Another Tag

I found this tag in the internet and thought it's going to be fun doing it. Thank you to who-ever-you are!

1. Are you taller than your mom? Yes. I'm definitely taller.

2. What color is your curtain? Cream-colored bought from Robinson's.

3. What is the closest thing to you right now that is red? I'm looking at a pretty red phone in a Fashion Site that I'm also browsing now in another window. It's a Nova Scotia Pomegranate phone that is super hot-looking! :-)

4. What is your ring tone? Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go! Is that the title (I'm not sure)?

5. Does anything hurt on your body right now? My head, my knees, my eyes. :-(

6. What color is your favorite pillow? My regular pillow in the bedroom. It's so comfy, I love it!

7. What is/are your favorite video game? Does solitaire count? I'm not a video freak, sorry!

8. Had a nap today? No. I'm at work so it's a no-no to nap. Besides, I'm too busy to nap.

9. Gold or Silver? Gold, definitely. It can be white or yellow gold too.

10. Is there an animal that creeps you out? Snakes and crocodiles!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

My Current Favorite

I am currently loving the tv show Clean House. Not only is it entertaining and funny, I think it also always gives the lesson about order, simplicity and detachment. :-) So to all pack-rats and disorganized peeps out there - this may be the show that will inspire you to get rid all that trash in your house and start cleaning house. :-)

On Cars and Costs

Money doesn't grow in trees. That's the sad realization that many people are now having with the current economic crisis that the world is experiencing.

For car owners, one of the pain in the neck expenses are car maintenance costs. It really hurts to be spending so much on car maintenance costs and other related expenses. More so if you have not just one car to maintain.

In our case, since we have more than one car, it's been pretty hard on the budget to maintain all of it. We really need to dig in deeper in our pockets in order to come through with our car expenses. One big expense that comes up every year is our car insurance payments. Since I have been trying to study our budget this year, I've tasked my husband to get various car insurance rate quotes online for us to be able to find the best deals when it comes to car insurance. Paying for car insurance is definitely no joke and it really takes a lot of savings for us now so we can pay for a good insurance provider. So definitely, getting a cheaper but a good and reliable provider is an essential decision these days for us.

Pausing for a Quiz

You Are Sincere and Sensible

When You Are Comfortable: You are a practical, efficient worker. You know how to go after what you want, and you're not afraid to work hard. People see you as a loyal, genuine person. You are down to earth, and upfront about who you are. When You Are At Your Best: You are a determined and responsible. You strive for success, and you know what it takes to get things done. People find you to be trustworthy and a good leader. You treat people well, and they benefit from your wisdom. When You Are in a Social Setting: You are very unique and talented. You solve problems well, and you have a creative approach to life. People see you as straightforward and level headed. You can see opportunities when others only see troubles.

What Do Your Initials Say About You?

Bad Effects of Drug Use

We have seen and read countless stories on celebrities who somehow lose their way and end up getting hooked in different kinds of vices and drugs. There are so many documented deaths of celebrities that came as a result of drug overdose or the effects of continuous drug abuse through the years. It's a sad reality that society is facing nowadays. And we all know that it doesn't just involve celebrities but regular people (non-celebrities) as well. We actually don't have to look far because maybe in our very street or in our very own homes, there are people who are getting into different forms of abuse either from drugs or from alcohol. We should not close our eyes to reality. What we should do is to try to help them get over this dependency and help them get proper treatment in a drug rehab.

I believe that "drugs are bad for men" rather than the notion that "bad men do drugs". A dose of prevention from drug use is so much easier and more effective that the curing from drug abuse or drug detoxification. Because when it comes to helping a person who already much into drugs, we need a special intervention in order to do it right. We all know that to help out a friend or a family member from overcoming a dependency over drug use needs vital care and utmost compassion. In plain words, it's a very difficult task.

