like what it did to my lashes today, of course equipped with my ever reliable Shu Uemura curler.Finally, my lashes are back!

I'm loving these bags

I am not a fan of Coach (I don't own one in fact). But saw the new collection and I was instantly thrilled with the colorful prints. I'm loving these....

I like a big bag like this to carry all my stuff (especially when you travel with kids).. But at price tag of USD 1,000 it's worth thinking twice. Maybe an LV or Gucci can already fit the bill.


This one looks refreshing and cute! Good for summer/spring. But sigh, summer ended too early I guess.


I can envision this one looks good in jeans and a plain white top...

Of course, the classic can not be forgotten but I like this as it is lighter in tone...


I am not saying I'm gonna buy them :( I'm saving moolah for something else. Unless my dear friend Anne can find this at outlet price. Haha, cheapskate!

The news all over town

I have been quite inactive in blogging. There are much to say and update with too little time - also since I have been busy with my new job.

The news about the death of Ted Failon's wife is currently a hype. It's all over the place- TV, radio and internet. It is quite puzzling indeed. The first time I heard the news, I was already quite doubtful about the involvement of Ted considering the tampering of the crime scene. Who in their right mind will actually consider cleaning the blood stains first over being at the hospital and overseeing the situation of the victim. As days passed, it became even chaotic. Paraffin tests showed negative result for Ted and his wife. The wife is left handed but the police said the gun shot came from the right side.

I somehow feel that PNP has been quite exaggerated in dealing with this issue. On the other hand, they might also just be doing their job.

Then again it might have been indeed a suicide but the situation got so complicated because family and household members were not in the situation to rightfully think what should have (or have not) been done. At the end of the day, I pity the children and the family who was left behind. If it was indeed suicide, Trina Etong have just gave her family a bigger burden to carry - more than the pain of losing her. Let's pray for her soul and peace for her family. I hope the case will be solved soon.

And our baby's gender is...

...a boy!!!

Che and I doesn't have any gender preference. I thought it will be nice to have another girl to make use of Sophia's tons of clothes. On the other hand, Che and I was quite worried that Sean is surrounded by all girls - Sophia, our 3 yr old niece Sachi, and of course the yayas so having a younger brother to play with will be nice.

I had an unplanned ultrasound. Since this is my second pregnancy, I am not too keen on having ultrasounds unlike my first. Sort of 'been there, done that'. We also doesn't have any gender preference so I am not that giddy excited. However, my OB suggested an ultrasound to check whether I had enough amniotic fluid since I reported some occassional discharge the past few days. It was so far ok.

However, we discovered something unusual during the ultrasound. There was this rounded fluid (hole-like) in our baby's brain. Later on, the OB-Sonologist reported it to be something called Choroid Plexus Cyst. We instantly got worried. The doctor suggested another ultrasound or congenital anomaly scan in the next 6 weeks. I did my research last night and found this....

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The second trimester ultrasound examination (sonogram) will sometimes identify a cyst or cysts in the choroid plexus. The choroid plexus is a tissue in the brain that produces cerebrospinal fluid. Fluid-filled cysts, called choroid plexus cysts or CPCs, are identified by ultrasound in approximately 1-2% of all pregnancies scanned between 16 and 24 weeks gestation. In the majority of cases, CPCs disappear by the 28th week of pregnancy with no effect on the baby. However, a fetal CPC is considered a “marker”, indicating that the baby may have an increased risk for a chromosome abnormality. When observed as an isolated ultrasound finding in women under 35 years of age, the risk for trisomy 18 is increased, but remains low (less than 1%). The risk is higher for women age 35 or older. Additional abnormal ultrasound findings significantly increase the risk for trisomy 18 .

Trisomy 18 is a chromosome abnormality resulting from an extra copy of chromosome #18, thus three copies instead of two. Chromosomes are the inherited structures in the cells of the body. There should be 46 chromosomes in each cell, arranged into 23 pairs. Chromosome abnormalities involving an entire missing or extra chromosome are not inherited and are not caused by an exposure during pregnancy. Instead, they are caused by random mistakes in cell division at the time of conception and can occur in anyone’s pregnancy. Infants with trisomy 18 have severe mental retardation and multiple birth defects. Many pregnancies with trisomy 18 result in a miscarriage or infant death, although a small percentage can live for several years.

