Last gift received from a friend

I received a gift from a friend last Saturday. She spent Christmas in another State to visit the in-laws so when we met each other again at our friend’s house I brought my gifts for her and her kids and then she also brought her gift for me. Hehe The gift looked so nice outside so I didn’t open it right away. Hubby suggested putting the gift first under the Christmas tree and open it later. So yesterday I had the chance to open it and I’m too excited to know what’s inside. Here are some photos…





It was a silver bag. I was glad to have it coz I don't have a silver bag yet. She really knows my weakness... BAGS! haha

Filipino House to House Caroling and Late Christmas Party

I had fun attending the party last night though I didn't join much with the dancing coz my shy side show up again. toink! The birthday celebrant asked me if I can understand "Tagalog" and I said "Yeah!" He said that he thought I'm not a Filipina, he was thinking that I'm chinese. ngee! He said that he sort of didn't talk to me coz he thought I can't understand their language. We had a little talk about different dialects in the Philippines where he went then a friend of ours went home early coz her 2 kids were sick especially the youngest which is only 5 months old and her baby also have the asthma. Four of my friends took her home but we dropped by at Walmart first to by the liquid vaporizer for her little one. It's like we were having a ladies night again. haha There was a Caribbean guest last night, she's the wife of our co-worker and I was surprised coz he was eating the head of the fish. I was like "WHAT?" I asked if she likes fish head and she said that it was delicious. wahahaha I enjoyed watching her eating the fish head. And her husband also was eating the blood pudding, we call it in the Philippines "Dinuguan" and that is porks blood. He talked about exotic food like the one in Russia where they had a blood soup and then he said "Ewww!" I was laughing when he said that coz he just finished eating the blood pudding and he said it was good. bwahahaha Anyway, here's some pics of what happened.

New Years Good Luck Traditions

I wanna thank my friends CC and Juliana for tagging me this. Thanks a lot girls for always remembering me always.

What are some of your new year's good luck traditions?

Rule:
Copy the person and persons' names that sent it to you and add your own at the bottom of the list. It really helps to build community.
Lets start it here!

*My mom used to collect some coins and when the new year comes she put the coins in a bowl and shake it to create sounds. She said its a good luck for a money throughout a year. And also wearing dotted dresses on new year don't know why. CC/chalyza/keep

*1) Every New Year we put coins in our pockets or hands and shake them to make noise which means calling for blessings to come. Then keep the money in a safe place and not spend it coz they said that if you spend it then there's no good luck anymore.

*2) Wear polka dot clothes coz the round objects means money like coins.

*3) Collect 13 round different kinds of fruits (sweet if possible) which means abundance.

*4) Lastly, have 3 little cups where one is full of rice, another one is full of water and the last one is full of salt. I can't remember every meaning of it but I think the meaning of rice is abundance of food, water is peace and I don't remember what the salt is but the meaning of the three are good.

*5) Wrap 12 hard boiled eggs in a red paper or red colored plastic each. The 12 eggs means the 12 months of the year but I don't remember about the meaning of the eggs.

*6) Open the windows of the house and make noise inside or outside, for cars is to open windows also and honk the horn or if you wanna go around the neighborhood, drag any metal stuff that you can tie at the back of your vehicle just to make noise coz it means calling for more blessings.

I am tagging this to twerlyn, ivy, pinaymama and butchay.

I don't know if those meanings were true but that's what older folks said. I guess other places have their own stories of good luck traditions too. But now that I am here in US, I don't follow any of those good luck traditions anymore. I believe that everything will be fine if you just do your best.
bisayako07/Michelle/My Small World

Blog Treasure Award

I want to say "Thank You!" to my friend Butchay for giving me this award. It’s only been a few weeks when I started this blog but I already gain friends here in the blogging world and one of them is Butchay. It’s nice to know you girl and to be one of your friends.

I’m giving this award to my wonderful blogger friends namely: Twerlyn, Chalyza, Darlene, Batang buotan, Madel, Juliana and Pinaymama.

Relieved after accomplishing some tasks

Today is also hubby’s day off which I forgot. Toink! I told him yesterday that I want to visit my Filipina friend today after work which means I can’t cook dinner and he said it’s okay if that’s what I want to do. When I arrive home this afternoon, hubby’s car was outside so I was wondering if he came home early. Then I remember that he doesn’t need to go to work today. Haha I told him that I forgot his day off today and he laugh. He asked me if I’m going to visit my friend and I said yes. Then he asked me if he can go out and watch a movie and I said “sure, you can”. It turned out that he just stay at home and work on the computer than going out. I cooked rice for dinner and a soup “monggos” for me. Hehe After dinner hubby decided to go out to get more of his pills for his throat. While he was gone I hurriedly do some chores. I wash our clothes and dry them, clean the kitchen floor, vacuum, arrange some stuff in the living room and wash the dishes. I’m glad to finish some of my tasks but tomorrow will be another busy day. We’re going to have a late Christmas Party at one of my friend’s house and I was planning to cook pork bbq and beef steak but now I’m not sure if I’m in the mood to cook for that. I have work tomorrow and cooking both recipes takes hours to finish. I don’t know. Maybe I’ll cook if I feel like cooking but if not then I guess I better go with something else not the pork bbq and beef steak. I don’t want the food I cook would taste nasty coz that what others say that what you feel will reflect on the food that you cook. I don’t know if you heard that before or you believe in that but I think its true coz when I’m not in the mood to cook and I force myself to cook then the result is not good. Oh well, got to go now. Need to wake up early tomorrow so I won’t be late for work. Advance Happy New Year!!!

Is there something Wrong with Me?

