Photo Hunt :: New

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Here are some of the delightful presents that Yohan received this Christmas. He received lots of terrific gifts from family and friends. He's beaming with joy.

Our New Year's Eve Traditions

Every New Year's Eve, our family attends mass together to thank God for all the blessings he has bestowed on us for the year. We visit my in-laws who live just a few minutes away but we make sure that we are home before midnight. My family gathers for Media Noche or midnight meal. It symbolizes hope for a prosperous New Year.

A few minutes before the clock strikes twelve, we make sure that all the doors, windows and lights are open to invite good luck inside our home. Jules usually lights up some firecrackers to welcome the New Year and also to drive away bad spirits and bad luck. Everyone at home join in the merry noise making. My son and I contribute to the merrymaking by blowing cardboard trumphets and using toy drums. We also watch the fireworks display at the village clubhouse. Jules starts the car and honk its horns to symbolize a good working car for the rest of the year. Sometimes, we even get a full tank of gasoline for the car.

I remember when I was young, my parents would dress me in polka dot clothes because it symbolize wealth and prosperity. My brother and I were also encouraged to jump at the stroke of midnight so that we would grow tall.

Traditions that I have kept with me as I grew older are displaying fruits especially round fruits to symbolize wealth and eating twelve grapes at midnight for good luck in the twelve months of the year. We also put coins inside our pockets and jingle the coins at midnight for prosperity. I continue these traditions with my own family.

Have an exciting and wonderful New Year! Let's welcome 2007 with positive attitude.

Friday's Feast #4

Feast One Hundred & Twenty Four

Appetizer
How do you usually celebrate on New Year's Eve?
I celebrate it at home with my family. We attend mass then we usually visit my in-laws who live a few minutes away from us. But we always make sure that we are home before midnight. We watch the fireworks display prepared annually by our village officers then we share a feast called Media Noche.

Soup
Name one thing unexpected that happened to you in 2006.
I lost 50 pounds. :-) At the start, my goal was to lose 20 pounds but I was happy to lose more than my target weight.

Salad
Where was your favorite place that you visited in 2006?

Going to Boracay with my friends. It's one of the most beautiful beaches in the Philippines. It's also a favorite tourist spot.



Main Course
What resolution is your top priority for 2007?
Find a job. I stopped working due to a difficult pregnancy and I never went back to work since then. This year, I plan to revive my career and be productive again. I'd like to put my college degree and MBA to good use.

Dessert
Using just three words, describe 2006.
challenging, humbling and enlightening

I wish everyone an auspicious New Year. God bless all of you.

Yohan's Crocs

Yohan's Lola Dol gave this fashionable pair of Crocs to Yohan. It's still a little big but knowing how fast Yohan grows, it will surely fit perfectly in a few months time.

Crocs is quite popular in the Philippines because of its legendary comfort. It's really soft, comfortable and molds to your feet. It is vented so air passes through, keeping feet cool. Best of all, it has non-marking slip-resistant soles

Yohan is already enjoying his Crocs. He loves wearing them in the house. He hasn't worn them outside yet since it's still a little big.

He also has a pair of Havaianas but I noticed that it tends to be uncomfortable for him after prolonged hours of wearing it. I love mine though.

I haven't heard him complain about his Crocs. I think I found the perfect sandals for Yohan.

Do you have a favorite pair of flip flops or sandals too?

Fun Name Generators

I saw this cool name generators at Marianne's blog.

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Grace Lady Rachel the Paragon of Peevish St Victor Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

I thought it's quite appropriate considering I have many Pet Peeves. :)

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Rachel!

1. Over 46,000 pieces of Rachel float on every square mile of ocean!
2. There are roughly 10,000 man-made objects the size of Rachel orbiting the Earth.
3. There are more than two hundred different kinds of Rachel!
4. The word 'samba' means 'to rub Rachel'.
5. The only Englishman to become Rachel was Nicholas Breakspear, who was Rachel from 1154 to 1159.
6. Peanuts and Rachel are beans.
7. The blood of mammals is red, the blood of insects is yellow, and the blood of Rachel is blue.
   
