Happy New Year!

I'm thankful for...

Life is too short to grumble or complain about the little hitch that we experienced last year (2009). These obstacles have somehow made us stronger to face life's uncertainties. I have my own share of ups and downs, but they never stop me from pursuing the things that made me happy.

Looking back, here are some of the things that I'm thankful for.

I have a family who I love so dearly and depend on in some trying moments. I have a husband who is loving, understanding and responsible. He's a resourceful person too. I have two obedient and smart kids. We live a simple life, but we are abundant in love and respect for one another. We never let big and small misunderstanding ruin all our good times together. That's our family motto by the way.

I'm thankful that our household and the extended family are in the pink of health. The only serious ailment I've attended to so far was flu and the common cough and cold.

The past year was an exciting one for me too. I have learned to write a blog and meet close to a hundred mommy bloggers along the way. Most of them are stay at home mom like me. A handful is now my 'kumares' (Marce Club).

I'm also excited to share that I was able to earn a little from blogging . It's not that much but at least hubby is happy that his wifey knows pratical resources to help us get by.

I'm also thankful that I still have more time to maintain three blogs (this site, Yam's Files and Pen, paper, pan) despite my being busy with endless workload at home. I'm thankful for friends Marce Pehpot for the header and footer layout of my new blog; Marce Kaye for the intricate code; and Mylene also for the technical stuff she's teaching me. 

I'm thankful that my mother is still strong despite her age; and for my sister that she was able to find a good job abroad; my maternal aunt who is recuperating from cancer; and my cousin who finally tie the knot this year.

I'm also thankful for all the things that I failed to remember, but somehow made an impact on my life. Hopefully next year life will be kind to all of us that all the wishes of our heart will come true.

Lastly, I'm thankful for Mylene of Online Mommy's Corner for coming up with this wonderful contest. Head on to her site to see what's in store for the lucky winners.

Dream come true

Hubby got me a new camera and a new laptop as late Christmas present. Both electronic gadgets mean a lot to my blogging activity. You know how important quality photos are in a blog post. I've been using my camera cellphone for months now and you know the quality of images cellphone camera produces. The idea of buying a second-hand laptop came when we received our monthly electric bill last month. We are figuring out how to minimize power consumption at home. According to hubby laptop consumes less power compared to a desktop. We'll see about that.

Here's our digital camera.

Here's our laptop.

He got the items via Tipidpc.com. They are not brand new, but it's okay with us. Anyway, that's what our budget can afford for now.

Web hosting need

I had a little notion about web hosting when I post my first entry on this site. All I knew was I’ve got a free template from Blogger to launch my blog on and I’m ready to go until recent development drives me to learn about web hosting. I really need to know about this term now that I bought my own domain name and hire the services of a web host company. Online friends are patient to explain to me what web hosting can do to my site since I’ve started receiving opportunities. Simply put a web hosting service allows a blogger like me to make my own site accessible through the Internet and the web host service provide a server space and amenities for my website to run efficiently.

My friend said my files and my database are protected that they can be easily restored if ever the web host servers will encounter any technical problem in the future. She offered a friendly web host package for me and who can resist that. I’ve got 10,000 MB disk splace, unmetered bandwidth, has slots for up to 5 subdomain and a ftp account.

There are also different web hosting packages that suit the needs of every website owners no matter how big or small their site is. You can select from acquiring shared web hosting; dedicated web hosting; reseller web hosting; or rely on free web hosting just like this site.

So, if you are serious about hiring a web host for your personal or business website, you must refer to a web hosting guide in order to search for web host providers and learn about their hosting plans and what people tell about them. Who knows the first provider that you may choose offer promotional or discount coupons, that’s a lot of help if you are running on a tight budget these days.

Christmas presents

What is good about my kids' age now is that they can express themselves and assert what they really like. For example, they will tell us about the gift that they wish to have, but they know their limitations. They only request for items which they think we can afford to buy for them. This year as in the previous years, we asked them what they wish for Christmas.

