Our Common Christmas Gift.

Gifts for nephews, nieces and godchildren - check
Gifts for close friends - check
Gifts for my siblings - check
Gifts for my in-laws - check
Gifts for Asher - check
Gift for the husband - hmmm...pending.

Before you think that I'm disregarding my husband, we have agreed that we will buy a DSLR for ourselves this Christmas. This is one of our common gadget whims for the longest time and so instead of giving each other separate gifts, we'll pool our savings and splurge on this. We're eyeing a Nikon D60 and the husband says we might include this in our itinerary tomorrow after his annual physical check up. I can't wait to get hold of our own Nikky soon. By the way, I don't know if it's a sort of premonition or something, look what I found from Chikai's blog...a buzz about Nikond90.org's free Nikon Strap. I think it's one of those promotional items for their Nikon D90 but this strap is okay for all Nikon models. Since there's no catch or anything and they ship worldwide, I signed up so that when Nikky is here, she has a ready strap.

My Sunday.

How's your Sunday noon everyone? Mine's just perfect. Me and my boys have just recharged through a relaxing afternoon nap. We just also had a hot and freshly cooked bibingka for merienda to our tummy's delight. Even though I have a few pending online works to do, I'm taking it easy and enjoying this long weekend. Tomorrow's a non-working holiday so it'll be another day of relaxing and chilling. We'll accompany the husband to the clinic for their company's annual physical examination then we'll go malling afterwards. I'm instructing hubby to take this chance to have his eye checked by the doctor. He's been complaining recently of frequent headaches, perhaps due to eye strain or something since he's been working in front of the computer longer these weeks. He might need to wear his eyeglasses again just like he used to before during his high school days. But I hope it's nothing serious. For all we know, he just needs to relax and prevent himself from getting too stressed from work.

How Pisces Are You?

You are 93% Pisces

You are 93% Pisces

How Pisces Are You?

All About Me.

You've probably learned a lot about me through this blog with all my random (and sometimes senseless) ramblings I share but do know more about me through this Dneero convo.

December is Almost Here!

Today's the last day of November and as always, I'm mesmerized how time surely flies so fast. The year end is fastly approaching and I feel like there is still much of my plans that I haven't accomplished yet. And with December being a busy month, all the more that I'm near panicking. The holiday shopping is almost done though since we started it early this month. Then I also need to prepare for the weddings I'll be attending on December and on January..which reminds me I am yet to buy a formal footwear to go along with my gown for my sister's wedding. I am inclined to buy similar to this Manolo Blahnik Marith style in my fave shoe shop. Looks good, eh?


Then of course I also need to prepare for the two out of town getaways the whole family will be having before and after Christmas. Arrggh, December will surely be one busy but fun and exciting month..can't wait.

BF Shopping.

For those of you who are in the US, how was your Thanksgiving celebration? Just sad that we don't celebrate here but I'm pretty sure it'd be exciting to hold one. For shopaholics like me, the After Thanksgiving Sale is even more exciting with all the lowest price drops ever in each and every store. Even though I'm a sleepyhead, I don't mind waking up in the wee hours of the morning just to take advantage of the best buys and coolest deals ever. In fact, I might not be able to sleep the night before because of too much excitement to shop. Why not get crazy when prices of everything drops as low as 80% off. No wonder why people even get rowdy and fight over limited stocks of stuffs just like what I watched in youtube. Two men almost engaged in a brawl because one tried to snagged the reserved the home theater furniture of the other. It's a good thing though that they were set apart right away or else, Black Friday could have literally turned into a gloomy friday.

oDesk-ing.

Just when I needed tons of bucks to fund my christmas shopping and holiday expenditures, online works become scarce suddenly. When I say scarce, they're totally went down the drain that I don't have any to work on for the past few days. And this made to find some other ways to earn and work from home so I can contribute to our savings. I've heard a lot of times about oDesk before and how lucrative it is provided you're armed with the right skills and know how..and so the scarce opps made me sign up with them just this noon for a data entry and blog writing positions. It's entirely a different home-based online job, a tad similar to my current job but I'm still finding my way through the initial "just signed up" process so I don't have much to say about my experience yet. It's kinda overwhelming actually, but let's see where this will lead me.

Spitz Tunes Now

Quotable Quotes from Barack and Michelle.