8. There are 336 dimples on Rachel.
9. While performing her duties as queen, Cleopatra sometimes dressed up as Rachel.
10. Michelangelo finished his great statue of Rachel in 1504, after eighteen months work.
    

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem

Fun at Enchanted Kingdom

We finally pushed through with our plan to go to Enchanted Kingdom last Saturday, Dec. 23. We have postponed going there twice because of the bad weather. It was a bit cloudy last Saturday but we decided to go anyway.

It was Yohan's first time at Enchanted Kingdom. He was fascinated with all the different rides, booths, shops and other colorful park attractions. We all availed of the Day Pass so we could enjoy all the rides. Yohan was not allowed on some rides but it was okay because there were enough kiddie rides for his age. Here are some pictures of our FUN-tastic time.



Yohan's first ride was on the beautiful Grand Carousel. Jules and I accompanied him around the amusement park and joined him on some of the rides to help him get the hang of it. When we saw that he was already comfortable and having fun, we left him with Yaya so Jules and I can try the more daring rides.

It has been a while since our last visit so I was a bit hesitant on going on the space shuttle again. I guess it may not be as scary as other roller coasters in other countries but it is the only triple loop coaster in our country. I'm terrified of heights but I didn't want Jules to ride by himself so I summoned enough courage and braved the rough ride ... I survived! But I guess I cheated (just like the first time) because I kept my eyes closed the whole time. I've always been afraid of heights. I get a funny feeling in my stomach when I reach uncomfortable heights.

We let Yohan join us on the big ferris wheel. I tried my best not to show Yohan that I was nervous. At first Yohan was hesitant to join us. He told me that it was too high but we told him that it will be a fun ride. Yohan loved it. He was amazed at the beautiful lights (we rode the ferris wheel at night)as he looked down.

It was a fun filled day. My lil' boy cried a little when it was time to go home. I told him we can always come back another time. May be on our next visit, he can join us on the other rides.

What's the scariest ride you've tried?

Wishing you all a Wonderful New Year!!!

Merry Christmas Friends!

Photo Hunt :: Lines

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Lines of young tomato plants in our farm.

Friday's Feast #3

Feast One Hundred & Twenty Three

Appetizer
What is one of your Christmas traditions?
Going to mass together with my family and going home to share Noche Buena (Christmas feast) then unravelling the Christmas presents.

Soup
Who is the easiest person on your list to buy presents for?
My son is the easiest person to buy gifts for because at his age, he appreciates anything that is given to him. He shows a lot of enthusiasm opening every present he receives and his eyes always glow with delight when he uncovers the surprise.

Salad
What is your favorite Christmas scent?
I would say, the smell of Christmas dinner while it is being prepared.

Main Course
If you could give a fellow blogger a Christmas gift, who would it be and what would you give them?
I would wish all my fellow bloggers a lovely Christmas celebration with the people that matter most to their hearts.

Dessert
What's something on your Christmas wish list this year that you need (not just want)?
Hmmm ... after reviewing my list, it seems the things I've written down all falls under the want part rather than need. :)

Candy Cane and more

Just a few more days before Christmas. I'm finally done with my Christmas shopping. Just need to wrap a few more gifts then I can relax and enjoy the rest of the season.

Jules' family are having Noche Buena (Christmas Eve celebration) at our house this year. I'm sure Yohan will enjoy being the center of attention on Christmas Eve.

We were supposed to go to Enchanted Kingdom tomorrow but it has been raining these past few days. Yohan has been patiently waiting for his first trip to Enchanted Kingdom but if it rains again tomorrow morning, then we have to postpone it for another day. I wish the weather would cooperate tomorrow.

On the photo: Yohan holding his candy cane with marshmallows inside. He loves marshmallows but he hasn't opened his candy cane yet. He said he'll open and eat the marshmallows on Christmas Eve. :)

The Red Crab

Jules and I invited my mother-in-law to have lunch with us at Red Crab last week. We love eating at Red Crab because it offers fresh crabs and seafood which are cooked and prepared in a variety of mouth watering ways. I love its relaxed and casual restaurant setting. My husband and I are very particular with service and we have always been happy with Red Crab's excellent service.

