Harry Up!

Who wants to watch the newest Harry Potter movie? Raise your hand!!!

Looking for Truck Rims

My husband has been forever prodding me to buy him a set of truck rims for our pick-up truck. However, I don't know really how much budget I need to have to be able to purchase a classy set of chrome truck rims nor am I ready just yet. We usually would see several truck rims tires for sale in some areas in the metro but nothing seems to particularly catch his fancy. It's either the styles available are not so great or the price is just too much.

Incidentally, I learned about truckrims.com. I would surely tell my husband about this site. Maybe he will see something he likes there. Meantime, I'll have to have my budget ready for this. LOL.

Mommy Moments - Pouting Face

Here are pictures of my Zoe who is obviously in her terrible two's. Hahaha.

Zoe sometimes cries when she sees me leave for work again after a long weekend vacation of our being together...

Taken in KFC on her actual 2nd birthday...we didn't want her to take a hold of the camera.

Lastly, here's Zoe (sitting in the middle) at the verge of tantrums on her 2nd birthday party:

Happy weekend everyone! Thanks Chris!

Tapsi ni Vivian

I could not contain my hunger (and cravings) on the way home last night that I had to beg my husband to bring me to the "Tapsi ni Vivian" resto in Marikina for that quick tapsilog-fix. He willingly obliged, of course. Hahaha!

Seriously, since we re-discovered the place, we would regularly go there na exactly for that: a tapsilog-fix. People who go there walk in, order, sit down, eat their tapsi's and leave. Eat and run, in short. And mind you, people from all walks of life come to this place to do just that. Maybe it's because the food is good and the price is cheap. And for us who just live a few kilometers away, it's definitely worth the side trip.

For photo credits and more info, click here.

Preggy Thoughts and Preggy Lists

I'm turning 31 weeks tomorrow. Only 9 weeks to go and it will be "it" for me...which means I've got to double-time on my efforts to fulfill my pre-giving birth to-do list which I've been sadly failing on.

1) All of our old white baby clothes are still in the "depths" of our closet. Gotta excavate all of it and have it washed and ironed soon.
2) I only have 3 new baby boy outfits and I don't think any of it will fit the baby upon birth. Gotta schedule a time to shop for baby boy clothes.
3) The baby cribs and beddings have not been washed yet. Tell the yaya to do that this week or next.
4) The room has yet not been disinfected and wiped clean.
5) I don't have a birthing plan yet.
6) I haven't prepared my hospital bag yet. Gotta buy: a new robe, lactacyd for baby, ethyl alcohol, some baby wraps, newborn diapers and many more!
7) I haven't been "reviewing" the birthing process so I'll be more relaxed and better prepared just in case I get a VBAC.
8) I/We still haven't made a hospital tour (maybe we can do that tomorrow).
9) I still haven't carefully studied our budget regarding expense with my giving birth and all (my hospital coverage might not be enough).
10) I still have a ton of pending work (and an upcoming new assignment) in the office that I might end up working up to the day I give birth!!! Hay.

At any rate, all of the above does not mean that I am not excited to see our new baby. He has been so active these days that I just get teary-eyed with the feeling of "LIFE" inside my womb (I sometimes wish I could see him na talaga). It's the greatest feeling in the world that no MAN could ever experience and I feel so blessed.

Anyway, mental note to myself: DON'T PANIC!!! There's still time.

On the positive side of things, I still believe that this baby will be born at the right time and the right place because God wills it so! Even if he will be born in an imperfect world, he will remain to be a being with unquantifiable value because he will be born in God's image and likeness with a dignity that is only unique to man. That alone gives him a value that no amount of money could ever buy. He is such a blessing to us that we will be forever indebted and grateful to God for.

Now, I feel so much better.

Welcome Edward Christian!

My cousin Net-net gave birth recently in Illinois to a bouncing baby boy - Edward Christian A. Gagni. Oh, what a cute li'l darling he is!