I don’t know if other people can relate to what I feel now. It seems that something is not right lately. I’m not sure if it’s about blogging, my hormone or I just need enough sleep. Last week before Christmas I was busy, going to bed very late but still I have to wake up early coz I have a schedule to go to work. I’ve been requesting day off’s from work because of my dental appointments almost every week and then Christmas time comes, but I’m still not having enough sleep or doing much of the household chores. It’s just that my life before I had my blog was more relaxing. Blogging takes a lot of time and it seems that it’s controlling me rather than I control it. My world lately was all about blogging coz that’s where I spent most of my time now. I missed doing household chores, grocery shopping, watching TV and reading magazines or book that interest me. I’ve been cranky at work this week which I don’t feel or do in the past. I told hubby about it coz I felt sad already and felt that I’m not happy with my job anymore. He said that maybe its true that I’m not happy with my job or maybe it’s because of my hormone but I said that I am happy when I get my paycheck. Haha I guess everybody feel the same way when they get their paycheck. Correct? He also said that maybe it’s because of my hormone. I’m not sure of what’s the reason why I feel what I’m feeling right now. But my OB said that I have a hormonal imbalance which she tried to fix by prescribing me pills every month for one year which I did not follow coz my OB in the Philippines tell me a different story about taking the pills all the time. Anyways, in the past I always tell my hubby that I enjoy working though people at work have different attitudes that I have to deal with but I enjoy doing what I do. Not anymore. I miss staying in the house and spending time with friends. Our house also doesn’t look good anymore. It’s not organized and looked clutter to me already. I’m not happy about that. Hubby has no complains whatsoever, he said that he understand me why I’m stuck in the computer coz he does that too when he’s experimenting on computer programs or reading something that interest him. But it’s not okay for me. I can see that if I don’t spend time to fix this soon then our house will become horrible. Is there something wrong with me? I don’t have kids to watch yet but it seems like I don’t have enough time for everything.

Now I want to set my priorities in life back again and ask of what really makes me happy. I’m trying to think what’s good for me. Bloggers say that you can earn from blogging but if I’ll make this as another source of income, I think the time I spent on the computer is more than what I’ll get as what I understand it from other bloggers. I don’t know if this is right for me now but it seems that this is draining me. I felt like the clock is running after me but I wanted to beat the clock so at the end of the day I accomplish something. What happen was I didn’t accomplish much everyday or even have time to relax but then I am using a lot of my time working on my blog and other site accounts. I think it’s just too much for me, though I’m happy to met new friends thru my blog from around the world but I guess it would be better for me to spend less time on this starting today. But don’t worry, I’ll try to visit here everyday when I can and do some blog hopping too. I don’t want to make promises coz I might can’t do it. I don’t know how the SAHM handle their time. That must be a tough job being a mom, a wife and do blogging at the same time.

Blogger moms, how do you handle your time? Is there a trick on how to take care of everything? I’ll be glad to hear any suggestions about handling time properly. Though I do multi-tasking jobs but still it’s not enough. Thanks for reading and take care!

My babies...

These two little cutie plush were my babies coz I don’t have one yet. Haha Yeah sounds crazy but they sleep with me in the bed like a real pet do. They always sit in that blue neck pillow. At first I put them beside me when I go to sleep but then, when I woke up they’re not beside me anymore but on the floor. So I decided to put them at the edge of the bed next to my feet so if I’m dreaming something, I won’t throw them to the floor. Haha They are so cute, I sometimes put them on hubby’s neck, one on each side. The three of them looked so cute together. haha

Memories of Our Christmas 2007...

Christmas is over but memories will stay in our minds forever. Last year's Christmas hubby and I only took a picture of the food we prepare for our Christmas dinner at home. We forgot to take a picture of us in the table and the opening of gifts. But this time I made it sure that we’ll have photos of every Christmas we have/had so when time comes that we already have kids or grandchildren, we can show them the pictures and tell them about it. That might be a good time to spend with family telling stories of the past. Besides, I think it’s nice to have pictures of every special occasions as a remembrance coz we can’t turn back the time. The next thing you know, you’re already old and doesn’t look good anymore when somebody take a picture of you. I want to share some of our pictures from yesterday’s Christmas. We just wear ordinary clothes coz we already went to Church lastnight. I'm sure that we're going to treasure this moment forever.

Me, opening gifts.

Hubby opening one of his gifts.

Our dinner after the opening of gifts.

The turkey turned out great and the stuffing I made which hubby always love was perfect. Want to know the recipe? Just ask me.

What the Holidays Mean to Me

I got this from Butchay's blog. I'm not sure though that she tagged me this but I can't remember of all the tags I got so here it is, hoping that this is one of 'em. haha

What The Holidays Mean to You

For you, the holidays are about generosity. You give as much as you possibly can to friends, family, and charity. You celebrate the holidays in a minimalist style. You are likely to only give one great present and decorate your house with a few special items. During the holidays, you feel happily busy. There's so much do to and not a lot of time to do it. But you enjoy every minute of your holiday chores. You think the holidays should be decadent and indulgent. You never mind gaining a few holiday pounds... it's worth it! Your favorite holiday memories strongly evoke your senses. You are vividly aware of all the tastes, smells, and sounds of the holidays.

What Do the Holidays Mean to You?

No plan to sleep

Yeah, I don’t know what time I’m going to sleep tonight coz it’s already 2:10 AM and I’m still here in front of the computer. I ask hubby of what time he plan to go to sleep but he just turned on the desk top which means he will be stuck in the computer too. Haha I’m excited to open my gifts tomorrow morning or this morning. Hehe Hubby has a mystery gift for me. Opps! I forgot to write the card for hubby. I better go now so I can put it under the Christmas tree. Good timing, he’s busy reading articles on the net. Bwahahaha

Reach for the Stars!

I know that all of us experienced life's ups and downs and the other day I saw a little book at Barnes and Noble bookstore about reach for the stars then something caught my attention which urge me to buy it. haha It's from Harriet Beecher Stowe

It says:

When you get into a tight place
and everything goes against you,
till it seems as though you could not hang on
a minute longer,
never give up then,
for that is just the place and time
that the tide will turn.

Now, go ahead, reach for the stars!

Are you ready for Christmas?