When a CPC is identified un ultrasound, there is the option for additional testing. Detailed ultrasound, to look for both major birth defects and minor findings associated with trisomy 18, may be recommended, depending upon the amount of detail that was obtained during previous ultrasounds. Amniocentesis, to test for chromosome abnormalities in the baby, is also an option.

It is important to remember that isolated CPCs are usually normal variants that have no negative effect on the baby.

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We are worried but we are also hopeful that this is an isolated case since everything seems normal. We know that with enough prayers, the cyst will go away. Please pray for our baby.

A new job and a new cam

I got myself two new things last week.

First, a new job. Quite unexpected. Challenging. Che has enlightened me a lot in making a choice. I have been blessed to be given another promotion. It's amazing that God's blessing never stopped. In fact, it is so far overwhelming. Lord, thank you and may you guide me in succeeding in this new role.

Second, I have finally made a good excuse of buying a camera - that I deserve to reward myself. Hahaha. It's always such a good excuse, right?! I got myself my very own dslr! I've made a lot of research, asked friends, read reviews etc. I chose Nikon D60 since I am new at this. I don't want to spend P50k+ worth of camera for something I have no clue about yet. So far, it is too technical for me but I know in time, I will learn. I am really excited in exploring my cam and it can be quite frustrating when I already want to already capture beautiful photos. Talking about a girl already becoming impatient. Haha. I hope it's weekend again so I can use the cam outdoors!

Another car accident

I have been careless. Really bad.

The day after my birthday, I was on my way to work. Roughly after around 10 minutes of driving and running at approximately 20km/hr, I momentarily checked my bag to see whether my phone was there. When I looked in front, I saw the cars ahead of me has already stopped. I hit the break fast but too late, I hit the Pajero. Damn!

I saw the instant damage on my car with the badly bended hood. The driver of the Pajero checked his rear and saw nothing was damaged. Thank God! I actually hit the hook (for towing cars and other stuff) which SUVs usually have.

Another confession I have to make. It was very fortunate that I didn't cause any damage to other cars. My license has expired on my birthday. I thought expiration was on the day after. If we will call the police due to the accident, my car could have been impounded and I may have been sent to prison.

I believe that I am good at multi-tasking. Apparently, that doesn't apply when driving. When will I ever learn?! Che is not mad. He was more concerned about my safety. I thank God for always protecting me. I promised myself I will be more careful not because of the inconvenience and additional costs these accidents bring, but for the sake of safety for myself and my family.

Lesson learned.

I want....

I have always wanted to own a DSLR and learn photography. I somehow believe there's this creative side in me.

The passion was ignited a few weeks ago when I attended a birthday party of a friend's daughter. Friend J has convinced me to buy a DSLR especially that there are affordable DSLRs now starting at P20k. He convinced me that it was worth every penny. I have friends/colleagues who have plunged and bought their first DSLR as well. I still haven't. For the past two weeks at least, I couldn't get it off my head, to the point I am even dreaming about it. Darn!

What does this mean? That I have really learned to control my spending and not to always impulsely grant my own wishes? I would like to believe so. In fact, I believe I am really pushing myself to the limit. I have forced myself to save. This is mainly driven by the major wish to buy a house. I promised myself that the bonuses I am expecting this April and May will all go to my favorable bank. Also, from pushing 40% of my monthly income to my savings account, I have increased it to 60%. Che, however, still believe I am not pushing myself good enough and that I can do more. Haha! It could probably be true that I still buffered up for good lunches, shopping, weekend leisure etc. A girl still has to enjoy life, right? :)

A friend/colleague told me that my decision could have been easier/faster if it had been a bag. Dang! I then realized it was somehow true. Why is it that my past bag purchases and my recent purchases in Gucci that I never get to use anyways have been an easier choice when in fact the price tag is about the same? What does it say about my choices?

