Women Xplore

Tired. Dead Tired. That is how I feel right now. It has been very busy in the office and I have to do a lot of tasks before I go on leave next week. Add to that the work load that I have with school. It is just kind of frustrating that I have to go through all of this. I know it is my choice to go back to school but I realized it is really a big task – imagine, I have a full time job, then have my tasks for my sideline, then I have responsibilities too as a wife and a mother. I don’t know how I am going to accomplish all of it with just 24 hours a day and 7 days a week then I have to squeeze my assignment for my masters. Now I am really not enjoying this. LOL.

I have to write a paper which is due tomorrow for one of my subjects. I need to do a lot of research since I don’t find our resource book comprehensive enough. Well our professor is saying that it is a trademark of UP – that is you don’t have to reply on just one book but you have to read a lot of other reading materials as reference. Good thing I was looking for Amazon books too from buy.com so I decided to order additional resource books to help me with my papers.

Then aside from this, I still have two case studies to finish. It is not due until August 19 but I want to finish it before I go on a long vacation on August 6 as I don’t want to be studying while I am on vacation. I am almost finish with my third case study and hopefully I can finish the last one this weekend. (I am lucky that we are on holiday on August 3 so I have three more days to finish all my pending tasks).

Right now I feel so tired and stressed out. I know finishing my masters degree would be a good addition to my resume but now I am really thinking twice if I will enroll again for the next semester. LOL.

I was surprised to find out that I am patient enough. Oh well, maybe that is what you get if you have a toddler. LOL. But I think hubby has a lot to do with it. I used to be a very impatient person and since hubby is the most patient person I know (he was able to put up with me. That’s the best test of patience. LOL), I slowly learn that sometimes, life doesn’t always go my way and I at least have to learn to exercise patience. And I feel so blessed and happy with my life that is why I realized, it wouldn't hurt if I exercise patience once in a while. LOL. Patience is indeed a virtue as what they always say.

October 31 is my cousin’s 7th birthday and since it is only a couple of months away, my aunt has asked me to help her with the party preparations. Thinking of the theme for the party is a no brainer. Since the date falls on Halloween, then why not send party invitations Halloween and we will have a Halloween party for the theme.

I am sure the kids will be excited when they receive scary invitations Halloween for my cousin’s party as we know how much kids enjoy Halloween. I am thinking of doing the following for the party;

1. We will send out Halloween Party Invitations which I will order from Holiday-invitations.com. I checked out their site and they have a lot of cute invitations Halloween which we can even personalize and are really perfect for the occasion.
2. We will ask the kids to come in their best Halloween costume and we will give a price to the kid who is wearing the best Halloween costume.
3. We will have games like Halloween Pumpkin Decorating, Build a Skeleton Race, and Create a Monster Artwork contest and a whole lot of other Halloween games.
4. Of course, no Halloween party is complete without a Halloween Trick or Treat.
5. We can even watch a Halloween Movie while the kids are eating.

I am sure the kids will have a great time and especially my cousin, the birthday celebrant.

Snagged from my sister’s blog.

My roommate and I once: went out one night and tried test driving the car of my roommate’s mom.
Never in my life have I: tried bungee jumping.
High school was: fun (I miss my high school friends. They even had a get together last night and I was not able to go because I have to finish my papers for my Masters. Boo-hoo).
When I’m nervous: sweat like a pig.
My hair: is short.
When I was 5: I was a spoiled brat.
When I turn my head left: the door that leads to our terrace.
I should be: working on my programming assignment in IS 214.
By this time next year: I’m still working like a slave. LOL.
My favorite aunt is: my Tita Jie.
I have a hard time understanding: why I need to go back to school for a Masteral degree. I will not even get a promotion if I finish my Masteral degree. But I guess it is nice to put on my resume.
You know I like you if: I talk to you.
My ideal breakfast is: hotdogs or pancakes and coffee or juice.
If you visit my home town: you will say that it is very quiet and away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
If you spend the night at my house: you’ll get tired of watching Playhouse Disney (my daughter’s favorite channel) but I am sure you will be entertained by the antics and stories that my daughter will share with you.
The animal I would like to see flying besides birds: butterfly.
I shouldn’t have been: finish with my case studies by now but I am so lazy to even open the book and start with the required readings.
Last night I: should have worked on my assignment but I end up dozing off to sleep.
A better name for me would be: Alex
I’ve been told I look like: haggard.
If I could have any car, it would be: Honda CRV.