For my daughter she wished for sketch pad and pencil, drawing guide book, and watercolor pencil. 

And for my son, he only wants Woody of Disney Pixar's Toy Story.

We're glad they liked their presents and we got a sweet kiss from each of them aside from saying 'thank you' to us. It's a simple gesture for them, but it means a lot to us. We are happy that they appreciate the simple things that we can given them. We hope that they remain that way. ^_^

Jonas Hyde's poetry

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of JonasHyde.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

I like reading and writing poems especially when I was in high school. I remember I had so much fun doing haikus when I was a sophomore student. I even submitted one or two Christian poems in our literary school paper as a senior student. I have lost my touch in composing a good piece since I entered college and started working. But when my own daughter began to write poem as a school requirement, I told her to continue and hone whatever potential she has in appreciating poetry. My daughter maybe young, but I know she can comprehend poems with adult themes because she’s fond of reading books. I hope she will be more interested in poetry when she reads Jonas Hyde’s ‘Top 5’ poems in his site. Jonas Hyde writes classical narrative poetry. His poems show a plot like a short story. Actually both seem to have similar style in presentation. My personal favorite among his works is “My Dragonfly”. I like the way he presented it. I’m no expert in interpreting poems so I will not attempt here. ^_^ I will leave it to the experts err real poets like my former editor. I’m sure he’ll appreciate JH’s magnum opus.

Merry Christmas to all

I'm wishing everyone a blessed Christmas and prosperous New Year. I got this image from one of the forwarded emails I received today. I wish I know how to digiscrap. It's the in thing among bloggers today. ^_^

New smart lipo for the new you

I’m sure a lot of ladies out there will be whining and complaining about the excess pounds and bulges after the holidays are over. Blame it on the Christmas parties and reunions where eating and drinking were the order of the day. If you have time to lose weight and is dead serious in achieving a whistle-bait figure, you would probably enroll to a gym or aerobics class next month. Or if you don’t want to undergo the rigidity of losing weight through strenuous activity, you might be thinking of the same thing as I do. Honestly, if I have the money to spend I will try surgery or liposuction. But hey, I need not go through the needle. Laser is the in thing now. Call it the new smart lipo or Advanced Laser Lipolysis.

The Knightsbridge Laser Clinic can do it for you over lunch time. Advanced Laser Lipo uses a laser to liquefy areas of unwanted fat which can then be suctioned away smoothly instead of using a high pressure vacuum such as in traditional liposuction. Highly trained and experienced physicians utilize the new Osyris Pharaon 980 nm Diode Laser and a 600nm laser fiber to target the unwanted fat.

Here’s how the new smart lipo works: The laser breaks down the fat into liquid debris and the liquefied fat can then be removed with gentle suction or for smaller areas just left to be safely and simply eliminated by natural means. The laser also stimulates collagen growth in the skin, leading to skin tightening helping achieve a smooth, sculptured look.

The London-based clinic also offers specialized skin treatment. You can check out their site if you are interested to avail of their services or you can request a free consultation or call back by filling out a form online.

Famous wines from Bierzo

I usually get a bottle of red wine as Christmas present from friends or from PR companies. I’ve heard the best wines come from Spain. I can’t attest to it for now as I’m not an old time wine drinker. I only taste wine once in a while. But wine lovers are all praises for the Spain-originated wine. I made a little research and found this baileyswines.com. They are carrying Bierzo wine, dubbed as the ‘new kid on the block’ for recently gaining extensive recognition in wine production. I’ve found that Bierzo is also famous for its red wines.

Bierzo is 7000 hectare place in Leon, a province northwest of Spain. Wines coming from this place have caught the attention of famous wine producer like Antonio Palacios. Aside from red wines, Bierzo produces white wines, rose wines and white and red grape wines. Wines from this region have fruity taste with strong strawberry and blackberry accents.

