Christmas Wishes

To All of My Blogspot Friends

May your Christmas sparkle with moments of
Love
Laughter
and
Goodwill

May the year ahead be full of
contentment and joy

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Christmas Rush

The Christmas shopping bug bit me a bit too late this year. I only started shopping for gifts last Tuesday! Before that, even if I was surrounded by friends who were either done shopping or halfway through their lists, I still didn't get the urge to do anything about mine. In fact, I only looked at my Christmas list a day before I started to shop. That's how "out of it" I was.

Thankfully, I had all that energy...once I started, I couldn't stop! I went to Greenhills on Tuesday, Shang Mall on Wednesday, Power Plant on Thursday and Friday and Shang again on Saturday. Last night, we were in Eastwood Mall and today I still have ONE more gift to get. Just one last one!

Don't ask me about my gift wrapping though. Most of the gifts I picked up at the mall don't need to be wrapped (thank God!). And oh...I was shocked that Rustan's was a breeze. I was able to have all the gifts I bought wrapped, there were no long queues unlike last year. All my Rustan's-bought gifts I had to wrap myself because I didn't want to fall in line and wait forever for my stuff to be wrapped. I got a lot of stuff from Greenhills though and all of those I need to still wrap individually. I've been staring at them for days, tried to start and I did. But after wrapping 10 gifts, my granny back problem kicked in and I threw in the towel hahaha! Now I'm thinking maybe I should just ask Yaya to do it for me.

Oh well...

Off to the mall I go again! Wish me and my feet good luck! They're really starting to complain after all the trauma they've been getting. I'm definitely getting my mani-pedi-foot massage tomorrow!

Hope you're all done with your Christmas shopping.

Officially Potty Trained!

No, not me! Hahaha! As of today, December 11, 2008, at 2 years and 7 months--- my dear Sabine is officially friends with the potty! Woohoooooo! I decided to hold off issuing this press release to see if she'll be consistently running to the potty everytime she needs to go. Now she really does! We're nappy-free in the daytime and only wear them at night and when out in the mall. I still need to teach her though that public toilets are a no-no at the moment. Sometimes she still asks to run to the nearest restroom whenever we're out. She is so OC, too. Insists on washing not just once, but twice. And once she had to remind me to wash her hands, too, after. Proud of you, little one!!!

P.S. We're a tad late because our pedia wanted this to happen as soon as Sabine turned 2.

Currently Reading : Sophie Kinsella's "Remember Me?"

I know I'm a late bloomer. This book came out ages ago, but I only thought of getting a copy yesterday. I'm not done reading, but I'm enjoying the book so far (I reckon I'll be finished reading by tomorrow morning). I've been wanting to read something "light" and this is the perfect book for those boring, don't-have-anything-else-to-do-because-Sabine-is-asleep moments at home, now that I'm on holiday from work. I don't think this is a best-seller like any of Kinsella's Shopaholic books (all of which I read) but hopefully the ending won't burst my bubble. This paperback copy costs P295 in National Bookstore. I'm glad I didn't buy the hardbound version hahaha!

Image credit : Amazon.comsophie

Bad Blogger

I've been neglecting this space for quite sometime. BAD! Blame it on a recently hectic work schedule. I'll be back to update soon!

Latest Ebay Find

It's the 3M Scotch Gift Wrap Cutter

Makes cutting easy, fast and fun! Scotch™ Gift Wrap Cutter is great for cutting gift wrap and curling ribbon. These two tools in one make the Scotch™ Gift Wrap Cutter an excellent choice for wrapping gifts. The Scotch™ Gift Wrap Cutter can also be used to cut coupons, recipes and more.

Safer and faster than scissors for easy, clean, straight lines

No exposed blade

Gift wrapping made simple

Convenient

Compact and portable

Safely curls ribbon

Protected Blade

Designed for safety

Precision-ground stainless steel blade

Unlike other people I know, I enjoy gift-wrapping
I just can't seem to cut straight lines without the help of a ruler or without folding the wrapper

This is heaven sent!
Can't wait to get it in the mail.

Twilight Crazy

Anissa succeeded in convincing me to go and see TWILIGHT with her a 2nd time yesterday. She found the perfect opportunity because she had no classes and managed to drag along my DB and gf hehehe. Greenbelt was wide open, I guess because everyone else scrambled for tickets on the first week the movie was shown. We made it, photo finish style, to the 2:15 pm screening at Greenbelt 3 (ClicktheCity said 2:30 NOT 2:15!). We hurriedly bought food and rushed inside to find an almost empty theater --- sarap!

