Saturday 9: Hot Fun in the Summertime

1. Is summer your favorite season? Why? No. It is so hot almost close to uncomfortable. I love going to the beach though.

2. Do you exercise more in the summer because you wear less clothing? No. LOL. I am so busy that I have no time for exercise what ever the season is. LOL.

3. Do you enjoy tanning or are you more concerned about the dangers of basking in the sun? I love tanning.

4. You are on the beach when a waiter appears for your drink order. What do you ask for? Fruit shake.

5. Do you camp in the summertime? If going to the beach, is considered as camping, then my answer is Yes.

6. What was your favorite summer vacation as a kid? Going to the beach with my cousins.

7. Do you enjoy sleeping outdoors? No. I love comforts and I hate it when I have to sleep inside sleeping bags.

8. Do you throw a summer barbecue every year? My mom and my dad’s birthday fall on a summer so we try to have a barbeque party every year during their birthday.

9. Have you ever been to a nude beach? If yes, what did you think? No.

Last Hoorah

Our daughter will be going back to school in just a few weeks (actually she is bored already and she can’t wait to go back to school). As for me and my husband, school officially started yesterday when we attend our orientation although when I checked our virtual classroom, there is only one active course and the two courses where we are enrolled is not open yet for students. And since it will be a long weekend this coming June 12 because of the Independence Day holiday, we are thinking of our last summer getaway before we get busy with school and work.

My friend Dale is planning to stay for three days and two nights at Punta Riviera in Pangasinan. Hubby’s officemates planned to have a summer getaway here last month but since majority can’t come, the outing did not push through. So when I mentioned it to hubby again, she got excited since she is really looking forward to a last summer getaway before we all get busy again.

Hopefully this will push through. That is why I am seriously taking ephedra products to help me loose those excess pounds and I still have two weeks to accomplish that. I also heard that hubby’s officemates are also planning for another outing at Subic on the said date also so at least we have two options. I am sure my daughter will enjoy one last trip at the beach. She has new beach toys which we bought when hubby’s colleagues are planning for the outing so she is really excited to bring it to the beach to play with it.

Thailand this September?

While we are still waiting for the confirmation of hubby's training this August, hubby got an email confirming his training for September. He will be going to Thailand for three days from September 8-10 and he wants us to join him for this training.

Actually, I already have an itinerary for Thailand. I planned for it last year when I was planning for our next travel destination. So I made some research already and I already listed the places that we can visit there which my daughter will really enjoy like the Elephant Village, the Open Zoo and the beaches in Pattaya. But since we are waiting for hubby’s training confirmation for August, I haven’t made any bookings for Thailand since if we will be joining hubby for his training in August, we can’t afford any other travel for this year aside from that one. But if hubby is going to Thailand on training, that would be a big saving already since hubby’s airfare is covered and we can save on our hotel accommodation in Bangkok and we just have to worry for our accommodation in Pattaya (which by the way is just cheap. Almost the same price as Bohol Beach Club and it is already a four star resort). This means that I have to take appetite suppressant as early as now so I at least will loose those excess pounds when we hit the beaches of Pattaya come September.

I even told our daughter about it and she is as excited as me. This will be our first time in Thailand if ever and I am sure our daughter will have a fun time there specially is she will get to have a close encounter with the elephants because most of you might know how much our dear daughter loves animals. Hopefully the Swine Flu problem will be over by this time so we won’t think twice and we will definitely jump on the next plane that will leave to join hubby on his training in Thailand.

Saturday 9: Uninvited

1. Do you mind people to show up uninvited? A little. There is a reason why I did not invite them and to see them at my party even if I did not invite them will really irritate me a little. LOL.

2. Last person you talked to on the phone? Hubby. He is working overtime now while I and my daughter are just here at home waiting for him.

3. Last person on your missed call list? Someone not in my address book and his number looks like he is outside the Philippines.

4. Who calls you the most? Hubby.

5. What is your favorite song about breaking up? Honestly, I can’t think of any right now.

6. If someone sent you an unexpected gift, what would you like it to be? LV Neverfull. LOL.

7. Your classic rock station plays the top songs of all time. What is number one? Any song of David Cook.

8. Do you live for today or tomorrow? I used to live for tomorrow but hubby taught me to live for today. Like what he always say, why worry about tomorrow when we have today to enjoy and share together.

9. What movie villain scared you as a kid? Incredible Hulk. He is so big and so green. LOL.

Back to School

So I made a post here about our orientation at UP OU that we attended yesterday. Like what I said, I went home inspired, happy and excited after the orientation. But not until this morning, because now I am starting to panic. LOL.

After the orientation, they gave us the enrollment key that will give us access to the course resources. I was able to access the course outline for one of the subjects that I am enrolled in and just like what the speakers said yesterday, even if we are enrolled in a distance learning program, it is still under UP standards and so the course will be as challenging and as extensive as the campus courses. The only difference is that we will spend less time being stress out in traveling to and from school and we can spend more time studying.

But I guess it is just a matter of time management (wow, fighting spirit). But I think no matter how well I budget my time, I don’t think I will avoid sleeping late just to finish all my assignments, plus my online tasks, plus my responsibility as a wife and mom to my husband and daughter and my job at work. So I guess I will need skin care products to help me avoid pimples, acne and even wrinkles from stress.