On the defensive side, I have actually not made any electronics purchase for quite some time. Last laptop purchase in 2003, last point and shoot camera bought in 2004, ipod in 2006. I couldn't even hardly remember when and what was my last mobile phone purchase. So see, I have been good at staying away from this arena. Hehe, excuses excuses.

I still believe that I will give up somehow. Not good. I hate this feeling of thinking about something and wishing that I should have just spared myself from thinking 'what if?'. For ego sake, I am just probably prolonging my agony.

Plans this summer..

Don't you already feel the scorching summer heat? Only one thing comes to mind during this time of the year.... beach!

I wish we could go to Boracay or El Nido again and just lay on the finest sand while sipping a fruit shake or a cocktail drink (non-alcoholic of course)..

Che has thought of going to Boracay with just us and the kids (no yayas). But I could imagine how difficult that will be and I don't think it will really end up as a vacation. :)

So considering that it is imperative that we save, we opted to pursue the summer plans with friends...

On first week of April, we will go to LaLuz resort in San Juan, Batangas....
http://www.laluzresort.com/

No pools so not sure how kid-friendly this place is but I bet we will enjoy the day by just relaxing in one of the cabanas while we enjoy the view...

Then on first week of May, we booked a 3-bedroom villa in Fontana Leisure Park in Clark...

I bet the kids will enjoy here....



I actually asked Che whether we can go to Baguio as well. Hmm.. we'll see.

Those are just simple plans for the summer and I bet we will still enjoy it with the company of family and friends.

So where will you be this summer?

A well-spent weekend

The weekend that just passed was quite a good one.

Mommy Melissa bought the kids to Shangri-la Plaza to buy them shoes and to stroll around. Sophia is quite a picky shopper. She refuses whatever Mommy wants for her. We ended up buying a pair for Sean.

After having lunch at Mongkok, the twins rode on the carousel. They enjoyed riding in their 'horsey-horsey'.

Then the twins took a different ride... cuties!

We were then supposed to go to Crocs MegaSale in Ortigas but there was a long queue and so we decided to forego and just went straight to Tiendesitas where we will meet up with Daddy Che. We strolled around the pet zone where the kids enjoyed looking at the cute puppies! We got tired, had merienda and took a short rest in one of these wooden swings...

We then headed off to Fun Ranch before calling it a day..

On Sunday, we went to hear mass and attended a Jollibee party.

They do recognize Jollibee already so it was quite fun that the twins met Jollibee in person... Scared? :)

Aahh.. life is indeed good. I wonder how we can manage all these 'play trips' when we have another baby in tow. We'll see how in 5 months time.

More pictures can be viewed here...

http://melissa23.multiply.com/photos/album/12/Pre-Birthday_Weekend

The Birthday Girl

In a week from now, I will be a year older. 365 days for me to enjoy the fact that my age is still a number I can find in the calendar. I can say my age out loud, I don't have a problem with that. For now, I believe that age is just a number. Besides, I think I had my fair share of accomplishments at my age that I don't have anything to panic about. I have a happy (and growing) family, a stable career that I love and a few tangible and non-tangible things (e.g. belongings and experiences) that I can say I have worked my ass off and I have so far lived my life the best way I could. Hopefully I won't reach that stage when I'll brush-off someone for asking my age because when that time comes it might mean I have developed some insecurities along the way. Ouch if that happens.

Yesterday, I was arranging our photo album when I saw how we celebrated my birthday last year - the year when I hit the fabulous 30's bracket. I realized it was one of the best birthdays I had.

I celebrated my birthday with two families that mean so much to us here in this wonderful island...

I got a surprise birthday cake and blew the candle like I was a kiddo..


I dipped myself in the finest sand with these lovely babies (they hated it by the way!)...

And I had a wonderful dinner date with my dear husband...

We don't have grand plans of celebrating my birthday this time around except that I took a day off work to just enjoy the day and spend it with people that I love. Life is good. It sometimes feel selfish to ask for more.