Here's my take on the movie : I give it 3 stars. I didn't find it dragging,although I don't see the need to watch it again nor read the book, even if it's lying around here somewhere at home. I'm not a fan of such storylines kasi. The Fantasy and Sci-Fi types are not my cup of tea. I've NEVER seen a Star Wars or Lord of The Rings movie --- that's how much I don't like these kinds. Anyhoo back to Twilight...

The actors? Not bad for people I haven't even seen before. Except for a couple of them whom I've watched on Grey's Anatomy and CSI.

Left : Rachel Lefevre who came out on CSI as a cop's girlfriend and in What About Brian as the lead's stripper girlfriend

Right : Elizabeth Reaser who played Esme Cullen

Appeared in Grey's Anatomy as the Jane Doe that Alex Karev fell in love with

Bottomline? Okay fine Edward is not bad-looking I'm sure (especially in real life, sans all that gunk on his face), but I thought his movie Dad, Carlisle Cullen was more my type

Robert Pattinson aka Edward Cullen

Peter Facinelli aka Carlisle Cullen

WOOHOOOOOO!!!!!

Prev: Dora, is that you?

Dora, Is That You?

Sabine's hair has been quite "disorganized" since I decided I wanted to grow it. So when my DM's stylist came over to cut DM's hair, I told him to "reorganize" Sabine's hair hehehe. Surprisingly, she didn't move a bit! Her past 2 haircuts at Cuts for Tots were nightmares! I had to carry her on both occasions and she cried as if there was no tomorrow. This time around, I was totally impressed by her quiet demeanor.

Quite scared at first...

And then a good sign...a smile!

Now beginning to get curious about her cut

Awww...I love her new bob cut!

Unfortunately, I didn't get to take an "after" pic because she started running all over the place, excited to show off her new hairstyle

Good Job, Manny!

He did it again!!!

Manny Pacquiao beat Oscar de la Hoya in the biggest boxing event of the year
Congratulations, Manny
You make all of us proud to be Pinoy!

(but please please change your mind about running for Congress...you can make better use of all your millions...)

Vacation Day 1

Yes, I'm officially on vacation...all the way up to January 15. I can hardly believe I have so much free time on my hands. I spent my first day, guess where? In a mall I would never even dream of going --- Trinoma. I had to meet up with someone there so I took advantage and wanted to visit just one store : The Landmark. Why? Because I've been there once before but only to look around. I didn't have the energy to buy anything, there were just too many people around. Today though was a breeze. I was there at past 2pm and the crowd wasn't thick at all.

I feel triumphant because I went home with several shopping bags in tow (and a sore arm from carrying all of them) but my wallet didn't hurt one bit. I made the mistake of opening everything and throwing stuff in the hamper before I could take photos --- flop! But just to show you how successful this shopping trip was, here's a list of what I got:

Flannel pajamas (set of 2 pcs) for Anissa, P180
Flannel pajamas (set of 2 pcs) for Sabine, P160
Printed cotton capri pajamas (set of 2 pcs) for me, P180
2 bathroom rugs for the master's bathroom, P115 each
2 white foot towels for the girls' bathroom, P120 each
2 shower curtains for the girls' bathroom, P279 each
2 unbranded white ceramic serving dishes (about 11 x 14), P450 each
2 unbranded white ceramic serving bowls with cover, P295 each
Christmas-themed tablecloth, P299
Christmas-themed dish towels (bundle of 5 in diff designs), P199
Christmas-themed cloth napkins (set of 6), P250

Plus I threw in a few pasalubongs :

Disney Kitchen Set for Sabine, P150
HK-made white and aqua skinny jeans for Anissa, P380 each (i love the denim material, not the cheapy kind)
Hollister Plaid buttondown shirt for Neal, P500 (he was shocked when I told him I got it from Landmark)

I definitely want to go back because this was all my hands could handle for today. In fact, I spotted a lot more stuff I can get for people for Christmas plus some really nice throw pillow covers and ready-made curtains (I just need to measure the TV room and den windows).

To The Other Man In My Life

At the ripe old age of 40, I'm still not ashamed to admit that I'm every inch a Daddy's Girl. But DF has had to share a portion of the spotlight with someone...my significant other, the "other" man in my life. Luckily, this "other" man doesn't feel the need to compete with Daddy, simply because he knows there should be no such thing. And that's just one of the many things I love about him.