So wish me luck. Now I am having mix emotions. But I know with hubby’s help (who is enrolled in the same course as mine), we will be able to make it (crossing my fingers here.). LOL.

UP OU Orientation for new Students

Yesterday was the general orientation for new students for this school year of the UP Open University. I think hubby and I are both excited since we arrived early at the venue. LOL. Maybe because it has been years since we last attended school and we both want to finish our Masteral degree and so this time, it is a little encouraging for the both of us since we are attending the class together.

The speaker who gave an inspirational talk was really good and he was able to get our attention that all of us participated in his ice breaker. He asked us to mingle around since this might be the last time that we will be seeing each other since all of us are attending a distance learning program.

The speaker, Mr. Edwin Lopez, is a graduate of Master of Development Communication from UP OU. He shared with us that there is one thing from enrolling in UP OU that he learned that we will not get to experience if we enroll in a campus base program. That is we will learn to discover ourselves more since in UP OU, he learned to do the things that is needed to complete the course even if no one is telling him and even if no one is watching him. There was a time when he was on a flight and he has to do his homework while on board since he needs to upload his assignment to the Learning Management System as soon as he lands to meet the deadline. He even shared that he even has a batch mate who is one of the soldiers in Basilan and he shared that while he was fighting, he was already thinking where he can upload his assignments since it is already almost the deadline. He also shared the story of one of the students who just gave birth but she managed to go online to join discussion boards even if she has to take care of her infant.

This really gave me an inspiration and hopefully I can be like them, that despite my busy schedule, I will still be able to obtain my Masters degree.

After the orientation, I went home inspired, happy and excited. But then, we have to go back again to our responsibility as parents, so after the orientation, we went home to fetch our daughter and we attended her swimming class. Then after her class, we went to Greenhills since we need to look for audio racks and air-conditioning unit for my aunt. But since we are out the whole morning to attend the orientation, we promised our daughter that we will treat her out and so we spend the whole afternoon playing at Toy Kingdom and hubby bought some toys for our daughter too. We did not notice how time flies, since it is already 8 PM when we are done and so we decided that we will just check out the appliance store again later this afternoon and we will take our aunt with us so she can select which unit she likes.

Iphone vs E71

So I got my Nokia E71 from Globe Telecoms. It comes free with Plan P1800 but I have to add a little cash to get that unit. I didn’t even think of what unit I will get from Globe because all I wanted is a unit which I can sell at a higher value so I can afford to buy an Iphone. But then when I checked out the unit, I started to fell in love with it. So I asked around and check reviews on the web and I found a lot of sites comparing Nokia E71 with Iphone so I guess E71 is Iphone’s rival.

So now I am torn. I love Iphone’s look and reputation. Just like what my best friend Dennis had mentioned when I asked him for his advice, he said the stature of Iphone alone is enough reason for me to choose it over E71 and I don’t have to think of any other aspects like E71’s functionality. Who cares about functionality when you can look really cool with your Iphone. LOL.

But then I realized after browsing the net that Iphone don’t have Bluetooth (it has one but you can only use it for Bluetooth handheld device), no SMS forwarding, no Copy and Paste, can’t receive Business Cards, no MMS, it can’t shoot videos and it has a poor signal. And these are the things that are important for me.

I remember before when XDA was the coolest thing on the market. I bought one and then I realize that it lacks a lot of nice features of a Nokia phone and after a week of using it, I got pissed with it and sold it. So now I am scared to try out the Iphone because the same things might happen again – I will feel unhappy if I can’t find the features that I am used to with my Nokia phone.

Decisions, decisions, decisions….I have to make one really soon….

I Hate Pimples

Have you seen me lately? I never thought that I will have problems with pimples or acne ever again since I am already passed my puberty stage (LOL) but I was wrong. I used to take birth control pills and I think it has helped my hormones since my face was really pimple free ever since I started to take pills. But then I stopped taking pills a few months back since I want my system to be clean because we are planning to have baby number 2 this year. And so the results, acne. Specially now that I don’t get enough sleep and I am always up until the wee hours of the morning plus the fact that I don’t drink enough glasses of water that is required per day plus the humid weather.

I used to be teasing my sister and my brother with their pimples and now karma hits back because looks like I need to visit my dermatologist or I better find acne pills that work if I want to have soft, smooth and pimple free skin again.

Trip to MOA

It is Memorial Day in the US and so hubby is off from work since it is also their holiday. That is one thing that I envy about hubby’s company because they observe all Philippine and US holidays which gives them a minimum of 20 holidays per year. But one thing that I like every time hubby is off from work while I have to go in the office is that he and our daughter can fetch me from work and we can hit the mall after that.

That is what we did yesterday. I seriously need to buy jewelries since I need to look for a new pair of earrings and a new watch. So right after work hubby and our daughter fetched me and we all head to Mall of Asia. But instead of going to a jewelry store, we pass Toy Kingdom and we can’t stop our daughter from going inside and we spent a whole one hour I think inside the store. Finally when she is done shopping, we realized that we have to do our groceries also. We always buy our groceries at SM San Lazaro so I am not use to the layout of SM Hypermart so it took me an hour to finish our groceries. Add to that another 3o minutes or so since our cashier encountered some technical difficulties with her POS+ system and so she has to call for technical support before she can continue punching our items.