Reunited

I have lost touch with most of my barkada in HS except with a few whom I have kept in touch with over text (that's the joy of technology these days).

My friend R arranged for a get-together two Saturdays ago. We met at Coffee Bean in Promenade in Greenhills. It was an endless chat! Then we decided to meet up again 5 days after in Makati. G joined us this time around but we are still missing C and T.

It's funny how you get bonded so instantly despite years of non existence. We may all have taken different paths in terms of career but the bond was still truly there. It's also amazing that time flew so fast that we now talk a lot about husbands, children and family life - no more petty stuff you talk about in HS! I look forward to more gatherings! :)

A few things I have failed to blog about

There have been quite a number of things that I realized I have not blogged about yet..

The First Hospital Stay
My twins were confined at Cardinal Santos last February due to viral infection. It was their first time to be admitted at the hospital. At the same time, their Kuya Sato was also sick and recovering at home. Poor kids, they were on IV almost in their entire stay at the hospital due to vomitting and diarrhea. It was heartbreaking as I see the needle being injected on their wrist. Sophia was really mad! She had a bandage on her left hand which she uses to thumbsuck. We had to double the pain and requested to transfer IV injection on the right so she can soothe herself with her magic thumb.

Poor Sean as he seems to have developed phobia with nurses and doctors and whenever something is placed on his body.

The last module in Denmark

I attended my last module for this course I am attending in SIMI. I am proud to say that I bagged both A's on my exams/groupwork! Whew! I am indeed quite pleased to have gotten a diploma with flying colors! :)

For some kwento... after finishing our class early, I went to the shopping street with my Thai and Chinese classmate together with our colleague Mark J. We went to Magasin, a high-end shopping mall like Rustan's. We decided to shop separately to save time since stores close early in Copenhagen. Since we didn't found anything we fancy, I texted my Thai and Chinese friends to meet up earlier than agreed time so we can have dinner already. Then came C, my chinese friend and told us that she passed by Gucci and saw a group of people queieng up outside the store. It seems there was a big sale at around 60% off. We decided to postpone our dinner plans and head off to the store to check some good buys. It was indeed on sale ('udsalg' in Danish). It was by invitation only but the owner welcomed us in anyways. It was a whooping 60-75% off on all items! We all had our share of impulse shopping! I got 2 leather wallets and a pair of sunglasses for myself, a moneyclip for Che, and a wallet for my sister. All these for less than P20k!

Another exciting thing is that we met a Filipina saleslady at Gucci and her name is Maria. She was born and raised in Denmark. We didn't noticed she was a Filipina until she replied to Mark J and I's conversation. She also gave us an additional discount! She's sooo dear!

On the last free day before I leave Copenhagen, I passed by Stroget, the shopping street, again to buy the bags that my friend N asked me to get for her. Before I headed back to the hotel, I took a glimpse of the ski rink. A couple, who appeared to be Eastern Europeans to me, looked at me from head to toe. A few seconds after, the guy handed over his camera and asked me to take a photo of them. I gladly obliged. It was indeed a great view. To return the favor, I asked them to take a photo of myself as well. Haha! I was indeed pleased that, finally, I had a photo souvenir of myself in a chilly Copenhagen.

The Boat Trip in Bangkok

I attended a week-long training in Bangkok just last month. After class on a Thursday, the group decided to have dinner at our company owned boat named Maersk Siam and see the beauty of Bangkok by the river. There have been plans of selling the boat which is used mainly for entertaining clients due to the high cost of maintenance. We had a lovely dinner and before we head back to the hotel, I had to take a photo souvenir of the boat before it even gets sold.

Finally, a facebook account!

I know facebook has been a craze for several years now. I have received quite a number of invites from friends to join various networking site. I've frankly lost interest. I only have Friendster account which I never get to open and update regularly. With the exception of my Multiply site which I find value to maintain due to the blogging feature.