History shows us that dependency on illegal drugs causes numerous health problems including death. It can also be a trigger to more social problems later in life. This includes dropping out of school, getting involved in criminal acts, maybe becoming pregnant as a teenager, and many more. Those effects alone should stir us up to help prevent drug abuse. If we don't act now, we might be just losing that person little by little.

While I'm Out

While I'm out working in the office...this is what Zoe and her yaya are up to...

1-2-3...say cheese!!!

They were snapping away some pics! I learned about this when I saw these pics in my cam today. Anyway, it's okay. I suppose they enjoyed taking their own pictures using my camera!

Want to Start Your Own Business?

I have heard a lot of friends lately who are thinking of getting some unsecured loans to start their own business. They think that availing of unsecured personal loans is a necessity for them to do this because money is definitely necessary for a business endeavor to take off. Simply put, any business necessitates money to make money.

I advised them that before a business takes off, there are also some important things to remember. First, a business needs to have a good concept. From that concept, whether it's to sell a product or promote a specific skill or service, you need to have a very good lay-out or business plan. In my business management course, we learned to make the SWOT, which stands for analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that surround a certain business idea. After doing that and making sure that you have a solid legal set-up, one needs to build the capital. This is either derived from investors or from getting signature loans. After that, with a good marketing plan, you can now start your own business.

Tips to Fighting Pornography

I was at noon time mass today and the priest urged every one of us to do our part, as Christians, to fight pornography in society. Here are some suggestions he mentioned and I hope you will find some wisdon in it:

1. Get rid of (or burn) all pornographic materials in our home - books, magazines, calendars, video cds, leaflets, etc. These are all considered trash for our soul.

2. Practice modest dressing and serve as a good example to your children.

3. Avoid all pornographic websites and other pornographic videos which can be passed on through the cellular phone.

4. Help report all indecent actuations shown on tv by writing to the producers.

5. Stop all non-sense 'green' talk at home, in the office or when with friends.

6. Start the custom of praying together as a family.

7. Take Mama Mary and St. Joseph as our role models for living a life of purity.

8. Frequent the sacraments of Holy Mass and Confession to be in the state of grace always.

Hubby's Out of Town

Hubby again left this morning for a business trip down south to the city of Davao. It's been some time since he last left for a trip with his bosses and I'm not used to it anymore. Anyway, I'm glad because this will be his first time to visit that city. I only wish he'll get to explore it a little and not be too pre-occupied with the meetings and conferences that he'll be attending. I'm sure that he will be spending the evenings entertaining their guests who convened there for a briefing. Maybe they will even have some quick and easy poker to keep the guests busy.

On a side note, I still have to go overtime at work today and tomorrow. I have to finish encoding and computing this year's bonus and there's no short-cut way to do it. Now I'm worrying how I'll manage to go home when no one can pick me up tonight. Oh well, that's life.

Do You Like Chinese Food?

I do.

My love for Chinese food is evident with our frequent visits to Mongkok in Power Plant. I always seem to order the same thing every time that we don't even have to look at the menu. Hahaha.

During our last time there, we decided to make a little deviation and order something out of the regular stuff:

Chicken feet:

A shrimp dimsum:

but can't do without Salt and Pepper Spareribs....(my ultimate favorite!)

Looking forward to another Chinese food tripping!

Zoe Loves Disney Movies

As a child, I always loved to watch Disney movies. I particularly liked those which are a musical because I just enjoy singing along with the characters of the movie. My particular favorites are Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid and Mary Poppins. One time, my cousin even let me borrow her compilation of Disney movie soundtrack so that I could sing to my favorite Disney songs during the summer break. Oh, did I belt out to the songs! I enjoyed it so much that I'd get a sore throat after singing a lot.