It seems that everybody is so busy preparing for Christmas. I myself am not ready yet. I still have a lot of things to do and need to finish before that day comes. Hubby and I went out for a quick grocery shopping for Christmas Day. I have my list so I won’t be wasting my time roaming around thinking and looking of what I need. Hubby went for a quick look at the eggnog section and he can’t find any, it’s all gone no more eggnog for him. Its okay for me coz I don’t really like the taste of it. But I think it’s their tradition here that they have eggnog during Christmas so I suggest that if he really wants to get one then he can get an eggnog shake at McDonalds tomorrow. Tomorrow I still have a lot of things to do. It seems that I always have a never ending tasks everyday. I still go to work tomorrow coz I was too late to ask for a day off. Too bad! Then I need to deliver one gift for my friend, cook for dinner, go to church in the evening, wrap hubby’s gift, continue decorating the house, maybe iron some clothes if I still have time and one thing that I want to do is watch the Ysabella. Haha I miss 3 episodes already so I have to do that in one day if at all possible. Whew! Hubby teased me that I don’t have time to sleep anymore coz I have a lot of things to do that needs to be done. Oh boy! I just wish everything will be alright and that I can do all these things before Christmas. That’s really a challenge for me to do all these.

Merry Christmas! And may all of us have a Prosperous New Year!

Charice Pempengco from Philippines at Ellen Show

For those who haven't seen her on the Ellen Show. She's so amazing! I hope you enjoy watching.

Here's the link of her first and second song on the show.

Charice on Ellen Show

Chugga Chugga Chooo Choooo!!!

Got this tag from butchay and madel. Thank you girl for tagging me this. Nice little train. :)

I'm tagging twerlyn, chalyza, ivy, darlene and pinaymama.



The rule: When you get tagged, you have to add your name below the person who tagged you and by doing that so you are letting the list grow:







Limadang.comRamblingMoo.comblogginginmypyjamasChinneeqDora-zooropazooBabyshernHiPnCooLMoMMaRachel’s Soulful ThoughtsWhen Silence SpeaksDancing in Midlife TuneUnderneath it AllI am DzoiHobbies and Suchmoms.....check nyoChoc Mint GirlAmel's RealmMy ThoughtsRusin RoundupJuliana's SiteMaxRooms of My HeartMariucaA Great PleasureMondayMorningPowerLadyJava's LoungeColin aka CotojoNafaSGHannaMy Life My WorldMommy's Gibble GabblesAuthor's Sweet LifeMy small hide out

Clark & Butchay's Blogs

Michelle's Small World

Forgot Hubby's Fish Day!

Today I went to work, had lunch there. I received a gift from work and a hug from our assistant manager before I left. I suppose to deliver the gifts for my friends and their kids today coz one of them will travel to visit the in-laws for Christmas but I’m stuck here in front of the computer uploading photos and which the result is the one in my sidebar. It took me time to finish it. I was sitting here as soon as I arrive home instead of watching Rachael Ray and Oprah. I called hubby at work and ask him of what time he comes home so I can prepare the food before he arrives. I didn’t remember that today is hubby’s fish day coz it’s Friday. Haha I forgot to buy fish so I told hubby that I don’t have a fish for his dinner then he reminds me that I have a tuna so I just said okay. I cooked rice as always and hubby thought I cooked the tuna with pasta but what I thought is I can just open the can and that’s it… dinner. Toink! When I checked the cans I have there’s no tuna available as what hubby and I thought. There are sardines and salmon so I grabbed the salmon in a can coz hubby don’t like sardines and decided to make it as an omelet. I added mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese so it becomes a little melty. Hehe Good thing hubby was ok with it, or else he’ll go hungry and go out to buy food. Hahaha It’s a bit cold outside and I don’t feel like going out anymore. The cold weather made me too lazy to go out. Thanks for reading guys, hope you like the new template I use now.

Our Christmas Tree

Here's a pic of our christmas tree. :)


At last, I’m finish decorating with our Christmas tree. I started assembling the Christmas tree first from its own box then putting the ornaments and gifts from friends and for my friends. Hubby is not finish wrapping his gift for me yet and I still didn’t know what to give for him. Toink! I might grab something next time in the store for him, don’t mind if he need it or not as long as he has something to open for Christmas. Guys, do you have any idea of what to give for a husband? I will appreciate any suggestions you give, who knows one of them is what hubby likes or wants. God Bless!

Are You Big Hat, No Cattle?

I just finished reading the book “The Automatic Millionaire” by David Bach and while reading it, I was laughing because he’s using words that are true and it really tickles me. It was a good book for those who want to become a millionaire (which I think all of us would love to) and it’s also easy to understand. One thing that made me laugh which I also share with my hubby is this figure of speech he used “Are you Big Hat, No Cattle?” I didn’t understand what this means until I continue reading. He said in his book that:

People in Texas have a great way of describing someone who tries to look like more than he really is. They call him a “big hat, no cattle” guy. In other words, he may look like a wealthy rancher, but in fact there’s no ranch, no cattle, no nothing. Just a big hat and probably a fancy car.

He said that everyday, he meet people who look rich. You probably meet them too. They have nice clothes, drive nice cars, and sometimes even live in nice homes. But when you peel back their finances, what you find is that they don’t own what they wear or drive or live in. It’s all rented or paid for with plastic. All they really have is a heaping mound of credit card debt. Then he asked, “What about you?”

I know people who are big hat; no cattle individuals and I pity them for not saving in the future. I just can’t understand why there are people who are only thinking about the Now and not Tomorrow. Spending like a one day millionaire when they have money and the next thing you know, they’re borrowing money to other people. I think borrowing money is acceptable only when you really need it for emergency purposes but not when you run out of money because you spent too much expensive stuff to impress people that you don’t know. That’s nonsense for me. I better live comfortably and save for the future, especially when baby comes.

The Art of Loving

It’s been a while when I read on the internet about the Art of Loving. It is a website that tells you what relationships and love is all about. Others might disagree with the authors there but this website helped me understand what love and relationships are, the difference with the love and infatuation and etc. I guess most young people in the new generation today didn’t know exactly what they really feel so they make the wrong decision in life and then regret later when it’s too late already. This website also is good for those who are having problems coz you can read letters from other readers who have bigger problems than yours which make you feel better after reading their stories. You can also read the respond of the author of how to deal with their problems.