Yahoo, I got my share for our income from last month from my brother the other day. We went to the shop last week as hubby wants to check something too in Greenhills and my brother handed me my share for our income from our gadget store. At least I will have extra money to go shopping for the things that I need to bring for my August trip (which reminds me that I have to do that next week since we are leaving in two weeks. LOL).

I notice that our income last month is higher compared to the previous months. Thanks to the cardboard displays that we decided to put up. If you have been to the cell phone area in Greenhills, you will really notice how tight the competition is for the gadget stores there. So we really have to think of something to attract customers and this cardboard display is just perfect. Since it is made of cardboard only, it is very affordable but it is of high quality too so it is very durable.

I hope the sales will continue to pick up so I can have more extra money for shopping. LOL. (Ok, ok, I will try to set aside some money for savings).

Over the years before I got married and live with my own family, I witnessed how dad and mom really cherished and celebrate their wedding anniversaries brimming with love years after years. As I gleefully recounts, there was a time our whole family went out to splurge for a vacation in one of the fine beach resort out of town. In one of our dinners, before we (I, brother, sis) knew it, our parents were doing a toast, kissing and greeting each other with a happy 25th wedding anniversary while we imbibed over a boisterous dinner. That was only then we came to realized why we were here. Dad and mom wanted to celebrate their wedding anniversary with us.

Though it was sweet remembering, it was also one of those times that I felt shame with myself for totally forgetting our parents wedding date. So from that time on I marked my calendar to avoid committing the same mistake and in trying to make up, I tried to be always the first to greet them every time. And when their 50th wedding anniversary was already thick on the air, a milestone for their harmonious and eclectic relationship, and to show them our profound gratitude for all the goodness and luxuries in life they provided us, I mapped out a plan with the help of dear brother and sister for dad and mom to celebrate their golden anniversary with a bang. It was a gift of love coming from all their loving kids.

And nothing could make the celebration looks more desirable, meaningful and colorful, without the customized and personalized Wedding Anniversary Invitations from Express-invitations.com with a laidback style that carries the vanguard of glamour in full fashion flourish. And for those honored guess selected by our parents to receive their golden anniversary invitations will surely felt a feverish intensity and find the occasion invigoratingly irresistible.

Dad and mom was a picture of a very proud parents, their faces were oozing with wealth of happiness and contentment as they walked on the aisle on the day of the celebration. It was a very successful event and well attended. Everyone was jubilated including the jeweled and suited guess.

One of the TV series that hubby and I enjoyed watching is House MD. We used to watch all the episodes every week and we really find Dr. House arrogant, but funny, rude but caring, total AH but a selfless and brilliant doctor. But ever since we had our daughter, our TV is always tuned in to Play House Disney and we rarely have the chance to catch the latest season of our favorite TV series.

So I was really happy when I finally was able to download Season 1 to 5 of House MD. Hubby patiently converted the video to a format that I can load on my Iphone and I was already able to finish Season 1. I am now on Season 2 and my favorite episode so far was when they have a patient who is just 9 years old and have a terminal cancer and who is so brave and mature to handle what she is going through because she wants to live as long as she is able to because she wants to be there for her mom. The kid feels that her mom needs her so she has to bear the pain of going through chemo therapy and several operations because she wants to live because she feels that her mom needs her. Isn’t it ironic, a cancer patient who instead of worrying for herself is worrying for the welfare of her mother who looks like have the perfect health condition? I cried when that episode was finish.