We love ordering Crabs by the Bucket (4 pieces of 350g. crabs served with soup of the day, choice of rice or pasta sidings and choice between
male crabs or female crabs). We always choose our crabs (preferably female) to be sauteed in Red Crab's irresistible Szechuan sauce.

A Cozy Evening with Old Friends

Christmas season is a great time to see old friends. It's a wonderful time for cozy get togethers, sharing laughter, catching up with each other's lives, enjoying the food, exchanging gifts and familiar hugs and kisses.

Last night's cozy get together was hosted by Mireille at her very lovely home. In case you're wondering, I'm happy that my friends enjoyed the carrot cake I brought to the party. :)

Have you had your Christmas get together with your friends this year?

Yohan's New Clothes

I'm always thankful for my parents' thoughtfulness. They sent Yohan some new clothes. Now I don't have to worry about buying him new clothes for Christmas and New Year celebration.

Ever since I was child, I remember donning new clothes every Christmas and New Year. My parents would always buy me and my brother new clothes and shoes to wear to church. We always attended mass as a family before sharing Noche Buena (Christmas Eve celebration) or Medya Noche (New Year celebration). We usually wear red during these events because red has always been believed to be an auspicious color.

Bite Size Carrot Cake

Spent the evening helping Jules bake carrot cake for my friends. I'm meeting some friends tomorrow and I asked Jules if he could make me some carrot cake to give as Christmas gifts.

Jules used the Oster Mixer for the first time. You can see a very curious Yohan on the pictures. :) As expected the Cream Cheese Frosting tasted better with the use of the mixer because the ingredients blended evenly well.

We were able to buy nice Christmas boxes for the cakes. Take a look at the cute baking cups. I love the Christmas accent on the baking cups which make them perfect as gifts.

Thank you Jules for baking me those delicious bite size carrot cake.

For the recipe, you may refer to my previous post on Pineapple Carrot Cake.

Monday Madness

Here are my answers to this week's questions...

1. I get about 0-1 telemarketer phone calls on a daily basis.

2. I never call anyone after 10:00 at night.

3. I never call anyone before 9:00 in the morning.

4. I (please choose one) DO or DON'T screen my phone calls via caller ID.
I don't screen my calls on our landline because we don't have caller ID feature but I screen my calls on my mobile phone.

5. I really should call my parents and brother more often.

Thanks Otto for this year's Monday Madness. See you when you get back on the first week of January. Have a beautiful Christmas.

Happy Holidays to all my fellow participants!

Magic Carpet Ride

Spongebob, a snowman and a magic carpet ride ... just another nice weekend spent with my lil' boy. This is the first ride he has tried all by himself. I usually accompany him in his favorite ride, the carousel but since this one does not allow adults, he hesitantly went in by himself. He became more confident when the ride started and soon he was having a grand time. He rode the magic carpet, three times in a row. :) Now, he's ready for the amusement park.

We're going to Enchanted Kingdom next week! Yohan is very excited ... and so am I 'coz it will be the first time that I'll be taking my son to a big amusement park. Last time we were there, Jules and I were not yet married. I'm sure it will be more exciting this time because we have a son we can share it with.

Congratulations Jules!

Congratulations to my husband, Jules and his partner, Doc Lulu for winning the Rac4Cock Badminton Championship (Intermediate level) last Saturday.

Sadly, Jules sprained his ankle when he went for a jump smash. Fortunately, he was able to continue the game despite his injury and won the championship with his partner.

He was advised by the doctor to rest his foot from any strenuous activity for at least a month so I guess he won't be playing badminton for a while. Well, that only means that he has more time for me and Yohan so I'm not really complaining. *wink* :)

Get Ready With The Christmas Wrappers

I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping. Only a few more to go and I'm finally done.

Next step: Wrapping.

I had my first batch of gifts wrapped at the respective stores where I bought them but I had to take home the 2nd batch and do the wrapping myself. Due to the Christmas rush, gift wrapping sections are swamped. That's okay. I enjoy wrapping gifts anyway.

I'll start wrapping these gifts tomorrow so I'll be quite busy. Hmm, I hope I have enough wrapping paper and gift boxes. It would be annoying to run out in the middle of the wrapping activity.