If you are a wine lover you know the best place to buy them, but if you are craving for Spanish wines you can check out Baileyswines.com, it is an independent online UK Wine Shop specialising in Spanish wines and wine gifts. You can browse their wine selection by regions and their grape variety.

We are aware of the health benefits of red wine, don’t we? But we still have to watch our wine or liquor intake this season to avoid any untoward incident. Remember the adage ‘everything in moderation, nothing to excess’.

Simple Christmas dinner

This is my first Christmas as a blogger. You just can imagine how busy I am today. Oh no, not preparing food for the Christmas Eve, but busy rushing to complete some online assignments. Seriously, I wish to save up for my kids' field trip expenses for February so I'm working doubly hard these days, grabbing every opportunities here and there. (I'm thankful to the Lord that I find myself useful despite my being jobless for almost three years now.)

 

With a very tight sked that I had today I wish I still have more time to reply to the Christmas greetings of my friends on FB and visit my fellow Mommy bloggers who paid my site earlier before the clock strikes 12 tonight.

 

Despite my busy sked I still have time to prepare a little 'salo-salo' (banquet) or dinner for my family tonight (that will be from 5pm onwards). I'm planning to cook up spaghetti. I saw a very simple recipe while watching TV a while ago. This is not a new recipe, but I haven't tried it at home. Spaghetti sauce is very simple to cook and affordable, its just a mixture of sauteed sardines and some spices. Hubby brought home a delicious dinner roll. Its perfect for my spaghetti recipe. 

I hope kids would wake up early tomorrow so we can catch up the morning mass. In the afternoon, kids are planning to watch a movie particularly one of the entries to the Manila Film Festival 2009. These are some of things that I have on my sked tonight and tomorrow afternoon. It's not much of a tradition but the practice we have for like four years now since my kids learn to appreciate Tagalog movies. I hope you had a good day today and tomorrow, Christmas Day. ^_^

Bid for lung cancer charity

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Bidazzled. All opinions are 100% mine.

Cancer patients have a real soft spot in my heart. My maternal aunt is currently undergoing medication for cancer of the lymph node. When I was working I had a chance to mingle with other cancer patients, young and old people alike. I feel for them, but I can't do anything to alleviate their pain.

Since I started blogging this year, I’ve learned some activities where bloggers can promote or transact business online. One of them is bidding online. I haven’t actually joined an actual bidding activity, but I’m amazed at how a website like Bidazzled can use their site to help cause-oriented deeds like lung cancer charity.

This year, Bidazzled.com has given a brand new meaning to the phrase online auction. The site was designed and created to fund The Ruch Foundation, a lung cancer charity.

This is how the bidding works: Bids are purchased in advance and then used to bid on merchandise. The price increases a few cents with each bid placed and a few seconds are added to the countdown clock to give others a chance to bid. The auction ends when no other bids are placed. So if a new laptop ends at $5 dollar, then you win the laptop for $5 dollar. Cool, isn’t it?

What is exciting about this bidding process is that nobody actually loses. Auction winners usually save up 80 percent off of the products original market price. If you don’t win you’ll get to receive up to 50 Bonus Bids as appreciation for participating in the bidding process. If you win, Bidazzled will make an offer to buy the item back for either paypal cash or check.

Here’s a bonus for my readers and followers. Fifteen (15) additional bids will be given to you until January 15 just choose the code that suits you when you register to their site.

Blog: BBP1202A
Twitter: BTP1202A

You can also earn additional bids through viral referral program. Each bid costs $1 dollar. It’s very affordable and you have the chance to help out a charity in need.

Couple's Corner: Unforgettable Christmas

Our holiday traditions are about connecting with one
another. — Oprah

I can share three Christmases that are truly meaningful for my family. The first one was our first Christmas together as husband and wife. We celebrate it with his family. It was the first time that I met Nanay and Tatay. They came all the way from General Santos City to spend the Yuletide Season with us and their two other sons and their respective families here in Manila. The old folks are warm in welcoming me as their daughter in law. My hubby was the last to marry in their family.