Some weeks ago, I have been asked by friends thru SMS and emails to join them on facebook. It still didn't trigger the interest. What prompted me to open an account is when I met up with HS friends last weekend. We were updating ourselves and I seem to have lost touch already on what is happening mainly with the fact that I don't have a facebook account. Mind you, I never even knew that we had this batch reunion last January. I thought they were talking about was the reunion last year or some years back. Pathetic! And so I opted not to be out in the social scene - See you in face book! :)

Look Alikes?

Like Father Like Son?

Like Mother Like Daughter?

You will be the judge :)

Anyways, I couldn't help but post these photos that captured Sophia's smile transformation...

So from her ordinary smile...

na naging pacute....

na naging 'mukhasim'..

Anak, ano bang pakulo yan?! Hahaha..

The simple joy of being a mom

I do admit that I regret not being able to be with my children most of the time. I leave the house early and go home in time for dinner which is about their bedtime. I regret that even if I don't have work on a weekend, I still can not give 100% of my time with them due to errands and other things I do to make me sane. And yes I know is not even an excuse. I feel guilty, I do. I get jealous at times when they run after their yayas instead of me. It breaks my heart. Deep inside I know they are still innocent and one day as they grow up they'll realize how much I love them.

When they are asleep, hugging them real tight makes the stress goes away. I whisper countless times daily how much I love them. I hope one day they'll understand what it means and I look forward to that day when they will whisper back 'I love you too, Mommy!'.

They mean the world to me. And that's the simple joy of being a mom.

We got robbed!

Teka, before it appears to be an exaggeration - no, we were not harmed at all. Just the other day, Che was very surprised that we lost the side mirrors of our Sportivo. It seems petty di ba... but Che and I were really pissed when we got the repair estimate that it will cost P30,000 to replace the entire set of side mirrors! The guy probably was in a hurry so not only did he got the mirrors, he also destroyed the mechanism inside. Apparently, he can not sell it at that price tag but probably the value of the mirrors will only be P150 or something less than a thousand. If only he begged for money because he badly needed it, I would have probably have helped him whole-heartedly.

I have had my share of this kind of robbery before. In fact, even worse in a sense that I was inside the car when two guys were quickly disentangling my side mirrors. It was actually in a crowded place and at the intersection while the traffic light was still red.

I asked Che last night whether he would do such things or will there be an excuse for people to take possesion of something that is not theirs. I know it is against the ten commandments and there's really no excuse for such a thing. Maybe I would have understood when they are in dire need like when their child is at the hospital due to some serious ailment. BUT there are also other alternatives to get that money. They should trust that God will provide.

Anyways, talking about robbery, I was scared when we were told some weeks back that the house that we are staying in now (my parents-in-law's place) is one of the target of 'akyat-bahay'. Apparently, robbers are keeping a list and this was a tip given to us by the police after they have caught one of the suspects. Scary no? Apparently, they know the family names and must have based the 'list' on the size of the house as evidenced by the 'potential prospects' in our neighborhood.

Just a tip, we were told that they pretend to be some delivery boy (even in uniforms) and wait till someone opens the door. They will then suddenly push the person in and the gang (which are all inside a car) will quickly follow.

Makes me wonder - how safe are we now?

Celebrating our 3rd yr Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday marked the 3rd year of wedding bliss.

I initially had planned for an overnight stay in Tagaytay on Fri-Sat since I felt I needed to relax after all the recent travels. I did cancelled our reservation for One Tagaytay Place and opted to have dinner in a nice restaurant here in Manila instead.

The day didn't exactly started right. Sean fell of the bed around 3 am. We didn't had any bed frame anymore since Sophia fell off the bed a few months ago. We thought he's fine but in the morning, his eyelid is somehow sore and he had a lump/swell near the ears. With the fear that it might get complicated (heard of horror stories for babies falling off the bed), I rushed him to the hospital. After a thorough check, the doctor said he should be fine but we should observe him for any other signs like vomitting and blackening of the lump.

At around 1030am, I got an SMS from my colleague saying I got flowers. I was indeed surprised and thrilled. That's the reason why Che kept on calling me and asking me whether I will still report to work. I arrived office around noon and saw this...