It was already 8 PM when we are finally finish with our grocery but we are so hungry already that we head straight to Mann Hann since our daughter is saying that she is so hungry already and she wants to eat noodles with soup.

It was already 9 PM when we are done eating and we are so tired already that we decided to just go home after dinner. Oh well, I can try looking for my jewelries next time…

Weekend Snapshot # 37 - Tagaytay Highlands

Last Saturday, I met up with my MBAP friends again for our summer outing at Tagaytay Highlands. This is my third time to visit Tagaytay Highlands. It is a member only resort and what I love about it is that the place makes me really feel that I am in a different place – away from the hustle and bustle in the city, away from the city pollution, and away from the crowded streets of Manila. So when they suggested that our outing will be held at Tagaytay Highlands, I can’t help but feel really excited as this will give me another opportunity to visit Highlands again.

Here are some pictures that my husband took:

On Investments

Do you sometimes feel unstable with your job? With the thousands of employees being laid off from big companies, I can really say that the global economic crisis is affecting all of us. That is why my husband and I have decided that we should not just rely on our daily job as our source of income. We already started putting up businesses and investing on real estates so at least we have other sources of income.

So far our businesses are doing well and so we are looking for other options for investment. We heard that investing in stocks is a good form of investment but you really need to have knowledge about options trading and stock options in order to earn from this investment. So my husband has been doing some research and he found out that we don’t have to be real experts on stock market since there is software that we can utilize to help us decide on what stocks to invest to. These software products can analyze all the available stocks and can help us decide where to invest based on our profit goals.

Hubby is really keen on investing in stocks and so he is really considering Power Options Software to help us make the right investment choice.

Weekly Wrapup #31: Knowledge is Power

Did you do any sort of research in the last week? (Sure, Googling counts!)

Was it for work or play? Yes.

Learn anything you’d care to share? Hmm this is a bit technical so it might be a bit boring. But what I do learn is that in IT, there is always an explanation and answer for everything and most probably other IT people have encountered the same problem that I am encountering so it will not hurt to search the net and join online IT forums as that is where I learn a lot of things that I need to perform my daily duties at work.

Do you have a hunger for knowledge or are you more passive? I think I am hungry for knowledge.

Do you like the learning (aka school?) Hmm, not so much. LOL.

Saturday Six - Episode 266

1. Which room in your home needs the most cleaning attention right now? Our spare room because that is where we stock all our stuff that we don’t regulalrly use and so they keep piling up there and it really needs serious cleaning.
2. As a general rule, which room is usually the most spotless? Our living room because that is where we receive our guests.
3. Which single room of your home do you generally spend the most time in when you’re home? The living room.
4. If you learned that a portrait was going to be taken of you in your home, which room would you choose to have it made in and why? Hmm, maybe still in our living room because we spend most of our time there so it is one of the rooms in our house where I feel very comfortable.
5. Take the quiz: What Room of the House Are You?

You Are the Kitchen

You are creative and inspired. You have a lot of projects going on. You are also a homebody who enjoys a cozy night with a nice home cooked meal. You are generous and giving. You enjoy taking care of people. You have a knack for knowing what each person needs most.

What Room of the House Are You?

6. What is the newest thing in the room that is the answer to Question #5? A can opener. LOL.

She is Happy Now

Guess who I bumped into the other day - my long lost friend since childhood. She left Philippines a couple of years ago and I did not even know that she is planning to move to the US. I just learn from her mother that she decided to move with their relatives in the US when she can’t find any decent job here.

So after years of loosing contact with her, I was so happy when I saw her last weekend. She is now here on vacation and I can’t believe how much she changed. I learned that when she arrived there, she immediately looked for cosmetology colleges with the help of FindABeautySchool website. She said that she was able to find a school easily within their vicinity since the site is searchable by zip code. So in no time she is already enrolled in the school of her choice to get training on cosmetology. And just right after her training, she immediately got a job and she was so happy because that is what she loves doing the most.

My friend is so happy, because even though she has to leave her family and friends behind here in the Philippines, she was able to find her passion when she moved to the US and finally she find the job that she really loves and that made her really feel fulfilled and happy.

Saturday 9: Do You Think I'm Sexy?

This post is too late already but like what they always say, it is better late than never. LOL.

1. Who do you think is sexy? Angelina Jolie. She exudes so much beauty and confidence and I really find that very sexy. Not to mention that she has a very sexy beau beside her too.

2. When does it become love? When you forget all the rest and your life revolves around that person and you learn to sacrifice and you are so happy every time you are with that person.

3. Are you a good dancer? When I was still a kid, yes. I always perform during school programs but I don’t think I am a good dancer now that I am grown up.

4. What magazines do you read? None. I am too busy that I can’t find the time to sit down and read magazines.

5. If you could have any name, what would you call yourself? Alex. I always love that name.

6. Have you ever ridden in a limo? If yes, when? Yes. When we were looking for our wedding car and we attended a bridal fair and there is a limo on display and they allowed us to try it out.

7. What is something you really like to do? Surf the net, sleep, watch TV, and play with my daughter.

8. Last chance: Who wins Idol, Kris Allen or Adam Lambert? David Gockey. LOL.

9. If you had to, what animal would you choose to be? A very cut Labrador.

Recipe Sharing: Mushroom and Shrimp Pasta

So hubby loved my Beef Oriental Pasta recipe that I prepared last night for him. He was even teasing me that he was looking for diamond engagement rings as he wanted to propose again and ask me to marry him for the second time after he tasted the pasta. LOL.