The other two equally memorable Christmases we had were actually the ones experienced by our children. Naomi was nine-month-old when she experienced her first Yuletide season in 1997. Khalil was five-month-old when he wore Santa hat for the first time in 1999. As a couple, we were celebrating our 14th Christmas this year. We hope to spend the next 100 Christmases together, just kidding.

I would like to grab this opportunity to greet each and every friends and followers I have for this site, a Blessed Christmas and Prosperous New Year.

Last minute shopping

Two more nights and Christmas is here. Kids are a little excited to open up their presents and can’t wait for Christmas Eve to come. I bet you have completed your grocery shopping and your list for gift giving by this time. Not yet? Well, you don’t want to brave the throng of mall shoppers at this hour, do you? Good thing for me I have completed my shopping last week when the crowd is still tolerable. A stay at home mom like me usually has more convenient time to do the shopping unlike our working counterpart.

So if you are a busy mom you might as well do your shopping online especially if you’re beating the last minute rush. Online shopping can also eat a lot of your precious time if you don’t know what you are looking for. You should have a list of gift ideas for Christmas or any important occasion for your family so it would be easier to choose the best gift that suits your loved ones. It would be best if you will have a separate list of Christmas gift ideas for him so any mixed up of gifts will be avoided on the occasion itself. And for your girl pal, I’m sure you know your best friend well for you to forget your Christmas gift ideas for her.

If you still have an office party or family reunion to attend to and you are thinking of sharing a gift with your officemates or siblings, you might like the group gift idea at edivvy.com.

Christmas spirit

It’s six days before Christmas but I haven’t decided what food to prepare on Christmas Eve. I’m thinking of preparing spaghetti, fried chicken and fruit salad for my family. But If I don't have much time to prepare anything but salad, we might end up buying pizza (I hope its from Yellow Cab).

Our miniature Belen

I just took out this miniature Belen (symbol of the Nativity scene) from our cabinet. We don’t have a Christmas tree so every year we just displayed this Belen in the living room to have a feel of the Christmas Season at home.

White Christmas printed on a tarpaulin

We also have our own version of ‘white’ Christmas. Hubby printed a snowy Christmas scene on a tarpaulin. It looks like a wall paper but its not.

Trivia:

Belen represents Nativity scene. It is one of the many traditional symbols of Christmas celebration in the Philippines. The term is a Spanish word for the town of Bethlehem. It embodies the young Jesus Christ lying on a manger. He is surrounded by Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, the shepherds, their flock and the three Kings (Magi). There are also some animals and Angels with them.

At the onset of Christmas season, Filipinos put up Belens in their homes, school, churches and office buildings.

Belens are usually adorned with Christmas lights, lanterns and coloful background.

Protection fence

Pesky intruders really get into my nerves. Imagine, they took my pair of slippers and a plastic pail that I left outside our house. We have a fence made of wood and iron sheet, but it doesn’t have a padlock only a small barrel bolt to keep it lock inside. A taller person can easily reach the barrel bolt and unlock it from the outside. If we can afford an aluminum fence, we don’t have to worry about leaving our stuff outside.
 

I have checked out gate panels at Great Fence Distributors and it looks like I’ve found this perfect material for our fence. They are fully assembled and ready for installation. The residential aluminium fence panel is pre-punched for insertion and setting so it will definitely save us thousands of pesos installing the fence system.

The company specializes in a wide inventory of materials for any type of aluminum fencing project. They distribute pool safety fences, arbors and estate gates, dog panel add-on, hand railings, decorative finials, ornamental rings and scrolls. You can check out their website for your fencing need.

If my aluminum fence project materializes next year, my next plan would be to convert our deteriorating garden to vegetable plots. I will need to surround the plots with fence to protect the vegetables seedlings from small animals such as ducks and chickens roaming freely in the neighborhood.