I initially thought it will be peach roses which is what I have always wanted back in College. But this was just perfect as it reminded me of our wedding with pink and green motiff.

Che asked me to choose the restaurant. I was craving for a good salad, steak and anything with foie gras and so I had the following in mind:

• Lolo Dad's - along Quirino hi-way which I pass by always and have heard this is really one of the best restaurants in town
• Spiral at Sofitel - mainly because it is an easy choice and my favorite place for buffet
• Highlands Steakhouse - because they serve really good steak!
• Duo - at Serendra and heard good reviews about this place as well

Given that I wanted to try something new, Spiral and Highlands Steakhouse were taken out of the list. I called up Lolo Dad's and although I expected this to be an expensive place, I don't think I was prepared to dine with Php 2700++ price tag per person for a complete course meal. Maybe some other time! Haha.

And so Duo it is!

I went to pick-up Che in Makati so we can just use one car and then we headed off to The Fort. I heard good reviews about Duo and the price tag seems reasonable so I was pretty excited.

We got the following:

Tessie Tomas Salad (Large) - costs about P790 shared for 2

This is a bed of greens with salmon, roasted prawn, shitake mushroom with some balsamic dressing. It's yummy! I think some salad tastes the same but what makes it special are the combination of prawns, mushroom and salmon.

Then we had..

French Onion Soup - Didn't quite like it. Not the best French Onion Soup i've tried

For main course, we opted to go for Steak DUO combinations.

I had Steak and Duck Foie Gras while Che had Surf and Turf. I was too excited to eat it and thus failed to take a picture :)

The steak (around 120g) was good. The Foie Gras as usual is good but there is a guilt feeling every bite you take. I didn't really enjoy the potato gratin and the vegetable siding.

We were supposed to get dessert but we were quite full already. Maybe next time I'll try the DUO combination also which includes chocolate decadence, cheesecake, panacotta and tiramisu!

Overall, we did enjoyed it. Total price tag of P2700 which was not that bad.

Then we grabbed some take out desserts (French Apple Pie and Bananalicious) from Conti's which was right next to DUO. I will eat my Bananalicious today! :)

Yey!

And so from Grrr... to Yey! :)

Indeed, there are still some positive developments happening in this world despite all the negative news we have been constantly hearing.

Yesterday, I gas up and I felt happy that prices of diesel is now at level of P25! I am currently driving a diesel - an Isuzu Sportivo. And although I was initially a bit hesitant on owning it since we paid for it using part of the money I have been saving for our 'dream house', it is so far serving its purpose. Our family is getting big so a sedan is too small for us during our weekend trips. Besides, Che and I can no longer manage to use the same car to/from office.

Anyways, I gas up for P500 worth and I was happy that it already reaches half of the fuel tank. This will usually cover for my 1 week travel to/from office plus some short trips during the weekend. Tipid no?! Also considering I am driving an Automatic which is generally cheaper than Manual transmission. Che is also using a 1.3 car which consumes less as well. So I can say that fuel is not really hurting our pockets these days!

So if you are intending on buying a family car, I strongly suggest Isuzu models e.g. Sportivo, Crosswind or Altera. Che can help you on that. :) Shameless plugging!

Closet Queen?

Well, obviously I am not a closet queen (i.e. a homosexual who keeps his true identity) haha! However, I would love to be the queen of closets! One of the top things I will greatly consider in building a house is a walk-in closet. It doesn't have to be as grand as Carrie's closet in SATC the movie (that's my dream closet though!). It can be a size of a small room where upon entering, you have rows of cabinets on both sides - one side will be mine and the other side will be Che's stuff. Facing the door is a huge mirror. In the middle will be a carpeted walk way where I can strut when I feel like without having any audience (probably with Che as an exception). Also, I would put in a stool in the middle that could be useful when I wear my shoes.

Also, I would love to have my shoes , bags and belts lined up by color and type. Not that I have plenty and expensive stuff to display, but it does makes choosing clothes and dressing up a lot easier when you can see all your stuff in one shelf.