So I found another recipe from the back of the Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce pouch again and I plan to try it and I am sure hubby will love this recipe more since it has seafood ingredients.

===

Mushroom and Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:
175 grams Spaghetti
2 teaspoon butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 piece medium onion, sliced
½ stalk celery chopped
1/3 cup canned button mushroom, sliced
100 grams medium shrimps, peeled with tails intact
2 tablespoon Chili Ketchup
6 pieces fresh basil leaves
1 pouch Italian Style Spaghetti Sauce
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Sauté garlic, onion, celery, and mushrooms in butter. Add Chili Ketchup and basil. Cook for 2 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce and 3 tablespoon water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add ¼ teaspoon iodized salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

On Going Back to School

So my boss talked to me this morning and reminded me that I need to submit my Performance Appraisal report before the end of June. This means that I have to make a decision soon if I will pursue my degree program this school year or not.

You see, I have filed a leave of absence from school for my Masteral degree program but I think it’s been almost more than five years now and I think I am already over my residency period. I have been very busy juggling my roles as a wife, mother and as an employee that going back to school has been at the last of my priority list.

But I know that finishing my Masteral degree would be a great plus for my performance appraisal report that is why I really wanted to finish it this year. Good thing I learned about Capella University since it is the best option for working professionals like me who live a very busy life to still pursues their studies. Since the courses are being offered online, I can study even while I am at home while I am performing my duties as a wife and mother.

I know this is my best choice to finish my Masteral degree and I am so thankful that I have discovered Capella University.

This blog post is based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

WW #56

1. If your boss says, "I would like to talk to you about your internet usage" what would your first reaction be?
“Give me five minutes. I just have to update my status in Face Book first and say GTG to my chat mate.” LOL.

2. If you SO asks you "Does this make me look fat?" how do you answer? No, it really looks good on you. (I would rather lie than hurt somebody’s feelings)

3. What is one thing that you pay for, but resent having to do so? Taxes because I think that our government officials just use the tax payer’s money for their own personal gain.

4. A day is being created in honor of you. How should we celebrate it? With a party.

5. What CD or Album in your music collection do you secretly enjoy, but would be embarrassed if others heard you grooving to it? Hmm, I can think of any right now. I guess I am proud of all my CD collection.

6. How long do you think you would last if you were a contestant on Survivor? Not even one day. LOL. I am used to living a comfortable life so being away from a comfortable life even for just one day might turn me into one crazy woman. LOL.

7107 Islands Cruise

I always wanted to join a cruise. My aunt who lives in Canada has tried joining one of those European cruises with her husband and she said that it was really worth it and she really recommended it. But it would take months or even years before I can save up for my airfare and accommodation in Europe, what more if I need to save additional money in order to join a cruise.

But for the mean time, I think I can settle for a cruise along Coron, Puerto Galera and Boracay via 7107 Island Cruise Ship. 7107 Island Cruise Ship is owned by Filipino businessman Esteban c. Tajanlangit, Sr and is the first inter island cruise ship in the Philippines.

.: Photos snagged from 7107 Islands Cruise Site :.

7107 Island Cruise Ship provides five star luxury accommodations with its 137 rooms, casino, bar, restaurant, three sundecks, spa, piano bar, gym and conference rooms. 7107 Island Cruise Ship’s destination includes Boracay, Coron, Ditaytayan Island and Malcapuya Island, Culion Island, Panlaitan Island, Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary and the Apo Reef. And would you believe that the cost per person can be as low as P2750.

If only I learned about it before the start of the summer I could have made a booking for my family. With rates this cheap, I think it is a good deal already.

Wedding Preps

Looks like everything is going smoothly for the wedding preparations of my brother. He will be getting married on April 4, 2010 with his long time girlfriend at Caleruega Church in Tagaytay and their reception will be at Sonya’s Garden.

They just had their food tasting at Sonya’s Garden and I heard they already finalized their menu (I think they selected Sonya’s Filipino menu). They also already booked their photographer and in fact, they have scheduled for a prenuptial pictorial already.

I guess every thing is already being taken cared for. It is good that my future sister in law discovered the site of The Knot because this is where she gets all the ideas for their wedding. She mentioned that they already have a list of unique wedding favor ideas which they found at the The Knot. What they like about it is that they can personalize it with their names or initials for a more personalize effect.

I am so excited for my brother’s wedding as I am sure that it will be one wonderful wedding since they got all their ideas and wedding supplies from the best wedding website, The Knot.

Recipe Sharing: Oriental Beef Pasta

Pasta is the only dish that I am comfortable preparing. So every time I discover new pasta recipes, I always try to prepare it for hubby.

I found this recipe at the back of the pouch of Del Monte Italian Style Spaghetti Sauce. Here it goes:

Ingredients:

175 g Spaghetti, cooked
3 cloves garlic
1 piece medium onion, sliced
1/3 teaspoon grated ginger
100 g beef sirloin cut into fine strips
1 pouch Italian Spaghetti Sauce
1 piece small red bell pepper cut into strips
1 to ¾ cups spinach leaves
½ cup grated cheese

Procedure:

Sauté garlic, onion, ginger, and beef for 5 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce, ½ cup water, ¼ teaspoon iodized salt, ½ teaspoon sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add bell pepper and spinach and cook for 2 minutes.