Mommy Moments: My favorite entry

This is my favorite entry for Mommy Moments. 

TODAY is my husband's moment to shine. I've searched for some pictures that I thought capture his best moments as a DAD.

Dateline: Quezon City (March 1997)
My eldest was barely a few days old when this picture was taken.
My husband was a little apprehensive to hold the 4-pound baby girl in his arms yet the picture came out well.

Daddy's little girl. It was the morning of my daughter's second birthday (March 1, 1999). She just woke up and was looking for her Dad.

Daddy's Day Out. We were spending one Sunday afternoon at the SM StoryLand in Fairview. Hubby appeared relax here, but he was actually tired from running after our youngest so he hold the tot still for this picture.

We missed this kind of bonding this year. This was one of my husband's 'refreshing' moments. He goofs around with our kids while taking a dip to cool off from the summer heat. This was taken at Water Fun (Fairview) in 2007.

A feather in Daddy's cap. Hubby shared this important event in our children's lives.

Joy ride on a Sunday afternoon. Both Father and son spend some time driving around the neighborhood using our not-so new motorbike.

Daddy's girl is now a lady. I hastily took this photo right after the graduation ceremony last month. Daddy was very happy seeing her daughter grow as a sweet and fine young lady.

Moving boxes that you need

My mother and my four nieces and nephews will be moving out today to their small apartment. Movement of appliances is the most stressful part in relocating to a new place. In terms of documents, Mother is a little forgetful so she needs a storage for important documents. In the US, there are self storage companies that are offering moving boxes like the Self Storage Albuquerque NM, Self Storage Rosemead CA, and Self Storage Facilities Davie FL. Any of these company could be near your place and available when you need supplies to safely wrap, box, hold, move, cover and protect your stuff .

Couple's corner: Shopping before and after marriage

Both hubby and I love to buy branded clothes when were still single. He bought jeans from Levi's and Guess while I go for Esprit and Benetton for my shirts, blouse, shoes and bags. Nothing comes between me and my love for branded clothes and accessory. I also love the smell and the feel of branded clothes and shoes. I also shop for my only sister and mother whenever I received my bonus.

But when we got married, hubby and I learn how to save, not just for ourselves but for our young family. We started to look for cheaper alternative for the things that we used to buy be it clothes, shoes, and bags. We lessen our expenses for dining out and watching movies. Instead of going to the movie house on weekends, we have a movie marathon at home. Thanks to the clear copy of DVD movies he purchased in Tandang Sora.

We may be exercising thriftiness but we spared our little kids on special occasions like Christmas and their birthdays. We buy discounted clothes at Baby Guess and Bayo.  

Our love for branded products never really change over the years. I admit we still shop for branded clothes. No, not at the costly Levi's or Benetton shop, but at Ukay-ukay or thrift store in Manggahan Market. ^_^

Gorge Top Gardens sells cheap perennials

Barbara Mitchell

Divine soft pink blooms with clerery green thoats. One of the very best pink diploids.

I really love to have a neat garden to beautify our simple home. And my dream garden will have various flowering plants including perennial plants. Our plants at home need a terrible make-over. These plants are originally planted in milk cans and now the cans have deteriorated and need a replacement. Perennial plants or simply perennials live for more than two years. When they get old the tops die down, but their roots remain alive in a dormant state. So when spring arrives they spring back to life with a new growth and new season of flowers. I like Perennials because they bloom over many seasons in their lifetime and they require a little care only the basics for good growth: a reasonable fertile soil, proper drainage, sufficient sun and water and a little attention from us. Isn’t it great to have a garden filled with flowers all the time? If you are looking for cheap perennials you can check out http://www.gorgetopgardens.com/. They are selling 50 percent off on hot perennials like Hollyhocks, Butterfly Bush, Clematis Vines and Poppies.