I can’t wait to finish Season 2, 3, and 4 as I want to see season 5 already as I know that Dr. House and Dr. Wilson, who are best of friends, will drift in this season and Dr. Wilson even has to resign so he can be away from House. Intriguing isn’t it.

Guess who I saw at the mall last weekend? The newlyweds, Judy Ann and Ryan. I am not really a fan but I like the couple since unlike most showbiz couples, I can see that their feeling for each other is so genuine and that they are one of the few showbiz couples, whom I think, will have a lasting marriage.

Of course we did not follow them for a picture and autograph but it was just a coincidence that they went out in the same exit door as ours and I really have to observe them as they walk to their RV. They are really a sweet couple and looks like they bring out the best in each other. Did you know that they usually bring their rv around for a quick city getaway (for sure they have the best rv insurance since they always use this vehicle for travel)? I guess it is their best method of transportation since they won’t get notice by the public and they will be able to have their privacy. I notice of our showbiz stars have an rv as it is one good all purpose vehicle. How I wish I can afford an rv too and bring it to our out of town getaway. I am sure our dear princess will not get bored as she sits comfortably in the coach while watching her favorite DVDs while we go on a road trip. Oh well, just one of my wishful thinking.

If there is one perfect gift that I would like to give my parents, it would be one of the Caribbean cruises from Carnival Cruise. My parents have given me so much and now that I have a family of my own, they are still beside me to support me and my family. That is why for my next project, I wished to save up so I can afford to send my parents to one of the Eastern Caribbean Cruises of Carnival Cruise.

My dad is a retired seafarer so he used to the life aboard a ship but being a passenger of a cruise line would be something that he hasn’t experienced yet and I know it would be more special if he can spend it with his family.

It will be their first time to join a cruise but I am sure they will love to explore the beaches of Bahamas when they docked or they can just enjoy the amenities being offered on board like they can take a dip at the pool or have a spa or play in the playground with their grand daughter.

My father likes sharing stories about his travel experiences when he was still working abroad so I am sure he will love to be our guide when we explore the different tropical islands.

Joining a cruise would be really the most perfect gift that I can give them so hopefully I will be able to save up so we can all board one of the cruise ship of Carnival Cruise.

I like:


I saw this from Glo’s site and I also saw the message of Peachy convincing us to buy the Technomarine watch since the price is way much cheaper compared to the price here. If only I am not going on a trip this coming August, I would ordered one for myself too. And it is so tempting since it is payable up to September via Paypal (pretty good deal). But I don’t want to get myself into something if I am not 100% confident that I have the capacity to pay for it. Maybe in the next few months, hopefully I will earn more from my sideline so I can afford this watch (and I want another Coach bag too). Oh gosh, my list is getting longer and I don’t know if I will be able to strike something off from this list. LOL. Good thing we received a 5.9% across the board increase for this new fiscal year so I have extra this coming December bonus (yup, I am really hopeful that I will at least be able to buy one from my wish list).

My friend was telling me that she heard from BBC News that now is the perfect time to travel while the airfare is cheap since the economist are predicting that economy might improve by the end of this year.

This got me into thinking that this might be the best time to invest in stock options. Though I am not familiar with how stocks work. But according to my friend who has invested in stocks too, she said that all I need is the Power Options software. This software has helped her select the best market on where to invest which will give her the highest return on investment. What this software does is it will summarize all available stocks and will give a report on the best market to invest to.

I am sure if I use this software, I will be able to make good investments too like my friend and I think I better act fast since now is really the perfect time to invest.

I am so swamped. I have a lot of deadlines to meet not with work, but with my studies. Ever since I started to go back to school this semester, I rarely have 8 hours of sleep since I have to finish all the papers and readings that I need for my three subjects. My parents kept on convincing me to stop since I really look haggard already and so stress. But I promised myself that I have to finish my masteral degree and I can’t give up.