I tried this recipe this evening for our packed lunch for tomorrow. I’m excited to know how hubby will find my new recipe.

Enrolled

Yes, we are now enrolled at the Master of Information Systems program of the University of the Philippines. This is an online course being offered by UP Open University. The professor will just email all the assignments that needs to be done, uploads all instructional materials to UP OU’s web portal where students can easily access it, have online discussions through chat or in short, everything is really done online.

I am excited as it has been more than five years already since I last went to school so it is really a break from my boring routine. Plus my husband is enrolled in the same class too so at least I have a study buddy so we can encourage each other to really pursue the course and finally be able to finish our Masteral degree.

So the next thing that is on my list: look for the best laptop deals so I can buy a new laptop. My old laptop is so outdated already and it doesn’t even have a wifi connection so I really need to save up to purchase a new laptop.

Wish us luck and hopefully we will be able to finish our Masteral Degree this time.

Investments

Mass Lay Offs
People not being able to pay their debts
Foreclosed homes

This are just some of the effects of the global economic recession. Sometimes I can’t help but feel scared for the stability of my job. Just like what I told my boss, I always have to think of my job because I have a family to feed.

So my husband and I have been trying to cut down on our expenses and we agreed that we started to save up and get new investments like buying gold bars so we can be sure that we have something save up for our future (specially for our daughter’s future).

My husband has been studying the market as he really wanted to make new investments for our money and he found out about Monex Deposit Company and how wise it is to invest on precious metals.

MDC has a team of experts that can really help us make the best investment on precious metals and they can really help us get the best price the market has to offer. Just like in investing in real estates, investment on precious metals like gold and silver is a good choice also since it will not depreciate in time and is really very good tangible assets.

My husband and I have agreed to study about this option so we can make our investments soon so we can start saving up for our future.

Unchanging Love

I slept late last night (around 12:30 AM) not because I was busy doing my tasks, not because I was busy reading a book nor I stay up late not because I was busy sorting and uploading the pictures of the MBAPs Summer Getaway at Tagaytay Highlands last Saturday.

I know I promise that I will upload the pictures as soon as I find the time but I really wanted to catch the wedding coverage of Judy Ann and Ryan. LOL. But I promise I will upload the pictures as soon as I am finish with this post (which reminds me that I need to bring my flash drive tomorrow so I can copy all the pictures taken by the other MBAP mommies and daddies).

So going back to Judy Ann and Ryan’s wedding, I just love it. The concept and the theme of their wedding truly reflect the personality of the couple. I love the simplicity of the wedding but at the same time it was really classy. I also love the idea that the guests were kept in suspense of what’s going to happen. I love the idea of giving guests one pair of their slippers and they will get the other pair when they reached the reception venue. I love the beach themed wedding. I love it that they are so unconventional in every aspect of their wedding which truly made their wedding unique and fun. My favorite was the performance of the Apo Hiking Society while Judy Ann and Ryan were dancing. The only thing that I hate about their wedding was the host during the reception. I forgot the name of the host (but I think she is a stand up comedian) because there are times that she sounds as if she is performing in a comedy bar. LOL.

35 mm Adapter & Holga

I am really starting to love my Holga camera. In fact I am planning to buy my second lomo cam (either a Fish Eye Camera or The Super Sampler). Last weekend, when we went out of town, I consumed my 3rd roll of film. But I am sure there are some shots there that will just be plain black since I forgot to remove the cover a couple of times while I was taking the shot. LOL. (blame it on anesthesia).

But I am all geared up for my out of town trip this weekend. I already purchased 3 rolls of films again from my colleague and I am really excited to give my Holga a try. I was quite happy with my first two rolls because I did not really expect that I will be able to get good shots for my first try so I was really happy when I got at least two good shots.

There is one effect that I would really love to try using my Holga camera. Look at these pictures (Pictures courtesy of Gerhard – the husband of my colleague who helped me get started with my new hobby).

Cool isn’t it? I read that I don’t need to buy a 35mm adapter to create this effect. I can do this manually by following the steps in this video that I got from you tube.

They say that it is just simple but I find it really complicated. I can’t even load the film myself and I have to always ask hubby to do it for me, what more do something like this. LOL. And I have to do a calculation every time to advance to the next film.

But they say if I don’t want to go through all these steps, I can just buy a 35 mm panoramic adapter to get the sprocket holes effect. With the adaptor, I can use ordinary 35mm film which is cheaper and readily available compared to the 120 mm film plus I can get the sprocket holes effect for my shots. I just don’t know though if I still have to do a calculation and estimation to advance to the next film with the adapter. And one thing I don’t like with the 35 mm adapter is that I have to load and unload the film in a completely dark room which is really a big inconvenience so I am really thinking twice if I will buy this adapter or not.