My personal favorite is the Pink Daylilies. It is often referred to as the lazy gardeners flower because they bloom even with a little or no effort at all from the gardener. There are about 40,000 cultivars with countless of new varieties. You can grow Perennials from seed, cutting and division. If I will be able to acquire any of the available Perennials online, I will create a landscape with overwhelming varieties of these plants. However, it is advisable to plant fewer varieties and keep them in group of three to five.

Visit the site now if you are planning to place your order online. All orders ship for a low rate of $10.75.

Happy Birthday Mommy Chris

Mommy Chris Amador of the popular Mommy Moments and author of The Mommmy Journey and Inspirational Insights is celebrating her birthday today.

I 'm wishing her the best of everything. May the Good Lord grants all her wishes.

For you Chris,

E-cigarette for quitters

Hubby used to consume 5 or more sticks of cigarettes a day. He quit smoking when he develops a smoker’s cough, a kind of cough seen in smokers which develop as a consequence of phlegm build up in the trachea. If during those times e-cigarette was already in the market I might recommend it to him while he is gradually adjusting to the occasional cravings. Electronic cigars are battery-operated device used by experts as harm-reduction strategy in the treatment of nicotine addiction. Electronic cigars provides the same flavour and physical sensation of the traditional cigarette. However, it doesn’t give off harmful smoke. They only produce water vapour from the purified, liquid nicotine. I’m not promoting smoking as I’m totally against it and do not like to see my kids puffing a stick one day. But for a former smoker like my husband, he says Electronic Cigarette Starter Kits can help heavy smokers ease their cravings as they gradually withdraw the bad habit.

My Mommy Moments

Nothing beats the quality time you spent with your loved ones especially your kids. I have more time to spend with my kids now unlike before when I was still a working mom. These are some of the pictures that chronicle our well-spent time together.

The first photo was courtesy of Ms. Earth of Earthlingorgeous.com. This was taken at the second (my first) she-blogger meet this year. I grabbed this from her site. Thanks Earth.^_^

This was taken during their Recognition Day four years ago.

One morning while waiting for their school service. Look at our eyes, we're all sleepy here.

Our mom and daughter moment capture in our cellphone camera.

Mommy's boy loves to hug

A typical Sunday for my family means lazing around the house and watching tv. These are the moments that I want to cherish with my kids. I'm afraid I will miss bonding with them when they have their own set of peers and interest to pursue. I wish to share this with other mommies for Mommy Moments.

Free Press Release

More online business owners rely on free-press-release.com to promote their business. The website is into free press release distribution since 2003. If you’re interested to submit your own article you can visit their website and sign up for free. Your release will be sent directly to the media community without spending a single centavo for hiring a PR outfit.

Christmas tag from Mommy Willa

Mommy Willa is so sweet for sharing this Christmas tag to every online friends on her list. It shows your creative side, sis. I truly appreciate this. ^_^

Happy Holidays to your family from ours here in the Philippines. And Season's Greetings to everyone!  (^_^)/

Thanks for blogging award

It always feels good to be remembered by friends through awards and tags giving. Thanks Chris! I'm glad that I have known you through Mommy Moments. MM is very instrumental in making my blogging experience for the past nine months truly memorable. I have come to know a lot of mommy bloggers with inspiring stories and awesome interests. Many of them are actually my friends now. ^_^

By the way, I would like to announce that my new blog Pen, Paper and Pan is already up and please check if your name or site(s) is already included in the blogroll or link page, buzz me if I (unknowingly) fail to include your name there. I hope to see you there. God Bless us all! (^_^)/

Now, I'm sharing this award to the following ladies. Grab it girls while its hot! Lolz. I'm also sharing this award to the other mommies whom I have not mentioned here, this award is also for you. Happy weekend everyone!