How about you? Are you done with your Christmas shopping?

Photo Hunt :: Annoying

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My husband found this poor King Fisher hanging on a barb wire near our house several months ago. I posted about it when it happened. I decided to use this photo again for this week's Photo Hunt.

The rope tied to the bird's foot got entangled in the barb wire. My husband saved this poor bird. He removed the rope and put it inside a cage which he made just for the King Fisher. My husband put it inside the cage for a short time so it could regain its strength. After several minutes, he let it go. It didn't fly right away but seemed to linger as if it wanted to say thank you. Then it flew away and we never saw it again. We hope it didn't have any permanent damage and it survived its traumatic experience.

It's very annoying how some people have little regard of animal life. I believe that we have no right to hurt and abuse animals. I hope people will learn to respect all living things.

For more pictures about this, you can refer to my previous post :: Feathers in Distress.

Friday's Feast #2

Feast One Hundred & Twenty Two

Appetizer
What was your very first job with a paycheck?
I first worked as a researcher for a big land developer.

Soup
Did you ever lose something really important to you?
When I went on a vacation with my friends, I lost my wedding ring. It started to feel a little loose ever since I lost weight. I was always afraid of losing it. When I saw my bare ring finger, I felt terrible. I couldn't function well because I knew my husband would be disappointed. I called to tell him the bad news. I told him that my friends and I looked everywhere. We even checked the trash but it was nowhere in sight. My husband said that we did everything we could and it was alright. He consoled me on the phone and told me not to let it ruin my vacation. The night before our flight home, I was fixing my bag and when I least expected it, I found my ring! It probably slipped my finger when I was getting my clothes out of my travelling bag. I was very happy to get it back. I now wear it as a pendant to make sure it doesn't accidentally slip from my finger again. I will have it adjusted at the jewelry shop next year.

Salad
What is the best Christmas present you ever received?
I will never forget the Christmas when I got my first barbie doll. I was the happiest girl in the world. It was given to me by Santa Claus. :)

Main Course
Tell about a favorite "hang out" place for you and your friends when you were in high school.
I remember how my friends and I loved hanging out at my house because I lived near school. My mom or my yaya (nanny) always prepared something nice for us to eat. We spent our time talking, listening to our favorite music, playing board games and watching movies on Betamax.

Dessert
Name something that always brings a smile to your face.
Waking up to my son's kisses and hugging him until we fall asleep.

Christmas Present for Jules

I got Jules' Christmas present last Wednesday. I'm sure he will be thrilled with it because he always wanted to have one to help him with his baking. I decided not to wrap it anymore and give it to him in advance since I know he plans to bake some cakes for close family and friends. Now he won't have to tediously mix his cake batter anymore. He can just relax until the batter is mixed to perfection. :)

Yohan Featured in Disney&Me Magazine

I got an e-mail a few days ago from my friend, Lynda. She said that she saw Yohan's picture and my letter to the editor in his son's magazine - Disney and Me. What a delightful surprise. I remember submitting a photo of Yohan with Lightning McQueen and a letter to the magazine a few months ago.

Yohan is a fan of the Disney movie, Cars. We watched it at the cinema and I got him a DVD too so he can watch it at home whenever he wants.

I was able to buy a copy of Disney and Me magazine today. Jules and I were so happy to see Yohan's picture on the glossy page.
I gave Yohan the copy of the magazine and he was surprised to see his face on one of its pages. He was very proud as he pointed to me, "Look mommy, that's me."

Below is a scanned page of Disney and Me featuring Yohan with Lightning McQueen. You may click the photo for a bigger view. It was an added treat that my letter to the editor was also published.

My South Park family

Here's how my family will look like if we were South Park characters. I had fun doing each character.

Want to create your own? Visit South Park Studio and have a wonderful time!

My Dad's Art

I admire my father for his creativity and ingenuity. Here is a picture of my Dad and one of his works. He likes using pieces of colored glass as his medium. He has given his works of art to some of our close family and friends. My Dad also gave me several pieces that I display at home. I treasure all of them.