MBAP Summer Outing Updates

So Jane sent us a list of different activities that we can do for our whole day stay at Tagaytay Highlands:
- Horse back riding
- Fishing
- Bowling
- Indoor / outdoor playground
- Biking
- Miniature golf
- Cable ride
- Funicular ride
- Animal Farm

So we got really excited and my inbox was instantly filled with emails from excited mommies who are already planning for our schedule for Saturday. Our initial plan was to be at Tagaytay Highlands by 10 AM but after reading Jane’s email, Thea, Peachy and I decided to meet at 6 AM at Shell station in SLEX, have our breakfast there so we can be at Tagaytay Highlands by 8 AM. We will go straight to the Animal Farm since Jane suggested that it is better to go there in the morning since it can be really hot in the afternoon. And I really want to take my daughter there first because I know how much she loved it when we went there last February. Then the daddies will meet at 10 AM for a one hour basketball game then we will all meet up at the Outdoor Clubhouse by 11:30 for our lunch.

The kids can go swimming after lunch and I told hubby that he will be swimming with our daughter while I bond with my MBAP sisters. LOL. I am sure my daughter will enjoy going horse back riding but I am sure hubby will be tired already by this time so I don’t think he will agree to go horse back riding with our daughter late in the afternoon. If only I have nice breeches, I might be able to accompany our daughter to go horse back riding but then again, I remember that I am scared to ride horses so I don’t think it will be an option. LOL. So we might just go fishing if we still have time in the afternoon.

I am so excited already…..See you all this Saturday.

I need a new watch

When we last went to Davao, I did not remove my watch when I went swimming on the beach and the next day, I just noticed that my watch just stops working. I know that my watch is water resistant and I have been using it every time I go swimming so I don’t know why it suddenly dies this time.

I sent it for repair as soon as we arrived in Manila and the technician was able to fix it. But then after a few months, it stops working again. I guess it is time for me to buy a new watch since I have been using that watch for years now. LOL.

I wanted to buy something more durable and classy this time like Techno marine watches or Philip Stein watches. I checked out the prices online and it is way much cheaper compared to buying it here in Manila (like P10, 000 cheaper). I am already tempted to order but then again I got really scared because it is not cheap also and I am hesitant to buy something online with that amount of money. If I only have identity theft protection, I must have ordered it right away as I won’t have any doubts even if I purchase something big online.

Oh well, I might just look at the shops here and will just settle for something that my budget can afford.

Weekend Snapshot # 36 - His & Hers

Hubby started with his Photography hobby three years ago while I just started developing my love for photography just recently when I discovered the world of Lomography. When we went to Batangas a few months ago, it was the first time that I will be using my Lomo Camera (my Holga) and so I was asking hubby to give me some tips on how to get a nice picture. So I have been following him everywhere he goes and this one of the pictures that we took where we tried to do a “his and hers” version:

.: Using my Holga 120 GCFN :.

.: Using his Canon 40D DSLR Camera :.

MBAP Summer Outing

So three days to go and it is the MBAPs Summer Outing at Tagaytay Highlands. It will be a whole day event this time. Thanks to Jacqui, for organizing this event for us and to Jane for sponsoring us at Tagaytay Highlands.

Jacqui already sent Update # 5 regarding our summer outing and looks like we are all set. The outing will be on May 16 at the Tagaytay Highlands Country Clubhouse Outdoor Pool. Jacqui made arrangements already with Tagaytay Highlands and our package includes buffet lunch, PM snacks, free use of the pool (hubby will be swimming with Bela or if I will be able to find the best fat burners then there might be a chance that I will dare wear my swimsuit on May 16. LOL), cable car and funicular.

All the MBAP members will be present together with our families plus the two new members of MBAP, Kathy and Alpha (they are part of the original invitees when we held our first get together so we invited them again for our summer outing and we are really glad that they will be able to make it). It is just so sad that Apols, our founder, is in Singapore now so she and her family will not be able to make it. But we promise sis, that we will be posting the pictures ASAP.

I am so excited. I am sure it will be one fun and riot day and it will be filled with lots of chika since it has been a while since we last saw each other.

See you all this Saturday!

Is now MCTS and MCSE

Before I look online for a heart pendant necklace as our gift for my aunt’s upcoming birthday, I just want to share the good news first.

Last week, hubby and I successfully obtained another Certification from Microsoft. Hubby took the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer with Specialization in Exchange 2003 exam while I took the exam for Microsoft Technology Specialist with Specialization in Windows Server 2003 and we both pass the exam. I am so happy as at least I have a new achievement to write for my next performance appraisal (I just realized when I sign up for the MCTS exam that it has been three years already since I last obtained a Certification from Microsoft).

Hubby has been hooked in getting all the Microsoft certifications and this is his 15th certification already so he is already used to taking these exams. Would you believe that he only browsed the book an hour before his exam. I on the other hand started reviewing a month before and I even read the reviewer every day, a week before our exam. But I guess I am just not that confident yet since this is only my second certification (my first was Microsoft Certified Professional).

To daddy, congrats to us. Here is to more certifications from Microsoft!! LOL.