The new US president elect isn't only admirable on his wisdom about governing the country but his love for his family and wife is equally laudable.

Barack Obama: "And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years ... the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady ... Michelle Obama."
Source: "President-elect Barack Obama's remarks in Chicago." SFGate.com. 11/04/08.

Barack: "If I ever thought this was ruining my family, I wouldn't do it."
Source: Sandra Sobieraj Westfall, "The Obamas Get Personal", People, August 4, 2008, page 57.

Michelle: "Time and love and sacrifice and struggles make you stronger."
Source: Sandra Sobieraj Westfall, "The Obamas Get Personal", People, August 4, 2008, page 57.

NYT quoting Michelle about their marriage, April 2007: "... she wants to keep her marriage 'sort of stress-free, free of the discussion, free of the analysis, free of the assessment.'"
Source: NYT.com

Michelle on why the family did not move to Washington, D.C.: "We made a good decision to stay in Chicago, to remain based in Chicago, so that has kept our family stable. There has been very little transition for me and the girls. Now he's commuting a lot, but he's the grown-up. He's the senator. He can handle it. That's really helped in keeping us grounded."
Source: Chicago Tribune, 12/24/2005.

Michelle on being a political wife: "It's hard and that's why Barack is such a grateful man."
Source: The New Yorker

Barack about being present to his family: "It is important that when I'm home to make sure that I'm present and I still forget stuff. As Michelle likes to say, 'You are a good man, but you are still a man.' I leave my socks around. I'll hang my pants on the door. I leave newspapers laying around. But she lets me know when I'm not acting right. After 14 years, she's trained me reasonably well."
Source: Lynn Norment, Ebony, "The Hottest Couple in America", February 2007, pages 52-54.

Swiped from here.

What Your Home Says About You

What Your Home Says About You

You don't come across as very intellectual or serious. You seem like a bit of a goofball. Your hygiene is passable, but you may be hiding some dirty secrets. You are a very domestic person. You enjoy decorating, cooking, and making things homey. You are not a very nurturing person. You have enough trouble taking care of yourself. You feel settled in your life. You have enough time to focus on little details. You are a very self sufficient person. You can get along well without much help. Your friends see you as accommodating, peaceful, and forgiving.

What Does Your Home Say About You?

On Wedding Make-Up Artists.

When I prepared for my wedding three years ago, one of the on-the-day suppliers that are somewhat difficult to book was a make-up artist-slash-hairdresser. Unlike a cake supplier or an event stylist who could prepare or provide their service beforehand and requires just a few hours to render their services, most make-up artists can't accommodate several bookings in one day. One, they can't rush their services so the bride's overall do will look dashing and charming and two, prepping the bride and the whole entourage takes some time to finish all of them. And sometimes, the make-up artist stays even after the wedding ceremony and is just on standby should the bride needs a retouch. So it's no wonder how steep a make up artist's service rates could be as the beauty of the bride on her wedding day all depends and lies on his/her hands. I know of one's rate who's the best in the industry almost costs a gold. I think he invested a fortune for his studies in a beauty school abroad. No wonder he's so talented and his hands in transforming faces are pure magic. Searching for Beauty Schools in the US is so easy with FindABeautySchool. They have a complete beauty school directory and searching in a particular state takes only a while since links to their websites are also provided.

Teary-eyed on a Wedding.

Speaking of weddings, I attended a friend's wedding yesterday and guess what? I'm such a sucker and get so emotional and affected every time I witness a bridal march. Hmm, I'm very sure that I'm not PMS-ing so the hormones aren't to be blamed but I got so teary eyed when my kumare, Ena, walked down the aisle as the bridal hymn "Ikaw" romantically plays on the background. Perhaps, I could just relate how overwhelming a bride can feel because I was a former bride myself. Seeing the man you love the most waiting by the altar, all the eyes of the crowd are on you marveling how dashing you are in your bridal gown, and your family teary-eyed because of the thought that they're seemingly "giving" you away and how proud they are of you...all those thoughts rummaging into your mind can really make you overwhelmed and the feeling's just so nice and heartwarming. I always tell hubby that by hook or by crook, I'll definitely go through that feeling and I'll walk down the aisle again as we renew our vows on our 25th and 50th wedding anniversary come 2030 and 2055.

Just 2 Months Away.