Anyway, up to now, I still enjoy following all the Disney movies that come out regularly. And now that I am now a mom, I am not surprised that my daughter Zoe also has a keen interest in watching those great animated films created by Disney. Even as a young child, she shrieks every time I let her watch a Winnie the Pooh movie. She also loves those old black and white Mickey Mouse movies. Now I'm thinking of registering to the Disney Movie Club. By being a member of the Disney Movie Club, you can regularly avail of the new DVD releases by Disney and also get some fantastic discounts for their featured movies. I think it's a great deal!

I Need New Cabinets

Having re-arranged my daughter's things and putting them in the corner of the attic space, I realized that I need to either buy new cabinets or have a carpenter customize a cabinet for all that stuff. Those plastic containers don't seem to work anymore...

What an eyesore! I hope to find the solution real soon!

Peace in Mind and Body

Drug addiction is a current social ill that many people, whether rich or poor, are drowned into due to many reasons. For people who struggle with addiction, it may take them more than just willpower to overcome it. They need the support of other people and the professionally-designed drug rehab programs to help them recover.

We all know that to live a well-balanced life free from drugs, we need develop both peace of mind and body. In this dog-eat-dog world, many people easily lose their peace and lose control over their own lives. And when they get to some very problematic situation, the only easy solution that they think of is to flee or to escape. Sadly, this escape may lead them to drug or alcohol abuse. For those who have yet to develop a strong sense of discipline and a better sense of direction in life and are lacking in support from family or friends, they also resort to using drugs in other to feel good about themselves or to feel that they belong.

The good news is, we can bring these people out of the pit by helping them get into a drug rehabilitation which will help them change the direction in their lives. With a proper strategy for addiction treatment and with constant moral and spiritual support, our loved ones can now find light at the end of the tunnel.

Life is Grand

I saw Vannie a.k.a. Ozzy's Mom tagged me this meme. So even if this was ages ago, I thought I'd try it out. Thanks Vannie!

Here is the rule of the tag :

List five reasons why you think that Life Is Grand and then pass it on to five people.

Life is definitely grand because:

...God gave me life (when He could have freely decided not to).
....I have a great family who are my constant inspiration.
...I have received many gifts and blessing in life (and I know that I have to give back somehow).
.....There is a new life inside of me (and I can't wait to be a second time mom!).
......I have received the Catholic faith and a unique vocation from Him.

What to try this? Jean, Mandy, Jacqui, Nikki and AiDiSan?

Home Design

If given a chance to change my current profession, I think I would like to do something utterly different from what I am doing now. One of my options would be to be involved in interior design for homes and other office spaces. Blame it on watching a bit too much of home and garden TV and browsing too often in furniture and home supply shops, for wanting to be into the interior decorating business. But nobody cannot deny it, it is so interesting to be able to design something given some space, create a "look" for a certain room or to be able to re-do a room altogether into something more attractive and at the same time practical for the people who will use it.

But of course, like in any other profession, before one can be an interior designer, aside from innate talent and an eye for detail, it is also very important to allot a period for learning basic design theories (as well as know about related topics such as feng shui, design history, etc.) and for practicing and applying what you have learned. Actually, I am so looking forward to learning more about interior design that I have already found a good online school that can give me proper training on how to be an interior designer.

Couples' Survey

For a change, I'm inserting an interesting tag for couples which I grabbed from one of the blogs that I visit:

After 3 years of marriage and years of being friends, it's nice to be able to reminisce our years as a couple.

What are your middle names?
Teng: Villegas
Vina: Oblena

How long have you been together?
3 years as a married couple, 11 years as friends.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
1 year. I said 'yes' on the anniversary of the day we met.

Who asked who out?
He did. We had an EB. :-) hahaha.

How old are each of you?
He's 4 years and 1 month older.

Whose siblings do/ did you see the most?
His (he has 7 siblings). My only sis is in Iloilo.

Do you have any children together?
Yes, 1 and a 1 more soon!

What about pets?
Nope. Our dog Kikay is my family's dog.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
When someone gets sick.

Did you go to the same school?
Nope. But we did both go to Ateneo for some gradute studies (on different years).