Sunday Stealing: The 2 for 1 Meme

1. What is on the walls of your room?

2. What type of music do you listen to?

3. What do you want more than anything right now?

4. Do you get scared in the dark?

5. What's you worst fear?

6. If you could anything right now, what would it be?

7. What’s the meaningful gift that you’ve received?

8. Do you have a crush?

9. Who is your favorite celebrity?

10. Could you fall in love with someone that you know must leave?

11. Share a favorite quote of yours.

12. What’s your weakness?

13. Do you believe that we all have a soul mate?

14. What were you doing before Sunday Stealing?

15. What do you get complicated about the most?

16. What turns you off the most from a potential partner?

17. What is you worst habit?

18. When was the last time that you were jealous?

19. Have you ever had a “friend with benefits”?

20. Do you use sarcasm?

21. At the moment, what’s you favorite song?

22. What is you favorite day of the year?

23. Describe your love life.

24. When was your last one night stand?

25. How many past lovers are too many?

Showbiz News

We were watching the talk show “Mel and Joey” last night and they featured Jennylyn Mercado because she is promoting her birthday concert on May 14 and 16 at the Music Museum entitled I am Woman. They even showed her maternity Portrait which I think was released as her limited edition Coffee table book. She was so lovely when she was pregnant and the photographer really had a great eye in capturing Jennylyn’s beauty during her pregnancy.

So my sister teased me and suggested that I too have my maternity portraits. The problem is I am not pregnant. But according to my sister, it really won’t matter since I look pregnant anyways with my big tummy. LOL.

I guess I really should start looking for the best diet pill and I have to take it religiously because for this week alone, I have received a lot of comments already from my friends and relatives that I indeed gained weight. Well I guess that’s what I get from eating chocolates, chips, and almost two cups of rice every meal. LOL.

Happy Mom's Day

Belated Happy Mother’s Day to all the sexy mommies like me. LOL. Sorry for my late greeting but since I was out the whole day yesterday, I was not able to go online to make a post or to greet all my lovely friends who are mommies like me on our special day.

So how did you celebrate mother’s day? I know some of my friends spend this special day at Outer Banks with their families. Then I also have a friend who just stayed at home and spend some bonding moment at home with her husband and two kids.

Well as for us, we both spend it at home and we also went out of town. My in-laws visited us at our house Saturday evening and they had dinner at our place then hubby bought a cake as our gift for hubby's mom. The next day, we went to Tagaytay with my family. We just had lunch there and enjoy the fresh breeze in Tagaytay then we head back to Manila after that. It was just a simple celebration but it was a very special day for me since I was able to spend it with my husband and my daughter and my mom too.

Pacquio & Hatton, Judy Ann & Ryan

.: Photo snagged from news.bbc.co.uk :.

Tomorrow will be the much awaited boxing match between Manny Pacquio and Ricky Hatton (The Battle of the East and West). A lot are saying that Manny is in better shape than Hatton and he can knock Hatton down in three rounds. But they say that Hatton doesn’t play fair and this is what Manny should watch out.

I’m excited to find out who will win this match. I am sure it will be a really quiet day tomorrow as the entire Philippines will watch this match. I wanted to go with hubby to watch the match live but I guess, I can just watch it at home (or not).

Martin Riviera will be singing the National Anthem tomorrow so he will be the first male singer to sing for Manny’s match so I hope he will do well.

Good luck to Manny!!

===

And I am just watching Entertainment Live (I hate the hosts but I just want to have a peek of Ryan and Juday’s wedding) and they showed some pictures taken during the wedding. Judy Ann was so pretty and she is really blooming. They really look so much in love.

Sharon Cuneta was the matron of honor and Judy Ann’s daughter was the Jr. Bride. The reception was held at Balai Resorts in Laiya, San Juan Batangas. The wedding ceremony and reception was so intimate and solemn since they only invited their close family and friends which proves to show that even though both of them are showbiz personalities they can still pull off a very solemn wedding (which a lot of people are really commending.)

Here is the list of the suppliers for their wedding:

Caterer : Gene Gonzalez of Cafe Ysabel
Photo: Patrick Uy/Raymond Isaac
Video: Jason Magbanua
Bridal Gown: Paul Cabral
Groom’s Suit : Jerome Lorico
Make-up: Juan Sarte
Event Stylist/Florist : Robert Blancaflor of 1816
Coordinator: Rita Neri

Picture and Supplier list snagged from blissful-weddings.com

For her 4th

I was chatting with my kumareng Peachy last week and we are both excited as we were discussing about her party preparations for the first birthday party of her daughter and my God child, Dom.

So after talking to her, I got really excited too that I started to imagine what I plan to do for my daughter’s fourth birthday also. I know I have been saying this since she turned 2, but I want to have a simple party for my daughter this time. She just loves Jollibee so much and I noticed that every time we attend a Jollibee party, my daughter always goes home so happy because she really enjoyed the party. So I know that if ever we will be having a party for her for her fourth birthday, it will definitely be a Jollibee party.

I just have to look for a Jollibee branch that can accommodate 100-120 guests then I will just get everything from them. We recently attended a Jollibee party and all the Jollitown gang are present so I am thinking of doing the same thing too. (Peachy said that it only costs P800 for each additional mascot and I only have to add P200 if I want Jollibee to be present from the start of the party to mingle with the kids and join the games.) Then I plan to get a Balloon artist also so all the kids can bring home a balloon sculpture. Then for the souvenir, I want a personalized kiddie chair or a personalized tote bag depending on our budget.

See, just give me five minutes and I will be able to come up with a plan for my daughter’s fourth birthday party. Is it obvious how addicted to part y planning I am? LOL.