Boys Will Be Boys

My boys love spending time at the arcade playing all kinds of games. Jules loves car racing. He also enjoys teaming up with Yohan to fight off some villains. Boys will be boys. :)

Monday Madness

Message from Otto: This week's questions come from our good friend, and faithful participant, gabrielle. Thanks so much for your questions, Gabrielle!! And everyone, thank you for playing and have a wonderful week! (I may be taking Christmas Day off, which is in 2 weeks, so if you don't see questions posted that day, don't panic. I will certainly be back the following week.) =)

1. What song gives you the most holiday cheer?
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire ... (not sure of the exact title but I love hearing that song). I always stop and enjoy it whenever I hear it being played on air. My son is learning to sing some lines of the song.

update: Dawn has nicely informed me that the title of the song is just simply "The Christmas Song". Thanks!

2. Who is the hardest person to shop for on your holiday list?
No one in particular.

3. When do you start your holiday shopping?
Last year, we started as early as October and we were done before the end of November. But this year, we're totally late with our Christmas shopping. I told my husband that we should finish our list before the week ends.

4. What food or drink do you love when it's cold out? (Recipes and recommendations, please!)
I love churros and hot chocolate. It's perfect during cold days. We've never made churros at home before. But I found this recipe that might interest you.

Churros Recipe

5 cups water
8 ounces butter
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon nutmeg
5 cups all purpose flour
8 eggs
1 pint corn oil
Cinnamon Sugar, recipe follows
Chocolate Caliente, recipe follows

Heat water, butter, salt, sugar, oil, vanilla extract and nutmeg to a rolling boil. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball (about one minute). Remove from heat. Beat eggs in all at once. Continue beating until smooth. Let the dough cool. Place dough in a piping bag with a star tip. In a large frying pan, heat corn oil. Pipe the churros in long rods directly into the hot corn oil. Fry until golden brown on all sides. Dust with Cinnamon Sugar and serve with Chocolate Caliente.

Cinnamon sugar:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup ground cinnamon

In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon together and store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Caliente:
1 quart milk
1/2 pound Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sugar

Bring milk to a boil. Add in chocolate and sugar. Stir over heat until chocolate is melted and sugar has dissolved.
Yield: 4 servings
[recipe source]

5. What do you do to get rid of a cold or flu?
I drink lots of fresh fruit juices especially calamansi.

Want to join Monday Madness? Click here.

Enchanting Giant Christmas Tree

Just a few more weeks before Christmas and I'm not yet done with my Christmas shopping. I told Jules that we have to buy all the presents within the week in order to avoid getting tangled in the web of Christmas rushers in the next weeks to come. We have to do it on a weekday because weekends are now equated with jam-packed shopping malls and terrible traffic.

Every mall is finely decorated with beautiful Christmas decors, bright lights and enchanting, giant Christmas trees. This was taken at Alabang Town Center last weekend. Christmas is all around us!

My Friendship Virtual Pinboard Update

A few weeks ago I posted about my Virtual Friendship Pinboard. I invited friends to pin a picture of themselves or something that has a significant meaning to them. Here's how the pinboard looks now ...


I just want to thank everyone who have participated in my Virtual Friendship Pinboard. Thanks for thoughtfully sharing a picture of yourself or something that you value very much.

Special thanks to the following friends:
Gabrielle, Daphne, Dawn, Shari, Nancze, Tani, Aneesa, WifeyMom and Lee for sharing their lovely photos.

Would you also like to pin your picture on my pinboard? Please click here to add yours. Kindly pin a small one because some pictures may be covered by others (a limitation of the site). Thanks!

Pineapple Carrot Cake

Jules made a Pineapple Carrot Cake last week. It was very good. We shared it with my in-laws and cousins. Jules got favorable remarks for his cake.

Jules is a novice baker. He is showing a lot of interest in baking lately. I'm thrilled because I get to taste his delicious baked goodies first.

I now know what to get him for Christmas ... a nice mixer. I can't afford the Kitchen Aid mixer that he wants but I found a good one. It's much cheaper and I'm sure it will serve its purpose. It's an Oster mixer with a chrome mixing bowl. I saw it at S&R when we went shopping the other day. I haven't bought it yet. I'll get it the next time I go shopping.