Clarissa 
Mrs. Kolca

Onlinemommy
Mom of Four
Seiko
My Memories and Crystals
Darly 
Shie
Gene
Lulu
Shydub
Dhemz

Choosing a blog theme/template is never easy

It may take a while before I could finally settle in my new house, I mean my new blog. Until now I'm still undecided what layout and theme to choose. There are wide selections of themes available for WordPress users, but I can't seem to find the 'best' theme that suits my taste. Furthermore, I still have difficulty tinkering with some widgets until now. I know I should have studied the new platform first (just to get the feel of it) before starting another blog. But don't get me wrong I'm beginning to like WP now. (^L^)

Like in choosing a real house to settle in, users should refer to house plans to help them decide what particular design or style of house they really want, how many rooms or if they need a larger garage. The House Plans and More website showcase top selling plans and popular plan styles available for users. The complete floor plan of the house you choose is sold for a certain amount. For example, the house plan of a bungalow style home, which by the way is my dream home, is sold at $635.00 online. I'd say I love the simplicity of bungalow style homes and they are affordable and easy to manage, they somehow fit my family's simple way of living.

I've got my own domain name

Hi everyone! You might be wondering why I'm out of the mainstream (bloghopping scene) for a while. This is because I’m moving out of my old address penname30.blogspot.com and currently working on a new platform with the help of Onlinemommy. I’ve shifted from Blogger to Wordpress as part of acquiring a new domain name and site name.

I’m introducing Pen, paper and pan (embracing the life of a full time work at home mom) which will run under yamtorrecampo.com beginning today. I’m not abandoning the old site penname30.blogspot.com as it has a significant page rank and good Alexa ranking. I’m keeping it until I’ve decided what to do with it. Copies of previous posts, photos and comments from Mom writes for a cause, are transferred to the new site. The new site will have the same theme as this site. I think its only practical to have your own domain name if you are serious in making a little income out of your passion to write a blog.

We are still tinkering with the new site and the blogroll has yet to be uploaded. I hope that you will also accommodate my new site and address to your precious blog roll. Thank you my friends! I’ll be visiting your sites soon to make a little campaigning about my new house. Ciao!

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues. ~Cicero

Things to do before the year ends

There are many things that happened to me when I created this niche in March. I gain a lot of virtual friends through blog hopping. I learn some technical stuff that was strange to me before. Lately, I started to receive my earnings from writing reviews. But in between these positive changes are neglected domestic tasks. I’m preoccupied with my online activities. Before the yearends I hope to accomplish all the chores that I have disregarded for the past months. I will have a general cleaning before Christmas Day and school vacation is over; put away stuff that we no longer need but can be of use to other people; follow a fix schedule for cleaning and washing of clothes; fix our little garden and save the plants that almost dried up because I failed to regularly water them. If not for an understanding husband like mine we could be arguing almost everyday. And instead of nagging me he even helps out around the house during his day off. If I have so much money today I will buy a property for sale in the Costa del Sol or treat him to his dream vacation place in Nepal. It’s a sweet reward for a loving and devoted husband.

Mommy Moments: Talented kids

I'm a little excited to post the latest drawings of my daughter which I will be sharing for our Mommy Moments this week. The theme is about 'talented kids'.

I never realized my daughter will be so interested in sketching. As far as I can remember it was her brother who can draw well as a toddler. When he started going to school he can draw miniature stick drawing complete with bubble dialogue and form it into comic strips. But his interest in drawing diminishes as he gets older. Now its her Ate who is showing more passion for art. I hope you still remember some of her drawings that I posted here.

My boy is into DIY craft and foldabots assembly. When he got tired of watching TV or playing online games, he would make himself busy doing some paper mask made with paper plate, art papers, colored strings and a little of this guy's imagination.

(Pardon the poor quality of pictures as I'm using a camera cellphone.)

 Does she looks like Bella Swan?

Litratong Pinoy: Hudyat

Nakakatuwa at nagbalik na naman ang bisyo natin tuwing araw ng Huwebes. Litratong Pinoy is back!