Congratulations Net and Edward and to the whole Avila & Gagni clan. Kisses to the baby!!!

Already Know the Car You Want?

I saw this question at my homepage as I was browsing through the internet this morning. It struck me that my glaring personal answer to this question is sadly a "no". No, I don't know what car I want. No, I don't know what make or color of car I want. But I do know is that I want a new car, har, har, har.

Anyway, if I had the budget now at least for Used Cars, I would probably avail of a Car Lease for some known European car brand like Used Audi Cars. I really find Audi cars really elegant and classy. But why used cars? Well, New Cars are not exactly in the cards for me right now, you see. Our hands are pretty tied now with other domestic expenses that getting a brand-new car is out of the question, well, at least for now. However, I am happily looking at some more models now at www.buyyourcar.co.uk and I'm having so much fun choosing the car that I really want.

Not Again!

Just today, I saw that something in my Dad's bathroom has been leaking again. The water from the bottom of the toilet tank has been dripping again unto the floor and it has been causing not only a true wastage of precious water but it is also causing the tiles to be subject to grout, discoloration and mold (which I really hate, by the way). I still remember having that problem fixed a few months back but now it's again, well, problematic. So I guess the person we got to fix it wasn't really good. He was actually just a person our maid got from around the neighborhood and I don't really know if he is really a plumber by profession. Probably he is only a "construction worker" or an all-around and not really a "specialist" when it comes to plumbing matters.

Anyway, if you don't want this to happen to you as well, better get the excellent and reliable services of a good professional plumber and not just anybody that you find around the corner. You can ask your relatives for referrals on persons who can offer you quality service that is always guaranteed. And if you are in the San Antonio and Charlotte areas, I recommend that you check out the service of a San Antonio Plumber or a Charlotte Plumber. If I were you, I'll do that now. I already learned my lesson and I will be depending on professional plumbing services from now on.

Overcoming my Food Cravings

Today, I had the worse craving for a moist chocolate cake and fried tilapia (to be eaten separately, of course).

It's so weird that I couldn't get it off my mind, nor my system...THE WHOLE FREAKIN' MORNING!

And since I had no immediate "solution" for my cravings, I went down the canteen during lunch and bought these for myself:

I know, bad decision. Now my cravings are intensified all the more!

Men's hobbies and tactical markers

Men will always be men. That's what I learned being married for almost 4 years. And very much like the usual "man", my husband can really be into men's hobbies and sports. He is definitely into what people would call "toys for the big boys". This, more often than not, pertain to cars, car accessories, paintball or airsoft guns or tactical markers, expensive sports items such as golf sets, etc. etc. The list is endless and not to mention pretty expensive.

Anyway, apart from his decade-long interest in baseball and basketball, my husband is also into all of these things: cars, guns and gadgets. He loves baseball and could spend hours watching a baseball game. He even played it way back when. He also likes to play basketball when he gets the chance. As for cars, it is quite obvious that he likes cars and likes driving. Now, he has been telling me that he should buy a gun or maybe a new set of tactical markers so he can join his friends in a firing game or in paintball. Are you serious, Hunny?

Speaking of tactical markers, I found a site wherein you can find the best brands of paintball guns and accessories at conveniently reasonable prices. It's a site for paintball hobbyists and sports fanatics who really take the game seriously.

Making your weekly menu work

For the past couple of weeks, we have been trying to really follow our weekly menu plan for the family and although so far, so good, we've also come across some bumps along the way.

After analyzing it, here are the points that need improvement:

1. If part of your aim is to save some bucks by doing this exercise, you need to make a meal plan that avoids buying expensive ingredients such as meat, out-of-season vegetables and the like. Rather, it's better to make use of the "kitchenomics" method wherein you can benefit from cheap but nutritious ingredients such as vegetables and other helpful extenders and not necessarily having an all-meat dish or something like that.