I think it's a perfect gift because Jules has been doing a lot of baking lately. I always see him use his old manual mixer. Actually, I don't even think it can be categorized as a real mixer but he uses it to stir different types of batter. I know he will be happy to finally get an electric mixer to save him time and make his batter more consistent. It will also lessen the stress on his hands because he doesn't have to manually mix anymore.

Here is the recipe of the cake that Jules made. Enjoy!

Pineapple Carrot Cake

Cake
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanila
2 cups finely grated carrots
1 cup undrained crushed pineapple

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 225-gram pack cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped cashew nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 13x9x2-inch rectangular pan. Set aside.

Sift together the first 4 ingredients. In a bowl, combine the oil and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients then the carrots and pineapple. Mix until well-blended. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until done.

Prepapre Cream Cheese Frosting. In a bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue beating until of spreading consistency. Frost top and sides of cake with frosting. Sprinkle with nuts. Chill before serving.

[Recipe source -The Maya Kitchen: The Complete Guide to Baking]

Random Act of Kindness

A little amount of positive energy has it's way of rubbing on you.

When I was buying some groceries at a nearby mini-mart, the cashier on my lane was very bubbly and nice. She talked to me as if we were old friends who see each other everyday. She remarked that the custard cake I was buying looked really delicious and she said she will buy some for herself before she goes home. She saw that I was buying some baking ingredients and said that I was probably going to make a blueberry cheesecake. She smiled and said that I must have a pleasant home.

What a nice thing to say to a stranger. I left the mini-mart with a smile. Showing a little kindness to others can really make a big difference. I hope more people can be as friendly and as kind as her.

Photo Hunt :: Red

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Hi! This is my first time to join Saturday's Photo Scavenger Hunt.

This is me when I was a little girl wearing a red ensemble. I was holding my grandma's puppies.

192 Countries

I'm now part of 192 Countries. It's a writing endeavor of people from 192 countries. There is one writer for every country and each one cooperates to write on one blog.

My blog friend, Gabrielle was actually the one who suggested I join the group.

It's a wonderful site where you can learn many new things about different countries across the globe. Please do drop by 192 countries when you have the time.

Santa's In Town

I guess it's a dead giveaway that we love drinking Coke. Well, thank goodness for Coke Light, at least it lessens the guilt of drinking soda. :-)

We exchanged our dinner receipt and got this opportunity to meet Santa at ATC.

I hope he'll pass by our house on Christmas Eve to fulfill our Christmas wishes. I hope he won't be alarmed with my long wish list. ha! ha!

Friday's Feast #1

I always see this meme on my blog friends' sites so I decided to give it a try. Here's my first Friday's Feast.

Feast One Hundred & Twenty One

Appetizer
Which language would you like to learn and why?
I'd like to learn Spanish. It has a lot of similarities with our local language so it would be very interesting to take it up.

Soup
What's the funniest thing you've heard or read so far this week?
I've read some funny anecdotes about the darnest things kids say.

Salad
Which movie was so bad you couldn't watch the whole thing?
Alfie starring Jude Law. I like Jude Law but didn't quite appreciate this movie.

Main Course
If there were a holiday in your honor that didn't use your actual name, what would the day be called?
Sunflower Day - I love the sight of a field of sunflowers. It would be nice to be associated with my favorite flowers.

Dessert
Name one movie which is coming out soon that you would like to see.
Holiday starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black and more. I love feel good, romantic comedies.

Happy Feet and more

What makes a nice weekend?
Being with family, good food and a nice movie.

We had all that last Sunday and much more.

Jules, Yohan and I had lunch at Papu's place last Saturday. We saw Darlene's baby for the first time. She's the newest member of the family. Her name is Sofia and she's as beautiful as her sister, Tisha. Yohan liked seeing his new cousin peacefully sleeping in her stroller.

Papu served huge prawns cooked in chili sauce for lunch. Absolutely delicious!