I found this website from an individual that I don’t know well enough. We chatted in YM once and then we talked about something interesting and before he sign out he told me about this website and said that I might like it which I really did. I want to share this to everybody hoping that this website can also help them someday. Enjoy reading and learning about life. Have a joyous christmas!

Busy for Christmas

I’ve been busy today. I get up early so I can warm up the car before driving to work since it’s below freezing here yesterday and today. After work I went out shopping for Christmas. I don’t have gifts for me and hubby yet, and on the 29th will be another Christmas party with my girl friends and we’re going to have an exchange gift but a different style of exchanging the gift coz we know already who we’re going to give the gift to. We call this in the Philippines as “Manito, Manita”. I’m still confused of what to buy as a gift. The clock is ticking and here I am can’t figure out which item is best. But this afternoon I finished shopping for my God son and God daughter. At least in that case I’m done. After shopping I cooked dinner and after dinner wash the dishes then go out again with hubby to buy Christmas cards. Whew! Anyways, for my Manita’s gift (the person whom I give the gift to this 29th Christmas Party) is kinda hard for me. I know her hobby but I don’t know of what things she had already since she likes to buy stuff also for her hobby. I was thinking about perfumes or a set of body care but this kind of stuff should be chosen by her coz it has a different fragrance or flavor. I don’t want to give something that she might not like or use at all but I have no idea of what she really need this time. Waaaaaa I’ve been scratching my head thinking about this. It’s a tough one. Then now I have to finish writing on the cards for Christmas so hubby can mail it tomorrow. Oh boy, I better stop typing now or I’ll be finish with my task at 3:00 AM. (Sigh) Sorry if I can’t visit you guys today. It’s just that I’m too busy to do everything. Wish you guys a good evening/morning. God Bless!

Catching up more Sleep...

I sleep late last night because I was carried away with my blog. Ngek! I think I went to bed at almost 4:00 AM. Ngyah! Yeah, right! So now since its Sunday I get up at 12:40 PM. Hahaha We usually go to church at 11:30 AM but we decided to go to the other church that has 5:30 PM mass. Oh well, that’s life. Now I have to say “See yah later!” coz it’s almost 4:00 PM and time to start shopping for Christmas before going to church. I wish I can sleep early tonight coz I have to get up early tomorrow for work. Wish you all a happy Sunday!

Be Myself Tag from Butchay

I want to thank Butchay for tagging me this. I enjoyed answering the Q's though it gives me a little squeeze in my brain. haha

1. What’s one thing that’s weighing on your mind?
♫ Been thinking of what’s the best gift for me this Christmas. Don't know what I want. toink!

2. What’s one thing you’ve learned from a good friendship gone bad?
♫ To accept the fact that we learn from them also.

3. What’s one thing you’ve learned lately from love?
♫ I’m concern about his feelings and not just mine. It’s not about what makes me happy but what makes him happy also.

4. Is there anyone special in your life at the moment?
♫ My Hubby.

5. What’s the happy time you’ve had in the past week/s?
♫ 1) Making hubby laugh so hard. 2) Hubby helped me to shop for the stuff I was looking for. 3) Hubby request a day off from work so he can go with me to the Dentist.

6. How far would you go for love?
♫ As far as I can take as long as I’m still respected, loved and cared for.

7. Is there anything in your past that you’d like to do/try again?
♫ To be strong enough to stand in my own two feet without fears and full of hopes.

8. What’s your favorite kind of weather?
♫ 75 degrees F warm.

9. Why is this?
♫ I’m a woman so my body is looking for a warm weather since I am a warm blooded animal.

10 . Who do you like to spend your nights with?
♫ Hubby most of the time and friends for ladies night out.

11. Are you an emotional person?
♫ Yes I am.

12. Can you cry in front of others?
♫ Yeah when I feel really bad, I can’t wait to hide.

13. What’s something that can always make you feel better?
♫ Doing what I wanted to do.

14. What does love make you feel like?
♫ A superwoman. Haha

15. And losing love?
♫ Depressed and sad.

16. Are you self conscious?
♫ Sometimes.

17. Do you think of others before yourself?
♫ I tried not to coz it doesn’t do any good to me but yeah, I still do.

18. Where do you see yourself some time next year?
♫ Earning from blogging and still work.

19. Do you tend to make relationships complicated?
♫ I think so but now I tried to balance before deciding anything.

20. Do you think you’d be able to survive a whole year in jail?
♫ I don’t know and I choose not to go that way.

21. Who do you feel the most comfortable to go around?
♫ Sister, close friends and relatives.

22. Is there something that you’re waiting for? someone perhaps?
♫ Yeah, a baby if that time comes.

23. One thing you’re looking forward to.
♫ Treat myself in a spa and another Christmas party with my girl friends.

24. How do you feel about change?
♫ Excited and thrilled of what’s gonna happen.

25 . Any plans this summer?
♫ Not yet.

26. What are your plans for your next birthday?
♫ Nothing in mind yet.

27. Do you think someone out there is in love with you?
♫ Yeah, my husband.

28. How do you feel right this second?
♫ Sleepy and tired.

29. One word that describes you at this point of your life?
♫ Contented.

30. What do you think about this survey?
♫ It’s fun.

I am tagging those who enjoy answering this. haha Have fun!

Christmas Party!

A group of Filipinos here gather together for the Christmas party. I went there with hubby and since it’s a potluck dinner, I brought something to share with others which are the pork barbeque. I’m not sure if it’s as good as the second time I try cooking it but hubby and I were surprise that my BBQ were not in the table and we can’t find also the glass container where I put the BBQ. Hubby went looking for it then I found the container on the floor empty. I was like “Opps!” hahaha Anyways, we had fun watching the games, people dancing, and waiting for the raffle draw. We are not always lucky for that raffle draws so we went home without any prizes but its okay, it’s nice to see them again and the food prepared today were great. I am so full that I can’t even join the dance coz I’m afraid I’ll get a stomach ache afterwards. Hahaha Hubby joined the exchange of gifts with some guys. One of the foods that I miss was there; we call it “Landang” in the Philippines. It was rich but I love it. Good thing I went there. Haha

Here are some of the photos of tonight’s event.