Today is his 42nd birthday (sorry, Hon...I can't lie. I know you feel like you're only 40 but you're not hehehe) I'm dedicating today's entry to him.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

The one who makes me laugh the most

The one who reminds me to be thankful, even for the little things

The one who replenishes my strength and faith when they run low

The one who overlooks the "bad" and manages to see the "good" in me all the time

The one who would rather give than receive

The one who's taught me about forgiveness and humilty

The one I always choose to run to first

The one who always finds a way, never mind if all the odds are against him

The one who likes to stroke my hair when I'm asleep

(or when I pretend that I'm asleep)

The one who spoils the kids to death and plays deaf whenever I try to be "bad" cop

The one whose silence I've learned to read and understand through the years

The one person I can trust not to judge me

The one who finds bliss in the simplest of things and situations

The person I truly admire for his drive and perseverance

The one I can count on at any given time, in any given situation

The person who rescues me from every little predicament

My second chance

Probably (hehehe) the last chance I'll ever get in this lifetime

HAVE AN AWESOME BIRTHDAY, HON!!!

I LOVE YOU FROM MY BOTTOMLESS HEART!

5 Ways To Protect Your Kids (and yourself) From The Flu

I've been sick 2x in the past month. Once right before my November birthday and then now. The first time, I had a really bad cold accompanied by fever and body malaise. Then last Wednesday, I felt pain in my throat which quickly became intense that same night, I could hardly swallow my dinner. I had a major product launch the next day and couldn't possibly miss it so I forced myself to go to bed at 8pm. I made it to my launch while still feeling a bit uncomfortable. I even went to Subic for the weekend and there, I began to lose my voice bit by bit. By the time we got back, I was speaking in whispers and yesterday, totally lost my voice. Then last night, Sabine developed a slight fever and woke up with a bad cough this morning. Her yaya is also down with the same bad cough. This is what I hate about the "ber" months. I hardly get sick the rest of the year but I can be sure that once these months are here, it'll just be a matter of time before a virus hits me or the kids.

I came across this write up and thought of sharing it here for everyone else to read. These are things we're already aware of but need to be reminded of from time to time.

Hope this helps! In the meantime...let me go and drink my Ascof Lagundi tablet, which, by the way, has really helped make me feel better.

1. Sugar and processed foods impact the immune system.

Studies have shown that through a complex system of chemical processes sugar and processed foods depress the immune system. There exists a direct link between the amount of these foods that your child consumes and his/her health.

Obvious foods such as sodas, candy, cookies, ice cream, and potato chips are the big guns that should be kept concealed.

Even more disturbing are the foods that you think are healthy for your child that hide sugar and many refined ingredients: yogurt, and yogurt drinks and “pops;”most cereals; juices; fruit roll ups and “leathers;” “healthy” cookies and treats, soy ice cream and frozen treats. While being marketed as healthy choices, these foods aren’t much better than the obvious poor choices. Work hard during flu season to keep these foods away from your children. Read ingredient labels and watch out for: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup or “HFCS,” brown rice syrup, fructose, sucrose, barleymalt and the obvious, sugar.

2. Fresh foods offer the highest quality vitamins.

It’s shocking to me how often I see people turn to orange juice for vitamin C in an effort to fight off a cold or flu.

It is important to understand that the majority of vitamin C in orange juice is added after processing. Vitamin C and others like zinc, vitamin E, and magnesium help to support the immune system and are a great defense during flu season.

Choose better by having kids eat fresh whole foods such as cherries, berries, and apples, and vegetables such as spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots and sweet potatoes.

I know you probably hear this suggestion all the time, but it can’t be stressed enough. It is imperative to find creative ways to prepare vegetables so that kids will actually eat them. Sautee, roast or grill vegetables with olive oil or real butter, add some fresh sea salt or sprinkle with organic low fat cheese and kids will be more likely to eat.

3. Sleep will boost the immune system.

At night while we rest, the body is working to rebuild the immune system. Deep sleep allows a complex set of hormonal changes that recharge the body so that it’s resilient the next day. Be diligent and ensure that kids get a full night sleep of 8-10 hours.

Mandate bedtime despite protests and stick to a regular schedule. These are the times that mom and dad really need to be the boss. Resist the temptation to allow your child to stay up late and watch his or her favorite show. At the end of the day when you are tired as well, it’s easy to give in to your child’s vigilant campaign.