...and it'll be my eldest sister church wedding already.

As she is currently working and domiciled in Qatar, preparing overseas for her wedding is quite a taxing task. It's a good thing that she and her husband (they were already civilly wed two years ago), contracted the services of a full time coordinator that can arrange and organize the logistics of their preparations for them. Being the first to marry among us siblings, I would have helped her more comprehensively in her wedding preparations but with the birth of my son this year, it was just impossible to do the whole leg work for her. But nevertheless, of course, I tried to extend my help, thoughts and suggestions whenever she asks. I'm also going to be her Matron of Honor and so come wedding day, I'll be her "on the day achay". This reminds me that we haven't fitted my entourage gown yet. Their coordinator has texted that it's available for fitting anytime. Hopefully, within the week I could finally fit it.

My sister will be arriving on the last week of December to oversee the last leg of her preparations. I'm so excited that another wedding will be celebrated in the family. I love weddings and it's evident when I prepared too for my own wedding three years ago. This blog has been a witness how OC and hands on I was with the preparations. This will definitely make me walk down the memory lane of my own wedding. Can't wait!

What Your Ideal Wedding Dress Says About You.

What Your Ideal Wedding Dress Says About You

Your Personal Style: Young and flashy. You dress like a celebrity, and you love to accessorize. Your Ideal Wedding: A huge party with all your friends, with lots of toasting and dancing Your Philosophy on Marriage: The person you marry should be your best friend. Your Perfect Marriage: Is when you still surprise each other with romantic gestures

The Wedding Dress Test

Online Store of Health Care Supplies.

I have blogged in my other online nook about Asher contracting bronchial asthma recently which his 5 month old cousin, Kylie, was diagnosed with earlier. And this made us (including my in laws) realized how important it is to have a nebulizer in a home that has a kid or a baby. Well, as their immune system is still immature and can easily catch colds and cough causing virus, the use of nebulizer at the early stage of illness (usually colds), can cause enormous relief for them.

When the Pedia instructed that Asher needed to be nebulize as part of the treatment, we had a hard time scouring for a cheap yet quality nebulizer in the drugstores and health shops. Usually, the ones available are way so costly that can literally dig a hole in your pocket. Luckily, we were able to spot one at Watsons at a cheaper price of just Php 2500. It's just later that I realized I should have tried checking out AllegroMedical.com. It is a medical equipment and home health care supplies shop that offers online over 55,000 fairly priced products. What's more interesting is that they have a free Allegro eCatalog that offers limited time specials and discounts to new members. They offer various products such as (but not limited to) Exercise/Fitness equipment, hospital discharge favorites, maternity care supplies, electrotherapy products including electrodes, urologicals/catheters, wound care supplies and so much more. And to top it all, since it's online, you can browse and buy your needs at the comfort of your home.

Saturday 9.

Saturday 9: Dreaming of You

1. What did you dream about last night?
It was an unpleasant one. I dreamed of a blogger friend's baby daughter getting sick. :(

2. Do you often have nightmares?
Not that often. But I notice, I do have them everytime I forget to pray before I doze off.

3. Do you have any special talents?
Eating tons of foods without gaining extra weight. :wink:

4. Who is the most talent person that you know?
A friend of mine who dances, acts and sings well.

5. What did you watch on TV last?
A local TV drama series.

6. Is there a new TV show that you would recommend?
hmm..perhaps, Pinoy Fear Factor.

7. Who was the last person you phoned and why?
I think it was my sister asking when will we have our gown fitting for my sister's wedding.

8. Who was the last person who phoned you and why?
The husband. Informing me he's on his way home.

9. What was the last snail mail letter that you received?
My Globe Handyphone bill. Arghh..bills. bills. bills.

An Invitation and Freebie from Themes and Motifs.

From themesandmotifs.com:

Pre-registered soon-to-weds who will come early to Elegant Weddings 2008 will get the chance to own the limited edition 2009 Themes & Motifs Executive Planner / Datebook. Perfect for planning your dream wedding with 3 - day/page sheets, special provision for important dates, personal information, important suppliers addresses, notes, and advertising pages of some of the country's well- loved wedding suppliers. Let this cool executive planner with a hard plastic cover help you get organized and remember important dates and events. Great as a keepsake! Preserve your wedding planning memories for posterity.