My Friday Labor Day

Yesterday, I attended the send off party of two of our colleagues who will be leaving this May to start their new life in Manitoba, Canada, The party was held at Shakey’s in Valero. It was nice to be able to spend time with my officemates outside the work environment where we can just have fun.

I like to say good luck to Mia and Mingkai and my hats off to them because they are so brave to start a new life in Canada.

After the send off party, my group of friends decided to go to Greenbelt 5 for dinner. I think the last time we did this was last December and since all of us are all busy, we always set the date but it was only last night that our plan pushed through.

We went around the shops at Greenbelt 5 first then we had dinner at Via Mare (so I was able to buy my mom’s eye cream in Rustan’s). But since the youngest member of our group (Dale’s 5 month old daughter and my daughter) is starting to get cranky already, we decided to call it a night after that.

Hope we can do this more often guys.

# 122

Join us here.

And...here we go!

1. The first rule of working in an office and getting along is minding your own business. As long as you get your work done, then you don’t have to bother about other people’s business.

2. I specially love baked clams.

3. When I think of carnivals I think of my childhood because I remember our parents always takes me and my brother to the carnival when we were still little.

4. Gerbera is my favorite spring flower.

5. Things on my desk include my Belle de jour planner, a big desk calendar, pens, post its, documents, and manuals.

6. Royce makes me wanna eat chocolates non stop.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading Rosie Dunn, tomorrow my plans include just staying and the house and blog and Sunday, I want to go the mall but we were invited by my colleague to their town fiesta.

Splash Island or Splash Mountain This Time

And so I thought we will be going to Punta Riviera this coming May 9-10. Majority of my husband’s colleagues already have previous appointment on May 9-10 since May 10 is Mother’s day so most of them are not free on the said dates. I already cancelled our reservation at Punta Riviera since we only have until Wednesday anyways to confirm and it is already almost the end of the week and they haven’t finalized the trip yet.

Last thing I heard from hubby was they are planning for a day tour either at Splash Island or Splash Mountain. I prefer Splash Island better than Splash Mountain since we have been to the latter a few years ago and since it is a hot spring resort, the water is so hot (almost uncomfortable already and it did gave me a headache) which is really not best specially for the summer months.

But anyways, I will continue taking my appetite suppressants so weather we will push through or not with this beach/resort getaway, I will be sure that I will be in my best shape. LOL.

New Baby

Our new baby is here.

We picked it up last Wednesday from Toyota Manila Bay. The processing was fast actually. We signed the contract for our Auto Loan two Fridays ago and then they process the papers and they were able to fax the Purchase Order to Toyota Manila Bay that same day. We were asked by our agent to pay for the down payment Tuesday and by Wednesday, they release our unit and we were able to bring it home that day.

Hubby just loves it. I was even teasing him that he is just trying to convince himself to like the car since he was not able to buy his dream car. But according to hubby it is just perfect.

My daughter was able to use it when she went to class last Thursday and hubby was able to drive it Friday when he drive me to my office. Hubby is already planning to go to our house in Bulacan since we haven’t visited it in a long while now and hopefully we can check on the farmhouse sinks since my grand father said that it really needs to be replaced.

I am excited. I am already planning for a long trip to Break-In the car and I can say that I am really happy with our decision.

Friday 5 for May 1

Join us here.

1. On May First, 1738, King Kamehameha I was born. What are your impressions of Hawaii? I love Hawaii. We love going to the beach here in the Philippines and I always dream of trying the beach I other countries and Hawaii is part of my list. Although I heard, it is a bit expensive in Hawaii.
2. On May First, 1873, Dr. David Livingstone died. When did you last presume something erroneous about someone or something? I can’t remember any for now.
3. On May First, 1876, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro debuted. How do you feel about Disney’s animated classic Pinocchio? I am not a fan. Even my daughter who loves Disney movies is not fond of Pinocchio. I just feel that there are cuter Disney characters than him LOL.
4. May First is Walpurgis Night in Sweden and other parts of northern Europe. When did you last sing in front of an audience? Several years ago. We went to a videoke bar and my friend told the performers that it is my birthday and they really did not stop unless I went up the stage to sing. That was one of the most embarrassing
5. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are a punk rock cover band. What song’s cover version do you like better than its original version? I have no idea. LOL.

What’s for this weekend?

Hubby will be covering an 18th birthday party at Coconut Palace later. The party is from 6 PM – 10 PM so he might leave the house around 3 PM so he will be early at the party venue to take pictures of the setup before the party starts. And since I don’t know how to drive, my daughter and I might just be stuck at home. I need to buy sports gifts for the birthday party that we will be attending next week, but I guess we can just do that on a weekday. We can have a short trip to SM to buy the gift and we can even do our grocery at the same time.

Tomorrow will be the much awaited match between Manny Pacquio and Ricky Hatton. Hubby wants to watch it live but too bad Sky Cable is not offering Pay-Per-View to their residential subscribers. Hubby might watch it live at SM Cinema but that depends if he will still be able to buy tickets for tomorrow. We were invited for the town fiesta of one of my colleague tomorrow so we initially plan to just watch it there on GMA-7. But for sure it is a delayed telecast so hubby begged if he can watch the fight at SM first then we will go straight at my colleague’s house in Bulacan after the match. Well good luck to hubby. Hope he will still be able to purchase tickets for tomorrow’s match.