After that, we watched Happy Feet at ATC. It was a great movie and we enjoyed it. Happy Feet is set in the cold land of Antarctica where the Emperor Penguins reside. They express their true love through a special song. Sadly, one Emperor Penguin, Mumble cannot sing, but shows remarkable talent in tap dancing. Mumble becomes a misfit because of his lack of singing ability but he later on makes use of his extraordinary tap dancing prowess to save his fellow penguins. It's a funny movie for the whole family which I recommend.

To Yohan's delight, we were able to watch Dora and the Explorer Musical Live Show after the movie. Yohan was so happy to see Dora and Boots up close. We let Yohan ride the carousel as an added treat. He simply loves the carousel.

Right after the show, we were lucky to catch the fireworks display at ATC. Yohan was amazed at the spectacular display of lights.

We had dinner at Kenny Rogers and enjoyed our usual chicken and sidings ensemble. I also tried their hungarian sausage.

On our way home, Yohan slept peacefully in his carseat. He didn't complain much when I got him out of the car and carried him to our room. It was a sign of a tired but happy lil' boy.

Hooked on Grey's Anatomy

I had no internet access for almost a week. It was almost unbearable! I reported the problem to Digitel last Wednesday but due to the storm, it took a while before the problem was fixed. The port problem (something like that) was solved earlier this afternoon. What a relief! I feel like rejoicing. ha! ha!

While sinking in the throes of boredom, I decided to borrow some DVDs from Jules' sister. I heard so much about Grey's Anatomy that I thought it was a perfect time to watch it. Chona lent me her copy of Season 1 & 2.

I knew I was hooked the moment I watched the first episode. I enjoyed watching every single episode and so did Jules. We've been sleeping very late watching Grey's Anatomy. We love the drama, comedy and love stories injected in every episode. It's remarkably interesting!



A little overview about Grey's Anatomy:
Meredith Grey is a first year surgical intern at program west of Harvard. She and fellow first year interns Izzie Stevens, George O' Malley and Christina Yang are embarking in a world where on the job training can be a matter of life and death while they try to balance the ups and downs of their own personal lives. For a full summary, click here.

We finished watching Grey's Anantomy Season 2 ender and I felt really sad. I want to watch more but I guess I have to wait for Season 3 to be aired here.

On a brighter perspective, my internet access is back to normal! Yipee! Time to rejoice! At least I can now surf about what's new with my favorite characters.

By the way, I'm in love ... with McSteamy (*wink*).

Are you hooked too? If you are, then who rocks your world: Derek, Mark, George, Alex or Preston?

Aside from McSteamy, I also happen to like Dr. Preston Burke too.

Monday Madness

Hi everyone! I'm back! Thanks for all the notes of concern. We're very lucky that the storm did not cause damage in our area as expected. The recent storm changed its path so it did not directly hit us. Sad to say, many lives were claimed by the storm in other provinces. I pray for all those who have perished and the people they have left behind.

I'm late for this week's Monday Madness because I did not have internet access for almost a week. There was a problem with the port and due to the storm, it took several days before Digitel could fix it. The problem was solved just a few minutes ago and I'm now eagerly making up for lost time. I certainly missed blogging very much. I'll reply to all your comments after this. Thank you everyone for all the lovely comments. I really appreciate each one. Anyway, here are my answers for this week's Monday Madness. It's fill in the blanks this week. My answers are in blue.

1. I wish people would just take time to be kind and a little more considerate to each and everyone.

2. My biggest pet peeve where other drivers are concerned, is when drivers neglect traffic regulations, thus endangering other drivers on the road .

3. I will probably spend about a few thousand Pesos on holidays this season.

4. I really hope to meet with friends I haven't seen for a while by the end of this calendar year.

5. I make about a dozen resolutions each year, and keep just one or none of them.

Casino Royale

At first I had some reservations about seeing Casino Royale. I wasn't too keen on the new Bond guy (Daniel Craig) because I've grown fond of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. Daniel Craig doesn't appear handsome and charming as the past James Bond guys. Instead he has a rugged, tough and somewhat fierce look. I've always thought of James Bond as a cool, handsome dark haired man. Aside from his stern looks, Craig happens to be blond so he doesn't quite fit the part of the typical James Bond.