The group... singing the christmas carols using both Filipino and English christmas songs.

Hubby with the guys during their exchange gift.

Line dance for everybody but not me. haha

Santa came and gave gifts to the kids that parents prepare for them.

And that's me in the corner enjoying being one of the audiences.

Friend/Sister Friendly Award

My friend Pinaymama tagged me this. Thanks Joy for tagging me this and for counting me as your friend and sister. I really appreciate that. I'm glad to be one of your circles of friends.

I want to tag this to my friend Belle, Butchay, Gladys, Lutchi, Ivy, Norm, and Nova.

I'm a God mother again!

Last November 25th I attended a baptismal of my new God son John III. He looks gorgeous in his white baptismal dress and he never cried during the baptismal ceremony even when the priest pours a little water in his head. Here are some photos of the event.



Here you can see how attentive he is listening to the priest.



And here we are in a group picture with baby John’s parents and we the God parents.

The food I miss

When I was in Elementary school I already learn how to cook but only those simple ones. Now that I am here in US and miss the food in the Philippines, I have no other choice but to cook the food I crave. Though my friends like to have a get together which is one way also of sharing our home cooked Filipino foods but sometimes we have a schedule conflict so I decided to just learn how to cook the one that I like to eat. First try is not always good and there are times that the taste is good on my first try which makes me happy especially if hubby likes it too. Here are the photos of them.



This is the fried rice which I thought is so complicated but I made it and it’s not really that complicated at all. Woohoo! Hubby likes this one too. This was our dinner tonight.



Barbeque? Yeah! I know what you’re thinking and yes, this one tastes like the one I had when I was in the Philippines. Are you asking me if I cook this in the grill? No, I cooked this inside the house in our teenee weenee convection oven. Isn’t it cool? haha



This is corn and meat soup. I’m not sure if you are familiar with this coz I haven’t seen this in the restaurants. My Aunt is the only one who cooked this one. It’s pretty good; in fact hubby likes to eat this one too.



It’s the beef steak in the Philippines cooked in a different way.



We call this “arroz caldo”. It’s actually the chicken and rice soup. This is good for winter time since there’s ginger in the ingredient which makes you feel a little bit warm after eating this.



We call this in the Philippines “minatamis”. A ripe banana cooked with syrup. This reminds me of my College days…



I used to make this in the Philippines when there's a special occassion and we call this "buko salad". Buko = young coconut

Losing weight?

I know that there are a lot of women around the world who are struggling to lose weight but not me. I am scared that I become fat coz of the different food I ate now so I tried to control myself not to be tempted with the delicious fatty foods and if I bite the bait then I try to limit myself also coz I want to maintain my ideal weight. I don’t know what’s going on but lately I noticed that my pants are a little bit loose which now worries me. I don’t want to be so skinny. Now I’m thinking that maybe I didn’t eat the right foods for me. I guess I have to gain weight this time coz I don’t want to be so skinny. I don’t want to look like a skeleton. hehe

Grand Slam Awards

I got this Bodacious Blog award from Raquel and butchay. According to Bless, the meaning of this award are extremely cool, most excellent, and combination of bold and outrageous in a beautiful way; hot and very appealing to the eyes.

I'll forward this award to Chalyza, Butchay, and Ivy.

Meaning of Christmas

I got this tag from chalyza. Thank you for tagging me this friend.
Make a paragraph or two regarding your personal meaning of Christmas, below the paragraph of the one who tagged you and you may put your name at the end of the paragraph linking back to your blog or right to the post of this particular tag. Then you tag as many as you can.

Start copy here:

Christmas is celebrating Jesus Christ birth where everybody are sharing of their gifts, preparing foods in the table, gathered the family together, putting up some Christmas decorations and snow outside.(that's it since everybody already wrote the deeper meaning of xmas). Chalyza & CC

For me Christmas is sharing the beauty of LOVE that God has given to US. It is not about gifts or presents, parties or the delicious food in the table but it is the time for the FAMILY to show how we should be grateful of being here on earth to show God’s love in many ways not just thru material things but thru actions and words. Michelle


I'm passing this tag to those who don’t have this yet. So guys grab it now and share your idea of what Christmas means to you.

Help Needed! How to add this in my blog?

I want to try adding more stuff in my blog but unfortunately I don't know how. It would be nice if there's somebody who's willing to teach me how to add this in here. I'll be happy if those who are masters of this blogging thing can leave me a message or comment here so I can study it later. hehe

Merry Christmas!

Advance Merry Christmas to all! May you all have a wonderful and memorable Christmas.

Blog of the Month Award

My friend Pinaymama tagged me this. Thanks Joy for this award. I'm so happy to receive this and glad to be your friend too.

I want to forward this to batang buotan, chalyza and twerlyn.

It’s a Wonderful Day!

It’s Tuesday and time for me to go to work again. But when I get up I then go to the kitchen and there I heard the birds busy talking to each other outside. It seems like they are just in front of me though I can’t see them coz the back door is closed. It’s so nice to hear such a sound early in the morning, it’s like a song in my ears though I can’t understand what they’re talking about. Hehe they sound really really cute and I’m sure they are also cute. The weather outside is nice, the sun is up and I can see the leaves falling from the trees.