What Christmas Carol Are You?

Your Christmas Song Is

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells Jingle all the way Oh, what fun it is to ride In a one horse open sleigh When it comes to Christmas, you really get into the holidays You have a ton of traditions that spread holiday cheer!

What Christmas Carol Are You?

Delectable Restos.

We attended a friend's wedding this morning and it was one of the nicest ones we've ever witnessed. It was simple yet very solemn and the love they have for each other could be warmly felt especially when they had their first dance in the reception. Their sweetness and the romantic mood made me teary-eyed as they danced so close, singing their theme song while their eyes are fixed on each other.

Speaking of reception, theirs was held in a nearby restaurant. Their food was great especially the carbonara and fish fillet..my taste buds were so pleased. This reminded me of the delectable and cozy Denver Restaurants that I was reading about earlier at DenverMagazine.com. This site is so informative about everything that the Mile High City offers..from its scenic spots, the people, the culture, their fashion, business and sports. It is also in this site that I read about The Oceanaire which has an ambiance of 1930s ocean liner and obviously their best sellers are their dinner delights: halibut, oysters, bluefin tuna and salmon. Okay enough with that, this makes salivate for seafoods.

New Fab Eyeglasses.

Do you need a new pair of eyeglasses but your budget at the moment isn't enough for one? Worry no more as there are $ 8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses that can be ordered online through Zenni Optical. The popular online eyeglasses shop is the only one who can offer at such a low price. And if you want to be hip this Christmas season, check out and wear those Holiday Glass Frames From Zenni Optical.

12 Days of Silver Getaway,

Here comes another contest to try your luck on. This is a sister company of Hand Bag Planet and if you remember what they did onset their launch last month where they gave hand bags for free, Silver Treats will do the same but this time it'll be a jewelry giveaway.

Beginning December 1st, we will give away one jewelry set per day for 12 days. Each set is valued at an average of $275! After signing-up in one easy step, you can select the jewelry set you would like to win. There's absolutely no catch - this means no shipping/handling fees or credit card required. Yes, it's really that simple!

Zoo - You're animals!

Frugal Shopping.

I guess everyone is with me when I say that life, economically, is getting harder each day. It's not surprising whenever news says that the currency trading (peso versus dollar) is not getting any better each day and prices of commodity are high-rocketing . There may be slight change with the peso's daily standing but it's not so stable. In fact, no one is ascertained how's economic life ahead since the world economy is so inconsistent. With this situation, we don't have a choice but just be prepared for the future. And for me, preparing for the future simply means "SAVE".

There may be plenty ways of saving for the future but in my opinion, the most significant and effective method is cutting back on expenses that are least of our priorities. Let's say in our case, hubby and I have been drooling over several gadgets like new mobile phones, a DSLR cam and a new laptop but with the anticipated Holiday expenditures, we can't have all of our whims at the same time. So what we do is organize our shopping list and prioritize those that are must-haves at this time. Of course, I can't say that shopping is forever ceased, I might freak out if that happens. But there is a term called "frugal shopping". One can be an economical shopper by spending wisely on a cheaper yet quality product. For example, you need a new pair of eyeglasses, you can skip on expensive prescription eyeglasses as there are cheap and stylish frames that you can order online. Zenni Optical has prescription eyeglasses for as low as $8. So cheap yet design and quality wise are topnotch. The reason why their eyeglasses are cheap because they don't have middlemen to retail their products so wholesale prices are directly offered to their clients. So in this case, it doesn't really hurt to search first and compare prices before buying or shopping on impulse.

Excited for Baguio.

It's November already and just a few more weeks then here comes December. Aside from the holidays, what I'm most excited about our December this year is the family's getaway to Baguio on the week before the Christmas. It's been a while since I've been in the city of pines and since it's also Asher's first time to visit the city, all the more that I'm excited. We'll definitely go to some of the famous scenic spots like Mines View Park, do boating at Burnham Park and ride the horses' english saddles at the Wright Park. And this reminds me that I am yet to buy sweaters and long sleeved shirts for Asher because it can get very cold in Baguio during December.