The walk in closet should also be well-lighted. Then I should have uniformed clothes hangers - i prefer the wooden ones. I got Ikea wooden hangers that are good enough but I need more.

This is just a dream and it's free to dream anyways. First, we need a house! :)

Grrr...!

You know that election is nearing when you see tv and radio commercials featuring politicians. I so hate this!

There are at least 3 politicians I can name with their commercials flashing on the screen on prime time tv. I also listen to AM radio every morning on my way to work and in the evening on my way home. This morning I turned off my radio momentarily just so I will not hear the politician's campaign. Kabwisit kasi!

One is saying that he will help lower the cost of medicines with tagline 'Kailangan pang kulitin ang gobyerno.. Magtulungan tayo'..

Then on the radio, he talks about a campaign on pre-need insurance. That he will provide legal assistance to those who are running for their pre-need insurance that were squanderred by certain insurance companies.

Then there's another one who talks about helping others with tagline something to this effect.. 'Ang galing sa mahirap puro tulong sa mahirap..'

I am ok if those are information campaign that will really help create awareness. But when you help others, you don't need to make it known to the world! Yes, politicians sometimes have to show they are doing something to avoid criticisms and make it known to the public that they are really worth to be public servants. But for me, true servants are those who will help others without the need to bring in media.

Those huge amount of money spent on advertisements (I actually wonder whether these are from personal or public funds? hmm.) could already help hundreds and maybe thousands of poor families in this country. Sigh.

Yummy!

We always celebrate Mom's bday which falls on 1st of January at home with her home-cooked specialties. This year, we decided to celebrate her birthday outside home. Turns out, she likes it more since di sya napagod!

So we went to the best place in town to get buffet - Sofitel!

I like this place and it's one of the reasons why I also joined their Accor Advantage membership which offers up to 50% discount (if dining for two) on their buffet plus free 1 night accomodation. It's quite worth it, I think. For me, Sofitel is better than Circles in Makati Shangri-la and Heat in Edsa Shangri-la but both places also being quite good.

Here's the family photo taken with my Mom's best friend on evening of January 1st. The restaurant was surprisingly full (with capacity of around 500 i think). We were seated in one of these special dining area which offers privacy. I was told that they normally charge a minimum consumable if you prefer this dining area but since it was full, they didn't charge us any premium. Personally though I would recommend having a seat near the buffet :)

I didn't eat much (I think!) but the dessert was too hard to pass. So here's what I had....



Yummy!

What's in my grocery basket?

Got some cute stuff...


*Not recommended unless with adult supervision

Welcoming 2009 with BIG NEWS!!!

In my recent post, I have mentioned my expectations for 2009. As early as now, there have been changes to that - or should I say addition to what we should expect in 2009. Expecting in 2009 is not something I or we are expecting. Labo ba? Oh well, the news is that I am pregnant!!!

Kaloka! That's all I can say. It was unplanned and Che and I were both shocked. That means that before the twins reaches 2, there's a new addition to the family. Our family is really getting bigger. I promise, this will be the last! Hahahaha...

I had my ultrasound yesterday and the good news is that I am carrying a single baby. He/she is doing fine and at this early, at 7 weeks, already has heartbeat. So it's a start of healthy eating and being very extra careful in what I do. The last few days was quite difficult for me with occassional dizziness, restlessness and morning sickness.

Cheers to 2009 as we welcome it with a big bang (or should i say baby?!). Hehehe...

I am fatulous!

Well, at least that is what I describe myself. I am fat and fabulous (at least in these pics, pasensya na buhatan na ng bangko ito!).

Since there is no single adjective to describe myself, I have invented a word to describe fabulous girls who are undergoing weight challenges (hahahaha!). It's not really a creative thought though, but I am sure you get it.

*Picture taken at company Christmas Party at Hyatt Hotel & Casino with 80's theme'

There might not be several comments left here in my blog but I am sure you are visiting. Maybe at this time, you are knodding your head in agreement. Don't worry, I have accepted this long time ago. Haha.

Stella, has Mickey come up with a danish word to describe fat and fabulous? hahahaha..