Lessons I learned from shopping

We all know that women really loves to go shopping whether we want to buy something or just want to go out and look of what’s new in the stores. But is there a time where you regret after you finish shopping or after a few days, weeks or months of shopping? Well, I did and I now learned my lesson from that. At first when I arrived here last year, I don’t want to go shopping much because I get tired of going from store to store looking for my size. Besides, I am calculating the price from $$$ to pesos which is a Philippine money. I’m surprised of how expensive the prices are in here. But then hubby told me that I have to get use to that coz whether I like it or not, the price here won’t change. Hmm After a few months of staying here, I learn to accept it though I’m still converting $$$ into peso. Because of converting the price, I end up buying the cheaper stuff not thinking if it’s a good quality or not. I sometimes go to the stores also with no list or idea of what to buy coz I just want to go out and practice driving while hubby is at work. But every time I go to the store I come home bringing something. Though I bought cheaper stuff but I also have expensive ones especially when hubby is with me coz he encourage me to buy a good quality one and doesn’t mind about the price, as long as I am going to use it then that’s okay. Later on I realized that the cheaper one I bought doesn’t look good anymore when I first bought it unlike the expensive ones. Now some of the things I bought turn out to be a waste coz I am not comfortable using them anymore or I bought the things I got because I like or want to have it but I don’t really need it. Now I am very careful in buying stuff coz I don’t want to regret later on for buying the one that I don’t really need.

Dentist... Dentist... Dentist....

Lately I keep on having an appointment with the dentist almost every week. Honestly, I’m tired of having appointments one after the other. I’ve been requesting day off’s also from work because of this dental appointments which I hope I have a day off so I can have time for myself than going to appointments which only cost me. This morning I had an appointment at 10:00 am with the dentist again and then next week Wednesday will be my next appointment. Grrrr! I asked if I can have my next appointment next year January so I can take a rest going to this dental thing but the assistant said that I have to come back ASAP. Hubby also requested a day off every time I have an appointment so if I don’t feel okay; he’s there to take care of me especially in driving back home. (Sigh) I know that this is for my own good but it’s tiring also to have appointments every week. Aside from that, I have another appointment for February 2008 already. Isn’t it annoying? I mean, I can’t plan what to do for my day off anymore coz I have all this appointments. Good thing my Dermatologist gave me a prescription with refills on it so I don’t need to schedule an appointment if I run out of my medication. It’s terrible. I want to take a rest as in not doing anything at all. Haha

How Observant Are You?

I got this from blogthings.com and had fun answering the questions. Here's mine.

Your Observation Skills Get A B-

Your senses are pretty sharp (okay, most of the time) And it takes something big to distract you!

How Observant Are You?

Those who want to try this, feel free to grab. Have fun answering...

Just want to share this...

I was late today in going to work because I forgot that yesterday was a Holy Day of obligation which means I suppose to go to church yesterday but hubby also forgot about it. I was surprise when I arrived home last night that hubby is getting ready to bed. It’s past 11:00 pm only and hubby usually sleep late every Friday (playing with the computer) coz he don’t need to worry to getting up early since he don’t work on Saturdays. Then he told me that we have to get up early the next day coz we’re going to church for the Holy Day of obligation and masses will be at 7:30 am or 9:00 am. I chose the 7:30 coz I have to work at 9:00, no other choice but to get up early. I was thinking on my way home last night to check my blog, post something about the ladies night and watch soap opera but I don’t have enough time to do all that. I sleep at 12 midnight and woke up at 5:30 am (the lamp alarm woke me up). Hubby and I arrive at the church on time. It was raining outside when the mass finished and there we saw the marathon event today which made the street busy. I saw men and women, black and white individuals who participates the event. When I was on my way to work, the marathon still continues outside where we live. One lane is closed for the marathon runners and the police guiding the traffic. I suppose to turn right on the next signal light but the police car was beside me so I just go straight and didn’t bother to change lane. After a few blocks away I saw some rescue team group and next to them was something that catches my attention. I saw a woman with her 2 children holding the banner with the size of the table runner saying “Go Daddy Go!” The words they wrote touched my heart; I can’t get it out of my head while driving and even when I arrive at work and at home. It’s so nice to see a family supporting their love ones coz I know that not all families get the same support like what this family did to each other. I just wish that the individual that they are cheering made it to the finish line.

How Well Do You Know Your Man?

I got this from blogthings which you might want to try answering. Here's mine...

What You Know About Your Guy: Practically Everything

You have gotten to know your man really well From his hopes and dreams to favorite things... You definitely have enough info to figure out if he's *the* guy In fact, you may know him a little better than you know yourself

How Well Do You Know Your Man?

It’s Friday! Ladies Night Again! Weeeee

Ladies night is what we call when my girl friends and I go out without the kids and our husbands. We normally start with a dinner in Asian restaurant since it’s close to the Philippine taste and the Restaurant that we like to go to is a Chinese Buffet. There we eat the foods that sometimes we crave like the crab, shrimps, barbeque and etc. coz our husbands don’t eat the food with us which is kind of boring coz in the Philippines we used to eat our meal with family members, relatives or friends having fun eating and talking. After dinner we sometimes go shopping until the store close, usually at 10:00 pm then transfer to Starbucks for a cup of coffee and go home at 11:00 pm or earlier, depends if one wants to go home early or not. I never thought that today we have a ladies night. I just know from my Pinay co-worker which is also my friend that we might go out tonight. I was thinking that it will be postponed coz I didn’t receive any calls yesterday confirming about it. Anyway, we decided to call our friends and see if they want to go out and everybody said yes, they want to go out if we will go out. I then called hubby so he can plan also his evening. He then told me “Okay, have fun!” Hehe

Too sleepy

I set my phone lastnight to alarm at 7:30 am this morning (that's the time that I should wake up) but when my phone alarm already, I still want to sleep. Geeesh I sleep so late lastnight, it was I think 2:00 am already coz I had fun blog hopping, blogging and surfing the net. I can't sleep though I went to bed at 1:30 am maybe because I woke up late also yesterday morning that's why I still have the energy to stay up after midnight. toink! Anyway, I have to force myself to get up or else I'll be late going to work. Oh well, that's life and I have to accept that. hehe May all of you have a good Friday. Take care!

What a Day!