All About Blogging.

randomness…feed your mind and your blog

1. When did you start blogging?
March 2005. I started with this particular blog as my wedding online journal.

2. How often do you blog? How many times per week, per day?
I blog everyday.

3. How many blogs do you have?
I currently author 4 blogs all in all.

4. How many blogs do you visit daily? What type of blogs do you tend to visit? Do you always leave comments?
With my tight online time, I don't get to bloghop as much as I want to but I'm always keep updated because my favorite blogs are all listed in my Bloglines. I leave comments when I want to.

5. What is it about blogging that you enjoy the most? What is it that you don’t like about blogging?
I enjoy blogging because this is my social life now since I turned a SAHM. I met new friends. Also, this has been an income resource so what's not to like or love about it. I earn dollars in the comfort of our home while I get to personally take care of my son.

6. What do you usually blog about?
Sometimes I do reviews about anything like auto insurance quotes. But most often it's all about my son.

She's Engaged.

I was chatting with a close friend of mine the other day while she's packing her stuffs in moving boxes. It's been a while since we last talked and so yesterday we chanced each other online and there, we chatted for hours. She buzzed that she just got engaged and will finally tie the knot next year. Her fiancee's proposal was overwhelming and romantic that I can't help but wished Paul did the same years ago when he popped the question. Anyway, I'm so happy for her and wish her much wedding bliss. She's busy packing stuffs right now because they'll both be spending a week vacation in Chicago.

Weirdness.

Got this from Yen..thanks girl!

1.) As an adult, do you do anything for Halloween or is it jut another day?
* It was our first Halloween that we did something because of Asher. We attended last Thursday a Trick or Treat activity at hubby's workplace and we had a blast.

2.) Do you ever dress up for Halloween? What will be your costume this year?
* Of course, it was only Asher who wore a costume last Thursday but it could be fun also if I wore a witch hat of some sort in the spirit of the Halloween.

3.) Have you started Christmas shopping yet? When do you usually begin?
* Yes, I have. I started shopping last month.

4.) Do you look people in the eye when talking? Does it bother you when people don’t make eye contact during conversation?
* Yes, I do look people in the eye especially if it's a serious discussion. You would know if someone is lying or not through his eyes.

5.) What excuse do you usually use when you want to take a day off work for no real reason?
* Sick.

6.) How often, on average, do you find yourself thinking about sex per day?
* Haha..it's only the husband who must know this.

7.) What company makes your favorite brand of shoes? What makes them your favorite?
* I'm not a shoe fetish really so there's no particular brand that I prefer. As long as the footwear is comfy and fits my taste and style then I'm fine with it.

8.) Do you ever save alcohol bottles once they are empty?
* Nope. I don't even drink alcohol.

9.) Do you enjoy musicals?
* If it's old-fashioned musicals, I don't.

Sickie.

October wasn't a good health month for us. The husband, me and even little Asher got sick with cough and colds. As confirmed by the doctor, it's the changing weather that is to be blamed. It could get very hot and humid in the afternoon then hours later, it would rain. That's why it's no surprise to see that the clinic of Asher's Pediatrician is swamped with sick babies and kiddos whenever we go for checkup. Up to now, Asher is still under nebular treatment to cure his cough. If not for our ever reliable health insurance, we could have holed big our wallet for recent medical expenses. For now, Asher's doing better and I do hope that he continues to get well in the days to come.

Cheap Glasses.

Gone are the days when eyeglasses are associated with geeks and nerds. If your eyesight needs a pair of glasses, check out the Variable Dimension Frames From Zenni. They have wide array of stylish and chic frames, with single vision lens, sunsensor (potochromic)lens, tinted sunglasses lens, bifocal lens and progressive lens. Their Great Eyeglasses For Less are available for as low as $8. It may sound unbelievable but this was confirmed as Zenni Optical was on FOX news! The reason why they can afford to sell their prescription eyeglasses at a very cheap price is because they don't have middlemen to resell or retail their products. Check out the video of Zenni on Fox.

Where O Where?

Snagged from Alpha.

1. Where’s your favorite beach?
From among those I visited, definitely...Boracay.

2. Where’s your favorite place to spend money?
Malls..tangible and online.

3. Where’s a good place to watch people?
At the beach. Because everyone's seem so relaxed and with happy thoughts.

4. Where’s a good place to be totally alone?
At home or at las vegas hotels.

5. Where’s a place outside of work (or school) where you’re likely to run into people from work (or school)?
Nearby malls.