That is why I am so glad when I learned about Stemulite. It is an all natural supplement that gives more energy, more focus and well being which is what I really need. I used to be adamant when it comes to taking supplements but I have my full trust with Stemulite since it is an all natural supplement. Even professional athletes use Stemulite because it improves their general health and well being and is so safe that they are not worried that their careers will get screwed up if they get tested with illegal substances. It even has a substance that can help loose weight when taken for an extended period of time which is a bonus factor for me.

I am confident that Stemulite will help me survive my busy lifestyle and get back to living a healthy and energetic lifestyle again.

1. How have you been? Very busy. I don’t know how I can squeeze all the work that I have to finish with the 24 hours a day that I have.
2. What do you wish you knew more about? I wish I know more about how to raise my child well.
3. Is there a luxury item/indulgence that you would like to have, but just could not justify the expense? A Channel Bag, brand new Honda CRV.
4. Is it easier for you to forgive yourself or to forgive others? I think it is easier for me to forgive myself. LOL.
5. How do you get your daily energy fix? Strong cup of coffee.
6. Have you ever found a method of chopping onions without shedding tears? Tell us about it! My mom said that the knife to use when chopping should be wet. I never really get to try it since I rarely cook.
7. How many different countries have you visited? 4 (Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, US)
8. Did you choose your life or did your life choose you? I think I am a maker of my destiny.
9. How do you prevent hypocrisy? I don’t mingle with those type of people. I hate hypocrisy.
10. Have you ever loved anyone who didn’t loved you back? Hmm, not sure.

It is back to school time so it means more readings, more school work and less sleep for my sister who is now a graduating Computer Science student. I used to be in the same boat as my sister and I know how tiring it is since we have to stay in front of the computer almost 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week to complete all the school projects.

That is why I was not surprised when she told me that she needs to buy new prescription eyeglasses. I just saw Zenni Optical on TV!!! and I saw their whole range of $ 8 Rx eyeglasses that I am sure my sister will really like.

What I like about them is that they offer very affordable but stylish prescription eyeglasses so I am sure my sister will have a hard time deciding which she will like and of course, being a working student, the prices of eyeglasses from Zenni Optical won’t hurt her budget.

I am sure my sister is eager to get her new pair of eyeglasses as she still has a lot of pending schoolwork that is waiting for her. High Five to Zenni Optical!

During this time when we are experiencing economic crisis, my husband and I can’t help but talk about our family’s finances. And we both agree that we should really try to save up and make investments so we can be secured for our future.

We are both looking at new investment options and investing in us gold coins caught our attention. We figured that coins, just like gold and silver, are tangible assets that will not depreciate in time and so we thought that this will be a good way to invest our money. Of course, since we are new to this kind of investment, we have searched for the best hard asset professionals and we are glad to have found Monex since their competent staff will surely help us get the best investment for our money.

I am sure investing in hard assets will be a wise decision for us and it will surely help secure our future.

1. What is your favorite 4th of July memory? (If you aren't in the U.S., then use your own national holiday.) My favorite is the historical People’s Power revolution that forced the late President Marcos to end his dictatorship.

2. Do you consider yourself patriotic? No. LOL.

3. Do you like fireworks? Yes, in fact we even had one as one of the major highlights of our wedding.

4. What are your plans for this weekend? Hubby has two events to cover this weekend so I might just stay at home with my daughter and finish all my assignment for my masters.

5. Are you optimistic about the future? In spite of the recessions, I am still thankful because God has given me and my husband a good job and He has really been showering us with a lot of blessings so I guess, I am optimistic.

6. Do you think everyone should serve in the military? No, it should me a choice and something that should be forced for a person to do.

7. Would you support a constitutional ban on flag burning? Yup.

8. What end of the political spectrum are you? I have no idea (I guess I am really not that politically inclined. LOL)

9. Where do you get your news? From the Internet.

I was shocked when I received a call from my friend last week. She was crying while I was talking to her because her aunt who is close to her died.

Her aunt has been really sick and has been confined in the hospital for days now but they did not expect it to be so soon. I know no matter what I say to her, I will not be able to take away the pain that she is experiencing now. I guess just being there for her and her family during this time in their life is all I can do for my friend.