It’s my day off today but I didn’t do much at home as what I thought I would. I woke up late this morning at 10:00 am since I don’t need to go to work but hubby set an appointment at 1:00 pm for my car’s dealer for a yearly check up to make it sure that everything is okay with my car. We leave home without eating anything at past 12:00 pm so we won’t be late for the appointment. When I was on the car getting ready to drive, I remember that the car needs more fuel so hubby looked at it if it’s okay to go to the car dealer without going to the gas station but it’s so low already so we went to Fuel City and fill it up. Fuel City also has wine and champagne and hubby asked if they have a sparkling wine that is not strong or no alcohol then the Indian owner show us of which one has low alcohol. Hubby just told him that we’ll come back later and not planning to buy right away, just asking about what he can suggest. The clock is ticking and we still have an appointment to go to. I then hurriedly went to the car and drive while hubby beside me is instructing me where to turn and which lane to go. The road was busy coz it’s the time where employees go out for lunch while others are going back to work. We arrived at the car dealer just in time for our appointment. The person who talked to us said that it might take an hour and 15 minutes for the car to be ready so hubby and I decided to eat lunch when the car is ready. I went to Hobby Lobby while hubby went to Best Buy just to look what they have and the prices too. I end up buying a set of 12 scissors for scrap booking, a set of corks for left over wine or champagne and a Christmas card for hubby. When I called hubby he’s already at the car dealer’s office waiting so I went there and wait. It’s already 2:30 and the car is still not ready. Grrrrr At 3:00 pm the car is already outside clean and ready to go. We went to the Indian Restaurant where hubby’s Indian co-worker suggest that we try to eat there coz it’s a good one but when we arrive there it’s already close and will open for dinner at 5:30 pm. Toink! We then decided to go to Royal Buffet (Chinese restaurant) but hubby remembers that his Indian co-worker told him also that there’s a Thai Restaurant which is also good so instead of going to Royal Buffet, we went to the Thai place. Too bad, the Thai Restaurant closes at 2:00 pm and opens for dinner at 4:30 pm. We can’t wait for that so we end up going to Royal Buffet which is good coz they had a king crab legs which taste good than other king crab legs that I tried in the past. It’s already 4:00 pm when we had our brunch. After eating I decided to go to the grocery store to buy more vegetables for hubby’s lunch tomorrow at work but hubby wanted to drop by at the house first before going to the store coz he’s expecting a package from FedEx which delivers the clippers to cut my hair (his new toy.hehe). When we arrive home hubby checked the front door but there’s no notice that there’s a package arrived today. We then drop by at the office where the packages should be if the owner is not in the house to receive it but then there’s no package for us. We then went to the grocery store, bought stuff that is not in my list like the wine with the alcohol removed and instead of going home, hubby decided to go back to the Fuel City store and buy the sparkling wine which the owner suggest. When we arrive home I saw a box at the back door where we park our car. It’s a FedEx package and yeah, it’s the clipper. Ha-ha I cooked the vegetables, wash dishes, make a cantaloupe salad and now in front of the computer watching the soap opera Pangarap na Bituin. What a long day huh!

Are You A Fake Girl?

I got this tag from losel. Thanks for tagging me this girl. I enjoyed answering the questions... You Are 15% Fake

Fake doesn't even come close to describing you. You're totally natural, and proud of who you really are!

Are You A Fake Girl?

Tired...

This morning I felt okay but now I feel like I am going to have a fever again. I don't know what's going on with me coz after dinner I have a headache and until now. My eyes are tired but my mind is still thinking about anything. I guess I have to take a rest, maybe my eyes are tired looking at the computer screen. Okay, good night and sweet dreams to all.

Reading level of my blog

Tagged from my friend losel.

The rules are simple.

*Take the test and see which grade your blog is.
* Make sure to link back to me on your post.
* Tag at least 1 person.
* When you’re finish taking the test, come back and comment here so I can check your post.

I'm tagging batang buotan, marco and the rest of my friends list or those who want to grab this.

Get a Cash Advance

Tagged from losel

This tag was given by my friend losel and I would really love to pass this tag to batang buotan, marco, and to all friends in my list.

The rule: When you get tagged, you have to add your name next to the person who tagged you and by doing so you are letting the list grow.

Limadang.com
RamblingMoo.com
blogginginmypyjamas
StylewithPassion
Chinneeq
Dora-zooropazoo
Babyshern
HiPnCooLMoMMa
Rachel’s Soulful Thoughts
When Silence Speaks
My Love. My life. My everything.
Our Journey as a Family
Married and Happy About It
Dancing in Midlife Tune
Underneath it All
My Charmed Life
Blueberry Cheesecake
Thinking Out Loud
My So-called life
The Working Mom
Blueberry Cheesecake
Underneath it All
I am Dzoi
Alpha’s Blog
A Handful of Surprises
Digitally Diane
Juliana of Pinay Wahm
Teacher's Corner
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
The Book of my Life
My Small World

More About Me...

I wanna thank Pinaymama for this tag, though she didn’t mention my name where she wants to give this tag to but she mentioned that she’s tagging those who are in her list which I think I am one of them.hehe Okay, here are my answers…

Are you named after a family member?
- Nope! It's from a song.

Say you were given a drug test rightnow. Would you pass or fail?
- Pretty sure I’ll pass.

Are you taller than 5'6“?
- Nope! I’m 4’9” cutie (kuno).

Ever seen a dead body?
- Yeah, many times. hehe

Do you like the color blue?
- Not my favorite color but it’s okay.

How are you?
- Sick, sleepy, and weak.

Who was the last person to send you a text message?
- My cousin in Virginia

Who slapped your butt last?
- I don't know.

Last restaurant you went to?
- Olive Garden

What is the weather like today?
- Sunny but grrrr it’s still cold outside

Last voicemail you received?
- From hubby, just letting me know that he’s going home from work.

What did you do yesterday?
- Go to work, watching tv, blogging, cooking and washing the dishes/beddings and clothes.

What's the first thing you would do with five million dollars?
- Buy a house, invest in the stock market and retirement then vacation.

What nationality are you?
- Filipino

How many hours did you sleep lastnight?
- 7 hrs only

Any upcoming concerts you want to attend?
- Not really.