2. You have to make clear with the cook (or the helper) on how you want the meal done especially if the dish is new to her. Having experienced some communication problems with our helper, I always have to make it a point to show her or tell her clearly how things are done. Sometimes kasi, what you think as common sense may not be so common after all.

3. If you are doing the grocery only once a week, make sure that you prioritize cooking the more perishable goods ahead of the other foods. For example, I've seen the helper throw out some vegetables in the trash because it already wilted even before it's scheduled to be cooked. In addition, maybe you can also emphasize the need to be flexible, i.e. she should take the initiative too to cook a vegetable or meat or fish already to avoid it from becoming "non-edible" in time.

Being a Backseat Driver

Knowing how to drive, one of my personal weaknesses is being a bad backseat driver. I don't know what's with me but I really have this tendency to be at the edge of my seat whenever someone else does the driving for me. Being a backseat driver is a real nightmare for any driver. It can cause the driver to be irritated and even out of focus and this may cause accidents on the road such as unexpected collisions with other cars. Oh by the way, for auto collision repairs, you can go to a reliable Los Angeles Auto Body repair shop for work that's guaranteed.

Anyway, in one occasion, I was a bad backseat driver and my Dad was the one holding the wheel. Dad got really pissed off with me because I kept nagging him about the direction he should take. Anyway, because of my constant nagging, we suddenly hit a tricycle in one of a village's dark intersection. I screamed so loud! The tricycle hit the edge of our car and it went directly to the gutter, hurting the driver a bit. Good thing that he had no passengers. At any rate, I felt really guilty. It was a double whammy because it damaged both our car and the tricycle.

So now, being conscious of this weakness of mine, I really try my best every single day to avoid making comments or instructions to the driver (especially when it's my Dad or my husband) because I know that it pisses them off to the max. I definitely don't want to be the cause of any accident or other kinds of road mishaps.

June 26

The date June 26 has always been a very special day for me and my family. That day is the feast day of St. Josemaria Escriva, "our Father" as we would fondly call him.

June 26 was also my parents' wedding anniversary.

St. Josemaria died on June 26, 1975. My parents, on the other hand, wed on June 26, 1971. For so many years, my family and I would celebrate this day with a mass dedicated to St. Josemaria at the Manila Cathedral. My sister (when she still resided in Manila) and I would often be part of the choir who would sing in the choir during the mass. That alone, was a super great experience for me! That was where I learned how to sing Gregorian Chant (Misa de Angelis) and many, many wonderful liturgical songs. My sister, who finished from the Conservatory of Music in UP, would in some of the years, be the conductor of the choir and my parents and I were so mighty proud of her.

Anyway, St. Josemaria has, more often than not, interceded for my special needs and that of my family. He has always been and will always be part of our family devotions. I am forever grateful to Him. I know that he has helped my mother a lot during her last days on earth and had somehow showed her the way to Heaven. And for us who are still here struggling, he has been a great example on how to live your life for God.

Four Easy Steps

On the way to work today, we passed by this car showroom. My husband and I just drooled over this new car model that seems to be perfect for our growing family. I think we are already nearing that stage wherein we are both ready to give up our old red car and exchange it for a bigger and better car. Besides, it's only like two months to go before baby boy comes along and we definitely need more room when we travel as a family.

If you are like us and are thinking of finally getting the new car that you need so badly, then I can tell you that getting to that objective only takes four easy steps. Now you can get and enjoy a new car in four easy steps. Yes! It's true.

If you are on the lookout for great Auto Title Loans, there is no better place to look but online. All you need to do is apply online (or make that call, if you may), get an approval, receive the money after an hour and then headed out to enjoy the money. Of course, you better have a good credit standing to qualify.

In particular, if you reside in the California area, there are several locations that are proximate to you and your place of residence. There are quick and easy Auto Title Loans Hayward and Auto Title Loans Fresno. Moreover, you can also choose several other offices in California such as in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Sacramento.