My husband insisted we watch Casino Royale at the cinema. I'm glad he asked me to because surprisingly, I enjoyed the movie. I learned that the movie explores the early career of 007.

Setting aside my bias for Pierce Brosnan, I think that Daniel Craig has successfully reinvented the James Bond character. Craig has a distinct atmosphere of danger and unpredictability compared to the other men who portrayed the role of Bond.

To date, six actors have portrayed James Bond in the official series. They are:

Sean Connery (1962 to 67; 1971)
George Lazenby (1969),
Roger Moore (1973 to 85),
Timothy Dalton (1987 to 89),
Pierce Brosnan (1995 to 2002),
Daniel Craig (2006 present).

Casino Royale didn't focus much on the hi-tech gadgets but the stunt scenes were spectacular. I heard that Craig has done most of the stunts on his own which scores him several points on my personal score board.

I'll miss seeing Pierce Brosnan's handsome face as James Bond but I'm willing to give Daniel Craig a chance considering the success of his first 007 portrayal.

Cute Critters

I bought these cute animal cellphone accessories in a small shop. When you press each animal, it says I Love You. There are pink and blue hippos, cute dogs, pink elephants and adorable ducks. I bought a couple of them to give to my friends and former colleagues this coming Friday. We're having an early Christmas get-together this Friday at my friend's house. I haven't seen some of them for quite a while so I'm very excited about the whole thing.

Christmas Parol

Filipinos refer to a Christmas lantern as Parol. The traditional parol is a 5-pointed star lantern that is made with bamboo sticks and colored rice paper (Japanese paper). Today, the modern parol comes in various shapes, sizes and designs. I love the Pampanga parols and Capiz parols because of their elaborate designs and spectacular light displays.

Jules bought several small parols and he placed mini light bulbs inside each one. He placed the parols as ornaments on the palm tree outside our house and put several more at the lanai. I love looking at those lighted Christmas parols. It makes me appreciate the coming Christmas holiday more. I love the festive mood created by the lanterns. Christmas is coming very soon and we're all very excited about it.

A-Z Meme

Here's a nice alphabet meme. Thanks Gabrielle for the tag.

A - Available/single? Happily attached.
B - Best Friend? Chary and Lyonnel
C- Cake or pie? Blueberry Cheesecake and Carrot Cake
D - Drink of choice? Frozen Margarita and Coke Light
E - Essential item you use everyday? Cellphone
F - Favorite color? Lavender
G - Gummy Bears or worms? Gummy Bears - preferably the red ones :)
H - Hometown? Manila
I - Indulgence? Bags
J - January or February? January - I love celebrating New Year.
K - Kids & their names? Yohan
L - Life is incomplete without? My family.
M - Marriage date? July 7
N- Number of siblings? 1
O - Oranges or apples? Oranges
P - Phobias/fears? Heights
Q - Favorite quote? Happiness is a matter of attitude.
R - Reason to smile? Being around people I love.
S - Season? Summer
T - Tag 3 people? Nancy, San, and Jo.
U - Unknown fact about me? I'm a stay-at-home wife who doesn't know how to cook and iron clothes. :)
V - Vegetable you don’t like? Labanos. I don't know what you call it in english.
W - Worst habit? Being paranoid. Worrying about small matters.
X - X-rays you’ve had? Legs. I was hit by a jeep when I was younger.
Y - Your Favorite Food? Kare-Kare (a Filipino specialty)
Z - Zodiac sign? Aries

Another Craft Day

Today, Yohan and I made another project. We had fun making a board game. We cut the board game pieces from a Paper Models book and had a great time putting them together. Here are some pictures of Yohan enjoying the Board Game project.



Next year, I will enroll Yohan in the art class at The Little Gym. I noticed that he loves the art segment during Camps at The Little Gym so instead of the usual gym time, I will enroll him in the art class for a change.

Here's a recent photo of Yohan, Teacher Meanne and Teacher Michael at the show day at The Little Gym a few weeks ago. Yohan has been going there since he was a year old. He has grown fond of his teachers and classmates. It's his Christmas break. I'm sure he will miss his friends. Yohan will be back early next year when classes resume.