I also offered to help them with the funeral preparations as I know this is one of the most difficult things to face especially since they still have a heavy heart for the death of their aunt. I already looked for sympathy thank you cards and cards bereavement from Express-invitations.com and I will help them distribute their bereavement thank you cards that her family wishes to give to their friends and relatives.

I am finish sending out all the Sympathy Bereavement Cards that my friend’s family wishes to give to their friends and relatives who have been with them in their time of need. I know this is just a small help but I hope I was able to do something to help ease the pain that my friend is experiencing.

I am so proud of my friend. He went on leave for a week last week to finish his theses for his MBA.

Obtaining an MBA degree has always been my dream also. I know it will eat a lot of my time and since I have a number of obligations, I don’t think that I will be able to fulfill my dream.

But I was surprised when my friend shared with me information about Capella University where he obtained his school mba degree. He is also a busy person since he has a day job and he too thought that getting an MBA degree for a working professional like us will be impossible. But thanks to Capella University’s online program, my friend was able to fulfill his dream of getting an MBA degree.

I am currently enrolled under their masters program, and hope someday I will be able to obtain an MBA degree too.

A – An advantage you have – I am organize

B – Blue or brown eyes – Brown

C – Chore you hate – everything.

D – Dad’s name – Ben

E – Essential start of your day – Take a bath

F – Favorite color – Purple

G – Greatest thing you’ve ever done that made you feel really good – marrying my husband and having my precious daughter

H – Habit you have – sleeping late

I – Issue you hate that the world tries to make you pursue – I can’t think of any

J – Job title – Systems Administrator

K – Kohls or Target – Target

L – Living arrangements – I live with my husband and my daughter

M – Music you like – R&B

N - Nicknames – Abie

O – Overnight hospital stay – I hate it

P – Pet Peeve – kiss ass

Q – Quote that you like most – “There is always a rainbow at the end of the rain.”

R – Right or left handed – right handed

S – Siblings – I have 2

T – Time you wake up –.6:30 AM

U – Underwear – cotton

V – Vegetable you dislike – Non. I love eating veggies

W – What makes you run late – work and school

X – X-rays you’ve had – chest xray as part of my company’s annual medical checkup

Y – Yummy food you make – pasta

Z – Zoo animal – Giraffe

The MBAPs will be meeting again this coming July 26 at Jody’s house. This is because all the June celebrants decided to have a joint birthday party as their treat for all the MBAPs. I am so excited as for sure it will be one fun party again.

Jacqui, MBAPs official party organizer already started planning for the event. Of course we will have food (lots of it), birthday invitations, poker games, and lots of activities to keep the kids pre occupied.

The June celebrants are already discussing the food that they will be ordering and I think they agreed to order from CCME again as we love their food when we got them for our Christmas party. The date I think is also final as majority agreed to meet on a Sunday to avoid traffic. So I guess once all the details are finalized then we can start distributing the birthday party invitations.

It has been months since we last had our get together so I am sure everybody is looking forward to receiving their Party Birthday Invitations.

I am so tired. I have been really busy ever since my masteral classes started. Every week, I have to read different papers, articles, modules then participate in the discussion board then submit the papers that is required for us each (almost each week) for all the 3 subjects that I am enrolled in.

So I was telling my husband that we really need to go on a family vacation as soon as the first semester is over. I love visiting places where I can explore the city like Hong Kong or Singapore or Las Vegas but I find it too tiring since we are always on the run because we want to visit all the famous places in that country. But if I want a very relaxing vacation, a weekend at a very quiet beach resorts like the Karisma Hotels in the Riviera Maya would be the perfect choice for me.

Imagine staying in a casita suite with a great view of the ocean and where you can enjoy the white sand beaches and where we can enjoy different family activities. That would be really perfect. I just hope that we will have the budget for this vacation as I know me and hubby really deserves a break.

1. Where were you when you heard that Michael Jackson died? I was on my way to work. I heard it in the radio and I thought it was a joke at first but then when I reached the office, everybody was talking about it.