Remember: Would you rather avoid the confrontation tonight? Or deal with a sick kid tomorrow?

4. Fatigue is the first sign of a distressed immune system.

As already stated, the immune system desperately needs sleep to keep the body healthy. When the immune system is fighting to keep your child healthy, it requests that the body get extra rest to help in the fight.

If your child seems more fatigued than usual, it could be a very strong signal that your child is on the brink of getting sick.

The best way to fight off a cold or flu is to act immediately and get extra rest. Pay attention to the health of others around you such as those at work or your child’s school. If you hear of a bug “going around” and you notice that your child is tired, there’s a good chance that extra sleep will ward off the cold or flu. This is the time to allow extra television and require a mid-day nap.

5. Wash hands frequently, but avoid antibacterial products.

This seems counterintuitive, but the best way to kill environmental germs is to use soap and hot water and scrub hands thoroughly. Bacteria live all around us. They are on every surface we touch and in every breath we take. Without bacteria, our immune system wouldn’t learn to be strong.

Our internal bacterial system fights off invaders and thereby gets more effective at winning the battle. It’s just like working out: In order to become stronger, you must work hard in the gym. Your child’s body is a bacterial gym. Again, this comes back to the immune system. If you foster a strong immune system, your child’s body will fight off invaders and therefore become more resilient to future battles. While it is imperative to wash hands frequently during flu season, remember that the hands are only one very small way that germs enter your child’s system. Killing off the germs on hands with antibacterial products is futile and weakens your child’s- and the world’s- future ability to confront germs.

Pure Comedy

I was in the Shaw Blvd. branch of Pure Gold today to grab a few groceries and toiletries for our long weekend trip to Subic. I didn't know they had these small baskets on wheels so I ended up getting the usual shopping cart even if I knew I only had to get a few things.

When it was time to pay, I noticed that the lines on the regular counters were ridiculously long and the carts were filled to the maximum! Some even had more than one cart. I'm guessing that a lot of these people have sari sari stores because most of the things in their cart were multiple packs of the same items.

Anyhoo...I walked over to their express lanes to see if I could be luckier. I had only about a dozen items in my cart anyway. The lanes were labeled Basket Lane. So, okay I fell in line in one of them and the cashier, upon seeing that I had a cart said, "Ay Ma'am, basket lane po ito hindi po pwede ang cart."

Here's the rest of this very amusing conversation...

ME : Pero tignan mo yung laman ng cart ko, mga 12 pieces lang lahat yan so dapat pwede diba? Kasi express lane ang ibig sabihin ng basket lane?

CASHIER : Hindi po, ibig po sabihin dapat basket ang bitbit ninyo. (at this point, I wanted to pounce on her for giving me such a stupid answer but I was in a good mood so she was lucky, I decided to be "playful")

ME : Ah okay sige.
(I looked around and found myself a basket, moved all my purchases from the cart to the basket and went back to the same cashier).

ME : Miss, naka-basket na. Okay na?

CASHIER : Opo Ma'am okay na po!

ME : Kasi naman di ko naintindihan yung ibig sabihin ng basket lane hehehe.

Basket case pwede pa! Duh...


ENJOY THE LONG WEEKEND!!!

Ang Pinoy Nga Naman!

Hmmm...please translate. Good luck!
(Written on the back of a license after the driver was caught. Dapat yata yung pulis ang hinuli.)

Fee and Ep Froblem?

Could it be something else? Baka mapagkamalan daw na erflane...

CUT AND FACE pala ha...

AND MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE

OO NGA NAMAN!

Been There, Done That

The Mercury Retrograde is over but it seems it spilled over for some, including a very good friend who, I've learned, has had to go through some rough patches in her personal life these past weeks.

I've been waiting for her to reach out to me. She's not aware that I know what's been happening. I'm not the type to offer unsolicited advice. So when she finally asked me if we could go out, just the two of us, I was both happy and sad.

Happy because I would finally be able to hear it straight from the horse's mouth and give her the shoulder that she needs to cry on (if she's still crying) and sad because I'd have to suck in all that bad info about what happened to her. I'm not particularly excited to find out just how much she's suffered in the recent weeks.

But I guess I should just forget about my own judgements at the moment and focus on being there for her, as a friend and someone who's been in almost the same situation.

Things have gone haywire for her and it's no joke that she has to experience all of this at a time when families are eagerly awaiting and preparing for the holidays.