Decluttering Targets

I read this from my regular Messies email ~

Two of the junkiest places in our lives - and the hardest to declutter - are:

• Useless papers in file drawers
• Excess emails (old and new, read and unread)

Raising my hand on those points!!!

I sure am guilty as charged. No excuses!

But I'm starting over and over again...for the better.

House Make-over

We were watching an episode of Extreme Make-over (House Edition) at a certain cable tv channel the other day and we were so impressed by the way the tv show hosts were able to transform an old shabby house into something out of the ordinary.

Just imagine -- the featured house was old, dusty, dirty and dangerous (according to safety standards). In fact, I don't think I can ever sleep soundly in a house like that. Good thing for the family who owns the place, that TV show came to their rescue. Thus, at the end of the show, not only was their house was looking overall like brand new, it was now sturdier and definitely more safe to live it. Moreover, it was furnished too with the classiest cabinets, furniture and home decors. No wonder that the featured family was ecstatic!

Anyway, for reliable home makeovers and remodeling projects, better be sure to trust only a reliable Minneapolis Remodeling company to do the job for you. Whether it's for an indoor renovation or an outdoor project, they are there to make things better for you and your family. They may also put an added touch to your home and make it more beautiful and safer to live in. Just check out their webpage, leave your name and contact numbers or email address. They will get in touch with you in no time.

One-day Break

Because of the headache I got upon waking up and just to get rid of my anxiety over the surrounding influenza A (h1n1) scare, I decided to get one-day off from work today. School was out too because of a typhoon signal number two (which wasn't evident in the skies).

Aside from napping, we also went to my ob-gyne to advance my monthly check-up. I was so surprised to learn that I even lost weight even if my tummy obviously grew. I guess my dessert and soda ban really worked for me. Hihi!

I'll be going back to the hospital on July 08 for a biophysical assessment and a non-stress test. I guess I'll have to take another leave then. Yipee!

Classy Bathroom

One of the best things about the internet is definitely online shopping. Never in my mind did I imagine that you can actually buy or build almost anything with a click of a mouse.

Among the many things which you can buy online (and not regret it!) are elegant and beautiful things for your home. In particular, you can actually design and build your bathrooms, and classy ones at that, just by browsing through the internet and making safe online transactions.

For a homeowner like me, a good quality bathroom is a must. When we were building our house, I searched almost endlessly for the best bathroom accessories that would fit my criteria for quality, price and design. My point is, you spend so much time working all day. Thus, to at least care for yourself, one of the things that you can invest in is a good classy bathroom where you can bathe in and relax. A good luxurious bath is definitely a stress-remover, if you ask me. That is why we made sure that our bathrooms only has the best cabinets, accesories, showers and tubs that one can imagine.

I want this for baby boy

I saw this cute Jansport bag at The Container Store and I love it! I think it's perfect for lugging around the stuff of baby boy. You see, all the bags that we use for carrying Zoe's stuff are in the generic baby girl print and we currently do not have anything that's for baby boy's stuff. It's big but it's light plus with this design, I don't think my husband would mind carrying it around. :-)

Guaranteed Repairs

My friend and I have been sort of debating on how reliable it is to get the services of a repair shop from a number taken out of the yellow pages. You see, I want to have our air-conditioning and our refrigerator checked but the problem is where to get a good service man to do the assessment and repair for us.

My friend pointed out that you at least have to have someone who can really vouch for the work of any particular appliance repair shop before you can entrust the job to them. Apparently, he had a bad experience before wherein he contracted the service of someone, coming in only as a walk-in client. It turned out that he paid for a service that was not guaranteed at all. Not only was he ultimately charged double, the worse part was that the HVAC broke down again in a matter of days and he had to take it somewhere else.

Anyway, my friend advised me to first scrutinize well the person whom I want to bring my appliances to for checking before paying anything or entering into a service contract. Now for those in the Orlando area, he suggested that you obtain the services of an Orlando HVAC Air Conditioning contractor. They are reliable and can give you quick and guaranteed repairs, all the time.