2. How do you think that he will be remembered? His music, his unique dance moves, maybe his weirdness too.

3. What was your favorite Jackson tune? I am not actually a Michael Jackson fan so I can’t think of any right now.

4. Did you watch the original Charlie’s Angels? No.

5. Did someone you know have that poster of Farrah? No

6. Did you consider her battle with cancer heroic? Yes. My aunt died from cancer too and I now how difficult it is to battle cancer so I really admire her to battle this disease.

7. Were you a fan of The Tonight Show Starring Johnnie Carson? No.

8. Did you like Ed McMahon on the show? I am not familiar with Ed McMahon (sorry).

9. What else will you remember McMahon for? Is he the father of the famous McMahon clan of WWF? (I have no idea really who he is.)

1. Where do you get most of your information about current local events? Internet as I rarely get the chance to watch the local news.
2. Where do you get most of your information about current national and international events? Internet also as I can easily access it 24x7 not like the TV where I have to be tune in at a specific time and day to catch the news. And just like what I mentioned in my answer for number, I rarely get the time to watch TV for the news.
3. Who in your family always is most likely to know what’s up with everyone else in your family? My mom of course. Even now that I am already married, she still wants us to update her on what is going on with our lives.
4. Who at work (or school) always seems to know what’s going on? TIM YAP, I hate him. LOL. Because he is the know it all type of person and he is getting on I my nerves.
5. What other kinds of news do you try to keep up-to-date on and where do you get it? Showbiz new, again from the Internet.

Have you tried playing airsoft before? I only tried it once during our team building exercise as it was part of the activity. I was reluctant at first to participate since I am scared that I might get hurt or something but after the game, I must admit that I really enjoyed the game.

So when I received an SMS from my friend from high school inviting me and hubby to join them this coming weekend for their airsoft game, I was really thrilled. Even hubby like the idea too as he misses playing airsoft since it has been months since he last played.

We will only be renting rifles for our game this coming weekend but we al agreed that we should all invest in an airsoft aeg rifle since we will be able to save in the long run, instead of renting every time we will play. And since we know an online site where we can buy airsoft rifles and pellets, I am sure all of us will order our own rifle. I am looking at the entry level airsoft guns and I think this is the perfect rifle for me but of course I have to consult hubby first before I finalize my purchase.

I am so excited for this weekend…

If I will be asked to name one of my favorite quick out of town destination, then I will not think twice and I can readily answer Tagaytay.

These are just a few of my reasons why:

1. It is just a few hours drive from Manila
2. Once you reached Tagaytay, there are a lot of activities that you can do that even kids and adults alike will enjoy like horse back riding, a visit to the zoo, just enjoy the cool breeze of Tagaytay, try the zip line at People’s Park, and many other activities.
3. Tagaytay is also the best place for a food trip. There are a lot of restaurants to choose from and you won’t run out of new restaurants to try. (My favorite is Bag of Beans.)
4. The cool breeze in Tagaytay is a great escape to the busy and humid weather in the city.
5. There are a lot of hotels and bed and breakfast establishments that you can choose from if you want to stay overnight too. The options are wide from the affordable hotels to the five star hotels like the newly renovated Taal Vista.

So if you want to have a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of Manila, just drive a few hours south and enjoy Tagaytay.

Shhh, all of us know except her. Yup, we are planning to throw a surprise birthday party for the most popular and most loved person in the office. Her birthday will be this coming August so we still have at least a month to prepare.

Nothing is really final yet as we still have to meet to discuss the logistics. I think surprise birthday parties are the most difficult thing to plan as we really wanted the celebrant to be really surprise for the party that we will be planning for her.

Of course we will be giving out party invitations for all that will be invited. I am in charge of that. So far I still have no idea yet on what will be the design of her birthday invitations as we haven’t decided on a theme yet, but I guess it will be something like this:

But I already have a site in mind on where I can order the Party Birthday Invitations so I can take this off our to-do list. So the only major task that we have to do is look for the perfect venue and it is Party time!!