Who's the last person that you felt was stalking you?
- Nobody!haha

Have you ever been on your school'strack team?
- Hmmm… I don’t remember

What clothes are you wearing?
- Long sleeve and pajama

If all of your friends were going on a road trip, would you?
- Maybe.

How much money do you have, in cash?
- Hmm Less than $450 for emergency purposes only.

Do you swear at your parents?
- Maybe.

Is your phone right beside you?
- Yup!

Have you cried today?
- Nope!

Do you think that someone is thinking about you right now?
- I don’t know.

Do you untie your shoes every time you take them off?
- Nope! Too lazy to do that.hehe

What are the color of your bedsheets?
- Dark green, yellow and peach.

Have you ever crawled through a window?
- As in crawl like a baby? Nope!

Are you photogenic?
- Sometimes.

What' s your sign?
- Scorpio

Where do you spend most of your money?
- Clothes, lotions and shoes.

What was the last thing you did?
- Wash dishes

Do you have a tattoo?
-Nope! And not planning to have one.

Is there a secret you've never told any of your friends?
- Yeah, I think everyone does.

Have you ever told someone you loved them but didn't mean it?
- I think so.

Have you ever changed your clothes while in a vehicle?
- No, not at all.

What is your ring tone?
- For hubby is Love me do

What are you doing tonight?
- watching soap opera and blogging.

What are you doing tomorrow?
- Work as usual, check my blog and cook.

Who did you last receive a message from on friendster?
- Cousin in Pinas.

Does it annoy you when someone says they'll call but never do?
-Sometimes.

What did you dress up as for your first Halloween?
- Jjust normal clothes for going out coz we went to Church.

What is the wallpaper on your cell?
- Me and hubby.

Who last made you smile?
- My beloved hubby.:)

Feeling better...

Good morning USA, good evening Philippines! Thank God I feel better now. I took half of the little plastic glass of the night time cold/flu relief last night before going to Walmart and I felt the effect right away. I felt sleepy, light headed and the menthol flavor went down from my throat to my chest which feels good to me. When I was in Walmart with hubby, I feel tired and drowsy already so we buy our groceries in a hurry coz I want to go home to rest. I took another half of the little plastic glass so I can really fall asleep easily. When I woke up, I felt I am okay maybe because I had enough sleep last night. I still have a sore throat but not as bad compared to my sore throat in the past. So now I’m still going to work and hoping that I’m okay the whole day. Anyway, we’ll see what will happen. Thanks for reading! Take care!

Still sick

I'm still sick today. My sore throat is getting worst where it's hard to even swallow the saliva. This is the worst part that I don't like, sore throat which makes me cough so hard coz my throat is kinda itchy or tickling me. I wish I'll recover soon. Take care and May God Bless us all!

Blog Tag Award!

I want to thank again my friend losel for this blog tag award. I am glad to receive this award. This is my second time blog award from you and I appreciate that. I would like to pass this blog tag award to my friends twerlyn, batang buotan, marco, chalyza, pinaymama, Darlene, sweet lullaby, dabawenya babe and to all my friends in my list or those who want to be my buddy.

Not feeling well...

I’m not feeling well this afternoon after we arrive home from the church. It started with a little headache and sore throat then I felt like I’m going to have a fever. Don’t know what to do. I wanted to take advil but half of me don’t want to take the advil. People at work were sick and I think that’s where I get this illness now. Some people in the church were also sick coz I hear them coughing. Hubby was sick last week because his co-workers go to work even if they are sick. Oh boy, I hope I won’t be suffering for this for a week. Anyways, I enjoy last night’s event watching the Ringling Bros. Circus. It was so great. It’s funny that animals know some tricks but I feel pity to them also. I don’t know. I was thinking that they might be scolded or spanked if they don’t follow what the trainer would tell them to do. What a poor animals. It was cold last night and maybe the weather also made me sick. I wish my sore throat will be gone tomorrow or I’ll be in pain while at work. Hubby told me not to work if I’m sick but hey, tomorrow is payday and I don’t want to miss it! Haha

Nice and BTB Awards

I want to thank my friend losel for giving me this unexpected award. It’s an honor for me to have given this since I just started to do this blog in less than a month. It's so nice of you to pass this to me. Again thank you losel!

Lakbayan Tag!

I got this tag from a friend named losel. Thanks girl for tagging me this. My grade is D and I don’t know what this means.hehe Maybe it’s not that bad. Though I admit that I am a little alien to my country but I’m using my money wisely. I’m not also an adventurous person so that’s the grade I get.hehe I’m tagging this to everybody who wants to grab this. Enjoy!

My Lakbayan grade is D!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

I can read your mind...

Hi there! Just arrive home from work and here I am again in front of the computer. Hmm Sounds like I’m addicted to this blogging thing now huh. I just want to add something in my blog before I get busy doing other stuff. Okay, last week hubby and I went to Walgreens Pharmacy to buy my Derma’s prescription. We were told to wait for I think 20 minutes before the prescription is ready. We roam around the place and there’s one thing that catches my attention, a toy which says “I can read your mind”. It says in the package “Try me” so I tried playing with it to see if the toy can really read my mind. At first I don’t know what to think about coz I’m too excited to play with it. There are buttons to push to play and answer the questions yes or no. The toy was confused of what I was thinking coz the truth is I wasn’t thinking of a particular thing, and then I decided to focus on one thing. Hmm The question sounds easy to answer when I already know what I’m thinking and after a few questions, the toy knows what I’m thinking. Sounds interesting right? I had fun playing with it. I’m not sure if that’s only for entertaining the kids, but I can be a kid too.hahaha

Good Morning Peepz!

Today is a long day for me. My day starts with going to work in the morning til 3 pm (though it's Saturday today) then after work is going to an event that I wish I enjoy watching... the CIRCUS. That will be I think 7 pm. Don't know where we gonna eat, I might not have time to cook or too lazy to cook after work. So here I am now greeting you guys a happy Saturday! Wish everybody's having a fun weekend, if not, maybe some good memories to cherish... I gotta get going. Work is waiting. Take care and God Bless!