Are you from the same home town?
Nope. But both start with "CA..." - Caloocan and Cainta. Haha.

Who is smarter?
Me thinks both lang. I don't think it has to do with the school or something.

Who is more sensitive?
Me.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Pancake House, Ilonggo Grill (years ago), Mongkok

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Singapore.

Who has the craziest exes?
HIM!!

Who has the worse temper?
HIM!!

Who does the cooking?
Our helper. He also cooks occasionally.

Who is more social?
Him.

Who is the neat-freak?
Him.

Who is the more stubborn?
Meeh!

Who hogs the bed?
Zoe.

Who wakes up earlier?
Me.

Where was your first date?
We met in Mary's Chicken in Greenbelt but ended up eating in Shakey's. Now both places have been demolished with the renovation of Greenbelt.

Who has the bigger family?
Him. He has 4 sisters, 3 brothers, 14 nephews and nieces. I only have a sister (and she's single).

Do you get flowers often?
Nah.

How do you spend the holidays?
With family.

Who is more jealous?
I don't know.

How long did it take to get serious?
agad. :-)

Who eats more?
Now? Me. LOL.

Who does the laundry?
The labandera.

Who’s better with the computer?
Hardware - him, some software applications like Excel, Word - me

Who is funnier?
Him. I think his sense of humor is better.

Who is the better driver?
Definitely him. I'm practically afraid of driving since I bumped the car years ago. But I still do drive sometimes.

Who is in charge of the money?
Me.


Grab it!

Outdoor Fashion

Are you a person who just loves the outdoors? Are you into adventurous trips such as mountain hiking, rock climbing or maybe outdoor camping? Do your interests gravitate towards the great outdoors? Well, if your answer is yes to all these questions, then good for you. It's your next step to a healthier lifestyle.

Here's better news. Do you know that you can shop for our outdoor activities by just staying indoors? Yes, it's true. You can now shop for all the things you need for your outdoor activities just by a click of a button. Now, you can browse through various men and women's clothing, footwear, bags and other gears online. You can choose also from a variety of good brands such as North Face and Arcteryx. Looking for Rock Climbing Shoes? Now, you can search for great designs and sizes. You can even grab great discounts on the way!

Duclutter as an Example to Family and Friends

One of the simplicity tips written by Beth Dargis this week is ~~ "Declutter as a good example to your children and friends."

I think this tip is so simple yet so true. Sometimes, we sort of give a bad example to the people around us with our disorganized way of living. Collecting clutter somehow reflects our lack of discipline and our attachment to things ( this is "my stuff" mentality). It also shows a lack of a very important virtue ~ simplicity.

My prayer --- "Lord, may I never be attached to anything. May I always serve a good example to my family and friends through my action and words. Let me be your good servant who is always there ready to forget oneself and just think of You and the others."

New in the Web

As an avid blogger about several topics of general interest, I have discovered this new type of website and web application that are called blog aggregators or otherwise known as community aggregators. This new web function is like a portal that compiles different blogs or websites of like-interest and compounds them in one aggregator. With a community aggregator, people can now view and browse similar or blogs with related topics and be able to access them in a much easier way.

In case you are interested in knowing more about this new tool, you can browse the site of feedcluster.com. In that particular site, you are able to find other blogs or websites that can of the same interest as your blog topic and then you can register your site and be part of that aggregator. In case you do not find an aggregator that fits your overall blog topic or title, what's good about the community aggregator is that you can freely make your own unique aggregator. Sounds cool, right?

Spic and Span

Spic and span - that's how I want our house to be. However, with a full-time job, a 2-year old toddler (and one on the way), that 'immaculate' status seems to be just a dream...for now.

Well, the house now may be in chaos but I'm glad that we're all healthy--- and happy. With my super busy schedule and pregnancy, I seem to have no choice but to depend more now on the household help to keep the place neat and clean. I also hope that everyone in the family to do their small thing in keeping the house in order. :-)