If it's any consolation, I haven't seen or talked to her in a while. So I'm looking forward to bonding with her, despite the circumstances that are bringing us together.

Snooping Around As Usual

Sabine just loves to turn the house upside down by looking through everyone's stuff
My closet
My shoe cabinet
Our work desks
Anissa's drawers
Even the pantry in the kitchen!

Today, I caught her doing this

She was going through one of my jewelry boxes!
And she went for those bangles first
Hmmm...I wonder if she knows that those vintage Gucci bangles originally belonged to her Mama Gran, passed on to my Mom and now they're with me.
I'm sure Anissa will throw a fit if she finds out her little sister wants to overtake her.

I should put a caption on this photo:

Get them if you can, Ate!

A Rare Moment

Here it is...
the thing that made me smile ear to ear

Dinner alone with Neal
Very rare indeed
Have not had the chance to go on a "date" for the longest time and I don't remember the last time he actually said, "Hon, can I take you out to dinner...just you and I?"

But it was my 40th birthday, so I guess I deserved this pleasant surprise

He asked me to choose the place
I've been wanting to go back to MINATO since the first time I ate there 2 weeks ago
And so...my wish was his command!

All the appetizers I love!!!

He really enjoyed the food too!

Here they come!

That's Tenderloin Strips on the left and Marinated Beef Short Ribs on the right

Bibimbap again!

Special treatment from start to finish

All I had to do was sit and wait to be served

What a perfect way to end my birthday!

(do we look sleepy in this picture? that's because we were from all that food!)

The BEST Birthday Messages

My day came and went
But these will help me remember what a super great 40th birthday I had
My favorite birthday messages were from...

MY DAD

MY SIL, MARJ AND FAMILY



THE KIDS AND NEAL...



AND THE GRAND PRIZE GOES TO...
(this was definitely the highlight of my day and of course he just had to inject the kind of humor he is so known for!)



THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REMEMBERED!!!

Life Begins at 40!

I just turned 40 exactly 30 minutes ago according to my laptop clock.

A friend told me once...

This is the age when you start feeling sleepy all the time (check!), when you'd rather stay home and be a bum even when all the malls are on sale (check!), when you start referring to music you're not familiar with as noise (check! --- Anissa will agree to this)...etc, etc, etc.

So why...despite all these "warnings" do I feel so giddy about turning 40???

I can't really put a finger on it. But I do know that part of the reason is HOW I got to where I am. Looking back, I had my share of some pretty bad deals (doesn't everyone?). Mistakes were committed, friends came and went, some terrible choices were made. I'm looking at this checklist though and I see that it's lopsided. Why? Because I've got a whole lot more listed on the GOOD column.

I don't feel the need to be specific about everything I've gone through to get to where I'm at today. Suffice it to say...even the WORST of times yielded long-term positive results. Even the meanest, "baddest" people I've come across left very valuable lessons without even knowing it. Most importantly...

DESPITE ALL THE BUMPS ON THE ROAD
THE PEOPLE WHO MATTER MOST TO ME
ARE STILL AROUND TO HELP ME CELEBRATE
THIS ALL-IMPORTANT MILESTONE

I guess that's really why I don't feel bad at all about turning 40. Why does "40" sound so bad to some people anyway? As the old cliche goes - "Age is just a number". And it really is. I honestly don't think a person is "over the hill" once he/she turns 40.

In fact, life SHOULD get better because at this point, because of everything I've gone through, I've learned to choose my battles and worry less about the small things.

I've never been happier in my life.

Will I be saying the same things when I become a golden girl in another 10 years? I sure hope so.
Meantime...

I'm going to sit back and enjoy all the great things that are out there waiting for me.

YES I'M 40 and I'M LOVING IT!!!

Oh Nooooooooo!!!

Is it true that NBC is cancelling
Lipstick Jungle???

By David Bauder, AP Television Writer Thu Nov 13, 3:02 PM PST

Add Christian Slater and Brooke Shields to the list of actors with TV failures on their records.

NBC is pulling the plug on "My Own Worst Enemy" and "Lipstick Jungle", two if its more high-profile young series, according to two network executives who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the decision.

Read more about it here

HOW CAN THEY DO THIS????
WAAAAHHHH!!!

Why Sabine Shouldn't Be Alone With A Laptop

Did I mention that she now knows how to navigate her way through her Dad's iPhone?

Pakialamera kasi!