Ang tema ngayong Linggo ay HUDYAT o sinyal, alarma, tanda, babala, senyas. May ilang larawan akong kinunan nang minsang mamasyal kami sa National Bookstore. Tamang-tama at magagamit ko pala ang mga ito sa espesyal na araw ng Litratong Pinoy. Pagpasensiyahan ninyo at may kalabuan ang mga larawan dahil cellphone camera lang ang ginamit ko dito. Wala pa po kasi akong camera sa ngayon.

May mga batang makukulit ang kailangan ng alalay sa pag-akyat sa escalator.

Kailangan nating maging pamilyar sa mga simpleng karatulang ito sa oras ng emergency.

Seryoso ang babala 'di ba? Pero alam niyo ba na hindi alintana ng ibang kababayan natin ang panganib na dulot ng pagtawid sa kalyeng ito. Hindi mabilang na buhay na ang nasawi dahil sa paglabag sa simpleng babala.

Girl's Talk: Birthday

Girl's Talk discusses about birthday today. Mine will be on April 30. I'll be xx by then. I'm a Taurean. I just learned today that I was born on a Thursday.

My mother delivered me in our home in Bayanan, Muntinlupa. My mom said I weigh 8 pounds and she thought she was going to die. She passed out while giving birth to me because of exhaustion. It's a good thing nothing bad happened to her. A licensed midwife assisted her during delivery. I appreciate her story and all the things that she did for me when I became a mom myself. I can't thank her enough. Love you 'Nanay.'

Head on to Marce Niko's site to be a part of this cool meme for girls.

Couple's Corner: Kiss and make up

Funny I had a hard time composing an entry for Couples Corner last week when the theme was very easy to tackle (misunderstanding). Oh yes I remember now it’s that teeny weenie jealousy about his ex’s picture that he forgot to remove from his wallet. Was it his style to make me jealous? He said it’s not what I think it is (the misplaced pix). Oh come on. Although he admitted it was an honest mistake on his part. Remember the ‘whirlwind’ beginning of our love story? He must have forgotten to take out what is there to remove from his wallet. And it made me really mad and I don’t listen to reason when I’m angry (jealousy fit). He knows that. Before, I get easily upset by petty things, but he knows how to brighten up my face. So our “little” misunderstanding was settled less than two hours because I don’t play hard to get. Initially, he would talk to me as if nothing happened then he brought out a VHS tape to watch.

I remember it was an Andy Garcia and Meg Ryan’s movie titled ‘When a man loves a woman.’ The movie chronicles one woman's (Ryan) alcoholism and her husband's (Garcia) efforts to help her. The story was far from ours, but it made me realized that my husband through the good time and the bad will love and understand me for all time.

We love to spend our time watching movies at home as our bonding moment and our kids got their love for movies from us. They even know how to use video torrents to look for movies or the latest music video online. 

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Spare a little amount to your employees

I haven't bought anything for the kids yet, not even an item for their exchange gift which is worth a little over $2 for each of them. I hope hubby's boss (my former boss, too) is kind enough to release their 13th month pay on time and in full. If hubby's boss can sponsor an expensive dinner to the who's who in the government, why they can't provide what is due to their workers?

My top droppers and commentators for the month of November

Mom Writes for Cause would like to thank the following people/blog owners for their untiring support to my site. I value our friendship. Thank you guys!!

Top Droppers
Laane on the World
All Stace, All the Time
Greetje greets You
Laane Loves
Online Mommy's Corner
SmartMommy
Sader's Pet Pix
My Thoughts, My Heart, My Turf
Bits and Pieces
The Mommy Journey   Top Commentators chubskulit (12) Mrs. Kolca (11) Chris (10) Clarissa (10) Mom of Four (7) Seiko (7) Bambie dear ★ (7) onlinemommy (7) My Memories and Crystals (6) darly (5)

iHeart Faces: Tooshies

This week's photo challenge theme at  I ♥ Faces is "we love tooshies".

This is my husband while playing golf courtesy of his former officemates several years ago.